North American Wolves

The Red Wolf:
The red wolf once populated most of the southeastern U.S. It was finally reduced to about 100 wolves along coastal Texas and Louisiana. These were intermingled by coyote genes as a result of interbreeding. The coyote was much more plentiful.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stepped in and initiated a recovery program to prevent the species' extinction. They caught the remaining wolves in the wild and captive bred for reintroduction.

Now a wild population of about 40 red wolves is being established with lots of setbacks in eastern North Carolina.

The Gray Wolf:
The gray wolf used to range over most of North America. There a few wild wolves inhabiting North Dakota, South Dakota, central Idaho, Wyoming, and northern Washington. The most significant populations include: Northern Minnesota with about 2,000; Michigan and Wisconsin with around 110; Montana with some 60-70; and Western Mexico with from 0-10.

The gray wolf as a species is made up of various subspecies. Recovery is focusing on the eastern timber wolf, the Mexican wolf, and the northern Rocky Mountain wolf.

The Mexican Wolf:
The Mexican Wolf was once native to the southwestern portion of the U.S. However, it has been extinct in that region since the mid-1900s. Now a captive population is managed by 13 private breeding facilities in conjunction with the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program of the USFWS.

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