Canis rufus

Appearance: Red wolves are much leaner than their gray wolf cousins, and they may even look like a domestic German Shepherd dog at first glance. Their coats are mostly brown or buff with a rust color along their capes and on the backs of their legs. The red wolf is between the size of a gray wolf and a coyote, weighing anywhere between 45 and 80 pounds.

Range: Red wolves are known to exist in only one location outside of human care- the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in eastern North Carolina. In the late 1980s, 14 red wolves were released in the refuge from a surviving un-hybridized population found along eastern Texas. Until recently, this wild population on the North Carolina coast was successfully growing, but due to human intervention and coyote hybridization, the wild population now contains only about 20 individuals. Due to their small numbers, little is known about their true habits. Red wolves’ preferred habitats include large amounts of upland and swamp forests with thick cover.

Diet: The majority of their food consists of small mammals, rodents, birds, and white-tailed deer. 

Ben

Date of Birth: April 2018

Ben was born at the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, New York. He came to the Nature Center in November 2021 as a potential breeding partner for our female red wolf. The WNC Nature Center is part of a breeding and management program known as the Red Wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP). Developed by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, the SSP helps preserve genetic diversity of this critically endangered species and ensure the long-term sustainability of zoo-based animal populations.

Karma

Date of Birth: April 2016

Karma was born at Chehaw Park in Albany, Georgia. She was loaned to the WNC Nature Center in November 2018 as a potential breeding partner for our male red wolf.