Has the restoration of red wolves to North Carolina proven successful to date?
A12: Considering the grave challenges red wolves faced when first listed as endangered in 1967, efforts to restore, recover and conserve them have been remarkably successful. Red wolves have been transformed from nearly extinct at a count of only 14 individuals in the 1970’s to a captive population of 208 and a restored wild NEP population with counts up to nearly 130. The red wolf was pulled back from the brink of extinction and given a fighting chance for survival. We conclude that NEP status is effective in red wolf conservation and in allowing flexibility for red wolves and people. Future success in addressing threats to the red wolf NEP and general red wolf recovery will depend heavily upon the assistance and actions of partners that include local communities and state wildlife agencies like the NCWRC.
