Why is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service introducing the red wolf?
The red wolf is being reintroduced to prevent its extinction and to restore the ecosystems in which red wolves once occurred. Predators maintain the balance and health of ecosystems by controlling overpopulations of prey species and removing unhealthy animals. To be successful, public support is essential to red wolf recovery. The majority of residents in the red wolf reintroduction area of eastern North Carolina support red wolf reintroduction and show a willingness to contribute financially to the recovery program. Private landowners are allowing red wolves on their property, adding almost 200,000 acres of available land to the project.
