{"id":375,"date":"2020-04-02T18:08:07","date_gmt":"2020-04-02T18:08:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/?p=375"},"modified":"2020-04-02T18:08:07","modified_gmt":"2020-04-02T18:08:07","slug":"the-dwindling-north-carolina-red-wolf-population-by-lindsey-kinsella","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/the-dwindling-north-carolina-red-wolf-population-by-lindsey-kinsella\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dwindling North Carolina Red Wolf Population by Lindsey Kinsella"},"content":{"rendered":"

The North Carolina State Wolfpack isn\u2019t the only group of red wolves we should be worried about. According to a letter by Governor Roy Cooper from November of 2019, there are only 14 wild red wolves left in the world, all of which live within a five-county area in North Carolina[1]<\/a>. But why worry about this one Carolina carnivore? Turns out their presence is essential to the health of the surrounding ecosystem, including the crops we eat and the water we drink. Even though they only reside in North Carolina right now, they used to inhabit most of the east coast, meaning that their presence is essential elsewhere, too.<\/p>\n

The best way to help save red wolves is to contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and voice your support for policy change. Right now, the sterilization of coyotes, expansion of the five-county wolf recovery area, and banning of wolf and coyote hunting will give these wolves the best chance for survival. All of these actions can only happen through changes in policy.<\/p>\n

A History of the North Carolina Red Wolf<\/strong><\/p>\n

These wolves have a complicated history. At one time inhabiting most of the Eastern U.S. and even parts of Canada, they are now almost extinct due to habitat loss and hunting[2]<\/a>. When their populations first started to decline and they were listed under the Endangered Species Act in the 1970s, a recovery program was initiated that involved the capture of around 400 wolves. It turns out that most of these animals, however, were coyote hybrids, and only 14 pure red wolves were found. Those 14 were used in a captive breeding program that led to the reintroduction of a healthy red wolf population in North Carolina \u2015 one that reached around 100 wolves by 2012.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where the success story stops, though. In 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) reduced conservation measures for red wolves and decided to allow the killing of red wolves that wandered onto private property, regardless of whether they were posing any threat. That same year, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission passed a resolution requesting that \u201cthe USFWS declare the red wolf\u2026extinct in the wild and terminate the red wolf reintroduction program\u2026\u201d[3]<\/a>. Then, in 2018, the USFWS proposed the reduction of the red wolf range from its five-county area to a territory a fraction of that size. The 2015 action was already bad for conservationists (and the wolves), so this 2018 proposal sparked legal action. In November of 2018, the Southern Environmental Law Center secured a court order stating that the USFWS had violated the Endangered Species Act and failed in their protection of red wolves[4]<\/a>. The USFWS backed off on their proposal and pledged to create a new recovery program, and the ruling was a win for environmental and conservation groups.<\/p>\n

But, yet again, the celebrating stops there. The USFWS has yet to come up with any plan for protecting red wolves, and the wolf population continues to decline. This lack of action has even sparked another lawsuit against the agency. In November of 2019, the Center for Biological Diversity sued the Trump Administration for \u201cfailing to prepare an updated recovery plan for the red wolf,\u201d[5]<\/a>. If federal inaction continues, the wild red wolf population could easily see its demise. Something as quick and unpredictable as a natural disaster could wipe out a substantial portion of the population, and nothing could be done about it. The only way to ensure their survival is to increase their population now, while it\u2019s still possible.<\/p>\n

Why Conserve Red Wolves?<\/strong><\/p>\n

About 14% of yearly red wolves deaths prior to 2014 were due to gunshot mortality[6]<\/a>. People who killed these wolves did so to keep their pets, livestock, and children safe, or to eliminate the competition for deer hunting[7]<\/a>. They are seen as predators and pests. In reality, they serve an important role in the environment. For one, they eat invasive rodents called nutria, which cause substantial damage to waterways and destroy crops[8]<\/a>. The red wolf presence in an ecosystem also causes a top-down effect that influences the health of all other plants and animals in the environment. For example, their presence affects the population, behavior, and movement of deer, which in turn affects the vegetation and the landscape.<\/p>\n

Yellowstone serves as a good case study for the importance of wolves. From the 1920s to the 1990s, a lack of wolves in the park caused habitat destruction and water quality degeneration by overpopulated elk, which then caused the decline of many animal populations. Since the reintroduction of wolves in 1995, however, vegetation has recovered, eroded waterways have been restored, and predator and prey populations have returned to a healthy balance[9]<\/a>. From an economic standpoint, red wolves also boost ecotourism, which contributes to the local economy.<\/p>\n

Recommendations<\/strong><\/p>\n

You have the power to do something about the dwindling red wolf population. If you live in red wolf country, you can read here<\/a> about best coexistence practices. If you have access to a phone, you can call the USFWS to voice your support for red wolf conservation, citing the following policy changes:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The conservation measures that were in place before 2015 should be restored by the USFWS. These measures included the sterilization of coyotes to prevent interbreeding with wolves, and the release of captive-bred wolf pups. If it worked in the \u201890s and early 2000s, it stands to reason that it would work again.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

      \n
    1. The red wolf recovery area, which now spans five counties, should be expanded. Other than human impact, habitat loss due to rising sea levels has been one of the largest drivers of extinction for red wolves[10]<\/a>. Increasing their habitat range and acclimating captive-bred pups to a larger area could spark a continued expansion of the population\u2019s home range and allow future generations of wild-born pups to continue to spread throughout the Eastern US.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

       <\/p>\n

        \n
      1. The killing of wolves and<\/em> coyotes should be prohibited throughout the (new) recovery area. Many landowners who have shot and killed a wolf claim that they thought it was a coyote. If neither were allowed to be hunted, this mix up wouldn\u2019t be possible. Additionally, the sterilization of coyotes to control coyote overpopulation and interbreeding is undone when these coyotes are shot[11]<\/a>. In order for conservation efforts to be effective, neither coyotes nor wolves can be hunted.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

         <\/p>\n

          \n
        1. The USFWS should launch a public education campaign to advise landowners on the best practices for keeping wolves and coyotes off of their land. The USFWS itself stated in a status report that \u201cwithout private landowner support, we will not be able to recover the red wolf,\u201d[12]<\/a>. By removing the threat of wolves as a pest or predator to private landowners, this educational campaign would make them more willing to assist and cooperate with conservationists. And with the wild wolf count changing as I type this, they need all the assistance they can get.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

           <\/p>\n

          [1]<\/a> Associated Press, \u201cN.C. Gov. Cooper seeks help for critically endangered red wolf \u2013 just a dozen or so in the wild,\u201d NBC News<\/em>, December 26, 2019, https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/politics-news\/n-carolina-gov-seeks-help-critically-endangered-red-wolf-just-n1107446<\/a>.<\/p>\n

          [2]<\/a> \u201cHistory of Red Wolves,\u201d Wolf Haven International, <\/em>n.d., https:\/\/wolfhaven.org\/conservation\/species-survival-plans\/history-of-red-wolves\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

          [3]<\/a> \u201cResolution Requesting that the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Declare the Red Wolf (Canis rufus<\/em>) Extinct in the Wild and Terminate the Red Wolf Reintroduction Program in Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington Counties, North Carolina,\u201d North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, <\/em>January 29th<\/sup>, 2015, https:\/\/www.ncwildlife.org\/Portals\/0\/About\/documents\/2015-01-29-NCWRC-Resolution-Asking-USFWS-Declare-Red-Wolf-Extinct-in-Wild-Terminate-Program.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

          [4]<\/a> \u201cWorld\u2019s Only Wild Red Wolves in Jeopardy,\u201d Southern Environmental Law Center,<\/em> n.d., https:\/\/www.southernenvironment.org\/cases-and-projects\/nc-coyote-rule-risks-endangered-red-wolves<\/a>.<\/p>\n

          [5]<\/a> \u201cLawsuit Filed Over Trump Administration Failure to Update Plan to Save Red Wolves,\u201d Center for Biological Diversity,<\/em> November 19, 2019, https:\/\/biologicaldiversity.org\/w\/news\/press-releases\/lawsuit-filed-over-trump-administration-failure-update-plan-save-red-wolves-2019-11-19\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

          [6]<\/a> The Truth About Red Wolves, n.d., http:\/\/thetruthaboutredwolves.com\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

          [7]<\/a> Darryl Fears, \u201cThe effort to save red wolves in the wild is failing, a five-year review says,\u201d The Washington Post, <\/em>April 25, 2018, https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/animalia\/wp\/2018\/04\/25\/the-effort-to-save-red-wolves-in-the-wild-is-failing-a-five-year-review-says\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

          [8]<\/a> \u201cHistory of Red Wolves,\u201d Wolf Haven International.<\/em><\/p>\n

          [9]<\/a> \u201cWolves and Our Ecosystems,\u201d Living with Wolves,<\/em> 2020, https:\/\/www.livingwithwolves.org\/about-wolves\/why-wolves-matter\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

          [10]<\/a> Michael Doyle, \u201cBill, appropriators howl over N.C. red wolf protections,\u201d E&E News,<\/em> July 19, 2018, https:\/\/www.eenews.net\/stories\/1060085027<\/a>.<\/p>\n

          [11]<\/a> \u201cWorld\u2019s Only Wild Red Wolves in Jeopardy,\u201d Southern Environmental Law Center.<\/em><\/p>\n

          [12]<\/a> Doyle, \u201cBill, appropriators howl over N.C. red wolf protections.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          The North Carolina State Wolfpack isn\u2019t the only group of red wolves we should be worried about. According to a letter by Governor Roy Cooper from November of 2019, there are only 14 wild redContinue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":771,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"coauthors":[81],"class_list":["post-375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9AMMK-63","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":242,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/increase-funding-for-endangered-species-act\/","url_meta":{"origin":375,"position":0},"title":"Increase Funding for Endangered Species Act?","author":"Reed Perry","date":"March 24, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Passed in the early 1970s as one of the first in a wave of environmental policies in the United States, The Endangered Species Act has become the cornerstone of wildlife and nature conservation[1]. The protections that it offers have saved numerous iconic species from extinction including the humpback whale, the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Student"","block_context":{"text":"Student","link":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/category\/student\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/files\/2019\/03\/wolf-300x188.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":455,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/bottled-up-in-belmont-why-we-should-worry-about-coal-ash-by-grace-jeffries\/","url_meta":{"origin":375,"position":1},"title":"Bottled Up in Belmont: Why we should worry about coal ash by Grace Jeffrey","author":"Dr Betsy Albright, D.Phil.","date":"April 25, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Regardless of who you are or where you live, clean drinking water is a necessary component of everyday life. Consequently, in 2010 the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 64\/292, \u201cexplicitly recogniz[ing] the human right to water and sanitation\u201d, claiming both are \u201cessential to the realization of all human rights.\u201d[1]\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":288,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/north-carolinas-energy-future-offshore-wind\/","url_meta":{"origin":375,"position":2},"title":"North Carolina\u2019s energy future: offshore wind","author":"Reed Perry","date":"April 19, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The climate crisis is upon us. We are witnessing the impacts across North Carolina including increases in flooding, extreme heat, wildfire risk, and hurricane severity[i]. Not only do these changes cause public health and environmental concerns, but they threaten the agricultural economy, coastal communities, and military infrastructure. \u00a0 In order\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Student"","block_context":{"text":"Student","link":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/category\/student\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":505,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/the-north-carolina-hog-industry-how-an-environmental-problem-can-become-a-solution-by-finn-doherty\/","url_meta":{"origin":375,"position":3},"title":"The North Carolina Hog Industry: How an Environmental Problem can Become a Solution by Finn Doherty","author":"Dr Betsy Albright, D.Phil.","date":"June 22, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"In the state of North Carolina, there are almost as many hogs as there are people. Coming in at the third highest count of hogs in US states[1], the state of North Carolina has about 9.5 million hogs at any given time for the sale and consumption of pork[2]. This\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 1 comment","block_context":{"text":"With 1 comment","link":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/the-north-carolina-hog-industry-how-an-environmental-problem-can-become-a-solution-by-finn-doherty\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":431,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/sea-level-rise-on-the-coast-of-north-carolina-by-bridgette-keane\/","url_meta":{"origin":375,"position":4},"title":"Rising Threats to North Carolina’s Coastline: Sea Level and State Government by Bridgette Keane","author":"Dr Betsy Albright, D.Phil.","date":"April 18, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"North Carolina may see up to about four and a half feet of sea level rise between 2000 and 2100, which, combined with increased flooding and frequency of major storms, will put thousands of lives at risk.[1] Currently, about 122,000 people are at risk of coastal flooding in the state.\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 4 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 4 comments","link":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/sea-level-rise-on-the-coast-of-north-carolina-by-bridgette-keane\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":466,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/the-modern-history-of-north-carolinian-energy-and-climate-change-policy-discussing-the-hog-waste-biogas-debate-by-cameron-oglesby\/","url_meta":{"origin":375,"position":5},"title":"The Modern History of North Carolinian Energy and Climate Change Policy: Discussing the Hog-waste Biogas Debate by Cameron Oglesby","author":"Dr Betsy Albright, D.Phil.","date":"June 15, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"In recent years, North Carolina has made significant progress in the way of renewable energy infrastructure and energy policy designed to reduce the state\u2019s overall carbon footprint. In 2017, after President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Accords, Governor Roy Cooper joined a growing movement of\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 3 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 3 comments","link":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/the-modern-history-of-north-carolinian-energy-and-climate-change-policy-discussing-the-hog-waste-biogas-debate-by-cameron-oglesby\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/771"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=375"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":377,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375\/revisions\/377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=375"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}