Endangered Animal
The Red Wolf
The Canis rufus, also known as the Red Wolf is an endangered animal that lives in North Carolina. The red wolf lives in the Piedmont region of NC. The main cause of the red wolves endangerment is due to deforestation. Severe deforestation caused the red wolves to loose their natural habitats and food supplies. Predators living within the red wolves' habitats also caused their population to diminish. As a result, the remaining 17 red wolves in the wild were caught and placed into captivity in 1973, which is when the first red wolf recovery plan was put into action. In 1973, the red wolf was placed on the endangered species list. The red wolf endangered species population contained only 17 known red wolves remaining in the wild at this time. They were captured by biologists, where 14 of the wolves were then used to repopulate the red wolf population. Unfortunately, these efforts were not enough. In 1980, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service declared the red wolves extinct in the wild.