Description
The Red Wolf (Canis rufus) is the worlds most endangered canine. It is a uniquely American wolf, its entire historical range being limited to within the eastern United States. The red wolf subspecies is the product of an ancient genetic mix between the gray wolf and coyote, but is now considered a unique subspecies and worthy of conservation. The red wolf is smaller and thinner than the gray wolf. It is actually gray-black in color, but has a distinctive reddish cast for which it is named. Once hunted to the brink of extinction, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) started breeding them in captivity in the 1980's. In 1987 the red wolf was reintroduced into the wild but recovery efforts continue to be plagued by political attacks, misconceptions about wolves and weak recovery plans. As a result, red wolf populations are still declining in the wild and they are facing eventual extinction.