It has been a busy hurricane season for the Atlantic states so far this year. 

Although most of the giant storms were misses, 

two have hit very close to 

the red wolf recovery area 

in northeastern North 

Carolina. 

On August 30th, Hurricane Dennis began with 

much rain and wind. The 

storm stayed nearly stationary for several days 

offshore. Wind damage 

was minimal, but some 

areas experienced flooding. 

On September 15 , Hurricane Floyd came ashore 

in southern North Carolina at 115 mph and continued north just east of 

Raleigh. Four to nearly 

20 inches of rain fell in 

some areas, many of them 

still drenched from Hurricane Dennis. The storm 

path was west of the red 

wolf recovery area, however we did suffer from 

some isolated flooding 

and wind damage. 

Neither of the storms 

caused any known 

wolf injuries or 

deaths. Two enclosures at the captive 

facility on Alligator 

River National Wildlife Refuge did suffer 

some damage when 

fallen trees landed on 

them. Fortunately, 

the wolves in the enclosures were not injured and did not escape. 

At the first threat of a 

local hurricane landfall, 

all of the members of the 

captive breeding facility 

are radio collared. They 

stay radio collared until 

the end of the hurricane 

season so their movements can be monitored 

in the event of an escape. 

The only death of red wolf 

that can be associated 

with a hurricane was on 

Bull’s Island, part of Cape 

Romain National Wildlife 

Refuge off the coast of 

South Carolina. In September of 1989, Hurricane Hugo hit Bull’s Island at 185 mph, creating 

an 18-20 foot storm surge. 

Nearly every tree on the 

(Continued on page 2) 

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Red Wolf News 

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 

Red Wolf Hybridization with Coyotes: Initial 

Phase of the Management Plan 

With the field season soon approaching, we have adopted 

the first phase of 

an adapt-as-we-learn 

strategy to understand and manage hybridization. This 

approach, often referred to as 

“adaptive management”, is often preferred by resource 

managers when little 

is known about the 

phenomenon or system 

that needs to be 

managed. We know 

very little about 

hybridization between red wolves and 

coyotes. 

Phase I of our plan 

will last from October through January 

and will focus on 

areas where we know, 

or suspect, known 

wolves had puppies 

last year. The goal 

will be to capture 

and attach radio 

(Continued on page 2) 

	



	


July through September 1999

Red wolf at the SEEWEE Visitor’s Center in Awendaw, South Carolina. Photo 

by Karen Beshears, Naturescapes Photography. 
collared wolves that we can 

monitor for a variety of 

information to help us manage hybridization. 

As of now, the focus of the 

next phase of our plan will 

be to determine who 

(coyote, hybrid or wolf), 

if anyone, the wolves that 

did not breed last year are 

mated with this year. 

pups apparently suffered no long 

term injuries. 

Given that northeastern North 

Carolina has the only wild population of red wolves, catastrophic 

events such as hurricanes or a disease outbreaks can pose a serious 

threat to the future of the population. We are fortunate not to have 

had a direct hit by a hurricane since 

the red wolf program began. As the 

Bull’s Island Pack proved in 1989, 

wolves are strong swimmers. However, a direct hit by a strong hurricane will almost certainly have a 

negative effect on our only wild wolf 

population. 

Fortunately, the red wolf recovery 

effort has a very active captive 

breeding program. The captive 

population is carefully managed 

with an SSP (Species Survival 

Plan.) If a catastrophic event were 

to occur, future releases would be 

possible with captive wolves. 

Hey Kids! 

Why did the red wolf 

go extinct in the wild? 

 

	



























	



This newsletter is a publication of the 

US Fish and Wildlife Service. Comments or questions can be addressed to: 

Jennifer Gilbreath, Wildlife Biologist/

Outreach Coordinator 

Red Wolf Recovery 

PO Box 1969 

Manteo, North Carolina 27954 

Email: Jennifer_Gilbreath@fws.gov 

	



	



3$*(  5(' :2/) 1(:6 92/80(  ,668( 

(Continued from page 1) 

collars to all the wolves in 

each of these family groups. 

This includes puppies and 

other group members that are 

not radio collared. We will 

apply this management strategy from the east to the 

west across the recovery 

area. 

There are several reasons we 

are focusing the initial 

phase of our plan on our 

known breeding groups of 

wolves. First, after approximately January 31st, 

red wolves can be pregnant 

and we don’t want to disturb 

known groups of wolves during their breeding season. 

Second, our efforts will increase the known population 

of red wolves. Third, it 

will provide a source of 

Answer: people killing them, loss of 

habitat, and hybridization with coyotes

Red Wolf Hybridization with Coyotes...Continued 

(Continued from page 1) 

island blew down. A family of 4 red 

wolf pups and their father were 

free-ranging on the island at the 

time. Amazingly, all of the wolves 

survived, but the father was found 

dead one month after the storm. 

He had probably been dead about 

two weeks, but access to the island 

had been limited and personnel 

were unable to collect the carcass. 

The cause of death was assumed to 

be related to the hurricane. The 

 

The SEEWEE Visitor and Environmental Education Center in South Carolina! 

This facility showcases the unique heritage and natural history of South Carolina’s Lowcountry. Jointly operated by the US 

Fish and Wildlife Service and the USDA Forest Service, the 9,000 square foot facility features interpretive displays, a live 

red wolf education area, and a center for viewing birds of prey. The facility is located about 18 miles north of Charleston, 

in Awendaw, South Carolina. After visiting SEEWEE, enjoy exploring Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge and Francis 

Marion National Forest. Did you know that the first red wolf releases took place on Bull’s Island, part of Cape Romain 

NWR? In 1978, wolves were released there to test release, tracking, and recapture techniques. SEEWEE is open Tuesday 

through Sunday from 9am to 5pm and entrance is free. For more information please call 843-928-3368.