Sandy Ridge is a red wolf holding facility located on the Alligator River National Wildlife

Refuge. Winds from Hurricane Isabel on September 18, 2003, damaged all but one of the

14 pens. During the following year, only 5 to 6 were able to be made functional. Eventually

the field crew was able to piece together other damaged pens to create a total of 8

functional pens. During the 2006 summer months, contractors repaired the six

remaining pens and built two new ones, bringing the total number of pens to 16.

New pen - Leslie Schutte-Hildebrand photo

The Red Wolf Recovery

Program wildlife biologists

have been putting

transponders in newborn

pups for about the last five

years. However, the

transponders are used

primarily for identification

purposes and can be read

like a bar-code. They do

not operate as a transmitter

that emits a radio signal

Since pups are too small to

be fitted with radio tracking

collars, additional data on

their dispersal and locations

has not been

available—until recently.

Just under two years ago,

red wolf biologists inserted

transmitters into three pup

Pup Transmitters

New Pens for Sandy Ridge

litters. What they really

needed now was someone in

the field to monitor the signals

more frequently than their

time allowed.

Joey Hinton, a graduate

student from Rice University

in Texas, needed a thesis

project. It worked out

perfectly with Joey

monitoring the transmitter

signals during the summer of

2005.

Data reported:

 Pup dispersement range

 Age when pups disperse

 Traveling alone?

 Reasons for mortality

As biologists continue to

monitor transmissions and

collect data, future reporting

will include this new

information and behavioral

trends.

Red wolf pup

January - 2007

Red Wolf Journal

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Fifteen pens measure 50’ by 50’

and one double pen measures 100’

x 50’ but can be divided if

circumstances dictate. The repairs

were completed in the nick of time,

since during October, 2006, there

were 20 canids needing space at

Sandy Ridge.

Chris Lucash photo

2006

Red Wolf

Recovery

Program

Highlights:

- 50 pups born to

 11 packs

-Transmitters

 inserted into 3

 pup litters

- RIT meets

- Recovery

Program

celebrates 20

years at ARNWR

- Red Wolf staff

list

- Sandy Ridge

update

- About the

Captive Program

- A look at the Red

Wolf Coalition

More inside . . .

Note: The “Red Wolf

Journal” replaces the

“Red Wolf News.”

Comments welcome.
Page 2 of 5 Red Wolf Journal

Gunshot mortality among the red wolf wild population has been on the rise. After some discussion about the problem

with red wolf wildlife biologists, the Red Wolf Coalition Board of Directors, and the North Carolina Wildlife

Commission, a decision was made to create a hunter education publication. The map below is one of four panels on a

card that can be folded the same size as a hunting license. A pdf. file of the entire document can be found on

www.fws.gov/alligatorriver/redwolf.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Red Wolf Recovery Program, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Red Wolf Coalition

partnered to fund the printing of 20,000 cards. Target audiences will include hunter safety and education classes, hunt

clubs, outfitters and hunting events, particularly in the 5-County Recovery Area. Red wolf wildlife biologists also

carry a supply of these cards in their work trucks.

 . 

Hunter Education Partnership

Recovery Implementation Team Met in October

The card’s basic message asks hunters not to shoot

east of Highway 32. While it is open season on

coyotes in North Carolina 12 months of the year,

any canid seen in the counties of Beaufort, Dare,

Hyde, Tyrrell and Washington, is very likely a red

wolf. Since the Red Wolf Recovery Program

already manages for coyotes in these 5 counties,

the chances of killing a red wolf are extremely

high. Gunshot mortality numbers will be

monitored for any changes.

The Recovery Implementation

Team (RIT) is an independent

panel of scientists from across

North America who review the

Red Wolf Recovery Program's

field work, field plan, and data,

prior to making recommendations

at semi-annual meetings.

As a panel of accomplished

scientists, the RIT offers ideas and

recommendations on how best to

manage and monitor red wolves

and eastern coyotes, review current

field activities and suggest ways to

implement new projects and

procedures.

The RIT met with Red Wolf

Recovery Program staff in Nags

Head, NC, on October 16th and

17th, 2006. Several topics were

discussed such as:

 Causes of mortalities

 Monitoring pup activity

 Red wolf population statistics

 Adult population monitoring and

and tracking

 Fostering events

 Program directions for 2007

 Research paper publication dates

At this meeting another topic

was presented:

 “Is it time to consider

organizing a Human Dimensions

committee to complement the

RIT?”

The idea was accepted and will

be pursued at future meetings.

The next meeting of the RIT will

be March 5th and 6th at the Nags

Head, NC, location.

A bibliography of RIT published

articles can be found on the

ARNWR web site: www.fws.gov

/alligatorriver/ redwolf
Page 3 of 5 Red Wolf Journal

The Red Wolf Coalition 

Columbia, NC, Office __

The Red Wolf Recovery

Program may be celebrating 20

years at the ARNWR, but the

captive breeding program,

coordinated by Will Waddell,

Point Defiance Zoo &

Aquarium (PDZA), Tacoma,

WA, will celebrate its 30th

anniversary. The first litter of

red wolf pups was born in

captivity in 1977 at PDZA.

Captive Population

The Red Wolf Coalition

(RWC) is a non-profit

organization dedicated to

promoting red wolf

recovery through

education, outreach and

research.

The RWC partners with

the USFWS and other

organizations to expand

red wolf knowledge at

For years, the red wolf wildlife biologists have

conducted basic veterinary tasks under very

rudimentary conditions: in garage/storage

space in the ARNWR office building, in a

small private shed and in the field whenever

possible.

The situation is about to change. For nearly a

year, Bud Fazio, Red Wolf Recovery Program

Team Leader, has been searching for better

conditions. Thanks to a grant that Howard

Phillips, Refuge Manager, Pocosin Lakes

NWR, applied for and received, a new

education/veterinary facility is about to

become a reality.

David Rabon, FWS, Ecological Services, has

completed the Environmental Assessment, and

Red Wolf Coalition

Education/Veterinary Facility

The captive

population is an

integral component

of red wolf recovery.

The captive program now

consists of 38 facilities

across the U.S. with a

population of 163 red

wolves (this number

varies with each pup

season.). A location list

can be found on the red

wolf web site.

Many of these sites are

also part of the Species

Survival Plan network..

Will Waddell represents

the red wolf captive

breeding program as a

member on the RIT. FWS

and the captive program

work closely together to

maintain accurate genetic

data used to monitor and

evaluate the health and

progress of the red wolf

species.

events, through the media

and RWC publications,

howling safaris and web

pages

(www.redwolves.com).

The RWC will celebrate

its 10th anniversary in

2007 and has a number of

special projects and

programs planned during

this anniversary year.

Kim Wheeler, RWC

Executive Director, can be

reached at 252-796-5600

or via the web at

kwheeler@redwolves.

com.

incorporated public comments. The

Environmental Assessment and Finding

Of No Significant Impact were signed and

approved by Regional Director Sam

Hamilton during Thanksgiving week.

The Department of Defense is working

with FWS to negotiate construction

contracts. The building design and floor

plan has been conceptualized and will

include an education area for FWS

recovery program and RWC use.

A kiosk donated and built by an Eagle

Scout Troop, will be installed outside the

facility, further educating the public about

red wolf recovery in northeastern North

Carolina.

Current garage space

 Proposed new facility
Page 4 of 5 Red Wolf Journal

with a with a field biologist who

gives them firsthand knowledge of

field work as it supports red wolf

research.

Earlier in the day, Chris located red

wolf tracks for the group to visit in

the afternoon. Each student was

provided with materials to cast

tracks, which can later be used as a

teaching tool.

Workshops are held twice a year, in

the spring and fall. Each educator

leaves with a “Far Traveler” teacher

notebook with the curriculum guide,

handout suggestions, the video they

watched and a howling CD.

The semi-annual “Far Traveler” red

wolf educator’s workshop was held

on October 20, 2006, at Pocosin

Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in

Columbia, NC. Usually class size is

limited to 15 students, but in order

to accommodate a request from

Duke University students,

attendance was expanded to 23

participants.

The day began with introductions, a

viewing of the video “Recovering a

Species,” a Power Point

presentation, and activities from the

“Far Traveler” K-8 curriculum

guide.

The highlight of every workshop,

according to the evaluations, is the

afternoon field trip led by red wolf

wildlife biologist, Chris Lucash.

Students are always excited to talk

Making Tracks

 2006 Howling Safaris

ended December 9.

Over 1,000 people

participate annually.

 Red wolf education

programs are

presented in schools,

to community

groups, in libraries

and parks and

recreation facilities.

 Discovery Boxes

continue to travel the

U.S. as education

tools.

 Web page updates

are submitted to the

ARNWR webmaster.

Outreach Corner

The Red Wolf

Recovery Program

is present at

events throughout

the year, reaching

nearly 20,000

people.

Please check out

this site:

www.fws.gov/alligat

orriver/redwolf

 Media inquiries are

encouraged and

have resulted in

newspaper and

magazine articles,

television

community service

announcements, and

updates on video

productions.

 A new red wolf

brochure was

published in

January, 2007.

Volunteers and the red wolf

caretaker help on an as-needed

basis and have assisted with a

number of projects including

event support, “howling” for

the safaris, organizing a photo

library, organizing the red wolf

files and archives, updating the

slide collection, and a lot of

clerical work.

Howling safari schedules are

available on the ARNWR web

page/red wolf link. This web

site contains bibliographies for

student research as well as for

general reading to enhance red

wolf knowledge.

Workshop participants in the field _

Making tracks _
Page 5 of 5 Red Wolf Journal

Bud Fazio, Team Leader

Art Beyer, Wildlife Biologist and Field Coordinator

Michael L. Morse, Wildlife Biologist

Chris Lucash, Wildlife Biologist

Ford Mauney, Wildlife Biologist

Ryan Nordsven, Wildlife Biology Technician

Kathy Whidbee, Administration & Field Assistant

2007 – Red Wolf Recovery Program celebrates 20 years at ARNWR

Red Wolf Recovery Program Staff

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Red Wolf Recovery Program

P.O. Box 1969

708 North Hwy. 64

Manteo, NC 27954

PHONE:

(252) 473-1131

FAX:

(252) 473-4836

E-MAIL:

redwolf@fws.gov

We’re on the Web!

See us at:

www.fws.gov/alligatorriver/redwolf

U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

P.O. Box 1969

Manteo, NC 27954

It is hard to believe that nearly twenty years have passed since the first reintroduction began

in 1987 with the release of four pairs of red wolves into the Alligator River National

Wildlife Refuge. A year later, the first litter of red wolf pups was born in the wild on the

Refuge.

At this same time, an island propagation project began on Bulls Island, South

Carolina, in an attempt to give red wolves some wild experience before release into

mainland reintroductions in North Carolina.

Diane Hendry, Red Wolf Outreach Coordinator

*The red wolf caretaker is a temporary position often

 filled by university students and recent graduates.

Caption

Today, approximately 100 wild red wolves live

in 15 known packs in the 1.7 million acre

recovery area. For the past three years, 40-50

pups have been born annually in the recovery

area, keeping biologists busy tracking their

locations.