Firsts in the Field
The Red Wolf Recovery Program has had an important influence on methods of animal conservation and protection in the United States. Due to advancements in restoration practices made in the RWRP, programs for other creatures such as Mexican wolves, black footed ferrets, and California condors have been able to find successes in preserving the natural diversity of various ecosystems across the country.
Wolf Header Photo: United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Wolf Header Photo: United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DID YOU KNOW:
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The Red Wolf Recovery Program effectively began after approval in 1973. The Red Wolf Species Survival Plan began in 1987.
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- Red wolves were the first listed species to undergo a controlled extinction in the wild with the intent of later reintroduction as overseen by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. All wild red wolves were removed from the wild, bred in captivity, and partially released back into a part of their historic range.
- The Red Wolf Recovery Program was one of the first government-overseen carnivore captive breeding programs.
- Red wolves were the first type of wolf to be re-released into a wild environment in the United States.
- Wolf management practices such as helicopter tranquilization were first used on red wolves within the continental US.
- Red wolves were some of the first animals listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
All information on this page sourced from page 14 of The Secret World of Red Wolves by T. Delene Beeland, a nonfiction novel which was published in print in the year 2013 by the University of North Carolina Press.
