Red Wolf Management
Red wolf management takes many different forms and duties depending on the respective circumstances surrounding the wolves that need to be monitored or cared for. Red wolf conservation specialists perform numerous tasks that seek to improve the human understanding of red wolves, and promote positive coexistence with them.
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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Red wolf management happens on three main fronts: In captivity, in the wild, and in the mind of the public.
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Captive Management
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When managing captive red wolves in Red Wolf Species Survival Plan facilities, conservation specialists focus on a number of key objectives. They must maintain captive population levels at a size that can easily adapt to changes in the red wolf conservation situation and minimize losses of genetic diversity. To do this, Red Wolf Species Survival Plan conservation specialists take care to create thorough reproductive pairing instructions to maintain captive genetic diversity. These instructions detail which wolves should go to specific facilities and be paired together for eventual breeding. Conservation specialists also must take care of captive red wolves by providing them with appropriate food, shelter, and veterinary care if needed. Red wolf enclosures in conservation facilities must adhere to strict guidelines that can ensure the safety and comfort of the wolves and any people who go to see them. Management personnel at accessible conservation facilities also take part in public education about red wolves, giving visitors a chance to learn more about the animals and the need for public support for their conservation. Image source (top): United States Fish and Wildlife Service Image source (bottom): United States Fish and Wildlife Service |
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Wild Management
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When managing and researching the wild red wolf population, a primary objective for specialists is to keep the red wolf population stable and diverse. One of the main aspects of this goal is that of avoiding red wolf hybridization with coyotes. A primary method used to prevent this phenomenon involves the introduction of sterilized (technically spayed or neutered) coyotes to hold territories in red wolf recovery areas. Since these sterilized coyotes cannot breed, there is no risk of them creating hybrid animals with red wolves. Furthermore, sterilized coyotes will hold territories in red wolf recovery areas, thus keeping breeding coyotes out and away from red wolves. Due to their small population size, red wolves are also vulnerable to inbreeding depression, that is, the loss of genetic diversity due to breeding between wolves that are already closely related. This problem is closely watched by researchers to determine how much of a risk this phenomenon is. Wild red wolves are monitored using technology such as VHF (Very High Frequency) radio tracking collars, microchips, and fecal sample analysis to see where each wolf spends its time and to determine whether there is a risk of a closely-related breeding pair forming. Specialists also monitor the territorial distributions of individual red wolves and red wolf groups to keep tabs on the genetic distribution of the wild population. The monitoring of diseases carried by coyotes is also one important facet of wild red wolf management. As coyote-borne diseases can easily spread to red wolves, care is taken to ensure that these diseases have as little opportunity to spread as possible. This often involves removing coyotes from recovery areas, or treating the population with certain medicines to combat diseases. Monitoring interactions with humans is one final and extremely critical aspect of wild red wolf management. Wolves are vulnerable to habitat loss, motor vehicle accidents, and accidental killings due to being mistaken for coyotes, and as such information on red wolf-human interactions is an important component of red wolf research. This information is used to create educational campaigns for the public that promote the safety of both red wolves and humans as well as public receptiveness towards red wolf reintroduction. Image source (top): Coyote being fitted with tracking collar; United States Fish and Wildlife Service Image source (second from top): United States Fish and Wildlife Service Image source (bottom): United States Fish and Wildlife Service |
Transfers
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When authorized*, the release of red wolves into the wild is a complex process with different plans depending on variables such as the age of the wolves to be released and the original captive facility the wolves are coming from. When preparing to release adult red wolves into the wild, conservation specialists first allow red wolves to go through a conditioning period in an enclosed area within their new environment. This process allows the wolves to acclimate to the surrounding climate and ecosystem, while adapting to a new diet that is closer to what the wolves would eat in the wild. When transferring pups from captive breeding facilities into the wild, the technique of pup fostering is employed, in which captive-born pups are carefully inserted into a wild red wolf den with wild-born red wolf pups. This procedure is completed while the mother red wolf is temporarily away from her den (either temporarily sedated, looking for food, or in some cases merely watching from a safe distance). Captive born pups are microchipped and often scent-matched to the wild-born pups, after which they are huddled together. The conservation specialist team will usually monitor the pup's development over time in order to ensure a successful release. Released red wolves are tracked by conservation specialists in order to monitor their interactions with wild red wolves and other ecosystemic variables as well as their overall survival rate. VHF (Very High Frequency) radio collars, microchips, and rubber traps are key technological methods used to track wolves, as well as scat analysis. Red wolves are rarely captured and taken permanently out of the wild, but in cases involving a need for veterinary care for a wild red wolf, nets, sedatives, or soft traps are employed to safely remove wolves from the wild without harming them. The wolves are then treated, documented, and re-released into the wild once more. *It is important to note that as of 2015 - present, red wolf releases into the wild have been (likely temporarily) suspended (deauthorized) by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Image source (top): United States Fish and Wildlife Service Image source (middle): United States Fish and Wildlife Service (low-res image) Image source (bottom): United States Fish and Wildlife Service |
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Information sourced from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Red Wolf Species Survival Plan, the Red Wolf Coalition, and The Secret World of Red Wolves by T. Delene Beeland.
