Red wolf (Canis rufus).
Image: Hollingsworth John and Karen, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
At a glance
- IUCN category
- CR · Critically Endangered
- Animal group
- Mammals
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Matches source — IUCN's 2018 global assessment of Canis rufus says Critically EndangeredChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment
Conservation overview
The red wolf is a slender North American canid, smaller than the grey wolf. It is assessed as Critically Endangered and survives largely through captive breeding and reintroduction.
Once declared extinct in the wild, it was reintroduced from captive animals.
Range & habitat
A small reintroduced wild population in eastern North Carolina, USA, plus captive-bred animals.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- A very small population
- Hybridisation with coyotes
- Human-caused deaths
Why it matters
The red wolf is one of the world's most threatened canids and a landmark — and contested — case study in captive breeding, reintroduction, and managing hybridisation.
Gallery
Red wolf (Canis rufus).
Image: Curtis Carley, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
Sources for Red Wolf
- IUCN Red List — look up Red Wolf (authoritative status)
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
- Animal Diversity Web