Raleigh, North Carolina.U.S. Representatives Valerie Foushee (D-4th District) and Greg Murphy (R-3rd District) have introduced a joint resolution to conserve North Carolina’s endangered red wolves, the only remaining wild population of the species worldwide, in a rare display of bipartisan cooperation. The legislation, according to NC Newsline, asks for ongoing federal funding for conservation projects and wildlife corridors that are intended to help wolves survive.
A Species on the Brink
The number of wild red wolves in North Carolina’s Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge on the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula has decreased from roughly 130 a decade ago to an estimated 15. According to the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, during the 2010s, the species’ population fell by almost 85%.
From New York to Florida and as far west as Texas, red wolves used to wander the whole Eastern Seaboard. These days, habitat degradation, auto accidents, gunshot wounds, and coyote hybridization pose threats to their survival.
Congressional Support for Recovery Efforts
The resolution recognizes the 270 captive red wolves kept in zoos and breeding facilities around the nation in addition to stressing the significance of preserving the current wild population. This network is a component of a nationwide recovery plan that started many years ago.
According to the 1966 Endangered Species Preservation Act, the red wolf was listed as endangered in 1967. Red wolves were the first carnivorous animal to be reintroduced into the wild after being declared extinct in 1973, marking a significant milestone for the Red Wolf Recovery Program.
Lawmakers Call to Action
Foushee emphasized the need of protecting the remaining natural population in a statement, saying, “We must make sure that red wolves do not become extinct.” Murphy agreed with her, emphasizing that the species’ protection is a state and national priority because it is only found in Eastern North Carolina.
In order to ensure that the once-nearly-extinct species may have a healthy future, wildlife supporters are hoping that the resolution would garner long-term federal backing for conservation measures.
What do you think about the Red Wolves of North Carolina’s future? Tell the community what you think at SaladaStandard-Sentinel.com.
