SOUTH SALEM, NY – A family of red wolves will be moving from the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, North Carolina to South Salem’s Wolf Conservation Center (“WCC”) on November 12 where they will have room for their growing family and also become part of a species survival plan for the endangered red wolves.

The red wolf once roamed in the eastern and south-central United States and was a dominant predator.  But by 1967, the red wolf was designated as an endangered species and by 1980 it was declared extinct in the wild.  Hunting and loss of habitat decimated the population.

Since then, many government and private organizations have made efforts to restore the red wolf numbers beginning with a captive breeding program backed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1973.  The Museum of Life and Science and WCC are just two organizations that seek to ensure the recovery of the red wolves.  Currently, only 50 red wolves live in eastern North Carolina in the wild, and nearly 200 are kept in captive breeding facilities throughout the United States, like WCC.

“Recovering the red wolf population is important because it was once a top predator that played an important role in maintaining balanced ecosystems”, said Geraldine Cheverko, an animal activist who lives near WCC.  “They keep the numbers of prey populations in check and we all need to work together to preserve these very important animals from extinction”.

The family of 6 from North Carolina will join 9 other red wolves who already live in WCC.  Ms. Cheverko added “I  am excited to see the red wolves from Durham join the WCC wolf population.  WCC’s work is so critical to ensuring the survival of the wolf population by teaching us all about the wolves and the role we can play to protect their future.