5 wild red wolf pups die in eastern NC after father killed, U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials say

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Five critically endangered red wolf pups have died in eastern North Carolina, one of the last few places they live in the wild.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service , the litter was born this spring to a pair designated 2413F and 2444M. Shortly after their birth the male wolf, the father wolf was struck and killed by a vehicle on U.S. 64 in early June.

“Pup survival is always a concern after the mortality of one of the breeding pair, particularly red wolves with their first litter, such as was the case with this pair,” the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in a release.

According to the Center for Biological Diversity, red wolves are monogamous and mate for life, with both parents involved in the caring and raising of pups. In the case of this litter, the 2-year-old mother wolf, named Chance, was at a severe disadvantage following her mate’s death.

“Chance was likely unable to feed and care for her pups by herself as a first-time, single mother,” the center said in a release.

The father of the pups was one of six red wolves who have been killed by vehicles in the last 14 months, the center said, making it the leading cause of death for the endangered species in recent years. Nearly all of them killed along or near U.S. 64, which runs through the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, the last remaining refuge for the species.

“The tragic death of these five pups might have been prevented if we had wildlife crossings in red wolf country,” Will Harlan, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a release. “It’s shocking to see how a single vehicle collision has ripple effects across the critically endangered wild red wolf population. Wildlife crossings can protect people and save red wolves from extinction, but we need to build them before it’s too late.”

The Center said they and their partners are leading a campaign to build wildlife crossings over U.S. 64.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said there are just 16 known or collared red wolves left in the wild, with an estimate of 17 to 19 total as of September 2024. In the Red Wolf SAFE program, which breeds them in captivity, there are 290 animals, including some in the Triangle .

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