Red Wolf (Canis rufus)

Weight:45-80 lb.

Gestation:1-2 mo.

Litter size:2-6 pups

Status:Nearly extinct only a few decades ago, the red wolf has begun to recover with the help of captive breeding and reintroduction programs. In 1967 the red wolf was listed as an endangered species. Then in 1973 the wolfs were captured and established into breeding programs. By 1980 the red wolf was considered extinct in the wild. There were only 14 red wolves left and they were all in captivity. Then as the number of red wolves increased more were let free into the wild. There are now 270-300 red wolves. Facilities continue to breed and release red wolves making the population higher