Have a howling good time with us as we celebrate the inaugural American Red Wolf Awareness Week September 12-16, 2022! September 14, 1987 is the anniversary of the first wolf release into the North Carolina recovery area and each year the annual celebration week will revolve around this date. Join us as we honor one of the world’s most intriguing endangered species!

Did you know the American Red Wolf (Canis rufus) is the rarest wild animal and most endangered wolf in the US? These native apex predators are the key to a healthy ecosystem that benefits all earthlings! Red Wolves are a keystone species, which means their presence affects all the species that call our native landscape home. By keeping the populations of game and prey species in check, they minimize harmful diseases, reduce riverbank erosion, control overgrazing, and even support songbird populations from over-predation! 

Red Wolves are an essential part of the Southeastern landscape. Their historic range stretched westward into central Texas through northern Pennsylvania. In less than a millennium, this historic range has been reduced to the equivalent of a speck on the map. Today, the Red Wolf’s last remaining stronghold can be found in eastern North Carolina within the boundaries of Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. 

According to the USWFS, there are only about 10 wild Red Wolves remaining. However, about 250 additional wolves currently live in managed, conservation breeding programs like ours! Reflection Riding is proud to be part of a network of organizations fighting to save the Red Wolf through education, advocacy, and active conservation efforts. Although the vulnerability of this iconic canid is extreme, we believe there is hope yet for the Red Wolf through reintroduction to wild spaces. With your support, we can turn this dream into a reality.

Join us on Friday afternoons to learn more about our animal ambassadors and how to save them at our Get Schooled: Native Animals program. Our knowledgeable staff will be there to facilitate your visit and answer any questions you may have. Animal ambassadors you might get to meet face-to-face can include a bobcat, raptors, red wolves, and more!