"Once common throughout the Eastern and South Central United States, red wolf populations were decimated by the early 20th century as a result of intensive predator control programs and the alteration of the species’ habitat. When the red wolf was designated endangered in 1967, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service started efforts to conserve and recover the species." (From Source 3)
Today, about 40 red wolves live in the wild in eastern North Carolina, and more than 200 red wolves are maintained in captive breeding facilities throughout the United States.
