Wild populations of the Grey Wolf (Canis lupus) are not present in North Carolina today. While the state is home to a population of wolves, it is a different and highly endangered species: the Red Wolf (Canis rufus).
The Definitive Answer: Absence of Grey Wolves
The Grey Wolf was historically present in North Carolina but has been entirely extirpated from the region for over a century. Early European settlement, large-scale predator eradication programs, and widespread habitat loss led to the species’ disappearance from the entire southeastern United States. The last official record of a Grey Wolf in North Carolina dates back to 1887 in Haywood County, often cited as the final confirmed sighting.
Though there was an unverified report as late as 1933, the species was effectively wiped out long ago. The Grey Wolf’s preferred habitat, which included remote, heavily forested, and often mountainous areas, was systematically encroached upon and eliminated, removing the necessary conditions for their survival. Any modern reports of Grey Wolves in North Carolina are typically misidentifications of the native Red Wolf or even large coyotes, as there is no established wild population of Canis lupus in the state or anywhere in the Southeast.
Understanding the Red Wolf of North Carolina
The reason for the continued confusion about wolves in North Carolina stems from the presence of the Red Wolf (Canis rufus), which is the only species of wolf found there. The Red Wolf is a distinct canid species, smaller and more slender than its Grey Wolf counterpart. While Grey Wolves can average over 80 pounds, the Red Wolf is intermediate in size between a Grey Wolf and a coyote, typically weighing between 45 and 80 pounds.
Physically, Red Wolves have a lankier appearance with longer, thinner legs and a coat that is generally tawny to grayish, often displaying a reddish or cinnamon hue around the ears, muzzle, and legs, which gives the species its name. Taxonomically, the Red Wolf’s status has been a subject of debate; however, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recognizes Canis rufus as a valid, distinct species. This species was historically native to the Southeastern United States, ranging from the Atlantic coast west to Texas, making it the indigenous wolf of North Carolina.
Current Conservation Efforts and Range
The Red Wolf is one of the world’s most endangered wild canids and is classified as “critically endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The entire wild population in North Carolina is the result of a reintroduction program that began in 1987 after the species was declared extinct in the wild in 1980. This nonessential experimental population is confined to the Red Wolf Recovery Area on the Albemarle Peninsula in eastern North Carolina, encompassing portions of five counties: Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell, Washington, and Beaufort.
The wild population has fluctuated dramatically since its reintroduction, peaking at over 130 individuals in the mid-2000s, but it has since declined substantially. Population estimates are currently very low, typically falling between 28 and 31 individuals. The primary threats to the recovery program include illegal killings, vehicle strikes, and hybridization with the common coyote population. Conservation management efforts focus on reducing these threats, including coyote sterilization to prevent hybridization and the strategic release of captive-bred wolves to sustain the genetic health of the wild population.