Red wolf

The red wolf (Canis rufus) is a canine native to the southeastern United States. Its size is intermediate between the coyote (Canis latrans) and gray wolf (Canis lupus). The red wolf's taxonomic classification as a species has been contentious for nearly a century, being considered either a subspecies of the gray wolf or a coywolf (a genetic admixture of coyote and wolf). Although this has caused its exclusion from some conservation lists, in 1973 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recognized it as endangered and in 1996 the International Union for Conservation of Nature listed it as critically endangered. As of August 2026, the wild red wolf population was estimated at approximately 22–23 adults and subadults, with an additional 14–15 pups. Around 295 red wolves were held in the captive conservation program.

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