On the Brink of Extinction: An Uncertain Fate For Red Wolves

The Takeaway | Feb 16, 2018

There are an estimated 45-60 remaining red wolves left in the wild. Once ranging from Pennsylvania to Florida and as far west as Texas, the only red wolves you can find in the wild are now in North Carolina.

Since 1987, pairs of red wolves were reintroduced as part of the Endangered Species Act after the population had gone to nearly zero. But 30 years later, that program and certain aspects of the Endangered Species Act are now in jeopardy and, once again, so is the fate of red wolves in the wild.

DeLene Beeland, a science and nature writer and author of “The Secret World of Red Wolves," discusses what went wrong with the management of red wolves, and what's ahead more generally for species that fall under the Endangered Species Act.

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This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich

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