Albemarle Peninsula, North Carolina, United States

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began releasing captive-bred red wolves at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in 1987. More than 60 adults were released from 1987 to 1994, wild breeding followed and the population later reached about 120 animals in 2012. The recovery then reversed as human-caused mortality, policy changes, vehicle strikes and hybridization contributed to a sharp decline. The July 2026 federal estimate was 23 to 24 wild adults or subadults plus 12 to 16 pups. The outcome is partial because reintroduction established and reproduced a wild population, but gains were not maintained and the species remains dependent on active releases, protection and conflict management.