Fewer than 25 red wolves now remain in the wild — and five have been killed by vehicles in the past 11 months.
Among them was Airplane Ears, the breeding male of the largest remaining pack. Airplane Ears — known for his floppy, sideways ears — was a hardworking father who dutifully hunted for his pups and nursing mate. In September 2023, a vehicle struck and killed him on a state highway that passes through the wolves' refuge.
This April, his son Muppet was fatally struck be a vehicle along the same stretch of highway as his father.
It's time for action to protect red wolves from vehicle strikes. Right now the only thing being done to prevent these devastating deaths is putting orange collars on the wolves — a helpful strategy but more is needed. Wildlife crossings would save the lives of wolves and humans.
Significant new federal funding is available for wildlife crossings and other safety measures. But to get projects like these off the ground, state and federal agencies need to work together to back and build them.
Tell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the North Carolina Department of Transportation to support wildlife crossings and save the last few red wolves while we still can.
