The Red Wolf - Population
In 1980 the Red Wolf was officially extinct, after the last known Red Wolves were taken into Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium to help it recover. Now the population is slowly recovering from its near extinction. When the Red Wolf was not extinct and still considered an individual species, there were three initial branches including the Canis rufus floridanus, Canis rufus gregoryi, and Canis lupus rufus. To this day only the Canis lupus rufus or "common" Red Wolf is still alive, for the other two branches are officially extinct.
Today there are about 100 Red Wolves in the wild. Red Wolves have been reintroduced in many different places. Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge’s Bull Island has been one of the reintroduction sites. Another reintroduction site is Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, and St. Vincent Island in Florida. A fourth island propagation program is Cape St. George Island, Florida. There are now about 207 in total.