Meet The Red Wolf, One Of The Rarest Animals In The World (8+. Pics)

There are estimated, less than 10 red wolves left in the wild and they are all in one place, North Carolina, US.

These nocturnal animals are at the top of their food chain and are the cousins of the popular gray wolf.

They are usually monogamous creatures and mate with one partner in their lifetime.

Red wolves can grow around 26 inches tall and can stretch up to 4 feet in length. They can weigh between 40 and 80 pounds.

In the 1800s and 1900s, they were hunted to near extinction and by 1973, there were only around 100 of them left.

This prompted a captive breeding programme to try and save them from extinction.

By 1980, they were deemed extinct in the wild, but some were still around in zoos.

In 1987, four male and female pairs were released back into the wild in North Carolina.

Since then, more have been released into the wild, and this has prompted a slight comeback in the red wolf’s population.

Red wolves are smaller in size compared to their gray cousin and resemble coyotes.

In some instances, red wolves have been known to interbreed with coyotes, but not enough to change their fundamental nature.

Red wolves will usually consort with their kind and actively fight and kill any coyotes that stray in their territory.

But due to their drastically declining population, some of the red wolves actually mated with coyotes.

These beautiful creatures are almost extinct! With some strong conservation efforts, they could survive!