Two Durham-born red wolves join the fight to save their species
BY VIOLET DEWIRE
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After four short years, two beloved Museum residents take a final look at their old home, and visitors and staff alike say their goodbyes as the golden-eyed brothers depart on their new journey.
Eno and Ellerbe, two red wolves born and raised at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, have officially moved onto the Red Wolf Center in Colombia, NC to aid the conservation effort of their species. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Museum's red wolf exhibit, which houses the animals in their natural conditions, maintaining boundaries with humans to encourage healthy development. For many wolves at the Museum, the end goal is to move onto other areas of the country, or to refuges where they can live in the wild. “The Museum makes sure the wolves at the Museum are cared for well, and ready to move to their next homes,” Sherry Samuels, Director of Animal Care at the Museum of Life and Science, stated. The Museum is a part of the Red Wolf Species Survival Program (SSP), approved in 1984 by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The SSP is a collaboration of almost fifty zoos, wildlife refuges, and other organizations across the United States to breed and release red wolves in an attempt to increase their wild population. “The Museum works with other facilities to maximize the chances of wolves in captivity reproducing. Sometimes that means that wolves born at the Museum move elsewhere to improve the overall health and well-being of the red wolf species,” an October press release by the Museum of Life and Science stated. With less than 300 individuals alive today, red wolves are the most endangered species of wolf in the world. These animals, which were once common throughout |
PHOTO CREDIT: MUSEUM OF LIFE AND SCIENCE
Pictured above are 4-year-old brothers Eno and Ellerbe, two red wolves born at the Museum of Life and Science. They have officially moved from the Museum to Colombia, NC as part of the USFWS Species Survival Program. 
PHOTO CREDIT: U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE A lone red wolf crosses a field, sporting a bright orange radio collar. Known individuals living in the wild are monitored for research and protection using these collars, which also help to differentiate them from coyotes. |
the southeastern United States, are now only found wild in the Albemarle Peninsula in eastern North Carolina. As of June 2022 there are just ten known individuals in the wild, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Museum of Life and Science has supported the species’ continued reintroduction into the wild by housing several generations of red wolf.
“Since 1992, the Museum has been home to almost 50 red wolves. Twenty-three red wolf pups — including Eno and Ellerbe – have been born here. Each pup adds to the genetic diversity of the species,” The Museum of Life and Science stated.
In 1980, red wolves were declared extinct in the wild. Although conservation efforts allowed the species to be reintroduced years later (the first large carnivore to do so in the United States), red wolves are nowhere near the population they once had. Decreases in the red wolf population over time have been due mainly to habitat loss, vehicle strikes, and other anthropological causes. Because red wolves are similar in appearance to coyotes, they are especially vulnerable to accidental injuries from gunshots. Since its peak in 2012, with almost 100 known individuals, the wild population in North Carolina has faced steep decline.
“Due to declining population size and the mortality of one or both red wolves in established breeding pairs, there were no known red wolf pups born in the wild in 2019, 2020 or 2021, which is the first time that has occurred in over 30 years,” the National Fish and Wildlife Service’s website stated.
Red wolves housed at the Museum of Life and Science are a crucial part of the institution’s mission of education. While they are at the Museum, they help to teach visitors about the importance of conservation– and when they must move onto their new homes elsewhere, it can be hard to say goodbye.
“For some, it’s hard to think of these red wolves as just passing through the Museum… I try to think of each wolf as a gift to those fortunate enough to see and meet it,” Samuels stated in the Museum press release.
Despite the species’ difficult road to recovery, efforts to keep red wolves out of extinction are important for the health of North Carolina ecosystems.
“Nature has an intrinsic value, and us humans have a responsibility to be good stewards, keeping earth’s biodiversity intact,” Samuels concluded.
“Since 1992, the Museum has been home to almost 50 red wolves. Twenty-three red wolf pups — including Eno and Ellerbe – have been born here. Each pup adds to the genetic diversity of the species,” The Museum of Life and Science stated.
In 1980, red wolves were declared extinct in the wild. Although conservation efforts allowed the species to be reintroduced years later (the first large carnivore to do so in the United States), red wolves are nowhere near the population they once had. Decreases in the red wolf population over time have been due mainly to habitat loss, vehicle strikes, and other anthropological causes. Because red wolves are similar in appearance to coyotes, they are especially vulnerable to accidental injuries from gunshots. Since its peak in 2012, with almost 100 known individuals, the wild population in North Carolina has faced steep decline.
“Due to declining population size and the mortality of one or both red wolves in established breeding pairs, there were no known red wolf pups born in the wild in 2019, 2020 or 2021, which is the first time that has occurred in over 30 years,” the National Fish and Wildlife Service’s website stated.
Red wolves housed at the Museum of Life and Science are a crucial part of the institution’s mission of education. While they are at the Museum, they help to teach visitors about the importance of conservation– and when they must move onto their new homes elsewhere, it can be hard to say goodbye.
“For some, it’s hard to think of these red wolves as just passing through the Museum… I try to think of each wolf as a gift to those fortunate enough to see and meet it,” Samuels stated in the Museum press release.
Despite the species’ difficult road to recovery, efforts to keep red wolves out of extinction are important for the health of North Carolina ecosystems.
“Nature has an intrinsic value, and us humans have a responsibility to be good stewards, keeping earth’s biodiversity intact,” Samuels concluded.
