Dear Friends,

It is with a heavy heart that we share devastating news – Red wolf Deven, recently released from the Wolf Conservation Center into his ancestral home in North Carolina, was struck and killed by a vehicle earlier this week. The red wolf female he was released with was also killed by a vehicle a few days later. Read more.

Deven only had a short time to explore his new home but we hope those days were filled with joy and excitement. We like to imagine he gloried in his newfound freedom and welcomed the sunset each day, knowing that it signaled the end of another day free from captivity.

Although Deven is gone, he leaves something of himself that may affect others. Upon his release to the wild, Deven became a wolf that belonged not only to the coastal lands of North Carolina, but to every child and adult that cheered his release and marveled at the opportunity he was given. His life and death empower us to make some lasting change that will reduce the chance of a similar misfortune befalling other red wolves.

RIP, Deven. You are missed, you are loved, and you will continue to inspire.

Maggie Howell

Executive Director, Wolf Conservation Center