Wolf Conservation Center Press Releases

Wolf Conservation Center Study Finds Coastal Coyotes Preserve Red Wolf Ancestry Through Survival and Adaptation

February 11, 2026 Comments Off on Wolf Conservation Center Study Finds Coastal Coyotes Preserve Red Wolf Ancestry Through Survival and Adaptation

Distinct body form and high survival of coastal coyotes along the Texas-Louisiana border region allow coyotes harboring red wolf ancestry to persist decades after the red wolf’s extirpation from the region.  South Salem, NY — A new study led by the Wolf Conservation Center Integrative Ecology and Coexistence Lab and published in Ecosphere reveals how red wolf ancestry has persisted for more than four decades after the red wolf was declared extirpated from the wild. The research shows that a combination of distinctive physical traits adapted to coastal wetlands and high survival has allowed coyotes to harbor, maintain, and pass on red wolf genetics. The study focused on hybrid-like coyotes referred to as “Gulf Coast canids,” living in coastal wetlands along the Gulf of Mexico that retained significant red wolf ancestry. Researchers found that these coastal coyotes form a stable, locally adapted wetland ecotype shaped by historical red wolf introgression…

Taylor, the Boundary-Defying Wolf, Found Dead on Interstate 40 in New Mexico

January 21, 2026 Comments Off on Taylor, the Boundary-Defying Wolf, Found Dead on Interstate 40 in New Mexico

For immediate release: January 21, 2026 Albuquerque, N.M. – Taylor, the Mexican gray wolf made famous for establishing a home range last year near Mount Taylor, and returning there twice after having been removed despite a federal rule banning wolves north of Interstate 40, was found dead over the weekend on the  interstate near Grants, New Mexico.  “This is such an unfortunate outcome for Taylor, who showed us so much about how wolves choose their own habitats, regardless of the lines that humans draw on maps,” said Greta Anderson, deputy director of Western Watersheds Project. “But it’s also a positive development that the agencies were letting him stay outside of the artificial boundary for so long and giving him the opportunity to be wild on Mt. Taylor. His life firmly demonstrated the suitability of wolf habitat in these mountains, and we can only hope that he’s not the last wolf choosing…

Critically Endangered Red Wolves Arrive in New York in Effort to Save Species 

November 19, 2025 Comments Off on Critically Endangered Red Wolves Arrive in New York in Effort to Save Species 

On November 19, Red Wolf Martha, who was born at the Wolf Conservation Center (the Center) in 2018, and her mate Oka returned home to the Center (South Salem, NY) from the Museum of Life and Science (Durham, NC). Their homecoming also includes the newest members of their family: their pups Proton, Scuppernong, and Ember! This journey was made possible thanks to our friends at Pilots to the Rescue, who donated their time to ensure their ride was safe and stress-free. Two of the Center’s current residents, Red Wolves Caroline and Jacques, are relocating to the Museum of Life and Science. Their transfer is bittersweet, as it signals the end of their chapter with the Center but is the start of a new adventure in North Carolina. With fewer than 20 Red Wolves known to remain in the wild, these carefully orchestrated transfers ensure that every wolf contributes to the…

Court rules that wolf delisting likely violates the Endangered Species Act. Hunt will continue while court hears lawsuit.

September 9, 2009 Comments Off on Court rules that wolf delisting likely violates the Endangered Species Act. Hunt will continue while court hears lawsuit.

September 8, 2009 – the U.S District Court of Montana agreed with plaintiffs that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service likely violated the Endangered Species Act in delisting wolves in…

Conservation Groups Bring Wolf Fight Back Into Court

April 2, 2009

NRDC and Twelve Groups fight decision to remove Northern Rocky Mountain wolves from Endangered Species List LIVINGSTON, Mont. (April 1, 2009) -The long fight over wolves in the Northern Rockies…

Conservationists Petition for Modern Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Plan

December 4, 2008 Comments Off on Conservationists Petition for Modern Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Plan

Environmentalists say the federal government’s current plan for re-establishing the Mexican gray wolf in the wild is outdated and legally invalid, and petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on…