A family of seven endangered red wolves was flown from North Carolina to the Hudson Valley on Tuesday, Oct. 13, as part of a conservation partnership aimed at protecting the species and preserving its genetic diversity.
Pilots to the Rescue, a New York-based nonprofit that arranges animal rescue flights, transported two adult wolves and five pups from the Museum of Life + Science in Durham, North Carolina, to the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, Westchester County, where they will participate in a breeding program.
The exchange also sent three other wolves from the Wolf Conservation Center to the Museum of Life + Science, where they will be cared for as part of the museum's red wolf recovery and conservation efforts.
Why are red wolves endangered?
The red wolf is one
of the world's most endangered wolf species. Native to the southeastern United States, red wolves were pushed to the brink of extinction by habitat loss, predator control programs, hunting and other human-related causes of death, including vehicle collisions.
The red wolf is listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the only wild population of red wolves remains in eastern North Carolina. The agency reported that, as of August 2026, an estimated 22 to 23 adult and subadult red wolves and 14 to 15 pups remained in the wild.
What is the Red Wolf SAFE program?
The wolves are part of the Red Wolf SAFE program, which stands for Saving Animals From Extinction. The program brings together zoos, museums and conservation centers to help protect the species, maintain genetic diversity and support population recovery.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, about 295 red wolves were part of the captive SAFE population as of August 2026. Those animals play an important role in breeding and recovery efforts intended to help the species survive.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Endangered red wolves arrive in Westchester for conservation effort
