The red wolf used to roam throughout the continental United States and Canada; however, due to habitat loss and hunting, this species is now considered by most biologists to be extinct in the wild. Also, farming has played a big role in the downfall of the red wolf. The spread of agriculture on the land has forced the wolf out of its natural habitat; the threat of farmers hunting them in an attempt to save their livestock has also helped the decline of the red wolf.

At present time, there is an estimated 200 red wolves left, in both the wild and in captivity. This figure is up from the 100 wolves that were left in the wild in the 1980's when the plight of the red wolf was officially recognized. The biggest problem facing conservationists in saving this species is the decline in diversity in the gene pool. When the red wolf population was declining the 1970's and `80's, the wolves started to breed with their cousin, the coyote. These two species are very similar; however, the red wolf is bigger than the coyote and eats only deer, rabbits, raccoons, and small rodents whereas the coyote eats anything it can catch. Another difference is the coyote is more adaptable to habitat change than the red wolf, and is currently expanding its current range in the western U.S. to the eastern United States.

It was originally thought that the breeding between the red wolf and coyote was deteriorating the gene pool, and biologists would find it difficult to find any pure bred red wolves left in the wild; however, that view is changing. Ron Nowak, a biologist who used to work for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, hypothesizes that the red wolf and the coyote actually came from the same ancestor. His evidence suggests that this prehistoric wolf, diverged into two subspecies, one that crossed the Bering Sea into Eurasia and another that continued to evolve in North America. By looking at fossil records, he was able to determine that the North American wolf eventually died out and the wolves from Eurasia became the wolves of today. These wolves, he says, invaded North America in two waves about 10,000 years ago. The first wave became isolated in the eastern part of America and developed into the red wolf and the second wave moved into the western and northern parts of American and became the coyote.

As this theory is still being researched and many scientists disagree with Nowak's theories, work is still being done to breed pure bred red wolves and try to keep interaction with their coyote cousin to a minimum. So far, biologists have had a fairly high success rate of breeding red wolves and releasing them back into the wild; however, there are still dangers to face. One such danger is finding a habitat for the wolves to live in. Red wolves prefer swamps, wetlands, and mature forests; but with the continued urban sprawl on the east coast, it is difficult to find a place for them. The current population of wolves reside in North Carolina's Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. North Carolina is also home to a majority of the research and breeding facilities for red wolves including: Western North Carolina Nature Center, North Carolina Zoo, and the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science. There are additional breeding facilities and refuges for the wolf throughout the U.S., but North Carolina is the main center for research.

Another danger facing the red wolf population is still habitat destruction. Part of the Endangered Species Act requires that plans be put in place for recovery of the species. The recovery goal is to have 550 red wolves, with 220 in the wild and 330 left in captivity (at 30 different sites). Currently, the government of North Carolina is working to protect the land the wild population currently inhabits as well as creating new refuges throughout the state so that the red wolf can roam between refuges. The hope is to someday return the red wolf to its original habitat throughout the eastern part of the continental United States.

An additional danger facing red wolves is from hunters. In popular culture, wolves are viewed as savage beasts who attack livestock and humans indiscriminately. Instead, the red wolf's diet consists mainly of deer and small rodents and they would only attack livestock if there was no other alternative food source available. This misconception over the eating habits of the wolf has greatly affected its decline. Since farmers fear the wolf, they will do everything in their power to kill it before it has the opportunity to attack the livestock. Just last year in fact, two North Carolina ranchers had sued the state to make it legal for them to kill red wolves on their ranches. Luckily this request was rejected by the state of North Carolina and the U.S. Supreme Court, so the red wolf is still safely protected by the Endangered Species Act.

For the time being, despite the dangers the red wolf faces, conservationists are working to save this species and bring it back from extinction. The hope is to be able to release the wolves back into the wild, not only just in refuges, but back into its original habitats. To do this, work must be done to stop the urban sprawl along the east coast and the public needs to be educated on the facts about it.