5 red wolf pups die in eastern North Carolina after their father is hit and killed by a car

RALEIGH, NC (WTVD) – Five red wolf cubs died this spring when their father was hit and killed by a car.

The fatal collision occurred near Highway 64, which runs through the heart of the last remaining territory of wild red wolves: the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.

Red wolves are monogamous and both parents care for their young. Since this is the first litter of this pair, animal experts assume that the mother was ultimately no longer able to care for the five young after the death of the father.

“The tragic deaths of these five pups may have been prevented if there were wildlife crossings in the areas where red wolves live,” said Will Harlan, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “It is shocking to see how a single vehicle accident has ripple effects on the critically endangered wild red wolf population. Wildlife crossings can protect people and save red wolves from extinction, but we must build them before it is too late.”

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According to the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit conservation organization, two dozen other species have died in collisions with wildlife along Highway 64, including black bears, bobcats, spotted turtles and river otters. Across the United States, collisions with wildlife kill more than 200 people each year and cause $10 billion in damage.

The conservation group advocates for wildlife crossings, which it says reduce the number of collisions by 97 percent.

That's why the group is working on a campaign to raise money for wildlife crossings along Highway 64. That campaign has already raised more than $1 million, and an anonymous donor has pledged to match the amount by an additional $2 million. For more information about the fundraiser, visit SaveRedWolves.org.

Fewer than 20 red wolves remain in the wild, although a recovery program initially grew the population to over 120 animals before it was discontinued in 2015. The program has since resumed and is working to reintroduce more red wolves into the wild in eastern North Carolina.

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