Red wolves, one of the world's most endangered species, are finally receiving a much-needed boost in conservation efforts in North Carolina, The News & Observer reported. In December 2024, the government awarded a $25 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration's Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program to the state's transportation department to install structures and fencing along U.S. 64 to protect wildlife.
Since September 2019, at least 15 red wolves have perished along this stretch of road — and, shockingly, some of the vehicles may have hit them on purpose, according to the grant application. "In those cases, appropriate wildlife crossings ... that allow Red Wolves to avoid the road surface will likely be the only effective way at reducing vehicle strike mortalities," the application explains, per The News & Observer.
According to the news outlet, the grant will fund 13 crossings along the highway to help prevent animals from being killed by passing cars. This is great news for the red wolf, as car strikes are its leading cause of death.
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Absolutely 💯 According to The News & Observer, citing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, less than 20 (16 known) red wolves are left in the wild. While programs are underway to breed and release them, cars are still a major threat to the population.
Red wolves are considered a keystone species, meaning they play an essential role in their ecosystem. When natural predators disappear, this causes a snowball effect throughout the food web, disturbing ecological balance and threatening all other species coexisting within it, including humans.
This initiative and others like it, including the Banff Wildlife Crossings Project and the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, give animals a safe way across the road and protect drivers. Farmers may also benefit, as red wolves often hang around farms, driving away other critters that would eat the crops. This is a big win for the wolves, the ecosystem, and the country's food supply.
"It's super important that we get these [crossings] built where they need to be built — where we know the wildlife is dying and where we know people are having accidents," Emily Mason, an advocate with Environment North Carolina, told North Carolina Public Radio.
Social media comments flooded in with support for the grant, with one Facebook user saying, "It is about time." Another posted: "Way to go NC! This is incredible news and great for the wildlife, great for drivers, and just makes sense!"
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