As most readers of this blog are aware, the future of the Red Wolf is being determined right now by the USFW Service..........They hired the Kentucky based Wildlife Management Institute to make an evaluation of the 30 year long program to restore the Wolves............Their findings included: "The primary challenges and impediments with the recovery program are: the need for redundancy in wild populations (in places other than Alligator River), (genetic) integrity, the impact of interbreeding with coyotes and the needed size of the landscape and (private land) ownership in the restoration areas"................ "The taxonomy (genetic difference from coyotes) of the red wolf remains unclear and the dominant ecological challenge to its recovery is (interbreeding) with coyotes"................ "The high cost and indefinite duration (of the recovery program) raise serious questions regarding the value of continuing this approach"............. "The original (Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge) area of 225 square miles was unrealistically small given the area's habitat quality"............. "The project has demonstrated the captive red wolves can successfully be reintroduced to the wild and rear offspring".............My personal outlook is that I hope that the restoration program continues and in fact picks up steam, increases the number of Wolf restoration sites and puts the highest density of Wolves back into as many restoration sites as is feasible..............I believe that both Wolves and Coyotes should and can exist in the east, just as they do in the Western USA ............Putting multiple Red Wolf packs in a given habitat space will optimize the Wolves breeding within their own species and minimize their hybridizing with Coyotes............This strategy should begin to reduce coyote densities(not eliminating them) by pushing the coyotes to the periphery of the wolf home regions the same way it does in the Western USA--the bigger Wolf pushing the smaller Coyote.............Let us not demonize the Coyote and remember that it is indeed a native animal and not an exotic creature.........Meaning that the Coyote is an North American species that expanded its habitat based on the demise of Wolves and Pumas in the east..............Therefore, I think it quite right to let both species exist as sympatric carnivores.............With enough Red Wolves on the ground, the balance and equilibrium index of wolf to coyote will eventually find a paradigm that allows for species integrity of both animals..............And who benefits from Wolves, Coyotes, Black Bears, Bobcats(and Lynx in our northern states)----THE LAND begins to be healthy again!.................-All of these top down trophic meat eaters minimizing deer,,,,,,,,,,,optimizing forest regeneration,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,minimizing lyme disease carrying tics,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,optimizing the diversity of plant and animal life up and down creation............Put all of those carnivores on the ground and proceed to get Elk back across the East,,,,,,,,,,,,,,get the Moose healthy with less deer brain disease and tic infestations,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,a return to the largest expanse of wildlife on the ground in the eastern USA since colonization days................Great for the hunter,,,,,,,,,,,great for the wildlife watcher,,,,,,,,,,,,,great for the economy via tourism and visual interest...............a real statement of our humanity and taking care of our own nest!

https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20141205/PC16/141209668&ct=ga&cd=CAIyGjQyMjFiY2NiNTFmYjE5OTM6Y29tOmVuOlVT&usg=AFQjCNGjIVy7YGHy2quWNHgQWayxfXOs8w

Coyotes could

 be key to 

saving the

 endangered red 

wolf