The biggest threats to the current Red Wolf Recovery population are all anthropogenic. The number one cause of mortality is gunshot wounds and the second is vehicle collisions. Some of this is unavoidable and happens to every species, but a lot of it has to do with the general stigma around red wolves and predators like them. There is a fear associated with these species and the best way to help overcome this is through education and outreach. Red wolves are not aggressive species; they are actually extremely timid. If the public were given educational programs on how to coexist with red wolves, then that could help to ensure the success of their recovery in the long run.
There must also be stricter laws against poaching and more severe punishments or fines for those found poaching. There could also be incentives given for those in the community who are law abiding hunters who aid the USFWS in finding red wolf poachers. Another possible solution is further restricting coyote hunting in the Red Wolf Recovery Area. Currently it is legal to hunt coyotes during the day and with a permit, but some think that banning coyote hunting altogether would be best, since hunters can still misidentify red wolves for coyotes during the day if they are far enough from it.
Another issue with red wolf conservation is coyote hybridization. This is a difficult issue to address because controlling coyote populations takes extensive resources and requires constant control. Due to this, the best way to control coyote populations is to increase the red wolf population. This paradox makes the issue extremely difficult to fix, so the best way, yet again, would be to inform the public. If the public knows that coyotes are a threat, then keeping their numbers in check and their populations away could benefit everybody.
The final step to the Red Wolf Recovery Program would be to introduce red wolves in other portions of their historic range. This is a goal for further in the future, but it would signal success for the Red Wolf Recovery Program. A possible reintroduction site could be Galveston Island, Texas, where the red wolf ghost alleles were found. Expanding the range of the current Red Wolf Recovery Area in NC would also have to involve private landowners and getting them to cooperate with the USFWS, because their private land is being used by red wolves anyway and can serve as part of their Recovery Area. Furthermore, more cooperation and collaboration with landowners would be greatly beneficial, as incentives can also be given to them to continue to allow red wolves on their property. This too would require more education about how passive red wolves are and that they don't attack people, pets, or livestock, unless they are elderly and cannot hunt anymore.