As of October 2021, there are 8 collared wild red wolves with a total estimate of 15-17 wild red wolves and 241 captive red wolves.
As of January 2018, the red wolves have been labeled Critically Endangered. Hunting and habitat loss caused the red wolves to be driven to the edge of becoming extinct by the 1970. Because of that the USFWS (United States Fish and Wildlife Service) captured the remaining 14 red wolves in the wild and put them in a captive-breeding program. All red wolves today are decedents from these original 14 that were captured.
There are still many threats to the red wolves today. Hybridization is a major risk because of all the coyotes moving into their habitat. The coyotes are also fighting with the red wolves over resources in the habitat. Wildlife managers have taken steps to help prevent hybridization in the red wolves. These steps include but are not limited to sterilizing the coyotes in the red wolves' habitat or relocated the coyotes.
Humans also pose a huge threat to the red wolves. Climate change can pose a threat since their whole habitat is only 3 feet above sea level. Housing development and habitat fragmentation increase also causes a problem between humans and the red wolves. Because of those a lot of red wolves are killed by cars every year or shot by landowners. In 2013 in less than a month 6 red wolves were shot. Because it was outside of hunting season and the radio tracking collars were tampered with suggested foul play. Because the red wolves have a population of less than a hundred the impact from these issues are a huge deal.
There are not many rules or laws protecting the red wolves. They illegal to hunt but landowners are allowed to kill them if they pose a threat to the landowners or their livestock. They are restricted to federal public land which can only support 20 to 30 red wolves. If they are caught outside of that area, they can possible have little to no federal protection and be killed or captured and returned back to captivity.
Without the UECG help these magnificent animals will not survive in the wild for long. They need a place they can prosper and right now they are not able to do that because the government does not care about them. Us humans have already driven many species to extinction throughout our history help me prevent that from happening to the red wolves.