WolfQuest
Image: National Park Service logo


Help support
WolfQuest 3 development!
Donate button

Follow us on social media
to see the latest news
about WolfQuest 3!

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
tumblr.
Gray wolves | Red Wolves

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo is home to two red wolves: a male, Waya, and a female, Scarlet. The red wolves are managed in a completely different way than the gray wolves, since the Zoo is part of carefully structured Species Survival Plan (SSP) administered by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

Red wolves are one of the most critically endangered animals in the world, with only about 300 individuals in existence. Fear and misunderstanding caused red wolves to be hunted mercilessly throughout their range, and the last remaining 14 animals were captured in the 1970s along the Texas-Louisiana border. These last wolves were brought into captive breeding facilities and a comprehensive breeding plan (SSP) was begun to bring them back from the brink of extinction.

Today, there exists a reintroduced wild population of red wolves in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina (approximately 100 wolves), with the 200 or so remaining wolves living in zoos and other captive environments. Since the possibility exists that Scarlet and Waya's second or third generation puppies could be reintroduced into the wild, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo does not attempt to socialize these animals as we have the gray wolves.

In captivity, red wolves tend to be shy and withdrawn. The two red wolves at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, however, are both very bold, and are often visible from the boardwalk of the Wildlife Trails section of the Zoo.

Don't miss the opportunity to visit Waya and Scarlet, and support the ongoing success story of restoring a species from extinction!

Image of a wolf at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo
Waya (male)
Born in 2005 at the Trevor Zoo in Millbrook, NY, Waya can be distinguished from "Scarlet" as the smaller of the two red wolves. Waya is less dominant than Scarlet, but has acted boldly from time to time, too. For example, you may notice Waya exhibiting a "bowing" behavior, which is associated with play between canids. When Waya does this to a human, however, he is testing for weakness. Waya is also known for being playful with food and enrichment items in his exhibit, and has been seen tossing rabbit carcasses into the air. The best strategy for observing some of Waya's behavior is to remain quiet and still while observing the exhibit and let him get comfortable with your presence.

Image of a wolf at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo
Scarlet (female)
Scarlet was also born in 2005, and she came from the Western North Carolina Nature Center in Asheville, NC. Scarlet is slightly larger than Waya, and has beautiful distinctive eyes. She is bolder than Waya, and more dominant as well. Scarlet is often curious about the happenings in her exhibit, and the human visitors and zookeepers that enter her world. She has also proven herself as an effective predator, and has caught several squirrels in her exhibit.

For more information about the wolves at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, please visit our website at www.rosamondgiffordzoo.org or call (315) 435-8511.

Go to Rosamond Gifford Zoo Web site


Tech Support  |  Contact Us  |  Terms of Use and Privacy Policy |  Abuse Reports

© 2005- Eduweb