Releasing the Milltail Pack

One of the busiest times of the year for field biologists with the Red Wolf Recovery Program begins the first week of January and extends through May, corresponding to the breeding and denning seasons of the red wolves. Biologists spend most of their time during this period tracking and capturing wolves to fit or replace telemetry collars and to conduct a general health assessment of each animal. The telemetry collars will help the field biologists track the animals during the upcoming denning season as they look for new litters of pups, as well as being able to follow the pack throughout the rest of the year.

This past January was especially fruitful in our capturing efforts as nearly every member of the Milltail Pack (on Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge) was captured and fitted with a new telemetry collar. A total of seven wolves, including the breeding pair, three juveniles born in 2008, and two pups born in 2009, were caught. All were in good health and soon released back in their territory. -- Ryan