“The Service is evidently trying to drive the Red Wolf Recovery program into the ground, despite wide public support,” said Tara Zuardo, wildlife attorney at the Animal Welfare Institute, who is bringing the suit along with the Red Wolf Coalition and Defenders of Wildlife.

The suit comes on the heels of a court battle over coyote hunting in red wolf territory. The suit forced the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission to end nighttime hunting of coyotes in red wolf territory, where hunters have been known to mistake red wolves for coyotes and kill them accidentally.

However, the Wildlife Commission called for an analysis of the entire red wolf reintroduction program. Their ask resulted in the program being put on hold while the USFWS conducted a feasibility study on future reintroduction efforts, resulting in the second lawsuit.

“This species can’t afford to wait another minute,” said Jason Rylander, senior attorney for Defenders of Wildlife.

The USFWS said the program has only been suspended temporarily. 

“We are committed to red wolf recovery and are working to have a revised strategy in place in 2016,” said Leo Miranda, assistant regional director for ecological services in the USFWS’s southeast regional office.

— by Holly Kays, staff writer