<p><b>Status: Critically Endangered</b></p> <p>Red wolves <i>(Canis rufus)</i> were declared extinct in the wild in 1980. Seven years later, the federal government began releasing captive-bred animals in eastern North Carolina, and today an estimated 75 to 100 roam the region. Some landowners, concerned about wolf predation, are protesting the restoration. Photographed at <a href="http://www.greatzoo.org/" target="_blank">Great Plains Zoo</a>, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.</p> <p><a href="http://national-geographic.cafepress.com/art.1656916383" target="_blank">Buy a print</a> | <a href="http://www.natgeocreative.com/photography/1284335" target="_blank">License this photo</a></p>

Red Wolf

Status: Critically Endangered

Red wolves (Canis rufus) were declared extinct in the wild in 1980. Seven years later, the federal government began releasing captive-bred animals in eastern North Carolina, and today an estimated 75 to 100 roam the region. Some landowners, concerned about wolf predation, are protesting the restoration. Photographed at Great Plains Zoo, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY JOEL SARTORE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE

Of Cats and Dogs

A selection of portraits from Photo Ark, a project to document the world's animals before they disappear.

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