Howl with a red wolf

In the 1980s, the red wolf was declared extinct in the wild, but its howls can still be heard in only one untamed place on the entire planet. Visitors searching for a unique animal experience can go on a Red Wolf Howling Safari in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The 152,000-acre refuge in northeast North Carolina has successfully restored the critically endangered red wolves to the area through a captive breeding program. About 40 red wolves roam their native habitats in five northeastern North Carolina counties encompassing the refuge. The refuge conducts Red Wolf Howling Safaris to listen to the “music” of the wolves. The two-hour safari educational programs are offered throughout the summer and on select evenings in the fall, winter and spring. Visitors will most likely not see the wolves, as few people ever do, but they typically hear them howl. Safari leaders call to the wolves with a human-produced sound and the wolves howl back. The Alligator River is also one of the last remaining strongholds for black bear on the East Coast and offers other programs for visitors to experience wildlife in its own element, including guided kayak tours.