Call of the Wild

Endangered red wolves, which used to roam wild in these parts, have found a second home in West Ashley. In this case, a newly minted habitat located at Charles Towne Landing.
In olden days, red wolves, so called due to their distinctive head and legs coloring, roamed from Pennsylvania to Texas, including in the Lowcountry. Human expansion and a shrinking environmental niche forced the pack animals further west and south by the 1930s.
Now, scientists estimate that close to only 100 red wolves roam wild in the Southeast.
Last week, the Animal Forest at the historic site unveiled a 9,000-square-foot habitat and enclosure that will become home to four females, bringing a nearly two-year process to a conclusion. The habitat was constructed with the help of the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
South Carolina State Park Service Director, Phil Gaines said that with “this new habitat, Charles Towne Landing now provides visitors a better opportunity to learn about the Species Survival Program and to see and learn about red wolves that were once native to the state.”
To bring the wolves home, the facility had to pass a strict application process, and some of its staff had to attend special training sessions. It is now part of a national network of 42 survival wolf sites.
The wolves will be on display to the public at the Animal Forest from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with regular park admission.
Currently, there is another important red wolf site in the Lowcountry, at the Cape Romain’s Bulls Island. At the federal Sewee Visitor and Environmental Education Center in Awendaw, more than two dozen red wolves were breed in relative isolation up until a few years ago.
Red wolves mate for life, typically, and range from 50-80 pounds in weight, and can be as tall as 65 inches in length. They are carnivorous, preferring to hunt deer, rabbits, raccoons, and other rodents.
 
Charles Town Landing is located at 1500 Old Towne Road. For more information call 852-4200.