A Red Wolf rebound: Arkansas State University to take greater role in preserving its nearly extinct mascot

It’s been nearly ten years since Arkansas State University changed its mascot from the Native American Indian to the Red Wolf. The university is about to expand its role to make sure its namesake doesn’t go the way of the dodo bird.

ASU announced Monday it will broaden its educational, communications, and research capacities to find ways to increase the American red wolf population. There are an estimated 274 red wolves in the United States and all but about 30 in captivity at wildlife centers and zoos, professor of animal ecology Dr. Thomas Risch said. It’s among the most endangered canids in the world.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity for the Department of Biological Sciences to have a major role in the conservation and research of an iconic American mammal species that is the most endangered wolf in the world,” Risch said. “I’m happy that our university, and in particular our wildlife ecology students, can accept an important role in protecting a species that is also our beloved mascot.”

ASU will partner with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Endangered Wolf Center in St. Louis. Plans to save the species were presented last week at the Red Wolf Species Survival Plan Education Summit and Conservation Centers for Species Survival meeting at the White Oak Conservation Center in Yulee, Florida.

Risch said the Arkansas Center for Biodiversity Collections on campus has been designated by the FWS as the national specimen bank for blood and tissue samples for red wolves. Remains of deceased red wolves will also be processed by the center.

“We will catalog all specimens and provide valuable research guidance to Red Wolf SSP participants in ongoing breeding and protection efforts,” Risch said.

Red wolves were once a numerous small carnivore, roaming up and down the eastern coast, the southeast, and their territory stretched west into Texas, according to the Defenders of Wildlife. A cousin to the larger gray wolf, red wolves mostly eat rodents, rabbits, insects, and other small prey, and used to be a crucial member of the delicate ecosystems in many southern states including Arkansas. Red wolves are shy and tend to avoid human contact. The animals mate in pairs and a female can produce up to eight pups per litter.

Deforestation, a loss of habitat, and hunting by farmers and ranchers pushed the red wolf to virtual extinction by 1980. That year, FWS captured 20 red wolves in hopes of expanding its numbers. The effort has taken almost 40 years to produce fruit, but the numbers are slowly rising.

ASU’s depository designation will be similar to that of the University of New Mexico’s Museum of Southwestern Biology. It handles historic specimens of the endangered Mexican wolf. Biology instructor Tracy Klotz serves as ASU’s collection manager for mammals and will work with faculty and students in the department to process and research specimens submitted by facilities throughout the country that house red wolves. He provided participants with carcass, tissue and blood sampling protocols.

New ASU Chancellor Kelly Damphousse is pleased the university is about to take a greater role in the preservation of the school’s mascot. The opening theme of his new administration has been “Every Red Wolf Counts” and it extends far beyond the faculty, students and alumni. It includes the school’s endangered mascot, too.

“I’m thrilled about all our efforts related to red wolves conservation and education,” Damphousse said. “I appreciate the leadership of Dr. Risch and his team, and I love the enthusiasm of the students who want to make a difference in preserving the nation’s ecosystem as Red Wolves saving red wolves.”