Sad news for conservationists as the oldest known wild red wolf has died.
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According to the most recent update from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the wolf known as 1743F was 14-years-old.
The wolf lived in Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, outside the Outer Banks in northeast North Carolina. This habitat and the surrounding area is the only known home of the red wolf, which is threatened and on the brink of extinction. Currently, only about 34 of the species live in the wild, with nearly 300 living in captivity.
Officials say they made the discovery thanks to the animal’s tracking collar. While necropsy results are pending, they believe 1743F died of natural causes.
