In addition to the money, the event garnered 55 attendees and 49 letters in support of red wolves, which will be sent to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. All proceeds were donated to the red wolf fund at Defenders of Wildlife. 

Fewer than 20 red wolves are left in the wild, an area concentrated wholly in Eastern North Carolina. That population is the result of a reintroduction effort, as red wolves were declared extinct in the wild by 1980 and remained so until the 1987 reintroduction at Alligator River. 

The reintroduction has been the subject of years of conflict between wildlife agencies and environmental groups. A proposed rule released in June 2018 would have severely restricted conservation efforts and allowed red wolves to be killed with no hunting restrictions outside of a small area of public land in Hyde and Dare counties. A final version of the rule has yet to be released, however. 

The event was organized by Waynesville native and red wolf advocate Christopher Liles as part of a series of events in support of the red wolf. One such event will be an art exhibit in Buckner Gallery, with owner Jenny Buckner asking any artist interested to donate half of their profits on red wolf art to conservation. The exhibit will open Sept. 12, with the call for artists now out. 

To donate to the cause, send a check to Defenders of Wildlife with “red wolf fund” in the memo line to 130 17th Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20036. Contact Liles with questions at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..