Tennessee

Tennessee at a glance

Red wolves once existed throughout Tennessee but removal began shortly after European settlement. They were reintroduced in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) in 1991 through a Federal recovery program under the Endangered Species Act. However, the project was unsuccessful and in 1998, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service ended efforts to restore red wolves in the GSMNP due to low pup survival and inability of wolves to establish home ranges within the park. Of the 37 wolves released since 1991, 26 had died or been recaptured after straying onto private lands. Agencies recaptured and relocated the remaining red wolves. Currently no red wolf populations live in Tennessee.