The presence of wolves in Tennessee is a topic of frequent inquiry. No wild wolf populations currently exist in the state.
Wolves in Tennessee Today
No wild wolf populations, either Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) or Red Wolves (Canis rufus), roam Tennessee. Both species that once thrived here have been extirpated from the state. The Red Wolf, a species native to the southeastern United States, is critically endangered. Only about 17 to 20 wild Red Wolves exist, primarily in northeastern North Carolina, with an additional 250 individuals in captive breeding programs across the nation.
Gray Wolves, while federally protected under the Endangered Species Act in much of the contiguous United States, do not have established wild populations in Tennessee. Since there are no free-ranging wolves, Tennessee does not have state protections for these animals. However, some zoos in Tennessee, such as Zoo Knoxville and Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center in Chattanooga, maintain captive Red Wolf populations as part of species survival efforts.
A Look at Tennessee’s Wolf History
Tennessee’s natural history once included the presence of two distinct wolf species: the Gray Wolf and the Red Wolf. The Gray Wolf historically ranged across North America, including parts of Tennessee with ample prey and forest cover. The Red Wolf was a top predator well-suited to the dense forests and wetlands of the southeastern United States, including Tennessee.
These wolf populations began to decline significantly with European settlement. The primary reasons for their disappearance from Tennessee were habitat loss, intense hunting pressure, and organized eradication programs. Red Wolves were largely removed from Tennessee by 1905. By 1980, the last wild Red Wolves were captured to initiate a captive breeding program.
Identifying Wild Canids in Tennessee
Many reported wolf sightings in Tennessee often turn out to be other wild canids, particularly coyotes or coyote-wolf hybrids. Wolves are significantly larger than coyotes, with Gray Wolves typically weighing 80 to 120 pounds and Red Wolves 50 to 80 pounds, compared to coyotes which usually weigh 15 to 50 pounds. Wolves also possess a more muscular build, a broader, blockier head, shorter muzzles, and more rounded ears, while coyotes are leaner with a more fox-like appearance, pointed muzzles, and taller, pointed ears.
When observing tracks, wolf prints are notably larger, measuring between 3 to 5 inches, whereas coyote tracks are smaller, around 2 to 2.75 inches. Coyotes carry their tails lower, and their howls are higher-pitched and include yips, unlike the deeper howls of wolves.
Coyote-wolf hybrids, often referred to as “coywolves,” are present in eastern North America. These hybrids carry DNA from coyotes, eastern wolves, and sometimes even domestic dogs. Coywolves are larger than pure coyotes, with longer legs, more powerful jaws, and bushier tails, and their vocalizations blend the deep tones of a wolf howl with the higher-pitched yipping of a coyote. Some of these hybrids have shown reduced fear of humans due to domestic dog genetics, allowing them to inhabit more urbanized areas.
Past Efforts to Reintroduce Wolves
Significant attempts were made to reintroduce Red Wolves into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), which spans parts of Tennessee and North Carolina. This reintroduction program, initiated in November 1991 under a federal recovery effort, released captive-bred Red Wolves into the park. It aimed to reestablish a wild population in this historic range.
Despite initial releases of several Red Wolf families, the reintroduction project ultimately proved unsuccessful and concluded by 1998. Around 40 Red Wolf pups were born in the wild, but none survived to adulthood due to disease, starvation, and difficulty establishing home ranges. The increasing presence of coyotes in the park also led to hybridization with the reintroduced Red Wolves, further complicating recovery efforts. By the project’s end, the remaining Red Wolves were recaptured and returned to captivity.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, discussions about reintroducing Red Wolves to the Land Between the Lakes area in Tennessee and Kentucky were rejected by state wildlife agencies.