AMARILLO, Texas (KVII) — New information revealed a rare find in the Texas Panhandle.
One of the world’s most endangered wolves was considered extinct in the area, but officials at the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center said that might not be the case.
In March, the rehabilitation center collected hair, blood, fecal and urine samples from Wylie, a non-releasable coyote from Memphis, Texas.
One of the world’s most endangered wolves was considered extinct in the area, but officials at the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center said that might not be the case.
The test results were sent to experts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and reveal that Wylie is 37 percent red wolf.
“It’s actually a really high percentage for a coyote to have in him,” said Christy Rowley, a Rehab Specialist at the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. “So the average that they found in most coyotes that they tested would maybe be 3 percent and would even be considered high. For him to have 37 percent, that’s a pretty significant amount of red wolf in him.”
Source: https://abc7amarillo.com/news/local/rare-red-wolf-dna-pops-up-in-texas-panhandle