Red Wolf Woods

Back from the brink

Hidden in dappled shade, two bright eyes are looking at you. You stare back. Then their owner ducks and turns, loping easily over fallen logs to settle into the sunshine. Our red wolves aren’t just beautiful – they’re part of an award-winning program that has saved this iconic species from extinction.

Adopt a red wolf

Discover the Woods

Meet our keepers.

(Part of the pack.)

Come find out what it's like to care for these beautiful animals, and how our Zoo helped save them from extinction. Our keepers give chats daily.

Daily Presentations

We love pups!

Adorable, and vital to the species.

Five critically endangered American red wolf pups were born at our off-site facility in May 2022. The healthy pups are the latest success in the story of recovery for this iconic American species.

Learn more

Find it

in the zoo

Inside the covered viewing area you can get a close look at a real wolf skull, pelt and tracking radio collar.

Protecting Red Wolves

Saving a native species.

THE THREAT: By the 1970s, very few red wolves existed on the planet, due to ceaseless hunting. By the 1980s, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, in cooperation with USFWS, established a zoo-based breeding program using 14 wolves from the wild to restore the population.

TAKE ACTION: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium joined with other zoos and agencies to save the red wolf, breeding and reintroducing them in the wild. There are now fewer than 20 wolves in the wild, and about 250 at zoos and other partner facilities participating in the Species Survival Plan. They still need our protection if they are to survive.

Take action Donate now

Animal Stories

Introducing Twin Polar Bear Cubs Astra and Laerke

Astra and Laerke, two polar bear cubs who have captivated much of the country since their births two years ago at the Detroit Zoo, arrived at Point Defiance Zoo & … Continued

New Polar Bears Arriving Soon

The Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) and the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, announced today that two polar bear cubs, Astra and Laerke, will move to Point Defiance Zoo in spring … Continued

Photo Ark: Results of A Collaborative Partnership

Collaborations with our community are an incredible opportunity to create meaningful connections. Tacoma students at Science and Math Institute (SAMi), School of the Arts (SOTA), and School of Industrial Design, … Continued

Read the blog

Come meet the cousins

At our sister zoo Northwest Trek you can meet the red wolf's cousin: the gray wolf. Watch the Trek pack in their forested habitat.

Visit Northwest Trek