Calling wildlife lovers: New NC license plate could help this endangered animal
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- Red wolf conservation groups unveiled artwork for a specialty license plate at the museum.
- The specialty plate needs at least 300 paid applications and legislative approval.
- If approved, proceeds from the plate will fund the Red Wolf Coalition.
A hush fell over a small crowd at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham as the curtain dropped to reveal the new red wolf specialty license plate artwork.
Designed by scientific illustrator J. Spahr, the plate features a mother and pup red wolf standing and another pup curled at her feet. Organizers highlighted the intentionality behind the details, emphasizing the need to distinguish red wolves from coyotes, a common source of confusion.
“Red wolves are consistently mistaken for coyotes, so it was important to get the red wolves’ iconic long legs on this license plate,” said Cassie Rivera, founder of the North Carolina Wildlife Corridor. “We needed that broader head and broader muzzle, we needed the more rounded ears to really shine through.”
The unveiling, which followed months of planning and design, drew conservation officials, nonprofit partners and filmmakers. Heather Clarkson, regional outreach specialist at Defenders of Wildlife, noted the symbolism of the plate as a way for North Carolinians to display their views on the species.
“We have known for a really long time that North Carolinians supported red wolves,” Clarkson said. “This is going to be this visual representation of the incredible constituency of support that this species has in North Carolina.”
A long road
The license plate project originated from a collaboration conference between the Red Wolf Coalition, other NGOs and government agencies.
In 2020, the wild red wolf population in North Carolina declined to just seven wolves. Multiple factors, including illegal killings and vehicle mortality, contributed to the decline.
Clarkson said the conference changed everything.
“We all got together and basically decided… to put our differences and our history aside, and … create a space to come together to have honest and transparent conversations about the challenges facing recovery in North Carolina,” Clarkson said. “From that, I have seen more progress in red wolf recovery than any of the years before.”
While the license plate idea had been floated before, the collaboration finally made it possible.
“It would have been really too much for any one NGO to take on by themselves,” Clarkson said.
The logistics
The process for establishing a specialty plate requires at least 300 paid applications. Kim Wheeler, head of the Red Wolf Coalition, reported that more than 500 people had expressed interest before the design was unveiled, though those were not paid applications.
“If we get 300 paid, then we get like a single image of a wolf, and if we get 500 paid applications, then we get the full license plate artwork,” Clarkson said.
If the plate meets the application threshold, legislative approval is still required.
Earlier this year, Rep. Cynthia Ball, D-Wake, introduced House Bill 1157, which would authorize the red wolf license plate. If passed, proceeds from license plate sales will go to the Red Wolf Coalition to fund conservation efforts.
“We are confident that we can get this bill moving, and are still working on it,” Ball said. “We support this effort and are working jointly with the coalition to make sure it happens.”
The bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Stephen M. Ross, R-Alamance, and Vernetta Alston, D-Durham, which Clarkson noted as significant.
“I think it bodes really well, not only for the future of this legislation … but also the future of red wolves in North Carolina, that we are already seeing bipartisan support at the state level,” Clarkson said. “People from all sides of the aisle can come together to recover these species, especially the ones who belong here.”
Wheeler said the group remains hopeful the license plate will meet its application target.
“We know some of those people will drop off, but we know once people see this license plate, they are going to flood that website,” Wheeler said. “We can’t wait to see it on North Carolina cars.”
If all goes according to plan, the license plate will be available at the earliest in 2027. For more information or to register interest in a plate, see https://redwolves.com/newsite/volunteer/red-wolf-license-plate/.
