screech owl, we have five other owl species in the refuge, including the 

 eastern northern saw-whet owl, short-earred owl, bam owl, barred owl and 

 great horned owl." 



REMOTE REFUGE 



To get to the refuge, follow U.S. 64 west from Manteo. A good ac- 

 cess point is at Milltail Road about 5.6 miles past the new causeway over 

 Croatan Sound. The Creef Cut Walking Trail and an informational kiosk are 

 located at the site. 



Aside from the U.S. Department of Defense's Dare County bombing 

 range, the 152,000-acre refuge covers an entire peninsula, bordered by 

 the Alligator River to the west, the Albemarle Sound to the north and the 

 Pamlico Sound to the east. 



If you take any of the designated paths, the refuge is a wild, entangled 

 place that is crossed by drainage ditches and gravel roads. 



"The Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge offers some of the best 

 wildlife observation opportunities in the area — although different than the 

 opportunities on many refuges," says Bonnie Strawser, wildlife interpretive 

 specialist and volunteer coordinator at Alligator River/Pea Island National 

 Wildlife refuges. 



"Among the most popular activities are watching black bears, howling 

 up red wolves and kayaking or canoeing," she adds. "Birding is excellent, 

 but it requires a bit more adventure and understanding of this type of habitat 

 than birding in other places. It is not as easy as walking on North Pond Trail 

 at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge." 



RED WOLF HOWL 



The refuge has gained recognition for reintroducing the endangered red 

 wolf. Once found throughout the southeastern United States, along the eastern 

 seaboard and west to Texas, the only wild red wolf population in existence 

 today occurs in a rural five-county area on the Pamlico- Albemarle peninsula. 



Due to habitat loss and predation control programs — where people 

 trapped and shot wolves — the red wolf had been declared extinct in the 

 wild in 1980. Through USFWS and captive breeding facilities across the 

 country, the species has been saved. 



After several generations of living and breeding the red wolf in captiv- 

 ity, four pairs were released on the refuge in 1987. The captive-bom red 

 wolves adapted successfully to the wild and now serve as the foundation for 

 today's wild population. 



More than 100 red wolves now roam 1.5 million acres, including 

 private lands as well as on three wildlife refuges. 



While it is rare to catch a glimpse of these elusive predators, visitors 

 to the refuge often have the opportunity to participate in "Howling Safaris" 

 where they might hear the calls of the endangered wolves, says Whaley. 



North Carolina State University scientists have begun tracking the red 

 wolf with revolutionary technology. Researchers are studying how tiny, sen- 

 sor-based computers can improve wildlife tracking. The information could 

 prove enormously useful for the Red Wolf Recovery Program. 



"Current tracking methods based solely on radio telemetry are expen- 

 sive and provide limited data," says Robert Fomaro, NC State computer 

 science professor. 



Although red wolves are endangered, very little is known about their 

 pack dynamics. Because new, tiny sensors can track location, movement 

 patterns and environmental conditions throughout the day, researchers 

 believe this new information could shed some light on pack behavior. 



"By placing these devices on wolf collars," says Mark MacAllister 

 of the N.C. Zoological Society, "we can find out who is hanging out with 

 whom." 



GATORS, BEARS AND BIRDS 



The refuge is also home to the American alligator. Not long ago, the 

 alligators were a threatened species. Now, they are back and growing in 

 size. 



The female alligator can lay up to 45 eggs and is a wonderful mother, 

 usually staying around for a year for her young gators. 



"We do have several alligators on the Alligator River National Wildlife 

 Refuge, but they are normally shy creatures and are seldom seen," says 

 Whaley. "Occasionally, you can see one in the canals beside some of the 

 roads. Alligators are not aggressive towards humans by nature." 



Unless they are around humans with food, or they are guarding a nest, 

 alligators want to stay away from people. For the safety of visitors and the 

 safety of the animal, never feed an alligator, Whaley warns. 



More than 200 species of birds also spend a portion of their time here. 

 Many neotropical migrants, such as prothonotary warblers, prairie warblers 

 and red-eyed vireos make nests in the thick pocosin vegetation. Wood ducks 

 and other cavity nesters seek shelter in old trees left by loggers. 



Other endangered and threatened species include the American bald 

 eagle, peregrine falcon and the red-cockaded woodpecker. The refuge also 

 is home to one of the largest remaining concentrations of black bears along 

 the mid-Atlantic coast. 



"Recently, I have seen a bear every day that I have been out in the 

 refuge," says Whaley. "One bear broke into an intern's cabin. We had to get 

 bird seed and set a trap." To teach the bear to avoid people, they also shot 

 him with a rubber bullet, she adds. 



The refuge has a number of census programs that monitor various 

 wildlife populations — from neotropical migrant birds to the American al- 

 ligator. The black bear population is monitored through track count surveys 

 and the use of bait stations. 



"We know we have enough bears that they are taking com from wa- 

 terfowl banding sites and getting killed by cars on the highway," says refuge 

 natural resource planner Bob Glennon. "When this study is finished in a 

 few years, we will know what the population is relative to how many bears 

 the habitat can support. Then the biological staff can determine if we need 

 to control the population to maintain the health of the bears." 



The refuge staff also monitors red-cockaded woodpeckers and has 

 inserted nest boxes into trees. 



VAST WETLANDS 



Long ago, the area that now comprises the refuge was considered 

 by most people to be a vast wasteland. Visitors to the Outer Banks made a 

 special effort to complete their journeys before dark to avoid a breakdown 

 in "no man's land." Continued 



COASTWATCH 9 



