Dear Mr. Myers:

As someone who cares deeply about wolves, I'm writing today urging you to halt all coyote hunting — daytime or nighttime — within the area designated for the recovery of red wolves, one of the world's most endangered animals.

Red wolves and coyotes are similar in size, coats, and coloring, so red wolves are frequently mistaken for coyotes, even in daylight. In nighttime conditions it is nearly impossible to tell them apart.

There are now only about 100 red wolves left in the wild. With such a small population, each individual is vital to the survival of the species. But every year, North Carolina hunters accidentally kill about 7-9 percent of red wolves, a number that will almost certainly increase with night hunting. This is why I'm urging you to immediately halt all coyote hunting in the red wolf recovery area!

Allowing the hunting of coyotes in an area where the only population of such a small and vulnerable population exists is unnecessary and a threat to the conservation of red wolves. Please bring to an end to this practice in your state.

Thank you.