New road signs aim to slow cars — and save Galveston’s ghost wolves

Wildlife crossing signs have been installed in Galveston to protect the ghost wolves. Here’s what you need to know.

In Galveston, the Texas Department of Transportation recently finished placing 10 wildlife crossing signs along main roads in an effort to protect the local ghost wolf population, as well as other creatures in the area. The ghost wolves are technically a species of coyote, but the breed also contains red wolf DNA remnants. Since red wolves are endangered, it’s especially important to prevent vehicle collisions on the island. Dr. Kristin Brzeski is a researcher studying these unique animals, and she believes they may be the key to revitalizing the red wolf species, which was close to going extinct at one point.

“How can we leverage and capture this lost genetic variation that persists now in these unique ghost wolves — to recover the red wolf?” she said. One of the first steps toward this process is to protect the ghost wolves that frequently roam the Gulf Coast. A study showed that deaths among the animal’s population have steadily increased over the last few years. There were seven reported ghost wolf deaths in 2020 but 19 reported in 2025. More were presumably lost, though they weren’t counted toward the overall total as their bodies were not found or recovered by humans.

Here’s where you’ll see the new signs

Brooke Bowman, an environmental project planner for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), said they were able to track the ghost wolves using GPS collars which provided them with a more accurate idea of where the animals spend the most time in Galveston. From there, the TxDOT team was able to determine the best places to install new wildlife crossing signs to further protect the creatures who call the island home. Bowman said, “On FM 3005 specifically west of the end of Seawall Boulevard is where the ghost wolf mortality really started to ramp up,” which is why they wanted to expedite this process. She added, “We want to make sure that we keep the public safe. We also want to make sure that animals are taken into consideration and that we reduce their risk too of getting hit or killed.”

The red wolves native to Texas were diminished because of the natural loss of habitat that accompanied land development. If the ghost wolf population met a similar fate, it would create a negative ripple effect on the area’s natural biodiversity, which would cause issues not only for wildlife, but for us humans as well. TxDOT installed 10 separate signs that read “Wildlife Crossing” along a 19-mile stretch of FM 3005. For photos of where you can expect to see them on that route, click here.

Dr. Bridgett vonHoldt, who runs the Gulf Coast Canine Project alongside Dr. Kristin Brezski, said of the newly installed signs, “For Galveston’s ghost wolves, successful road crossings can mean the difference between survival and death.” Dr. vonHoldt added, “When we reduce vehicle collisions, we are protecting each individual animal and their genetic diversity, which will in turn support the resilience of a critical coastal ecosystem. Thoughtful infrastructure, even something as simple as a crossing sign, reflects a broader commitment to coexistence and to safeguarding the evolutionary potential of wildlife in a rapidly changing world.”