RWSSP of the month--Akron Zoo, host of 2014 RWSSP meeting

The Red Wolf Species Survival Plan (RWSSP) is the foundation of the Red Wolf Recovery Program. To let people know what’s happening throughout the program through, we are continuing to feature different RWSSP locations.  The RWSSP of the month is the Akron Zoo in Akron, Ohio.  In 1900, George and Ann Perkins donated 79 acres of land to be designated as a public park.  In 1979, the zoo changed its name to the Akron Zoological Park. In addition, the City of Akron turned over governance of the zoo to the Board of Trustees when the zoo became a non-profit organization.  The Zoo has expanded enormously in the past 30 years, adding numerous exhibits and features. In 2013, it opened its largest exhibit to date: the Mike & Mary Stark Grizzly Ridge exhibit, which features bald eagles, an aviary, grizzly bears, otters, red wolves and coyotes.

We are very excited to have Akron Zoo as one of the newest RWSSP locations, joining the network in 2013. Currently, they have two female sibling red wolves (1856F and 1857F) that were born in 2011 at Miller Park Zoo (Bloomington, IL).  These two new additions to the zoo bring a lot of new visitors!

Akron Zoo offers multiple programs and opportunities for folks to learn about the zoo including a variety of tours and programs including Keeper for a Day, and Zoo Veterinarian for a Day.  Please check out their website for more information.

Captive red wolf, Akron Zoo. Photo credit: R. Harrison/UFSWS.

Captive red wolf, Akron Zoo. Photo credit: R. Harrison/UFSWS.

Just last week, the Akron Zoo hosted the 2014 RWSSP annual meeting. More than 25 participants from 20 locations met over three days to discuss husbandry methods and techniques, current and ongoing red wolf research, and facility updates.  The majority the meeting is dedicated to examining all the available breeding wolves in the RWSSP network (across 40+ locations) to see if individuals need to be moved from facility to facility to form the best potential breeding pairs.  With more than 175 breeding red wolves in the captive population, this is no small feat.  Age, health history, genetic relatedness, and logistical difficulties of transferring animals are all taken into consideration when deciding new pairs.  We are hopeful for safe transfers, successful pairings, and more pups next spring!

A tied breeding red wolf pair during breeding season. Photo credit: Greg Dodge.

We would like to extend a big thank you to the RWSSP Coordinator, Will, for organizing everyone for the meeting and the Akron Zoo Curator of Mammals, Eric, to hosting us all!  Thank you to the staff, volunteers, and supporters at the Akron Zoo!!

Please visit their website or Facebook page for more information.

RWSSP of the month—Endangered Wolf Center

The Red Wolf Species Survival Plan (RWSSP) is the foundation of the Red Wolf Recovery Program. To let people know what’s happening throughout the program through, we are continuing to feature different RWSSP locations.  

The RWSSP of the month is the Endangered Wolf Center (EWC) in Eureka, Missouri, founded by Marlin and Carol Perkins.  Marlin Perkins is most recognized from the popular television show “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” that was in production in the 1960s and 1970s.  In these episodes, he took the opportunity to educate audiences on rare animals and their native habitats. In 1971, they turned their attention on conservation of wolves and founded the EWC with the help of others. These visionary founders believed that no ecosystem could thrive without the top predator in place. For more than 40 years, this nonprofit organization has played a pivotal role in wolf conservation through carefully managed breeding programs, educating the public about wolves, and establishing a partnership with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to facilitate the release of endangered canids back into native habitats.

The Center is located on 63 isolated wooded acres near St. Louis and currently conserves and maintains five different species of endangered canids.  EWC has participated in the RWSSP since the early years of the program.  Since 1981, EWC has housed red wolves and immediately had success in captive breeding efforts, with litters born annually from 1982-1987.  The individuals born at EWC during this time included one of the original 8 animals released in 1987 at the current reintroduction site in northeastern North Carolina, 10205F.  This female red wolf is incredibly important in the recovery timeline, as she was the first animal to give birth in the wild (in 1988) after red wolves were reintroduced.  Over the years, 11 litters with 36 pups in total were born at EWC.

Red wolf at EWC. Photo credit: Ashley Brown.

The EWC is currently home to three red wolves, including breeding pair 1790M and 1586F.  1402M is currently solo after the recent loss of his mate, 1593F, to complications from whelping.  Both 1402M and 1790M arrived at EWC in early 2011, from the Wildlife Science Center (Columbus, MN), and Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago, IL), respectively.  1586F was transferred from Fossil Rim Wildlife Center (Glen Rose, TX) in fall of 2012.

Red wolf breeding pair, 1586F and 1790M, at EWC. Photo credit: Ashley Brown.

The Endangered Wolf Center has also played a large role in red wolf education efforts, both within the RWSSP and public events at the site.  EWC offers multiple programs and opportunities for folks to learn about wolves including a variety of tours, howling events, camps, scout programs, and special events.  Please check out their calendar for more information and full event schedule.

Thank you to the staff, volunteers, and supporters at the Endangered Wolf Center!!

Please visit their website or Facebook page for more information!

RWSSP site of the month--Wolf Conservation Center!

The Red Wolf Species Survival Plan (RWSSP) is the foundation of the Red Wolf Recovery Program. To let people know what’s happening throughout the program, we are continuing to feature different RWSSP locations.  The RWSSP of the month is the Wolf Conservation Center (WCC) in South Salem, New York.  WCC was founded in 1999 by Hélène Grimaud, as a private, not-for-profit environmental education organization. The WCC’s mission is to promote wolf conservation by teaching about wolves, their relationship to the environment, and the human role in protecting their future. The WCC accomplishes this mission through onsite and offsite education programs emphasizing wolf biology, the ecological benefits of wolves and other large predators, and the current status of wolf recovery in the United States.

 

Captive red wolf at WCC.  Photo credit: Rebecca Bose.

In 2003, the WCC joined the RWSSP program.  Additionally, the WCC also participates in the SSP for another critically endangered wolf species, the Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi). Since then, WCC has grown both their wolf population and their staff, with 30 wolves and 4 full-time employees (and many talented volunteers!).  They have established 19 acres of protected land as home for their SSP programs, Ambassador wolf populations, and education programs.

Captive red wolf at WCC.  Photo credit: Rebecca Bose.

The WCC is currently home to four red wolves, including two breeding pairs 1394M and 1291F and 1565M and 1397F. Of these animals, 1291F has been a resident WCC the longest amount of time.  She arrived in 2004 from Trevor Zoo (Millbrook, NY). Her mate, M1394 was transferred to WCC from Mill Mountain (Roanoke, Virginia) in 2011. The other pair is a more recently duo, with M1565 arriving from St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge (Florida) in December 2013 (read about his journey here).  F1397 came to WCC from the North Carolina Zoo (Asheboro, NC) in 2009.  From their website, you can observe F1397 and M1565 through the den and exclosure cameras in their exhibit.

Captive red wolf at WCC.  Photo credit: Rebecca Bose.

Wolf Conservation Center has also played a large role in red wolf education efforts, both within the RWSSP network and through public events at the site.  WCC offers multiple programs and opportunities for kids to learn about wolves, use telemetry tracking tools, and meet wolf ambassadors. Registration for four day summer programs for grades 2-3 and grades 4-6 is currently open.

Thank you Wolf Conservation Center!! Special thanks to WCC's Curator, Rebecca Bose, for sharing her amazing photographs of the red wolves at WCC!

Please visit their website or Facebook page for more information!

RWSSP of the month—St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge!

The Red Wolf Species Survival Plan (RWSSP) is the foundation of the Red Wolf Recovery Program. To let people know what’s happening throughout the program through, we are continuing to feature different RWSSP locations.  The RWSSP of the month is St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge (SVNWR) along the Gulf coast of northwest Florida.  The 12,490-acre refuge includes two islands: St. Vincent Island and Pig Island, and a mainland tract.  It is managed together with St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge as part of the North Florida Refuge Complex. 

Red wolf pair on SVNWR (trail camera photo)

As an additional strategy to propagate wild red wolf offspring for release, captive born breeding pairs were also relocated to several island propagation sites.  The wolves were released on the islands to live, hunt, breed, and raise their young in a natural environment.  Their offspring, having been raised “wild,” are relocated to the mainland reintroduction sites when they reach dispersal or reproductive age.  The concept being that wild-raised red wolves would be more likely to survive following release.  SVNWR began participating in the RWSSP in 1990, and is currently the only operational island propagation site for current (and future) wild populations. 

11729F captured by a trail camera.

There is one breeding pair currently on St. Vincent NWR. The breeding female 1729F was born on the island in 2007.  She was originally paired with a young male (1565M) born in the SSP facility in Chattanooga Arboretum and Nature Center (Chattanooga, TN), but did not produce puppies in the three breeding seasons they were together.  Recently, she was assessed by veterinarians and determined reproductively fit.  The male was transferred to Wolf Conservation Center (South Salem , NY) and a new mate, 1804M, arrived in December 2013 (born in 2010) via Lighthawk.  They have been together in an acclimation pen on the island for 2 months and will be released next week!

The animals at SVNWR are critical in the success of the RWSSP component of the red wolf recovery program. In addition to supplementing population numbers, this also augments the wild red wolf gene pool with under-presented genes, increasing genetic diversity and reducing inbreeding and subsequent potential fitness impacts.

Please visit their website or Facebook page for more information!

RWSSP of the month: Knoxville Zoo

The Red Wolf Species Survival Plan (RWSSP) is the foundation of the Red Wolf Recovery Program. To let people know what’s happening throughout the program through, we are continuing to feature different RWSSP locations.  The RWSSP of the month is the Knoxville Zoo  in Knoxville, Tennessee.  Originally called Birthday Park, the zoo opened in 1948. Over the years, it flourished, and is currently home to > 900 animals, including 27 threatened and endangered species in different Species Survival Plans.

The Knoxville Zoo is currently home to four red wolves, including breeding pair 1395M and 1607F, and two male siblings, 1735M and 1736M. 1395M was born in 2005 at the Western North Carolina Nature Center (Asheville, NC) and was at Mill Mountain Zoo (Roanoke, VA) before moving to Knoxville in 2010. Female 1607 was born in 2010 at Henson Robinson Zoo (Springfield, IL) and came to Knoxville in 2011. The male siblings were born at Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago, IL) and were transferred from Wildlife Science Center (Forest Lake, MN) in 2012. 

The museum first began participating in the RWSSP in December 1990, when red wolf 278F arrived from Oglebay's Good Children's Zoo (Wheeling, WV).  One month later, 248F (from Texas Zoo; Victoria, TX) and 297M (from Fossil Rim Wildlife Center; Glen Rose, TX) arrived in Knoxville.   Pups were born in 1991, 1992, and 1993. Over the years, approximately 30 individual red wolves have spent time at the zoo.  In addition to these contributions of successful breeding pairs, Knoxville Zoo also assisted with the wild reintroduction site in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in the 1990s by providing logistical support and veterinary care when needed.

Knoxville Zoo  has also had a large role in red wolf education efforts, both within the RWSSP and public outreach campaigns.  They produced the first RWSSP husbandry video in the early 1990s, and more recently have participated in the Quarters for Conservation program, where a quarter ($0.25) of every admission sold is marked for conservation donation. The zoo committee chose the Red Wolf Recovery Program to be a 2014 recipient of conservation funds again this year.  In the first year we were involved with the program, the zoo raised over $3500 for red wolf conservation efforts!

Thank you Knoxville Zoo !!

Please visit their website or Facebook page for more information!

Want to hear the red wolves howl at the zoo?  Check out this link!