NFP 31 1113570
The International Center for the Preservation of Wild Animals, Inc. or dba The Wilds
We are deeply appreciative of Puffin Foundation West’s commitment to positively
impact the care and feeding of rare and endangered animals at The Wilds. Their generous $125,000 grant
funding was put to immediate use for medical procedures and food supply. We are honored and grateful
Puffin Foundation West is a crucial and inspiring wildlife advocate.
History:
Since 1994, The Wilds has existed with one key goal: to advance conservation through science, education,
and personal experience. Once a coal-mined territory in southeast Ohio, The Wilds now welcomes
adventure-seekers of all ages to the nearly 10,000 acre property of lush landscapes surrounding beautiful
native and non-native species of wildlife. Home to rhinos, giraffes, cheetahs, the fascinating Sichuan Takin
and many more rare and endangered animals, The Wilds exists to inspire wildlife enthusiasts to take
action and help conserve the world’s most imperiled species.
Project Name:
The care and feeding of animals at The Wilds
Project Location:
14000 International Road, Cumberland, Ohio 43732
Funding Dates:
The grant funding was received in May and put to immediate use
Actual number of virtual or in person participants:
XXX # of animals
69 # of births
17 # of animal care team members including two veterinarians and two vet techs
85,766 # of excursions (tours, experiences)
Changes to Original Grant Intent:
No changes.
How did it go? Did you accomplish your goals?
The Wilds has experienced a rewarding and productive
year. Goals and accomplishments related to animal
care and feeding include:
o Notable births: 2 Grevy’s Zebra (first birth since
2017), 2 Masai Giraffe, 1 Persian Onager (first birth
since 2017), 2 Southern White Rhino (31 calves
born at The Wilds since 2004); 2 Greater One-
horned Rhino (11 calves born at The Wilds); 1 Bald
Eagle
1-Introduced a new breeding group of Przewalski’s HorsesThe Puffin Foundation West
Fall 2023 Update
2- Sent one cheetah to Yokohama, Japan as a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and
Aquariums Species Survival Program to go into the Japanese breeding program
3- Completed two USDA inspections with no issues
4-Hosted a Conservation Science Symposium at Muskingum University in March with over 80 attendees
and 12 presenters
5- Formed the American Institute of Rhinoceros Science (AIRS) with the Center for Conservation and
Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and other partner
research facilities as part of its continued commitment
to protecting these species. This program includes over
200 rhinos at over 70 zoos, 1500 fecal samples
collected; Over 75 rhinos have worn the tracking
anklets; Over 60 horns have been sampled; One
scientific publication published with others on the way
6- Medical Stats: 3,252 clinical notes entered into animal
care database; 1935 prescriptions filled; 2,002 samples
were processed; 185 anesthesia events; 50 gross
necropsies performed
o Veterinary Education: Training provided to 16
veterinary students from six universities including one
from Mexico; 12 weeks of training to first Summer
Research Student; 17 VetED participants; hosted 32 OSU vet students for Darting Lab; hosted 165
first-year Ohio State University students for One Welfare Workshop
o American Burying Beetles: Winter 2022/23 breeding efforts produced 287 beetles for release; total of
689 beetles released on grounds; 229 released pairs produced 564 larvae in the wild; collected 60
beetles from Nebraska for broodstock (30 coming to The Wilds); produced 322 offspring
7-Hellbenders: released 46 hellbenders across 3 sites in West Virginia (first release since 2019)
o Bison: Memorandum of Understanding signed with Wildlife Restoration Foundation; bison added as
one of main conservation pillars for Family of Parks
8- Notable Medical Events: successfully collected blood from several giraffe for the first time using
operant conditioning; hand raised first Gohr baby
o The Wilds earned the distinction of American Humane CertifiedTM for the excellent treatment of
animals and commitment to conservation.
Unexpected Challenges:
An unexpected challenge included the requirement by the USDA for the construction and installation of a
new giraffe shade structure to be placed in our savanna. It took four months for design and contractor
confirmation and it cost more than $260,000. During
construction our giraffe could only be viewed in their private
barn and yard which are not accessible for the majority of
our tours. The building is 26-feet tall inside and 32-feet to the
peak of the roof. This is the first building of this size and
design in the country.The Puffin Foundation West
Impact Story:
One great example of the care and feeding of our
rare and endangered animals is the story of a female
greater one-horned rhino who was born on
September 22, 2023. She took immediately to the
bottle and already weighs more than 200 pounds.
The hand-rearing of a rhino calf is a first for The
Wilds’ Animal Management team, who acted quickly
when they noticed Anna, a first-time mother born at
the Bronx Zoo in 2013, was unable to care for her
newborn and both required medical interventions.
Anna came to The Wilds in 2021.
“I applaud the successful efforts of our Animal Management team who made the difficult, but correct,
decision to hand-rear this calf for her own wellbeing and for the wellbeing of her mother,” said Dr. Joe
Smith, Vice President of The Wilds. “A 200-pound bottle-fed calf is an impressive success story and a
noteworthy benchmark in our unprecedented breeding program for species that face so many threats in
their native rangelands.”
Dan Beetem, The Wilds Director of Animal Management, said
that as the calf grows stronger, the team is working on a plan
to integrate her with the herd so that despite the special
attention she is receiving from her human caregivers, she will
have the opportunity to live and develop as a rhino. Calves
usually weigh more than 100 pounds at birth and gain a few
pounds every day. An adult greater one-horned rhino can
reach 4,000 to 6,000 pounds.
“The good news is, we have several young female rhinos with
whom she can interact and learn how to be a rhino,” Beetem
said. She will continue to be bottle fed for several months. Mother-raised rhinos will typically nurse for
almost a year and a half. We expect that she will be ready to start
working on reintroduction to the herd once those animals are
back in the barns for the winter.”
The calf is the 10th greater one-horned rhino born at The Wilds.
Her father is 22-year-old Suru, who was born at the San Diego
Zoo Safari Park in 2000. He came to The Wilds from Miami Zoo in
2021 per a breeding recommendation through the Species
Survival Plan® (SS P), a program coordinated by the Association
of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to maximize the genetic diversity
and increase the population sustainability of threatened and
endangered species in professional care. This is his fourth calf.
Each greater one-horned rhino birth is a significant achievement for a species that nearly went extinct
during the 20th century. The Wilds is home to six greater one-horned rhinos and is one of only 19 AZA-
accredited facilities in North America to care for this species.
We’ve got a big reason to celebrate! You’ve generously donated and personally enriched the lives of our curious. looking Sichuan takin, beautiful big-eared African painted dog puppies, and even our shaggy bearded Bactrian camels – as well as advanced conservation in Central Ohio and beyond. No matter how different our animals look; they all benefit from your care. Thank you for your gift totaling $125,000.00 to The Wilds! You are making the world a better place and demonstrating your commitment to animals and people who love animals.
In fact, you’re giving more than 600 animals the healthiest meals each day, and ensuring access to cutting-edge conservation medical care for all of our new babies and their mothers.
Through this passionate donation, you’ve advanced us closer to the overall goals of world-class animal care, which, in turn, allows us to provide unparalleled personal experiences for guests, and species conservation. Thanks again for finding it in yourself to be an advocate for animals.
Your positive impact stretches from the expansive prairies of The Wilds to animals all around the globe.
