The Wilds
Encyclopedia
The Wilds is a private, non-profit wildlife conservation center located in Muskingum County, Ohio
. It is situated on 9,154 acre
s (37.04 km²) of reclaimed coal mine land and is home to over 25 non-native and hundreds of native species. The Wilds is the largest wildlife conservation center for endangered species
in North America
and is open between the months of May and October. Formally, the Wilds is incorporated as The International Center for the Preservation of Wild Animals, Inc. (ICPWA).
, the Ohio Department of Development, the Ohio zoological parks, and companies in the private sector in 1984. While the Wilds was an organization on paper, however, it was not until 1986 that they received the land they now own as a gift from the Central Ohio Coal Company
. Now that the Wilds had a home, they could hire employees, begin development planning, and find fundraising support.
After a few years of company building, the first visitor center was finally completed in 1989. The Johnson Visitor Center as it is now known was built with the environment in mind, using a state-of-the-art geothermal heating
and cooling system.
In anticipation of receiving their first animals, the first animal management facilities were built in 1990, along with the fencing of the initial open range. These projects allowed for the Wilds to receive their first animals in 1991, including Scimitar-Horned Oryx, Przewalski's Horse
s, and Hartmann's Mountain Zebra
s.
The Wilds opened to the public three years later. For the next few years, they continued to add animals, improve their conservation efforts, and increase the public's awareness of such matters. By 2002, however, the Wilds was facing financial troubles. This spurred the board of trustees to initiate a major reorganization of the Wilds, which included developing a better working relationship with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. This culminated in the completion of the first Strategic Vision Plan in 2005, designed to guide the success and future development of the Wilds for the future.
The strategic centers are focused on animal management, science and research, conservation education & professional training, land stewardship and habitat management, personal experience, institutional partnerships, and resource development & sustainability.
to conservation medicine
.
In order to help the development of conservation medicine, The Wilds has started three projects that they hope will be models for the conservation medicine initiative as a whole. These include assessing water quality and its effects on marine life, comparing animal health parameters in multiple habitats, and evaluating fresh water mussels for diseases, parasites and toxins. Each of these projects is designed assess the condition of various wildlife and their habitats, and to develop methods to reduce or reverse the destruction of each ecosystem
.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. It is situated on 9,154 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (37.04 km²) of reclaimed coal mine land and is home to over 25 non-native and hundreds of native species. The Wilds is the largest wildlife conservation center for endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and is open between the months of May and October. Formally, the Wilds is incorporated as The International Center for the Preservation of Wild Animals, Inc. (ICPWA).
History
The Wilds was originally created as a partnership with the Ohio Department of Natural ResourcesOhio Department of Natural Resources
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources was created in 1949 by the Ohio Legislature. It is a government agency in the U.S. state of Ohio charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, public lands, state forests, state waterways, and recreation areas.Divisions of ODNR...
, the Ohio Department of Development, the Ohio zoological parks, and companies in the private sector in 1984. While the Wilds was an organization on paper, however, it was not until 1986 that they received the land they now own as a gift from the Central Ohio Coal Company
Central Ohio Coal Company
The Central Ohio Coal Company, once a subsidiary of American Electric Power, is now a subsidiary of CONSOL Energy. At one time, they owned and operated the Big Muskie in the Cumberland, Ohio area...
. Now that the Wilds had a home, they could hire employees, begin development planning, and find fundraising support.
After a few years of company building, the first visitor center was finally completed in 1989. The Johnson Visitor Center as it is now known was built with the environment in mind, using a state-of-the-art geothermal heating
Geothermal heating
Geothermal heating is the direct use of geothermal energy for heating applications. Humans have taken advantage of geothermal heat this way since the Paleolithic era. Approximately seventy countries made direct use of a total of 270 PJ of geothermal heating in 2004...
and cooling system.
In anticipation of receiving their first animals, the first animal management facilities were built in 1990, along with the fencing of the initial open range. These projects allowed for the Wilds to receive their first animals in 1991, including Scimitar-Horned Oryx, Przewalski's Horse
Przewalski's Horse
Przewalski's Horse or Dzungarian Horse, is a rare and endangered subspecies of wild horse native to the steppes of central Asia, specifically China and Mongolia.At one time extinct in the wild, it has been reintroduced to its native habitat in Mongolia at the Khustain Nuruu...
s, and Hartmann's Mountain Zebra
Mountain Zebra
The Mountain Zebra, Equus zebra, is a threatened species of equid native to south-western Angola, Namibia and South Africa. It has two subspecies, the Cape Mountain Zebra and Hartmann's Mountain Zebra , though it has been suggested these should be considered separate species.-Taxonomy:In 2004,...
s.
The Wilds opened to the public three years later. For the next few years, they continued to add animals, improve their conservation efforts, and increase the public's awareness of such matters. By 2002, however, the Wilds was facing financial troubles. This spurred the board of trustees to initiate a major reorganization of the Wilds, which included developing a better working relationship with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. This culminated in the completion of the first Strategic Vision Plan in 2005, designed to guide the success and future development of the Wilds for the future.
Strategic plan
In 2005 the Wilds initiated its long-term strategic plan, which is broken into "strategic centers" to facilitate progress in each field. These "centers" are based on the Wilds' core values, which include a commitment and respect for nature, social and scientific relevance, and innovative, entrepreneurial and creative approaches to the problem at hand.The strategic centers are focused on animal management, science and research, conservation education & professional training, land stewardship and habitat management, personal experience, institutional partnerships, and resource development & sustainability.
Conservation
The Wilds is involved in many different conservation methods in an attempt to help reduce the decline of wildlife habitats. These methods range from professional training to animal husbandryAnimal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.- History :Animal husbandry has been practiced for thousands of years, since the first domestication of animals....
to conservation medicine
Conservation medicine
Conservation medicine is an emerging, interdisciplinary field that studies the relationship between human and animal health, and environmental conditions. Also known as ecological medicine, environmental medicine, or medical geology....
.
In order to help the development of conservation medicine, The Wilds has started three projects that they hope will be models for the conservation medicine initiative as a whole. These include assessing water quality and its effects on marine life, comparing animal health parameters in multiple habitats, and evaluating fresh water mussels for diseases, parasites and toxins. Each of these projects is designed assess the condition of various wildlife and their habitats, and to develop methods to reduce or reverse the destruction of each ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
.
Animals
- African Wild DogAfrican Wild DogLycaon pictus is a large canid found only in Africa, especially in savannas and lightly wooded areas. It is variously called the African wild dog, African hunting dog, Cape hunting dog, painted dog, painted wolf, painted hunting dog, spotted dog, or ornate wolf...
- American BisonAmerican BisonThe American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
- American Burying Beetle
- Bactrian CamelBactrian camelThe Bactrian camel is a large, even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of central Asia. It is presently restricted in the wild to remote regions of the Gobi and Taklamakan Deserts of Mongolia and Xinjiang. A small number of wild Bactrian camels still roam the Mangystau Province of southwest...
- Bactrian DeerBactrian deerThe Bactrian deer , also called the Bukhara deer, Bokhara deer or Bactrian wapiti, is a lowland subspecies of Red Deer that is native to central Asia. It is similar in ecology to the Yarkand deer in occupying riparian corridors surrounded by deserts...
- BantengBantengThe banteng , also known as tembadau, is a species of wild cattle found in Southeast Asia.Banteng have been domesticated in several places in Southeast Asia, and there are around 1.5 million domestic banteng, which are called Bali cattle. These animals are used as working animals and for their meat...
- Brow-antlered Deer (Burmese Brow-antlered Deer)
- CheetahCheetahThe cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
- Chinese GoralChinese GoralThe Chinese Goral is a species of goral distributed through Burma, China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, and possibly Laos.- References :* on Mammal Species of the World...
- Common ElandCommon ElandThe common eland , also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern Africa. It is the largest antelope in the African continent...
- DholeDholeThe dhole is a species of canid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the only extant member of the genus Cuon, which differs from Canis by the reduced number of molars and greater number of teats...
- East African OryxEast African OryxThe East African Oryx , also known as the Beisa occurs in two subspecies, Common Beisa Oryx found in steppe and semi-desert throughout the Horn of Africa and north of the Tana River, and Fringe-eared Oryx south of the Tana River in southern Kenya and parts of Tanzania...
(Fringe-eared Oryx) - Grevy's ZebraGrevy's ZebraThe Grévy's zebra , also known as the Imperial zebra, is the largest extant wild equid and one of three species of zebra, the other two being the plains zebra and the mountain zebra. Named after Jules Grévy, it is the sole extant member of the subgenus Dolichohippus. The Grévy's zebra is found in...
- Indian RhinocerosIndian RhinocerosThe Indian Rhinoceros is also called Greater One-horned Rhinoceros and Asian One-horned Rhinoceros and belongs to the Rhinocerotidae family...
- Masai GiraffeMasai GiraffeThe Masai Giraffe or Maasai Giraffe, also known as the Kilimanjaro Giraffe is the largest subspecies of giraffe and the tallest land mammal. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania.-Description:...
- OnagerOnagerThe Onager is a large member of the genus Equus of the family Equidae native to the deserts of Syria, Iran, Pakistan, India, Israel and Tibet...
(Persian Onager) - Pere David's DeerPère David's DeerPère David's Deer, Elaphurus davidianus, also known as the Milu , is a species of deer known only in captivity. It prefers marshland, and is believed to be native to the subtropics of China. It grazes on a mixture of grass and water plants. It is the only extant member of the genus Elaphurus...
- Przewalski's HorsePrzewalski's HorsePrzewalski's Horse or Dzungarian Horse, is a rare and endangered subspecies of wild horse native to the steppes of central Asia, specifically China and Mongolia.At one time extinct in the wild, it has been reintroduced to its native habitat in Mongolia at the Khustain Nuruu...
- Red-crowned CraneRed-crowned CraneThe Red-crowned Crane , also called the Japanese Crane or Manchurian Crane , is a large east Asian crane and among the rarest cranes in the world...
- Reticulated Giraffe
- Rothschild GiraffeRothschild giraffeThe Rothschild Giraffe is among the most endangered giraffe subspecies with only a few hundred members in the wild. It is named after the famous family of the Tring Museum's founder, Lord Walter Rothschild, and is also known as the Baringo Giraffe, after the Lake Baringo area of Kenya, or as the...
- Sable AntelopeSable AntelopeThe Sable Antelope is an antelope which inhabits wooded savannah in East Africa south of Kenya, and in Southern Africa.-Subspecies:There are four subspecies:* H. n. niger which is considered low risk conservation dependent...
- Scimitar-horned Oryx
- Sichuan TakinSichuan TakinThe Sichuan Takin or Tibetan Takin is a subspecies of takin . Listed as a vulnerable species, the Sichuan Takin is native to Tibet and the provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Xinjiang in the People's Republic of China...
- Southern White Rhinoceros
- Trumpeter SwanTrumpeter SwanThe Trumpeter Swan, Cygnus buccinator, is the largest native North American bird, if measured in terms of weight and length, and is the largest living waterfowl species on earth. It is the North American counterpart of the European Whooper Swan.-Description:Males typically measure from and weigh...
- Vietnamese Sika DeerVietnamese Sika DeerThe Vietnamese Sika Deer is one of the many subspecies of the Sika Deer. It is one of the smaller subspecies, due to the tropical environment they live in. They were previously found in northern Vietnam and possibly southwestern China, but have now become extinct in the wild. There are plans for...
Gallery
External links
- the Wilds (official website)
- Noble County Tourism