Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Encyclopedia
The Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (PDZA) is a combined zoo
and aquarium
located in Tacoma, Washington
, US, owned by Metro Parks Tacoma
. Situated on 29 acres (11.7 ha) in Tacoma's Point Defiance Park
, the zoo and aquarium are home to over 9,000 specimen
s representing 367 animal species
. The zoo was founded in 1905; the aquarium was founded in 1935 near Commencement Bay
and relocated within the zoo in 1963. Both are accredited
by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
.
By the late 1940s, several Zoo buildings were in disrepair and had to be rebuilt. The 36-year-old animal house was demolished and a new one with sandstone walls and 3/4-inch-thick viewing windows was built in its place. It housed some big cats and white-cheeked gibbons.
In the 1960s, the Point Defiance Park Aquarium had been incorporated into the Zoo. A new aquarium, now known as the North Pacific Aquarium, was built on Zoo grounds in 1963. By the end of the decade, a breeding program was begun for red wolves
, which had been declared an endangered species in 1967.
Turn-of-the-century cages were deteriorating again in the early 1970s. After a $7 million bond measure was passed in 1977, the Zoo opened the Arctic Tundra complex in 1981 and the Rocky Shores area in 1982. With a smaller bond passed in 1986, the South Pacific Aquarium was built and then opened in 1989.
The Zoo experienced financial trouble in the 1990s, culminating in the probation of its AZA
accreditation in 1999. Another bond, passed in that year, and a local sales tax increase shored up funds for improvements. With over $35 million at its disposal, the Zoo built a new animal hospital, an outdoor animal theater, Asian Forest Sanctuary, much of the Kids' Zone children's zoo, and a renovated entrance.
In 2008, an addition to Kids' Zone, Animal Avenue, was opened. The red wolf
exhibit was renovated and re-opened in 2010, and a clouded leopard
exhibit called Cats of the Canopy opened on August 27, 2011.
, the tundra, and aquatic environments.
Asian Forest Sanctuary
This 5 acre (2.0 ha) exhibit complex which opened on July 1, 2004 simulates the forests of southeast Asia with a waterfall, streams, and plants native to the region such as bamboo. The complex is designed so that species are rotated to different parts of the exhibit after several days. Asian Forest Sanctuary includes Sumatran tiger
s, white-cheeked gibbons, siamang
s, lowland anoa
s, Malayan tapir
s, Indian Crested Porcupines, Asian small-clawed otter
s, and Asian elephant
s.
An expansion called Cats of the Canopy opened on August 27, 2011 and focuses on the clouded leopard
. Viewing is provided by a wide glass window along a gravelly stream bed and into a heated den. The twenty-foot high enclosure also allows the cats to climb through the trees.
Rocky Shores
Completed in 1982, this exhibit is based on the shoreline of Cape Flattery, Washington
and serves as home to harbor seal
s, Pacific walruses, sea otter
s, and tufted puffin
s in four separate pools. In the middle of the exhibit area is a building for underwater viewing.
Arctic Tundra
1981 saw the opening of this exhibit area, which forms a semicircle at one end of the zoo. Muskoxen and reindeer
are housed in separate meadows on the outside of the pathway's arc, while polar bears
and Arctic foxes
live on the inside of the arc. The polar bears have an eleven-foot-deep pool with above- and underwater viewing.
The Aquariums
The North Pacific Aquarium and South Pacific Aquarium each house species from different parts of the Pacific ocean. The North Pacific Aquarium, opened in 1963, displays species from the nearby Puget Sound such as rockfish, pipefish, and the Giant Pacific Octopus. The 1989-era South Pacific Aquarium simulates tropical Pacific environments, with two coral reef tanks and a lagoon exhibit. The lagoon has small fish and eels, while the 250,000-gallon (950,000-l) Outer Reef tank has nurse sharks
, blacktip reef sharks, and four other shark species.
Red Wolf Woods
The habitat was rebuilt in 2009 and opened again in the summer of 2010. The exhibit consists of two separate meadows with a rocky creek, hollow log, and other landscaping. The conservation center is designed to look like an abandoned farm building.
Kids' Zone
A number of animals are present including African pygmy goats
, black-breasted leaf turtle
s, giant African millipedes, gopher snakes, green-crested basilisks
, guinea pig
s, sheep, Nigerian dwarf goats, Northern Pygmy Owl
s, ocellated rays
, Parma wallabies
, poison dart frogs, rabbit
s, rats
, and tiger rat snakes
. There are also play structures and a petting zoo
.
Animal Avenue, a children's zoo expansion, includes meerkats, ring-tailed lemur
s, black lemur
s, Damaraland mole rat
s, Antilles pink-toed tree spider
s, emerald tree boa
s, green tree python
s, western Bell's hinge-back tortoises, pancake tortoise
s, horned frog
s, White's tree frog
s, hourglass tree frogs, long-legged desert ants, emperor scorpion
s, Madagascar hissing cockroach
s, African Cichlids
and Budgie
s.
Other exhibits
Unincorporated exhibits include an artificial tide pool and a penguin habitat.
, San Antonio, on 5 June 2009. Beethoven's former companion and half brother died three years earlier on 7 September 2006 of chronic liver failure, which resulted in Qannik being brought to the zoo in June 2007, soon after Beethoven had recovered from a severe infection.
A previous couple of belugas, Millie and Christy, died almost in unison in 2000. Mauyak was sent to Shedd Aquarium
in 1997 for breeding, where she gave birth not only to Qannik but also to Miki, who is now 2 years old.
No new belugas have been brought to the zoo since Beethoven's departure, and none are scheduled to arrive any time in the foreseeable future, and Rocky Shores now houses harbor seals where belugas used to swim.
. By 1987 the number of red wolves in captivity was large enough to release some of them back into the wild. Reintroduced wolves continue to survive and breed in the wild, and by 2002 the world population was 175 in captivity and about 100 in the wild. One of the biggest threats to the wild population is coyote-wolf hybridization.
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
and aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
located in Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, US, owned by Metro Parks Tacoma
Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma
Metro Parks Tacoma is a municipal corporation that oversees parks and recreation services in and around the city of Tacoma, Washington, United States.-History:...
. Situated on 29 acres (11.7 ha) in Tacoma's Point Defiance Park
Point Defiance Park
Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, Washington is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. The park includes Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the Rose Garden, Rhododendron Garden, the Camp 6 Logging Museum, beaches, trails, a boardwalk, a boathouse, a Washington State Ferries ferry dock for...
, the zoo and aquarium are home to over 9,000 specimen
Specimen
A specimen is a portion/quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study.BiologyA laboratory specimen is an individual animal, part of an animal, a plant, part of a plant, or a microorganism, used as a representative to study the properties of the whole population of that species or...
s representing 367 animal species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. The zoo was founded in 1905; the aquarium was founded in 1935 near Commencement Bay
Commencement Bay
Commencement Bay is a bay of Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington. The city of Tacoma is located on the bay, with the Port of Tacoma occupying the southeastern end. A line drawn from Point Defiance in the southwest to Browns Point in the northeast serves to mark the generally accepted...
and relocated within the zoo in 1963. Both are accredited
Accreditation
Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies ; hence they are sometimes known as "accredited...
by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.The AZA headquarters is located in Silver...
.
History
The Zoo was founded in 1905, and moved closer to its current location in 1914. The Point Defiance Park Aquarium opened on the waterfront in 1936 as an entity separate from the zoo.By the late 1940s, several Zoo buildings were in disrepair and had to be rebuilt. The 36-year-old animal house was demolished and a new one with sandstone walls and 3/4-inch-thick viewing windows was built in its place. It housed some big cats and white-cheeked gibbons.
In the 1960s, the Point Defiance Park Aquarium had been incorporated into the Zoo. A new aquarium, now known as the North Pacific Aquarium, was built on Zoo grounds in 1963. By the end of the decade, a breeding program was begun for red wolves
Red Wolf
The red wolf is a North American canid which once roamed throughout the Southeastern United States and is a glacial period survivor of the Late Pleistocene epoch...
, which had been declared an endangered species in 1967.
Turn-of-the-century cages were deteriorating again in the early 1970s. After a $7 million bond measure was passed in 1977, the Zoo opened the Arctic Tundra complex in 1981 and the Rocky Shores area in 1982. With a smaller bond passed in 1986, the South Pacific Aquarium was built and then opened in 1989.
The Zoo experienced financial trouble in the 1990s, culminating in the probation of its AZA
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.The AZA headquarters is located in Silver...
accreditation in 1999. Another bond, passed in that year, and a local sales tax increase shored up funds for improvements. With over $35 million at its disposal, the Zoo built a new animal hospital, an outdoor animal theater, Asian Forest Sanctuary, much of the Kids' Zone children's zoo, and a renovated entrance.
In 2008, an addition to Kids' Zone, Animal Avenue, was opened. The red wolf
Red Wolf
The red wolf is a North American canid which once roamed throughout the Southeastern United States and is a glacial period survivor of the Late Pleistocene epoch...
exhibit was renovated and re-opened in 2010, and a clouded leopard
Clouded Leopard
The clouded leopard is a felid found from the Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia into China, and has been classified as vulnerable in 2008 by IUCN...
exhibit called Cats of the Canopy opened on August 27, 2011.
Exhibits
The exhibits reflect the zoo's theme of ecosystems from the Pacific rim: Southeast Asia, the Pacific NorthwestPacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
, the tundra, and aquatic environments.
Asian Forest Sanctuary
This 5 acre (2.0 ha) exhibit complex which opened on July 1, 2004 simulates the forests of southeast Asia with a waterfall, streams, and plants native to the region such as bamboo. The complex is designed so that species are rotated to different parts of the exhibit after several days. Asian Forest Sanctuary includes Sumatran tiger
Sumatran Tiger
The Sumatran tiger is a tiger subspecies that inhabits the Indonesian island of Sumatra and has been classified as critically endangered by IUCN in 2008 as the population is projected at 176 to 271 mature individuals, with no subpopulation having an effective population size larger than 50...
s, white-cheeked gibbons, siamang
Siamang
The siamang is a tailless, arboreal, black-furred gibbon native to the forests of Malaysia, Thailand, and Sumatra. The largest of the lesser apes, the siamang can be twice the size of other gibbons, reaching 1 m in height, and weighing up to 14 kg...
s, lowland anoa
Anoa
Anoa, also known as Dwarf Buffalo and Sapiutan, are a subgenus of Bubalus comprising two species native to Indonesia: the Mountain Anoa and the Lowland Anoa . Both live in undisturbed rainforest, and are essentially miniature water buffalo...
s, Malayan tapir
Malayan Tapir
The Malayan Tapir , also called the Asian Tapir, is the largest of the four species of tapir and the only one native to Asia. The scientific name refers to the East Indies, the species' natural habitat...
s, Indian Crested Porcupines, Asian small-clawed otter
Oriental Small-clawed Otter
The oriental small-clawed otter , also known as Asian small-clawed otter, is the smallest otter species in the world, weighing less than 5 kg. It lives in mangrove swamps and freshwater wetlands of Bangladesh, Burma, India, southern China, Taiwan, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines,...
s, and Asian elephant
Asian Elephant
The Asian or Asiatic elephant is the only living species of the genus Elephas and distributed in Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east. Three subspecies are recognized — Elephas maximus maximus from Sri Lanka, the Indian elephant or E. m. indicus from mainland Asia, and E. m....
s.
An expansion called Cats of the Canopy opened on August 27, 2011 and focuses on the clouded leopard
Clouded Leopard
The clouded leopard is a felid found from the Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia into China, and has been classified as vulnerable in 2008 by IUCN...
. Viewing is provided by a wide glass window along a gravelly stream bed and into a heated den. The twenty-foot high enclosure also allows the cats to climb through the trees.
Rocky Shores
Completed in 1982, this exhibit is based on the shoreline of Cape Flattery, Washington
Cape Flattery, Washington
Cape Flattery is the northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States. It is in Clallam County, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula, where the Strait of Juan de Fuca joins the Pacific Ocean. It is also part of the Makah Reservation, and is the northern boundary of the Olympic Coast National...
and serves as home to harbor seal
Harbor Seal
The harbor seal , also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere...
s, Pacific walruses, sea otter
Sea Otter
The sea otter is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between 14 and 45 kg , making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the smallest marine mammals...
s, and tufted puffin
Tufted Puffin
The Tufted Puffin also known as Crested Puffin, is a relatively abundant medium-sized pelagic seabird in the auk family found throughout the North Pacific Ocean....
s in four separate pools. In the middle of the exhibit area is a building for underwater viewing.
Arctic Tundra
1981 saw the opening of this exhibit area, which forms a semicircle at one end of the zoo. Muskoxen and reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
are housed in separate meadows on the outside of the pathway's arc, while polar bears
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
and Arctic foxes
Arctic fox
The arctic fox , also known as the white fox, polar fox or snow fox, is a small fox native to Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and is common throughout the Arctic tundra biome. The Greek word alopex, means a fox and Vulpes is the Latin version...
live on the inside of the arc. The polar bears have an eleven-foot-deep pool with above- and underwater viewing.
The Aquariums
The North Pacific Aquarium and South Pacific Aquarium each house species from different parts of the Pacific ocean. The North Pacific Aquarium, opened in 1963, displays species from the nearby Puget Sound such as rockfish, pipefish, and the Giant Pacific Octopus. The 1989-era South Pacific Aquarium simulates tropical Pacific environments, with two coral reef tanks and a lagoon exhibit. The lagoon has small fish and eels, while the 250,000-gallon (950,000-l) Outer Reef tank has nurse sharks
Nurse sharks
Ginglymostomatidae is a cosmopolitan family of carpet sharks, containing the three monotypic genera of nurse sharks. Common in shallow, tropical and subtropical waters, these sharks are sluggish and docile bottom-dwellers...
, blacktip reef sharks, and four other shark species.
Red Wolf Woods
The habitat was rebuilt in 2009 and opened again in the summer of 2010. The exhibit consists of two separate meadows with a rocky creek, hollow log, and other landscaping. The conservation center is designed to look like an abandoned farm building.
Kids' Zone
A number of animals are present including African pygmy goats
Pygmy goat
A pygmy goat is a small breed of domestic goat. Although they produce a very large amount of milk for their size, and can be eaten, pygmy goats are not typically used for milk or meat, unlike larger dairy and meat goat breeds. Pygmy goats tend to be more robust and breed more continually throughout...
, black-breasted leaf turtle
Black-breasted Hill Turtle
The Black-breasted leaf turtle, Vietnamese leaf turtle or Black-breasted hill turtle is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae . It is found in China and Vietnam....
s, giant African millipedes, gopher snakes, green-crested basilisks
Plumed basilisk
The plumed basilisk, Basiliscus plumifrons, also called a green basilisk, double crested basilisk, or Jesus Christ lizard, is a species of corytophanid to Latin America.-Taxonomy and etymology:...
, guinea pig
Guinea pig
The guinea pig , also called the cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not in the pig family, nor are they from Guinea...
s, sheep, Nigerian dwarf goats, Northern Pygmy Owl
Northern Pygmy Owl
The Northern Pygmy Owl , is a small owl native to North and Central America.-Taxonomy:Some experts consider this bird a superspecies with the Mountain Pygmy Owl. The American Ornithologists' Union, the authority for the North American region, does not recognize this split, so the populations are...
s, ocellated rays
Ocellate river stingray
The ocellate river stingray , also known as the peacock-eye stingray, is a potamodromous freshwater ray native to the basins of the Uruguay, Paraná, Orinoco, and Amazon Rivers....
, Parma wallabies
Parma Wallaby
The Parma Wallaby was first described by British naturalist John Gould in about 1840. A shy, cryptic creature of the wet sclerophyll forests of southern New South Wales, it was never common and, even before the end of the 19th century, it was believed to be extinct...
, poison dart frogs, rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
s, rats
RATS
RATS may refer to:* RATS , Regression Analysis of Time Series, a statistical package* Rough Auditing Tool for Security, a computer program...
, and tiger rat snakes
Spilotes pullatus
Spilotes pullatus, also known as the Tigre, is a large snake found in southern Central America, northern South America and Trinidad and Tobago. It is a non-venomous colubrid that tends to inhabit forested areas. It is arboreal in habit and feeds on a wide variety of prey, including small mammals,...
. There are also play structures and a petting zoo
Petting zoo
A petting zoo features a combination of domestic animals and some wild species that are docile enough to touch and feed. In addition to independent petting zoos, also called children's farms or petting farms, many general zoos contain a petting zoo...
.
Animal Avenue, a children's zoo expansion, includes meerkats, ring-tailed lemur
Ring-tailed Lemur
The ring-tailed lemur is a large strepsirrhine primate and the most recognized lemur due to its long, black and white ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families. It is the only member of the Lemur genus. Like all lemurs it is endemic to the island of Madagascar...
s, black lemur
Black Lemur
The Black Lemur is a species of lemur from the family Lemuridae. Like all lemurs, it is endemic to Madagascar. Originally, the species was thought to have two subspecies, Eulemur macaco macaco and Eulemur macaco flavifrons, both of which were elevated to species status by Mittermeier et al. in...
s, Damaraland mole rat
Damaraland Mole Rat
The Damaraland Mole Rat, or Damaraland blesmol is a burrowing rodent found in sub-Saharan Africa. Along with the smaller, less hairy Naked Mole Rat, it is one of only two known eusocial mammals....
s, Antilles pink-toed tree spider
Antilles pinktoe
The Antilles pinktoe tarantula , also known as the Martinique Red Tree Spider or the Martinique Pinktoe, is native to Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Caribbean Sea, but is a popular spider pet due to its docile character and unique coloration.Antilles pinktoe tarantulas are arboreal...
s, emerald tree boa
Emerald tree boa
Corallus caninus is a non-venomous boa species found in the rainforests of South America. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description: Adults grow to about 6 feet in length...
s, green tree python
Green Tree Python
Morelia viridis, the green tree python, is a species of python found in New Guinea, islands in Indonesia, and Cape York Peninsula in Australia.-Description:Adults average in length, with a maximum length of about 7 feet...
s, western Bell's hinge-back tortoises, pancake tortoise
Pancake tortoise
The pancake tortoise is a flat-shelled tortoise native to Tanzania and Kenya. Its name is derived from the flat shape of its shell. It is the only member of the genus Malacochersus.-Description:...
s, horned frog
Horned frog
Horned frog can refer to certain Anuras:* Asian horned frogs, genus Megophrys of the mesobatrachian Megophryidae* South American horned frogs, genus Ceratophrys of the neobatrachian LeptodactylidaeIt can also refer to:...
s, White's tree frog
White's Tree Frog
The Australian Green Tree Frog, simply Green Tree Frog in Australia, White's Tree Frog, or Dumpy Tree Frog is a species of tree frog native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand and the United States. The species belongs to the genus Litoria...
s, hourglass tree frogs, long-legged desert ants, emperor scorpion
Emperor scorpion
The emperor scorpion, Pandinus imperator, is a species of scorpion native to Africa. It is one of the largest scorpions in the world and lives for 5–8 years. Its body is black, but glows under ultraviolet light...
s, Madagascar hissing cockroach
Madagascar hissing cockroach
The Madagascar hissing Cockroach , also known as the Hissing Cockroach or simply Hisser, is one of the largest species of cockroach, reaching 2–4 inches at maturity. They are from the island of Madagascar off the African coast, where they can be found in rotting logs.Unlike most cockroaches, they...
s, African Cichlids
Cichlid
Cichlids are fishes from the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. Cichlids are members of a group known as the Labroidei along with the wrasses , damselfish , and surfperches . This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,300 species have been scientifically described, making it one of...
and Budgie
Budgerigar
The Budgerigar , also known as Common Pet Parakeet or Shell Parakeet informally nicknamed the budgie, is a small, long-tailed, seed-eating parrot, and the only species in the Australian genus Melopsittacus...
s.
Other exhibits
Unincorporated exhibits include an artificial tide pool and a penguin habitat.
Beluga whales
The zoo used to house belugas. In March 2009 one of the two belugas, Qannik, died of a blood infection. Beethoven, Qannik's companion, was sent to SeaWorldSeaWorld
SeaWorld is a United States chain of marine mammal parks, oceanariums, and animal theme parks owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. The parks feature captive orca, sea lion, and dolphin shows and zoological displays featuring various other marine animals. There are operations in Orlando,...
, San Antonio, on 5 June 2009. Beethoven's former companion and half brother died three years earlier on 7 September 2006 of chronic liver failure, which resulted in Qannik being brought to the zoo in June 2007, soon after Beethoven had recovered from a severe infection.
A previous couple of belugas, Millie and Christy, died almost in unison in 2000. Mauyak was sent to Shedd Aquarium
Shedd Aquarium
The John G. Shedd Aquarium is an indoor public aquarium in Chicago, Illinois in the United States that opened on May 30, 1930. The aquarium contains over 25,000 fish, and was for some time the largest indoor aquarium in the world with of water. The Shedd Aquarium was the first inland aquarium with...
in 1997 for breeding, where she gave birth not only to Qannik but also to Miki, who is now 2 years old.
No new belugas have been brought to the zoo since Beethoven's departure, and none are scheduled to arrive any time in the foreseeable future, and Rocky Shores now houses harbor seals where belugas used to swim.
Conservation
One focus of the zoo's conservation work is the red wolf. Beginning in 1969, the zoo collected wild red wolves and successfully bred them for the first time in 1977. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had removed the last fourteen wolves from the wild by 1980, and in 1984 the zoo received approval from the AZA to start a Species Survival PlanSpecies Survival Plan
The American Species Survival Plan or SSP program was developed in 1981 by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help ensure the survival of selected species in zoos and aquariums, most of which are threatened or endangered in the wild....
. By 1987 the number of red wolves in captivity was large enough to release some of them back into the wild. Reintroduced wolves continue to survive and breed in the wild, and by 2002 the world population was 175 in captivity and about 100 in the wild. One of the biggest threats to the wild population is coyote-wolf hybridization.