Saving Wildlife

The Queens Zoo is part of an effort to save wildlife that began 120 years ago with the creation of the New York Zoological Society, an organization founded on science and hope which has since grown to become the Wildlife Conservation Society.

If you have visited us, or are a fan of Animal Planet’s The Zoo, you might be familiar with some of the ways in which our parks have helped to protect species in the wild. Working with federal and state agencies, universities, and other NGOs, Queens Zoo conservationists have bred and introduced endangered New England cottontail rabbits for release in suitable habitat areas in several New England states. Loss of dense thicket habitat preferred by New England cottontails has resulted in a dramatic 85% decline in the range of these vulnerable rabbits since 1960. Through captive breeding by the Queens Zoo and Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, RI, followed by release into the wild, we’re working to bolster the populations of these iconic American animals, and help them to establish new colonies in safe habitat. The Queens Zoo has also played a crucial role in the reintroduction of Puerto Rican crested toads, thanks to a head-starting program that has bred and released more than 4,000 tadpoles over the past five years.

But WCS’s story stretches far beyond the boundaries our New York parks.

Our conservationists work in forests, deserts, mountains, plains, and oceans across the globe. We have boots on the ground in some of the planet’s most threatened habitats, focused on species facing the greatest dangers, including great apes, big cats, elephants, sharks and rays, marine mammals, turtles, and many others.

OUR TEAM, MORE THAN 4,000 STRONG, WORKS EVERY DAY IN NEARLY 60 COUNTRIES AND ALL THE WORLD’S OCEANS TO SAVE WILDLIFE AND WILD PLACES.

When you visit the Queens Zoo, we hope that you will be amazed by the wildlife you encounter, and inspired to help protect our earth for future generations of humans and wildlife.

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