Science

Rhinos at The Wilds Contributing to Science

The American Institute of Rhinoceros Science (AIRS) collaborative initiative strives to save rhinos through science by researching their physical condition, dietary needs, reproduction, and behavioral and environmental factors – all in an effort to maximize the wellbeing of the rhinos in human care. More than 50 zoological facilities participate in this project, and its operations base is located at The Wilds. Besides contributing data to the overall project, the rhinos at The Wilds have helped beta test parts of the project and helped train the students who are now collecting data at other sites.

This project is funded by an Institute of Museum and Library Services National Leadership Grant.

Located on almost 10,000 acres of lush landscapes along the Appalachian Byway, The Wilds provides a unique setting for successful breeding programs. Science at The Wilds has directly impacted conservation breeding programs. Some of those programs, as well as recent achievements within those programs, include:

Rhinoceros Breeding Program

The Wilds manages one of the largest white rhino herds in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) zoological community and remains the only known facility outside of Africa with fifth-generation rhino calves that have been born in human care. The Wilds’ white rhino breeding program was also recognized in 2017 by the AZA with an Edward H. Bean Award for its contribution to the sustainability of the breeding program.

Cheetah Breeding Program

As a part of the Cheetah Breeding Center Coalition, The Wilds is one of only 10 designated cheetah breeding centers supporting the AZA’s Cheetah Species Survival Plan® (SSP) program to help ensure a sustainable cheetah population in human care.

American Burying Beetles Release

The Wilds is one of four AZA-accredited facilities that breeds beetles for the federal species recovery program and has been releasing beetles on site since 2010. Over the history of this project, The Wilds has raised more than 4,600 beetles and provided more than 2,400 beetles for release projects in Ohio. This is a significant achievement for the species, which was once found in at least 35 states in the U.S. but now inhabits only nine states, including Ohio.

As one of nature’s most efficient recyclers, The Wilds is dedicated to continuing to release American burying beetles on site as part of the effort to restore the population of this species in Ohio. This work is done in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, and The Ohio State University.

A mark and recapture study continues to help us learn more about what happens after we release the beetles at The Wilds.

The Wilds is a founding member of the Conservation Centers for Species Survival (C2S2), a science-based global initiative taking collective action to save animals from extinction. While not a full list, The Wilds has promoted population sustainability of the following animals:

Scimitar-horned Oryx

The Wilds has supported the efforts of the Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF) to re-establish a population of scimitar-horned oryx in part of their original native range in Chad. Because of this work, these animals that have been extinct in the wild for more than 30 years are now thriving in their native habitat. This project is a collaborative effort including SCF, the government of Chad and the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi. In 2015 and 2016, several scimitar-horned oryx born at The Wilds were sent to Abu Dhabi to bolster the genetics of their “World Herd” that is the source of the animals being sent back to Chad. Three of the animals born at The Wilds were part of the first group returned to their original habitat in 2016.

The Wilds’ Director of Animal Management also spent time in Chad working with the team that monitors the released population of oryx and other wildlife in the reserve. He helped with placing tracking collars on more than 40 animals prior to a release, and observing these animals as they left the base camp to become part of the new herd of wild oryx. The wild population now numbers over 450 animals, including released animals and their wild-born offspring.

Sichuan Takin

The Wilds is home to the largest herd of Sichuan takin outside of mainland China and the only zoological facility to manage a large herd in natural breeding groups. The Wilds has even provided other zoos with takin for their own animal care programs through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) program. 

Research completed on the takin herds at The Wilds helped develop techniques used by researchers working with this species in China to better understand how these animals move and use their native habitat. This collaborative project included the Wildlife Conservation Society, Smithsonian, and various Chinese partners.

Barn Owls

The Wilds houses barn owl nest boxes placed and monitored by some of our partners in bird conservation. Each year, we have seen barn owls successfully raising chicks in these nest boxes—a significant achievement for the future of this owl that is listed as threatened in Ohio.

Eastern Hellbender Salamanders

Surveys conducted by The Wilds and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium on eastern hellbender salamanders in southeast Ohio have determined their population has declined by 80 percent in their native range. In response, government agencies, zoos, soil and water conservation districts, a land trust, and educational institutions have joined forces to aid the recovery of hellbenders.

The Wilds works in collaboration with the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, Oglebay Good Zoo, and West Liberty University to collect hellbender eggs from their native range and to raise these animals in a protected setting for their eventual reintroduction into stream systems where this species is experiencing declines. Wilds-raised hellbenders have been released in West Virginia streams, and we continue to work with our West Virginia partners to monitor the success of our head-start releases and to help install “hellbender huts” that directly provide habitat in wild rivers. The Wilds has also been a leader in environmental DNA monitoring for hellbenders across their current range.

Freshwater Mussels

The Wilds’ Conservation Medicine department has worked with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium staff to develop ground-breaking techniques to help understand the health of freshwater mussels—one of the fastest declining animal groups on the continent—and the factors influencing the success of mussel conservation efforts. The Ecology Department has developed an environmental DNA test to help identify populations of the critically endangered Carolina heelsplitter.

Songbirds

The Wilds is a founding member of the AZA SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) North American Songbird program. The Wilds also hosts a Motus tower to detect tagged birds migrating through the property. Being part of the larger Motus network allows scientists to learn where the birds are traveling as they pass other Motus stations. The Wilds also maintains a network of bluebird nesting boxes across the property.

Trumpeter Swan and Osprey

The Wilds was part of a Department of Natural Resources program to reintroduce osprey to the state of Ohio. The Wilds also worked with ODNR and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo to help reintroduce trumpeter swans to Ohio. Both programs are no longer actively releasing these animals because both species are now well-established at The Wilds!

The Wilds’ Vet Rocket is the veterinary industry's first completely battery-powered wireless radiograph imaging system. This system rapidly takes radiographs with state-of-the-art imaging quality, using lightweight, durable equipment that can withstand the weight of a giraffe’s foot or the body of a Grevy's zebra. It uses a complete HTML5 Cloud-based DICOM PACS solution to enable viewing and sharing radiographs from anywhere in the world.

The Wilds is a living laboratory, helping researchers understand how ecosystems can recover from human influence. Within this setting, researchers can explore how ecosystems recover from significant disturbance—in this case, surface mining.

Long-term ecological science has been explored at The Wilds since 1999 to help scientists understand these processes with the goals to evaluate, restore, maintain, and protect ecosystems that are important to wildlife.

Accomplishments from these projects include:

• The establishment of the Healthy Forests, Healthy Wildlife and Recovering Wildlife Through Forest Restoration initiatives. With the help of many volunteers, including school groups and Wilds campers, the programs have removed invasive species from the understory of reclaimed forest and planted native shrubs and seeds. A vernal pool was installed in the area along with artificial bark bat roosts with the goal of providing breeding habitat for amphibians and roosting sites for endangered myotis bat species.
• Creating more than 700 acres of native prairie since 2004
• Working with the Office of Surface Mining to test various methods of tree planting to improve reforestation methods for reclaimed mine land
• Prescribed burns of prairies and monitoring how insects and other species respond to the burns
• Collaborating with West Virginia University on exploring native grass potential to be used as biofuel
• Working with The Ohio State University on projects focusing on native bees and their responses to prairie restoration through monitoring and nest boxes.