Growing the Zoo
Help Us Grow the Zoo
Since January 2023, seven American Red Wolves*, three Arabian Sand Cats*, 1 Brush-tailed Rat-kangaroo*, two Chimpanzees*, four Horned Puffins, 14 Virgin Island Boas*, and an assortment of lizards, tortoises, fish, beetles, bats, and other infants have arrived at the Zoo.
While we celebrated each of these births and hatchings, we were doubly joyful when parenthood blessed any of our endangered species (marked with asterisks in the list above). Each of these infants brought hope to the future of their mother species and affirmed the Zoo’s commitment to protecting wildlife and inspiring people to value animals and the environment. Each blessed event also reinforced our awareness of the ways the Zoo benefits North Carolina’s citizens—from its leadership role in conservation and education programming to its accessibility as a safe and wholesome family recreation facility.
As the non-profit organization that raises funds and engenders public support for the Zoo, we understand that many of these benefits depend on the generosity of people like you. You, our members and supporters, help sustain and broaden the Zoo’s reach and achievements.
Because the Zoo cannot continue to grow and prosper without people like you, we hope you will reaffirm the value you place on the Zoo’s program by making a donation to address the Zoo’s most pressing needs. By allowing the Zoo to invest your gift where it will do the most good, you can help ensure that the Zoo can continue protecting wildlife while inspiring and enchanting guests well into and beyond 2024.
NEW! You Can Make an Automatic Monthly Donation to Grow the Zoo
To become a monthly sustainer of the Zoo’s efforts to Grow the Zoo, check the “recurring donation option” on your order form, and we will automatically charge the same amount to your credit card every month. Don’t worry; you can easily stop your automatic donations at any time by following the instructions printed on the bottom of the receipt you will receive each month.
Click on the blue bar below to learn more about the Zoo’s current capital programs. If you would like to make a donation in support of one of those programs, please begin by clicking the “ADD TO CART” button to the right.
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Growing The Zoo
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Building Asia
The Zoo is preparing to dish some dirt in its quest to add an Asian and, later, an Australian continental region to the Park. This fall, backhoes and bulldozers will roll into the Zoo to lay the groundwork for building Phase I (Asia) of this expansion. When Asia is finished, the new 10-acre addition will be the wildest and most wonderful change that the Zoo has made in years.
The Asian experience will begin on the far side of an exotic bridge that opens onto a lush, meandering pathway. That path will lead to encounters with Tigers, Komodo Dragons, Gibbons, and other species living in spacious natural habitats. There will be play areas along the way, too, including a sleep-over spot near some of the wildlife.
Best of all, this proposed new continent is just Phase 1 of a long-term, three-tiered plan to add habitats and wildlife from Australia and, eventually, the Amazon Basin to the Zoo. Because of the strong financial support offered by the State of North Carolina and a growing list of individual, corporate, and foundation donors, the Zoo is close to securing the funds it needs to complete Asia and to flush out plans for the proposed Australian addition.
Only when Asia is completed and Australia is well on its way, will the Zoo be ready to initiate Phase 3, adding an Amazonian exhibit to the Zoo.
For now, though, all eyes are on Asia and the construction work that will begin at the Zoo this fall. We hope that you will add your name and your support to the list of donors who are already helping us carry these plans forward. By making a gift now, you will help bring Tigers and Dragons into the Park, support our efforts to add Australia to the mix, and push the Zoo closer to its promise to bring a world of wildlife and learning to North Carolina!
American Red Wolf Conservation Center
As the last 260 or so American Red Wolves continue the struggle to carry on their species, the North Carolina Zoo and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) have closed ranks to help! The American Red Wolf is the most endangered member of the Canid family group—the world’s wolves, foxes, dingos, and other dogs. And, it is the only Canid species known to have evolved and always lived exclusively within the boundaries of the continental United States.
The current Red Wolf population numbers fewer than 300, and nearly all of the existing wolves live under human care in zoos or similar institutions. Only an estimated 10-15 American Red Wolves range freely in the wild, where they inhabit a scattering of counties in eastern North Carolina. The roughly 250 remaining red wolves reside in roughly 41 zoological facilities that participate in a Species Survival Plan (SSP) breeding program established for this species.
Too small to be self-sustaining, the wild population is under threat from traffic accidents, disease, and the distrust of local deer hunters. Like many other canids, Red Wolves may breed with closely related species (e.g., Gray Wolves, Coyotes, domestic dogs), so wildlife officials are called on to implement procedures that prevent Coyotes from breeding with the remaining free-ranging wolves.
At present, the North Carolina Zoo houses the world’s second-largest breeding group of American Red Wolves. Additionally, the North Carolina Zoo’s Management Supervisor, Chris Lasher, manages this breeding group and serves as the Coordinator for AZA’s American Red Wolf SSP and as the Leader for AZA’s Red Wolf SAFE Program. This conservation program carefully manages the breeding programs for red wolves living in 41 zoological facilities across the United States. These institutions can collectively house and care for only 230 individual wolves The number is too small to accommodate the 400 animals the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services estimates are needed to meet the recovery goals for this species.
Already a national leader in American Red Wolf conservation, the North Carolina Zoo plans to help meet these goals by expanding its existing breeding area and creating the American Red Wolf Conservation Center. Once established, this Center will house the world’s largest breeding facility for this species. And, the Center will help boost the wolf’s population numbers enough to make its survival and return to the wild possible.