FRANKLIN COUNTY, Mo. — The Saint Louis Zoo is turning part of its land in Franklin County into a private conservation habitat for critically endangered American red wolves.
About 20 acres of the 355-acre Saint Louis Zoo Sears Lehmann, Jr. Wildlife Reserve will be transformed into a home for 24 red wolves this year, the zoo announced Monday.
The habitat is part of an urgent effort to save the species from extinction; there are only about 20 left in the wild, largely due to illegal hunting, collisions with vehicles and habitat loss, the zoo said.
There will be separately secured habitats for 12 mating pairs, which will arrive from other conservation organizations in 2022. The campus will not be open to visitors because the zoo wants the wolves to learn natural survival skills with as little human interaction as possible.
“American red wolves are key species,” said Saint Louis Zoo President and CEO Jeffrey Bonner in a news release. “Once populations are restored, they should create a balanced natural environment, fulfilling their predator-related roles to maintain stability within the ecosystem.”
The zoo is collaborating on the conservation project with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Conservation Centers for Species Survival (C2S2), as well as the Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka.
The 12 habitats will provide about 25% of the spaces needed to double the red wolf population in zoos to its optimal size, the zoo said.
“The quick work of the Saint Louis Zoo to answer the call to action for this North American species is crucial for its survival,” said Angelina Casillas, Programs Coordinator for C2S2. “American red wolves are critically endangered, and this long-term commitment by the Saint Louis Zoo will be key to growing the population in zoos and restoring a sustainable, healthy population to the wild.”
The facility will be supported by private donations by Kevin Backmann and an anonymous donor, as well as grant funding through C2S2.
The wildlife reserve was donated to the zoo in 1993 by Peggy Lehmann in honor of her late husband, Sears Lehmann, Jr.
