take a walk on ‘the Wilds’ side

By Amy Beth Graves

Ever seen Pere David’s deer or Przewalski’s Horse? No, these aren’t the pet names of somebody’s deer or horse; they’re two species of animals that no longer exist in the wild and can only be found in animal reserves such as The Wilds, the largest zoological reserve in North America.

Located in the east-central Ohio town of Cumberland, the Wilds is home to 25 species of rare, threatened and endangered animals. The wild animal/conservation reserve is located on 10,000 acres, or 14 square miles of land, that was once a gigantic strip mine. American Electric Power donated the land in 1986 for the purpose of preserving threatened wild animals, said Toni Kellar, marketing and communications officer for the Wilds. Funding comes from admission fees, special tour fees, donations and state and federal grants, she said.

The Wilds has been open to the public since 1994, and visitors can see the more than 300 animals on guided trips aboard air-conditioned buses or small open-air vehicles. The vehicles shuttle among five stops:

The average enclosure for a species at the animal reserve is 500 acres, giving the animals plenty of space to move around. Having a lot of open space is critical for the animals because it helps with breeding. The Wilds has a successful breeding program; some of the animals are on loan from other zoos, Kellar said.

Research and conservation are the key components of the Wilds. Not only does the reserve examine how to successfully breed animals, but does scientific research in several areas such as animal diet and behavior. The Wilds has been examining the food fed to giraffes to try to find a new formula that can help prevent bladder disorders, which can lead to death, Kellar said.

"The Wilds is a world-class research facility for the conservation of animals,” she said.

Hours of operation
Because many of the animals are from warmer climates such as Africa and India and can’t tolerate Ohio’s cold, the Wilds is open to the public, except for special events, from May through October only. During the off-season, the animals are in heated barns or other winter housing.

As a result of growing attendance rates, the Wilds is expanding its seasonal schedule to be open for visitors seven days a week during the months of June, July and August. The Wilds will continue to be open weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) in May, September and October. The Wilds is also open Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Hours each day are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Visitors may board a guided Safari Transport to view rare and endangered animals living in natural, open-range habitats, and learn about the Wilds’ conservation work. Tours include a visit to the new Mid-Sized Carnivore Conservation Center and other
destinations. A gift market, café, birding and butterfly areas, and group tours (by reservation) are available to visitors.

2009 Safari Transport passes are$20 for adults, $19 for seniors, $15 for children ages 4 to 12 and children under 3 and Wilds members are free.

Open-Air Safaris are $27 per person; $22 Wilds members.

Parking is $3.

The reserve also offers special events such as sunset safari tours, fly-fishing excursions and summer camps and hands-on educational programs for youths. Dates and prices can be found at www.thewilds.org

Amy Beth Graves is a freelance writer from Franklin County. To comment on this story, e-mail info@ourohio.org

Photo credits: Think TV

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