Captive Breeding Facilities

Without a managed captive breeding program, the red wolf would have continued its rapid slide to oblivion. But the Species Survival Program (SSP), established by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in 1981, designated three facilities to cooperate in conserving this rare species of wolf. All red wolves are descended from just 14 founders. Thus, today, 42 approved zoos and wildlife centers throughout the U.S. manage the red wolf population as a genetic reservoir. While the need to infuse the wild population with more adult wolves has diminished as wild red wolves continue to reproduce successfully, these SSP facilities support interactive management with the USFWS Red Wolf Recovery Program by developing innovative techniques such as cross-fostering pups from SSP facilities to wild litters, allowing wild red wolves raise the pups with their own wild-born offspring. Additionally, the SSP facilities coordinate research in genome banking, assisted reproduction, behavior studies and veterinary medicine.

Chaffee Zoological Gardens of Fresno
Fresno, CA

Colorado Wolf and Wildlife
Divide, CO

Beardsley Zoological Gardens
Bridgeport, CT

Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park
Homosassa, FL

Jacksonville Zoo
Jacksonville, FL

Brevard Zoo
Melbourne, FL

St. Vincent Island National Wildlife Refuge
Apalachiocola, FL

Tallahassee Museum of History & Natural Science
Tallahassee, FL

Lowry Park Zoological Garden
Tampa, FL

Chehaw Wild Animal Park
Albany, GA

Miller Park Zoo
Bloomington, IL

Lincoln Park Zoological Gardens
Chicago, IL