Join us for Howl-o-Ween!
Celebrate Howl-o-Ween at the EWC on Friday, October 26.
Get into the “spirit” of the season by decorating and filling pumpkins with Halloween treats for our wolves, foxes and other canids. Costumes encouraged!
You’ll meet the keepers, learn about these unique species, and watch them enjoy the treats you made!
It’s a one-of-a-kind opportunity to meet some of the world’s most endangered species.
THEN…
Aaaoooooo! You’ll enjoy stories around the campfire and howl with the wolves. Plenty of treats for everyone!
The program begins at 5:30p.m. sharp; guests must check in by 5:15p.m.
Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for children, with children 3 and under free. Make your reservations today at 636-938-5900! By attending, you are supporting important conservation work!
National Recognition for Our Mexican Wolf Conservation Program
Endangered Wolf Center Receives Prestigious Award from the AZA
We are pleased to share the news that we have been honored to receive the Edward H. Bean Award from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums at its recent national conference in New Orleans.
The Edward H. Bean Award recognizes a truly significant captive propagation effort that clearly enhances the management of the species. The Endangered Wolf Center was recognized for our long-term work with Mexican wolves that “has produced multiple successful births that have a quantifiable impact on the sustainability of the species or subspecies.”
This is a tremendous honor and a testament not only to our dedicated staff, but to the commitment and unyielding support of our Board members and our many volunteers and supporters.
Winning this national, prestigious conservation award reinforces our standing as a world renowned conservation organization. Previous honorees include the Bronx Zoo, Minnesota Zoo, Vancouver Aquarium, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and the Saint Louis Zoo — so we are indeed in lofty company.
In announcing the award winners, AZA President and CEO Dan Ashe said, “We are proud to honor the distinguished leaders in our profession for their outstanding accomplishments. Their contributions have inspired all within the zoo and aquarium community to advance AZA’s mission of creating a world where all people respect, value, and conserve wildlife and wild places.”
For more than four decades, our staff, volunteers and supporters have worked to create a Center recognized for not only our achievements, but our leadership role in the recovery of the endangered species in our care.
YOU have been an important part of our success. Your commitment to wildlife conservation, and your ongoing support of our work with all of our canid species, enables us to be a leader in this most essential cause.
Artist Designs Wolf Shoes to Support the EWC!
Artist Ernie Moreno’s passion for animals has inspired him to create a special, wearable way to support our endangered species!
“I have been an animal lover my whole life, and wolves are one of my favorites because of their beauty,” says Moreno. “I could draw one of my favorite animals and help to bring awareness to the conservation and study of the wolves.”
Wolf Shoes can be ordered with original designs that are either Hand Drawn or Custom Printed. Hand Drawn shoes are 100% custom and original. Custom Printed shoes will be printed with original paintings created by Moreno for the Endangered Wolf Center. All designs are based on animals right here at the EWC!
These make great gifts for the animal lovers in your life! See all the design options and order your Wolf Shoes from WolfShoes.org.
Four EWC wolf pups make cross-fostering history
OVERCOMING MANY OBSTACLES:
MEXICAN WOLF PUPS FLY TO AZ & NM TO HELP SAVE SPECIES IN FIRST DOUBLE FOSTER EVENT
The Endangered Wolf Center, United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Interagency Field Team—which is made up of biologists from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona Game and Fish Department, USDA Forest Service, USDA Wildlife Services, and the White Mountain Apache Tribe—collaborate to fly four 10-day-old pups born at the Center from St. Louis to their new families in the wilds of New Mexico and Arizona in the first ever double foster.
The Endangered Wolf Center flew four critically endangered Mexican wolf pups to Arizona to be cross-fostered by two different wild packs (one in Arizona and one in New Mexico) on Wednesday, April 18, 2018. This historic collaborative effort between the Endangered Wolf Center staff, the Fish and Wildlife Services and its partners represents the first time four pups born in captivity have been “adopted out” to two different packs in two different states at the exact same time.
Mexican wolf pups during health exam before flight.
“Saving species requires creativity and breakthroughs in conservation techniques,” said Regina Mossotti, Director of Animal Care and Conservation at the EWC, “and this double foster was a great example of the Fish and Wildlife Service, the EWC and the states working together to seize a unique opportunity to help Mexican wolves.”
Cross foster wolf pup health check in Phoenix Airport by FWS vet Susan Dicks and EWC team.
Cross-fostering is a technique where wolf puppies from one litter are placed with another litter in hopes that the wolf mother will adopt the additions as her own. Placing pups from captivity into a wild litter not only helps increase the population size in the wild but also helps increase genetic diversity. It is also a wonderful way to have wild parents (with an established territory and experience) raise and teach the pups how to survive.
Fostering is a relatively new technique for the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program. With fewer than 150 individuals left in the wild—mostly found in Arizona and New Mexico—these four pups born at the EWC on April 9, 2018 (male pups “Benny” and “Grenville” and female pups “Spirit” and “Belinda”) represent vital new genetics needed for a critically endangered population.
Endangered Wolf Center team Sarah Holaday and Kim Rutledge on Arizona Game & Fish plane flying to wild dens.
Extreme terrain and logistics make fostering challenging, and the timing has to be just right. Wild and captive litters have to be born within a few days of one another, and the transfer from captivity to the wild has to occur before the pups are fourteen days old. “Everything has to line up…the stars, the sun, the moon, and the planets all have to align to make a foster happen,” said Mossotti. “The timing of the birth of wild pups has to be within a few days of our pups…to say nothing of the logistics. There are weather considerations, flights and travel, personnel, locating wild dens, securing funding—all pieces of the puzzle have to come together very quickly to get this done.”
All four pups before release during vet check in the recovery area.
This operation almost stopped in its tracks, due to high winds and a wildfire in Arizona. Overcoming the logistics and managing the shifting and potentially dangerous conditions on the ground make the success of the Endangered Wolf Center, the USFWS, and Arizona Game and Fish’s efforts all the more remarkable.
The four pups flew to Arizona, accompanied by Sarah Holaday, EWC Animal Care Staff and Kim Rutledge, Executive Director of the Wildlife Rescue Center. “Our staff members are experts, and they did an incredible job making sure that these precious pups stayed safe, warm and well-cared for on their journey to the wild,” said Virginia Busch, Executive Director of the Endangered Wolf Center. “The Endangered Wolf Center is proud of our efforts to collaborate to grow the conservation success for the endangered species the EWC is working to save.”
FWS biologist Alison Greenleaf examing pups at wild den before foster credit Endangered Wolf Center.
This year, several wild packs denned at the exact same time as the pack at the Endangered Wolf Center. Sibi (mother) and Lazarus (father) at the EWC had a litter of seven healthy pups. Having this large litter offered the opportunity to take four pups and place them into two different packs litters. “It is rare to have litters match up, but to have several at once was very exciting!” said Mossotti.
 Endangered Wolf Center team with pups on their back ready to hike to wild den in New Mexico. |
 Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area in Arizona New Mexico Border Pups new home. |
Spirit and Grenville were fostered into the Elk Horn Pack in Arizona. Elk Horn had five pups, growing to seven with the new additions. Benny and Belinda were fostered into Frieborn Pack in New Mexico, growing their six-pup litter to eight.
“The Endangered Wolf Center has been working for almost 50 years to help make breakthroughs in conservation for endangered canids. And efforts like this double foster are examples of how conservation for the Mexican wolf is moving in a positive direction!” said Busch.
Celebrate with us by making a donation to continue our wild efforts.
Donate Now
Wolf Fest 2019: Come Have a Howling Good Time
Our biggest event of the year! A festival that has fun activities, events, exhibits and demonstrations for all ages.
Emerson Presents Wolf Fest 2019 at the Endangered Wolf Center on Saturday, October 12, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This family festival has fun activities, events, exhibits and demonstrations for all ages. Endangered Wolf Center Members will enjoy early entry at 9:00 a.m. so join today for this exclusive opportunity to miss the crowds!
Wolf Fest features food trucks, adult beverages, animal demonstrations, many conservation groups, plus activities and games for kids.
Guests will see some of the most endangered wolves in the world and leave with a better understanding of their critical importance in the wild. Wolf Fest lets us share this science in fun, memorable ways.
Conservation Ambassadors will introduce guests to animals from around the world, with opportunities to get up close for photos. Guests can also view puppies born this spring!
FREE CARLOAD DEAL: Guests can purchase tickets in advance for $25 per carload ($35 day of). If you become a member between now and October 12, you will receive a free ticket for one carload and gain access to early entry at 9am. (Purchase a membership ticket). – VIP tickets are $100 per person and will receive reserved on-site parking, a private tent with complimentary drinks and snacks and an opportunity for a special meet-and-greet with conservationist and Conservation Ambassadors founder David Jackson and his animal ambassadors.
Buy Tickets or Membership Sponsorship Letter Sponsorship Form Facebook EventCelebrate National Public Lands Day with our Fall Hike
Join us on Saturday, September 28, 2019, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. as we celebrate National Public Lands Day!
We’ll hike from the campfire through the woods up to the cave and back to the campfire for a snack, feel free to pack a lunch.
The hike is approximately 3 miles – a moderate trail with a good-sized hill – wear your hiking shoes!
Everyone is welcome, but please leave your pets at home.
The gates open at 9:15 a.m. when you’ll be able to chat with staff; the hike starts promptly at 10 a.m. (No admittance after 10 a.m.)
You can book online, or call 636 938 5900 for more details or to book by phone.
Endangered Wolf Center Fall Hike
Meditation with the Wolves
Meditation with the Wolves
S A T U R D A Y , S E P T E M B E R 7 | 8 : 3 0 A M – 1 1 : 3 0 A M
Ever wonder why meditation retreats are often found in the mountains or deep in the forest? Outdoor meditation activates the senses, making us more aware of our surroundings and distancing us from the stresses of daily life.
Deepen your mindfulness and awareness of nature with an experiential meditation session in the stunning open-air environment of the Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka, Missouri.
The day will begin promptly at 8:30am at PALM Health (9160 Clayton Rd, St. Louis, MO 63124) where guests will board a luxury touring bus with complimentary healthy snacks and beverages from the PALM Café.
Upon arriving at the Endangered Wolf Center, guests will be divided into two groups. One will begin a meditation class while the other will tour the sights and sounds of the Center’s residents, including Mexican, red, and maned wolves, several foxes, and painted dogs, with a special visit from several unique Ambassador animals. Each group will then rotate to complete their meditation or tour.
The bus will depart at 11:00am with lunchtime snacks and beverages on its return to PALM Health.
$60 per person, for members and non-members.
Sign up through PALM Health’s class schedule on the PALM app, or call PALM Health reception at 314-801-8898 option 1 then 1.
Speaker Series: Journey Into The Wild – Aug 29th
The Story of Mexican Wolf Pups and Their Historic Cross-Foster
Join Regina Mossotti, carnivore biologist and director of animal care and conservation at the EWC, as she shares the adventures of fostering Mexican wolf pups into the wild. Relive the pups’ journeys as you hear about the creative science and collaboration that made it all possible, including the whirlwind of logistics (such as flying on a plane with wolf pups!), hiking in the mountains, wild fires…
Experience the challenging world of endangered species conservation – the heart of the wild – as you visit Mexican wolves Mack, Vera and their puppies and learn how the EWC is making a world of difference for the future of Mexican wolves.
The event will be held at the Learning Living Classroom at the Endangered Wolf Center on Thursday, August 29th from 6-8 p.m.
Speaker Series: Journey into the Wild with Regina Mossotti
Join our 2019 Polo Benefit
Join us for the annual Endangered Wolf Center Polo Classic on Saturday, September 14, 2019 at 3 p.m. This year will be a Garden Gala, presented by the Beckmann Family Charitable Trust. Enjoy a day of delicious food and drinks while watching an exciting polo match at the McGehee Polo Field in Chesterfield, MO.
Address:
McGehee Polo Field at Spirit Valley Farms
(Wild Horse Creek Road at Tuma Ln.)
17899 Wild Horse Creek Road
Chesterfield, MO 63005
For a $600 donation, you’ll enjoy private cabana seating and an artisan picnic for four people. A $300 donation includes an artisan picnic for two with shared cabana seating. Sponsorships are available. For tickets or sponsorship information, call the EWC at 636-938-9306.
| Download Sponsorship Kit | Download Flyer |
Highlights from our last Polo events:
Pints for the Pack Fundraiser with Mackenzie Brewing Co.
Mackenzie Brewing Company is a small batch brewery specializing in Belgian and High Gravity Beers. Their brewery and tasting room is just a few miles up the road from the Endangered Wolf Center.
In a neighborly fashion, they’re helping us host our first annual Pints for the Pack fundraiser to benefit the wolves and other wild canids here at our Center. (We’ll drink to that!)
This truly unique adults-only evening begins with FREE BEER* from Mackenzie Brewing accompanied by an informative program on wolf communication. After this, you and your Endangered Wolf Center hosts will howl with the wolves!
Bring a few of your own friends and neighbors and join us Saturday, September 21 from 7-9 p.m. for craft beer and a Howl with the Wolves. Admission is $21 per person. Cheers!
“Pints for the Pack” Mackenzie Brewing Campfire Howl
*Visitors must be 21 years old or older. Call 636-938-5900 for more details or to reserver by phone.
Wolf Center News
