Brookgreen Gardens Opens New Red Wolf Habitat in Lowcountry Zoo

Press Release

Brookgreen Gardens, a conservator of South Carolina’s indigenous animals, will unveil the Red Wolf Ridge in the Lowcountry Zoo on Saturday, July 29th. The four-acre habitat houses three male red wolves in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife and Association of Zoos and Aquariums Red Wolf SAFE (Saving Animals from Extinction) program. The program manages the red wolf recovery program, overseeing breeding and population management with the goal of long-term sustainable animal populations, releasing captive-bred red wolves into the wild, and managing their habitat.

Funded by Brookgreen’s Campaign for the Next Generation, the exhibit allows this endangered species to live safely in their natural environment.

“Red wolves are a critically endangered species that are native to the southeastern United States, and we are proud to be part of the effort to save this species while also educating the public,” says Page Kiniry, President and CEO of Brookgreen Gardens. “Our goal is to support conservation efforts for this species by maintaining a healthy and viable population of red wolves under human care, growing education and awareness efforts, and aiding research vital to supporting population recovery and management.”

Although captive red wolves are located throughout the country at different Red Wolf SAFE facilities, they are managed as a single population. They are routinely transferred among the facilities to breed according to genetic management objectives to help maintain the health and diversity of an increasing population. Potential puppies born at Brookgreen will be evaluated and selected to either be released into the wild or remain part of the captive breeding program.

Brookgreen’s Lowcountry Zoo, one of only five institutions accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in South Carolina, allows guests to learn about animals that are native to the Lowcountry, including species seen in the wild. These animals engage visitors in the natural world, inspiring a deeper connection, a sense of wonder, and an interest in preservation. All the native animals in the Lowcountry Zoo were either bred and raised in captivity or have sustained a major disability due to injury. In either case, these animals cannot survive in the wild.

Brookgreen is grateful to all who supported this new habitat through the Campaign for the Next Generation: Robert and Jacquie Paul, Conservation Centers for Species Survival, the Christy and Ken Taucher Fund of Central Carolina Community Foundation, Larry and Ruth Schliessmann, Denisa and Craig Garner, First Citizens Foundation, Allen and Nancy Kenny, Champions for Wildlife, and donors that joined the Brookgreen Alpha and Beta Red Wolf Packs.

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