Columbus Center for Wildlife Conservation

What is the Columbus Center for Wildlife Conservation (CCWC)?
The Columbus Center for Wildlife Conservation links the expertise of team members from The Wilds and the Columbus Zoo with field partners to drive conservation, both locally and globally. The CCWC is the umbrella non-profit that works with all members of the Columbus Zoo Family of Parks.

The signature projects and partnerships of CCWC are:


Conservation Guiding Principles
The Columbus Centers for Wildlife Conservation represents a bold new direction for the Columbus Zoo Family of Parks. A set of guiding principles has been created to help us prioritize our efforts for the years ahead and ensure that we are being the most effective conservationists we can be. We commit to revisiting this document regularly and communicating our progress to ensure that we remain as dynamic and nimble as conservation requires.

Review the guiding principles

Conservation Programs by Region:

Adventure Cove

  • Marine Mammal Center
    We provide support by funding rescue and rehabilitation programs, scientific research, and community education initiatives. Our partnership helps improve the survival of marine mammals while raising awareness about threats to ocean health and the importance of marine conservation.
  • Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB)
    CZA provides funding for seabird rescue and rehabilitation efforts, emergency response to oil spills and avian influenza outbreaks, and the care of endangered African penguins and other coastal bird species through SANCCOB's program.
  • Turtle Survival Alliance
    The Columbus Zoo supports the Turtle Survival Alliance through funding, research, and deploying staff to the field to aid in conservation efforts for endangered turtles.
  • Ranomafana Ruffed Lemur Project
    Columbus Zoo and Aquarium supports the Ranomafana Ruffed Lemur Project through fieldwork, funding, and expertise from our conservation medicine staff, including Randy Junge, who plays a key role in the project's research, health monitoring, and lemur conservation efforts in Madagascar.
  • Conservation/Sustainability Programs:
    SeaFood Watch
  • AZA SAFE Programs:
    African Penguin
    Radiated Tortoise

Asia Quest

Australia and the Islands

  • Save the Tasmanian Devil
    We provide financial support for disease research, wild population monitoring, and breeding and release efforts that strengthen the recovery of Tasmanian devils affected by Devil Facial Tumor Disease.
  • Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC)
    The Columbus Zoo Family of Parks has provided grant funding for their research students studying different topics of: population genetics, ecology, and diseases.
  • Greater Blue Mountains Koala Project
    The Columbus Zoo supports this project with donations from special events like the Koala-Tea Party.
  • Tree Kangaroo Conservation Project
    We provide funding for habitat protection, local community engagement, and species monitoring efforts within the Tree Kangaroo's protected area. Our support helps advance research, strengthen community partnerships, and sustain long-term conservation efforts for tree kangaroos and their habitats.
  • Conservation/Sustainability Programs:
    Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Sustainable Palm Oil
  • AZA Safe Programs:
    Tree Kangaroo
    Koala
    Orangutan

Congo Expedition

Heart of Africa

  • Cheetah Outreach Trust
    We have been a longstanding supporter of Cheetah Outreach Trust, providing both emergency and ongoing assistance to advance their mission of conserving cheetahs and promoting human-wildlife coexistence. Most recently, we provided an emergency grant to support their livestock guarding dog program, which helps to reduce human-wildlife conflict by protecting livestock from cheetahs.
  • Wild Nature Institute
    The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has been a long-term partner of the project and has helped financially support the different research projects being completed. This has resulted in different scientific publications and support in the publication of the book, "Juma the Giraffe - Juma the Giraffe."
  • New Nature Foundation
    We provide funding that supports community outreach, conservation education, and sustainable livelihood initiatives. Our partnership strengthens efforts to reduce deforestation and protect habitats essential to endangered species.  
  • Ewaso Lions
    We support the project through funding for field research, community education programs, and initiatives that mitigate human-lion conflicts to ensure the survival of lions in the region.
  • AZA Safe Programs:
    African Lion
    Giraffe
    Cheetah
    African Painted Dog

North America Trek

  • Ohio Wildlife Center
    We partner with Ohio Wildlife Center in multiple ways, providing ongoing support for animal care, rehabilitation programs, and community education initiatives. Our collaboration also includes emergency assistance, funding for habitat management projects, and joint efforts to promote wildlife conservation throughout Ohio.
  • Arrow Lakes Caribou Society
    Staff from Conservation Medicine and North America have assisted the Central Selkirk Caribou Maternity Pen Project during the calving season, providing veterinary and animal care resources, as well as animal observations.
  • Oregon Trumpeter Swan Restoration Project
    We provide funding for habitat restoration efforts, population surveys and monitoring programs. Our partnerships also includes support for community outreach initiatives that educate the public about the importance of conserving trumpeter swans and their wetland habitats.
  • Mexican Wolf Recovery Program
    The Zoo currently participates in the recovery plan by caring for wolves that may one day produce pups for reintroduction to their native range.
  • Ohio Center for Wildlife Conservation 
    The Ohio Center for Wildlife Conservation (OCWC) is a collection of species recovery projects focused on species that currently reside in Ohio, or have historically resided. The CZFP has partnered with external organizations, such as the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, to focus on species recovery projects. OCWC consists of six main species projects within two main habitat regions: rivers and riparian areas and native sunscapes.

    Rivers and Riparian Areas
    These habitat spaces include Ohio's rivers and the green, vegetated zone along the banks of bodies of water. Within this habitat, we support the following local species projects:
    Eastern Hellbender
    Freshwater Mussels

    Native Sunscapes
    Native Sunscapes is our term for habitat that is characterized by sunlit, open canopy areas dominated by native grasses, sedges, and forbs. These include grasslands, prairies, sedge meadows, fen and bog meadows, early-successional habitats, recovered surface mines, and other herbaceous and graminoid-dominated systems. In addition to the sun and plants, Native Sunscapes share one other common trait: They require disturbance (fire, floods, browsing, mowing, etc.) to keep from being overtaken by woody and invasive vegetation.  Within Native Sunscapes, we support the following local species projects:
    American Burying Beetles
    Eastern Massasauga
    Plains Garter Snakes
    Spotted Turtles

    Technically Shores Region projects, but the OCWC building is located in North America Trek. We've included this here because guests may ask for more information in this region.
  • Motus Migratory Bird Project
    The Columbus Zoo and The Wilds have a Motus station. Ours is located on top of the Mapori restaurant in the Heart of Africa.
  • People and Carnivores
    Although the previous grant has expired and we are no longer actively supporting this project, we are encouraged to promote this partner because they exemplify effective human-wildlife coexistence. A sign near the black bear habitat highlights their work.
  • AZA Safe Programs:
    North American Songbird
    Mexican Wolf
    Freshwater Mussels
    American Burying Beetle
    Eastern Massasauga

Polar Frontier

  • Polar Bears International
    We provide ongoing support to PBI, funding research initiatives, monitoring programs, and educational outreach that help protect polar bear populations and their fragile Arctic ecosystem, while building public awareness and engagement around climate-related conservation challenges.
  • People and Carnivores
    Although the previous grant has expired and we are no longer actively supporting this project, we are encouraged to promote this partner because they exemplify effective human-wildlife coexistence. A sign near the black bear habitat highlights their work.
  • AZA Safe Programs:
    Polar Bear

Shores and Aquarium

  • Wider Caribbean Manatee Alliance
    The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium supports the Wider Caribbean Manatee Alliance through rescue, rehabilitation and release of manatees, funding, and sending staff to the field. Becky Ellsworth, curator of Shores region, curated a virtual webinar series, enabling manatee experts to share knowledge with alliance members to further strengthen regional conservation efforts.
  • Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute
    We fund wildlife conservation programs including manatee and dolphin research, rescue efforts, and habitat monitoring to improve the protection and recovery of vulnerable marine species.
  • Aquarium Conservation Partnership
    We provide support by funding research projects, habitat restoration efforts, and educational programs. Our collaboration also includes joint efforts to protect threatened aquatic species and promote public awareness of aquatic conservation challenges.
  • Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership
    The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has been a part of this partnership for more than 20 years and we are one a few facilities outside of the state of Florida to rehabilitate manatees. We serve as a second stage rehabilitation facility that provides a temporary home for manatees until they are ready to return to Florida waters.
  • Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST)
    We provide funding to support research, monitoring, and collaborative conservation initiatives across WIDECAST's regional network. Our partnership strengthens conservation efforts by supporting data-driven management and community engagement throughout the Caribbean region.
  • Turtle Survival Alliance
    The Columbus Zoo supports the Turtle Survival Alliance through funding, research, and deploying staff to the field to aid in conservation efforts for endangered turtles.
  • Ohio Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (OHPARC)
    We support OHPARC by helping fund their work and staying involved in conversations and planning that guide amphibian and reptile conservation in Ohio. We are involved in the field, by providing data that informs decision-making, and staying connected with partners. Greg Lipps serves on OHPARC's Advisory Board, providing leadership, strategic guidance, and subject-matter expertise.
  • Ohio Center for Wildlife Conservation 
    The Ohio Center for Wildlife Conservation (OCWC) is a collection of species recovery projects focused on species that currently reside in Ohio, or have historically resided. The CZFP has partnered with external organizations, such as the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, to focus on species recovery projects. OCWC consists of six main species projects within two main habitat regions: rivers and riparian areas and native sunscapes.

    Rivers and Riparian Areas
    These habitat spaces include Ohio's rivers and the green, vegetated zone along the banks of bodies of water. Within this habitat, we support the following local species projects:
    Eastern Hellbender
    Freshwater Mussels

    Native Sunscapes
    Native Sunscapes is our term for habitat that is characterized by sunlit, open canopy areas dominated by native grasses, sedges, and forbs. These include grasslands, prairies, sedge meadows, fen and bog meadows, early-successional habitats, recovered surface mines, and other herbaceous and graminoid-dominated systems. In addition to the sun and plants, Native Sunscapes share one other common trait: They require disturbance (fire, floods, browsing, mowing, etc.) to keep from being overtaken by woody and invasive vegetation.  Within Native Sunscapes, we support the following local species projects:
    American Burying Beetles
    Eastern Massasauga
    Plains Garter Snakes
    Spotted Turtles
  • Conservation/Sustainability Programs:
    SeaFood Watch
  • AZA Safe Programs:
    Coral
    Sharks and Rays
    Freshwater Mussels
    Coral
    Sharks and Rays
    Freshwater Mussels

The Wilds

  • North American Center for Bison Conservation
    The Wilds, Wildlife Restoration Foundation (WRF), InterTribal Buffalo Council (ITBC), and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe have successfully relocated 74 bison from The Wilds conservation center in Ohio to the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota in 2024. This significant transfer marks the first major achievement for The Wilds' steps in a new bison conservation plan and exemplifies a robust and collective commitment to both ecological and cultural preservation.
  • Hellbender Recovery
    Both The Wilds and the Columbus Zoo rear young hellbenders from eggs collected in their native range. The team monitors them on-site in a lab until they hatch, hand-rears them until they are ready to release, and tags them for monitoring purposes before they are re-released into their native ranges. Hellbenders who were raised at The Wilds are released in West Virginia.
  • American Burying Beetle Recovery
    The Wilds is one of the few institutions to work on the recovery of this critically endangered species. And, it is the only site in the United States where the beetles are both bred and released.
  • Barn Owl Nest Boxes
    Providing nesting habitat in order to establish and sustain a strong, healthy barn owl population within this region.
  • Assorted Ecology and Restoration Projects
    The vast landscape and mining history of The Wilds presents a distinct, ideal setting to study ecological recovery and restoration. Ongoing biological inventories at the site have recorded over 1,000 species and provide an essential baseline for studying population changes over time.
  • Scimitar-Horned Oryx Reintroductions
    Animals born and housed at The Wilds were released in Chad in 2017. Staff from The Wilds also helped radio-collar over 40 animals.
  • International Rhino Foundation
    Our support contributes to anti-poaching efforts, monitoring programs, and habitat protection projects. Our partnership helps safeguard rhino populations and advance science-based strategies for their recovery.
  • Wild Nature Institute
    The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has been a long-term partner of the project and has helped financially support the different research projects being completed. This has resulted in different scientific publications and support in the publication of the book, "Juma the Giraffe - Juma the Giraffe."
  • Cheetah Outreach Trust
    We have been a longstanding supporter of Cheetah Outreach Trust, providing both emergency and ongoing assistance to advance their mission of conserving cheetahs and promoting human-wildlife coexistence. Most recently, we provided an emergency grant to support their livestock guarding dog program, which helps to reduce human-wildlife conflict by protecting livestock from cheetahs.
  • Marianas Avifauna Conservation
    Staff from The Wilds has provided different resources to the project including: veterinary support, educational support, and ecology staff training directly at the location of the project.
  • Wildlife Trafficking Alliance
    We support the WTA through funding and direct participation in public outreach and awareness campaigns. Our partnership helps amplify anti-trafficking messaging and strengthens collaborative efforts to reduce illegal wildlife trade globally. 
  • AZA Safe Programs:
    African Painted Dog
    North American Bison
    Action Indonesia
    Bison

Safari Golf Course

  • Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary
    The Safari Golf Club is a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, an initiative by Audubon International.

Other Pages and Presentations of Interest: