Happy Birthday WCS

Today marks the 125th Anniversary of the founding of the New York Zoological Society, popularly known as the Bronx Zoo.  In that century-and-a-quarter, the Society has grown into so much more.  Not only does it manage four other facilities - Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and New York Aquarium - it also operates a network of conservation programs around the globe, working to protect and restore wildlife populations in their natural habitat.

WCS has perhaps the most colorful history of any American zoo, full of history-making firsts and pioneering new ideas.  Its staff has featured many luminaries of the zoo and conservation world, from William Hornaday, William Beebe, and Raymond Ditmars over a century ago to legendary field biologists such as George Schaller in modern times.

This isn't the way I'm sure WCS wishes they were celebrating such a milestone, with gates shuttered and daunting economic challenges - but they've survived the Great Depression, September 11th, and Two World Wars.  I'm sure they'll make it through this and continue to thrive as a leading light for American zookeepers and conservationists.