2020 Impact Report We Stand for Wildlife® SAVING WILDLIFE MISSION WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. R P VISION E R V O O T WCS envisions a world where wildlife E C SAVING C thrives in healthy lands and seas, valued by S I WILDLIFE T societies that embrace and benefit from the D diversity and integrity of life on Earth. & WILD PLACES INSPIRE DISCOVER We use science to inform our strategy and measure the impact of our work. PROTECT We protect the most important natural strongholds on land and at sea, and reduce key threats to wildlife and wild places. INSPIRE We connect people to nature through our world- class zoos, the New York Aquarium, and our education and outreach programs. 2 WCS IMPACT REPORT 2020 “It has taken nature millions of years to produce the beautiful and CONTENTS wonderful varieties of animals which we are so rapidly exterminating… Let us hope this destruction can 03 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT/CEO AND CHAIR OF THE BOARD be checked by the spread of an 04 TIMELINE: 125 YEARS OF SAVING WILDLIFE AND WILD PLACES intelligent love of nature...” 11 CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND SOLUTIONS —WCS 1897 Annual Report 12 How Can We Prevent the Next Pandemic? 16 One World, One Health 18 Nature-Based Climate Solutions LETTER FROM THE 22 What Makes a Coral Reef Resilient? PRESIDENT/CEO AND CHAIR OF THE BOARD 25 SAVING WILDLIFE 26 Bringing Elephants Back from the Brink This year marks the 125th anniversary of the founding of expertise in wildlife health and wildlife trafficking, 28 Charting the Path for Big Cat Recovery the Wildlife Conservation Society in 1895. It is also the putting us in a unique position to help reduce the 33 Sixty Years of Saving Apes year that the devastating Covid-19 pandemic galloped likelihood of future pandemics. 36 Rewilding Buffalo in North America around the globe—revealing connections between Our ability to build on this strong foundation of 40 Spearheading a Global Movement to Save Sharks the destruction of nature, the wildlife trade, and conservation results is critical—because the challenges we human health. face today are as great or greater than those that spurred 43 PROTECTING NATURE’S STRONGHOLDS This has given us much cause for reflection on what our founders to create WCS 125 years ago. Less than a 45 Securing Asia’s Strongholds has and has not changed in 125 years, the ongoing quarter of the planet remains wild. One million species 46 Defending Madidi-Tambopata urgency of our mission, and reasons for hope. are at risk of extinction. Climate change is accelerating, 48 Saving Central Africa’s Lush Forest Stronghold Our original charter was to create a world-class zoo, impacting the lives of people and wildlife. 50 Protecting the Patagonian Sea advance wildlife conservation, and promote the study of Nature is sending us a message. Are we listening? Can 52 Supporting Indigenous Peoples’ Stewardship of their Lands and Waters zoology—goals that still form the core of WCS’s mission. we find better, smarter ways to protect and rewild our Today we are on the frontlines of conservation in 60 planet’s wildlife and wild places—and ourselves? How 55 CONNECTING PEOPLE TO NATURE countries, protecting wildlife and wild places with many can we be part of the solutions that the world needs? 56 Providing Best-in-Class Care at Our Zoos and Aquarium partners, including Indigenous and local communities, In the pages that follow, you will see some of our 57 Bringing the Zoo to You During the Pandemic—and Beyond and national and local governments. We do scientific answers to these questions in stories about the work we 58 Jobs at WCS Parks Launch Local Youth On Career Pathways research—publishing nearly 300 articles each year in are doing to promote One World – One Health solutions 60 Finding Hope Behind the Scenes at the Bronx Zoo peer-reviewed scientific journals—and help train the next and combat the wildlife trade; protect endangered 62 Advancing Gaur Conservation at the Bronx Zoo and in the Field generation of scientists, educators, and conservationists. species and nature’s strongholds across four continents; 63 Debuting Dholes at WCS’s Bronx Zoo We inspire millions of visitors from New York City and elevate nature-based solutions to climate change; and 64 The New York Aquarium’s Legacy of Innovative Ocean Conservation beyond through the New York Aquarium and four zoos: inspire love of nature through our zoos and aquarium. our flagship Bronx Zoo, the Central Park Zoo, Prospect Everything we have accomplished in the past year, 66 ADVANCING CONSERVATION WITH PUBLIC-PRIVATE INVESTMENT Park Zoo, and Queens Zoo. And we embrace diversity as and over the last 125 years—and the reason we have hope 67 Financial Report one of our core values, recognizing this makes us stronger for the future—is because of the dedication of generations as an organization. before us and your strong support for our mission. As we 70 WCS TRUSTEES AND LEADERSHIP For every one of our 125 years, we have relied on our chart a path forward for the next decade with our 2030 generous donors and partners to help us make lasting strategy, we hope we can count on your partnership. 74 WHERE WE WORK change in the world. Without supporters like you, the Thank you. mighty American buffalo would be extinct, and tigers 76 WAYS TO GIVE would be on their way out. Thanks to you, we helped close domestic ivory markets in China, the US, and the UK, giving us hope for elephants surviving—and thriving. Alejandro Santo Domingo Cristián Samper With your partnership, WCS has developed unmatched Chair of the Board President & CEO LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT/CEO AND CHAIR OF THE BOARD 3 125 YEARS OF SAVING WILDLIFE AND WILD PLACES 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1894 Theodore Roosevelt, 1897 A.J. Stone travels across the 1900 With the support of NYZS 1902 NYZS takes over 1911 The Fur Seal Treaty of 1916 Bronx Zoo Curator of Birds 1924 Congress passes new code of 1929 NYZS passes a resolution to 1930 NYZS officers head a 1931 NYZS analysis of whaling as Boone and Crockett Club Arctic for two years on behalf of leadership, Congress passes the management of New York 1911—signed by the US, Great William Beebe opens a tropical game laws for Alaska as a result of oppose introduction of non-native campaign against misguided logs illustrates the range and president, appoints a committee NYZS and the American Museum Lacey Act, prohibiting trade in Aquarium under the direction of Britain, Japan, and Russia, and research station in British Guiana NYZS advocacy. animals in US national parks and slaughter of thousands of hoofed seasonal migrations of whales and to ask New York State to of Natural History, to study wildlife, fish, and plants that have Charles Haskins Townsend. promoted by William Hornaday’s (now Guyana) and soon begins urges the National Park Service to mammals in Zululand, South lays the foundation for cetacean establish a zoological society in native people and the geographic been illegally taken, possessed, campaigns to protect the northern NYZS’s Department of prohibit all such introductions. Africa to eradicate the tsetse fly. conservation work. 1928 New York City. distribution of animals. transported, or sold. fur seal—becomes the first Tropical Research. In an effort to save 1907 The American Bison international treaty to address the Galápagos tortoise from After more than 10 years of 1934 Bronx Zoo Curator William Society begins transfer of The NYZS Department 1895 The New York Zoological 1901 The Bronx Zoo establishes wildlife conservation. A fully equipped animal hospital extinction, Charles Townsend campaigning by William Hornaday Beebe completes a record-setting Bronx Zoo bison to protected of Tropical Research Society (NYZS) is founded. the first veterinary department at takes the place of the Bronx Zoo’s collects different species from and other NYZS officers, Congress 3,028-foot dive in his Bathysphere 1899 The Bronx Zoo lands in the American distinguishes itself through a US zoological park. previous makeshift clinic; Dr. Reid Ecuador and transports them passes the Migratory Bird off the Bermuda coast. (formally, the New York West to restore decimated the inclusion of women 1896 The New York Aquarium is Blair serves as the Bronx Zoo’s to zoos in the US, Australia, Conservation Act. Zoological Park) officially populations of this species. scientists such as zoologist established at Manhattan’s first veterinarian. Bermuda, and Panama. First- 1941 With the opening of 1957 The New York opens under the leadership Jocelyn Crane. 1948 The NYZS establishes 1952 NYZS supports research by Castle Clinton, in present-day generation offspring of those The Bronx Zoo opens its first its African Plains exhibit, the Aquarium opens in Coney of founding Director the Conservation Foundation Aldo Leopold and Frank Fraser Battery Park. tortoises survive today at the education department, teaching Bronx Zoo begins grouping Island, moving from its William Hornaday. to handle its ever-expanding Darling on wildlife conditions Bronx Zoo’s World of Reptiles. zoology, conservation, and natural animals by landscape rather original Manhattan location conservation program. The in Alaska, focusing on forest history to visitors and students. than taxonomic order (big after a 16-year hiatus. Foundation later fledges destruction, overgrazing, and cats, primates, etc.), with 125 YEARS OF as a free-standing entity. protection of wolves. prey and predator species 1959 NYZS marine scientist separated by protective moats. SAVING WILDLIFE NYZS president Fairfield Osborn 1956 NYZS supports an Carleton Ray helps establish the writes Our Plundered Planet, expedition to the southern slope world’s first land and sea park at The Bronx Zoo Children’s Zoo calling attention to environmental of Alaska’s Brooks Range by Olaus Exuma Cays in the Bahamas.