ANNUAL REPORT Fiscal Year January 1 - December 31, 2010
Providing an Alternative to Extinction
The 2010 fiscal year was a successful year for the Endangered Wolf Center in many ways. A sampling of our accomplishments includes: ANIMAL CARE: Endangered Wolf Center animals continued to figure prominently in the return of Mexican gray wolves to the wilds of Arizona. All of the packs running wild in Arizona and New Mexico are led by Endangered Wolf Center-born lobos or their offspring. Our contributions to the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program are repeatedly featured on Animal Planet and National Geographic Explorer. The Endangered Wolf Center continued to spearhead several of the Mexican Wolf SSP Three-Year Action Projects. The Saint Louis Zoo and the Endangered Wolf Center collaborated to further our knowledge and application of assisted reproductive techniques in Mexican gray wolves. We attempted to induce early ovulation in two female Mexican grays and to impregnate them with banked frozen semen using artificial insemination techniques acquired under the tutelage of Dr, Ragnar Thomassen from the University of Oslo Veterinary College in Norway. In 2005 Dr. Thomassen performed the first successful non-surgical artificial insemination (AI) in endangered wolves – at the Endangered Wolf Center resulting in three pregnancies, one of the females inseminated was the most genetically valuable female in the population. This technique allowed her to pass her important genes to her offspring. In 2010, one of her offspring, a male named Perkins (named by famed actor Betty White) gave birth to his first litter of 5 pups. Although, we attempted AI again, unfortunately none of the 2010 attempts resulted in pregnancies. However, we expanded our genetic research— and for the first time ever—this collaborative project was able to preserve ova from several valuable Mexican gray wolf females using techniques previously developed for humans. The animals continue to eat well! Because of vital partnerships with Land-O-Lakes Purina Feed, who with their continued generosity, donated dry chow to the wolves that is specifically formulated to mimic their natural diet. Certified Bow Hunters of St. Louis County donated deer and Zerna Meat Company donated bones throughout the year, and volunteer Gail Meyers provided fruits and vegetables for the maned wolves. The Endangered Wolf Center hosted two high school students and a number of college students who conducted enrichment research. We also hosted several animal care interns who were college students from universities across the United States in hopes to increase their experiences in the conservation field. Our staff constantly strives to offer the best care possible for the endangered species that we shelter.
1 2010 Endangered Wolf Center Annual Report The Endangered Wolf Center currently works with five species of endangered wild canids. This chart depicts the starting collection composition at the beginning of the year and then the final collection composition at the end of the year. The first number depicts the total number of animals EWC holds of that species. The numbers in parenthesis depicts the sex ratio of that total number (males.females eg. 9.14 = 9 males and 14 females)
Common Name Scientific Name Jan 1st Dec 31st
Mexican Gray Wolf Canis lupis baileyi 28 (13.15) 25 (16.9)
Red Wolf Canis rufus 2 (1.1) 1 (0.1)
African Wild Dog Lycaon pictus 4 (4.0) 4 (4.0)
Swift Fox Vulpes velox 1 (1.0) 3 (1.2)
Maned Wolf Chrysocyon brachyurus 2 (1.1) 3 (0.3)
Total 37 (20.17) 36 (21.15)
• Animal Acquisitions o January 22 (0.2) Swift foxes arrived from Riverside Zoo, Scottsdale NE o May 2 (4.1) Mexican gray wolves 1195-1199 were born to parents 950 and 882 o May 3 (2.0) Mexican gray wolves 691 and 692 arrived from Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, IL o August 13 (0.3) Maned wolves 3175-3177 arrived from Alexandria Zoo, Alexandria, LA o November 22 (1.0) Swift fox 370 arrived from Zoo Boise, Boise ID o December 10 (1.0) Red wolf 1609 arrived from Wildlife Science Center, Lake Forest, MN • Animal Dispositions o January 2 (0.1) Maned wolf Mischa (2816) died o May 6 (1.0) Swift fox Montana (232) died o May 13 (1.0) Red wolf Durham (791) died o June 3 (1.0) Maned wolf Santana (3007) transferred to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Glen Rose, TX o November 18 (3.5) Mexican gray wolves 1122-1129 transferred to Brookfield Zoo o November 29 (0.2) Mexican gray wolves Kitta and Papas (937, 939) transferred to Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center, Scottsdale, AZ o December 22 (1.0) Red wolf 1609 transferred to Chattanooga Nature Center, Chattanooga, TN
Fun Facts Our Keepers worked hard in 2010! they fed out...
over 30,000lbs of dry chow
620 chicks and rats
73 deer carcasses
chopped over 800lbs of produce
2 2010 Endangered Wolf Center Annual Report
The Endangered Wolf Center is proud to be a Certified Related Facility through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Only five other facilities in Missouri share this distinction – the Saint Louis Zoo, The Butterfly House, Dickerson Park Zoo, The National Fish and Wildlife Museum in Springfield and the Kansas City Zoo. Of the thousands of zoos, animal parks and conservation centers in North America, only 210 Institutions and 15 Related Facilities have achieved the excellence in animal care and facility management required to be accredited by the AZA.
EDUCATION:
More volunteers were incorporated into our programs and helped to not only deliver our educational message but generated additional revenues for the wolves. The volunteer organization, sometimes called the Wolf Pack, seemed to be everywhere assisting the staff and spreading the news about endangered canids. They helped to host a successful year of programs, both on and off-site. In calendar year 2010 we reached an audience of 41,597. Special events onsite drew 250 at Member’s Day and over 2000 at Annual Wolf Fest (previously known as Open House. Daytime onsite tours and programs served 3,955 people and 2,060 attended Evening programs. Camp Rendezvous and Junior Keeper summer programs served 89 children in 2010 and 33,243 people were reached through off-site program and display outreaches. Approximately 75% of our visitors are children. As an example of our audience, offsite programs and displays and onsite programs/tours reached 5,622 K-12 school students (with the largest segment 2,429 3rd through 5th grade); 272 preschool students; 658 university/ college or professional contacts; 2,195 youth group members (primarily boy and girl scouts), 52 with special needs, 634 seniors and the remaining 26,632 of the education program contacts in 2010 are classified as general audience (primarily families). We also replied to 1681 phoned and 456 e-mailed requests for information; these ranged from general information on endangered species for elementary school students to very specific questions from international scientists. In July of 2010, the Endangered Wolf Center launched a new website and from July to December of 2010, we received over 20,000 visits to our new website.
3 2010 Endangered Wolf Center Annual Report Endangered Wolf Center Composi on of 2010 On-Site and Outreach Programs College/ 3rd-5th 6th-8th Professional 8,753 - 16% 369 -1% 4,377-8% Pre-K 521-1% 9th-12th 589-1%
Youth Groups 4,664-9%
General Special Needs 33,351 - 63% 179- ‹1%
Special Interest Groups 634-1%
Endangered Wolf Center 2010 Educa on Revenue Training Camp Programs, Programs, $123.31 $12,668.00
Off-Site Programs, $1,185.00 Evening Programs, $19,764.00
Day me Programs, $35,075.57
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MEMBERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT:
We are very grateful to all of those that became members and made donations this year in order to help us serve and care for our animals and ultimately meet our mission of breeding, conducting behavioral research and providing educational programs.
In October, Ted Turner was the recipient of the Endangered Wolf Center’s Perkins’ Partner in Conservation award at our gala. We held our twenty-third annual Open House in October, sixteenth annual Members’ Only event in November and our fifteenth annual Holiday Boutique in December.
Our membership grew across the globe, and with each new member a voice was added in support of conservation of wild canids. The popularity of the Adopt-A-Wolf program grew with the help of the witty and informative updates from the Animal Care Department.
The Endangered Wolf Center is part of the national workplace-giving program known as Earth Share. Earth Share of Missouri includes over thirty organizations.
We are fortunate that so many of our members and donors have planned and made provisions to continue their support by including the Center in their wills.
This year’s major contributors included the Moller Foundation, Sister Madonna Buder, The Hecker Family Foundation, Lighthawk, The William Penn Foundation, The Donald Slavik Family Foundation, Elizabeth Jackson, Margaret Kiefer, Mr. Thomas W. Haas, Swift Print Communications, August Busch III Charitable Trust and Mr. and Mrs. Van Lear Black III.
Giving material donations can be just as necessary and valued as monetary donations. Our supporters provided much-needed animal care supplies, educational materials and event prizes. Throughout the year, Zerna Meats donated bones, The Association of Certified Bowhunters & The Missouri Department of Conservation donated deer as enrichment for the animals and Gail Meyers provided fruits and vegetables for the maned wolves. We are particularly grateful to Land O’Lakes Purina Feed for donating a dry diet for the wolves, the Saint Louis Zoo for veterinary services and Washington University for generously providing the land we utilize at a very low rental rate.
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FINANCIAL REPORTS:
In general, contributions increased significantly. A breakdown of how income was generated and where those monies were spent is outlined in the accompanying graphs.
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Endangered Wolf Center 2010 Revenue
Program Services, $69,927 20%
Gi Shop Sales,
Contribu ons & $24,185 Bequests, 7% $186,459 51%
Special Events, $73,538 Investment 21% Income, $1,469
< 1%
6 2010 Endangered Wolf Center Annual Report Endangered Wolf Center 2010 Expenses Administra ve, $101,739 18%
Program Services, $316,303 Other , $141,959 57% 25%
Endangered Wolf Center STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
2010 Net Assets
Net assets or fund balances at beginning of year 1,148,183 Excess or (deficit) for the year (204,423) Other changes in net assets or fund balances 0 Net assets or fund balances at end of year 943,760 2010 Endangered Wolf Center Board of Trustees Board meetings were held the third Thursday of
each month at Wolf Public House, 15480 Clayton Chairman: Mr. Bryan Swift (2008) Road Ballwin, MO 63011 Vice Chairman: Mr. Tom Altwies (2010) Our most recent financial information and Secretary/Treasurer: Mrs. Joann McKenzie (2010) IRS form 990 is available upon request. Trustees:
Ms. PJ Harrison
Mr. Jack Grisham
Ms. Marguerite Garrick Dr. Eric Miller Mr. Ralph Pfremmer Mrs. Sue Hume Mr. Paul Zemitzsch 7 2010 Endangered Wolf Center Annual Report Endangered Wolf Center Staff: Executive Director: Mac Sebald Assistant Director: Kim Scott Development Director: Denise Nuehring and Dot Soldavini Education Director: Pamela Braasch Office Manager: Maryann Amsinger Membership Associate: Melissa Thomas and Missy Rung Animal Care Department: Sarah Kucharski Erin Czapla Tracy Rein Jackie Fallon
Address: P.O. Box 760, Eureka, MO 63025 Web Site: www.endangeredwolfcenter.org Phone: (636) 938-5900 fax (636) 938-6490 E-mail:[email protected]
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