- AAA
Visit Our Parks
Founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society, the Wildlife Conservation Society was one of the first conservation organizations in the U.S. The Society began with a clear mandate: Advance wildlife conservation, promote the study of zoology, and create a first-class zoo. In fact we created five: the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and New York Aquarium.
Membership
Join now to enjoy free admission for a full year of fun and adventure at the Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium, Central Park, Prospect Park, and Queens Zoos. Sign up at the Individual or Family level, or become a Conservation Member to receive additional benefits and provide greater support for WCS’s work to save wildlife and wild places. Already have a membership? Renew or give a gift of WCS membership.Exhibits and Conservation
WCS’s staff of field and zoo experts work together in the service of a single mission: to save wildlife and wild places. We call this our “One WCS” approach to conservation. As our vets, curators, and keepers care for the animals of the four zoos and aquarium in New York, they share their insights with scientists working in the field to save the animals’ wild cousins. Field staff report back their observations of animal behavior and needs in nature, which in turn bolsters animal wellbeing in the parks.
Featured Projects
Congo Gorilla Forest
The Bronx Zoo’s Congo Gorilla Forest features one of the largest groups of western lowland gorillas in North America, and is among the world’s first zoo exhibits to directly give visitors a stake in wildlife conservation in the field.
The Bronx Zoo: Madagascar!
At Madagascar!, zoogoers see the island nation through the eyes of a conservationist. The Bronx Zoo strives to inspire a connection to Madagascar’s imperiled wild creatures while there is still time to save them.
Snow Leopards at the Bronx and Central Park Zoos
From Central Park to Central Asia, WCS is a world leader in the care and conservation of snow leopards. In 1903, the Bronx Zoo became the first zoo in the Western Hemisphere to exhibit these rare spotted cats. Today, the Bronx and Central Park Zoos are home to the most important collection of snow leopards in North America.
Studying Maleos in the Zoo and the Field
Found only on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi—and at the Bronx Zoo—the maleo is an endangered and totally unique bird. The Bronx Zoo Bird Department and WCS-Indonesia have worked together to document its unusual nesting behaviors. Their teamwork has helped to protect the species and its nesting grounds in the wild.
The American Bison Society
In its second century of bison conservation, WCS is working to restore the wild landscape that enables bison to roam freely, and to support larger, free-ranging herds. The ABS was founded at the Bronx Zoo in 1905.
The Restoration of the Bronx River
Once plagued by pollution and neglect, today the Bronx River is home to herring, egrets, and even a lone beaver. The return of native wildlife is proof of the waterway’s improving health, and a testimony to community restoration efforts by WCS and other local groups.
subscribe