This is a list of every species at The Wilds conservation park in Cumberland, Ohio, USA. I am arranging the list based off of the order of the open air safari tour. This list will be for all species not just the ones on display. The American Bison are not included because they are not owned by the Wilds. They are owned and live on a local farm just they can be seen while you are in the Wilds. Here is the Wilds species list as of 7/4/2021. Hellbender Conservation Center The Hellbender Center is located next to the Visitor Center and Kid’s Discovery Center. It focus on breeding, hatching, and releasing Hellbenders back to the wild. Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) First Pasture This is the first pasture you will encounter on most tours. It is home to some very loud residents. Sometimes you will find takin in here even though it is not there designated pasture because they will often swim across the main lake to get here. This pasture is very hilly and has two lakes in it. There are lots of mud wallows for the deer and scattered rocks. There are no other plants besides grasses in this pasture and a few trees by the main lake. Père David’s Deer (Elaphurus davidianus) Sichuan Takin (Budorcas taxicolor tibetana) Second Pasture This pasture is one of the largest. The terrain is very hilly with scattered brush. The animals in this pasture have access to the main lake so they can cool off when it gets to hot out. The onager herd has only females in it as well as the rhino herd. The males for both these species are off-display. Domestic Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus) Persian Onager (Equus hemionus onager) Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) Third Pasture This pasture has the most plants out of them all. There are small pockets of forest throughout here and the animals have access to the main lake. The takin herd that lives here is the largest in captivity. Some people may know this pasture as the giraffe pasture after it’s former inhabitants. Père David’s Deer (Elaphurus davidianus) Sichuan Takin (Budorcas taxicolor tibetana) Banteng (Bos javanicus) Przewalski’s Wild Horse (Equus ferus przewalskii) More to come later today
This is interesting information to me, I have been watching the TV series ‘Secrets of the Zoo’ which has frequent stories about The Wilds but is fuzzy about which species mix with others.
Lakeside Trail Lakeside Trail is the first stop on the open air tour. After you hop off the bus you can go to the aviary or take the trail that goes down to the lake as well as to the Crane yard. This is a very nice scenic trail but it is not for everyone as it can get steep in some places. Budgie Landing This is a small shed like build with lots of tree branches where you can pay a dollar to feed a huge group of budgies. Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) Crane Yard Red-Crowned Crane (Grus japonensis) Central Chinese Goral (Naemorhedus griseus)
Carnivore Conservation Center This facility is made up of multiple yards home to rare carnivores as well as a restaurant, animal hospital, and other facilities. After hoping off the bus you see a large yard of your left. This yard is huge and has a large pond in it. In here you will find a very large family of colorful canines African Painted Dog (Lycaon pictus) The yard on your right we will come to later. As you continue following the path you arrive at the hospital/bathrooms/Restaurant. On your way up to the restaurant you can see a new yard. This yard and the yard behind the first cheetah yard are home to a red dog from Asia. The Wilds is home to two packs of dhole that rotate in between the yards. Chinese Dhole (Cuon alpinus lepturus) (Picture of the first yard. I was not able to get a picture of the second one as it is very hard to view. Photo is the file at the very bottom of the post. For some reason it will not let me put this picture like the rest) After you see these guys you follow the wooden boardwalk where you come across three yards home to a spotted cat from Africa. Each yard had a least two cheetahs in it and even more were housed off-display. Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) (First Cheetah Yard, across from painted dogs) (Second Cheetah yard in front of second dhole yard) (Third Cheetah Yard) I will try to post more soon. Sorry for the huge delay between my posts.
But aren't the bison managed by The Wilds? Lots of zoos have animals they don't own but do care for and manage.
The Wilds do not manage the bison. They live on a nearby farm but they can be seen from Wilds property. Every once and a while the animal management staff at the Wilds will help take care of them but that is very rare.
Fourth Pasture This pasture is full of grass and has no trees. There is one large shade structure in here. Grevy’s Zebra (Equus grevyi) Fringe-Eared Oryx (Oryx beisa callotis) Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus) Fifth Pasture This pasture has no trees and is just grass with scattered shade structures. Masai Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) Scimitar-Horned Oryx (Oryx dammah) I will post the sixth pasture and off-display animals soon.
Sixth Pasture This is the largest pasture. There is a small lake that runs through it, multiple shade structures, mud wallows, and a couple trees. In here you will find: Southern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) Common Eland (Taurotragus oryx) Bactrian Deer (Cervus hanglu bactrianus)
Off Exhibit Animals Sable Antelope (Hippotragus niger) Indochinese Sika Deer (Cervus nippon pseudaxis) 0.2 Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) 0.1 Scimitar-Horned Oryx (Oryx dammah) 9.0 Przewalski’s Wild Horse (Equus ferus przewalskii) 1.1 Masai Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Oh yes, sorry I forgot about those. Horse Barn & Pastures The house area has a small stable and a couple large grassy pastures. You can pay extra to take a horse back ride through the butterfly area. Domestic Horse (Equus caballus)
