The Endangered Wolf Center is a non-profit wildlife facility in

Eureka, Missouri Eureka is a city located in St. Louis County, Missouri, St. Louis County, Missouri, United States, adjacent to the cities of Wildwood, Missouri, Wildwood and Pacific, Missouri, Pacific, along Interstate 44 in Missouri, Interstate 44. It is in ...

, United States, near

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

that is dedicated to preserving and reintroducing to the wild critically endangered species of wolves. It is certified by the

Association of Zoos and Aquariums The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), originally the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1924 and dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in ...

(AZA). Visitors can tour the facility by making a reservation. The center was founded in 1971 by renowned naturalist

Marlin Perkins Richard Marlin Perkins (March 28, 1905 – June 14, 1986) was an American zoology, zoologist. He was best known as a host of the television program ''Wild Kingdom, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom'' from 1963 to 1985. Life and career Perkin ...

and his wife Carol, who saw that wolves around the world were in danger of becoming extinct. Its mission is to preserve and protect Mexican wolves,

red wolves The red wolf (''Canis rufus'') is a canine native to the southeastern United States. Its size is intermediate between the coyote (''Canis latrans'') and gray wolf (''Canis lupus''). The red wolf's taxonomic classification as being a separate sp ...

, and other wild canid species, with purpose and passion, through carefully managed breeding, reintroduction and inspiring education programs. Animals born at the facility have been reintroduced to North Carolina (red wolves) and Arizona and New Mexico (Mexican wolves). The center's research focuses on reproductive, behavioral and nutritional needs for the species housed there. The Endangered Wolf Center is a founding member of the AZA's Mexican Wolf and Red Wolf Species Survival Plans. As of August 2016, the center had six species of endangered canids: Mexican wolves,

maned wolves The maned wolf (''Chrysocyon brachyurus'') is a large canine of South America. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and Paraguay, and is almost extinct in Uruguay. Its markings resemble those of foxes, but it is neither a fox nor a w ...

African painted dog The African wild dog (''Lycaon pictus''), also called the painted dog or Cape hunting dog, is a wild canine which is a native species to sub-Saharan Africa. It is the largest wild canine in Africa, and the only extant member of the genus '' L ...

fennec fox The fennec fox (''Vulpes zerda'') is a small crepuscular fox native to the deserts of North Africa, ranging from Western Sahara to the Sinai Peninsula. Its most distinctive feature is its unusually large ears, which serve to dissipate heat and l ...

es and

swift fox The swift fox (''Vulpes velox'') is a small light orange-tan fox around the size of a domestic cat found in the western grasslands of North America, such as Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. It also lives in southern Ma ...

es. It had more than 20 Mexican gray wolves, more than any other managed breeding facility. (Only 97 Mexican wolves were known to exist in the wild as of 2015.) The center serves as the cornerstone of the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

's program to preserve Mexican wolves and reintroduce them to the wild. The center offers daytime tours and evening wolf howls. Reservations are required. The Endangered Wolf Center is an independent 501c(3) non-profit and receives no federal or state support. Its programs are supported solely by members, donors and visitors. The center is on the grounds of

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...

Tyson Research Center Tyson Research Center is a environmental field station owned and operated by Washington University in St. Louis in the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area east of Eureka. It is part of the Henry Shaw Ozark Corridor which consists of over of pr ...

. It is located off

Interstate 44 Interstate 44 (I-44) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. Although it is nominally an east–west road as it is even-numbered, it follows a more southwest–northeast alignment. Its western terminus is in Wichita Fal ...

, west of Interstate 270 and about southwest of St. Louis. The Endangered Wolf Center originally was named the Wild Canid Survival and Research Center. File:Canis lupus baileyi at Endangered Wolf Center.JPG, Mexican wolves at the Endangered Wolf Center

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* {{Zoos Non-profit organizations based in Missouri Buildings and structures in St. Louis County, Missouri Education in St. Louis County, Missouri Tourist attractions in St. Louis County, Missouri Dog parks in the United States Animal sanctuaries Wolf organizations Wolf parks Zoos in Missouri 501(c)(3) organizations Animal charities based in the United States Wildlife sanctuaries of the United States