The Wolf Conservation Center (WCC) is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the conservation of wolves through education, captive breeding, and field-based advocacy. Founded in 1999 and based in South Salem, New York, the WCC is one of three facilities in the United States that participates in the federal Species Survival Plan (SSP) for the Mexican gray wolf and the Red Wolf SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) programs.
WCC’s education portfolio includes virtual and offsite school programs, a popular scientific webinar series featuring leading wolf researchers, and a globally watched live-webcam program featuring ambassador wolves (Zephyr, Alawa, and Nikai) and breeding pairs of Mexican gray and red wolves. The Center is currently closed to onsite visitors through 2027 for major facility upgrades, but continues to deliver its mission through remote and offsite programming. The Center’s work also extends to advocacy on federal wolf-protection policy, including engagement on the FY2027 Interior and Environment appropriations bill and the proposed H.R. 1897 Endangered Species Act rollback.
WCC contributes to the recovery of two of the world’s most endangered canids through its SSP and SAFE participation, including the 2026 birth of a red wolf pup to parents Martha and Oka. The Center’s combination of on-the-ground recovery work, public education, and federal policy advocacy makes it a distinctive contributor to the conservation of North American and Mexican wolves. WCC is a member of the IUCN Canid Specialist Group.
