History
The Wilds was originally created as a partnership with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio Department of Development, the Ohio zoological parks, and companies in the private sector in 1984. While the Wilds was an organization on paper, however, it was not until 1986 that they received the land they now own as a gift from the Central Ohio Coal Company. Now that the Wilds had a home, they could hire employees, begin development planning, and find fundraising support.
After a few years of company building, the first visitor center was finally completed in 1989. The Johnson Visitor Center as it is now known was built with the environment in mind, using a state-of-the-art geothermal heating and cooling system.
In anticipation of receiving their first animals, the first animal management facilities were built in 1990, along with the fencing of the initial open range. These projects allowed for the Wilds to receive their first animals in 1991, including Scimitar-Horned Oryx, Przewalski's Horses, and Hartmann's Mountain Zebras.
The Wilds opened to the public three years later. For the next few years, they continued to add animals, improve their conservation efforts, and increase the public's awareness of such matters. By 2002, however, the Wilds was facing financial troubles. This spurred the board of trustees to initiate a major reorganization of the Wilds, which included developing a better working relationship with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. This culminated in the completion of the first Strategic Vision Plan in 2005, designed to guide the success and future development of the Wilds for the future.
Read more about this topic: The Wilds
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