The Bronx Zoo Hosted the 16th Annual WCS Run for the Wild Today

The WCS Run for the Wild, sponsored by Montefiore Einstein, marking the official start of spring/summer in New York City, returned to the Bronx Zoo today for the 16th year. More than 80,000 runners and walkers have traversed through the park for this event since it started in 2009.

Five thousand participants ran, jogged, and walked through the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo in support of wildlife conservation. Each year, the WCS Run for the Wild is dedicated to an animal to raise awareness of the threats they face. This year, the event was dedicated to snow leopards, which are classified as "Vulnerable" by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN). WCS and the Bronx Zoo have long been a global leader in snow leopard conservation, thanks in part to funds raised during the annual WCS Run for the Wild.

Winners of the 5K race today were:

First place in male category: Zac Carazzone from Mahwah, NJ
First place in female category: Eliana Greenwald, New York, NY

After the run, participants enjoyed visiting the wildlife and exploring the grounds at the zoo. Post-run activities included music, costumed characters, Wildlife Theater, trivia, games, face painting, and more, and visits to the resident wildlife at all of the Bronx Zoo exhibits.

This year's run was extra special as we're celebrating 125 years of the Bronx Zoo. To celebrate after the run, participants explored Animal Chronicles, a walking trail of more than a quarter mile, featuring immersive eco-sculptures that showcase key achievements in the Bronx Zoo's history of saving animal species and connecting visitors from around the world to wildlife.

WCS Run for the Wild is sponsored by Montefiore Einstein.

The Bronx Zoo

The Bronx Zoo, located on 265 acres of hardwood forest in Bronx, NY, opened on Nov. 8, 1899. It is world-renowned for its leadership in the areas of animal welfare, husbandry, veterinary care, education, science and conservation. The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is the flagship park of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) which manages the world's largest network of urban wildlife parks including the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo and New York Aquarium. Our curators and animal care staff work to save, propagate, and sustain populations of threatened and endangered species. We have educated and inspired more than 400 million visitors at our zoos and aquarium since our opening and host approximately 4 million guests at our parks each year ? including about a half-million students annually. The Bronx Zoo is the largest youth employer in the borough of the Bronx, providing opportunity and helping to transform lives in one of the most under-served communities in the nation. The Bronx Zoo is the subject of THE ZOO, a docu-series aired world-wide on Animal Planet. Members of the media should contact [email protected] (+1 (347) 840-1242) for more information or with questions.

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)

WCS combines the power of its zoos and an aquarium in New York City and a Global Conservation Program in more than 50 countries to achieve its mission to save wildlife and wild places. WCS runs the world's largest conservation field program, protecting more than 50 percent of Earth's known biodiversity; in partnership with governments, Indigenous People, Local Communities, and the private sector. Its four zoos and aquarium (the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and the New York Aquarium) welcome more than 3.5 million visitors each year, inspiring generations to care for nature. Visit: newsroom.wcs.org. Follow: @WCSNewsroom. For more information: +1 (347) 840-1242. Listen to the WCS Wild Audio podcast HERE.