More than 5,000 runners and walkers made tracks through the Bronx Zoo on Saturday, April 26, to support global wildlife conservation during the 17th annual WCS Run for the Wild, sponsored by Montefiore Einstein.
This year’s event spotlighted the Critically Endangered Indian gharial, a slender-snouted crocodilian species that can be seen at the zoo’s JungleWorld exhibit. Proceeds from the run will aid the Wildlife Conservation Society’s efforts to protect the gharial and other threatened wildlife both locally and around the world.
Since the inaugural event in 2009, more than 85,000 people have participated in the WCS Run for the Wild, helping raise awareness about species at risk of extinction.
In the 5K race, Tyler Perry of Haverstraw, NY, took first place in the men’s category, followed by James Berent of Jersey City, NJ, and Thomas Canavan of Sturbridge, MA.
In the women’s race, Leah Nelson of New York, NY, claimed first place, with Noa Denver of Washington Heights, NY, finishing second, and Josephine Demos of New York, NY, placing third.
Following the run, participants and their families spent the afternoon visiting exhibits across the zoo, taking part in post-race festivities that included live music, costumed characters, Wildlife Theater performances, trivia games, and face painting.
The Bronx Zoo, operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society, has been a leader in animal welfare, education, and conservation since its opening in 1899. Spanning 265 acres of hardwood forest in the heart of the Bronx, it remains one of the borough’s largest youth employers and a world-renowned center for wildlife care and preservation.
