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The Wildlife Conservation
Society (WCS), a global conservation
organization, hosted its annual gala
this evening celebrating the Bronx Zoo’s
125th anniversary
and paying tribute to its director, Jim
Breheny.
Said Breheny: “All
of us here in New York and our
colleagues in the field are united in
the common goal of having people respect
and care for nature; in protecting
species and the places where they live.
Through our combined work we provide
hope and preserve options for ourselves
and
future generations."
The annual event is held
at Central Park Zoo and welcomes guests
from across the world who support WCS’s
mission to save wildlife and wild
places. WCS harnesses the power of its
four zoos (Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo,
Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo), its New
York Aquarium, and its field programs in
more than 50 countries to save and
protect nature for people and wildlife.
The Bronx Zoo is WCS’s flagship park and
home to WCS Global.
The gala’s honoree,
Breheny, began serving as Director of
the Bronx Zoo in 2005; and has served in
that position and as Executive Vice
President of WCS’s Zoos and Aquarium
since 2011. A Bronx native, he started
working at the Bronx Zoo as a summer
intern.
“All of us at WCS wish to
congratulate Jim Breheny on this
well-deserved celebration of his long
and successful career,” said Robb Menzi,
WCS Interim President and CEO. “His
leadership of WCS’s zoos and aquarium
has had an outsized impact not only on
the innovative progress here at WCS, but
also on zoos and aquariums worldwide. I
am honored to be among Jim’s friends and
colleagues applauding him this evening.
“
Added Dan Ashe, President
and Chief Executive Officer of the
Association of Zoos and Aquariums: “Jim
Breheny is a child of the Bronx who
started his career at WCS in the 1970s.
His career path kept him at WCS, and he
rose to lead one of the world’s greatest
zoos and to become a leader in the
global zoological profession. Jim is a
leader among leaders, brilliant and
brilliantly funny. He has helped
transform modern zoos into outstanding
conservation organizations that we know
today.”
Breheny, a staunch
advocate for animals and saving nature
across the world, is responsible for
WCS’s four zoos and aquarium, which
collectively house more than 20,000
animals representing more than 1,300
species—the largest coordinated
collection of animals in the world.
Under his leadership, the Bronx Zoo’s
education program reaches 1 million-plus
students, educators, and families with
science education programs annually.
Some of Breheny’s key
milestones in his 50 plus years at the
Bronx Zoo: He led the development of
reintroduction and head-starting
programs for species ranging in size
from Kihansi spray toads to American
bison and has overseen the opening of
Madagascar! and many other exhibits.
Under his leadership, Ocean Wonders:
Sharks! was built and opened as the
extensive restoration work at the NY
Aquarium was underway following the
damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.
Breheny, a mentor to many
in the zoo and aquarium profession, has
a long record of service to the
Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA),
including serving as Chair of the Board
of Directors. He championed the
successful effort to increase AZA member
financial support to field conservation
programs, which currently contributes
over $250 million annually to global
conservation efforts.
One of Breheny’s most
significant contributions to the zoo and
aquarium community is the docuseries THE
ZOO, which premiered on Animal Planet
and appeared in over 200 markets around
the world. THE ZOO, which was taped over
five seasons, gave viewers a behind the
scenes look at how zoos and aquariums
are run. The show enhanced the public’s
view of the Bronx Zoo and also other
zoos and aquariums run by the AZA.
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WCS’s Annual Gala/2024
Details
HONOREE:
Jim Breheny
CO-CHAIRS:
Elizabeth and Lee Ainslie, Wallis
Annenberg, Judy and Jamie Dimon, Katie
and Peter Dolan, Ingrid and Thomas
Edelman, Linda and Paul Gould, Laura and
Peter Grauer, Antonia and George
Grumbach, Diane and Andreas Halvorsen,
Judith Hamilton, John
and Jeanet Irwin, Tony and Amie James,
Terry and Bob Lindsay, Helen and Gene
McGrath, Howdy Phipps, Alejandro and
Charlotte Santo Domingo, Kitty and
Stephen Sherrill, Loretta and Chris
Stadler, Allison and Leonard Stern, Ann
and Andrew Tisch, Priscilla and Ward
Woods, Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang,
Don and Barbara Zucker
About 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.
Visit: newsroom.wcs.org.
Follow: @WCSNewsroom.
For more information:
+1
(347) 840-1242. Listen
to the WCS Wild Audio podcast HERE.
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