We participate in international organized breeding programs for a number of different species. Currently, they include the Snow leopard, clouded leopard, cheetah, Amur leopard & the Persian leopard. In addition, we are involved in ongoing cooperative programs with a number of zoos including; Moscow Zoo, Assiniboine Park Zoo (Canada), Prague Zoo (Czech Republic), San Diego Zoo, Dickerson Park Zoo, Greater Baton Rouge Zoo, Riverside Zoo & the El Paso Zoo. We are also working with the Brazillian government wildlife authorities & the Sao Paulo Zoo in a cooperative management program for the Brazillian ocelot.
Many of the species that we work with are rare & difficult to breed in captivity. In order to provide an environment conducive to breeding we are not open to the general public. Our sole means of support is through private donations. We have begun accepting donations to offset the costs, but to date the expenses far exceed the donations. We need your help!
We do not sell offspring for pets! Wild animals do not make good pets & require a serious comitment.
Currenlty, our feed bill alone runs nearly $800.00 per month! We have 1 employee & 1 volunteer that is involved with the daily care and maintenance of the collection. We do not receive any government funding or support. In order to help subsidize their care, we have an adoption program that allows individuals to help care for a favorite species or specific animal. Included with every adoption is a photo of the specific animal, a listing on our Thank you page (with an e-mail link) and periodic updates on the happenings at the center. We also have a need for a number of "in kind" items that can be purchased & donated to the center.
Although many of the species we work with are quite rare, many do not make good exhibit animals due to their shy nature. For this reason, many public zoo's cannot successfully keep them in a facility that is open to the public. Our facility is licensed by the State of Oklahoma, the United States Department of Agriculture & the United States Fish & Wildlife Service. In addition, Oakhill Center is a member of the Zoological Association of America, the IUCN/Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, ISIS (International Species Information System), & the Southeast Asian Zoo Association.
It is an unfortunate reality, but the captive population of most carnivores
will never be released into nature again. With the encroachment of man
& fragmentation of their range territories, the animals held in zoos
& facilities like ours may just be the only insurance policy against
total extinction!
