This past summer, Roger William Park Zoo’s director of conservation programs Lou Perrotti was joined by agents from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and University of Rhode Island biologists in releasing a pair of New England cottontails at Charlestown’s Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge. Since 2010, New England Cottontail captive breeding institutions have made promising progress toward boosting cottontail numbers, releasing over 300 captive-bred specimens into the wild. Partners also work to protect and restore habitat throughout the range of this species. Roger Williams Park Zoo continues to play an integral role in restoring New England cottontail populations through breeding and reintroduction programs. To learn more about the Zoo’s different conservation programs, visit: www.rwpzoo.org/conservation.
