Going wild with the Endangered Wolf Center

WASHINGTON - While many people are afraid of "big bad" wolves, there are many species of wolf that are endangered in parts of the world.

The Endangered Wolf Center near St. Louis, Missouri, helps foster and rehabilitate many species of wolves and other wild animals so they can be released into the wild and help their populations grow.

Virginia Busch is Executive Director of the Endangered Wolf Center. The center has been around for 45 years, and their mission is to "protect and preserve wild canids."

There are many special animals at the center -- including a Maned Wolf named Lucky. Maned Wolves are part wolf and fox -- but are neither. They are their own species and are the largest canid animals in South America.

Handlers at the center tried to re-release Lucky back into the wild, but she had some trouble being accepted so she has been fostered at the center.

There is also Daisy the Fennec Fox, which are a special fox species known for their unique large ears, native to the sub-Saharan desert of Africa.

The center also rehabilitates Mexican and Red Wolves, African Painted Dogs and Swift Foxes.

There is also Clay the hognose snake. Virginia says for those who are afraid of snakes and see one in the yard -- it is best to leave snakes alone. This is partly because it can be hard to tell if they're venomous, but snakes are good for the environment because they eat mice and rats, and help keep rodent populations (as well as diseases and ticks) down.

To see all the unique creatures watch the video in the player above.

You can learn about all the animals, check out their animal cams and even virtually "adopt" some animals through their website.