Pittsburgh native Dr. Evan Blumer, executive director of the Wilds, has been instrumental in shaping the innovative facility since it opened to the public in 1994.

Growing up in Stanton Heights, he visited the Pittsburgh Zoo frequently and credits it with helping to foster his interests in inhabitants of the world's wild kingdoms.

After graduating from Peabody High School in 1976, Dr. Blumer studied animal behavior at Bucknell University, did graduate work at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and eventually obtained a doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Pennsylvania, with a special interest in rare and endangered species.

During a stint at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, a 1,800-acre preserve in Glen Rose, Texas, he began working with rhinos, a fascination that he brought to the Wilds. He now serves on the board of the International Rhino Foundation.

Always striving to bridge the gap between traditional zoos and animals in the wild, he strives to present wildlife populations in more natural settings, work that has taken him to five continents.

"I am 100 percent about the long game," Dr. Blumer said during a recent telephone interview. "Everything we do at the Wilds is mission driven, first and foremost for the animals and their habitats. But rather than having the broad collection-oriented approach of a zoo, we focus on a limited number of rare species that match our expertise and resources and require special attention.

"All the projects we have undertaken for our human visitors are intended to support that effort."