The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving wildlife and wild places around the world. WCS operates five zoos and aquariums in New York City, including the Bronx Zoo, and manages more than 500 conservation projects in over 60 countries. The organization's mission is to conserve the world's largest wild places in 16 priority regions, home to more than 50% of the world's biodiversity. WCS's work includes scientific research, wildlife health and veterinary programs, community-based conservation, and education and outreach. The organization was founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society and is headquartered in the Bronx, New York.