Learn More About EWA

As North America's oldest and most successful organization of non-native wildlife breeders and managers, the Exotic Wildlife Association (EWA) is the leading advocate and defender of animal-owner rights and for-profit species conservation. When game ranchers formed the Association in 1967, they had a variety of concerns for the industry. Many of those concerns and interests are shared by EWA's current membership.

Today's EWA represents Members throughout the U.S. and in several foreign countries. EWA Members have propagated and protected some of the largest populations of privately owned wild ungulates in the world, and have been responsible for supporting various educational, scientific and research projects.

EWA recognizes the efforts of ranchers who have developed herds of rare species using range management, wildlife husbandry and hunting as management tools. In fact, such tools have helped several species, such as the barasingha (a deer native to India) and the scimitar-horned oryx (an antelope native to North Africa), become more numerous on EWA Member-ranches than they are in their entire countries of origin.

EWA's Mission is to encourage and expand the conservation of indigenous and non-indigenous hoofstock animals, and to help our Members develop and strengthen the markets for their animals. To accomplish this integrated twofold mission, the EWA strives to:

  • Protect the rights of private property owners, including, but not limited to, the right to manage and control their own land and the indigenous and non-indigenous hoofstock animals living on it;
  • Defend the owners of indigenous and non-indigenous hoofstock animals against the misrepresentations and false allegations of animal rights activists;
  • Articulate the need for "sustainable utilization" of wildlife, as a viable tool to maintain "proper carrying" on private property.
  • Educate policy-makers, the media and the public through research and advocacy;
  • Foster development of the alternative livestock industry through agricultural diversification into production and marketing;
  • Promote "conservation through commerce";
  • Provide technical support and useful information to our Members, so as to benefit them, their animals, and their industry.