BATTLE CREEK, MI -- The Mexican gray wolves at Binder Park Zoo are getting a new home after the zoo was awarded a $50,000 state grant.

Binder Park Zoo was awarded $50,000 from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs for improvements to its Mexican gray wolf exhibit, according to a press release from the zoo.

The zoo near Battle Creek was one of 561 applicants to compete for the grant funding. Binder Park was also awarded $15,000 to help with general operating costs.

“We are honored and grateful to receive these awards from the MCACA," said Diane Thompson, the zoo’s president and CEO. “They allow us to not only enhance the overall guest experience but make improvements that positively impacts our mission of conservation here at the zoo.”

The wolves will move from their current location near the zoo’s Binda Conservation Carousel to an area east of the Branum Creek. The current location has a lookout deck that allows guests to view the wolves from above. This is no longer considered best zoological practice, the zoo said.

“The new habitat will include a viewing area that respects the needs of the species and meets best practice where guest can observe the wolves at ground level,” the zoo said.

The zoo has been a part of conservation efforts for the Mexican gray wolf species since initially receiving a breeding pair in 1992. The Mexican gray wolves are the most critically endangered subspecies of the gray wolf and one of the rarest animals with about 350 left in the world, the zoo said.

In June, four wolf pups were born at the zoo to a breeding pair Flynn and Izzy. One pup died early of pneumonia and then, later, two other pups died of Eastern equine encephalitis, which the zoo called a “highly and unusually rare occurrence in the canine species.”

Wildlife, Conservation and Education Manager Brett Linsley said the deaths were “heartbreaking” to both zoo staff and the greater conservation efforts for the species. There are three remaining wolves at the zoo.

“The new exhibit will not only provide a larger, more suitable habitat for the wolves to thrive in, but will help us redouble our efforts towards the breeding of these animals with the goal of future releases back into the wild," Linsley said.

The first of the two wolves died during the first weekend in September, and was the first confirmed case of EEE in Calhoun County, the zoo said previously. The zoo confirmed later that month that the second wolf’s death was also caused by the rare mosquito-borne illness found throughout Southwest Michigan.

In total, 10 human cases of EEE have been reported in Barry, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties, according to MDHHS. Including the most recent reported death, five of the 10 cases were fatal.

Binder Park Zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Thursday, Oct. 31. Admission is $10 per person for the remainder of the season.