Physical Characteristics Red pandas are a rusty red with light hair on the ears and face. They have a ring tail and dark patches around their eyes. The tail is not prehensile, but instead is used for balance. They are nocturnal and crepuscular spending most of the day napping. Their claws are semi-retractable and they…

Miller Park Zoo’s Guest Services staff recently documented what goes on behind the scenes at the zoo for a typical week. Some market research was also done to determine where our visitors come from. Buckets were placed in the zoo’s entryway to collect visitor’s tickets during the last week before school started. The results indicated…

Since its opening in the summer of 2023, the South America exhibit has quickly become a guest favorite. The exhibit houses two Galapagos Tortoises, two Giant Anteaters and two Chilean Pudus. The Galápagos giant tortoise is the largest living species of tortoise and can weigh up to 900 lb.  They are also the largest extant terrestrial cold-blooded…

The City of Bloomington and Miller Park Zoo are excited to announce that King Julian, the ring-tailed lemur, has moved to a new, permanent home. The AZA-accredited Sunset Zoological Park in Manhattan, KS recently welcomed Julian to its facility with a goal of introducing Julian to two other ring-tailed lemurs, both of whom were also…

Earth Day has been celebrated on April 22 every year since 1970. Itis considered thebirth of the modern environmental movement. It includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EARTHDAY.ORG. It has evolved into the largest civic event on earth, activating billions of people across 192 countries to safeguard our planet. This message appears on…

The February newsletter discussed the Species Survival Plan (SSP) established by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in 1981. The program was created to help ensure the survival of selected species in zoos and aquariums that were threatened, endangered, or otherwise in danger of extinction in the wild. Forty-nine of the species at Miller Park Zoo are covered by the…

In 1924, the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AZA) was formed as an affiliate of the American Institute of Park Executives. In the fall of 1971, the AZA membership voted to become an independent association. In 1973, the Endangered Species Act was passed to protect US species deemed in danger of extinction. The concern…

Each week a zookeeper and a volunteer go grocery shopping. They are hunting for ingredients for over 150 recipes in the zoo kitchen diet binders. There are two kitchens at the zoo. One in the Kauthoffer building and the other in Zoo Lab. The kitchens are busy places. Every day meals are prepared for over…

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” This phrase originally referred to the courier service of the ancient Persian Empire. Today it certainly applies to those hardy souls who keep the zoo thriving throughout Illinois winters. Winter brings changes for animals…