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A Look at South America
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…
King Julian’s New Home
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 at the Zoo
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…
Welcome to the World. Welcome to our Zoo.
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…
Making a Difference
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…
Groceries at the Zoo
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…
Winter at the Zoo
“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…
Saving a Species
Once believed to be extinct, the Puerto Rican Crested Toad (PRCT) population has been on the rise. Since 2019, Miller Park Zoo has been working with other accredited institutions to breed a small population of toads for reintroduction into the wild. Our efforts have finally paid off! Recently, we sent off 37 tadpoles to Puerto…
Learning at the Zoo
On any visit to the zoo there is much to learn about the animals. You can read the signs, ask a keeper, or just observe. There is something to be learned about every animal. In addition to what you can learn on your own, there are classes, education programs, and events both at the zoo and outside the…
Flapjacks and Flamingos
Ever since the Flamingo exhibit opened in June of 2016, greater flamingos have been greeting guests as they enter the zoo. On Saturday July 15 of this year, Silvia Schuh, Events/Volunteer Coordinator turned the tables and made it possible for fifty-seven guests to greet the flamingos as they burst from their overnight digs to have…