Animal Archives - Miller Park Zoological Society

South America Exhibit Update

We are excited to be seeing the progress on the South America exhibit. The Zoo and contractors have completed the punch list. Now we are able to make finishing touches for the animals. Miller Park Zoos newest family members have arrived safely by transport last week. The anteater and pudu are currently in quarantine and…

Partners for Eighty-Six Years

Partners For Eighty-Six Years In March 1887 when the James Miller family sold forty-three acres of land to the City of Bloomington for $17,000 the property was intended to be used as a park. The city paid $12,000 of the purchase price while those living on the city’s southwest side were called upon by subscription…

Who’s Who at the Zoo- Education Manager

Hi! My name is Julia Benzel, and I am so excited to be the new Zoo Education Manager! Animal care and conservation education are my passions. I began volunteering as a JZK at Miller Park Zoo in sixth grade. As I aged through the program, presented informal programming, and assisted the Zookeepers with animal care. I began…

What to do? What to do?

April 12, 2023 You are cleaning the kitchen and reach for a paper towel and the roll is empty. What to do? Save the cardboard tube and take it to the zoo. You are wrapping presents and have just enough paper to cover your gift. What to do? Save the cardboard tube and take it…

What’s new at the Zoo!

Jay Pratte – Miller Park Zoo Director We are very excited to be making progress on the South America exhibit. The pools are in, sand/dig pits are in, and much of the fencing has been installed! We are still on track to have the building and exhibit completed by the end of the month. Our…

Arrivals and Departures

Just decades ago, many animals were captured in the wild and moved to zoos. Today, thanks to advances in husbandry, standards of care and successful breeding programs, most zoo animals are born in zoos. Each of these animals has a story that begins with where it was born and includes all the zoos it has…

Lemur Update

February 3, 2023 On Wednesday January 11th, a family overheard noises in their garage, and thinking it was just a local wild animal or stray cat, they were surprised to see that it was a ring-tailed lemur. The family contacted the Illinois Conservation Police, who asked the Miller Park Zoo for assistance. Jay (Miller Park…

Not your Mother’s Kitchen

December 9, 2022 The two kitchens at the zoo have some things in common with your mother’s kitchen: refrigerator, freezer, microwave, sink, fruits, and vegetables. However, they have many differences: over 110 animal diets, frozen mice, cans of dog food, 50-pound bags of various pellets, and mealworms. Keeper Owen and Volunteer Gail preparing diets Feed…

Internships at Miller Park Zoo

November 10, 2022 When the zoo began having interns most of their work was data entry and cleaning. In the last five years the intern program has evolved to include many other responsibilities such as research projects. Today internships last 15 weeks. Most interns are full-time working five days a week. Local students learn about…

Where the bugs are

August 10, 2022 Zoolab, at Miller Park Zoo, is a place for discovery where guests can play games and work on puzzles. Many of the smaller animals and insects live in Zoolab. It is also home to the education animals that travel to schools and other venues, bringing Zoo education to the community. Small but…