Phoenix Zoo

HOPPY NEWS 🐸 Last month the Zoo's Conservation team and its partners released over 2,000 Chiricahua leopard frog tadpoles to the Tonto National Forest! Since 1995, the Phoenix Zoo has been raising and breeding leopard frogs for release to the wild. Chiricahua leopard frogs are native to mountainous areas of Arizona, New Mexico and northern Mexico. They are listed as Threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Disease – especially from chytrid fungus – is a major threat to these frogs. Invasive non-native species such as bullfrogs have also caused population declines, along with habitat loss and drought. #TheGoodZoosandAquariumsDo #GZAD

CUBDATE! The lion cubs are doing great and beginning to explore a bit further from mom. They have been very playful and are growing quickly. We are still a few weeks away from their first exam, but keeper Alyssa was able to capture this great video. If you listen closely, you can also hear a very proud Zuri! 📷: Alyssa, Keeper II - Carnivores

Strike a pose! Hunter the fennec fox is all set for his pawsome photo-op 📷🐾

Raja knows how to cool off this summer! 💦 Did you know, Sumatran tigers have webbing between their toes to help them swim!

SOUND UP! Theia is wishing us all a Happy 4th of July! 🦅

It is with extreme sadness we share the news that our eight-year-old African male lion, Boboo, was humanely euthanized. After initial examination and exploratory surgery, our veterinary team found an aggressive form of cancer involving both kidneys and the spleen. During an annual exam just last month, Boboo showed no signs of illness, highlighting just how aggressive the cancer was. Boboo came to us from the Columbus Zoo in 2019 as a three-year-old. He was well loved by his keepers, Zoo staff, and guests, and the Zoo will certainly be quieter without his roars and calls. This has been a time of immense sadness, but also great joy as Zuri and her two cubs are doing very well and exceeding expectations with their growth. Zuri has been an excellent first time mom and we couldn’t be prouder. This was the first litter sired by Boboo, so we are thankful that his genes will contribute to the Species Survival Plan® population. We are comforted by the fact that he became a part of his own pride this year, and his legacy will live on through his and Zuri’s cubs.

The cubs are growing every day and continue to thrive in their den box with mom, Zuri! While we wait until they are old enough to explore their habitat on Predator Passage, enjoy this cute video of the two cubs playing. 😍

Hey Nikki 👏 Hey Nikki 👏 Nikki the mandrill is officially a Guinness World Record holder! At 37, she is the oldest living mandrill in managed care. Hear what Nikki's keepers have to say about her here: “Nikki teaches me patience. We live in Nikki's world, she'll take her time to do things, or she'll do things very quickly, it's all up to her. When I come into the building first thing in the morning, I go see Nikki and do a mandrill "smile" greet and she'll smile back at me. She is the queen of smacking her lips with her tongue while she eats. Especially popcorn, which is one of her favorite enrichment foods. Whether its popcorn or honestly any other food items, I would watch her eat all day if I could.” – Tysen “One of my favorite memories of working with Nikki is the first time that I got her to "smile" at me. Mandrills are unique in that they do what is called a "smile" greeting. It actually looks like they are smiling at you with all their teeth. They do this as a greeting to each other and sometimes with keepers they interact with. Some mandrills I have worked with give out these "smiles" freely and others, like Nikki, really make you work for it. When Nikki first arrived at the Zoo, she was very standoffish with keepers and extremely cautious about everything that was part of our routine. In an effort to make her feel more comfortable, I began giving her very exaggerated smiles throughout the day hoping that she would be more relaxed with me and MAYBE give me a "smile" back. Over time it seemed the best time to get her to look right at me was in the evening before I left for the day. Every day for what seemed like forever I would give her one last smile at the end of the day as I walked by and locked up the building. She would look at me as if to acknowledge that she saw but would not greet me back. Then one night she "smiled" back! I was so excited I almost teared up and couldn't wait to do it again the next day to make sure it wasn't a one-time thing. For a while she didn't do it every night but then eventually it became a regular occurrence and she even started doing it at other times of the day. I worked hard for that first "smile" and every time I get one it makes my day.” - Danyelle

Bidders for Critters, the sizzling summer online auction in support of the non-profit Phoenix Zoo is back July 18 - 30, 2024! Don’t miss your chance to win amazing items like a painting made by the Zoo’s goat kids: https://lnkd.in/gVQym2KR (A full list of auction items coming soon.)

In honor of #NationalPollinatorWeek, we are thrilled to highlight the incredible efforts of the Phoenix Zoo’s newly launched Trailblazers Youth Advisory Council. This dynamic group of teens is dedicated to engaging in meaningful service projects that benefit both the Zoo and the surrounding community. One of the Trailblazers initiatives is the revitalization of the butterfly garden on the Zoo's Children's Trail. Earlier this year, the Trailblazers rolled up their sleeves and got to work; pruning and preparing the garden for a fresh transformation. With a deep commitment to promoting biodiversity and supporting our local pollinators, the teens have exciting plans to plant new native, pollinator-friendly, plants this fall.