Articles

Deer, coyotes, opossums—when are urban animals active around Chicago? Urban Wildlife Institute scientists tell us in this special infographic produced for Lincoln Park Zoo magazine!

Visualizing Animal Activity Around the Clock
Deer, coyotes, opossums—when are urban animals active around Chicago? Urban Wildlife Institute scientists tell us in this special infographic produced for Lincoln Park Zoo magazine! (4.8 MB JPG)

Monkey Island
Helen Brach Primate House assistant lead keeper Anita Yantz journeys to Bioko, an ecologically unique island off the west coast of Africa, to take part in a primate-census expedition.

Type Casting
A blood-type database for great apes now provides animal care givers and vets worldwide with a valuable resource, thanks to a compassionate response to the loss of a gorilla at the zoo in 2005.
Baby gorilla Nayembi is recovering under the expert attention of zoo veterinarians and caregivers.

Positive Steps for Nayembi
President and CEO Kevin Bell updates us on the recovery of baby gorilla Nayembi. In the latest milestone in her healing, she's moved to Regenstein Center for African Apes, living near her family behind the scenes.
http://www.lpzoo.org/blog/index.php/evaluating-nesting-success-of-black?blog=19

Encouraging Black-Capped Chickadees
Zoo scientists built special shelters to encourage black-capped chickadees to nest at Nature Boardwalk. It's part of their ongoing effort to welcome wildlife to this urban oasis.
Zoological Manager of Primates Michael Brown-Palsgrove and Lester E. Fisher Director of Veterinary Medicine Kathryn Gamble, D.V.M., care for Nayembi behind the scenes at the zoo's C.H. "Doc" Searle, M.D. Animal Hospital.

Healing Underway
Baby gorilla Nayembi is getting expert care and plenty of play as she heals behind the scenes at the zoo’s animal hospital.

Takin Pregnancy Test
Hormone analysis, research and scientific collaboration contributed to the successful births of two male takins.
The two baby takins explored their exhibit at Antelope & Zebra Area this morning.

Two Tiny Takins
President and CEO Kevin Bell announces two tiny additions to the Sichuan takin herd at the Antelope & Zebra Area. Learn more about the herd...and its most playful members.
Two tiny takin babies—both boys—are now exploring their exhibit at Antelope & Zebra Area. But we need your help naming the new arrivals!

Announcing the Names
Thanks to all the fans who voted for names for our two tiny takins! Xing Fu and Mengyao are the winners—learn what they mean at the link.
Now three months old, Patty shows off her newly sprouted teeth next to mom Bana.

Two Gorilla Babies, Two Very Different Moms
Curator of Primates Maureen Leahy offers a gorilla baby update and breaks down the different parenting styles of moms Bana and Rollie.

Bon Voyage, Bill
The zoo’s longest-serving keeper hangs up his uniform after 37 years and reflects on a lifetime of caring for animals.
Baby gorilla Patty is snuggled close as mom Bana enjoys a healthy snack.

It's a Girl!
President and CEO Kevin Bell shares more about our baby gorilla--including her name.

Urban Wildlife Institute researcher Julia Kilgour checks the acoustic bat-monitoring system in the field.

Listening to the Skies
Bats are hard to spot, so zoo scientists listen to the skies to monitor populations in the Chicago area. Urban Wildlife Institute scientist Julia Kilgour shares all the details—including how you can help!

Bat Attitude
Creepy? Hardly. Bats benefit ecologies and economies. We set the record straight with a closer look at the zoo’s sweet-toothed Egyptian fruit bats.

The zebra colt nestles with mom behind the scenes at Lincoln Park Zoo’s Antelope & Zebra Area.

Small Stripes
Lincoln Park Zoo is happy to welcome a baby colt to the Grevy’s zebra herd! Learn more about little Kito.

Special scholarships let kids from Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood attend summer Conservation Camp.

Zoo Scholarships for El Valor Campers
Special scholarships let 4- and 5-year-olds from Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood attend a free week of summer Conservation Camp. Fun animal encounters laid the foundation for a lifelong appreciation for nature.

Mouse in the House
A desert rodent family warms up to its new home at the Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House.

The crested wood partridge chicks are growing fast now, but when they first hatched, they spent plenty of time huddled under mom's "skirts."

Two Broods
The crested wood partridge chicks are growing fast now, but when they first hatched, they spent plenty of time huddled under mom’s “skirts.”

Sister Act
The zoo's new female African wild dog pack settles into its new home at Regenstein African Journey.

Lemon Aid
A young feline fan puts a new twist on seed money for wildlife conservation.

Field Note: Sichuan Takin
We profile this unique goat-antelope species as the zoo’s own herd grows at the Antelope & Zebra Area.

Stork chick

Special Delivery
The zoo's European white stork breeding pair come through in the clutch for Mother's and Father's Days.

Burning Love

A Moving Tale of Burning Love
Sometimes putting down roots in a new home is all it takes to make a plant happy.

Lincoln Park Zoo visitors can learn fun facts about animals with daily hands-on encounters with wildlife.

Meet an Animal
The daily Meet an Animal activity lets zoo visitors learn fun facts while touching the rough plates of a La Plata three-banded armadillo or other ambassador animals.

Gorillas Tabibu and Azizi dig into the ice cake.

Celebrating Change
Dozens of guests and 434 pounds of “cake” made for a silverback-sized farewell party as guests said goodbye to gorillas JoJo, Tabibu and Makari at Regenstein Center for African Apes.

Juvenile gorilla Azizi

A Gorilla Bachelor Party
Lincoln Park Zoo is ready to welcome an all-male gorilla bachelor group this summer--the latest milestone in a historic legacy of care for the species.

Juvenile gorilla Azizi

Meet the Bachelors
Amare, Azizi, Mosi and Umande—meet the gorillas who will form Lincoln Park Zoo's first bachelor group!

Francis W. Parker eighth graders share the science of animal observations with students from Newberry Academy.

Students Become the Teachers at Lincoln Park Zoo
Eighth graders from Francis W. Parker School used the zoo as a classroom to lead younger students through the science of animal observation.

A male Sichuan takin at the Antelope & Zebra Area

Growing the Herd
A new Sichuan takin pair is getting to know one another at the Antelope & Zebra Area. Animal care staff hope the familiarity pays off during summer breeding season.

Chimpanzees in the Republic of Congo's Goualougo Triangle

The Golden Years
Geriatric animals thrive within Lincoln Park Zoo’s culture of care.

 

Chimpanzees in the Republic of Congo's Goualougo Triangle

Protecting a Refuge for Great Apes
By adding the Goualougo Triangle to the national park system, the Republic of Congo has ensured this pristine landscape will remain untouched. As a result, zoo researchers will continue to make groundbreaking discoveries about wild chimpanzees and gorillas for decades to come.

Let the Play Begin
Visitors can expect to see different behaviors from the male and female red pandas as they gear up for breeding season.

Waiting Out Winter
Temperatures don't vary in their habitat in the Pritzker Family Children's Zoo, but wild American toads burrow down beneath the frost line to wait out winter.

Eastern massasauga rattlesnake

Massasaugas Take the Season Off
A winter cool down behind the scenes at Regenstein Small Mammal–Reptile House primes endangered eastern massasauga rattlesnakes for spring breeding.

A Big Chill
Animals in the wild hibernate in response to winter’s lack of food, shorter days and colder temps.

By the Numbers—Bolivian Gray Titi Monkey
New arrival Ocho is busy using family members as exercise equipment!

Creepy Critters—Dyeing Poison Arrow Frogs
Toxic skin protects dyeing poison arrow frogs against predators, but they remain vulnerable to the amphibian crisis threatening frogs across the globe.

Bringing Camp to the Community
By offering 10 full Conservation Camp scholarships to kids in Mercy Housing homes, Lincoln Park Zoo created new opportunities for campers to meet friends and connect with nature.

Creepy Critters—Dwarf Crocodiles
The zoo’s juvenile dwarf crocodiles hunt like their larger cousins—but on a scale that substitutes crickets for wildebeest as prey. Learn more with our Creepy Critters close-up!

Celebrating Seniors—Guam Micronesian Kingfishers
We close our month of Celebrating Seniors by looking at the zoo’s Guam Micronesian kingfishers. They may not be geriatric, but these endangered birds have 52 grandkids between them!

Change at Kovler Penguin-Seabird House
After 30 years, the Kovler Penguin-Seabird House permanently closed December 5. While we’ll miss the birds as they move to new homes in accredited zoos and aquariums, Lincoln Park Zoo looks forward to preparing our next great exhibit.

Celebrating Seniors—African Wild Dogs
The two-dog pack may be aging, but expert care ensures the zoo’s African wild dogs can still sniff out scents…and a good nap.

Celebrating Seniors—Western Lowland Gorilla
See how dietary changes and extra exercise helped silverback gorilla JoJo stay healthy in his top spot.

Celebrating Seniors—Andean Bears
Get an inside look at how Lincoln Park Zoo cares for its elder statesmen with this Celebrating Seniors profile of the Andean bears!

Snake Signals
Six more smooth green snakes return to the wild! By equipping the reptiles with tiny transmitters, scientists will track them as they establish homes in the Lake County Forest Preserve District.  

Road to Recovery
Lincoln Park Zoo and the Lake County Forest Preserve District reintroduce the first smooth green snakes to the local ecosystem.

Animal Enrichment for Earth Day
Special enrichment is offered throughout the zoo as part of this annual celebration of nature.

Braving the Blizzard
Lincoln Park Zoo President and CEO Kevin J. Bell recognized the employees who braved the elements in the aftermath of February’s blizzard.
Dr. Fisher Turns 90
Guests and gorillas were on hand to wish a happy birthday to Lincoln Park Zoo legend Dr. Lester E. Fisher. See the fun—including piñata “cake” and “presents” for the animal attendees.
Snow Day
In the wake of the blizzard, Lincoln Park Zoo staff dig into a day of shovels and snacks.
Protecting People, Pets and Predators
It's vaccination season in the Serengeti, with benefits for the entire African ecosystem.

Leaving a Legacy
Heritage Society members enjoy an inside look at the zoo they've planned to preserve.
Update from the Arctic
Lead Keeper Anthony Nielsen shares digging up permafrost in the Arctic to study climate change, a trip made possible by the Feay Earthwatch Grant.
Field Ready
In Africa, there’s no shortage of plans to conserve the continent’s wildlife. Park managers, field researchers and government committees are all adept at developing ideas to save African wild dogs or encourage the growth of the black rhinoceros population.
Conserving the Congo
Getting to the Goualougo Triangle, the isolated field-research site of Lincoln Park Zoo Research Fellow David Morgan, Ph.D., involves the kind of journey that would be at home in an old adventure serial.
Census in the Caribbean: Preserving the Puerto Rican Parrot
The only U.S. parrot, and one of the first species protected under the Endangered Species Act, the Puerto Rican parrot saw its numbers decline in parallel with the island’s development.
Protecting Primates
When not caring for the chimpanzees and gorillas in Regenstein Center for African Apes, Keeper Jill Moyse spends her time arranging aid for primates in sanctuaries across Africa.
Songs & Snuggles, Pebbles & Pursuit
The displays of courtship and methods of breeding at Lincoln Park Zoo are as diverse as the animals exhibiting them.
Seasoned Support
38 years of membership reflects Eric and Barb Youngquist’s commitment to keeping Lincoln Park Zoo free and open to all.
Carlyn & Irving Ungar
Members like the Ungars personify the zoo’s longstanding role in the lives of generations of Chicagoans.
Introducing Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo
The zoo unveiled its new urban ecosystem today, welcoming visitors to the transformed landscape of Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo.
Birthday Bash
JoJo’s gorilla group at Regenstein Center for African Apes enjoyed some special enrichment to celebrate the silverback’s 30th birthday!
Nature Boardwalk Update
A season of progress in creating Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo.
Animals at Play
Balls, bubbles, barrels & bear hugs!
Pond in Progress
Work continues to transform the South Pond into the Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo.
Zoo Honors
Lincoln Park Zoo receives AZA awards in conservation and education
A New Vision
Lincoln Park Zoo President and CEO Kevin J. Bell has been named Chair of the Board of Directors for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Red Wolf Travel Journal
Follow the journal of Veterinarian Owen Slater, D.V.M., as he and Curator Diane Mulkerin travel to North Carolina to reintroduce four red wolf pups to wild dens.