Wish List

Support the critical care, community, and conservation work that takes place at your free zoo every day.

There’s plenty of love to go around at Lincoln Park Zoo! Unlike other big cats, African lions live in groups called prides. Their social behaviors can be seen at Pepper Family Wildlife Center, where they play and lounge together daily. Show the prides a little love this month with some of their favorite foods, like beef shanks and tasty rabbits.

Native to warm countries near the equator, naked mole rats huddle in large masses to slow heat loss, as they are unable to maintain their body temperature. Help keep bellies (and hearts) full in this cozy colony with nutritious nuts!

What’s better than getting a box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day? Well, leopard geckos prefer a heaping helping of crunchy insects! Insects are high in protein and low in fat, making them a perfect dietary item for this insectivore. Catch the love bug and share some supper club-rated grub with the leopard gecko!

At McCormick Bird House, the Free Flight Area is home to bird species like the fairy bluebird and Nicobar pigeon, native to tropical rainforest environments. Help keepers upgrade these feathered friends’ habitat with new nesting boxes!

There’s nothing more important for the eastern black rhinos at Lincoln Park Zoo than proper nutrition! In one year alone, the rhinos collectively munch through more than 700 bales of hay. Provide this nutritious meal for the rhinos—because when the hay hits their trough, that’s “amor-hay”!

In the wild, Bolivian gray titi monkeys live in small family units comprised of a mated pair and their offspring. At Lincoln Park Zoo, father and son Ocala and Ocho can be spotted entwining their tails together—a behavior unique to titi monkeys that reinforces social bonds. Brighten the monkeys’ days by supplementing their diet with tasty sunflower seeds to nibble on!

Love is in the air this month! Provide the same-sex African penguin pair at Lincoln Park Zoo with some yummy rainbow trout. Like many penguin couples, Pilchard and Maynard have formed a strong bond, spend most of their days together, and share a nest. Cater to this perfect pair with a fishy feast!

North American black bears can’t resist the enchantingly sweet taste of honey! At Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo, keepers strategically smear it throughout the black bears’ habitat to encourage natural foraging behaviors. Give a black bear some sweet honey this winter.

As the cooler temps of winter continue, spongy shavings of wood wool serve as a favorite bedding material for western lowland gorillas at Regenstein Center for African Apes. When it’s time to settle down for the night, members of Kwan’s troop will use the cushy material to create the perfect nest. Ensure the gorillas are snug as a bug in a rug with a great ape’s version of a comfy duvet!

In the wild, carnivorous birds—including snowy owls—prey on small animals like rabbits and small rodents. At Lincoln Park Zoo, Stanley and Augusta eat insects and small mammals. Don’t miss your chance to give these birds the VIP treatment with a delicious meal of mice!

Roses are red. Some piglets are pink. The gift of nutritious raisins is a great idea, don’t you think? At Farm-in-the-Zoo, sweet raisins are special treat for the resident pigs. In addition to hay, fruit, and veggies, keepers will feed the pigs raisins as extra enrichment. Give the happy hogs an extra sweet Valentine’s Day with some tasty raisins!

Chimpanzees are highly intelligent primates renowned for tool use. The troop at the zoo uses thin, flexible branches to dig out condiments like peanut butter from specially designed feeder tubes—similar to the way wild chimpanzees extract insects from real termite mounds. Help keep the feeders stocked with sticky, savory peanut butter!

The resident African painted dogs spend hours chomping on delicious bones. These bones not only provide protein-packed enrichment but also foster natural hunting behaviors, such as snatching the bones away from their cohabitants. Supply some “gnaw”-some enrichment with nutritious bones for these canine companions.

It may still be winter, but the zoo’s horticulture team is hard at work planning for spring. With 49 acres to cover, there is a special opportunity to provide pollinators with an exquisite, flourishing habitat. Help us plant pansies, sweet alyssum, and ranunculus for the local wildlife to enjoy!