The Saint Louis Zoo (the “Zoo”) values its users’ privacy. This Online Privacy Policy (“Policy”) will help you understand how we collect and use personal information from those who visit our website or make use of our online facilities and services, and what we will and will not do with the information we collect, Our Policy has been designed and created to assure those affiliated with the Zoo of our commitment and realization of our obligations to meet existing privacy standards.

We reserve the right to make changes to this Policy at any given time. If you want to make sure that you are up to date with the latest changes, we suggest that you frequently visit this page.

This Policy applies to the Zoo’s domain, stlzoo.org, which includes the Zoo’s subdomains, portals, applications, and interactive features (each, a “Site”). It governs any and all data collection and usage by the Zoo. By visiting any of the Zoo’s Sites, you are consenting to the data collection and usage set forth in this Policy, as it is from time to time amended.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The Zoo and/or its third-party service providers may incorporate artificial intelligence (“AI”) and similar technologies to support our operations, analyze information, assist with communications, improve our services and guest experiences, and enhance security.  When these technologies involve personal information, the Zoo will use and protect information in accordance with this privacy policy and applicable law and will require its third-party service providers to maintain appropriate protections for personal information.  The Zoo will not knowingly authorize third-party service providers to use personal information obtained through Zoo services to train general-purpose AI models without appropriate authorization and safeguards.

Personally Identifiable Information

What is Personally Identifiable Information? 
Personally Identifiable Information ("PII" or "Your Information") is any representation of information that permits your identity to be reasonably inferred by either direct or indirect means. Further, PII is defined as information: (i) that directly identifies you (e.g., name, address, social security number or other identifying number or code, telephone number, email address, etc.) or (ii) by which an agency intends to identify specific individuals in conjunction with other data elements, i.e., indirect identification. (These data elements may include a combination of name, address, email, phone number, age, marital status, gender, race, birth date, geographic indicator, and other descriptors). Additionally, information permitting the physical or online contacting of a specific individual (e.g., you) is the same as personally identifiable information. This information can be maintained in either paper, electronic or other media.

How We Collect Your Information

Information you provide directly to us.
The Zoo collects Your Information when you voluntarily provide it to us on our Site, such as during an online transaction to secure a reservation, make a donation, sign up to receive emails, become a member or complete a registration or survey. You may need to provide Your Information to participate in certain Zoo programs and activities or receive certain services or offers. Please note that when you purchase some items offered on our Site, you must provide Your Information to a third-party service provider on its website. In these circumstances, you will know that you are on another website because the URL will change. You should read the privacy policy of the third-party site before providing Your Information.

Information we collect automatically.
We may collect certain information automatically when you visit or use our Sites, such as your Internet protocol (IP) address, device and advertising identifiers, browser type, operating system, Internet service provider, pages that you visit before and after visiting or using our Sites, the date and time of your visit, information about the links you click, the pages you view, the general manner in which you navigate our Sites, and other standard server log information. We may also collect certain location information when you use our Sites, such as your computer’s IP address, your mobile device’s GPS signal, or information about nearby WiFi access points and cell towers.

How We Use Your Information
The Zoo will use Your Information for the purpose for which you give it to us (e.g., to complete an online purchase, donation, membership, or program registration). We may also use Your Information to send you occasional postal and/or electronic mailings about the Zoo and its programs that we think might interest you.

How We Share Your Information
The Zoo may share Your Information with third parties that perform services for the Zoo, such as conducting membership mailings, providing postal and electronic mailing platforms and services, and providing digital advertising. The Zoo also reserves the right to disclose Your Information in circumstances that the Zoo deems necessary or appropriate, such as to respond to a subpoena or search warrant, or a request from a governmental agency, security reasons or similar situations.

SMS Communications and Privacy

Saint Louis Zoo may use test messaging to communicate with individuals regarding guest inquiries, ticketing, memberships, events, and other Zoo-related services. The Zoo may collect mobile telephone numbers, message content, and related consent information for purposes of providing these communications. Mobile telephone numbers and SMS consent information will not be sold or shared with third parties or affiliates for their independent marketing purposes.  The Zoo may share this information with authorized service providers solely as necessary to deliver and support SMS communications on its behalf. Individuals may opt out of receiving text messages by replying STOP to the applicable messaging number or by contacting the Zoo directly.  SMS communications are subject to the Zoo’s SMS Terms and Conditions and applicable law.

Children under the age of 13

Our Site is not directed to, and does not knowingly collect personal identifiable information from children under the age of thirteen (13). If it is determined that such information has been inadvertently collected for anyone under the age of thirteen (13) we shall immediately take steps to ensure that such information is deleted from our system’s database, or in the alternative, that verifiable parental consent is obtained for the use and storage of such information. Anyone under the age of thirteen (13) must seek and obtain parent or guardian permission to use this Site.

Your Ability to Choose

You may "opt out" of receiving marketing information that the Zoo sends to you by unsubscribing to the mailing list, following instructions in the applicable information sent to you.

Cookies and Pixels

Cookies

We use cookies to support the internal functionality of the Zoo’s Sites. Cookies, which are small pieces of information sent to your browser by a website that you visit, are used to track usage patterns, traffic trends and customer behavior, as well as to record other information from the Zoo’s Sites. When you register on the Zoo’s Sites, cookies also allow us to save information so that you will not have to re-enter it the next time you visit. Many content adjustments and customer service improvements are made based on the data derived from cookies. Some Zoo sites use third-party vendors, such as Google Analytics, to place cookies and analyze the information collected by cookies in order to make the Zoo Sites more interesting and useful to you. 

Information collected through these technologies may include IP addresses, device identifiers, browsing activity, and other information that may be considered personal information under applicable law.  The Zoo may use third-party service providers to support analytics and advertising activities, subject to applicable privacy requirements. The data is retained for as long as necessary to support the mission of the Zoo’s Sites. You may set your browser to refuse cookies from any website that you visit. If you so choose, you may still gain access to most of the Zoo’s Sites, but you may not be able to conduct certain types of transactions (such as shopping) or take advantage of some of the interactive elements offered. You may opt-out of Google Analytics using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Additionally, some Zoo Sites may use the Demographics and Interest reporting feature for Google Analytics for Display Advertising. The data provided by this service (such as age, gender, and interests) is used to better understand visitors to these Sites and customize our Sites to our users’ interest. You may opt-out of Google Analytics for Display Advertising by visiting Ad Settings.

Many advertising companies that collect information from cookies and similar technologies for interest-based advertising are members of the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) or the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI), both of which maintain websites where people can opt out of interest-based advertising from their members. To opt-out of website interest-based advertising provided by each organization’s respective participating companies, visit the DAA’s opt-out portal available at http://optout.aboutads.info/, the DAA of Canada’s opt-out portal available at https://youradchoices.ca/en/tools, or visit the NAI’s opt-out portal available at http://optout.networkadvertising.org/?c=1.

Pixels

The Zoo also collects non-personally identifiable information through the use of tracking pixels that appear on certain web pages of our Sites. A tracking pixel is a transparent graphic image (usually 1 pixel x 1 pixel) that is placed on a web page and, in combination with a cookie, allows us to collect information regarding the use of the web page that contains the tracking pixel (information may be shared with third party that provides services to the Zoo). We use tracking pixels to trigger ads on participating websites based on activity tracked from the browser on a device used to visit the Zoo. We also use them to tell when an advertisement we run on another website has been clicked on by the Zoo’s Site visitors, and use that information to judge which advertisements are more appealing to users. To opt out of these tracking pixels and services, please follow this link to opt out of the Google Analytics-based tools (https://tools.google.com/dlpag...), the Facebook Pixel (https://www.facebook.com/setti...), and the Bing Pixel (https://choice.microsoft.com/en-US/opt-out).

Linking

Our Sites may contain links to other websites. The Zoo is not responsible for any privacy policies, practices and/or procedures of such other websites. Therefore, all users should be aware when they leave our website and should read the privacy statements of every website that collects personally identifiable information. This Policy only applies to information collected by this Site.

Security and Third-Party Services

The Zoo takes reasonable administrative, technical, and physical measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. Although the Zoo strives to protect personal information, no method of electronic transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Zoo is not responsible for security incidents, service interruptions, or unauthorized activities of independent third parties that are beyond the Zoo’s reasonable control.

Notice to Individuals Outside the United States

The Zoo’s operations are located in the United States, and the Zoo’s Sites and services are intended for use in the United States. If you access the Sites or provide information to us from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored in, accessed from, or processed in the United States and in other countries where the Zoo or its service providers operate or maintain systems. These countries may not provide the same level of data protection as the country where you are located. The Zoo does not represent that its Sites or this Policy are intended to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) or other non-U.S. privacy laws, except to the extent such laws are expressly applicable.