Articles

Saint Louis Zoo celebrates viper births 

Curator of Herpetology and Aquatics Justin Elden explains why 2023 was one of the most productive breeding seasons for the Charles H. Hoessle Herpetarium.

Happy Birthday, Amur Leopards Anya and Irina!

On Friday, April 21, 2023, Amur leopards Anya and Irina turned one year old! Carnivore Keeper Jackie McGarrahan dives into their first year in the blog!

Birds of a Feather Give Corticosterone Concentrations Together

Saint Louis Zoo Endocrinologist Corinne Kozlowski discusses the important information the Zoo gathers from "lucky" feathers.

Assessing Equid Friendship

Manager of Behavioral Sciences Eli Baskir addresses this equid socialization while diving into research that uses data taken over nearly a decade.

The Health of Ambassador Animals

Have you ever visited the Zoo and enjoyed a close-up encounter with an animal? If so, you likely interacted with one of the Zoo’s many animal ambassadors. Animal ambassadors are individual animals that help educate the public about their species. Currently, the Saint Louis Zoo does not have these animals interacting with guests.

Embracing Elderly Elephant Care

I’m Becky Heisler, a keeper in the River’s Edge of the Saint Louis Zoo. My passion for elephants began in graduate school, where I studied with an elephant reproductive specialist. From there, I began my career at the Zoo as a River’s Edge keeper and have been in this position ever since.

Mourning the Loss of Southern Rockhopper Penguin Enrique

On Friday, December 3, the animal care and veterinary teams humanely euthanized southern rockhopper penguin Enrique, who was almost 30 years old. The median life expectancy for a male southern rockhopper penguin is 25 years. As Enrique aged, he began showing signs of advanced arthritis and age-related changes in his eyes, resulting in decreased vision.

Dedicated to Animal Care Series: Humboldt Penguin Roundup

One way the Zoo is dedicated to animal care is through regular animal check-ups. The "Humboldt Penguin Roundup" is a yearly examination and an important part of our penguins' preventive care at the Zoo. It includes a physical evaluation by a veterinarian of the animals' eyes, mouth and body weight.

Dedicated to Animal Care Series: Preventive Care

On Sept. 29, 2021, adult male chimpanzee "Jimiyu" was the first animal at our Zoo to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Over the next few months, we plan to administer the two-dose COVID-19 vaccine in a staged roll-out to almost 100 primates, big cats, river otters, painted dogs and bat-eared foxes, all of which carry a potential risk of being infected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease.

Hellbenders Returning Home

Over 800 Ozark and eastern hellbenders raised from eggs at the Saint Louis Zoo were released into their native Missouri Ozark rivers in summer 2021 by Missouri Department of Conservation, the Zoo and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Since 2008, 9,476 Saint Louis Zoo-raised endangered hellbenders (8,599 Ozark and 877 eastern) have been reintroduced to the wild in Missouri.

Amur Tiger Kalista

It is with a heavy heart that we share the sad news about our beloved Amur tiger, Kalista, who passed away at her Big Cat Country habitat on March 27, 2021, at 19 years and 10 months old.

Ode to the Tasmanian Devil

A poem by Shannon Santangelo, Children's Zoo Keeper.

Utamu: Path to Motherhood

Utamu was born on December 20, 2001, in Florida at the Miami Metrozoo (now called Zoo Miami). She first arrived at the Saint Louis Zoo as a juvenile chimpanzee in early 2007 along with her mother Rosebud.

Saint Louis Zoo Monkey Mania

March is bananas at the Zoo! Join us in celebrating the Saint Louis Zoo’s Monkey Mania! Our primate keepers have selected eight monkey species to be featured in a friendly online voting competition.

Love Birds

We often use the term “lovebirds” to describe an openly affectionate couple in public. The term could probably be traced to the bird species as they are known for being extremely caring toward one another; lovebird is the common name of a small genus of parrot, Agapornis.

Firehose Enrichment at the Saint Louis Zoo

Enrichment at the Saint Louis Zoo is an integral part of the daily husbandry of our animals. Enrichment can come in the form of objects, new experiences in animals' habitats or even food items presented in challenging ways.

Using Dynamic Lights to Provide Chuckwallas with Sunrise, Sunset

Every animal in a zoo, big or small, receives enrichment, but enrichment isn’t always new objects or special foods. For some species, enrichment can be the addition of new perches to provide exercise, access to areas with higher temperatures and different vantage points to explore.