🦒 The wait is over! We're excited to announce that Arnieta, a 16-year-old reticulated giraffe at Brookfield Zoo, gave birth to a female calf in the early morning hours of August 19. 🧵
#ZooBaby
#Giraffe
#GiraffeCalf
#BabyGiraffe
DEVELOPING: Late this afternoon Brookfield Zoo received notice of a potential threat at the zoo. The zoo is now closed however many zoogoers are still sheltering in place on site. (1/2)
UPDATE: All zoogoers and staff have now safely exited the zoo, and we thank everyone for their patience and cooperation during this time. We will be hosting a media briefing outside the South Gate at 8:30 p.m.
We are deeply saddened to announce the loss of Jim, a 27-year-old male brown bear. Yesterday, September 13, animal care and veterinary staff made the difficult decision to euthanize the geriatric bear due to his declining health associated with his very advanced age. 🧵
New Bounty Alert! Meet Pascal, our newest river otter family member!
@PedroPascal1
do you think Mando can lend a hand to your name buddy?
#TheMandalorian
ATTENTION: Out of an abundance of caution, visitors at Brookfield Zoo right now are asked to shelter in place and follow guidance by emergency responders and police on site. This is a developing situation, and we will give you updates as they become available.
Yesterday, February 12, was a difficult day for Chicago Zoological Society staff. Ben, a 44-year-old Bornean orangutan at Brookfield Zoo, was humanely euthanized with his animal care staff by his side. 🧵
Did we just become best friends? Our Asian small-clawed otters have begun accessing their exhibit in Tropic World Asia at the same time as the white-cheeked gibbons, and are showing interest in their new neighbors! Watch as Neubo gibbon and an otter pup check each other out.
Just keep swimming 🏊, Pascal! He is developing important skills like swimming under the close eye of his animal care team. Pascal 🦦 is already becoming more confident!
tagging
@PedroPascal1
for attention 😆
Brutus and Titus are the cutest birthday boys around — and we're not lion. 🦁 🎂Please join us in wishing a paw-some 7th birthday to our lion brothers!
#AfricanLions
#Lions
#BigCats
UPDATE: Brookfield Police and Brookfield Zoo Police continue to sweep the premises and are releasing zoogoers, building by building. If you are on site, please remain patient until law enforcement release you. We will share more information as soon as we receive it.
New enrichment item unlocked: paper mâché prey with food inside! ✅
Our African painted dog team got creative and built a prey look-a-like for our pack! When a new enrichment item is brought in, the pack can be seen cautiously checking it out before taking a bite.
Brookfield Police Department is working with Brookfield Zoo Police to actively investigate the situation throughout the park and surrounding area. Out of an abundance of caution, we ask that guests on site remain sheltered in place until law enforcement provides the all clear 2/2
Brookfield Zoo is happy to announce its newest addition—a grey seal pup born February 17. The male pup, who weighed nearly 35 pounds at birth, will remain behind the scenes for approximately the next month and a half with his 11-year-old mother, Georgette, nicknamed “Georgie.”🧵
We're pleased to share that a West African dwarf crocodile hatched at Brookfield Zoo on Sept. 15! This is believed to be the first-ever hatching of a crocodilian species at BZ. The youngster currently weighs 3 oz & you can now visit the baby croc in its habitat in The Swamp. 🐊
Check out the newest youngster born at Brookfield Zoo Chicago! A white-bellied pangolin—one of the most trafficked mammals in the world—was born at Brookfield Zoo Chicago to mom Virginia on July 25. Did you know that baby pangolins are called pangopups?
We're celebrating the fluffy yet fierce Pallas' cat for
#NationalCatDay
! 🐱
A Pallas's cat's plush fur, flat face, and chubby cheeks may give these cats an adorable appearance, but don't let this feline fool you.
They might currently be at Minnesota Zoo, but BZ's bottlenose dolphins are always in our hearts ❤️ Happy Valentine's Day from our sweet cetaceans!
#Dolphins
#ValentinesDay
We could bear-ly wait to share the big news with you! 🐻🐻
Two approximately 10-month-old Alaskan coastal brown bears, who were orphaned in southern Alaska, now have a forever home at Brookfield Zoo.🧵
Feeding behaviors are important for every species, and can tell us much about
#AnimalWelfare
at the zoo! Special trials called preference tests can show us which food enrichment an animal likes best and help staff design fun new enrichment programs!
We're on cloud 9 to share these special valentines! ❤️
Several of BZ's animals received heart-shaped treats in honor of the holiday. Watch as they enjoy their tasty treats!
#HappyValentinesDay
You may or my not be enjoying the surge of snow this weekend but some of the animals were in their element at Brookfield Zoo, including Whirl, an Amur tiger, snow leopards Buck and Malaya, and the bison.
If you ever come across a turtle or tortoise flailing on it's back:
🐢Carefully turn them over (be careful with snapping turtles!)
🐢Place them on a flat surface like grass or dirt.
🐢Make sure they face the direction they were already going.
Say hello to the newest (and fluffiest) cat in town! Meet our new Pallas's cat, Johan.
About the size of domestic cats, Pallas's cats are native to central Asia, and reside in the rocky outcroppings in deserts, shrublands, and grasslands.
Enrichment at BZ can be tree-mendous! 🌲 Many of the trees used in our annual Tree Trim are repurposed as enrichment for our animals in January. Watch our African painted dogs, bison, polar bears, lions, and reindeer explore their special tree treats!
#Enrichment
#BrookfieldZoo
On the third day of
#WolfAwarenessWeek
we're talking all about adaptions!
Wolves in general are considered to be pursuit predators, meaning they run down prey over long distances, as opposed to ambush predators, like most cats.
Introducing PASCAL🦦! The North American river otter pup is spending his days learning, growing, and getting expert care from his amazing team of animal care specialists🥰. We plan to reintroduce him to his parents, Benny and Charlotte when he's ready. 💞🦦
(1/3) Please help us welcome our brand new porcupette! A baby prehensile-tailed porcupine was born at Brookfield Zoo on March 19. The porcupette is being hand-reared by staff after it was observed that the mother, 9-year-old Lucia, was not providing proper maternal care.
Pascal's 🏊 lessons are going just swimmingly!
The otter pup🦦 continues to gain confidence and build essential skills.
When there's a will, there's a wave 🌊
Aren't you proud of him,
@PedroPascal1
?
Drumroll please! 🥁 We've got a paw-some new resident over at Desert's Edge: Solis the sand cat!
This desert dweller has been settling into his new habitat and is getting more comfortable exploring each day. Pounce on the opportunity to meet him on your next trip!
#SandCat
Welcome to the future of Brookfield Zoo Chicago — introducing our Next Century Plan!
As we approach our 100th anniversary in 2034, our 15-year plan with a 30-year vision will elevate the Zoo to new heights, blending our rich legacy with innovative advancements. 🧵
We can hardly believe Jim🐻 and Axhi🐻 are 26! The brothers were rescued as cubs when they were orphaned in Alaska. The cubs wandered the wilderness for two weeks, evading dangers until they were rescued. They have grown up with us at BZ ever since. We ♥️ the brothers very much.
If you...
-help make 2/3 of the food people eat
-communicate through dance
-have built-in pockets for pollen
-have a considerable amount of chill & only sting when necessary
You're not a human, you're a honey bee. Happy
#NationalHoneyBeeDay
to you!
IT'S A BOY! We're thrilled to announce the arrival of a healthy male South American tapir calf, born on May 22. The calf weighs in at 20 lbs, and both baby and mother, 11-year-old Sorghum, are doing well.
🎃 Happy
#NationalPumpkinDay
! Pumpkin enrichment is a great way to pique our animals' curiosity and allow them to explore novel textures and treats. Thank you to our animal care and dietary staff members who keep mealtime interesting for BZ's animals!
#WorldPangolinDay
is celebrated to raise awareness about one of the most trafficked animals in the world and conservation efforts to help protect these unique-looking mammals in the wild. You can do your part to protect the pangolin by adopting ours at
Every day is Take Your Dog to Work Day when you're at Brookfield Zoo! Enrichment is key to keeping our animals' minds and bodies active – check out how the African painted dogs enjoy their mealtime enrichment.
#takeyourdogtoworkday
#africanpainteddogs
We've all otterly🦦 fallen for Pascal.😍
Did you know you can share the care? Consider supporting us by adopting an otter!
👉👈
Your adoption helps support him & his parents for a year 🦦🦦🦦
We wouldn't hate it if
@PedroPascal1
adopted him, either 😏
Please help us welcome our otter-ly adorable zoo babies! On November 18, two male and four female Asian small-clawed otter pups were born at Brookfield Zoo. Since their birth, the playful pups have been growing and bonding with their parents, Pearl and Adhi.
Shell-o from our Kemp's ridley sea turtle, Pistachio!
These sea turtles are native to the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, though most adults spend their time in the Gulf of Mexico. They are the smallest species of sea turtle, maxing out around 100 lbs!
#NationalPistachioDay
Our bison are having snow much fun welcoming the winter solstice! ❄️
Did you know the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere? This shift in the seasons also means that our daylight will gradually grow until the summer solstice in June!
#winter
We're sending lots of love and birthday wishes (plus ice treats, lard, and peanut butter) to Hudson for his sweet 16! 🎂 Please join us in wishing Hudson a bear-y happy birthday in the comments down below! 🎁🎈🎉
#PolarBear
#BirthdayBear
#BrookfieldZoo
We can hardly bear how cute they are together ❤️
Hope and Hudson have been recently reintroduced, and you just may see them together over in Great Bear Wilderness!
#PolarBears
Though this species looks similar to your average house cat, they have a few key differences that set them apart. Look for these characteristics of the black-footed cat next time you visit Desert's Edge:
We're taking a trip down memory lane for today's
#ThrowbackThursday
!
While our Asian small-clawed otters were born in November of last year, 2022 still brought many milestones for our precious pups.
🐻🐻 Meet our adorable 11-month-old brown bear cubs, Tim (male) and Jess (female). They've been part of our family since early November & now they're ready to explore their new home in Great Bear Wilderness. Come say hello to them in their outdoor habitat from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Lucky 13 looks good on Malena, one of our Amur tigers!
Malena enjoyed a celebration fit for a big cat, with an ice cake stuffed with meat as a tasty treat. 🎂🎉🐯
#AmurTiger
#Tiger
#BigCats
#CatLovers
#Cats
We're in disbe-leaf at how adorable Raisin is. 🍃
Did you know two-toed sloths can grow algae on their fur? The green color helps sloths camouflage among the rainforest canopy.
#TwoToedSloth
#Sloths
#BrookfieldZoo
(1/3) 🚨Baby Otter Pupdate!🚨 Our six Asian small-clawed otter pups born on November 18 now have their official names: Otto, Otis, Wishes, Hermione (pronounced Her-My-O-Nee), Sachiko (pronounced SAH-chee-ko), and Olivia.
Here's Johan, once more thwarting our efforts to convince you that he is not a housecat. (He's a Pallas's cat, we swear.)
Our Pallas's cat is celebrating his 4th birthday with enrichment: a box filled with food to forage. Wish him a happy birthday below! 🎉
He's got those bear necessities! Enrichment is key to keeping animals' minds and bodies active, and receiving new items to explore is sure to pique their curiosity. Watch as Hudson checks out the new enrichment he received this week!
#PolarBear
#Enrichment
Grab a bite with our binturong, Sheba! 🍇
Binturongs are omnivores, eating everything from small animals like birds to fruits and vegetables. Here at the zoo, she eats veggies, meat chunks, and fruit (and grapes are among her favorites!)
I spy with my little eye... 👀
Unlike most small cats with vertical, slit-shaped pupils, Pallas's cats have round pupils, giving them better vision in the low light of their mountain habitats!
Please help us extend a warm welcome to Jontu! 🦍
On February 4, Brookfield Zoo welcomed Jontu, a 26-year-old western lowland gorilla from
@stlzoo
in Missouri.
📸: Saint Louis Zoo
Our birthday queen is turning 15! 🎂
Our North America river otter, Charlotte, celebrated with a fish-tastic cake with all of her favorite treats including hard boiled eggs, shrimp, and 15 fish for her 15th birthday. Don't forget to wish Charlotte a happy birthday down below!
This little puggle is a party animal! 🎉
Our short-beaked echidna, Quill recently celebrated his first birthday with a tasty treat: mealworms in the shape of a one! Quill is the first short-beaked echidna to be born at Brookfield Zoo.
You porcupetter believe we're excited for our Bringing the Zoo to You, featuring our new baby porcupine! Join us on Facebook Live on Friday, April 22 at 12 noon to learn all about the newest baby born at Brookfield Zoo.
#porcupette
#babyanimals
We interrupt your scrolling to bring you some pygmy hippo perfection 🦛
Pygmy hippos are close relatives to the common hippopotamus, though they are about half as tall as their counterparts! These creatures face challenges in the wild, from deforestation to polluted waters.
🦩 We're tickled pink to introduce you to our feathered friends! Nine recently hatched American flamingos, ranging in age from 2 to 4 months old, can now be seen inside The Swamp habitat. This is the first time that flamingos have resided at Brookfield Zoo since 1997!
This baby addax is not only adorable—he also has some incredible adaptations!
The addax is a desert-dwelling antelope native to the Sahara Desert. Their white coats reflect the rays of sun in order to keep them cool.
Have you "herd" the news? We've welcomed a new giraffe to Brookfield Zoo! 🦒
Say hello to Asha, a 2-year-old female reticulated giraffe. Since her arrival on May 6, she has been behind the scenes acclimating to the animal care staff and being introduced to the other giraffes.
🇺🇸 Our North American animals know today is a party in the U.S.A. 🎉
🍎🧊Hudson polar bear and Axhi brown bear received fruit, veggies, and ice treats
🧊🐟 Our California sea lions & gray seals had patriotic ice & sugar-free gelatin enrichment and fish!
What fun to be one! 🎉 PJ, our prehensile-tailed porcupine, turns one year old on March 19. According to her care team, she's growing right on track, and her favorite snacks include veggies, nuts in the shell, and ice treats. Watch her munch & crunch!
#PrehensileTailedPorcupine
We're happy to announce the hatching of a short-beaked echidna at Brookfield Zoo! The hatching of this baby echidna, or puggle, is a first in the zoo's history. Echidnas are very unique, as they are one of only two egg-laying mammal species on the planet.
There's one thing we know for sure: our red river hogs are having an 'ice' day! 🧊
Our animal care teams helped our hogs stay cool this summer with special icy enrichment.
Dear Pedro Pascal,
Happy birthday🎂! Hope you're having as much fun as I am with my enrichment items.
Your BFF,
Pascal the otter
👇Support Pascal & his parents
We're having a gourd time here at Brookfield Zoo! 🎃
Fall is in full swing, and our animals enjoyed some seasonal treats for
#NationalPumpkinDay
. Pumpkins are a special treat for many of the animals and they had lots of fun exploring this novel enrichment!