Brookfield Zoo Chicago

The African painted dogs were chirping and chittering away for their birthday! Earlier this month Daisie and Roanne celebrated their fifth birthday with enrichment set up by their animal care staff. As you can hear, the painted dogs make lots of noise while investigating these boxes filled with treats. These dogs communicate using a variety of different vocalizations including chirps, whistles, and chatter when hunting, greeting, or playing together. Wish Daisie and Roanne a happy birthday below!

POV: You meet Pedro the Humboldt penguin! 🐧 In honor of Penguin Awareness Day, we're offering a special on Penguin Encounters! Penguin Encounter experiences held between January 20 and March 2, 2025 will be discounted to $40 per person. These encounters are a great way to get up close and personal with the penguins that call Brookfield Zoo Chicago home. You can book your Penguin Encounter now at https://bit.ly/40pIo4R

Happy 18th Birthday Arnieta! Today is reticulate giraffe Arnieta's 18th birthday and to celebrate the commissary team created a special two-tiered treat for her to enjoy. Did you know a giraffe's tongue can reach up to 18 inches in length on average and Arnieta has the longest tongue in our tower! She used her prehensile tongue to grab the lettuce leaves, apple slices, and carrots from around her cake. Don't forget to wish Arnieta a happy birthday below!

Something special will be making a splash at Seven Seas soon! 🐬 We’re thrilled to share that Allie, a 37-year-old bottlenose dolphin and experienced mom, is expecting a new calf this summer! Allie is now in her second trimester and is being closely cared for by our dedicated animal care and veterinary teams. Thanks to her strong bond with her team, Allie willingly participates in check-ups like ultrasounds and blood tests to monitor her health and her calf’s milestones. With dolphin pregnancies lasting about 12 months, we may see signs of a birth as early as May. Stay tuned for updates as we count down to this special arrival!

Hip hip hooray, it's Kecil's golden birthday! 🎉 Last week we celebrated orangutan Kecil's 11th birthday on January 11 by asking his Animal Care team to share their favorite memories over the years. Join us in wishing Kecil a very happy birthday down below!

Five years goes by in the blink of an eye! We're wishing a happy 5th birthday to grey seals, Peanut and Celia! Born just a day apart (Peanut on Jan 9 & Celia on Jan 10), these two half-sisters have shared countless splashes, naps, and snacks over the years. Take a dive into their journey from pups to playful 5-year-olds and drop your birthday wishes for them below!

ICYMI: Two baby binturongs (also known as bintlets) were born last June! Binturongs typically have one or two babies after a brief gestation period of about 90 days. Bintlets are born with their eyes closed so they will often cling to their mother for the first few days of their lives!

These parrots are perched in paradise. ✨ Blue-throated macaws, native to the forests and tropical grasslands of Bolivia, thrive in warm climates. Regular misting not only helps keep their feathers healthy but also provides a playful source of mental enrichment!

Bison are built to thrive in the harshest winters! Their thick, woolly coats trap heat so effectively that snow can pile up on their backs without melting. This amazing adaptation helps them conserve body heat and stay cozy even in freezing conditions.

You know what they say: nine brains are better than one! Octopuses are proof that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. An octopus has a total of nine brains: one central brain and one mini brain at the end of each arm called "ganglia." These mini brains are actually a collection of neurons which help them independently control each of their arms. You can stop by the Living Coast to see the octopus in action on your next visit!

Koalas take their snack time seriously! 🐨 Koalas can eat up to 2.5 pounds of eucalyptus leaves a day, but because the leaves are low in nutrients, they spend most of their time resting to conserve energy.

Here’s to a fin-tastic year ahead! Did you know dolphins can jump up to 25 feet in the air? They do it for a variety of reasons—like checking out the world above the waves, signaling their pod, or as a form of play! December 31 is the final night of Holiday Magic (and final festive Dolphins in Action presentation of the year!) Make your plans to join us at https://bit.ly/49WNERQ.