Scovill Zoo

12/24/2024

Happy Christmas Eve everyone!

Here's Myrtle the Black Headed Spider Monkey letting us know that there are only 8 days till the new year!

12/23/2024

Here we have the black tree monitor bringing us to day 9 in our 12 day countdown till the new year!

Tree monitors have prehensile tails that can wrap and grasp items, such as branches. Their tails can help with balance as they move through trees but can also be used like an extra limb.

12/22/2024

Can you believe there's only 10 more days till the new year!?

Did you know that goats are ruminants, and like cattle, they have four stomach compartments? It takes 11 to 15 hours for food to pass through a goat's digestive system.

12/21/2024

Only 4 more days till Christmas, and 11 more days till the new year! Pictured is one of our resident cheetah boys!

Cheetahs have dark tear lines that run from their eyes to their mouth, called "malar marks" or "malar stripes". These marks help deflect the sun and allow cheetahs to see better in the daylight.

12/20/2024

Starting us off on our 12 day countdown to the new year, is the axolotl!

Did you know that axolotls are aquatic amphibians that spend their entire lives underwater, and are carnivorous and eat a variety of foods, including fish, worms, insects, and crustaceans?

12/15/2024

Ho Ho Ho! If you’d like to buy a Christmas gift for any of the animals that call the zoo home, check out our Amazon and Otto Environmental Wish Lists! The items hand-picked by our keepers will promote play, encourage natural behaviors, and stimulate their senses.
🎄
Amazon Wish list--https://a.co/7yZu6bP
🎄
Otto Environmental Wish list--https://www.ottoenvironmental.com/my-wishlist/my-wishlist-43
🎄
Gift cards to any of these places: Rural King, Walmart, Farm and Fleet, and Kroger are a perfect gift, too! The animals and keeper staff are thankful for all the enrichment donations gifted each year 💗

12/14/2024

Thanks for coming out in the rain today to visit Santa and the zoo animals!

12/12/2024

We had such a fun time teaching the Zoo Buddies kids all the fun facts about doves during Tuesday's sessions!

January's class will be focusing on slimy frogs! 🐸

10am session--https://webtrac.decatur-parks.org/wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/iteminfo.html?Module=AR&FMID=400204035&InterfaceParameter=WebTrac_New_IU

2pm session--https://webtrac.decatur-parks.org/wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/iteminfo.html?Module=AR&FMID=400205139&InterfaceParameter=WebTrac_New_IU

12/11/2024

There is still time to register for An Afternoon with Santa!

Register online at: https://webtrac.decatur-parks.org/wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/iteminfo.html?Module=AR&FMID=426810307&InterfaceParameter=WebTrac_New_IU

12/09/2024

Did you know that we offer special animal encounters? We've got several exciting options to choose between and these make a great surprise gift!

Have you ever wanted to get up close to some of Scovill Zoo’s animals? Then consider this extraordinary experience for a special occasion, birthday gift, anniversary gift, or just to learn more about some of the animals at Scovill Zoo. Please call 217/421-7435 for more information or to reserve yo...

12/06/2024

Consider purchasing an annual membership or adopting a zoo animal for a family member or friend for Christmas!

We also have gift cards and fun packs available! For $40, a fun pack includes 4 admission tickets, 2 carousel tickets, 2 snow cone tickets, and 4 train tickets.

Our Zoo Keepers have put together an Amazon wish list if you'd like to get something for the animals! 🎄 --https://a.co/7yZu6bP

12/05/2024

An Afternoon with Santa is already next Saturday! 😲

We've got an adorable craft picked out for the kids to make, they will each receive a sugar cookie to decorate and eat, and the kids will get to meet some animals and Santa Claus!

You can register for this event by:
--Calling the zoo office at 217-421-7435
OR
--Going online to https://webtrac.decatur-parks.org/wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/iteminfo.html?Module=AR&FMID=426810307&InterfaceParameter=WebTrac_New_IU

12/04/2024

Heather talks Cheetahs as we celebrate !

12/04/2024

Happy International Cheetah Day!

Fun Facts:
🐆Spotted Skin--The cheetah’s fur is covered in solid black spots, and so is their skin! The black fur actually grows out of the black spots on their skin.

🐆Speed--When cheetahs are running full speed, their stride (length between steps) is 21 feet. Their feet only touch the ground twice during each stride.

🐆Cheetahs are carnivores, and feed mostly on smaller antelope like springbok, steenbok, Thomson’s gazelle, and duiker. They usually chase down their prey and then bite its throat, killing it by cutting off its air supply (suffocation).

🐆There are fewer than 7,500 cheetahs left in the wild, making the cheetah Africa’s most endangered big cat.

12/03/2024

Our next Zoo Buddies class is next Tuesday! Sign your 3-5 yr old up for the 10am or 2pm session and learn all about these cooing birds. :) Within this one hour class there will be a discussion, story, craft, and animal encounter.

10am registration--https://webtrac.decatur-parks.org/wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/iteminfo.html?Module=AR&FMID=400195436&InterfaceParameter=WebTrac_New_IU

2pm registration--https://webtrac.decatur-parks.org/wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/iteminfo.html?Module=AR&FMID=400195807&InterfaceParameter=WebTrac_New_IU

12/03/2024

It's the most wonderful time of the year again! International Cheetah Day is tomorrow, December 4th, and AZA Cheetah SAFE is doing their annual Cheetah fundraiser through Panda Express!

For lunch or dinner tomorrow, just order online for pickup or delivery at Panda Express' website, enter 928408 in the Fundraiser Code box during online checkout, and 28% of sales that day will go to the Cheetah SAFE program (Saving Animals From Extinction)!

Raise money for SAFE CHEETAH

11/24/2024

The Cheetah Conservation Fund - CCF UK is selling their 2025 calendar! Money raised goes towards the conservation of these amazing cats 🐆😻

The 2025 Cheetah Calendar is here! 🎄

Order yours today and make a real difference this Christmas. For just £14.50, you’ll enjoy stunning cheetah photography captured by talented friends of CCF — and every penny raised supports the Cheetah Conservation Fund’s mission to save these incredible big cats!

This calendar isn’t just a gift for your loved ones, it’s a gift to cheetahs everywhere. Help us protect their future while spreading holiday cheer. 🌟

Don’t wait and get yours now by clicking the link below!

🔗 https://cheetahconservationfund.myshopify.com/products/ccf-uk-calendar-2025

.

11/24/2024

Don't forget to register for "An Afternoon with Santa"! 🎅🎄

You can register online here: https://webtrac.decatur-parks.org/wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/iteminfo.html?module=AR&fmid=426810307&InterfaceParameter=WebTrac_New_IU