Mesker Park Zoo AAZK

02/21/2025

Zookeepers need greater support to cope with grief when the animals they look after die, according to new research.

02/20/2025

Happy Love Your Pet Day! Our zookeepers & AAZK members both love animals and have pets, from cats and dogs to birds and reptiles to spiders and aquatics. Show us your pets in the comments!
Friendly Reminder: remember, not all animals make good pets and not every pet is good for every person. Research, ask questions, and make informed decisions.

02/18/2025

Two of our white-faced whistling ducks recently toured the botanical displays of this year's Orchid Escape in Amazonia. They each gave it a bill up and several excited whistles.

Visit the orchids now through March 15...remember that it's always 75°F in Amazonia.
📷 Docent Dee

02/16/2025

02/15/2025

Clover, our rhinoceros iguana, enjoys eating his fruit before he eats his greens. Here he's eating an apple chunk.
📽 Keeper Taylor

02/14/2025

A child's first Valentine is almost always Mom. ❤

📷 Keeper Jackie

02/12/2025

Happy International Day of Women & Girls in Science!

Currently, 14 of Mesker Park Zoo's 19 zookeepers are women. We also have an all-women veterinary team & animal curator staff.

Help us celebrate our amazing team who are helping forge the way for the next generation of zookeepers, veterinarians, and conservationists.

📷 AnuReeSai @ https://niascomm.in/2021/02/10/international-day-of-women-and-girls-in-science/

02/11/2025

This is the Monday-est Tuesday ever!
📷 Keeper Taylor
Pictured a lesser hedgehog tenrec creating a painting masterpiece. Painting is a form of enrichment that engages the animal's senses of touch, sight, & smell.

01/26/2025

01/19/2025

For our first Spotlight on Ambassador Animals Week post, we want to look at what makes an animal an ambassador! While there are many definitions, the AZA has a specific way to look at it–it’s not always as simple as designating a specific animal as an ambassador. Sometimes, animals whose primary role is being on habitat work as ambassadors in an encounter experience, or an animal that lives behind the scenes participates in a tour taking food from guests. The definition and flowchart here: https://buff.ly/40jlzj5 help us understand when animals are acting as ambassadors, and therefore what policies apply to them! Association of Zookeepers

01/16/2025

Why is Uno so smart? Because he axolotl questions!
You can visit Uno, our axolotl, in the Research Station of Amazonia.
📷 Keeper Hannah

01/14/2025

Last year, we watched from the safety of Evansville as Florida was hit with back-to-back massive hurricanes. Humans can leave their homes quickly if needed in an emergency; a herd of giraffes or a crash of rhinos cannot. And when they can't leave, humans remain behind to care for them. This is one of the ways that ZDR3 helps the zoological industry. This is a small reason that we donated a portion of the money you dropped into our Wishing Well found in The Kley Building to them. Thank YOU!

The American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) is a membership organization for animal care professionals. We recently received donations from several AAZK chapters and wondered what prompted them all. So we asked Nicole Pepo, the Board President for AAZK. Here’s what she told us:

“The threat of a hurricane hitting your hometown is always a terrifying feeling, but for those of us working at zoological facilities it hits an elevated level. Not only are we now worried about our personal homes and families, but we are also worried about our extended families at work. That not only includes our teams, but also the animals that we care for.

When the AAZK Board of Directors and Staff heard about the damage done by Hurricane Helene and the threat of Milton was on the horizon, we knew we needed to make a call to arms to help our Chapters and Institutional Members in the pathway of destruction recover. We knew that ZDR3 was in transit to the areas hit hardest, and as a valued Member Partner of AAZK we reached out to our phenomenal Chapters in order to encourage them to donate to their cause. Our Executive Director formulated an email that was sent out to all of our Chapter Leaders that outlined the process of donating to ZDR3 as a non-profit organization.

The response from our Chapters was immediate and full of such compassion. Thank you to ZDR3 for everything you did and are continuing to do, and thank you to the AAZK Chapters that rushed in to help each other in a time of need.”

We value how partners like AAZK can amplify our efforts to assist zoological colleagues on their worst days; and we appreciate the Chapters that chose to support our 2024 response efforts: Cape May County AAZK, Battle Creek AAZK, Little Turtle AAZK, Dallas Zoo AAZK, Memphis AAZK, Puget Sound AAZK, and Indianapolis AAZK.

We are Stronger Together

01/09/2025

Mila says Hi!
Sand cats are small, solitary cats native to deserts in Africa and Asia. They can live without water, mostly relying on the moisture from their prey to stay hydrated.
📷 Keeper Loretta

01/05/2025

While the desert horned lizard is still waiting to see the snow...the rest of us are watching it fall. The zoo will be closed at least today (1/5) & tomorrow (1/6) so that we can safely care for the animals while clearing the walkways.

01/04/2025

When you see your bestie messing up their New Year's resolutions already! 😏

Pictured: Grant's zebra, Sudoku
📷 Keeper Katrina

12/27/2024

Pssst! Hey there! Did you know that today is National Visit the Zoo Day? Zoos aren't just about having fun; they also contribute significantly to conservation efforts. It's crucial to recognize our duty in safeguarding wildlife and their habitats. So, take advantage of this day to learn more about how we can make a positive difference for the incredible animals we coexist with on this planet!
📷 Keeper Taylor