Zoological Society of Milwaukee

12/26/2024

Did you get a Zoo pass for Christmas? Visit during the holiday break ❄ Come explore all the wonders the Zoo has to offer, like adorable otters at Otter Passage!

🧡 Zoo Hours:
Weekdays: 9:30 AM - 2:30 PM
Weekends: 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM

12/25/2024

Happy holidays! We are bringing some cheer to your feed with this photo of Kash 'smiling' in the snow. Amur tigers love a snow day! ❄🧡

12/24/2024

Merry Christmas Eve! Bean the caribou has shed his antlers, but we're still in awe of how magnificent they were this year. Take a moment to appreciate the simple joys of the season, whether it's the sparkle of lights or the warmth of a cozy moment with loved ones.

Did you know? 🎅🏽✨ Santa's reindeer can't be male for one reason: Only female reindeer keep their antlers through Christmas! The males, like Bean, shed theirs by mid-December.

The Milwaukee County Zoo is closed Christmas Day.

12/22/2024

Today, we’re shining the spotlight on the heart and soul of our Zoological Society Milwaukee family — our incredible Zoo Pride volunteers! 🧡 These 435 amazing humans have poured over 39,000 hours of dedication, passion and animal facts into the Zoo in 2024.

From supporting Zoo & Society events, making animal enrichment, helping with education programs, inspiring empathy at habitats and being genuinely wonderful people — their impact is felt all around!

Have you had the chance to meet a Zoo Prider in 2024? If so, let us know your favorite moment in the comments!

12/20/2024

We’re certainly feeling a lot smarter this year! For today’s , we’re looking back at all of the fantastic work done by our education programs in 2024 🧡

We saw more than 70,000 participants in our classes, camps and other educational programs this year, along with more than 350 Animal Ambassador programs with over 20 schools this year.

Education is one of the most important aspects of our mission at the Society. By providing these opportunities for adults and children to learn more about our global environment, it allows them to create empathy for the fascinating flora and fauna that surround us and inspires them to take action towards preserving and conserving our planet’s ecosystem.

What was your favorite class you or your child attended in 2024? Share your experiences below — we’d love to hear!

12/19/2024

Another ! What an amazing year for our Society fundraising events, with over 27,000 attendees joining us in 2024! From Puttin’ on the Ritz to Snooze at the Zoo, Zoo Ball and everything in between, your support helped us raise over $1.1 MILLION for our mission.

Puttin’ on the Ritz, presented by Bridgewood Advisors, is just around the corner! Join us for an unforgettable night of networking, fine dining and premier boxing at Potawatomi Casino & Hotel on Jan. 23, 2025. zoosociety.org/ritz

12/18/2024

Its' time for more ! Today we’re giving a shoutout to our more than 2,000 animal sponsors who are a part of the Society's Sponsor an Animal program. They LOVE Zoo animals!

Curious which animals had the most sponsors this year? We’ve broken down which animal has the most sponsors by each area of the Zoo. Check out this list and take a guess at which animal has the most sponsors overall:

🧡 Aviary — Valentino the Caribbean flamingo

🧡 Apes & Primates — Alex the orangutan

🧡 ARC — Penny the Fly River turtle

🧡 Small Mammals — Ollie the fennec fox

🧡 North America — Ronnie the grizzly bear

🧡 Africa — Ziggy the giraffe

🧡 Big Cats — Choto the snow leopard

🧡 Asia — Dash the red panda

🧡 Farm — Trinity the Scottish highland cow

And the most sponsored animal at the Zoo in 2024 is…
🥁🥁🥁🥁
VALENTINO THE CARIBBEAN FLAMINGO!

12/17/2024

Our mission: Conserve. Educate. SUPPORT. From tiny birds to 4,000-pound giraffes, Milwaukee County Zoo staff provide expectional care. Caring for animals takes time, efforts and funds — the Society seeks your help to ease this cost.

Donate to our annual appeal, Nurture Their Nature, and be part of something extraordinary. Your generosity makes a real impact — from daily animal care and enrichment to state-of-the-art veterinary equipment and so much more.

🧡 Donate today: zoosociety.org/appeal
🧡 Donations of $100 or more, including memorial gifts, will be honored on our digital donor kiosk in the U.S. Bank Gathering Place.
🧡 Miller Brewing Company will MATCH a portion of your donation

12/16/2024

Tis the season for counting birds! This past weekend, Society staff, Zoo staff and Zoo Pride volunteers took part in the annual Christmas Bird Count at the Milwaukee County Zoo. The group walked a route through Zoo grounds and recorded 24 species of birds for a total of 407 birds! Our observations will be submitted to Schlitz Audubon for the Milwaukee-area count and the national count — this is our second year participating.

Highlight of the day: a female Green-winged Teal who was hiding amongst a flock of 180 mallards (yes, we counted)!

Bird counts are a community science tradition of counting winter birds, organized by the Audubon Society for over 120 years. Find a count near you at https://www.audubon.org/

📷 Toby, ZSM Regional Conservation Specialist

12/16/2024

Humboldt penguins, native to the sunny coasts of Peru and Chile, are thriving in their brand new habitat at the Zoo — and they can’t wait to come nose-to-beak with your little explorers for Zoo classes and camps! 🐧☀️

🗓️ January 15 is Zoo Pass member registration for Summer Zoo Camp 2025! Give your kids or grandkids a summer full of wonder, discovery and animal friends.

12/15/2024

✨ Wild Lights for Wildlife! ✨ Got old or unused light strands and cables? Bring them to the Milwaukee County Zoo for recycling! Now through Sunday, January 5 during regular Zoo hours.

Drop-off your lights in the yellow collection bin in the US Bank Gathering Place OR with staff at the main Zoo entrance gates.

Why recycle your lights?
✅ Keeps them out of landfills
✅ Saves space for wildlife habitats

12/13/2024

Looking for a meaningful gift? A Zoo Pass is the perfect choice! By gifting a Zoo Pass, you’re joining the Zoological Society in its mission to:

🧡 Conserve wildlife and protect endangered species
🧡 Educate communities about the importance of wildlife and our environment
🧡 Support the Milwaukee County Zoo

Plus, every Zoo Pass includes a subscription to our publications — featuring the 2025 Alive calendar with stunning photos of Zoo animals. zoopass.com

12/12/2024

Tula the Amur tiger checking in... did you grab your gift Zoo Pass yet?! 🐾

Order by TODAY, Dec. 12, to get it mailed in time for the holidays — or swing by our offices the Zoo to pick it up! 🎄 Call us at 414-258-2333 with any Zoo Pass quesitons.

zoopass.com

12/11/2024

Home for the Holidays! 🐧🎄Welcome the Humboldt penguins home by sponsoring the perfect penguin pair, Houdini & Anke! zoosociety.org/sponsoranimal

With a $50 sponsorship, you’ll support this amazing penguin pair and receive a holiday package including a plush-toy penguin, a sponsorship certificate, an invitation to a special behind-the-scenes event and more! 🎁 Hurry, order by Dec. 12 to guarantee Christmas delivery.

12/10/2024

Is it just us, or does this Tuesday have Monday vibes? 🧡 Here are some holiday memes featuring Zoo animals to bring you some cheer.

If you laugh, send to a friend!

And hey, speaking of 'kid'ing around — new Zoo Pass gift memberships are the GOAT of holiday gifts. 🎁 Call us today to place an order and get a FREE goat plush! (new gift memberships only, while goat plush last)

🧡 zoopass.com

12/09/2024

Gifts aren't all we’re wrapping up this month! We’re excited to kick off , celebrating all our achievements in 2024. To start, we want to give a huge shoutout to YOU, our amazing members, for making everything we do possible. Our Zoo Pass program serves nearly 41,000 member households, and it’s growing every day!

👉 Grab your Zoo Pass at zoopass.com and join the fun! We’ve issued 485 gift memberships this holiday season so far – each one comes with a cuddly plush goat to spread some extra holiday cheer. 🐐 Remember, a Zoo Pass is the GOAT of all gifts.

12/09/2024

Looking for something to brighten your morning commute? Don’t miss this spotlight on our Wild Birds program on WUWM's Chirp Chat! Hear from Toby Seegert, ZSM's Regional Conservation Specialist, about why winter is the perfect time to keep backyard bird feeders stocked and how it helps birds stay nourished during the colder months.

For this month’s Chirp Chat, Lake Effect’s Xcaret Nuñez spoke with Toby Seegert, the Regional Conservation Specialist for the Zoological Society of Milwaukee. He says winter is a great time to keep backyard bird feeders stocked so you can help birds stay nourished through the season.