08/30/2024
8/30/24: The train at the Bergen County Zoo will have a DELAYED OPENING today. Thank you for your understanding.
Bergen County Zoo
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The Bergen County Zoo is a “New World” zoo, exhibiting wildlife from North and South America.
You have the unique opportunity to view such rare and unusual species as Baird’s Tapirs, Andean Condors, American Alligators, Golden Lion Tamarins, South American Pampas, and many others. The Bergen County Zoo provides a clean, aesthetically-pleasing facility that meets or exceeds the physical, environmental, and behavioral needs of the animals in its care. The goal of the zoo is to develop and ma
intain exhibits which emphasize natural behavior, encourage longevity, and promote breeding success. Our AZA accredited zoo actively participates in wildlife conservation endeavors through captive breeding programs and research projects and supports conservation efforts throughout the world. The zoo provides a unique and effective educational experience that fosters an appreciation for the interrelationships between the animals and their environments. It provides an enjoyable recreational experience for the residents and visitors of Bergen County.
08/28/2024
Have you visited our Wetlands Aviary at the Bergen County Zoo! Come see a variety of birds (like this Scarlet Ibis) and turtles in our walkthrough exhibit!
All the animals in this exhibit can be found in wetland habitats across the Americas. Wetland habitats are important because they provide habitat and shelter for animals and protect coastal regions from flooding. They also help to filter and clean water. These critical ecosystems are threatened by real estate development and sea level rise due to climate change.
Many freshwater wetlands are also threatened by pollution and runoff. Luckily, it’s easy to prevent many harmful chemicals from ending up in our waterways. Many chemicals are washed into local wetlands when it rains— try skipping out on pesticides and fertilizers for your lawn so they don’t end up harming our local wildlife!
08/27/2024
Tomorrow is your last chance to visit the Bergen County Zoo with extended hours! The zoo is from 10am–7pm (Last entrance at 6:30pm). The Train and Carousel are open from 10am–6:45pm.
We’ll see you there! 🌙
08/26/2024
UPDATE: The train is now back up and running. Thank you for your patience!
CLOSURE ALERT: The train at the Bergen County Zoo is currently undergoing maintenance and is temporarily unavailable. It will be CLOSED until further notice. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
08/26/2024
Zoo Babies & Zoo Kids registration is OPEN! These 6-week series include hour long classes where children and their caretaker get to explore the world of animals through songs, crafts, stories, animal meet and greets, and a walk through the Bergen County Zoo! Find the registration link at www.FriendsofBergenCountyZoo.org
Ticket price is for 1 child and 1 adult. Children MUST be accompanied by an adult chaperone. Space is limited!
Questions? Email [email protected] or [email protected]
08/23/2024
Zoo Babies & Zoo Kids are back at the Bergen County Zoo! Registration opens on Monday, August 26 at 9am. Tickets are $60 for the 6-week series. Find the registration link at www.FriendsofBergenCountyZoo.org
ZOO BABIES: Ages 18 months–3 (Tues, Sept 10–Oct 15 OR Thurs, Sept 12–Oct 17. Classes start at 10:30am.)
ZOO KIDS: Ages 4–6 (Wed, Sept 11–Oct 16. Classes start at 3pm.)
Ticket price is for 1 child and 1 adult. Children MUST be accompanied by an adult chaperone. Space is limited!
Questions? Email [email protected] or [email protected]
08/21/2024
Happy World Goat Day! Be sure to stop by the Bergen County Zoo to visit our goats and appreciate that they were among the first domesticated animals in the world!
08/19/2024
Have you seen our Two-toed Sloths at the Bergen County Zoo? We have two sloths on exhibit! They may be hard to spot since they are adapted to life in the treetops. Their long, curved claws provide a powerful grip as they hang from branches. They also sleep for about 15–20 hours a day and often remain motionless even when awake!
08/17/2024
Happy World Honeybee Day! Today brings a buzzing celebration to honeybees and why they’re important! We’d also like to give a shoutout to our very own Bergen County Zoo beekeepers!
Providing honeybees with a supportive environment helps these small but mighty creatures that depend on the nectar of a variety of plants for their survival. We need honeybees for our survival, too! Without their pollinating abilities, many nutritious plants wouldn’t reproduce.
Become part of the effort to support, restore, and enhance the role of bees and pollinators. One way you can help is by planting native! Native plants support wildlife, preserve biodiversity, and look beautiful! The Education Department and Zoo Conservation Crew (ZCC) Teen program planted their very own pollinator garden!
To find native plants in your area, visit: www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder
08/14/2024
World Lizard Day is celebrated annually on August 14th to raise awareness of lizards and their importance in the ecosystem. Lizards are a diverse group of reptiles that live on every continent except Antarctica!
The Bergen County Zoo is home to a few different types of lizards. We have a Bearded Dragon, Blue-tongued Skink, Green Iguana, Common Chuckwallas, a Baja Blue Rock Lizard, and more!
08/13/2024
Today is International Wolf Day which is a global celebration to honor and raise awareness about the ecological importance of wolves! As apex predators, wolves help maintain balanced ecosystems that support diverse life. However, misconceptions and threats have led to dwindling wolf populations worldwide, especially the critically endangered Red Wolf.
The Bergen County Zoo is proud to have two critically endangered Red Wolves. The Red Wolf is the world’s most endangered wolf. Without a managed captive breeding program, the Red Wolf population would have continued to decline until extinction. With the designation of breeding facilities established by government agencies and nonprofits, around 50 approved zoos and wildlife centers throughout the U.S. manage the red wolf population as a genetic reservoir.
08/09/2024
The Bergen County Zoo Summer Camp ended our last full week of fun with our very own Animal Olympics! Why are some animals so good at balancing, swinging, and jumping? Campers gained new insights into how specific adaptations help animals survive and compared their movements to those of animals!
08/08/2024
Today is International Cat Day! Have a paw-some time at the Bergen County Zoo and visit our Mountain Lion brothers!
The historic range of mountain lions included almost all of North and South America. The species was so widespread that it had multiple subspecies that varied based on location. Due to conservation efforts, mountain lion populations in the western United States are stable, although far lower than they were historically. While there are still several thousand mountain lions in the wild, their population has significantly decreased from their historical population due to unsustainable hunting, habitat destruction, and conflicts with livestock.
08/07/2024
Join us for extended hours at the Bergen County Zoo! We’re open from 10am–7pm today and every Wednesday in August! The Train and Carousel are also open!
08/06/2024
Have you visited the Macaws at the Bergen County Zoo? We have a Blue-and-yellow Macaw (left) and a Scarlet Macaw (right)! As social birds, our macaws are trained by staff daily and given proper forms of enrichment to keep them both mentally and physically stimulated.
The primary threats to these parrots are habitat loss from rainforest destruction and heavy exploitation for the pet trade. However, they do not make good pets. Macaws are long-lived, loud, destructive, immensely intelligent, and demand a great deal of time and attention. Owning one is a lifetime responsibility!
08/04/2024
Happy International Owl Awareness Day! Here at the Bergen County Zoo, you can find Barn Owls, a Snowy Owl, and Spectacled Owls! Today not only celebrates owls but is also an opportunity to increase education about owls. Check out some ways you can “give a hoot” and how you can help protect these unique birds!
08/02/2024
Today is International Golden Lion Tamarin Day! Visit the Bergen County Zoo to see our resident Golden Lion Tamarin! Zoos have played an important role in bringing these tamarins back from the brink of extinction through coordinated breeding programs in zoos across the world.
Golden Lion Tamarins are one of the most threatened primates in the world and are currently classified as endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. From continuous deforestation and human interference within their natural habitat in rainforests of Brazil, their wild population was estimated at fewer than 200 individuals in the 1960s. Golden Lion Tamarins exist in the wild today due to the work of conservation organizations and the international zoo community! About half of their wild population are descended from those born in zoos and reintroduced into their native habitat. While efforts are still needed to protect this endangered species, there is hope that they can be conserved through these incredible efforts across the world!
07/26/2024
The Bergen County Zoo has an updated zoo map! Find QR codes to an online map at the front gate and inside the zoo. Or check out www.FriendsofBergenCountyZoo.org/zoo-map ! Let us know what you think!
07/24/2024
Join us today at 3:00pm for Condor training and then stay for extended zoo hours! The Bergen County Zoo is open from 10:00am – 7:00pm today!
07/21/2024
Happy National Zookeeper Week! This week recognizes the contributions zookeepers make to the care, conservation, and preservation of animal wildlife and nature. Swipe to see what we have planned for this week at the Bergen County Zoo!
And join us in saying THANK YOU to the Bergen County Zoo zookeepers and zookeepers all around the world for being essential to the smooth functioning of zoos and the continuance of the animal care profession!
07/19/2024
Another week of Bergen County Zoo Summer Camp has come and gone! Campers explored age-appropriate activities including up-close animal encounters, games, hands-on science projects, crafts, zoo tours, and tons of educational fun that build on campers’ love for animals and nature!
07/17/2024
Did you know that the Bergen County Zoo is open until 7pm EVERY WEDNESDAY in July and August? Enjoy extended hours at the zoo, train, and carousel, and take the opportunity to visit some of our nocturnal animals!
Every Wednesday in July and August, the zoo is open from 10am–7pm (last entry at 6:30pm). The train and carousel will also be open (last ride at 6:45pm).
07/16/2024
Today is World Snake Day! This day urges increased awareness of the wide variety of species around the world. New Jersey is home to around 20 snake species that are scattered across the state.
New Jersey’s snake populations have declined over the past 50 years for several reasons including habitat destruction, urbanization, pollution, human persecution, and more.
All snakes in New Jersey are protected under the NJ Endangered and Nongame Species Conservation Act, which make it illegal for anyone to kill, collect, or harass our native snake species. It is extremely rare for the average citizen to encounter venomous snakes due to their elusive nature, preference for interior forest habitats, small populations, and sensitivity to human disturbance.
The snakes of New Jersey are most feared due to misinformation and misunderstanding. Despite common fears, snakes in New Jersey are generally harmless and can be very beneficial to have around. All snakes perform an integral ecological role in their control of rodents and insects, and are food to other animals such as raccoons, opossums, black bears, coyotes, hawks, and owls. And like most wildlife, they do their best to avoid people!
07/15/2024
July 16th and 17th is Amazon Prime Day! Consider supporting the Bergen County Zoo and our animals by checking out our Amazon Wishlist: www.FriendsofBergenCountyZoo.org/wishlist! All items are handpicked by our animal care staff that directly benefit the zoo animals and your donations help us achieve our goals. Thank you, in advance, for your generosity!
07/14/2024
Happy National Barn Day! Most of our farm animals at the Bergen County Zoo are considered rare breeds including our Romeldale/CVM sheep, San Clemente goats, Sardinian donkeys, Vietnamese Pot-bellied pigs, and White Emden geese.
Domestic rare breeds are any breed with fewer than 1,000 animals registered in North America and fewer than 5,000 animals worldwide. The conservation of rare breeds ensures a wide genetic base and biological health of each species and protects against the loss of heirloom varieties!
07/13/2024
The Bergen County Zoo is home to a new alligator! It’s still quite small, so make sure to stop by the zoo and see if you can find it in the exhibit! Stay tuned for more updates!
07/12/2024
Today is one of our female Elks’ 5th birthday! Consider checking out our Amazon Wish List to help us make all of our animals’ birthdays extra special! www.FriendsofBergenCountyZoo.org/wishlist
We have two female Roosevelt Elk at the Bergen County Zoo! Roosevelt Elk are a subspecies of North American Elk. They are the largest of the four-surviving subspecies of Elk in North America by body mass!
07/10/2024
The Red Brocket Deer and Capybaras are cooling down in their pool at the ! It's also Capybara Appreciation Day!
Brocket Deer and Capybaras both have excellent swimming abilities! Red Brocket deer are known to enter bodies of water to swim away from predators in the wild. Capybaras have webbed feet like frogs and ducks do, helping them to swim fast. Plus, their eyes, ears, and nostrils are on top of their head, which lets them stay mostly submerged for long periods of time!
07/09/2024
Happy Cow Appreciation Day! Make sure to stop by the Bergen County Zoo and come appreciate our Belted Galloway Cow, Yardley!
Belted Galloways are known for their unique coloration. The white contrast to the black coat, which may have a brownish tinge in the summer, sets the breed apart with its striking color pattern. Because of this distinctive look, they may be referred to as "Oreo cookie cows"!
07/04/2024
Happy July 4th! Did you know that the United States has two national animals to its name? The bald eagle was selected as the national bird of the USA in 1782. Once hunted near-extinction, the bald eagle was placed under official government protection in 1940. This prevented the extinction of bald eagles, preserving them as our national emblem and as an important part of wildlife in North America!
In 2016, the American bison was chosen as the national mammal of the USA! In the 1800s, American settlers hunted bison and massively depleted their numbers. As a result, bison nearly went extinct. Federal, Tribal, state, and conservation partners worked together to restore wild bison populations and strengthen cultural connections of Native American peoples. Today bison live in all 50 states, including Tribal lands, wildlife refuges, national parks, and private lands!
Address
216 Forest Avenue
Paramus, NJ
07652
Opening Hours
| Monday | 10am - 4:30pm |
| Tuesday | 10am - 4:30pm |
| Wednesday | 10am - 4:30pm |
| Thursday | 10am - 4:30pm |
| Friday | 10am - 4:30pm |
| Saturday | 10am - 4:30pm |
| Sunday | 10am - 4:30pm |
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Videos
Baird's Tapir at the Bergen County Zoo
This week is a hot one so this is your reminder to stay hydrated and keep cool, just like our Baird’s Tapir at the Bergen County Zoo! Tapirs are excellent swimmers and will often enter water to drink, cool down, and escape predators. They even use their long snout as a built-in snorkel! Our tapir especially likes pushing around enrichment in his pool! #bergencountyparks #bergencountyzoo #bergencountynj #zoo #animals #nature #education #environment #familyfun #spring
Giant Anteater at the Bergen County Zoo
Did you know that Giant Anteaters are excellent diggers? Check out our Giant Anteater at the Bergen County Zoo using her long claws and strong arms to dig a hole to slurp up some insects! She also walks around on the sides of her feet to avoid dulling her claws! #bergencountyparks #bergencountyzoo #bergencountynj #zoo #animals #nature #education #environment #familyfun #spring
Horse Training at the Bergen County Zoo
You can definitely teach an old horse new tricks! Our Belgian Draft Horse at the Bergen County Zoo knows a variety of behaviors that allows for mental and physical stimulation. Check out what our zookeepers taught her recently! Attention Members! Don’t forget to come to Members’ night tomorrow, June 4th from 5:30pm – 8:30pm! See more animal training, ride the train and carousel, learn from our educators, and more! Visit www.friendsofbergencountyzoo.org/events for more information. Questions? Email [email protected] #bergencountyparks #bergencountyzoo #bergencountynj #zoo #animals #nature #education #environment #familyfun #spring
Sheep Shearing at the Bergen County Zoo
Ever wondered how a sheep gets sheared? Sheep shearing is a specialized job and only experienced people can successfully do it in a few minutes. No sedation is needed, a trained professional knows how to maneuver the sheep in a way that is comfortable and safe. Once positioned correctly, the wool is sheared off in one big piece. Now our sheep at the Bergen County Zoo ready for the warm weather! #sheepshearing #bergencountyparks #bergencountyzoo #bergencountynj #zoo #animals #nature #education #environment #familyfun #spring
Agouti Coconut Enrichment.mp4
Come visit our Agoutis at the Bergen County Zoo! Red-rumped Agoutis are small but mighty rodents whose diet typically consists of seeds and fruit, but their jaws are strong enough to get through coconut shells when in search of something sweet to eat! Agoutis are important seed dispersers for tropical plants in their native South American region, and they have a special relationship with Brazil nut trees. They have ever-growing incisors and are one of the very few animals that can chew through the hard outer shell of a Brazil nut to get the nearly two dozen nuts inside. Afterwards, they will bury extra nuts to eat later. Afterwards forgotten nuts and seeds will germinate and grow into new trees! #bergencountyparks #bergencountyzoo #bergencountynj #zoo #animals #nature #education #environment #familyfun #spring
4.16.24 - Elk Update.mp4
Our Elk are enjoying each other’s company and the weather! Want to make our new Elk feel at home? Consider checking out our wish list! www.friendsofbergencountyzoo.org/wishlist Items from this wish list directly benefit the zoo animals and are hand-picked by our animal care staff! #bergencountyparks #bergencountyzoo #bergencountynj #zoo #animals #nature #education #environment #familyfun #spring
Happy Super Bowl Sunday! Some of our animals at the @bergencountyzoo predicted the winners…. Check it out! No matter what enrichment we give our animals, it is always with the goal of promoting natural behaviors! In this video, it looks like we’re just giving them painted boxes. These boxes are actually filled with things they have to dig through in order to find food! Spending time actively searching for food is called foraging. In the wild, sharp foraging skills are essential for an animal’s survival. In captivity, we do our best to promote foraging as a fun and exciting way to get them to use their bodies and minds to figure out a puzzle. This type of enrichment is usually very motivating for the animals because they get to eat after playing with it! #bergencountynj #bergencountyparks #bergencountyzoo #animals #environment #nature #wildlife #education #enrichment #familyfun #superbowl #football #chiefs #49ers
Let it GLOW 2023 promo
Let it GLOW! A Holiday Lantern Spectacular is a unique winter event that is perfect for the whole family! It features dozens of hand-painted, larger-than-life structures that celebrate culture, animals, and the warmth of the holidays. With over 30 different scenes, each hand-made, artistic wonder is more breathtaking than the last. This evening event also has train rides and fire pits. S’mores kits are available in the Zoo Gift Shop. Get your tickets now at www.friendsofbergencountyzoo.org! #bergencountyparks #bergencountyzoo #bergencountynj #zoo #animals #nature #education #environment #familyfun #winter #holiday #lights
Winter Wonderland is back this Friday! Skip the toll this holiday season and bring the entire family to Van Saun County Park for open air ice skating, food trucks, games, ice bumper cars, and more! Winter Wonderland is New Jersey's premier destination for holiday winter fun! For tickets visit BergenCountyWinterWonderland.com
Bergen County's Winter Wonderland is back!
is back this Friday! Skip the toll this holiday season and bring the entire family to Van Saun County Park for open air ice skating, food trucks, games, ice bumper cars, and more! Winter Wonderland is New Jersey's premier desitination for holiday winter fun! For tickets visit BergenCountyWinterWonderland.com
While everyone gets candy for Halloween, our animals at @bergencountyzoo get pumpkins! Happy Halloween! #bergencountyparks #bergencountyzoo #bergencountynj #zoo #animals #nature #education #environment #familyfun #autumn #fall #halloween #spooky #scary
We’re looking back at another great summer season at our pony barn in Van Saun County Park. A huge thank you to everyone who came to visit us and to all our staff for making the magic happen! What were your favorite summer memories at the @bergencountyzoo? Tag us in your pics! We’d love to see them. 📸: the incredible @jenna_abrams_ 🥰 #bergencountyparks #bergencountyzoo #bergencountynj #zoo #animals #nature #education #environment #familyfun #summer
Check out our Baird’s Tapir at the @bergencountyzoo interacting with enrichment! Enrichment is one of the many ways we keep animals healthy and stimulated, both mentally and physically. We offer our animals enrichment daily and incorporate operant conditioning training regularly. This helps expose them to a wide variety of stimuli which helps elicit some of their natural behaviors! Want to help the zoo reach its enrichment goals? Consider checking out the @friendsofbczoo Animal Wishlist! www.friendsofbergencountyzoo.org/wishlist #bergencountyparks #bergencountyzoo #bergencountynj #zoo #animals #nature #education #environment #familyfun #summer
Thank you, Joy, for being such an invaluable member of our team! The @bergencountyzoo is dedicated to conservation and education. Visit us and learn more about our efforts to save wildlife! Happy National Zookeeper Week! #bergencountyparks #bergencountyzoo #bergencountynj #zoo #aza #animals #nature #education #environment #familyfun #summer
Thank you Hannah for your hard work! And thank you to all of our incredible keepers who take care of all of our animals at the @bergencountyzoo. #bergencountyparks #bergencountyzoo #bergencountynj #zoo #aza #animals #nature #education #environment #familyfun #summer
Here is keeper Meg T. talking about our Capybaras! Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world. Capybaras are very selective grazers in the swamps and wetland ecosystems in which they reside. #bergencountyparks #bergencountyzoo #bergencountynj #zoo #aza #animals #nature #education #environment #familyfun #summer
Continuing with National Keeper Week, check out the “ice-cream cone” food enrichment that keeper Allan A. made for our Black-Handed Spider Monkeys! Black-Handed Spider Monkeys are medium sized monkeys with prehensile tails that they can use for grabbing and climbing. They are mainly herbivores and get a wide variety of fresh produce daily along with other nutritional supplements. Today, they got a special novel food item, mango sorbet with a monkey biscuit cone! As very intelligent animals, they get unique enrichment designed to promote their natural behaviors including foraging, climbing, swinging, and more! Thank you to keepers Allan A. and Sara M. for their knowledge and effort. Remember to say THANK YOU to all zookeepers during National Zookeeper Week! Ask questions in the comments and we’ll be responding to them from 1pm-4pm! #bergencountyparks #bergencountyzoo #bergencountynj #zoo #aza #animals #nature #education #environment #familyfun #summer
Come visit the Bergen County Zoo! It’s a fun and education way to spend a summer day with your friends and family. Thank you, @bergencommissioners, for highlighting our facilities in honor of Parks and Recreation Month! #bergencountyparks #bergencountyzoo #bergencountynj #zoo #aza #animals #nature #education #environment #familyfun #summer
Our Linné’s two-toed sloths are loving the forsythia that our keepers collected for them today! Here at the zoo, animal keepers collect suitable plants located throughout the park to add variety to the animals’ diets. This is also a form of enrichment; switching up their diets helps promote foraging behaviors and stimulates their brains. Our animals have very specific diets, and our keepers are specially trained to know exactly what each animal can receive. So please, never feed our animals while at the zoo. It can make them sick!
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