We join Thatcher, our Eurasian eagle owl, in wishing you a happy Superb Owl Day! 🦉Hope it’s a hoot!
#sfzoo #superbowl
We love a rainbow 🌈 after a storm!
In honor of Lunar New Year and the Year of the Snake, you can find a variety of snake species throughout the Zoo, including at our Animal Rescue & Conservation Center (ARC), home to our ambassador animals.
Those born under the Year of the Snake are considered wise beyond their years, strategic and charming! According to predictions, 2025 marks a transformative year, and snake years in general are a great time for growth and stability. Some of our snakes are viewable daily and during scheduled outdoor presentations. Happy Lunar New Year!
Did you know one of our oldest Zoo residents is one of our Chilean flamingos? Here’s Liz to introduce you to our senior flamingo, Red 11. He looks pretty good for his age!
Have you ever wondered what happens to Zoo animals after they’ve passed away? Animal caretakers, Zoo staff, volunteers and guests like you, have had the unique privilege of getting to know some amazing individual animals over the course of these animals’ lives. And in life, they taught us a lot about aspects of their species, such as their physiology and behaviors - knowledge from studies of which we can potentially apply to help save and protect their wild counterparts. These animals also enlightened, delighted and piqued curiosity and interest to learn more, and maybe even spurred some of you to pursue careers in zoology, biology and ecology!
And after zoo animals have passed, they continue to serve as an important source of learning. Meet Julian, an SFSU graduate student, who has taken on the challenging task of reorganizing and re-inventorying the Zoo’s massive specimen collection, comprised of skulls, bones, pelts and other objects collected over many decades. This project is monumental! We are so impressed with Julian’s knowledge and skills, determination and importantly, his keen interest in keeping our history intact and passion to ensure the collection can be shared and used to educate future generations. Thank you Julian (he’s not quite finished yet, but almost there!).
You can see some of these biofacts every day and chat with our knowledgeable Docents manning biofact carts stationed around the Zoo!
Our entire bird staff and veterinary team joined together for the annual “penguin round-up” – a chance to perform check-ups on each of our 51 Magellanic penguins at the same time! Just like a well-oiled machine, penguins were corralled and after which, each individual penguin was given a thorough exam, including a body condition score, an eye exam, checking their feet for any sores, and trimming their nails and beaks if slightly overgrown. Each penguin also received a vaccine for West Nile Virus and was weighed. Additionally, penguins were scanned with a metal detector to see if individuals may have ingested coins found in their pool. Coins can be fatal if ingested by a penguin, and we highly discourage guests from throwing coins into our penguin pool.
The penguins were awake for their examinations and some were a little squirmier than others, but all were happy to return to Penguin Island after their check-up!
It’s Penguin Awareness Day! Here’s Megan to share some fun facts about penguins! 🐧
Stop by Penguin Island today to visit our pop-up penguin table to learn more about Magellanic penguins and the work being done to save them and other penguin species in the wild. 🐧🐧🐧
We recently welcomed Flor, a one-year, 8-month-old female Southern pudu born at Woodland Park Zoo, adding to our South American species here. Pudus are the smallest deer species in the world, with the Southern pudu slightly larger than Northern pudu, and native to temperate rainforests of South America. They are threatened in the wild by loss of habitat due to logging and agriculture and poaching. Pudus are a bit shy and elusive, and can blend in well with their surroundings.
Come see Flor in her habitat across from the east side of the Lion House!
Female fossa Marie engaging with her enrichment: priceless!
On a clear, sunny day, you might find a new resident strolling about the outdoor sifaka habitat. Meet our new male radiated tortoise, who has yet to get a close-up encounter with our pair of Coquerel’s sifaka! Nevertheless, this active, 20-lb. tortoise has been on the move, exploring the grounds and chomping on clover while the sifaka have been cautiously curious, watching him from afar or atop the Baobab tree.
Radiated tortoises are a critically endangered species that is native to Madagascar due to habitat destruction, poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking. One of its most distinctive features is its shell, which is high-domed and beautifully marked with yellow lines radiating from the center of each dark plate of the shell, a pattern of which helps them camouflage. Come see him soon!
To connect all people with wildlife, inspire caring for nature & advance conservation action
