Santa Barbara Zoo

11/16/2025

Big pumpkin for a big cat! 🎃👀

By the way, Zoo friends! If you’ve got leftover pumpkins this fall season, we recommend composting them or burying them in your garden at home. Pumpkins can be an excellent source of soil enrichment and need not go to waste in the garbage!

📸: Animal Care Supervisor Ariel

Alt-text: Ralph the African lion (background) cautiously examines a huge orange pumpkin in the foreground of this picture.

11/15/2025

Bad hair day in the rain? It’s not just you… 😏🦜

📸: Keeper Addy

Alt-text: Gumdrop the white-cheeked turaco is caught by Keeper Addy’s camera in the midst of a bad hair day. Gumdrop’s crest feathers are matted by the rain and stick up in spikier-than-usual fashion.

11/14/2025

Rain has begun to fall on our usually sunny coastal city, and we know someone who’s bound to be excited about it! 🌧️🦍👀

When the weather isn’t too inclement, our gorillas are given the option to spend time outdoors on rainy days (with access to their indoor area, of course). While Nzinga the western lowland gorilla typically chooses to stay inside, his brother Bangori loves a dance in the rain!

Alt-text: A throwback video reel of Bangori the western lowland gorilla playing in the rain. Bangori splashes puddles, frolics in the drizzle, and grabs a bite to eat out of his puzzle feeders as we watch from behind the observation window glass.

11/14/2025

11/13/2025

The days may be getting shorter, but the cats are staying just as cool! 😎🐆

📸: Animal Care Supervisor Ariel

Alt-text: Tamur the Amur leopard slyly makes his way across a wooden beam as he casually peeks at his admirers behind the observation window glass out of frame.

11/11/2025

Explore wildlife at Zoo Camp! 🏕️🦜🦍🐆

Sign your wild ones (ages 3–12) up for an unforgettable camp experience! Our award-winning Zoo Camp offers kids the opportunity to be outside and learn all about animals and the world around us. Campers enjoy hands-on science activities, games, crafts, snacks and lunchtime, up-close animal encounters, and a guided Zoo tour.

Don’t wait! Zoo Camp spots fill up quickly! While Fall Zoo Camp is just about sold out, Winter Zoo Camp (from December 22 – January 2, 2026) is open for registration now.

For more information and to register today: https://www.sbzoo.org/zoo-camp

Alt-text: Photos from Santa Barbara Zoo Camp! In the first, a young camper scratches the shell of a radiated tortoise during an animal encounter. Next, we see campers posing for a picture with Educator Whitney and Mottle the prehensile-tailed skink. Finally, we see campers gather around a campfire as they roast marshmallows in the last photo.

11/10/2025

Looking back through the camera roll after a good weekend like: 🥹



📸: Keeper Wyatt

Alt-text: Two slender-tailed meerkats huddle together to watch the sun set over the horizon. Their tails cross as the meerkat on the right rests its cheek on the left meerkat’s head.

11/09/2025

Pop quiz, Zoo friends! 📚🤔

Who’s who in this red panda power couple picture??

📸: Animal Care Supervisor Joe

Alt-text: A picture of red pandas Raj and Ruby (or is it Ruby and Raj?). They stand atop the Burmese mountain tortoise den in their habitat and look at our camera.

11/08/2025

‘Tis the ZooLights season! ⚡️😻✨

ZooLights are back for 2025! See the Zoo in a whole new light with dates from November 12 to January 11. Walk through the Zoo each night from 4:30 to 8:30 PM and enjoy illuminated silk lanterns showcasing animal and nature scenes that represent wild places from around the world.

With all-new light displays, fun interactive areas, and plenty of photo op moments, this year’s ZooLights spectacular is sure to put a twinkle in your and your family’s eyes!

For tickets and more information: https://www.sbzoo.org/zoolights

Alt-text: Photos of some of this year’s ZooLights! In the first, kids pose in a snowboarding photo op. Next, we see silk giraffe lights crossing necks. Finally, a pair of pandas riding bikes light up the night in the last picture.

11/07/2025

Rate Tesso’s superhero landing! 🤩💫🦸

Prevost’s squirrels, like Tesso, are tree squirrels native to Southeast Asia. They are excellent climbers that rarely leave their homes in the trees except to gather nuts, seeds, and nesting materials.

📸: Keeper Addy

Alt-text: Tesso the Prevost’s squirrel climbs off of a wooden block and strikes a pose with its back legs squatting behind it and its front right forelimb extended, like a superhero in a movie!

11/06/2025

We’re pleased to announce that we’ve been honored with the Mayor’s ADA Legacy Award!

The 20th Annual Mayor’s Awards brought together community leaders, elected officials, and representatives from organizations in Santa Barbara dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities. This year, the Zoo received the Mayor’s ADA Legacy Award for demonstrating a longstanding commitment to advancing the rights, inclusion, and opportunities of people with disabilities.

Thank you Mayor Randy Rowse, the City of Santa Barbara, and the California Department of Rehabilitation for this special recognition!

📸: City of Santa Barbara

Alt-text: Santa Barbara Zoo President & Chief Executive Officer Charles Hopper (left) smiles as he poses for a picture with Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse (right) as he receives the Mayor’s ADA Legacy Award on behalf of the Zoo.

11/04/2025

Ask us why they’re called “blue-tongued skinks.” 😜💙



📸: Keeper Addy

Alt-text: Melbourne the blue-tongued skink crawls through the grass and pokes out his bright blue tongue at Keeper Addy in these pictures.