Great Plains Zoo

01/19/2025

🐾❄️ Dr. Jenny is here to share some fun facts about our new snow leopard, Denali!

Have you met her yet? 🐆 Use your Sea & Snow Pass to visit her at the Zoo and get acquainted!

Get yours here: https://bit.ly/3BX62NZ

01/18/2025

We’re thrilled to share that since November 1, our wonderful volunteers have already raised an impressive $740K for our Chamber Appeal which supports our $50 million We Can’t Wait capital campaign!

This transformational campaign will help us build a new education center, a world-class aquarium, a butterfly rainforest, and a new home for our Humboldt penguins.

A heartfelt thank-you to volunteers like Laurie Fluit, who are helping this transformative effort. Laurie shared her excitement to see the project completed, turning the Zoo into a must-visit attraction for locals and tourists alike. She believes it will be a game changer for tourism and help put our community on the map!

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this vision for the future of our community! While we’re making great progress, we still have work to do to reach our $1.3 million goal. Our campaign continues through March, so stay tuned for updates and inspiring stories from our volunteers. Together, we’re making a difference!

01/17/2025

The Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium team sends our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Joe Floyd, who passed away earlier this week.

Joe and his wife, Elaine, were long-time, steadfast supporters of Butterfly House & Aquarium. Elaine was a former schoolteacher who loved butterflies. Since 2006, the Floyds made it possible for more than 69,000 elementary school students to enjoy free field trips.

Joe and Elaine believed in the importance of helping students build their reading skills, so they funded books for every visiting field trip student to take home. They also made it possible to give each visiting student a packet of milkweed seeds to help establish host plants for our local monarch butterflies.

Joe loved brainstorming with the BHA team about ways technology could enhance learning opportunities – including funding a BHA educational video, A/V support in the BHA classroom, and other projects in Elaine’s honor after her passing in 2017.

During the Covid pandemic, financial support from the Floyds helped more than 3,100 students experience virtual fieldtrips to BHA.

Thank you, Joe and Elaine, for everything you’ve done for the Butterfly House & Aquarium – and for the many, many children your generosity has inspired!

Photo courtesy: Midco

01/17/2025

🎉🐻 This week, we’re celebrating Jenny and Marshmallow’s birthdays for Bear Birthday Month! 🎂

Jenny, named after the lake she lived near, became a local legend for stealing unattended food, while her cub, Marshmallow, tagged along.

Marshmallow’s young age saved Jenny from being euthanized, as park rangers knew she couldn’t survive alone. While the highlights of Jenny’s food theft may be amusing, they reflect a sad reality for many bears in the wild!

We’re so thankful to have given them a home and a platform to share their story, spreading awareness about human-wildlife conflict.

Visit Jenny and Marshmallow this month and learn how YOU can protect bears in the wild!

01/16/2025

🐉✨ Today is , and we’ve got some incredible dragons to celebrate at Great Plains Zoo! 🦎

Want to meet our dragons and other ambassador friends? Explore our education programs on our website! 🐾📚

01/16/2025

🐾❄️ It’s the PERFECT winter zoo weather today!

Come visit your favorite animals and enjoy plenty of cozy indoor viewing areas. 🦒🐧 Don’t forget to grab our Sea & Snow Pass—one price gets you access to the Great Plains Zoo AND Butterfly House & Aquarium (perfect for those extra chilly days)!

Get yours here: https://bit.ly/3BX62NZ

01/15/2025

🐧 There were a lot of GREAT penguins at GPZ last year, but only one can snag the title of Penguin of the Year.🏆

Announcing OLIVER, our Penguin of the Year! 🎉 This 33-year-old Humboldt penguin came to us from Seaworld and quickly won everyone over with his cool temperament and charming personality.

We’re so thankful for all our years with Oliver and can’t wait for more! Stop by GPZ and congratulate him! 💙

Get your tickets here: https://bit.ly/3BX62NZ

01/14/2025

🐾📚 ZooCub class registration is open for our winter sessions!

Little ones will explore animals through lessons, stories, hands-on activities, special animal encounters, and zoo tours.

This session’s themes include: amazing animal body parts, activity patterns, and an A-to-Z wildlife alphabet adventure!

Learn more here: https://www.greatzoo.org/education-programs/ -classes

01/13/2025

❄️🐾 Drop your guesses below and swing by the Zoo to hear all the winter sounds!

Grab a Sea & Snow Pass for an indoor-outdoor adventure at Great Plains Zoo AND the Butterfly House & Aquarium—all for one great price!

Perfect for South Dakota winters - get yours here: https://bit.ly/3BX62NZ

01/12/2025

🌍🐾 At Great Plains Zoo, we’re proud to support conservation projects locally and globally—like our work with Dakota Skippers, Black-Footed Ferrets, Snow Leopards, and more!

Your visit directly helps us protect endangered species and spaces. Learn more about our conservation work here: https://www.greatzoo.org/conservation/

01/11/2025

Anybody else want Amahle to drop her workout routine??

Grab a ticket and see Amahle in action at GPZ!

Get your tickets at the link in our bio!

📸: Zookeeper Vi

01/10/2025

🦅 Matilda is popping in to wish you a happy !

She came to us through our rehab program due to injuries sustained in the wild. Her injuries were too extensive for her to be released so now she serves as an ambassador for her species and teaches guests to protect eagles in the wild!

Our nation’s bird faces threats like poaching and pollution, but thanks to dedicated conservation efforts, their numbers are rebounding from the brink of endangerment. Let’s honor Matilda by learning how we can continue to protect eagles in the wild! 💚

01/09/2025

It's Bear Birthday Month and this week we are celebrating Juneau and Sitka turning 10! 🐻🎉

Orphaned in Montana in 2015, these cubs were too young to survive on their own. Instead of euthanizing, they began a journey from Florida to Indiana, finally arriving in Sioux Falls in 2018 to join our new bear exhibit.

Since then, they’ve been incredible ambassadors, teaching us all how to coexist with and protect bears in the wild.

Stop by and celebrate a decade of Juneau and Sitka at the Great Plains Zoo!

01/08/2025

We're so excited to partner with our local business community as we plan and dream the next chapter of Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium! Learn more about this phase of fundraising in this article from the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce.

Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium launches Community Appeals Campaign to support the merging of Great Plains Zoo and the Butterfly House & Aquarium.

01/08/2025

Callie the tiger is in her happy place—cool weather, a tree stump, and her favorite perfume! 🐅❄️

Winter is the perfect time to visit the Zoo, with many animals loving the chilly temps and showing off their playful sides. 🐾

Explore the Zoo, warm up in our winter viewing areas, and DON'T FORGET to snag your Sea & Snow tickets for an adventure at the Great Plains Zoo AND Butterfly House & Aquarium—all for one great price!

Get your tickets here: https://bit.ly/3BX62NZ

📸: Zookeeper Kirsten

01/06/2025

🐾 Back to work blues? Brighten your day with the cutest face at the Zoo!

Don’t forget our Sea & Snow pass—one ticket, two unforgettable adventures at the Zoo AND the Butterfly House & Aquarium. 🦋🐟

Get yours here: https://bit.ly/3BX62NZ 🎟️

📸: Hospital Manager Janelle

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01/04/2025

🎉 January is Bear Birthday Month at Great Plains Zoo! 🎂🐻

We’re celebrating all six of our bears, who were born in the wild and came to us due to human conflict. Since their exact birthdays are unknown, we honor them in January—their typical birth month in the wild.

Stay tuned all month as we share their stories and celebrate our favorite bears, and make sure to stop by and visit these winter staples at the Zoo! 🐾

Get your tickets here: https://bit.ly/3BX62NZ