Meet Sassafras, the adorable baby Somali wild ass. 🥹
Sassafras was born Aug. 16th to mom Haiba and dad Rebel weighing 37.4 pounds. She joins a total of seven wild ass at the Zoo and can be spotted in the Red Rocks area of the Zoo most days exploring her habitat with her mom.
Sassafras' birth is significant because the Somali wild ass faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild and there are less than 100 members of the species in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums today. The species is threatened in the wild by hunting and the increased presence of human populations and livestock in their habitats in Somalia and northern Ethiopia.
Let's give a howl for National American Red Wolf Day!
Four adorable red wolf pups are growing up quickly at the Saint Louis Zoo Sears Lehmann, Jr. Wildlife Reserve in Franklin County.
The Zoo is working with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) American Red Wolf Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) Program to save this keystone species. Learn more about the Wildlife Reserve at https://stlzoo.org/conservation/wildlife-reserve
Here comes Trouble, one of the Zoo's resident Gentoo penguins.
Come visit Trouble and all her penguin friends at the Zoo this Labor Day weekend!
Meet American red wolf pup Otter at 4 months
Dad and daughter duo Tyke and Otter share a signature look.
American red wolf Tyke arrived at the Saint Louis Zoo Sears Lehmann, Jr. Wildlife Reserve in Franklin County late last year with a condition that left him with one ear up and one permanently down. Commonly known as “cauliflower ear”, the condition (auricular hematoma) is often seen in dogs and is only a cosmetic change.
When Tyke and his partner Lava welcomed their first pup, Otter, in April, keepers soon discovered an unexpected sight—the newborn also had one ear that didn't stand up, just like her dad. Keepers at the Wildlife Reserve take a hands-off approach to the wolves, so it's not clear how the pup’s ear ended up that way, but Zoo veterinarians confirmed that, like her father, the rest of her ear is normal, and she should have no issues hearing. It hasn't slowed Otter down one bit.
Every red wolf in our care is a candidate for release to the wild so we limit their exposure to and reliance on humans. Only about 20 members of the critically endangered species remain in the wild today. Another some 250 live in human care, including 17 red wolves at the Zoo's Wildlife Reserve.
Our team has watched from afar as Otter, Tyke and mother Lava have bonded and thrived in the pups' first four months.
Lopsided ears and all, we think Tyke and Otter make a lovable dad-and-daughter pair.
Soothing moments with the South American sea nettle
"I shall call him squishy, and he shall be mine. He shall be my squishy.” -Dory 🪼
The newest species in the Bayer Insectarium is the South American sea nettle! The jellyfish drift with the water current, using their long tentacles to catch and eat tiny animals like zooplankton. While sea nettles deliver a painful sting, they are not dangerous to humans.
Visit the new habitat in the Insectarium the next time you visit the Zoo!
Mary Ann Lee Butterfly Wing
Sunshine + butterflies = the perfect day
The Mary Ann Lee Butterfly Wing is a geodesic dome filled with tropical plants, a waterfall and many types of butterflies!
The oasis is also home to moths, water striders, two green honeycreepers and turtles. Visit these beautiful bugs the next time you visit the Zoo!
Jammin' at the Zoo 2024 coming soon
Don't miss Jammin' at the Zoo, our 21+ event of the summer, THIS FRIDAY!
Tickets include wine and beer tastings at more than 20 stations, a complimentary light-up tasting glass, live entertainment, rides on the Emerson Zooline Railroad, sea lion and seal views in the Holekamp Aqua Tunnel and stingray feedings!
Grab your spot online now at https://stlzoo.org/jammin.
When: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23!
o Zoo Young Professionals Member: $25
o Zoo Member: $35
o Non-Member: $45
Parking is free during the event at both Zoo lots.
Colobus monkey goes for a swing
A monkey in a barrel!
Animal Care staff work hard to provide enrichment opportunities for the animals, including making a makeshift swing for the Colobus monkeys!
The bucket inside the barrel has leafy greens and other foods for the Colobus monkey to retrieve! This is a mentally stimulating experience for the animals and encourages natural behaviors that would be used in the wild.
Visit the Colobus monkeys and other primates at Primate Canopy Trails on your next trip to the Zoo!
World Elephant Day: Elephants and their trunks
Happy World Elephant Day!
The Zoo cares for seven Asian elephants—one male and six females—with one elephant on the way!
An elephant's trunk can do a lot of things, including feeding, snorkeling, smelling and more. An elephant’s trunk also helps them drink water, but not like a straw. Elephants will take the water from their trunk and squirt it into their mouths. Elephants drink up to 25 to 50 gallons of water a day, and their trunk can hold up to 2.5 gallons at a time!
Asian elephants are critically endangered with nearly 50,000 left in the wild due to habitat loss and human-elephant conflict. The Zoo is part of The Association of Zoos and Aquariums Saving Animals from Extinction (SAFE) program for the species. The program’s goal is to enhance and assist in Asian elephant conservation efforts like engaging with communities with native elephants and supporting science for EEHV treatment and management.
See the elephant family the next time you visit the Zoo!
#AsianElephantAwarenessMonth #SavingAnimalsFromExtinction
Hyena goes for a swim at Saint Louis Zoo
What a happy hyena!
Spotted hyena Haji recently splashed around and took a dip in her habitat pool 🌊
Cheetah meows at Saint Louis Zoo
Turn sound on to hear a couple cheetah "meows" as brothers Tatu and Mbili bathe each other after some breakfast.
Cheetahs make a wide variety of vocalizations including distinctive bird-like chirps, howls, purrs and even meows, but they never roar. Cheetah voice boxes lack a specific bone (the epihyal bone) other big cats like lions and tigers use to roar.
Stop by the Zoo on Saturday, Aug. 10 for the Zoo's free Caturday celebration to learn about all the Zoo cats and ways we can help their species. Learn more at the link in bio.
Jammin' at the Zoo coming soon!
Grab tickets now to unleash your inner party animal at Jammin' at the Zoo, our 21+ wine and beer tasting event!
Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 | 6 to 10 p.m.
Zoo Young Professionals Member: $25
Zoo Member: $35
Non-Member: $45
Your ticket includes:
🍾More than 20 tasting stations featuring wine and beer samples served in our complimentary light-up tasting glasses.
🎵 Main stage entertainment from DJ Trio, The Sage Babes Collective.
🚂 Attractions and animal experiences, including the sea lions at the Holekamp Aqua Tunnel, Emerson Zooline Railroad and Stingrays at Caribbean Cove presented by SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital.
Get tickets and learn more at https://stlzoo.org/events/jamminatthezoo.
Nutrition 🤝 Saint Louis Zoo keepers
On this final day of #NationalZooKeeperWeek, we're highlighting all the work keepers do that the public doesn't often get to see like making sure each animal gets the proper diet and medication!
Watch along as a keeper Mel Miller makes some plates for several species in the Bird Garden. You can see the meals involve many components and get sprinkled with supplements that are important for our birds' health!
Next, keeper Taylor Woods makes a "chick plate" for a Palawan peacock pheasant chick that keepers are hand-rearing. She cuts up fruit in very small pieces and also squashes live mealworms before feeding them to the chick. The chick will get this meal 3 times a day. As the little bird gets bigger, keepers will no longer have to chop the food so small.
At Penguin & Puffin Coast, penguins receive a varied diet with sustainably caught capelin, smelt, herring and mackerel. Watch as keeper Sam Rekart makes sure each penguin receives a vitamin in their fish. Other birds may receive vitamins sprinkled on food. This helps ensure the birds thrive!
In our Quarantine area, keepers like Mallory Carmean (pictured) often have the task of getting animals used to new diets. When an animal first arrives at the Zoo, they spend time in quarantine separate from the Zoo’s other animal residents to prevent spread of any diseases and give new arrivals time to adjust. Quarantine keepers often need to get all types of species accustomed to diets that vary slightly from what they're used to such as different brands and types of food, different amounts, and (for many species) different hay as most hay is locally sourced.
Feeding 16,000 animals here is no easy task and we couldn't do it without a lot of dedicated people! #NationalZooKeeperWeek #NZKW24
Making seawater at Saint Louis Zoo
How does the Zoo get seawater in the middle of the country? Our wonderful keepers make it!
The Life Support Systems Department makes salt water each week for the sea lion and seal habitat.
They mix about 13,000 lbs of salt with fresh water to create 20,000 gallons of seawater! #NationalZookeeperWeek #NZKW
Priya is having a SPLASH!
The elephants are having a SPLASH this summer!
Priya didn’t hesitate dipping into the pool on a hot, summer day. The animals at the Zoo have a choice to stay indoors or outdoors every day! Visit the elephants the next time you visit the Zoo.
Snails at the Saint Louis Zoo
An easy, slow kind of morning.
The Zoo homes native terrestrial snails in the Bayer Insectarium. Their antennae on top of their heads help detect scents and help identify where they are.
The Insectarium staff recreates the fog or mist seen in the video to keep the habitat humid for the animals and the plants living on the forest floor.
You can see these awesome snails in the Insectarium the next time you visit the Zoo!
Saint Louis Zoo penguins see renovated habitat for the first time
Watch our resident Humboldt penguins see their renovated habitat for the first time 🐧
This spring, the outdoor space at Penguin and Puffin Coast was closed for several weeks while the Zoo's Facilities Management team was hard at work creating fixes and upgrades, including all new surfacing to help keep the penguins' feet healthy and a few new raised areas for easier penguin navigation around the habitat.
Stop by the Zoo to visit these feathered friends!
Four American red wolf pups born at Saint Louis Zoo reserve
Coming out of Fourth of July weekend, we're thrilled to announce new members of a great American species.
Four American red wolf pups were born this spring in the first-ever breeding season at Saint Louis Zoo Sears Lehmann, Jr. Wildlife Reserve.
The Wildlife Reserve is the Zoo’s Franklin County property dedicated to conserving the red wolf, the most endangered wolf in the world.
A female pup, Otter, was born April 26 to parents Lava, age 8, and Tyke, age 9, who came to the Wildlife Reserve in late 2023 from the Wolf Conservation Center in New York.
One female pup. Molly, and two males, Obi and Finn, were born May 4 to first-time parents Ladybird, age 3, and Wilber, age 8.
All four pups were healthy and thriving at their first checkups in late June.
The Zoo opened the Wildlife Reserve in 2022, answering the call to help keep this keystone American species from extinction. Only about 20 red wolves remain in the wild today in North Carolina. An additional 290 red wolves live in human care.
The Wildlife Reserve is not open to visitors to give the 17 red wolves on the property privacy and allow them to maintain natural survival skills with limited human interaction. Red wolves are naturally shy and run away from people. We aim to maintain that important behavior to keep the red wolves safe should they ever be selected for release into the wild.
The Wildlife Reserve collaborates with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the American Red Wolf Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) Program.
Dwarf mongoose pups at the Saint Louis Zoo
Meet our new dwarf mongoose pups 🥰
The three babies were born in May and are growing up fast! They're now learning to be more independent and are starting to explore their habitat and play.
Guests can spot them and the 10 other members of our dwarf mongoose family in the River's Edge area of the Zoo now.
The dwarf mongoose is the smallest carnivore in Africa, with adults weighing in at only about one pound. They live in large family groups and are matrilineal, meaning females are dominant.
Listen with sound on to hear some vocalizations from the pack!
American burying beetles reintroduced into the wild
America’s birthday 🤝 America’s beetle
Happy 4th of July! The Zoo takes care of many animals across the globe, including animals in Missouri like the American burying beetle.
The Zoo recently took a trip to southwest Missouri to reintroduce several American burying beetles to their new, natural habitat.
Saint Louis Zoo staff, Sedgwick County Zoo staff and Zoo ALIVE Teens from the Zoo worked together to dig and place the beetles in their new homes.
American burying beetles are a type of carrion beetle. They feed off dead animals like mice, birds, snakes and more. Once the species finds its food, the beetles remove its hair or feathers and cover it in secretions.
American burying beetles are an endangered species and without them, we would be surrounded by dead animals! The Saint Louis Zoo Center for Conservation of the American Burying Beetle is dedicated to saving the species from extinction. This year, the Center introduced 168 beetles into the wild.
