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Indispensable Interns: In the Field, Wetlands, and Lab
Brendan Lewis has been sitting in the dark and damp of a forest for six hours. He’s wrapped in bug netting, swarmed by mosquitoes, and waiting—and waiting—for wood turtles to make nests and lay eggs....
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Flippered Friends in Need
The two yearling sea lions couldn’t even lift their heads. They were in a pen with two individuals farther on the road to recovery but were soon separated out for extra monitoring, Minnesota Zoo...
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Clip-Clop, Clydesdales: Caring for Animal Athletes
Ritchie isn’t so sure about the big green block in his barn. Flaring his nostrils wide, he chuffs and huffs at it. It’s not a hay bale or a bucket or anything familiar to him at the Farm. Dr. Kyla Awes...
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Monorail Memories: Staff Think Back to the Track
Twenty-five minutes was all it took. To spin a round-trip journey from the American prairie to the Asian steppes to the boreal forest to the taiga. To watch animals roam in huge habitats. To marvel at...
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Drawing on Expertise: Vet Techs Contribute to Turtle Conservation
Tromping through thick brush. Sloshing through ankle-deep water and over slippery river rocks. Mastering a tricky procedure on a small subject. All in a special day’s work for the Minnesota Zoo’s...
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Restoring Riverways: Mussels Return to Minnesota Waters
Minnesota is home to many species of native freshwater mussel. Freshwater mussels, what many people often refer to as ‘clams’ here in Minnesota, are some of the most imperiled animals on the planet....
View ArticleNew to the Zoo: Pine Marten on the Minnesota Trail
Introducing the newest addition to the Minnesota Trail: a pine marten! Members of the Mustelidae family (with weasels, otters, and wolverines), pine martens are native to Minnesota and areas north and...
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Butterfly Conservation Work Featured in Best American Nature and Science Writing
The Poweshiek skipperling is one of the most endangered species on the planet. Minnesota Zoo researchers are working tirelessly to save the prairie butterfly from extinction. Last year, the national...
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A Record Year for Rhino Conservation
The black rhino conservation program in Namibia is one of the most successful and groundbreaking of its kind- and the past year garnered even more recognition for these critical efforts. Namibia...
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Leafy, Weedy, Wild and Rare: Seadragons at the Minnesota Zoo
In Discovery Bay, there are ocean animals as rare as four-leaf clovers – which means the Minnesota Zoo is very lucky to have them! Meet the leafy seadragons and weedy seadragons. The Minnesota Zoo is...
View ArticleThat’s Not a Gnu: New Takin on the Northern Trail
There’s a new golden glow at the Minnesota Zoo! Please welcome Tao, a 3-year-old female takin who arrived in spring 2024 from the San Diego Zoo in California. Her move here was recommended by the...
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The Long Life of a Minnesota Zoo Icon
The Minnesota Zoo mourns the death of Nikita, a Burmese python who was a fixture of the Tropics Trail for decades. At the time of her death Nikita was 29 years old, making her one of the oldest Burmese...
View ArticleTribute to a Remarkable Bird
The bald eagle, a bright star of the Minnesota Trail, died July 3, 2024. As an ambassador for her species, the female bird made her home here since 1998. She was found in Wisconsin in 1997 suffering...
View ArticleConsensus for a Census: One Way to Save Sharks and Rays
Through a program called SAFE – Saving Animals From Extinction – zoos and aquariums come together to support conservation of all 1,200-plus shark and ray species. The Minnesota Zoo is a proud partner...
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Backyard Birding: How to Learn about Birds and Contribute to Conservation
If you are looking for a new hobby this fall or hoping to contribute to conservation, get out a pair of binoculars and try out birding with the help of the eBird and Merlin Bird ID apps. Fall is a...
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