It’s just a drill! As a zoo accredited by the The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, we are required to have dangerous animal escape drills once a year. We will be performing those drills this week on Monday, Nov. 14, Wednesday, Nov. 16 and Friday, Nov. 18 before the zoo opens for the day. All of our animals are safely in their bedrooms.
Now, there’s no telling what those employees dressed as animals are up to!
Pumpkin Palooza 2022
Happy Halloween! 🎃 Our pumpkin palooza is a tradition that our animals love and have come to expect! They will roll, smash, eat and play with the Halloween treats!
*Please note: we are not accepting any donations of pumpkins at this time.
📸: Keepers Christina, Matt and Elizabeth, Education Leah and Jenn & Events Deanna and Nicole
Slow Loris Outreach Week
Slow down and check out our adorable slow lorises! To celebrate Slow Loris Outreach Week, we asked keepers to share photos and videos of the zoo's three lorises: Havarti, Ricotta and Mai Ly. Harvati and Ricotta live in the Akron Zoo's nocturnal animal building, while Mai Ly, one of the oldest slow lorises in the world, lives in retirement in the zoo's animal hospital.
The pygmy slow loris is a small primate, standing at just six to ten inches long and weighing around two pounds. Lorises do not have tails, but they are well equipped for climbing trees thanks to their opposable thumbs, and their large eye make them very sweet-looking. Sadly, slow lorises are threatened due to habitat loss and degradation, climate change and capture for the illegal pet trade. You can help to protect slow lorises by raising awareness about the illegal pet trade, and by supporting local and global conservation efforts!
📸: Keeper Angela, Keeper Brynne, Keeper Clark and Events Nicole
Bats
Look it, it's freaking bats! You can help provide these cute bats with food and medical care with a Halloween special Care for a Critter package! Adopt our Rodrigues fruit bats now: https://www.akronzoo.org/care-for-a-critter.
Our bats are the most expensive animal to feed here at the Akron Zoo. With a Care for Critter, you're helping to provide all of our bats with food, medical care, habitat maintenance and more.
Get yours today, before they run out!
📸: Keeper Christina
Get batty today with a Halloween special Care for a Critter package! Adopt our Rodrigues fruit bats now: https://www.akronzoo.org/care-for-a-critter.
With a Care for Critter, you're helping to provide all of our bats with food, medical care, habitat maintenance and more. The bats are one of the most expensive animals to feed here at the zoo, and you could help provide them with plenty of delicious fresh fruit to enjoy!
Get yours today, before they run out!
📸: Keeper Christina
Boo at the Zoo hiring
Working at the Akron Zoo is a blast, so come join us! Apply today: https://www.akronzoo.org/seasonal-jobs
We're hiring for positions on our guest services team for the remainder of our busy season, including Boo at the Zoo and Wild Lights. Jobs include our guest experiences (admissions and rides), food service and gift shop.
You must be 16 years or older. The Akron Zoo is an EOE and drug-free workplace.
Akron Zoo Mario Kart
When the guests are away, the staff will play! Some of our staff members were having a bit of fun one morning before we opened for the day with a game of real life Mario Kart! 🤣
During your next visit, make sure to check out our ScooterPals! You can rent these full-sized seated electric scooters that are dressed as animals. There are five plush scooters available – a lion, giraffe, rhino, leopard and a black bear.
Adults, 18 years or older, can rent a ScooterPal. Children over 36 inches in height are permitted to ride the plush scooter, but are required to ride with an adult.
If you or someone you know are in need of a scooter for accessibility/mobility needs, we have standard electric scooters available for rent in our gift shop. https://www.akronzoo.org/strollers-wheelchairs
📸: Gift Shop Mike
Noel boop
We think this clip of Noel the alpaca needs a good caption. Any suggestions?
📸: Keeper Brenna
Akron Zoo Awards
Last call to nominate someone awesome for the 1st annual Akron Zoo Community Awards! The awards will honor organizations and individuals for their dedication and commitment to the greater Akron community. Nominations are open through Friday, Sept. 23 at 5 p.m. Self-nominations are accepted. Submit your nomination now at https://www.akronzoo.org/community-awards.
The awards are:
• Be the Change Citizen Award: Recognizes an individual who inspires lifelong learning and conservation action through exceptional volunteer service.
• Unity Award for Community Partnership: Outstanding community partner that demonstrates exemplary leadership in building collaborative pathways for the greater good of Summit County.
• Educational Excellence Scholarship: Demonstrates merit in creating excitement and stirring passion in others to become champion of our natural world through a STEM initiative. This scholarship will have two recipients – one for grades six – eight and one for grade nine – 12.
• Metamorphosis Award for Transformational Leadership: Acknowledges the achievement as a change leader in Summit County while demonstrating exceptional leadership through commitment and dedication to making a positive impact within the county.
Happy American Red Wolf Week! This inagural celebration, observed September 12-16, celebrates the progress that has been made in #redwolfrecovery while raising awareness for the work that has yet to be done.
On September 14, 1987, the first red wolves were released in a recovery area in North Carolina, seven years after the species was declared extinct in the wild. Unbeknownst to them, these red wolves carried the future of their species on their shoulders. Today, 10 known red wolves roam the recovery area.
In honor of American Red Wolf Week, keepers gifted Waya, Poco, Manny and Hawk two tasty racks of ribs which they did their best to "share." Poco, Manny and Hawk were part of a litter of eight pups born to Waya and his previous mate, Juno, on April 22, 2021. Of this litter, the four largest pups were designated to be cross fostered in their native habitat. This past winter/spring, both female pups were successfully collared with monitoring collars and re-released. The Akron Zoo hopes to continue supporting red wolves, both in our park and in their native habitat through the reintroduction program.
Happy Bald is Beautiful Day! Each year on September 13, people around the world celebrate their baldness. Whether you are the owner of a bald head created by genetics, medical circumstances, age or just personal preference, today is a day to be loud and proud! Join keeper Adam in celebrating bald heads of all shapes and sizes at your Akron Zoo!
Visit https://www.akronzoo.org/blog/bald-beautiful-day to learn more about our beautiful and bald Akron Zoo residents!
📸: Keeper Brenna
🎵: Happy, rock, background - Kirill Kharchenko
Join the movement! Apply today at https://www.akronzoo.org/seasonal-jobs!
It is no secret the Akron Zoo is committed to making conservation-conscious decisions in operations and animal care, but did you know that even our food and beverage department is contributing to conservation? You can become a member of our team and begin making a difference in the lives of people and animals today!
You can learn more about the café's green practices at https://www.akronzoo.org/blog/conservation-food-service.
🎵: original sound - lisu edits
Lulu camera boops
Lulu is boopin' excited for International Red Panda Day this Saturday, Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
We'll be celebrating the day with our red pandas, Lulu and Penny. There will be keeper talks, training demonstrations, fun activities and meet-and-greets with our red panda mascot! Learn more at https://www.akronzoo.org/red-panda-day.
International Red Panda Day is sponsored by Clearwater Systems.
Happy Birthday Tex
Happy 36th Birthday Tex! Tex, one of our animal ambassadors, is the longest living resident here at your Akron Zoo - he has lived here for 35 years!
Turkey vulture Tex celebrated his birthday with an amazing cake, full of yummy treats for him to find like fish, mice and hard-boiled eggs. He even got to finish off the extra "frosting," which was whipped egg whites. Tex loved his cake so much that he was not willing to share - and he let the camera know it!
Learn more about Tex and his history here at the Akron Zoo: https://www.akronzoo.org//blog-tex-me-happy-birthday.
Happy Father's Day
Happy Father's Day! All dads and grandpas get free admission to the Akron Zoo today. Get tickets at https://www.akronzoo.org/fathers-day-1.
Red wolf Waya is celebrating his very first Father's Day. Waya was very happy to receive the title of 'Dad' this year with the arrival of our red wolf pups. He loves spending time with the pups - playing, caring for and protecting all four pups and mom Juno!
Check out security footage of Waya living the dad life from when the pups were only a few weeks old! ❤
Happy 20th Birthday Parker! Our female white-cheeked gibbon is celebrating her first birthday here at the Akron Zoo and her care team went all out!
Have any questions about white-cheeked gibbons? Ask Keeper Brenna - we’ll try to answer as many questions as possible.
Red wolf pups out
Juno and Waya are letting the red wolf pups venture out into the public habitat more, under their careful supervision of course! When visiting, watch for the pups playing. Flora, Manny, Tawodi and Poco want you to come meet them!
Purchase your tickets online to save money and skip a line. Tickets available at https://www.akronzoo.org/tickets. Akron Zoo members do not need to reserve tickets.
Happy Birthday Parker!
You're invited to a birthday celebration today, June 15, at noon on Facebook Live! Parker is not only celebrating her first birthday here at the Akron Zoo, but it's a major milestone as well! Our female white-cheeked gibbon is turning 20 years old today. Join us to wish her the happiest of birthdays!
Wild Asia Open Now
Wild Asia is now open - have you had a chance to visit yet? What was your favorite part?
Lehner Family Foundation Wild Asia features Sumatran tigers, red pandas and white-cheeked gibbons. Come meet our new animals! Purchase tickets online to save money and skip a line: https://www.akronzoo.org/tickets
Penguin chick swim test
Penguin chick Ernie has passed his first swim test and he loves the water!
📷: Keeper Vicky
Meet our second penguin chick! We’re live behind-the-scenes in our penguin building to reveal the name and gender of the youngest of our two penguin chicks. We will also share an update on the older chick, Ernesto.
Keeper Vicky is answering your questions - ask about the chicks, our penguin colony or Humboldt penguins in general. Make sure to watch the full video to see if we’ve already answered your question.
Please note: that noise you’re hearing in the background is the pumps for the penguins’ pool.
Red wolf pups cross fostered
A month ago, four of our red wolf pups were designated to be cross fostered in their native habitat. Check out the video below to see the process of getting the pups from Akron to North Carolina.
The pups were flown by private plane to North Carolina. Both the plane and pilot were donated by LightHawk, who gave the pups a first-class travel experience. Because of this, the time the pups were away from a den and mother was significantly reduced. Red wolves are critcally endangered with fewer than 20 wolves left in their native habitat, making this cross foster historic.
We've received reports that officals from US Fish and Wildlife Services believe that the pups were successfully adopted by their foster mom! This report will most likely be the last report we receive for some time as we allow the foster mom space to raise the pups.
As for the four pups remaining here at the Akron Zoo, they are growing leaps and bounds! You may see a head pop out while visiting as the pups are starting to explore more. We'll be sure to share once you can visit and see the pups consistenly.
Wild Asia Now Open
Wild Asia is now open!
Our brand new area, Lehner Family Foundation Wild Asia, features Sumatran tigers, red pandas and white-cheeked gibbons. Visit your Akron Zoo today to meet tigers Diburu and Eko, red pandas Coco, Lulu and Penny and white-cheeked gibbons Milo and Parker!
Tickets must be purchased online. No tickets will be available at the door. To avoid overcrowding, tickets are available via time ticketing. The time selected for your tickets is the time you must enter the park. Even Akron Zoo members must have tickets to enter the park. Member tickets are available online. Tickets are available at https://www.akronzoo.org/visitor-guidelines.
Panda Palace Episode 20
It's the season finale of Panda Palace! Coco, Lulu and Penny wrap up their popular show with panda boops galore! You can meet the girls in person beginning Saturday, May 29 when Lehner Family Foundation Wild Asia opens to the public.
The sisters - along with all of us at the Akron Zoo - want to say thank you for hanging out with them for the past several months as they moved into their new home and prepared for their big debut. But while the weekly mini series has come to an end, a special edition Panda Palace may pop up every now and then!
Catch up on past episodes at http://bit.ly/akronzooPP.
Wild Asia TV commercial
We're one week away from the opening of Lehner Family Foundation Wild Asia! The new area features Sumatran tigers, red pandas and white-cheeked gibbons. Uncover the mystery beginning May 29!
Tickets are available now for the Wild Asia Grand Opening on May 29. Tickets are limited and expected to sell out. Tickets must be purchased online. No tickets will be available at the door. To avoid overcrowding, tickets are available via time ticketing. The time selected for your tickets is the time you must enter the park. Even Akron Zoo members must have tickets to enter the park. Member tickets are available online. Get your tickets at https://www.akronzoo.org/wild-asia-grand-opening.
Panda Palace Episode 19
On Episode 19 of Panda Palace, our red panda sisters are enjoying naps in the warm sunshine, climbing trees and snacking on their favorite treat, red grapes (not to be confused with green grapes, which Lulu is not a fan of). Next week is the season finale of Panda Palace as we get closer to the opening of Lehner Family Foundation Wild Asia on May 29!
Panda Palace is a mini-series that features red panda sisters - Coco, Lulu and Penny - as they prepare to make their big debut when Wild Asia opens on May 29. Catch up on past episodes at http://bit.ly/akronzooPP.
Penguin chick in the tunnel
Penguin chick Ernesto is beginning to check out new things. He thinks this tunnel is pretty cool and shares his thoughts at the end of the video (sound on!)
📷: Keeper Vicky
Panda Palace Episode 18
On Episode 18 of Panda Palace, it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood and our red panda triplets are introducing their new neighbors. Meet tigers, Eko and Diburu, and white-cheeked gibbons, Milo and Parker.
But Lulu says to not forget who is truly the star of Panda Palace!
Panda Palace is a mini-series that features red panda sisters - Coco, Lulu and Penny - as they prepare to make their big debut when Lehner Family Foundation Wild Asia opens on May 29. Catch up on past episodes at http://bit.ly/akronzooPP.
Update: It's a boy! Meet Ernesto!
Meet our penguin chick! We’re live behind-the-scenes in our penguin building and are revealing the gender and name of our oldest of the two penguin chicks.
Ask Keeper Vicky any of your penguin questions - whether it is about the chick, our penguin colony or Humboldt penguins in general. We’ll try to answer as many questions as possible. Make sure to watch the video in full to see if we’ve already answered your questions.
Note: the background noise you’re hearing is the pumps for the penguins’ pool.
Panda Palace Episode 17
On Episode 17 of Panda Palace, Coco, Lulu and Penny are introduced to some special guests! Our friends at the Memphis Zoo join us on a special edition of Panda Palace and share their giant pandas with us.
Panda Palace is a mini-series that features red panda sisters - Coco, Lulu and Penny - as they prepare to make their big debut when Lehner Family Foundation Wild Asia opens on May 29. Catch up on past episodes at http://bit.ly/akronzooPP.
