Imagine you’re a scientist out in the field conducting research and scanning the savannah for movement. With luck, you spot your intended subject—a pride of lions lounging under an acacia tree! You get closer – but not too close, safety first! – and scan the faces of each lion, noting the patterns of whiskers and…

Lincoln Park Zoo is partnering with Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) institutions across the globe for Gorillas on the Line, a cell phone recycling initiative. Zoo visitors can recycle their old cell phones, small electronic devices, and battery chargers in the collection box at Searle Visitor Center through September 24. Taking small steps, such…

At O’Hare International Airport, two deliveries originating from Wichita, Kansas and destined for Beijing, China are seized — all thanks to a wildlife detection dog named Lancer. Between the two shipments, 25 box turtles are detected and confiscated. Curator Dan Boehm receives a call from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the 25…

As we near the end of a toasty summer in Chicago, it’s a stark reminder that cities near and far are experiencing extreme weather—from intense rain events to wildfires. Deforestation and burning fossil fuels releases rampant amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This excess carbon dioxide builds up and acts like a thick blanket…

Talk about ‘egg-citing’ news! Lincoln Park Zoo and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are thrilled to announce the successful hatching of an endangered Great Lakes piping plover chick. The chick has been re-introduced to its ‘famous’ parents, Monty and Rose at Montrose Beach. As an endangered species, Great Lakes piping plovers Monty and Rose…

For decades, primates (monkeys, apes, and lemurs) have been used in the entertainment industry, appearing as “actors” and props in television shows, movies, advertisements, street performances, photographs, and music videos. These appearances negatively impact both individual animal welfare and the conservation of primates at large. Research conducted through the Lester E. Fisher Center for the…

Each spring, the eastern massasauga rattlesnake emerges from the hole that it hibernates in all winter long, ready for sunshine and food to kick-start its growth and reproduction for the year. This creates the perfect opportunity for scientists to study this illusive, threatened species. Every year, the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Species Survival Plan® (SSP), the…

For the first time in its 152-year history, Lincoln Park Zoo temporarily closed for an extended period. Since then, our concept of “normal” operations has completely changed. Due to the pandemic, the zoo closed to the public from March through June 2020 and again from January 2021 until late February this year. As the City…