World Rhino Day takes place on September 22! It’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the eastern black rhinos here at Lincoln Park Zoo, Kapuki and her son Romeo, while recognizing that there’s still a lot of work to do when it comes to saving this critically endangered species. Here at Lincoln Park Zoo, we’ve been…
Thanks to the multitude of green open spaces as well as its location along a migratory bird flyway, Chicago has tremendous biological diversity—from flying squirrels to coyotes and more. But in cities like this, large swaths of concrete, shifted food resources, light and noise pollution, traffic, and other factors can sometimes create human-wildlife conflicts. Lincoln…
To further the conservation and ecological understanding of the state-endangered black-crowned night heron, researchers at the Urban Wildlife Institute are studying the wild colony that has been nesting at Lincoln Park Zoo and the surrounding park since 2010. Now, with more than 600 individuals, the Lincoln Park Zoo colony has grown to be the largest…
Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo is an urban oasis teeming with life. This serene, prairie-style wetland surrounded by a meandering boardwalk and native plants and trees is the perfect place for Chicagoans to connect with nature in the heart of the city. Four Midwest native species of milkweed are present around the boardwalk, allowing…
Spring and summer bring warm, sunny days and blooming flora, along with an increase in the miniscule, insect-like creature—the tick. Many common myths surround this infamous parasite, including: You can feel a tick bite you. Ticks have highly-specialized mouth parts that allow them to attach into the skin of a host in a covert manner…
A legacy continues… In 2020, Lincoln Park Zoo said goodbye to 34-year-old eastern black rhinoceros Maku due to age-related health issues. An ambassador for his species, Maku helped sustain the population of critically endangered black rhinos through his six offspring as part of the Eastern Black Rhinoceros Species Survival Plan® (SSP) and was the second-oldest…
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…
