Wish List

May 25 is World Otter Day and we are thrilled to celebrate the resident otters. To create an exciting challenge for the zoo's North American river otters, keepers fill a tire feeder with an assortment of sublime seafood the otters love best. The tire's shape encourages the otters to engage in foraging behavior. Make mealtime an enriching experience with the purchase of a new tire feeder!

Chimpanzees are highly intelligent primates renowned for tool use. The troops at the zoo uses thin, flexible branches to dig out condiments, like honey, ketchup, and peanut butter, from specially designed feeder tubes?similar to the way wild chimpanzees extract insects from real termite mounds. Help keep the feeders stocked with sweet, sticky honey!

On May 20, Lincoln Park Zoo marks Endangered Species Day. There are several endangered species that call the zoo home, including two Jamaican iguanas. This species was considered extinct for four decades until a small population was discovered in 1990. As a part of their diet here, keepers dust insect snacks with a superfine calcium powder to ensure a balanced diet. Help keep the iguanas healthy and strong by providing them with some calcium powder.

Naked mole rats live in eusocial colonies with a single breeding female called the queen. In the wild, these supermoms can give birth to up to five litters a year and are known for having the largest known litter size of any mammal, averaging 12 pups per litter. Celebrate Lincoln Park Zoo's resident naked mole rat colony and their queen this Mother's Day with some nutritious nuts!

The brush-tailed bettongs seek out fungi at mealtime?specifically mushrooms, tubers, and legume pods. To satisfy their craving for the fungus among us, keepers feed these nocturnal marsupials mushrooms as a part of their dietary enrichment. These dietary habits are not to be "truffled" with, so chip in for some mushrooms for the bettongs!

North American black bears Katai and Birch love to snack on wholesome oats. Keepers spread the oats around their exhibit to provide them with tasty treats while they engage in natural foraging behavior. Give the bears a "cereal"-ously yummy snack with some oats!

Spring has arrived at Lincoln Park Zoo. Beautiful flowers are beginning to bloom across zoo grounds. With 49 acres to cover, the horticulture team has a special opportunity to provide pollinators with an exquisite, flourishing habitat. Help us plant pansies, sweet alyssum, and ranunculus for the local wildlife to enjoy!

While most animals are active throughout the day, nocturnal armadillos nestle in their beds and snooze until the sun goes down. Zoo armadillos nest in raw materials, like cardboard, and close their shells into balls to retain heat while they sleep. Provide some cozy new bedding material for the armadillos this spring!

May 23 is World Turtle Day, and Lincoln Park Zoo can't wait to celebrate! The zoo is home to seven different species of turtles, including the eastern box turtle at Pritzker Family Children's Zoo. Help give these reptiles a "turtle"-ly awesome day with a helping of one their favorite snacks: insects!???

In December, black-and-white colobus monkey Kutaka welcomed a baby girl to Helen Brach Primate House. Since then, the new baby has been growing and learning from her mother and siblings. Celebrate supermom Kutaka and the whole colobus troop with a fresh supply of nourishing and delicious browse!

At Farm-in-the-Zoo, the domestic cows don?t have to be babies to enjoy the mushy goodness of baby food! Zookeepers use fruit-flavored baby food as frequent food enrichment, but also for training and medication delivery. Keep their supplies stocked with this thoughtful treat!

At Lincoln Park Zoo, keepers work to develop enrichment to occupy all of the resident animals' senses. Keepers at Pritzker Family Children's Zoo engage the red wolf pack's sense of smell by hiding fresh herbs and other scents in PVC tubes throughout their habitat. Spice up the wolves' spring with some exciting new smells!

The ponies at Farm-in-the-Zoo spend warm summer days grazing in their outdoor yards. Caretakers at the farm plant psyllium?a specially-formulated grass seed?to withstand grazing and provide the ponies with the digestible fiber their diet requires. Ensure healthy eating for the ponies this summer with durable and delicious grass!

In March, Lincoln Park Zoo welcomed an African lion cub to Pepper Family Wildlife Center. Pilipili is the first lion cub born at the zoo in over 20 years, and has been thriving behind the scenes with mom Zari. Show some love to Pilipili and the rest of the pride with some meaty bones!

May 19 is western lowland gorilla Mondika's birthday. Help the family troop at Regenstein Center for African Apes celebrate with some special enrichment. Keepers fill coconut shells with frozen, diluted fruit juice and sugar-free gelatin, which they hide throughout the troop's habitat to encourage foraging and healthy snacking for the family. Celebrate Mondika with a round of delicious treats for the whole family!

African lions are naturally curious and eager to explore new items in their environment. When new mom Zari and her pride mates at Pepper Family Wildlife Center encounter novel items in their habitat, they use these items to practice behaviors they would use in the wild. Roll these cool cats a new ball!

Last fall, Lincoln Park Zoo welcomed snow leopards Ozzy and Kennedi to the newly-opened Pepper Family Wildlife Center.This May, the two will celebrate their first birthdays at the zoo. To celebrate these curious cats, keepers will provide them with some new enrichment items like Jolly Eggs. These toys are strong enough to withstand the toughest play from the resident big cats and encourage natural behaviors that the leopards would use in the wild. Make Ozzy and Kennedi's birthdays extra happy with some new Jolly Eggs!

Lincoln Park Zoo's hoofed animals?like rhinos, camels, takins, and giraffes?enjoy tons of hay each year as both a cozy bedding material and a source of nutrition. To encourage natural behaviors and provide foraging opportunities unique to each species, keepers provide hay in many ways. This may include suspending bags of hay high in tree tops to encourage the giraffes to explore the furthest reaches of their habitat or spreading hay throughout the Sichuan takins' spaces to create comfy spots for a snooze. The versatile material is crucial for the nutrition and comfort of some of the largest and most beloved mammals at the zoo. Fork over an ample supply of hay for your favorite ungulate today!