lpzoo

For the first time since 2019, Pokémon GO Fest is taking place in Chicago, just in time for the game’s 10th anniversary. Most activities will take place in and around Grant Park June 5–7, but Lincoln Park Zoo is an official event partner and Trainer Lounge, located in the Investigations District where extended citywide play takes place from 9 a.m.–6 p.m. June 4–7—starting today.

You’ll be otterly enchanted by this new zoo resident! One-year-old North American river otter Mystie has arrived at Lincoln Park Zoo and is being introduced to 7-year-old Tucker. Mystie’s transfer from another Association of Zoos and Aquariums Zoo was recommended by the North American River Otter Species Survival Plan®. North American river otters are semiaquatic mammals in the same family as weasels and badgers, with a length of around 5 feet and a weight up to 30 pounds.

A cinereous vulture chick hatched at Lincoln Park Zoo and is now being cared for by Animal Care staff in its initial stages of life. The chick is the offspring of Leon and Virginia, the vulture pair at Regenstein Birds of Prey. Cinereous vultures are classified as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and their populations are declining as a result of food availability and human threats.

Lincoln Park Zoo isn’t just the most visited cultural institution in Chicago. It’s also a center for scientific research that advances conservation knowledge. One of the science centers based here is the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Population Management Center, which celebrated 25 years last year.

To help animals that are being subjected to harmful conditions while being transported across the state for entertainment purposes, we must act now. A current bill focusing on improving animal welfare, now under consideration by the Illinois Senate, needs your support. In 2018, Lincoln Park Zoo championed the passage of the Illinois Traveling Animal Act, prohibiting elephants from being transported across the state for performances—along with New York, the first state to do so.

As the zoo prepares for Earth Week festivities between April 20–26, our hope is to inspire conservation action that creates positive outcomes for wildlife and people. By empowering our community to make climate-friendly choices, together we can take one more step on our individual and collective journeys toward more sustainable lives. Here are a few ways in which the zoo practices sustainability: 1. When possible, the zoo prioritizes purchasing food for the animals from local farms.

Sichuan takins are back at Lincoln Park Zoo! Early this month, 3-year-old Porter and 2-year-old Taiyang, two brothers born at Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend, Indiana, arrived here following a recommendation by the Sichuan Takin Species Survival Plan®. The brothers are settling in to their habitat in the South Loop of the zoo.

Lincoln Park Zoo’s Nature Boardwalk undergoes periodic prescribed burns. Horticulture staff, in partnership with the local fire department, determines when conditions are ideal for this long-planned maintenance process. A burn is scheduled for today, April 7, starting at 10 a.m. The Nature Boardwalk prairie ecosystem is burned 100 feet at a time and will be monitored at all times. Active burn areas will be surrounded by water or a low-trimmed grassy area to keep fire contained.

Chicago winter was brutally cold as usual, but spring is starting to show itself, Chicago-henge happened, and we’re in daylight saving time. This season is a beautiful, blooming time in the second city as the weather gets warmer and the temperatures in the lake and local rivers go up. City animals instinctively know the drill. Birds are already winging their way back into the region.

Lincoln Park Zoo has big news to share! Eastern black rhino Kapuki gave birth to a female calf at 4:52 a.m. on Thursday, March 19. The calf was an estimated 60 pounds at birth, and zoo staff are monitoring both mom and offspring closely via a camera system to minimize disturbance while ensuring that important milestones are being met. The rhinos will remain behind the scenes for several weeks as the calf grows in size and strength.