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CONSERVATION COLLABORATIONS: LIVING CLASSROOMS

The Oklahoma City Zoo has partnered with the National Wildlife Federation and Oklahoma Monarch and Pollinator Collaborative for many years to increase habitat for monarchs and other pollinators. Oklahoma provides vital resources for native pollinators and is a central flyway for the spring and fall monarch migration. As the population of monarchs has declined significantly, the OKC Zoo has found a way to get Oklahoma’s youngest residents involved in reinvigorating the pollinator... Read More

CONSERVATION FROM THE COUCH: FROM GERMANY AND AFRICA TO OKLAHOMA

Senior primates caretaker, Laura Lynn, has been working for the Oklahoma City Zoo for more than nine years. Since grade school, Laura had an interest in primates and becoming a primate ethologist, think Jane Goodall or Dian Fossey. Wanting to gain more experience, Laura became an animal caretaker at the OKC Zoo. However, the scientist within has always looked for research and conservation initiatives in which to take part, and in 2015 that became a reality in a way she never dreamed. Thanks... Read More

Zoo conservation and science

Captivating Cheetahs: OKC Zoo Celebrates Cheetahs

In honor of International Cheetah Day on December 4, we’re celebrating our newest animal family members, cheetah brothers Boomer and Pistol “Pete”! Boomer and Pete arrived at the OKC Zoo’s new Predator Pass habitat from Little Rock Zoo in Little Rock, Arkansas, over a month ago. The five-year-old brothers were born at Cincinnati Zoo in Cincinnati, Ohio. Since joining the Zoo’s animal family, their caretakers have noticed some key differences in their... Read More

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Swing into Action: OKC Zoo Celebrates Orangutan Caring Week

This week we are celebrating Orangutan Caring Week at the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden, and we want you to get to know the Zoo’s orangutan pair, as well as learn all about what it takes to care for and conserve their species! Our two resident Sumatran orangutans, Elok and Negara, tend to be guest favorites, as they are easy to distinguish from one another and have an abundance of personality. Elok, the Zoo’s 21-year old male, is easily recognizable because of his large... Read More

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From Headstart to Release: Texas Horned Lizards Return to Tinker Air Force Base

The Texas horned lizard is an iconic reptile species in Oklahoma. Once common in the state, these lizards have experienced population declines since the 1960s, resulting in their listing as a species of special concern in Oklahoma. Threats to this species include habitat loss, the spread of invasive red imported fire ants, loss of their primary food source (harvester ants) and overcollection for the pet trade, particularly in the early and mid-1900s. Funded by the National... Read More

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Conserving the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake: Field Notes from a Herpetologist

The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden recently welcomed three Eastern massasauga rattlesnake snakelets, a federally protected species, to its Herpetarium habitat for the first time in its history as a result of a successful breeding effort this past May. The Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s (AZA) Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Species Survival Plan TM (EMR SSP) is comprised of 19 AZA-accredited zoos, including the OKC Zoo. As part of the Zoo’s commitment to the EMR SSP, Zoo... Read More

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Conservation Success Stories: OKC Zoo Reaches New Heights to Conserve Giraffes

Here at the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden, we believe in the importance of conserving the world’s wildlife and wild places. In 2020, the Zoo contributed over $220,000 to benefit local and global conservation efforts as part of its Round Up for Conservation initiative. Through individual guest contributions, Round Up for Conservation funds helped cultivate 10 conservation success stories in 2020. Of those, the Zoo has contributed funds to support giraffe conservation. The Zoo... Read More

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Conservation Success Stories: OKC Zoo Provides Training to Mountain Gorilla Researchers

Here at the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden, we believe in the importance of conserving the world’s wildlife and wild places. In 2020, the Zoo raised over $220,000 to benefit local and global conservation efforts as part of its Round Up for Conservation initiative. Through individual guest contributions, Round Up for Conservation funds helped cultivate 10 conservation success stories in 2020. Of those ten, one success story focuses on supporting researchers who protect the... Read More

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Category: Zoo conservation and science