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We celebrated female Western lowland gorilla Bawang’s 46th birthday with a sunshine-themed party with a bright, cheery spread presented by her caretakers and observed by members of the public!

The party was much anticipated as keepers shared that Bawang was excited and rumbling about what was to come before she got first crack at the treats before the rest of the troop came out.

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According to her caretaker Jessy, the troop received their daily diet of greens, acacia and forage veggies (celery, bell pepper, cucumbers), plus tamarind, cranberry and juice ice treats. Among the scattered boxes were popcorn, veggies and alfalfa hay!

The sunshine theme was everywhere, and most importantly, in the sky – as it was a pleasant, warm and sunny morning for all!

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It’s a chick!

We are excited to announce the successful hatching of our first Chilean flamingo chick in 9 years. The fluffy white chick, which can be seen with its’ mother on their nest mound in the flamingo habitat, is so far, doing well and drinking the crop milk, a nutritious, bright red liquid that is produced by both male and female parents. The dad, who is never far away, also shares parenting duties with mom.

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Last weekend, staff observed the egg pipping, which is the natural hatching process when the chick starts breaking through the shell. If the chick needed extra help, staff would step in to assist, however, this would be a last resort as it’s best to allow it to complete this natural milestone with minimal disturbance. This wee chick hatched all on its own.

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We previously posted about the manmade mounds bird staff created in anticipation of breeding season and the special substrate brought in for this purpose. The flamingos took it upon themselves to settle on a spot to build their own nest mounds, and a number of eggs are currently being incubated. Bird staff caution that some eggs may not be viable, or accidents happen, like an egg may be accidentally damaged during normal nesting activity.

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We won’t know how many chicks emerge, but the first one is a good sign!

And of course, the good news is that this breeding season was all about the flamingos displaying their natural behaviors, and the result is adorable!

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World Chimpanzee Day is observed annually on July 14 (today!) to celebrate humanity's closest living relatives and raise awareness about their conservation. The date commemorates the exact day in 1960 when Dr. Jane Goodall first arrived at Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania to begin her groundbreaking, lifelong study of wild chimpanzees.

This is a big year for World Chimpanzee Day since it is the first one celebrated since the passing on Jane Goodall on October 1, 2025.

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Did you know that male chimpanzees form deep bonds in the wild that can last decades or even full lifetimes? At the Zoo, we see this depth of friendship between our two males, Nick and Qadeer, daily. In the wild, males show their bonds through patrolling territory together, hunting for meat and bringing it back to the larger group together, as well as through more physical forms such as grooming and even play.

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Current research shows that chimps most likely make friendships through compatible personalities, much like humans. Nick and Qadeer spend at least half of their day at the Zoo playing together-- running and chasing one another throughout their entire habitat! They also spend lots of quality time together grooming, and even build evening nests next to one another at the end of a long, active day.

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These two individuals could not be more different, and their compatible "oppisites attract" friendship keeps us as their caregivers smiling on the regular!

For more chimpanzee facts: bit.ly/4bo9V…

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Summer means the return of our summer programming, including Nature Trail, where guests can meet a variety of animals along a wooded pathway and learn from our amazing youth volunteers!

What makes this season special is 2026 represents the 50th anniversary of this groundbreaking program. The teens who participated over the years, numbering in the thousands, call their time on the Nature Trail life-changing and among their best experiences ever!

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We’ll be sharing more about the celebration soon!