Earlier this month, I took part in the Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation’s “Year of Freedom” campaign as a 2017 Como Conservation Champion grant awardee. BOS Foundation currently cares for more than 600 orangutans between two rehabilitation centers on the Indonesian side of Borneo: Samboja Lestari in E. Kalimantan and Nyaru Menteng in C. Kalimantan….
Helping Turtles in Texas
As a conservation champion, I spent a few days in September with the The North American Freshwater Turtle Research Group (NAFTRG), which is an affiliate of the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) a long-term monitoring project surveying protected freshwater habitats in Pennsylvania, Florida and Texas. NAFTRG staff and volunteers from all over the country, survey all the…
Zookeeper Jill in South Africa with the Balule Conservation Project
As a Conservation Champion, I spent two weeks volunteering with the Balule Conservation Project in South Africa. The Balule Conservation Project is a conservation management project based in the wilderness of the Balule Nature reserve in Greater Kruger National Park. The experience was awe inspiring!! I was able to see the wild counterparts of the animals…
Zookeeper Adam in Namibia with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation
I arrived in Windhoek, Namibia late on September 15. Windhoek is the capital of Namibia. Today, I met Emma Hart from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and the rest of our team. After packing our equipment we set off for our 10 day trip into the field. From Windhoek it is a 2 day drive northward…
Western Lowland Gorilla Born At Como Zoo
(Saint Paul, MN) Como Zoo is thrilled to announce the addition of a baby western lowland gorilla to its troop. The baby female gorilla was born behind the scenes in the early hours of Wednesday, October 18, 2017, inside the Gorilla Forest exhibit dayroom to mother Alice. At approximately four pounds at birth, the…
Keep Como Thriving!
Many things will change in the years to come, but one thing will remain the same with supporters like you, Como Zoo and the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory will thrive and remain a world class destination. Make a gift today so future generations can enjoy for years to come!
A Conversation with Our Campus Manager
Como Park Zoo is located on 14.5 acres in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Despite its small size, its free admission and quality have led to it receiving over two million visitors annually. Some of its highlights include Polar Bear Odyssey (a world class facility for the lords of the Arctic), Gorilla Forest (the largest mesh covered…
It’s A Baby Bonanza At Como Zoo!
Giraffe, Dall’s Sheep & Emperor Tamarins…Oh My! With all there is to see and do, it’s no wonder Como Park Zoo & Conservatory has been nominated as ‘Best Minnesota Attraction’ by USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice 2017. Meet Violet, Como Zoo’s Baby Giraffe Como Zoo’s baby giraffe now has a name: Violet. The new…
Como Zoo Releases One of North America’s Most Critically Endangered Amphibians Back into the Wild
A toad’ally awesome thing is happened at Como Zoo. As part of Como Zoo’s behind-the-scenes species preservation efforts, over 1,175 Wyoming Toad tadpoles were placed in oxygenated water, shipped overnight and were released near the Mortenson Lake National Wildlife Refuge outside Laramie, Wyoming. This 1.5 ounce toad is classified as one of the four critically…
First of its Kind Kickstarter Campaign Launched to Help Save Endangered African Penguins
African penguin populations have been declining for the past few decades. Como Park Zoo and Conservatory. an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), is joining with the AZA and other accredited aquariums and zoos to take action and help reverse this trend. They are launching the “Invest In The Nest” campaign…
Como Spotlight: Zookeeper Megan, Studbook Keeper for Orangutans and Crowned Lemurs
Can you explain what it means to be the Studbook Keeper for Orangutans and Crowned Lemurs? I’m basically the genealogist for these species in zoos- regionally for Crowned lemurs (Eulemur coronatus) and internationally for Bornean, Sumatran, & hybrid orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus, Pongo abelii, and Pongo sp.). It is my job to track all of the individuals living…
Zookeeper Melanie in Churchill
Zookeeper Melanie is in Churchill, Manitoba for a couple of weeks working with Polar Bears International! Be sure to follow this blog as we post about her journey! Update #5 These little balls of fur were born last December! Who doesn’t love Polar Bear cubs?! Update #4 Lots of other critters call the the wildlife…
An Out-Of-State Visitor’s Perspective of Como
Visitors from around the world visit Como. Recently, some visitors from North Dakota spent some time at Como. Take a look at what they had to say! Full story can be found HERE.
Chloe the Sloth Turns 12!
Como Zoo staff and the visitors celebrated “Chloe the Sloth,” the resident Hoffman’s Two Toed Sloth 12th Birthday on Sunday in Tropical Encounters. Zookeeper Bree gave a 15 minute sloth talk about conservation and fun facts of these unique furry friends. Chloe’s half brother “Stephano,” Como Zoo’s Education sloth, made an appearance as a party guest…
Historical Camphor Trees at Como
In 2005, the Nagasaki-Saint Paul Sister City Committee presented Camphor Tree seeds to the City of Saint Paul in honor of the 50-year relationship between the two cities. The seeds came from Camphor/Kusu (Cinnamon camphora) trees located one-half mile from ground zero of the atomic blast in Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945. The trees…
