San Francisco Zoo

Sending you an abundance of love today! Happy Valentine’s Day, Berani

We hope you all, like Bruce, have a ball this weekend...especially if you’re visiting #SFZoo!

We will miss celebrating our annual #LunarNewYear festivities with you in person this year. Wishing you all health, happiness, & peace

Join "The American Associaition of Zoo Keepers - San Francisco" for a virtual fun run supporting San Francisco Zoo & Gardens! We encourage you to get creative with your 5K...walk, run, hike, kayak, swim to show your support for wildlife!

Bernie, like all of us, waiting for the zoo to re-open.

Our animal staff continues to do an exceptional job caring for our animals during the ongoing mandated COVID closure. One of the most important parts of daily animal care is enrichment, which comprises adding elements to an animal’s environment to stimulate their senses and encourage natural/instinctive behaviors such as foraging, exploration, hunting, problem solving, and even play. Enrichment can take the form of special food treats, balls to chase, cinnamon or other spices to seek out and smell, cardboard boxes to climb into or tear apart, etc. Our Wellness Team considers each species’ individual needs when designing these activities. Happy snacking

A super weather weekend in the Bay Area calls for giraffe BOOPS

Fun fact Friday: Penguin fossils date back to the Eocene period, 50 million years ago, and penguin ancestors were larger than the present day emperor penguin, which measures almost 4 feet. Aside from differences in size, penguins haven’t changed much in 50 million years!

Roses are red, violets are blue, gift a Zoo animal for that special someone or two! This Valentine’s Day, stay safe and socially distant by showing that you care by giving an Adopt-an-Animal gift to your loved one! While you and your Valentine may be apart, consider an adoption of a tiger or snow leopard, and just like these mostly solitary animals, you might be solitary yourself and missing your loved one. Or, if you were touched by the story of Maki the ring-tailed lemur who was kidnapped and safely recovered last year, you can give your loved one their very own Maki! We are offering special $50 packages for these three animals this Valentine’s Day: http://www.sfzoo.org/special-events/valentine-adopt

It’s a brand new week! Sending everyone good vibes on this #MakiMonday

Happy Zoo Year! While we remain closed at this time, we look forward to all that is to come in 2021. Here at the San Francisco Zoo and Gardens, our dedicated staff continue to ensure the daily care and wellness of our animals. And thanks to your continued support, you make the future possible for these animals. What are you most excited to see at YOUR Zoo in 2021?

Don’t forget that our Online Holiday Auction ends December 15th! Make your bids now on an array of exclusive, one-of-a-kind items, from a private playground party to artwork, even name our juvenile mandrill! Proceeds from your winning bid goes to our continued animal care and wellness programs: SFZooAuction20.GiveSmart.com

This time, last weekend. We miss you #FollowTheLeader

Yesterday we celebrated Monifa’s 23rd birthday. Join us in wishing this incredible ambassador a happy birthday!

The big 3-0! Please join us in wishing Michael, the youngest member of our troop of seven, a happy 30th birthday! Since arriving at #SFZoo last year, he has integrated seamlessly. He is typically running and playing with his best buddy, Gombus, and has also formed a sweet bond with Maggie and the two can often be seen grooming together. We couldn't imagine our troop without him!

Stay spooky, Xena Wishing you a safe and happy Halloween!

Truly the gift that keeps on giving, Adopt-an-Animal packages support your favorite animals at the Zoo and make a perfect gift for loved ones of all ages. Through December 25th, all Friend level packages are available for 25% off PLUS we are offering a buy three, get one free deal on Adopt-an-Animal gift vouchers. Simply add four vouchers to your cart and the fourth will be free! With 28 animals to choose from, you're sure to find the perfect companion for everyone on your list! For guaranteed delivery by December 25th, please place all orders no later than December 15th. For more information, please contact [email protected] or click here: http://bit.ly/2BxJZt8

Moment of zen #WolfWednesday

When #WorldLemurDay falls the day before Halloween, we bring out all the pumpkin enrichment!

We’re soaring into the new year! Let’s close out 2020 by raising $2,020!

On October 14th, a 21-year old ring-tailed lemur Maki was abducted from his home at the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. Thanks to good community citizens and top-rate police work, Maki was returned to his home within 48 hours. In the spirit of seeking a positive outcome from a bad situation, we hope to use Maki’s experience to shine a light on the devastating environmental crisis facing his home country of Madagascar. Lemurs like Maki are only found on Madagascar, an isla...nd nation which is one of the Earth’s greatest biodiversity hotspots. Thousands of species of plants and animals are native ONLY to Madagascar, and nearly half of them are faced with extinction in our lifetime, due to climate change, deforestation, and irresponsible agriculture. With your help, San Francisco Zoo and Gardens intends to build the world’s largest Madagascar-specific Zoo exhibit to house these highly endangered species and to teach the world about the importance of this fragile and unique ecosystem. Within a year’s time, you may be able to visit the exotic wildlife of Madagascar, and of course, Maki and his lemur companions right here at San Francisco Zoo & Gardens! Please support this important work by making a donation to Maki’s New Home today!

We can check carving pumpkins off the list of things to do be Halloween next weekend

We’re happy to report that Maki is getting stronger every day! He has been chill-axing in the sun and re-socializing with his fellow lemur companions, including Barry, seen in the second photo : Marianne Hale

Today we celebrate International Snow Leopard Day. These elusive, majestic creatures are well adapted to their life high in the mountains throughout Central Asia. Their dark markings provide excellent camouflage both in snow and among rocky terrains while their snowshoe like paws help them navigate those terrains. They are superb jumpers and can easily leap distances of 50 feet and up to 20 feet high. Check out the inspiring work our partners at the @snowleopardconservancy ar...e doing to help save snow leopards in the wild. They are working on the ground among snow leopard range communities to raise awareness, provide education and develop alternative incomes for local people. Here here at home, we’re making big changes to our own snow leopard exhibit. We are currently in the finishing renovations that will vastly expand our snow leopards’ horizontal and vertical space. We look forward to continue educating our guests about the magnificent snow leopard See more

The monarch butterfly migration is underway! Help reduce the risks monarch butterflies face from pesticides and tropical milkweed this fall. All monarch caterpillars require milkweed as a food source, but not all milkweed is the same! Tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) is commonly sold in stores and nurseries. Unfortunately, this species can actually be harmful to monarch butterflies because of a protozoan parasite named Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (or simply OE). OE, ...an obligate parasite of monarch and queen butterflies, was first discovered in Florida in the late 1960’s, and has gradually spread across the country. It builds up on the leaves of milkweed plants, infecting the caterpillars that feed on them. In native milkweeds, the OE dies back with the plant each winter. Tropical milkweed plants that are planted in temperate climates (such as the Bay Area) don’t die back in the winter. As a result, the OE load builds and builds. High OE levels in adult monarchs have been linked to reductions in body mass, flight ability, and lifespan. In addition, tropical milkweed can disrupt the butterflies’ seasonal migration, fooling them into breeding when they should be overwintering. But don’t despair if you have tropical milkweed in your garden. There is a simple work-around. Just prune it down to the ground by mid to late October. The plant will re-sprout in the spring, but without its toxic load of OE. And this way it won’t confuse migrating butterflies. An even better solution is to replace Asclepias curassavica with a species native to your particular region. There are over 100 native species of milkweed throughout the United States. For help in choosing an appropriate species, visit https://xerces.org/milkweed. #PlayitSAFE #SAFEMonarchs #FeedTheMigration

Join us October 24 through November 1 as we celebrate Sloth-oween! Guests of all ages are encouraged to come dressed up in their Halloween costumes to go on a self-guided adventure to find our sloth-themed haunted houses, featuring fascinating facts about these serial chillers and the original social distancers. Facial coverings and advance reservations are required. We look forward to celebrating with you

Here’s Maki just after his rescue on Thursday. He was found in a church’s playground in Daly City. SFPD announced yesterday the arrest of the culprit and we are so relieved on many levels. Thank you everyone for your good thoughts during this unimaginable ordeal.

Following the abduction of our beloved senior ring-tailed lemur, Maki, we received an outpouring of concern, which led to his return late Thursday evening! Somewhat anxious and hungry, Maki appears to be in good health! We appreciate and thank the San Francisco and Daly City Police Departments for their diligence and especially thank the Hope Lutheran Church for the information that led to his safe reunion. The San Francisco Zoological Society will be making a donation to the church in Maki’s honor. Thank you, all!

This morning, our 21-year-old male ring-tailed lemur, Maki, was discovered missing from the Lipman Family Lemur Forest. @sfpdofficial is assisting with the recovery of this highly endangered animal. If the public has information, please call SFPD’s 24 Hour Tip Line at 1-415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD.

Happy Place. Friendly reminder that tickets must be reserved in advance. Reservation are available two weeks in advance