News from The Greenville Zoo

photo of female ocelot

Zoo Celebrates Mother's Day Weekend with Tribute to Moms

The Greenville Zoo will treat moms to a special day this Mother’s Day: free admission and a tribute to Chelsa, its resident Orangutan mother.
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Zoo Reopens with New Ticket Booth and Pair of Ocelots

photo of female ocelot

The Greenville Zoo will reopen to the general public Saturday, February 9 after two weeks of routine maintenance. Zoo staff, City of Greenville departments and volunteers used the time frame to complete renovation and construction projects, as well as get a breeding pair of ocelots settled in their new home.
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baby giraffe

Giraffes Reunited on Exhibit at Zoo

The Greenville Zoo today reunited Walter, a male Masai giraffe, with Autumn, female, and their 4-week old male calf, Kiko. It has been four weeks since the family shared the same exhibit.
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baby giraffe

It's a Boy Named Kiko!

Zoo officials shared results of the baby Masai giraffe's first vet checkup, and announced the male calf will be named Kiko, which means "autumn's child." Weather permitting, Kiko and his mother Autumn will be on exhibit daily.
Read News Release | View the Baby Giraffe | View the Giraffe Photo Album

Boo in the Zoo Tickets Available for Pre-Sale

10/02/2012 The Greenville Zoo will host its annual Boo in the Zoo, a family-friendly Halloween event for children ages 12 years old and under. The event will feature trick-or-treating, fun-filled booths and an un-haunted house. Boo in the Zoo Preview

Autumn heavy with baby

Baby Watch

10/02/2012 Zookeepers are preparing the giraffe exhibit for the birth of the baby giraffe, expected at any time. Learn more about how the zoo staff is preparing to welcome its newest resident. Giraffe Baby Preparations

photo of a guenon monkey

New Guenons Debut at the Zoo

The Greenville Zoo recently welcomed a pair of Schmidt's spot-nosed guenons. Stewie, a 4-year-old male, from Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa and Zoe, a 15-year-old female, from the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago are on display and can be seen exploring their new habitat in the Primate Exhibit. The rare forest monkeys are only represented in 10 zoos in North America. More

Photo of Autumn the Giraffe

Baby on Board!!

05/31/2012 The Greenville Zoo announced that its 6-year-old Masai giraffe, Autumn, is due to give birth to her first calf sometime this summer. Veterinary staff confirmed the pregnancy earlier this year through hormone analysis and will continue to monitor her progress through her 15-month gestation period. Read the News Release

Brew in the Zoo Tickets On Sale

05/23/2012 The Greenville Zoo invites zoo-goers to tap into the wild at the third annual Brew in the Zoo presented by RJ Rockers. The fundraising event set for Friday, June 15 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. provides adults with the opportunity to sample an assortment of beers and enjoy live music, all while exploring the zoo during its after hours. Read the News Release

Celebrate Mother's Day at the Zoo

05/10/2012 The Greenville Zoo will treat moms to a special day this Mother’s Day. Mothers will enjoy free zoo admission on Sunday, May 13 when accompanied by one or more children paying full-price admission. In addition, the Greenville Zoo will celebrate and pay tribute to its resident orangutan mother, Chelsea, on Saturday, May 12 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the zoo’s annual Missing Orangutan Mothers (M.O.M.) Day.

The special event is held each year to create awareness of the large number of orangutan mothers who are killed in Indonesia due to deforestation practices and high consumer demands for palm oil. Children who stop by the Orangutan Exhibit and visit Chelsea and her son, Bob, will receive a free orangutan prize and temporary tattoo. The Greenville Zoo is open seven days a week, except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Beginning Monday, April 2 and running through September 30, the zoo will extend its hours of operation to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering guests an opportunity to take advantage of cooler mornings. Zoo entry ticket sales will close at 4:15 p.m.

Master Plan Meeting Set for May 8

05/1/2012 The City will host a public meeting at 6 pm Tuesday, May 8 at the Kroc Center, 424 Westfield Street, Greenville. The session will be led by Seattle-based PJA Architects + Landscape Architects, a leading company in zoo and botanical garden design and interpretive, entertainment and interior work, to discuss a consensus plan for the future of the Greenville Zoo. At this interactive meeting, attendees will have an opportunity to learn more about the plan, ask questions and offer input. The meeting is the third of three public sessions that helped shape the Greenville Zoo's Master Plan for the next 15 to 20 years. The master planning committee, along with PJA Architects + Landscape Architects, has used these past meetings, public comments, and online zoo surveys to develop this consensus plan. Past public meetings were held on January 18 and March 6, 2012.

Celebrate Bob's Birthday: Saturday, January 28

01/20/2012 The zoo will celebrate the 6th birthday of Baby Bob, a Bornean orangutan, with an event Saturday, January 28 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the orangutan exhibit. Event highlights include Baby Bob picking the 2012 Super Bowl winner, refreshments by Chick-fil-A at Cherrydale (while supplies last), and presents and cake for Baby Bob. The birthday celebration is free with general admission, a Greenville Zoo membership and for children under 3 years old. Read the News Release

Survey Asks for Ideas on Zoo's Future

As part of the Zoo's master planning process, the City developed a survey to allow the public to provide input on the future of the Greenville Zoo. In addition, the zoo will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m., Jan. 18, at the Hughes Main Library. The meeting is the first of three sessions that will help determine the Greenville Zoo's Master Plan for the next 15 to 20 years.
Read the Meeting Advisory

Photo of giraffe

Greenville Zoo Debuts Adopt-An-Animal Program

10/5/2011 Beginning October 5, the Greenville Zoo will kick off its Adopt-an-Animal program, an initiative that will help support the zoo’s wildlife conservation efforts and provide zoo supporters with the opportunity to care for and protect one of their favorite animals. Learn More

Photo of amur leopard cub

Triplet Leopard Cubs to Make Public Debut at Greenville Zoo

3/31/2011 The Greenville Zoo today announced that three rare triplet Amur leopard cubs will go on exhibit in the Asia Area beginning Friday, April 1. The female cubs were three of five Amur leopards born in North American zoos in 2010. The zoo’s long-time resident Anya, a 12-year-old female Amur leopard, will transfer to another zoo to become a companion to a leopard as well as serve as an ambassador for her species. Learn More

Photo of Colobus Monkey holding infant monkey

Zoo Reopens After Routine Maintenance;
Baby Colobus Monkey Named

2/11/2011 The Greenville Zoo reopened to the general public Saturday, February 12 after two weeks of routine maintenance. Zoo staff, City of Greenville departments and volunteers used the time frame to complete renovation and construction projects within the 14-acre zoo. Learn More

Photo of Colobus Monkey holding infant monkey

Zoo Announces Birth of Colobus Monkey

1/14/2011 The Greenville Zoo welcomed a new colobus monkey while the zoo was closed for the winter storm this week. The infant monkey is the third successful birth for parents Lami and Valentino who welcomed two males, Kumbe, one year ago, and Dayo, two years ago. Staff anticipate finding out the baby monkey’s gender after performing a routine neonatal exam in the next few weeks. Learn More

Photo of Ladybird with one tusk missing

Elephant Loses Portion of Tusk

1/4/2011 Greenville Zoo elephant, Lady Bird, a 40-year-old female, is recovering well after losing a large portion of her right tusk last week. The tusk was discovered mid-morning by zoo staff in the elephant’s barn before she was let out on exhibit. Learn More

Photo of Selma after surgery at the Greenville Zoo

Spider Monkey Recovering from Surgery

12/21/2010 One of the Greenville Zoo’s oldest residents, Selma, a 36-year-old spider monkey, is recovering in the zoo’s animal clinic from ovariohysterectomy surgery performed by Dr. Dermot Jevens. Selma’s surgical and medical procedures were donated to the Greenville Zoo by Upstate Veterinary Specialists. Learn More

African Lions Make Public Debut

12/10/2010 You can meet the Zoo's newest residents, two male African lions! Arriving from the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC on a breeding loan recommendation from the American Zoo and Aquarium Association's (AZA's) Species Survival Plan (SSP) program, the 2-year-old half-brothers Chuma and Saied underwent a routine physical before making their public debut. Learn More

AZA Grants Re-Accreditation to Zoo

9/22/2010 The Greenville Zoo earned re-accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) independent Accreditation Commission at the annual AZA conference held last week in Houston, TX. The accreditation denotes that the Greenville Zoo has met or exceeded the AZA's standards, which include all aspects of operations, management and animal care. Learn More

Zoo Welcomes New Spider Monkey

Photo of Mojo

8/04/2010 Greenville Zoo guests have the opportunity to meet its newest resident, an 8-year-old male brown-headed spider monkey named Mojo. He joins the zoo as a companion to Jasmin, a 13-year-old female, and Selma, a 36-year-old female. Greenville Zoo officials hope Mojo and Jasmin will result in a successful breeding match. Learn More

Photo of male lion at the Greenville ZooZoo Bids Farewell to Lion Pair

7/20/2010 The Greenville Zoo hosts a farewell to its lions on July 22. A pair of young males are slated to take their place this fall. More Lion Info

Photo of Sid the coatimundiZoo Welcomes Its Newest Resident

7/15/2010 Greenville Zoo welcomes Sid, a 4-year-old white-nosed coatimundi native to South America. More Coatimundi Info

Zoo Launches Quarters for Conservation

7/01/2010 Beginning July 1, the Greenville Zoo will kick off Quarters for Conservation, an initiative to help greatly enhance the zoo’s conservation efforts. Through the collection of quarters, the zoo and the local community will have the opportunity to provide funding for new and existing wildlife projects in our region and around the world.
More Conservation Info

Zoo's Elephants Turn 40

6/17/2010 The Greenville Zoo will mark the beginning of its Summer Zoobilee with Elephant Week and a special 40th birthday celebration for Joy and Lady Bird, the zoo's female African elephants and two of its most popular residents, Monday, June 21 through Sunday, June 27.
More Zoobilee Info

Greenville Zoo Announces First Annual Brew in the Zoo

6/14/2010 The Greenville Zoo and Friends of the Zoo invite zoo-goers to tap into the wild at the first annual Brew in the Zoo presented by RJ Rockers. The event will be held Friday, July 9 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., and as part of the event festivities, will include a 21st birthday celebration for the zoo’s orangutan Mia.
More Event Info

Greenville Zoo Seeks Teen Volunteers For Summer

5/10/2010 The Greenville Zoo will accept applications for teen volunteers as young as 14 years old to assist with the Education Department's children's programming.
More Volunteer Info

Greenville Zoo Hosts Annual Conservation Day

4/30/2010 The Greenville Zoo is partnering with local agencies and civic groups to help create awareness about animal conservation and educate the community about ways to become more environmental-friendly at its annual Conservation Day on Saturday, May 1, from 10 am to 3 pm.
More Info

Greenville Zoo Hosts First Annual Zoo Enrichment Day

3/31/2010 The Greenville Zoo will challenge the intelligence of its animals and entice them with a fun, interactive environment during the zoo’s first annual Enrichment Day on Saturday, April 3 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
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Greenville Zoo Announces Celebration of 50 Years

3/25/2010 The City of Greenville, Greenville Zoo and Friends of the Zoo today announced a year-long 50th celebration that will feature a Summer Zoobilee filled with birthday celebrations, a historical look back and gala to benefit the zoo’s clinic. The zoo started the celebration with the announcement of the names given to two colobus monkeys: Dayo and Kumbe.

Photo of Colobus Baby Monkey

Second Colobus Monkey Born at the Zoo

2/23/2010 The Greenville Zoo welcomed a male black and white colobus monkey January 30 – the second successful birth at the zoo for parents Lami and Valentino. The colobus monkeys are part of a Species Survival Plan, a program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) designed to maintain genetic diversity among species outside the wild.
More Info

Photo of Red Panda

Red Panda Makes Debut As Newest Resident of The Greenville Zoo

2/8/2010 Guests visiting the Greenville Zoo will have the opportunity to meet its newest resident. The Greenville Zoo’s new red panda named Firecracker, a 3-year old male, joins the Zoo as a companion to a 5-year-old female named Scarlett. Zoo officials are hoping the pairing will result in a successful match.


Zoo Closes for Annual Maintenance

1/28/2010 The zoo will be closed for annual maintenance from Feb. 1-12.
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Zoo Announces Spring Educational Program Schedule

1/20/2010 Children have the opportunity to discover the fascinating world of animals through the Greenville Zoo’s hands-on educational programs. During the months of January through March, the Zoo will offer Zoo Tots and Saturday Safaris programs which are intended to help children develop an understanding of animals at an early age.
More Info

Zoo Announces Baby Monkey Naming Contest

12/10/2009 The Greenville Zoo is launching a new contest that will give the public the opportunity to select a name for a baby male Colobus monkey. Born at the Zoo February 5, 2009, the monkey will celebrate his first birthday with the announcement of his name. The baby monkey is the first offspring of Greenville Zoo Colobus monkeys Lami and Valentino.
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Zoo Offers Hands-On Winter Educational Programs for Children

11/11/2009 Children have the opportunity to discover the fascinating world of animals through the Greenville Zoo’s hands-on educational programs. During the months of November and December, the Zoo will offer Zoo Tots and Saturday Safaris which are intended to help children develop an understanding of animals at an early age.
More Info

Boo in the Zoo Members Night Cancelled

10/15/2009 Due to recent rains, the Boo in The Zoo Members Only Night scheduled for October 16 has been cancelled. Membership cards and special prices will be honored during Boo in the Zoo October 17 – 20.
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