Rosamond Gifford Zoo

PLEASE NOTE: The zoo will be closing at 1 p.m. on Friday, August 2, so we can get ready for Brew at the Zoo! That day, guest admission will stop at noon, so make sure to plan your day accordingly.

Starting this Friday, July 26, Brew ticket prices will increase. Purchase your tickets today and SAVE!: https://rosamondgiffordzoo.org/zoo-events/upcoming-events/brew-at-the-zoo/

We are proud to be a sponsor for Onondaga County Parks Moonlight Movie Series – Night at the Zoo! This FREE event takes place on Monday, July 29 at the Empower Amphitheater at Lakeview and features Zootopia and Ace Ventura Pet Detective. Visit their website for more information: https://bit.ly/3zSFOdX

Advanced sale tickets for Brew at the Zoo ends soon! Starting this Friday, July 26, ticket prices will increase. Purchase your tickets TODAY: https://rosamondgiffordzoo.org/zoo-events/upcoming-events/brew-at-the-zoo/

Our next Game Day Takeover, sponsored by Unplugged Gaming, is TODAY!

Stop by the Chinese Dragon all day to learn how to play Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, & Lorcana – free with zoo admission or membership!

Happy to our star-studded team of animal care specialists! Zookeeping at an AZA-Accredited zoo involves much more than just caring for the 700+ animals at our facility.

From participation in Species Survival Plans (SSP), and Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) programs to life-saving research on vaccines and animal behavior that will benefit animals in our care and in the wild, and collaboration with conservation groups around the world to save our most vulnerable species, zookeeping is an incredibly involved job.

We cannot thank our keepers enough for all that they do for the animals at our zoo, and their dedication to the conservation of animals in the wild. This week, and every week, make sure to thank our zookeepers when you see them around zoo grounds!

Silk moths are one of the few species of invertebrates which humans have domesticated, and our relationship with these little insects has an incredibly rich history. Their larvae, called silkworms, have been used for silk production since approximately 3630 BC in ancient China! These moths don’t have mouths, and so have very short lifespans. While we don't use domestic silk moths to produce silk, they are wonderful ambassadors for their species, and their larvae are used as feeder insects for a variety of our reptiles. Happy !

🎵The birds are back,
the birds are back! 🎵
We are happy to report that construction in our Diversity of Birds Aviary has finished and the aviary is open to the public!

Trainers, are you ready for a fun filled day at the zoo!? Tomorrow’s (July 21) Pokémon Go Community Day features the electric-type Tynamo! We will be placing lures around the zoo from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. to encourage Tynamo and others to spawn – and hopefully you can catch a shiny!

Do you have your tickets yet for Brew at the Zoo? Drink beer, wine, and canned cocktails while supporting animal care and conservation! Brew takes place on Friday, August 2, get your tickets today! And make sure to check out the NBT Bank Silent Auction on our website! We have one-of-a-kind animal art, experiences, gift cards, signed posters, and more! We are adding items daily, check it out today to support our mission: https://rosamondgiffordzoo.org/zoo-events/upcoming-events/brew-at-the-zoo/

🎵I'm working laaaaate 'cause I'm nocturnal,
Oh, I look so cuuuuute, ain’t controversial!
My big ears hear youuuuu, help me find prey hiding,
I’m a fennec fooooox, it’s not surprising!🎵

Original photo by Jennifer Veator

These aren’t photos from an alien landscape, they’re coral found at our zoo! Coral reefs protect coastlines from storms and erosion and support approximately 25 percent of all known marine species, providing homes for many fish, coral, and other plants and animals.

Along with recycling and helping to pass legislation to protect water quality in coastal areas near coral reefs, many conservation facilities are working on growing hardy corals that can withstand pollution and ocean warming. By placing these hardy corals into reefs in the wild, they can help those corals adapt and better handle extreme environmental conditions.

!

Photos by Jillian Mitchell, Sky Youker, and Laurel Haller

Let out your inner party animal and throw your next birthday bash at the zoo! 🎉 Book an August birthday party and save, non-members receive 20% off, and members get 25% off. Limited dates available. Learn more on our website: https://rosamondgiffordzoo.org/zoo-events/host-an-event/birthday-parties/

Visit the Hofmann Dog Haus TODAY ONLY (July 17) for Buy One Get One FREE hot dogs in honor of – only while supplies last!

The Hofmann Dog Haus is located in the Courtyard and can be accessed from the front by the pond or behind from the Social Animals Building.

Thank you to TJ Sheehan Distributing, our Brew at the Zoo Beer Sponsor! 🍺

Did you know we have more than just beer at Brew at the Zoo? Check out the beer, wine, and canned cocktail list on our website! More drinks are being added daily: https://rosamondgiffordzoo.org/zoo-events/upcoming-events/brew-at-the-zoo/

What vibe do YOU bring to the function?

Black and white ruffed lemur photo by Alice Demetrikopoulos
Andean bear photo by Sydney Hayes
Victoria crowned pigeon photo by Jerry Rabideau
Eurasian eagle owl photo by Julianna Hall
Meerkat photo by Emily Elizabeth
Crab photo by Jessica Goodson

Today is ! Make sure to stop by the USS Antiquities Cave at 2:30 p.m. for a creature chat with our Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake, Cicero.

This species is native to wetlands, bogs, swamps and prairies from Southern Ontario to Iowa and Missouri. In New York State, it is found only in Onondaga and Genesee counties and is considered locally endangered. Cicero is named for the Cicero Swamp!

Photos from Herpetologist Jamie Perrin

Feast like a ferocious feline during our Gourmet Dinner Pairing this Friday, July 19! This 5 course dinner is themed around the diets of our carnivorous cats from Eastern Russia, the Amur leopards and Amur tigers. Enjoy mouth-watering pirozhki, wild game sausage, venison stroganoff, tender lamb chops, and more, all paired with wine. See the full menu and register today on our website: https://bit.ly/4d5kWi9

This Wednesday, July 17, is ! Visit us on the 17th for BOGO hot dogs at the Hofmann Dog Haus.

Our NBT Bank Silent Auction for Brew at the Zoo is LIVE! We have one-of-a-kind animal art, experiences, gift cards, signed posters, and more! We are adding items daily, check it out today to support our mission of animal care and conservation! https://bit.ly/4bEdWrh

Our daily animal demos continue until Labor day, so come hang with us at the zoo!

Check out the schedule below:
10:30 a.m. – Elephant Stretch Training
11 a.m. – Carnivore Chat
11:30 a.m. – Camel Feeding
Noon – Penguin Chat
12:30 p.m. – Contact Barn Chat
1:30 p.m. – Small Mammals Chat
2 p.m. – Elephant Chat
2:30 p.m. – Herpetology/Aquarium Chat
3 p.m. – Primate Chat
3:30 p.m. – Bird Chat
Listen to announcements for locations!

The dragons have urgent conservation information to share with us, but some of their letters got jumbled up and out of order during their flights across the world. Grab a Dragon Word Jumble Quest Map from the Upper Lobby and help unscramble their statements for the chance to win a fun prize! For 30 days, starting July 15, we will pick a random daily winner to receive a limited edition Kuromi's Cryptid Carnival MetaZoo pack!

The drawings will include all previously submitted Dragon Word Jumble quests. Enter as many times as you want, but you can only win once!

Thank you to all of our ! Sponsors: Chimera Integrations, KeyBank, Visions Federal Credit Union, Unplugged Gaming, Alta Equipment Company, C. Cooke Trucking, AmeriCU Credit Union, and C&S Companies.

It’s Friday!!! How y'all feeling today? 🤔

In celebration of our ! exhibit and upcoming Pokémon Go Days on July 21 and August 31, let us know which Pokémon is your favorite!

Thank you to all of our Dragons Reign! Sponsors: Chimera Integrations, KeyBank, Visions Federal Credit Union, Unplugged Gaming, Alta Equipment Company, C. Cooke Trucking, AmeriCU Credit Union, and C&S Companies.

There's a baby boom in the barnyard! Along with the two female black Welsh Mountain sheep named Eunice and Priscilla, born on May 28, a male lamb, named Ord (pictured with his little horns!), was born on June 7. In keeping with this year’s dragon theme, the new lambs are named after characters from the early-2000’s PBS television show Dragon Tales. Come watch these growing lambs romp about the barnyard!

We can’t wait to party with you during Brew at the Zoo on August 2! Thank you to our Media Sponsor, Cumulus Media Syracuse, with 93Q and 95X. Tickets are on sale NOW! Purchase yours today on our website: https://rosamondgiffordzoo.org/zoo-events/upcoming-events/brew-at-the-zoo/

The continues through October! Come see the mythical beasts who now call the zoo home, and make sure to check out our newest Dragon Quest, located at the top of the ramp in the upper lobby.

Thank you to all of our Dragons Reign! Sponsors: Chimera Integrations, KeyBank, Visions Federal Credit Union, Unplugged Gaming, Alta Equipment Company, C. Cooke Trucking, AmeriCU Credit Union, and C&S Companies.

Send nudis… nudibranchs, that is. 😎 Behind-the-scenes, our aquarists have started breeding nudibranchs, a soft-bodied, marine gastropod mollusk that eats algae and non-desirable species such as aiptasia or glass anemones and acts as a natural tank cleaner. You can see the newborn nudi in the top right of the first photo compared to an adult!

They lay their eggs in a squiggly white string formation, as you can see in the third photo! In the future, our goal is to release the nudibranchs into many of our tanks.

Fun fact! While all nudibranchs are sea slugs, not all sea slugs are nudibranchs.