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It has been an eventful year at Lincoln Park Zoo—and a great one! As we look ahead to 2025, here’s a review of some of the exciting things that happened in 2024.

1. The zoo’s prioritization of animal welfare, reflected in its work with a behind-the-scenes-only chimpanzee group that includes former primate performers Eli and Susie, was featured in The New York Times.

Out of view at Regenstein Center for African Apes, Eli and Susie are receiving world-class care and learning how to be chimps for the first time. tells their story and shines a light on the zoo’s primate advocacy work. It was published in November and followed up by a from journalist Emily Anthes.

2. Cameras placed by the zoo’s Urban Wildlife Institute captured North American river otters in Chicagoland for the first time!

UWI’s biodiversity monitoring project has been keeping track of wildlife in the Chicago area for 14 years, and for the first time, a river otter has been recorded on camera. This is a milestone and a great sign that the region’s ecosystem is recovering, providing safe spaces for wildlife.

3. The zoo welcomed a large number of arrivals this year; births included a Moholi bushbaby and jambu doves raised with human assistance, and other arrivals included a western lowland gorilla named Nyah and mini Nubian goats.

Additional zoo births included African penguins, Chilean flamingo chicks, and five black tree monitors. The zoo also became home to a Brazilian whiteknee tarantula, a black-and-white colobus monkey named Oku, and red wolf Poco. Seven female whitebelly reed frogs also joined the animals guests can see in Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House.

4. The zoo became an accredited botanic garden and upgraded its standing as an arboretum.

In April, the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program upgraded Lincoln Park Zoo to a Level III arboretum, honoring its commitment to tree science, conservation, and education. This makes it just one of two zoos that have advanced beyond Level II. In August, the zoo also become accredited by Botanic Gardens Conservation International. The designation recognizes that this institution excels in conservation and sustainability while offering world-class plant care.

5. A web app was introduced to help guests navigate the zoo and find whatever they’re looking for.

To find your way around using a GPS and explore the zoo in your own way, you can use Lincoln Park Zoo’s app at . It can help you figure out how to get exactly where you’re going in real time, whether you’re looking for a specific animal or the nearest restroom. It also offers customized tours along with all the information you need about animals, events, and more.

6. Zoo scientists added plenty of data to the body of knowledge that can be used by people who care for animals or work in conservation.

More than 35 peer-reviewed journal articles published this year by zoo staff included a couple from the Animal Welfare Science Program on turtles, one on habitat selection by wild lions, and another that looks at the primate pet trade on TikTok. Zoo scientists also published a work on the population viability analysis it did to help Puerto Rican parrot recovery and the dig pits they provided to the naked mole rats.

In terms of conservation, zoo staff looked at conservation management strategies for elephants, giraffes, zebras, and wildebeests; habitat destruction in Kenya; and how climate and human factors will affect the abundance of mammal species. The Urban Wildlife Institute caused a stir with studies on gentrification’s effect on wildlife and the prevalence of rodenticide in mid-level predators (like raccoons and opossums) in Chicago.

This isn’t even a comprehensive list! Lincoln Park Zoo has almost 40 scientists on staff, doing work like this all the time.

7. As accessibility efforts continue to be a priority at the zoo, it won recognition for its achievements in becoming a more welcoming place for all.

In 2024, the zoo’s accessibility efforts gained recognition locally and nationally. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts honored Lincoln Park Zoo with its 2024 Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability Community Asset Award, while Fun4theDisabled, a creative endeavor of the nonprofit Strategy for Access, highlighted the zoo as an inclusive destination in its “Accessible Chicago” docuseries. In the fall, the zoo introduced the premium program for people living with dementia and their caregivers.

8. Zoo staff put their efforts behind garnering support for the Captive Primate Safety Act.

Making advocacy a priority this year, zoo staff created a website and other materials supporting the passage of the Captive Primate Safety Act, which would ban private ownership of monkeys, lemurs, apes, and simians. Primates are NOT pets—and encouraging ownership of these animals leads to inhumane and illegal wildlife trafficking along with unconscionable welfare for individuals. In 2025, the zoo will work with partners to get congressional as well as public support.

9. The Urban Wildlife Information Network now has 58 partners, including international cities.

UWIN’s footprint expanded this year to places like Sioux Falls, North Dakota; El Paso, Texas; Stillwater, Oklahoma; and Savannah, Georgia. It also added a new international partner in Bushbuckridge, South Africa. These additions will help increase the amount of data that is collected about urban animals, and collecting and comparing this information will help scientists understand how wildlife occupy city landscapes. Because more and more land is being transformed by humans, this work will help conservation efforts around the world.

10. The zoo’s profile was raised in traditional media outlets and in social media, thanks to viral posts, expert analysis, and more.

Local and national audiences took notice, starting in January when the Urban Wildlife Institute’s Seth Magle, Ph.D, weighed in on the Chicago Rat Hole in Roscoe Village. From coverage of the zoo’s events to a look at the wild black-crowned night heron colony that nests above Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo each year, Lincoln Park Zoo appeared in the media regularly and often in 2024. Meanwhile, many posts created by the social media team have gone viral, like this one featuring the lionesses engaging with the zipline in their habitat:

https://www.tiktok.com/@lincolnparkzoo/video/7369636134131125550?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7438239600303277614

Or , part of the chimpanzee troop that’s behind the scenes (as noted by the Times above).

The zoo also completed its ABCs at the Zoo series. If you’re lookiing for more zoo content, , starting with A for Animal Welfare.