Inside the Zoo Blog

9/4/26: LV ZOO MOURNS THE PASSING OF ITS YOUNG AFRICAN PENGUIN

Lehigh Valley Zoo is incredibly heartbroken to share the passing of Fritz, the first African Penguin chick hatched in over 9 years at our Zoo. We are still awaiting the results for his cause of death, and we ask for your empathy and understanding during this time.

Hatched to mother, Bahati, and father, Thulani, on May 8th, Fritz was excitedly welcomed and cared for by Animal Care staff, following practices and techniques proven successful at several zoos and aquariums accredited by Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). African Penguins are critically endangered, and with our involvement with Species Survival Plan (SSP) programs, we were incredibly happy for and proud of our penguins and efforts.

When Fritz fully hatched out of his egg, he and his parents were closely monitored indoors to allow time for bonding, care, and safety. Within 24 hours, staff witnessed Fritz’s first feedings! At five days old, Fritz received his first full medical checkup followed by weekly checkups. There were no indications of any health concerns early in his development.

After about six weeks, our Animal Care staff noted that his breathing had become deep and labored and was then diagnosed with pneumonia. He was promptly prescribed oral medications to treat the respiratory infection, but his condition quickly became critical. After two weeks in the veterinary hospital receiving concentrated oxygen and oral and nebulized treatments, Fritz gained weight, had increased energy levels, and displayed comfort and ease breathing room air. After his condition became more stable, we continued introducing him to the rest of the penguin colony.

At three months old, Fritz was adjusting to his new environment until his condition started to decline again. He was then moved back indoors to be closely monitored. Despite the time, hard work, research, effort, and care put into nursing Fritz back to health, he unfortunately passed away earlier this week.

Although his life was short, Fritz captured the hearts of all of our staff and community members. His journey is a reminder of just how much care can go into saving one animal—and how important that care is for a species facing an uncertain future in the wild. We would like to thank our incredible community for your support in Fritz’s journey, and we encourage you to share any photos and stories of Fritz you may have.

8/16/26: Fritz Update

Penguin chick update! Fritz is now 3 months old, and even though he still has some downy feathers remaining, he’s taking swimming lessons almost every day. Now that he is more comfortable in the water, he is going into a larger pool, and the water level is continually increasing. Just the other day, it was high enough that he started to float! While Fritz’s first swim was very exciting for him and his care staff, swimming will soon become part of his everyday life.

If you visit the Jaindl Penguin Pavilion, you will see a small fenced-off area by the penguin building. This area is set up to allow Fritz to come outside, acclimate to the new environment, and let him meet all the other penguins from a safe space. All these new experiences can be a lot for him, so we are still limiting his time engaging in each and giving him the choice of being inside or outside.

Come say hi to Fritz on his first days out in his habitat!

7/29/26: 250,000 Actions for Animals

Lehigh Valley Zoo is proud to announce our partnership with Philadelphia Zoo to work together and accomplish their 250,000 Actions for Animals goal before the end of 2026. In honor of America250 and Pennsylvania, the state of Brotherly Love, we’re extending a helping hand so our Lehigh Valley community can join in on this conservation initiative! Snap a photo, and send your action to https://www.philadelphiazoo.org/250k-actions-for-animals/ to be counted!

What are Actions for Animals?

Picking up litter and ensuring it makes it into a trash receptacle

Planting native plants that provide food and shelter for pollinating insects and animals

Participating in wildlife surveys like bird, butterfly, and frog counts

Switching to reusable shopping bags, water bottles and more

Taking care of your neighbor’s garden while they’re out of town

Taking someone birding for the first time

Other ways to show love to our neighbors, animals, city, region and planet

How can you help?

In-Zoo:

Creating enrichment for the Zoo’s animals

Purchasing reusable shopping bags, water bottles, and more

Picking up trash in and around the Zoo

At home:

Habitat Creation and Restoration: cleanups, plantings, or anything else that creates new habitats or makes existing habitats better

Contributing to Conservation Knowledge: wildlife surveys like bird counts or frog counts, bioblitzes, behavioral studies on wildlife

Direct Action for Animals: helping a turtle across the road, making and putting out a bird feeder, creating enrichment for our animals, participating in ‘lights out’ migration events

Sustainable Changes: Reducing your water usage by swapping out hardware, eliminating single-use plastic items

Introducing Others to Nature: Taking someone to a nature preserve for the first time

Being a Good Neighbor: Doing anything else that improves the lives of the humans and animals that live closest to you

All Actions for Animals must be submitted at https://www.philadelphiazoo.org/250k-actions-for-animals/ in order to be counted toward the 250,000 total. In the submission, Philadelphia Zoo will ask for your name, email address, location the Action for Animals was completed, a brief, detailed description of what was done along with a photo. If your service was done at the Zoo, the Zoo will be keeping a tally there. The Zoo will use its discretion to add an act to the overall tally.

Philadelphia Zoo will keep us updated with our progress, and we hope our wonderful community feels inspired to work together with our Philly neighbors to make our world a better place!