Congratulations to the American Bison, which was officially designated as the official mammal of the United States! The Lehigh Valley Zoo has been a member of the American Bison Coalition which advocated for this outcome. We will do a talk on the history of bison in the Lehigh Valley at the bison pasture in the Trexler Nature Preserve At 1:00 pm this Saturday Nov. 5th to celebrate National Bison Day!

For the past five years, the American Bison Coalition has joined people across the country to celebrate National Bison Day on the first Saturday of November. Native American tribes, bison producers, conservationists, sportsmen and women, educators and other public and private partners commemorated the day by hosting events celebrating bison in their communities in dozens of states and participating on social media. The U.S. Senate has for the past four years recognized National Bison Day with an official resolution.

Meet the new baby African Penguin chicks this Saturday Oct 22nd!

This meet and greet experience will be in our Bison Auditorium at 2pm, 2:40pm and 3:20pm. The 3 sessions will each be 20 minutes long and the cost is 1 token per person.

Come say hi to the cutest baby penguins and experience them up close and personal!

On August 3rd, Greer and Thulani began nesting in an area provided to them to ensure a safe location for this endeavor. Greer (Mom) laid an egg on August 9th and another on August 12th. Thulani (Dad) watched closely at the entrance to the nesting chamber while Greer sat on the eggs to keep them warm and safe.

In the first few days Thulani and Greer maintained their post, with Thulani bringing fish to Greer so she could eat while incubating the eggs. Thulani, however, soon took turns with Greer, giving her a break to get up and move around and get food for herself. As the days went on, the penguins continued to share egg care duties even to the point of fussing over who was to do the sitting. Keepers started hearing peeping coming from the egg(s) on September 13th and the first egg was pipped (when a chick’s beak breaks a hole in the egg shell) the next day.

The first endangered African penguin chick hatched at Lehigh Valley Zoo occurred on September 16th and, like clockwork, the second hatched on the 19th.

Greer and Thulani continue their parental duties keeping the chicks warm and feeding them regurgitated fish as they ask for it.

In order to disturb the penguin family as little as possible during their initial bonding, Keepers waited until the second chick was hatched before weighing either of them to make sure all was going well. On its hatch day, the second chick weighed 70 grams (~2.5 oz.) while the one hatched three days earlier was already 151 grams (just over 5 oz.).

Ten days later they weigh 376.12 grams (13 oz.) and 520 grams (18 oz.), respectively.

Washington Post – Pennsylvania zoo introduces new additions to penguin colony

Lehigh Valley Live –  Meet the chicks: Penguins born at Lehigh Valley Zoo

WFMZ-TV – Meet the Lehigh Valley Zoo’s newest residents

July 20, 2016, Schnecksville, PA – Lehigh Valley Zoo is excited to announce the grand opening of its new turtle pond on Saturday, July 23^rd at 10:30 am.

The Zoo’s newest exhibit is a self-supporting pond where guests can view four Western pond turtles as well as other potential inhabitants such as frogs, toads, snails, and dragonflies. Various aquatic and wetland plants help create a complete ecosystem in and surrounding the pond area.

Western pond turtles are an endangered species and one of the initial four species chosen by the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) for the SAFE Program (Saving Animals from Extinction). Major threats to this turtle species include habitat loss, predation, and disease.

According to AZA, over $600,000 has been invested into Western pond turtle conservation to date, and within that timeframe nine AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums participated in a variety of field conservation projects benefiting these turtles.

Zoo guests are invited to stop by the turtle pond on Saturday to see the newest additions to the Zoo family. The Zoo plans to add additional native turtle species to the pond in the future.

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As a member-supported non-profit organization, Lehigh Valley Zoological Society was founded in 2004, but as a treasured community landmark, the Zoo’s history spans over a century. Founded in 1906 by General Harry C. Trexler, a local industrialist, the Lehigh Valley’s Trexler Game Preserve has educated and entertained more than five million people.

Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Lehigh Valley Zoo hosts year-round, family-friendly events and activities, educational programs, and camps. With a mission to create a safe, engaging and enlightening wildlife experience for guests of all ages, the Zoo demonstrates leadership in the cultural, scientific and conservation communities. To learn more about Lehigh Valley Zoo, we invite you to visit our website, www.lvzoo.org, or follow us on Facebook.

July 13, 2016, Schnecksville, PA – Lehigh Valley Zoo invites members of the press to attend our ground breaking ceremony and press conference for the construction of our new giraffe barn on Monday, July 18^th at 10:30 am at the Zoo. This ceremony marks the beginning of the building process for the giraffe barn, which will become the new home of two Masai giraffes slated to arrive at the Zoo this Fall. Zoo President, Melissa Borland, will hold the press conference and will be available to answer questions from members of the press at this time. The general public is also welcome to attend with paid admission.

The Masai giraffe is the largest subspecies of giraffe and the tallest land mammal.  There are fewer than 37,000 remaining in the wild, though recent reports of significant poaching and the bush meat trade would suggest the number is likely to be significantly less.  The primary threat to the Masai giraffe is habitat loss as a result of the expanding human population. In keeping with our mission to be a leader in conservation programs, Lehigh Valley Zoo’s aim is to safeguard a population of giraffes in human care alongside a sustainable population in the wild.

The Masai giraffes’ home at Lehigh Valley Zoo will feature opportunities for zoo guests to get up-close and personal with the animals, who are easy to interact with, through a feeding station that will be built into an elevated platform. This endeavor is a first step in a plan to expand and enhance the African trail section of the Zoo.

Lehigh Valley Zoo is located at 5150 Game Preserve Road, Schnecksville, PA 18078.

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As a member-supported non-profit organization, Lehigh Valley Zoological Society was founded in 2004, but as a treasured community landmark, the Zoo’s history spans over a century. Founded in 1906 by General Harry C. Trexler, a local industrialist, the Lehigh Valley’s Trexler Game Preserve has educated and entertained more than five million people.

Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Lehigh Valley Zoo hosts year-round, family-friendly events and activities, educational programs, and camps. With a mission to create a safe, engaging and enlightening wildlife experience for guests of all ages, the Zoo demonstrates leadership in the cultural, scientific and conservation communities. To learn more about Lehigh Valley Zoo, we invite you to visit our website, www.lvzoo.org, or follow us on Facebook.

July 7, 2016, Schnecksville, PA – Lehigh Valley Zoo’s resident golden eagle recently welcomed a new roommate as a young bald eagle joined her in the Zoo’s North American section. This bald eagle—like many of the Zoo’s raptors—comes to the Zoo from licensed rehabilitators. It was originally taken in by the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, Missouri, where veterinarians diagnosed it with a fractured elbow. It was successfully nursed back to health but the injury was so severe it was unable to fly. Unflighted, it would be unable to hunt, making survival in the wild impossible. In such cases zoos can provide a safe, permanent home where medical and nutritional needs can be properly met.

Guests should know that at first glance, it may look like a second golden eagle has moved in—but don’t worry—even experienced birders can make such a mistake. That’s because bald eagles go through several color stages as they mature. At about a year old, their plumage looks very similar to a golden eagle, but it takes up to five years for bald eagles to develop their more recognizable adult coloring. As a bald eagle ages, its body color goes from mottled brown and white to a solid deep brown, its head changes from charcoal black to bright white, and its beak goes from black to yellow. Even its eyes change colors, going from dark brown as a juvenile to bright yellow as an adult.

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As a member-supported non-profit organization, Lehigh Valley Zoological Society was founded in 2004, but as a treasured community landmark, the Zoo’s history spans over a century. Founded in 1906 by General Harry C. Trexler, a local industrialist, the Lehigh Valley’s Trexler Game Preserve has educated and entertained more than five million people.

Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Lehigh Valley Zoo hosts year-round, family-friendly events and activities, educational programs, and camps. With a mission to create a safe, engaging and enlightening wildlife experience for guests of all ages, the Zoo demonstrates leadership in the cultural, scientific and conservation communities. To learn more about Lehigh Valley Zoo, we invite you to visit our website, www.lvzoo.org, or follow us on Facebook.