Volunteer Updates & Opportunities
Volunteer Prep for AZA Inspections – Get Ready to Help Us Shine!
Message from Dave Jenike:
“Next week’s AZA inspection is our time to shine and celebrate the work we do. I want to take a moment to thank you for all you do to help us continue to raise the bar and live out our mission every day. This inspection is an important milestone—and a wonderful opportunity—for us to showcase our Zoo’s successes, the incredible care we provide, and the pride we take in doing things the CZBG way.
First, a friendly reminder: if you haven’t yet watched the AZA Accreditation Presentation, please be sure to do so by Sunday June 22nd. These trainings contain great refreshers on our foundations & important procedures to help everyone feel confident and ready.
- ▶️ Direct Link to AZA Accreditation Presentation
- ****The Giveaway has been extended through Monday! Everyone who completes the training will be entered to win a prize pack with pins, tickets, an animal painting and more!
Second, a bit of encouragement as we head into inspection week: This is an exciting opportunity to show off who we are and the work we do. The inspection team isn’t here to trip us up or look for “gotcha” moments. They are zoo and aquarium professionals just like us. They know how complex and dynamic this work is—and most importantly, they want to see us succeed. They’re here to help guide us toward meeting the highest standards and to recognize the amazing work happening across our organization. So, if you see them in the park or behind the scenes— say hello, be yourself, and share what makes you proud to work here. We have full confidence in our staff and our accreditation prospects.”
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WOW and Cheetah Encounter Volunteering:
We are fully in the swing of summer and our Wings of Wonder Experience and Cheetah Encounter are looking for smiling faces to greet visitors and help get them into the theaters to start the shows! A HUGE thank you to all the volunteers who have been helping so far, but they could use some help! If you are interested in signing up to help or just want to learn more, check out the position descriptions and sign up for shifts in Better Impact!
*If you don’t see the shifts, please reach out to me via e-mail and I will ensure that you are signed up and can see the shifts.
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The Stuffed Animal Clinic was a HUGE success! THANK YOU!
This event is a visitor favorite and this year did not disappoint! We served 319 stuffed patient and there were too many smiles to count! Thank you to every single individual who helped with this event – it would not be possible without you!
*Did you miss the event this year? No worries – it looks like this will be an annual event and will officially be back next June!
Check out the extra press:
Zoo Updates
150 second Updates – Celebrating our History
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OPPORTUNITY to Meet Cincinnati Zoo’s Social Media Stars
June 19 to June 30 – Get ready for an unforgettable experience with our Social Media Stars giveaway
Four people will win a behind-the-scenes tour.
One lucky winner will receive a behind-the-scenes experience for 4 people to meet fan favorites like Fiona, Rico, and Ellie the baby opossum, visit adorable cheetah cubs, and watch a tenrec take a dust bath, a 2-night hotel stay at the Summit Hotel – the Zoo’s Official Hotel, and a $1,000 Visa gift card.
Entering will also give you access to our virtual site thru July 31st so that even if you aren’t the big winner you can still access our exclusive live cams so you can watch the hippos, giraffes, lions and elephants!
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to get up close with the animals you love from social media in a whole new way!
CLICK HERE for more information
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Pin Trading 📌
As part of the Cincinnati Zoo’s 150th anniversary, we rolled out a PIN-credible Pin Trading program! The June pins are out now!
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Elephants Celebrate International Picnic Day and the Zoo’s 150th with Watermelons
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Video of the Week
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Greening up Talbert House
On Thursday, June 12th, members from Zoo Horticulture and Sustainability teamed with Talbert House staff and clients to install a new wellness garden at the future site of their Hamilton County Crisis Center in Avondale, which is slated to open this fall. Formerly a nursing home, the renovated space will now feature an immersive, restorative private garden for its clients, with meandering pathways, lush plantings and a curated sensory experience that promotes physical and emotional well-being.
The garden features over 600 plants of 60 different species, including ornamental specimen trees, pollinator-friendly native shrubs, numerous forbs and grasses for seasonal color and texture, and rambling vines. Paved sidewalks, a gravel pathway, and seating benches will allow for easy access to moments of tranquility and reflection. Preparation included the removal of ten dump truck loads of weedy debris and the addition of 40 cubic yards of freshly mixed, composted soil and 10 yards of hardwood mulch.
Along with a garden, the Zoo’s Community Solar Resiliency Program is donating 173 solar panels to two new housing facilities owned by Talbert House. These multi-level urban residences are set to open in the coming months and will support families, individuals and veterans in need of permanent, supportive housing. The addition of rooftop solar arrays on each building will provide a significant reduction in utility expenses, so the Talbert House can redirect funds back into their vital community services and mission driven work.
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Zoo Tales Podcast
Join Steve Foltz, Director of Horticulture at the Zoo as he delves into the vibrant world of the Zoo’s gardens! Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a budding enthusiast, this episode is brimming with advice to help your garden flourish https://cincinnatizoo.podbean.com
Plant & Animal Updates
Our Zoo is Full of Life…
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is more than just a haven for wildlife—it’s also a nationally acclaimed botanical destination that seamlessly integrates horticultural beauty with animal habitats. Spanning the entire 75-acre campus, the Botanical Garden boasts over 3,000 plant accessions, ranging from groundcovers to towering trees. This immersive green space has been recognized as the #1 Best Botanical Garden in the U.S. by USA Today readers .
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Beginning of Life…
Gladys and Silverback, Mbeli, had a breeding recommendation from AZA’s Gorilla Species Survival Plan and are expecting the newborn this fall.
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Raising Life…
Mom steps in when Flounder gets too rough. The new otter family is still bonding well behind the scenes.
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Aging in Life…Happy 6th Birthday, Fennessy!
You can tell Fenn apart from the others by his thick fluffy ossicones, orange tinge on his nose, long, beautiful curly tail, and he’s the tallest of our giraffes.
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Enjoying Life… WINNER WINNER – SKYLINE DINNER
“If the cicadas can scream whenever they want, then so can I!” –Katie Zavac
Thank you to Katie for the perfect cheetah caption!
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Speaking of Dinner…Ellie eating her sup sup!
Opossums are the most misunderstood marsupials. They’re superstars when it comes to pest control. A single opossum can eat thousands of ticks in a season, helping reduce the spread of Lyme disease!
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Some prefer snacking!
Did you know? An elephant’s trunk contains 150,000 muscles for strength and precision. It acts as a nose, hand, and tool for feeding, breathing, communicating, and defense.
This is Willow the ringtail.
A relative of the raccoon, the ringtail is a small, nocturnal carnivore commonly found in Mexico and the southwestern United States. An expert climber, the ringtail can climb down trees headfirst by rotating its hind feet 180 degrees.
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Meet Zenith
There is a new face at the Ameritas Wings of Wonder this year!
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June 19th – Happy Birthday Tanzi
Happy 12th Birthday, Tanzi!! At just 7–8 inches tall, the African pygmy falcon is the smallest raptor in Africa—but don’t let the size fool you. These falcons are bold hunters, taking down insects, lizards, and small birds!
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First Look at Ajani Joe in his new home
We were so excited to see a familiar face on the Blank Park Zoo social Media pages. It looks like Ajani Joe is well and getting acquainted with some new friends out in Iowa!
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Garden Gazette
Tosh and the Horticulture Team will be sharing Horticulture updates in their Garden Gazette. Check out the link below to review the June edition!
Animal Excellence Highlights
Care Updates:
• 3 orchid Mantis egg cases have hatched! These are the second generation of the confiscation
mantis’ that the zoo received from USFW. April Pitman and the WOTI team are swimming in
hundreds of tiny mantids!!! It’s awesome!!
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• Mokonzi (Okapi) is now fully weaned and will be rotated on exhibit. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is dedicated to saving the endangered Okapi and their Congolese home. An Okapi Painting makes for a unique gift. Proceeds from painting sales support Okapi conservation efforts in the African Congo through Okapi Conservation Project. Be sure to check out Okapi Rumps for Refuge for more details.
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• Zero’s Improving. Zero’s (9 year old Malayan tiger) pacing has decreased over the past year from 55% of his time to 12% of his time through the Night Hunters team’s use of AEPs, goal setting, and husbandry changes.
There are believed to be fewer than 150 Malayan tigers left in the wild, making them critically endangered. Every individual matters in the fight against extinction, and conservation efforts are focused on protecting their shrinking habitat and stopping poaching.
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• Zebras Acclimating. Veldt staff are making progress with acclimating zebras to new exhibit space, it takes time since it is sooo scary out front with lots of people, vehicles, heavy equipment, construction noise, etc. but they are getting there!
Conservation Corner
From Green Thumbs to Green Paws
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Guam Kingfisher shows signs of comeback with Cincinnati Zoo’s global project
In Case You Missed It
Toilet Paper Tubes Needed
With Summer Camp on its way, we are in need of some toilet paper tubes/paper towel tubes for our epic crafting endeavors! If you have any you could bring in, you can drop them at the Education Front Desk. The photo above is a sneak peak of how they will be repurposed.
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Accepting Applications for several Volunteer Roles
There are several volunteer roles accepting applications, with a few more popping up this week! If you are interested in other roles, or know someone else who is, please point them to the Volunteer webpage to see what roles are accepting applications!
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Carol Trosset’s Lecture Series
Carol’s Lecture Series has been a HUGE hit and she has agreed to extend the series through the end of the year! Take a look at the topics that will be available July through December! You can sign up to attend in Better Impact!
- July 17 – Insects. Dr. David Russell, professor of biology at Miami University, will discuss the different types of insects. We will then go out and look at insects, either in the zoo’s gardens or the Insectarium.
- August 15 – Desert Life. Carol will discuss several different desert environments and how plants and animals are adapted to life in those conditions. We will then look at some desert animals around the zoo.
- September 16 – The Zoo’s Beginnings and Opera at the Zoo. In honor of the Zoo’s sesquicentennial, Carol will talk about the founding of the zoo and its history of hosting opera performances.
- October 16 – Even-Toed Hoofed Mammals – This group of mammals includes deer, antelope, giraffes, camels, pigs, and hippos.
- November 13 – Odd-Toed Hoofed Mammals – This group of mammals includes horses, zebras, tapirs, and rhinos.
- December 10 – Plants in Winter – How do plants survive the winter? We will examine different survival strategies used by our local plants.
*Review the PowerPoint presentations from the previous lectures below
- Tuesday January 14, 2025 – Cat-like Carnivores
- Tuesday February 11, 2025 – Vernal Pools
- Thursday March 13, 2025 – Dog-like Carnivores
- Thursday April 10, 2025 – Woodland Wildflowers
- Tuesday May 13, 2025 – Introduction to Birdwatching
- Thursday June 12, 2025 – Primates
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Do you crave an out-of-the-ordinary intimate travel experience?
Come travel with the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden! We have been taking folks around the globe since 1964. Our trips are adventurous, educational, and fun. All our tours are escorted by zoo naturalists who are knowledgeable, friendly, and well-traveled. Our trips create real-life connections with like-minded travelers. Come join us today on our next exciting adventure!
Questions? Please contact Christina Anderson at 513-487-3318 or [email protected]
- Monarch Migration to Mexico February 10 – 16, 2026, led by Brian Jorg, Horticulture Manager.
- Bird Watching in Cuba February 22 – March 1, 2026, led by David Orban, Director, Animal Science and Strategy
- Tanzania – October 4 – 16, 2026 – more details coming soon…
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UPCOMING ZOO EVENTS:
| Date: | Event: | Time: |
| Friday, June 20th, 2025 | Zoo La La | 7:30-11:00pm |
| Saturday, June 28th, 2025 | Breakfast with the Animals | 7:00-9:00am |
| Saturday, July 12th, 2025 | Breakfast with the Animals | 7:00-9:00am |
| Friday, July 25th, 2025 | Zoo La Palooza | 6:00-9:00pm |
| Thursday, August 7th, 2025 | Wild About Wine | 7:00-10:00pm |
| Saturday, August 23rd, 2025 | Breakfast with the Animals | 7:00-9:00am |
| Friday, September 19th, 2025 | Zoofari | 7:00-11:00pm |
| Thursday, October 2nd, 2025 | Zoo Brew | 7:00-10:00pm |
| Friday, November 14th, 2025 | Hops & Holly | 7:00-10:00pm |
AS AN ADDED BONUS THIS WEEK, WHAT BETTER WAY THAN TO END WITH A NICE DAD JOKE – ANIMAL ADDITION:
The inaugural joke, is a classic, to get ussss off to a great sssstart…
Q: Why did the snake cross the road???
A: To get to the other ssssssside. (Of coursssse!)
That’s it for today, Folkssss. Until next time, we’ll SEE YOU AT THE ZOO!