Major Expansion Will Connect Guests with Wildlife of the World’s Largest Continent Tucson’s Reid Park Zoo is excited to announce that it has broken ground and construction is beginning on the much-awaited Pathway to Asia exhibit. Anticipated to open in 2026, Pathway to Asia will transport guests to the world’s largest continent, connecting them with fascinating and iconic wildlife of Asia including red pandas, Komodo dragons, sand cats, and many others. Importantly, the new exhibit will bring Malayan tigers back to Reid Park Zoo in a spacious, state-of-the-art habitat that will be a breeding a ..read more

The African elephant calf born at Tucson’s Reid Park Zoo on March 8 has been named “Meru,” after Tanzania’s “Mount Meru.”  “Our team really fell in love with the name Meru for the calf. She’s the fifth member of our herd, and Mount Meru is the fifth highest peak in Africa. We think it really suits her,” Reid Park Zoo’s Director of Animal Care, Adam Ramsey, said. More than 19,000 votes were cast in the poll to select the name from three options selected by the elephant care team.  Meru is most visible to Reid Park Zoo guests in the morning after 10 a.m. The schedule fluctuates daily ..read more

Reid Park Zoo is excited to break ground this week on the long-awaited Pathway to Asia project. The 4.5-acre expansion that will showcase the ecological diversity of world’s largest continent and bring new animals to the Zoo including red pandas, Komodo dragons and sand cats, among others. Importantly, Pathway to Asia will also bring tigers back to Tucson, positioning the Zoo as a conservation and breeding center for these majestic big cats. Located at the site of the Zoo’s old parking lot, Pathway to Asia is the most significant addition to the Zoo since Expedition Tanzania in 2012. The proj ..read more

Greetings from Reid Park Zoo! It’s an exciting time at Reid Park Zoo with some new faces and the start of exciting new spaces! The Zoo recently welcomed a giraffe foal named Moyo on January 15 and elephant calf born on March 8. Both little ones are doing well and can be seen at times out on habitat. We will be announcing the results of the public naming contest for the elephant calf on April 17. These births are important for their Species Survival Plans and sharing the message of the importance of conservation programs to protect them in the wild. In other news, we are set to begin construc ..read more

Reid Park Zoo is inviting the community to join in the Earth Month Ecochallenge this April. From April 1-30, global participants will join teams and commit to new habits that align with their values while earning points for their team. As an incentive, Reid Park Zoo is offering the member of the public who joins their team and scores the highest on the team’s leaderboard during the challenge a behind-the-scenes tour. “The Ecochallenge is a great opportunity for people to take a look at sustainability practices they could adopt, and to consider what conservation actions are most meaningful or ..read more

  Yebonga the 50-year-old southern white rhino is stepping out in style with her custom made fly mask, made by Horseware Ireland. Yebonga is among the oldest in her species survival plan, with the median life expectancy for southern white rhinos being in the mid 30s. Yebonga’s custom see-through mask allows her to see her surroundings while benefiting from its protective covering. Being a geriatric rhino, Yebonga’s eyes are more sensitive to flies, light and dust, and this added layer helps to provide extra protection.   ..read more

Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Arizona is excited to announce that Semba, the Zoo’s African elephant matriarch, gave birth to a 265 pound calf at 3:31 a.m. on Friday, March 8, 2024. The calf, whose sex has not yet been determined, is standing, sticking close to mom, and nursing enthusiastically. The new calf expands the Zoo’s elephant herd to five, joining Semba, big sisters Nandi and Penzi, and allomother Lungile. The calf is the third African elephant calf born at Reid Park Zoo. Nandi has shown significant interest in spending time with her new youngest sibling. “Nandi really took to her role as ..read more

The Reid Park Zoo Railway rolled out of its depot for its inaugural ride this Friday, March 1 with a special ribbon cutting ceremony. The Zoo Train has always been a beloved added feature of the Zoo for kids of all ages. The newly improved model is even more exciting with many wonderful features, including being wheelchair accessible!  Families of all abilities can ride the Reid Park Zoo Railway which takes guests on a scenic journey around the beautiful Gene C. Reid Park pond. The new train has more spacious head room, leg room, and wiggle room in each compartment as well as a tradition ..read more

The reticulated giraffe calf born at Tucson’s Reid Park Zoo has been named “Moyo” in honor of two distinctive heart-shaped spots on his neck. Moyo is the Swahili word for heart. The name was chosen by the community with 6,708 votes cast on the Zoo’s website from a selection of options given by the Zoo’s hoofstock team. Moyo is one month old today, and is the first giraffe born at Reid Park Zoo in almost 24 years. He is the first offspring born to mother Penelope and father Jasiri. In his first month, Moyo has grown about a foot and is currently measuring a little over 7 feet tall. He is mostl ..read more

Reid Park Zoo is mourning the loss of Grevy’s zebra foal Tikiti Maji. On Tuesday afternoon, a gust of wind appeared to startle Tikiti’s mother, Anna. Anna abruptly moved into a different portion of the habitat, stopping at the wood-paneled fence. The foal was running alongside Anna and did not stop. Veterinary staff responded immediately but the foal died instantly due to an injury to her neck.   Zebras as a species can become easily startled and, sadly, young zebras have a high mortality rate. Reid Park Zoo lost a male foal in July 2020 in a similar event. In preparation for Tikiti ..read more