Zoo Keeper's Blog

 SYDNEY     This year was a very special year for the Little Rock Zoo’s carnivore area: our male jaguar, Sydney, turned 21 years old.  In honor of Sydney’s momentous birthday, we’d like to share some of his history with you!     Sydney was born on July 26, 1989 at the Little Rock Zoo to Jasmine and James.  Everything went well until he was about a month old.  On August 31, 1989, Sydney fell out of his indoor holding area that he shared with his mother. ... Read More

    The Little Rock Zoo may not be as well known as the San Diego Zoo or as large as the North Carolina Zoo, but it is an exceptional zoo that should not be overlooked.  I had the opportunity to experience the Little Rock Zoo first hand as the Great Ape and Primate Intern.  Having been raised in Ohio, I had never visited the Little Rock Zoo, let alone been to the state of Arkansas; therefore, I had no idea what to expect of this internship. Having recently graduated from The Ohio State... Read More

Dudley   Little Rock Zoo keepers and staff are sad to have lost our old man, Dudley, who passed away Friday, October 16, 2009.  Dudley, a 42-year old white rhino, called the Little Rock Zoo home since 1995 when he was acquired from the Fort Worth Zoo.  Much to the delight of Zoo staff, Dudley thrived while living at the Zoo and far surpassed his life expectancy.  Dudley was thought of fondly by Zoo staff who loved his sweet personality and calm demeanor.   Please... Read More

    The Little Rock Zoo has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of my father bringing me to the Zoo, fostering an ever-growing interest and respect for animals. I continued to come to the Zoo throughout the rest of my life, and this summer I am having the experience of a lifetime, working with the animals I have enjoyed watching all these years.       Helping out in the Birds and Hoofstock Departments, I get to work with all kinds... Read More

    Education is one of the most important responsibilities of any zoo.  A large part of what we do at the Little Rock Zoo is to educate the visiting public about wildlife and conservation; however, it is also our responsibility to educate future zoo professionals.   Zoos across the country invest in the future by creating educational programs designed specifically to train the next generation of zoo specialists.  Learning opportunities are available in a number of zoo divisions, from zoo... Read More

    Zoos are always improving the healthcare of our captive population of animals and as a result, many of our animals are living longer, healthier lives.  As we’ve cared for captive gorillas we’ve discovered that many of them suffer from heart problems that are very similar to the same heart problems humans suffer.  In 2005, 41% of captive gorillas and 70% of male gorillas over the age of 30 died of some form of heart disease.  Fibrosing cardiomyopathy, a specific type of heart disease,... Read More

We are often asked at the Little Rock Zoo what the names of our animals are.  We have a wide variety of names and even have some animals with the same name!  The methods of naming an animal vary greatly.  Animal names can be based on an animal’s personality, color, pattern, size, native region or time of year born.  An animal can also be named after their parents, a person, literature, common characteristics, a song, a movie, a play on words…you name it (ha ha), the list goes on.  Here are some... Read More

  Moses Mangabey, Training a Diabetic Monkey   By Karen Caster, Primate Keeper                                                                                  Photo of Moses taken by Karen Caster Moses the Red Capped Mangabey has been a resident at the Little Rock Zoo since 2000.  He arrived as a rambunctious teenager with quite the reputation for being a bully and a rather stubborn, uncooperative individual with aggressive tendencies toward keepers and his... Read More

I have traveled from the pine trees amidst the rockiest of ocean cliffs to the oak hammocks which landscape the Ozarks. I have come from the state where lobsters are as sweet as they are satisfying, and around every winding and twisting country road there’s the possibility of seeing a moose.   On this next journey in life, leaving Maine to settle here in Little Rock, I take with me my ecological identity—how I see myself in relation to the earth. Little Rock, Arkansas—a hidden gem shining... Read More