Our Zoos will be closed for all-staff events on the following dates:
Tuesday, Feb. 7: Stone Zoo Closed • Thursday, Feb. 9: Franklin Park Zoo Closed
We hope to see you on another day!
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Franklin Park Zoo
Stone Zoo
February 19, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
It’s Little Joe’s 30th birthday and you’re invited to the party! The gorilla habitat inside the Tropical Forest will be festively decorated with enrichment items, and the gorillas will enjoy a special birthday cake handmade by their care team.
Event Schedule:
This event is included with general Zoo admission.
From February - April, join our 5th annual "Gorillas on the Line...Answer the Call" campaign to recycle phones/electronics in support of gorilla conservation. We've teamed up with Eco-Cell, a company that partners with zoos across the country, to collect used cell phones and recycle or refurbish them for reuse. All proceeds from donated devices support our Gorilla SAFE program.
Drop off your device in the collection box in the Tropical Forest, or better yet, start your own collection drive! We’ll work with your group, class, team, organization or workplace to join the recycling challenge!
Gorilla numbers in the wild are declining at a rapid rate. Ebola virus and the commercial bush meat trade, along with extreme habitat loss and poaching are the main causes behind gorilla deaths. As a result, the western lowland gorilla’s numbers have declined by more than 60% over the last 20 to 25 years. According to the World Wildlife Federation, even if all of the threats to this species were removed, scientists calculate that the population would require some 75 years to recover. To that end, Zoo New England has been an active participant in gorilla conservation through the following programs and initiatives:
The Ape TAG Conservation Initiative is a collective effort by zoos to help conserve wild populations of endangered apes in their natural habitats. Projects range from species monitoring and protection to law enforcement, ecotourism, and veterinary and disease monitoring. All projects include the local communities. These projects help gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, gibbons and their habitats.
We've been a longtime supporter of gorilla conservation, devoting passion, expertise and resources to the preservation of this iconic species. Through this partnership, we deepen our commitment to not only Cross-River gorillas, but to the Community Rangers who work to protect them.
Zoo New England is proud to support the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' SAFE initiative (Saving Animals from Extinction), a bold effort focused on #SavingSpecies. SAFE is a commitment by the Association's accredited zoos and aquariums to harness our collective resources, focus on specific endangered species, and save them from extinction by restoring healthy populations in the wild.
Electronic gadgets like cell phones, ipods and tables contain coltan, a mineral extracted from the forests of Africa. Mining for coltan destroys the natural habitat of gorillas and many other species, pushing these animals closer to extinction. Zoo New England has teamed up with Eco-Cell, a company that partners with zoos across the country, to collect your recycled cell phones and refurbish them for reuse. This reduces the need for more coltan, leads to less mining and destruction of habitat, and helps the gorillas!
Zoo New England participates in the Western lowland gorilla Species Survival Plan. By sharing research and knowledge, participating institutions work together to establish guidelines that best ensure the health of captive populations, and with success, the survival of otherwise extinct species.
We're proud to support the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' SAFE initiative: A commitment to harness our collective resources, focus on specific endangered species (including gorillas), and save them from extinction by restoring healthy populations in the wild. More
