Staten Island Zoo

01/17/2026

01/15/2026

A gentle reminder to our Staten Island community 🖤

As much as we would love to help injured wildlife, like this beautiful Red-tailed Hawk who was brought to us recently, we are unable to accept animals—wild or domestic—into our facility. Bringing animals onto zoo grounds poses a serious health risk to the animals already in our care.

For example, a bird brought in by a well-meaning Good Samaritan could unknowingly be carrying avian influenza (bird flu). Even without visible symptoms, this could expose our collection to a dangerous pathogen—and that’s a risk we simply cannot take.

That said, help is available. If you encounter an injured or distressed animal, please reach out to one of the trusted resources below:
🐦 Wild Bird Fund (NYC)
A licensed wildlife rehabilitation center that takes in injured, sick, or orphaned wild birds from all five boroughs. They also provide guidance on what to do if you’re unsure whether a bird needs help.
🐾 NYC Animal Care Centers (ACC)
ACC assists with injured or stray domestic animals, and in certain cases can help direct wildlife concerns to appropriate responders. They are often the best first call for animals in immediate danger.
🌿 NYS DEC–Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitators
New York State maintains a list of licensed wildlife rehabilitators trained to care for native wildlife such as raccoons, squirrels, opossums, turtles, and more. These individuals have the permits and expertise needed to help safely.
🏙️ NYC Parks / Urban Park Rangers
For wildlife found in parks or natural areas, Urban Park Rangers can sometimes assess situations and help guide next steps, especially if the animal is not visibly injured.
🐶 ASPCA or Local Animal Shelters
For injured cats, dogs, or other domestic pets, organizations like the ASPCA or local shelters can provide emergency guidance and resources.

We truly appreciate how much our community cares about animals, and we thank you for taking the extra step to contact the right professionals—it helps protect both wildlife and the animals already in our care 💚

01/15/2026

The ultimate question: is this friendship… or a new cozy winter hat?

01/13/2026

When you and your work bestie show up matching. 👯‍♀️ Even with the option to wear different colored pants, hoodies, and all kinds of zoo gear, it’s always fun when everything lines up — right down to the matching hat.

Want to match your bestie too? Grab coordinating zoo merch from our gift shop located in the cafe and represent New York’s biggest little zoo together

01/12/2026

Looking for something to do over winter break? The Staten Island Zoo is running a Zoofari Winter Experience from February 16 - 20 for grades Pre-K through 3rd Grade.
Registration for members starts this coming Wednesday, January 14 (you must be logged in to your account to register); non-members can register starting Tuesday, January 20.

https://statenislandzoo.doubleknot.com/event/2026-winter-zoofari-winter-investigations/3129914

01/09/2026

We mustache you a question… how’s 2026 going for you so far? Fontina the emperor tamarin thinks it’s going hair-y well

01/06/2026

We couldn’t let National Bird Day fly by without shouting out our feathered friends! From waterfowl that paddle and dive, to birds of prey with incredible eyesight, and even ratites who traded flight for speed, birds come in all shapes, sizes, and talents. Fun fact: birds are the only animals with feathers—and not all birds fly, but every bird plays an important role in its ecosystem. Today is all about recognizing the birds who splash, soar, sprint, and stand tall in their own amazing ways.

01/01/2026

While many are home relaxing and enjoying the holiday, our staff are right where they love to be—caring for the zoo’s animals. From early mornings to quiet moments behind the scenes, their dedication never takes a day off. 💚 We asked our keepers (and couldn’t resist adding a few of our critters’ ideas, too) what their re-zoo-lutions are for 2026. Now we want to hear from you… what’s your re-zoo-lution?

12/31/2025

We want to know!
This New Year’s Eve, will you be bringing in the year 2026 with team sleepy - like our cozy sloths and snoozing fossa who will be dreaming about the ball drop- or will you be on team party - like our lively lemurs and playful otters who will be watching it all happen - ?

12/26/2025

Looks like winter is really showing off! With a significant amount of snow expected, we’ll be closing the zoo to the public on Saturday December 27th to keep everyone safe. Snuggle up, enjoy the holiday magic from home, and we’ll see you soon—once the snow settles ❄️💙

12/26/2025

These are a few of our favorite things ✨
We’ll just be over here, happily relishing in every bit of Christmas spirit 🎄

12/25/2025

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The Zoo is officially CLOSED to the public today, December 25th, but our animals still need to be fed. While many of us are spending the entire holiday with the ones we love, staff showed up in their favorite Christmas gear to take care of our critters. And of course they can’t help but have a little fun while they are here - our crew are always keeping spirits bright! We appreciate them every day, but even more on days like today because they always put the animals first. Happy holidays to yours from ours ❤️🎄🎅🏼