Find out what and who is new at the Louisville Zoo! Get the skinny on new exhibits, new animal ambassadors and where and when you may be able to visit them.
For daily morning updates on animal viewing, click here. *
NEW Exhibits
COLOBUS CROSSING |
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Opening spring 2019Sit on the newly expanded outdoor dining patio, munch on delicious goodies served from the African Outpost and observe beautiful colobus monkeys and Schmidt’s red-tailed monkeys as they leap and swing from place to place within their new habitat or even cross directly overhead and you walk through the Zoo. |
SNOW LEOPARD PASS |
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Opening spring 2019The new habitat will transport guests to a small Himalayan village in Nepal and will provide information about this elusive animal — plus you’ll learn how villagers are striving to live in balance with the snow leopard to support conservation of the species. Snow leopards are masters of camouflage and are able to bound up to 50 feet in one jump. Once the exhibit opens, visit often to spot the snow leopard among the talus rock slope; you may even catch the cat in bounding action! The “village” will also include an early-learning play space, The Cub House, presented by PNC. |
NEW Animals
Some animals are on rotational exhibit and may be viewable for portions of the day. Animal viewing is subject to change based on the cooperation of the weather and animals.
RED-TAILED
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Ahnmom, Indi and Chi Chi
Indi is described as a confident monkey that calmly watches over her sister. Chi Chi is bolder, exploring enrichment items and seeking new experiences — but still hides behind her sister when things get too exciting. Male Ahnmom came from Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, and keepers describe him as a young, active and curious monkey that enjoys enrichment, toys and just generally having lots of things to do.
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COLOBUS MONKEYS |
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Radi, Rajesh, Sheldon and Leonard
The monkeys are settling in nicely and are already displaying their leaping abilities — sometimes leaping clear across the width of their off-exhibit day room from shelf to shelf. The monkeys seem to be a chatty group so far. “When they aren’t pleased with each other, they sometimes make clucking or clicking sounds, which are interesting to hear,” Gorilla Forest Supervisor Jill Katka said. Colobus monkeys are arboreal (tree-dwelling); they love to climb and have a diet consisting vegetables like onions, potatoes and broccoli and leaves from plants like forsythia, serviceberry and other “browse” collected on Zoo grounds during warmer months and then frozen for the animals to enjoy during the winter. |
SNOW LEOPARD MERU |
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Meru
Meru will join snow leopards Kimti and NeeCee in the new Snow Leopard Pass! Assistant Mammal curator Michael Jones said, “He is a big boy; he will be the largest of three snow leopards here in Louisville.” Meru arrived in Louisville via a UPS air cargo plane. Michael accompanied Meru during the flight to Louisville, jump seating with the UPS aircraft crew. The last several weeks before Meru’s arrival, Michael worked directly with UPS staff for clearance with FAA and Home Land Security regulations as well as going through jump seat training. A special thanks to UPS for generously offering to move Meru from LAX to SDF. That’s what you might call a “wild ride!” |
New Animals (arrived 2018)
ADDAX |
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GIRAFFE |
Kianga
Kianga arrived in March 2018 from the Los Angeles Zoo. She’s easily distinguishable from stately giraffe Malaika, the tallest giraffe in our herd, and Baridi, our young male socialite, because she’s smaller being the youngest. Kianga seems to like spending time with Malaika and is usually seen by her side. Kianga eats grain and alfalfa but her favorite treats are apples and carrots. You can visit her in the giraffe exhibit in the Africa Zone. |
AFRICAN LION |
Siyanda
In June 2018, majestic lion Siyanda arrived from the Fort Worth Zoo where he was born. His name is African in origin and means “we are increasing.” Siyanda is a very light-colored lion with a not yet fully-developed mane. He already weighs 404 pounds and eats about 10 pounds of meat per day. His keepers believe he could potentially reach over 450 pounds. You can see Siyanda in the Africa Zone. In the future we hope to bring in other female lions to become part of Siyanda’s family group per recommendations from the African Lion Species Survival Plan. |
KOMODO DRAGON |
Romulus
Arrived May 2018. Because Romulus is so young, he required special preparation to ensure a comfortable and safe space as he grows. During warmer months, he lives in a smaller area within the original outdoor Komodo exhibit. This allows Romulus to enjoy the warm summer weather and the sunlight, which is critical for Komodo health and growth. During the colder months, he lives in a warm, climate controlled habitat inside the HerpAquarium. Romulus is growing every day. When he arrived, Romulus weighed just over a half pound and was 23 inches long. He’s gained some weight since then but he still has a long way to go. Komodo dragons generally take over a decade to grow to full size and grow to be the largest, heaviest lizards in the world. Learn more about Komodo dragons. |
SOUTHERN WHITE RHINO |
Letterman
Rhino Letterman came to the Louisville Zoo in 2018 from The Wilds in Cumberland, Ohio. He was originally called Montgomery but his name was changed by Jack Hanna in honor of talk show host David Letterman. Letterman seems to enjoy company and actually seeks it out when given the opportunity. He enjoys eating grain mix as a treat and getting his neck scratched by his keepers. You’ll be able to distinguish him from female Sindi by his ear tip that droops on one side. Rhinos in the remnant wild are often solitary but do sometimes form groups. Letterman will be on rotation with 34-year-old female Sindi in the Africa Zone. |
GRAY SEAL |
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Boone
Boone arrived in May 2018 with fellow gray seal Minnow from the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. Both are big boys, weighing approximately 500 pounds each. Gray seals are distinguishable from harbor seals by their longer nose and much larger size — about twice as large as harbor seals! The seals both enjoy a big pile of ice to flop around in. Boone is a very dark gray while Minnow is lighter and has a prominent hump on his nose. The Latin name for gray seals Halichoerus grypis means “hooked nose seal pig.” The Louisville Zoo has a rich history with this species. Eight seal pups have been born at the Zoo and when twin seal pups were born in 1979, they were the first twins to be documented in a managed system like a Zoo. Learn more about gray seals. |
GRAY SEAL |
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Minnow
Minnow arrived in May 2018 with fellow gray seal Boone from the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. Both are big boys, weighing approximately 500 pounds each. Gray seals are distinguishable from harbor seals by their longer nose and much larger size — about twice as large as harbor seals! So far, keepers say the seals both enjoy a big pile of ice to flop around in. Minnow is lighter and has a prominent hump on his nose, while Boone is a much darker gray. The Latin name for gray seals Halichoerus grypis means “hooked nose seal pig.” The Louisville Zoo has a rich history with this species. Eight seal pups have been born at the Zoo and when twin seal pups were born in 1979, they were the first twins to be documented in a managed system like a Zoo. Learn more about gray seals. |