Lincoln Park Zoo

If Max’s new documentary Chimp Crazy feels upsetting, that’s because it’s a glimpse into a very big problem affecting primates. Keeping primates as pets just isn’t right—for humans or for animals. Keeping primates as pets forces intelligent, social animals into inappropriate confinement with unqualified caretakers and often leads to severe psychological and physical suffering. If that wasn’t enough, it fuels illegal wildlife trafficking and trade.    As we approach the docuseries’ finale on Sunday, I am hopeful that it will enrage folks into action. Join Lincoln Park Zoo and a proud, growing coalition of partners advocating for the Captive Primate Safety Act, which would ban the private ownership and trade of primates as pets, addressing both animal welfare and public safety concerns. It is past time for us to do right by our primate relatives.    Read this piece published in MSNBC: https://lnkd.in/ghH64492

Chimp Crazy premieres this weekend on HBO Max. The new documentary series follows people who own primates as pets–think Tiger King, but with chimpanzees. This show is a glimpse into a much larger issue as there are more than 15,000 primates kept as pets in the United States. There is no federal law to regulate the possession of primates like lemurs, capuchin monkeys, slow lorises, or even chimpanzees as personal pets. The Captive Primate Safety Act would federally prohibit the pet primate trade and protect these cognitively advanced animals, which is why it is so important that it passes. Lincoln Park Zoo has long advocated against owning primates as pets, and we’re proud to support this bill. Help be a voice for primates: lpzoo.org/takeaction

The 2024 Midwest Beaver Summit on August 28 is coming up quick, and Lincoln Park Zoo is proud to be a co-host! Register to see “Landscape-Scale Watershed Planning with Beavers for Biodiversity and Climate Resilience,” presented by Kurt Menke, GIS Consultant, Septima, and @Bob Boucher, President, Superior Bio-Conservancy, among other exciting presentations. This summit is totally free, virtual, and open to all. Hope to see you there! Register now: https://lnkd.in/genjr37Y  

What an incredible 2024 Intern Season Lincoln Park Zoo had! We are proud to have hosted the 2024 Chicago Intern Networking Event. Interns from various cultural institutions enjoyed a day of networking, receiving great advice and fun. Special thanks to Camilla Fernandez and Lyric Opera of Chicago for starting this tradition. We are happy to pass the baton. Thank you to our guest speakers Linda Nguyen Elise Mulligan Patrick Mucerino John Rooney Dave Bernier for taking the time to share your journey with the interns. Thank you for speaking words of wisdom and encouragement. Extra THANK YOU to my partner in all things interns Kristin (Szwajkowski) Tetzlaff. I am always impressed with your work ethic and I look forward to working with you for many more seasons. Shedd Aquarium Lyric Opera of Chicago Chicago Humanities Chicago Children's Museum Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Lincoln Park Conservancy Lincoln Park Zoo

Fantastic news: Lincoln Park Zoo is now an accredited botanic garden!

On Tuesday night, we celebrated the 2024 Biota Awardees: Sean Hoban, Liza Lehrer, Gabriela Nunez-Mir, Yoel Stuart, and Benjamin Van Doren at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo! Attendees were treated to a fantastic panel discussion with previous Biota Awardees, Cara Brook, Noé U. de la Sancha, and Maureen Murray, expertly led by WBEZ Chicago's Sasha-Ann Simons. The conversation focused on the vital interconnections between biodiversity and human health, sparking insightful and inspiring dialogue. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this memorable evening! Visit biotaawards.org to learn about the 2025 Biota Awards application. #BiotaAwards #Biodiversity #LincolnParkZoo #Chicago

Senator Richard Durbin stopped by Latinos Progresando’s Community Center! We, alongside Latinos Progrsesando and The Nature Conservancy in Illinois, had a wonderful afternoon talking about our partnership designed to enhance the health of people and the planet, as well as co-created programs like Explorando la Naturaleza (Exploring Nature), an adult learning program that trains Parent Leaders from Marshall Square how to explore social-emotional learning in nature with youth and families.

The Department of Integrated Biology collaborated with other Urban Wildlife Information Network partners to help highlight the effect of gentrification on urban wildlife populations in cities across the nation. The research findings contributed to a new study being conducted by Lincoln Park Zoo's Urban Wildlife Institute.

An absolutely heartbreaking new study published in the European Journal of Wildlife Research found that painted woolly bats are being hunted and killed to become Halloween decor—primarily for U.S. consumers.   Lincoln Park Zoo is proud to partner with Monitor Conservation Research Society to help bring an end to wildlife trafficking, including the killing of vulnerable painted woolly bats. This species' populations have been declining and scientists have been raising concerns about the potential harm of the bat decor trade for nearly a decade, yet the market and demand has only grown. Help save the painted woolly bat by a taking moment to check out and share this link via Monitor’s Chris R. Shepherd, a co-author on the paper. https://lnkd.in/eiC2ffa4