Bloomington Parks & Recreation - Miller Park Zoo

Guided Tours of the Zoo

Bring a group to Miller Park Zoo for an educational VIP experience! One of our knowledgeable guides will lead your group through the Zoo, stopping at many animal exhibits to provide lots of great information and answer questions. Perfect for field trips, organizational outings or any planned trip to visit the Zoo with a group of any age.

Contact Shannon Reedy at 309-434-2256 or sreedy@cityblm.org for prices or to schedule a tour.

Overnight Programs at the Zoo!

If you're looking for a really unique experience for your scout or youth group, why not reserve an overnight program at the Zoo? Your Zoo host will lead you in games and activities, and give you a personal nighttime tour of the Zoo, as well as a walkabout to see the animals just after sunrise. Your program can meet merit badge requirements or just be an opportunity to have an adventure!

Group members must be at least 8 years of age; there will be one adult present for every 10 kids in your group. The minimum group size is 15; maximum number is 30. An evening snack and light breakfast will be provided. Programs can be scheduled on Friday & Saturday.

For more information, including cost, please contact Miller Park Zoo at (309)434-2250

Red Wolf SSP pups released in wild

One of Miller Park Zoo’s conservation programs is celebrating what is looking to be an annual success: Red Wolf puppies. The Zoo’s Red Wolf pair, “Kai” and “Bruiser,” are parents of new pups.

Zoo Superintendent Jay Tetzloff says Red Wolf Kai gave birth to four female pups over Easter weekend.

Last weekend two of the pups were released to a pair in the wild as part of the National Red Wolf Recovery Program.

"Fostering pups into a wild den has been a successful rearing approach and is part of the conservation mission of our Red Wolf program,” Tetzloff say. “The ultimate goal is to work toward building species numbers and bringing the Red Wolf back from near-extinction. These pups have joined a wild family in North Carolina. This will help advance the wild population of Red Wolves, which was down do under 50 just a few decades ago.”

Miller Park Zoo has exhibited Red Wolves since 1993. Last year a litter of four pups born to Bruiser and Kai were the first births since 1994.

Conservation and reintroduction programs not only help keep the species from extinction but also restore the ecosystems where the wolves once lived. As predators, Red Wolves help to maintain the balance and population of the different species they prey upon.

In 2007, Miller Park Zoo was among the group of institutions that won the North American Conservation Award for the Red Wolf Species Survival Program.

A rare breed of goat at the Miller Park Zoo is the latest animal to give birth at the facility. “Rosalie”, one of the Zoo’s San Clemente Goats, has given birth to a kid.

The goats are native to San Clemente Island, one of the Channel Islands off the coast of California. The goats are listed as a critically endangered heritage breed. In 2009, the global population of San Clemente Island Goats was down to 450.

Miller Park Zoo is home to four adult San Clemente Island Goats: three females, Alice, Bella and Rosalie, and one male, Poseidon. Each of the adults is about one year old.

The captive birth of this rare goat breed is a first for the state of Illinois. Only a small number of zoos exhibit San Clemente Goats. Miller Park Zoo is the only accredited facility in the state to exhibit this breed. The animals’ characteristics include a smaller size; this breed of goat is relatively small, but larger than dwarf breeds. They are typically red or tan with black markings.

The kids born to Rosalie are likely not the only goats to be born this spring. Alice and Bella are also expecting.