Naples Zoo

🥭 Introducing Mango! On April 6, a toco toucan chick hatched along our South American Trail, marking a first-ever toucan hatch at Naples Zoo. Mango is the first chick for first-time mom Macy and the first offspring at Naples Zoo for dad Manu, who arrived from San Diego Zoo earlier this year. The two were paired through the AZA Species Survival Plan, a program that helps maintain healthy, genetically diverse animal populations across accredited zoos. Manu and Macy are working beautifully together to care for their newest little one. Next time you're on the South American Trail, keep an eye out, you just might spot Mango! And make sure to wish Macy a very happy first Mother's Day this weekend. 🌺

Springtime in our Backyard Habitat 🦋

Springtime in our Backyard Habitat 🦋

Winslow and Wesley 💛 a perfect example of the cheetah brotherhood in action. Male cheetah brothers will often stay together for life in groups called coalitions, usually made up of 2-3 littermates. These bonds help them defend territory, hunt larger prey, and stay safer from predators.

Our wildlife is slowly disappearing one pixel at a time. 😞#endangeredspecies In honor of Endangered Species Day, each pixel in this video represents one individual left in the wild. Each of these animals will continue to get blurrier every year if we don’t step up to the challenge. Every single one of them calls Naples Zoo home and every single one needs our help. Learn about what Naples Zoo is doing to help save animals around the world and how you can make a difference at napleszoo.org/conserve

Morning yoga class canceled. Our instructor Anna fell asleep in the "Happy Baby" pose...again. #happybear

Thinking about painting a room, but can't find the right color? Let our animals help! 🎨 Swipe through for some wild inspirations. Which color scheme are you going with?

Anyone want a Riplee kiss? 💋👅 📸: Keeper Molly

Dream Night ✨ Over 1,000 Golisano Children's Hospital patients, families, and staff spent their evening yesterday at Naples Zoo, complete with giraffe feedings, keeper chats, Primate Expedition Cruise rides, face painting, and more. These families deserve a magical night out, and we're so grateful we get to be the ones to give it to them.

Every day at 2 PM, someone has the most interesting job in Naples. Our Alligator Bay Presentation gives guests a front-row look at how our keepers train and care for our American alligators.

See those small openings along Groot's lips? Those are heat-sensing pits, specialized organs that detect infrared radiation from warm-blooded prey. In the rainforests of South Asia, where the canopy blocks out nearly all light at night, green tree pythons rely on these sensors to strike with pinpoint accuracy. They don't need to see you. They just need you to be warm.

When you accidentally interrupt a ring-tailed lemur's sun worship session. 😑 #mybad

Stripe heard Bruehler 🦒 was giving out free kisses with each ticket and wanted to help out 👅🦎 Anyone want to trade a giraffe kiss for a prehensile-tailed skink? 📸: Keeper Lauren

How many of you have seen our alligator training in action? Been awed by the work our team does around these amazing animals? Well, you aren't the only ones! Recently, Animal Operations Manager Robin attended the international conference for Animal Behavior Management Alliance (ABMA) and presented about the positive reinforcement training with our American alligators. This training helps our ectotherms team assess health, social dynamics, safely access the habitat, body condition, and many other aspects of the alligator's care. Through the training our team can do things like voluntary radiographs, voluntary blood draws, check oral health, and safely retrieve items in our habitat. Each year, the ABMA recognizes an outstanding achievement in the application of behavior management techniques. We are so proud to announce that our Ectotherms Team was awarded the Behavior Management Achievement Award for 2026! 🙌🏆 Please join us in congratulating the amazing work that current and past ectotherms team members have done and continue to do while working with our alligators. Stay tuned for how this training helped us achieve an amazing accomplishment and come see the training in action daily at 2pm!

They’re going to kill me for this one 😅#aprilfools

How many ants and termites do you think Xander, our giant anteater, can eat in a single day? 🐜 A) 5,000 B) 30,000 C) 100,000

Perfect sunbathing weather! 👌😎

As temperatures begin to rise here in Florida, don't forget to cool off at one of our many cafés and concession stands, where you can find snow cones, Icees, and more! 📸#throwback to Stewarts tour of the Zoo. 🐢

🗳️Help us reach the #1 spot in the USA Today’s 10 best exhibits in the U.S. 10best.usatoday.com/awards/primate…

😞With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our beloved African lioness, Shani. Following a period of decline related to her advanced age, the Zoo’s animal care and veterinary teams made the difficult but compassionate decision to humanely euthanize her. At 20 years old, Shani far exceeded the typical 10-to-15-year lifespan of a lioness in the wild. Under the constant and dedicated supervision of her keepers, Shani had been receiving specialized geriatric care to manage her health. “Our commitment to animal welfare remains our guiding principle at every stage of an animal's life,” said Jack Mulvena, Naples Zoo, President and CEO. “While saying goodbye is heartbreaking, this decision was made out of respect for Shani’s quality of life. She was a fiercely beautiful presence at the Zoo and will be deeply missed by our staff, volunteers, and the community of guests who grew to love her.” Shani arrived at Naples Zoo in 2013 from Ohio after being genetically matched through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan with our male lion, Masamba, who passed away last year at age 16. The pair became the founders of the Zoo’s pride, famously welcoming three cubs in 2019. Shani was a devoted mother and a powerful ambassador for African lions. Naples Zoo will sound different without her daily territorial calls, however Shani’s legacy will continue through her three sons, currently residing at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida, and through the Zoo’s ongoing efforts to support lion conservation in the wild.