
ZOO to YOU
Catch up with the latest news at LRZ with articles, press releases, and other fun updates
written and created by Zoo Staff.
February's Staff Pic of the Month

February's Staff Pic of the Month Winner was Emily S. with her submission of this photo of an African lion.
The Pic of the Month winners are selected by the Zoo's Advisory Board during their monthly meetings.
Congratulations Emily!
Coming Soon at Lee Richardson Zoo
- Kristi Newland, Zoo Director
Image: A safari cycle is parked outside of the Friends of Lee Richardson Zoo's Safari Shoppe (gift shop).
If you’ve been to Lee Richardson Zoo lately, you may have seen a sign on the door of the Safari Shoppe saying renovations are underway. Friends of Lee Richardson Zoo (FOLRZ) has been hard at work getting ready for a new season. FOLRZ is a 501c3 non-profit organization that was established in 1975 to aid in the development of Lee Richardson Zoo. FOLRZ also runs many of the guest amenities at the Zoo.
The targeted opening date for the Safari Shoppe is April 25, 2025. Along with the reopening of the Safari Shoppe, Safari Cycles and Scooter Pals will return soon. If you didn’t get to see Scooter Pals during their brief time available at the Zoo in the fall, they are unique electric scooters that offer a fun, alternative way to get around the Zoo. Start dates for the operations of the train, carousel, and sluice mining experience are still to be determined. Along with updates to the Safari Shoppe, FOLRZ is also working on updates to their website.
April also brings the return of a previous format for the FOLRZ Members-Only Annual Meeting. Members will soon be getting invitations to RSVP for the event, complete with a catered dinner and a speaker from the Zoo staff. During the event, members will be updated on what’s been going on with FOLRZ and its upcoming plans, as well as 2024 Zoo highlights and what coming in the near future. The event is scheduled for the evening of Saturday, April 26. Members can also look forward to the return of the quarterly newsletter in a digital format in April.
Don’t put your calendar away yet! FOLRZ is planning for two more events in 2025. A Wild Affair is back! Circle September 6 now so you don’t double-book and miss one of the best parties in town. You can also circle October 18 for Boo! at the Zoo. This will be the 30th year FOLRZ has hosted a safe, family-friendly Halloween event at the Zoo for kids of all ages.
This year, FOLRZ is celebrating its 50th year supporting improvements at Lee Richardson Zoo. With your help, the organization has raised over five million dollars for enhancements since its inception, resulting in the construction of Wild Asia, Cat Canyon, and more. Please call the FOLRZ office at 620-276-6243 if you have questions.
April is definitely a busy month! The Zoo returns to extended hours on April 1, and StoryTime returns to a weekly schedule, every Monday at 10:30, starting on April 7. Earth Day will be celebrated on April 25. Weekend giraffe and rhino encounters are slated to start in early May, weather permitting. Keep up to date with Zoo happenings via the Zoo website (leerichardsonzoo.org) or our Facebook page. There’s always something to do at the Zoo!
Spring Break Camp
- Alice Nelson, Education Specialist

Image: Zoo campers meet the bearded dragon animal ambassador.
As the days get warmer and the weather becomes less grey, we all hope spring is near. Although the official start of spring is not until the spring equinox, on the 20th of March, animals, plants, and people are starting to prepare for the warm breath of spring. Many students and teachers alike look forward to a chance to spend time outside without classes, and it just so happens that right around spring’s official start is the week of spring break. Spring break, March 17th through March 21st this year for USD 457, is a great time to prepare for and revel in the milder weather. But students and teachers are not the only ones with plans for the week out of school; join us at Lee Richardson Zoo for our annual Spring Break Edventure Camp!
This year’s Edventure series is all about pollinators! March 17th and 18th are for 1st and 2nd graders to explore our pollinator pals and learn how they can make a difference in pollinator lives. March 20th and 21st are for the 3rd through 6th graders to enjoy. Both camps will be full of games, crafts, activities, and even opportunities to meet some special animals who call the Zoo home. These half-day camps, 8 am to Noon daily, are packed with unique opportunities and wildlife and conservation education. Walks in the zoo and nature play activities are also included, so be sure to prepare children with proper walking shoes and reusable water bottles. Snacks will be provided, so please be sure to list food allergies during the registration process.
Who pollinates the flowers at the zoo? Which animals that call the Lee Richardson Zoo home would be natural pollinators? Queries such as these will be answered along with other questions your camper may have. With pollination demonstrative games and games like “Pollinators meet your plants,” campers will take away some science knowledge presented as simply fun! With all the fun and learning, your camper will be buzzing with ideas about how to help our pollinator pals.
Registration forms can be filled out in person at the Finnup Center for Conservation Education building (the zoo office) or printed from the website https://www.leerichardsonzoo.org/edventurecamp, and emailed to zoo.education@gardencityks.us or faxed to 620-276-1259. You can also register students online directly at https://gardencityks.myrec.com/info/activities/ under the Lee Richardson Zoo heading. The price per camp is $50 per camper and $40 per camper for the Friends of Lee Richardson Zoo Members.
Siamang Heads to Join New Family Soon

Image: A graphic describing the origin and damage caused by invasive species both in Kansas and in the United States.
Animal Care Staff at the Lee Richardson Zoo have been providing foster care to “Raya”, a 21-month-old siamang since the sudden, unexpected loss of her mother “Violet” in January of this year. Siamang are an endangered species of arboreal gibbon. Typically, siamang offspring will stay with their family for five to seven years.
Raya has been living behind the scenes at the Zoo in the Animal Health Facility so that staff may more easily provide extra attention for her. We are also thankful to our wonderful Zoo Volunteers who have made time to come in to provide companionship and stimulation to Raya during this time, playing with puppets, reading, singing, and talking with the young ape.
Through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Siamang Species Survival Plan (SSP), a new family of siamang has been identified at another AZA-accredited facility where Raya will have the chance to grow up among other siamang. If weather conditions continue to cooperate, Raya will leave for her new home sometime next week. More details about her departure and arrival will be shared on the Zoo’s various media platforms once they are available. Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram or visit us at www.leerichardsonzoo.org.
Siamang are native to the rainforests of Sumatra and Malaysia. Siamang are slightly larger than other gibbons, and their call, which can be heard 2 miles away, is the loudest call of all gibbons. Siamang are losing their native habitat to logging and agriculture. To help protect siamang populations, check the products you use for sustainable palm oil.
National Invasive Species Awareness Week
- Emily Sexson, Communication Specialist

Image: A graphic describing the origin and damage caused by invasive species both in Kansas and in the United States.
This past weekend, the majority of Kansas was blanketed in ice, leaving me to think about what life would be like if I lived somewhere where ice was not only constant but necessary for survival. “I don’t think I’d survive long in this weather,” I thought to myself as I chipped away at the ice on my windshield, “but maybe if I were a polar bear, it wouldn’t be so bad.”
Our natural world never ceases to amaze me; even in the coldest, most extreme areas, life finds a way.
Polar bears are the largest species of bear alive today. They can weigh up to 1,760 pounds and reach over 8 feet tall when standing on their hind legs. Polar bears are found only in the Arctic, the northernmost part of our planet, with the coldest recorded temperature reaching negative 90°F. It is fitting as the word comes from the Greek word ἄρκτος which means ‘bear’.
Polar bears have many adaptations that allow them to survive in this frigid landscape. Polar bears are excellent swimmers that spend at least 50% of their day hunting. They depend on sea ice for traveling, hunting, resting, and mating. These bears are packed with insulating blubber (fat) that can be up to 4.5 inches thick! They have two layers of fur, a protective outer layer, and a dense undercoat, and while the hair appears white, it is actually transparent. This allows the fur to absorb heat from the sun into their black skin.
If we travel to the opposite end of the planet, to the Antarctic, where temperatures can dip below minus 133.6°F, we find equally impressive animals such as the Emperor penguin.
This species is the largest species of Penguin found today, reaching heights of up to 39 inches and weighing up to 99 pounds. These flightless birds are better adapted to swimming, reaching depths of up to 1,755 feet while they hunt for fish, krill, and squid. Specialized protein in their blood allows these birds to function with extremely low oxygen levels, remaining submerged for 20 minutes!
Of course, we see our fair share of winter weather close to home and our native animals have their own adaptations for survival. For those who stick around over the winter instead of migrating, there are several options for getting through winter.
Reptiles such as our state symbol, the ornate box turtle, will burrow underground and undergo a hibernation-like cycle that is called brumation. During brumation, their metabolism slows down, and they live off stored fat in their body until early spring.
Other native species such as the swift fox, will grow a significantly denser winter coat. Between hunting expeditions, they will wrap their body with their long, fluffy tail to stay warm in their dens. Birds, such as the common house sparrow will huddle together and fluff out their feathers, trapping warm air underneath and tucking their heads into their bodies. They can also enter a hypothermic state known as torpor, where their body temperature can drop, allowing them to burn less energy.
We can help our native wildlife throughout the winter by continuing to provide habitat resources such as water (unfrozen), shelter, and food.
As for us humans, we have our own ways of surviving. Just ask the people of Yakutsk, Russia, which sees temps of negative 40°F regularly and is one of the country’s most rapidly growing cities. Or the people of Yakutsk’s sister city, Fairbanks, Alaska, with an average winter temperature of -4.1°F.
If you need shelter or heat in Finney County, be sure to seek out one of the Warming Shelters; a full list is available through the Finney County Emergency Management Department at 620-272-3746.
To see winter adaptations in person, visit Lee Richardson Zoo’s many of the animals in our care are well suited for colder temps! During inclement weather, be sure to use caution, and always check to see that the zoo is open, and it is safe before venturing out!
Call ahead at 620-276-1250, visit our website at www.leerichardsonzoo.org, or follow us on Facebook for our most recent weather updates!
2024 Employee of the Year

Photo: Alice Nelson, Education Specialist, holds a plaque for 2024 Employee of the Year.
Please join us in congratulation Alice Nelson, Education Specialist, for being awarded 2024's Lee Richardson Zoo Employee of the Year!
As an Education Specialist, Alice is part of the Zoo's Conservation Awareness Team, you may have met her during a Zoo event or Education Program both at the zoo or with a Zoo Mobile program. She also provides husbandry for the Zoo's animal ambassadors, and much, much more!
Alice's hard work and dedication to the Zoo, Zoo guests, the animals in our care, her coworkers, and our mission goes above and beyond!
Thank you Alice for all that you do! We appreciate you so much!
2024 Employee of the 4th Quarter

Photo: Cameron Albus holds up his certificate for Employee of the 4th Quarter.
Congratulations to Cameron Albus for being recognized as the Lee Richardson Zoo's Employee of the Quarter for the final quarter of 2024.
To acknowledge his efforts and outstanding performance, Cam was nominated for this award by fellow zoo employees.
Cam is a Lead Keeper at LRZ and is known for his hard work, humor, problem solving skills, and willingness to help out wherever he can.
Thank you Cameron for your dedication and hard work!
The Great Backyard Bird Count!
- Alyssa Mechler, Conservation Awareness Manager
Looking for a way to spend time with your loved ones over Valentine’s Day and Presidents’ Day weekend this year? What better way to spend it than out in nature counting birds! The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) runs February 14-17 this year. Whether you’re an avid bird watcher or just looking for something to do outside, this is a great way to enjoy nature and get involved in community science. Great Backyard Bird Count was first created in 2002 by The Cornell Lab, Audubon, and Birds of Canada, and from there, eBird was created and is used to collect information on wild birds.
There are many ways to share your love for animals, nature, and, of course birds during this event! Scientists are requesting your help for 15 minutes this weekend to help identify and count birds. These 15 minutes can help scientists gather a snapshot of bird populations around the world and how they are doing. Many bird species are dropping in population, and it can sometimes be difficult to study birds throughout the winter; that’s where GBBC comes in to assist.
You can use one of the many great smartphone applications to help you; eBird or Merlin are fantastic resources when you are out birding. If you’ve never used either of these applications, they have tutorials available to help you better understand the technology. If you’re new to birding, Merlin not only identifies the birds you see and hear, but it also gathers that information into a database. There is a great step-by-step ID process that asks you several questions and comes up with the best answer for your location and what you saw. They also have a photo ID and sound ID.
An excellent location to utilize these applications and participate in GBBC is the Lee Richardson Zoo in Finnup Park. There are many wild birds that call this area home, and not just the ones the Zoo staff care for! When visiting the zoo, you may see Northern cardinals, wood ducks, Northern flickers, dark-eyed juncos, hawks, and sometimes if you’re lucky, owls, and that’s just during the winter! The spring, summer, and fall can bring even more migrating birds through our zoo. I’ve been lucky enough to see orioles, which are gorgeous birds with rust or bright orange bellies. Others have seen black-crowned night herons, flycatchers, vireos, and so many more species. If you’re wondering how I gathered this information, eBird allows you to see what birds are seen in which areas.
I know I will be spending my weekend out birding and contributing to the Great Backyard Bird Count and I hope you will join too! To learn more about common bird species in our area make sure to follow the Lee Richardson Zoo on social media and to learn more about the Great Backyard Bird Count you can visit, https://www.birdcount.org.

Image: A dark eyed Junco visits one of the habitats at the Zoo.
Superb Owl Sunday
- Houston Glover, Conservation Awareness Coordinator

Image: Burrowing owl "Fergie" stands tall outside of one of the dens in the burrowing owl habitat at the Zoo.
For many fans of professional football, the second Sunday in February is the most important day of the year. It’s the day of the climactic NFL championship game, the Super Bowl. It so happens that this Sunday is also important to fans of nocturnal predatory birds, as it is also Superb Owl Sunday. This tongue-in-cheek observance got its start in 2008 when a Twitter user excitedly posted about his “Superb owl party tonight!” In the years since, what started as a simple typo has taken flight in the wildlife community as a day to celebrate everything that makes owls truly ‘superb.’
Owls are popular for many reasons, one of which is their almost humanlike appearance. The wide, forward-facing eyes and round face of an owl certainly set them apart from other birds. These features make owls easy for humans to relate to and are considered the main reason many cultures view owls as intelligent. After all, the sight of a Great Horned Owl can bring to mind the classic image of a tenured academic, complete with a furrowed brow and a dignified mustache. Looks can be deceiving however, and while owls may look the part of an avian Einstein, they really aren’t any more intelligent than their fellow birds of prey.
All of these unique facial features serve a purpose, though, and that is to give owls some of the best senses of any predator. That round, disc-like face? It captures sound like a sonar dish, funneling it into the owls’ ears, hidden deep under the feathers. The huge eyes? They take in enough light to give owls the kind of crystal-clear night vision that cats and raccoons can only dream of. Even the subtler features are there to enhance the senses. The heavy brow of some owls is there to shade their sensitive eyes from the sun, allowing them to be active well before sunset; and the whisker-like feathers around their beak help them feel their way around when something is too close to their face, like when they’re eating from a carcass or feeding their chicks.
So, owls aren’t as wise as they look. But what they lack in intelligence, they make up for in statistics. All of their keen senses pair with their natural stealthiness to make owls incredibly successful hunters. One study found that the Short-Eared Owl had a hunting success rate of about 60%, meaning that for every ten times they tried to catch a prey animal, they successfully caught and ate six of those animals. For comparison, a pack of wolves has a hunting success rate of around 20%, and a lion pride is successful only about 30% of the time. These owls are also more effective hunters than tigers, cheetahs, great white sharks, and even peregrine falcons. All that stealth and patience really pays off!
There are about 250 species of owls in the world. They can be found on every continent except Antarctica. They range in size from the soda-can-sized Elf Owl up to the Blakiston’s Fish Owl, which is taller than a fire hydrant. Whichever owl you choose as your favorite, we here at Lee Richardson Zoo wish you a fantastic Superb Owl Sunday. We encourage you to celebrate this Sunday by coming out to visit our resident Burrowing Owls, “Fergie” and “Clive,” or by visiting the Lee Richardson Zoo on social media to see resident Barn Owl “Bowie” make his prediction for the big game.