Blog | North Carolina Zoo

Spring Break Alert
The Zoo anticipates high attendance, especially on warm, sunny days. For safety and guest experience, the Zoo may temporarily limit admission once parking reaches capacity. This will not only help with crowd management but will also provide a more relaxed and enjoyable visit for guests and their loved ones. Consider arriving early or carpooling, and check our site / social pages often for more updates!

A wide shot shows a wooded area, likely Ridges Mountain Nature Preserve, featuring large, moss-covered rocks and bare trees. A person is visible among the rocks.

Discover Ridge’s Mountain Nature Preserve – A Hidden Gem

The summit of Ridge’s Mountain is covered by massive boulders and offers magnificent views of the surrounding landscape.

Two adult Cougars, which are large cats with medium, rounded ears and thick tan fur, lay huddled together, looking out of a cutout in a tree stump in a Cyrpress Swamp.

Animal Care Blogs

Meet Our Cougar Siblings

Our cougar siblings are quite special!

An elephant fanning its large ears out as it swings its long trunk. Dark, dense trees line the vast field that sits in the background.

Animal Care Blogs

Elephant-Sized Pedicure

Self-care is important, even for elephants!

A small, brown frog or toad perched on a dark, rough surface, possibly a log or rock. The amphibian has large, prominent, golden eyes and warty, mottled skin with darker spots and yellow-green highlights, set against a deeply blurred, dark background.

Conservation Is Not Closed: World Frog Day During COVID-19

Learn more about our toad-ally awesome conservation work!

A lioness resting peacefully in a field of tall grass with her paw stretched out. Tall grass and some brush and limbs are visible in the background.

World Wildlife Day 2021: Conservation is at the heart of everything we do

Celebrate World Wildlife Day by reading about how we are helping to conserve wildlife all around the world

A low-angle selfie of two women standing in front of a dark concrete storm drain outlet. The woman closest to the camera is wearing a blue jacket, red glasses, and a headlamp, and is smiling. The second woman stands in the background, inside the dark entrance, wearing a dark jacket and a high-visibility safety vest. The ground is a shallow stream of muddy water containing rocks, trash, and a large piece of driftwood.

Masters of the Night: On the search for hibernating bats in Randolph County

The search for bats will lead to some dark places..

A smaller Gorilla sitting on the ground amongst shrubs and grass, eating some fruit.

Animal Care Blogs

Feeding 1,800 Mouths

Ever think about what it takes to feed a whole ZOO?

Love Hornbills Day – Raising awareness and appreciating the beauty and importance of the 'rainforest farmers' in Asian rainforests

Love is in the air, especially for hornbills

Three people observing a large, light-brown elephant in a dry, grassy outdoor enclosure. The animal is walking in the middle ground, near a large mound of hay or straw. The people—two men and one woman—are looking through a fence or barrier. The background is composed of dry grass, trees, and brownish hills.

Making the Most of a Winter Visit at the Zoo

Bundle up and enjoy a winter day with us!