 By: Aimee Turcotte
Conservationists are ecstatic about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) announcement on August 8th, 2025, about the birth of as many as 20 wild Red Wolf pups across four litters in eastern North Carolina (1, 3). Currently, up to 16 wolf pups remain, with 10 wolf pups confirmed to be in the area (2). The pups are a new hope for the Red Wolf population, as there were only 7 known wolves in the wild in 2020 (1). Thankfully, since 2020, there are now 18 known adult red wolves in the wild, representing a 150% increase in population. The FWS estimates that there are 28 to 31 Red Wolf individuals currently in the wild.
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By Aimee Turcotte  At Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, we have two Red Pandas, Ponya and Pilatus (Pilot). Ponya is a female born on June 17th, 2024, and Pilot is a male born on June 11th, 2024. Ponya came to the Beardsley Zoo on May 6th, 2025, from the Detroit Zoological Society in Michigan. Pilot arrived at the Beardsley Zoo on June 28th, 2025, from the Chattanooga Zoo in Tennessee. Ponya and Pilot live together with the expectation that they will breed, supporting their Species Survival Plan (SSP). The Red Panda SSP aims to protect Red Panda populations through coordinated breeding efforts. Ponya and Pilot were first introduced to each other at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo at the end of July 2025.
Our Animal Care Specialists implement comprehensive measures to look after the well-being of our Red Pandas. Our Red Pandas are fed daily with food such as leaf-eater biscuits, bamboo, cranberries, grapes, apples, and pears. The amount of food left over after each meal is recorded to check that our Red Pandas are eating a healthy and balanced diet. Ponya and Pilot are also weighed monthly, ensuring they are not losing or gaining too much weight, which could be a sign of underlying health issues. Branching Out in Tree Care: Beardsley Zoo’s First Tree Injections Target Beech Leaf Disease8/11/2025  Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is known for caring for hundreds of animals — but that care extends to another vital part of the ecosystem: its trees. This summer, the Zoo took an important step in protecting its living landscape by performing tree injections on two beech trees near the North American river otter habitat, marking the first time this treatment has been done on Zoo grounds. The procedure, performed in partnership with the tree experts at Bartlett Tree Experts, targets Beech Leaf Disease (BLD) — a serious and growing threat to beech trees across the region. BLD is caused by microscopic worms (nematodes) that infiltrate the leaves, creating distinctive dark striping. This damage reduces the tree’s ability to photosynthesize by up to one-third, weakening it over time. “These trees provide critical shade and habitat value on Zoo grounds,” explained Jonathan Dancho, the Zoo’s Horticulturist. “If left untreated, we’d see more striping, leaf deterioration, and eventually the tree would take on a dry, ‘crispy’ appearance.” After assessment by Bartlett’s experts, two trees were deemed in need of immediate treatment. The injections, which must be done early in the day when the trees are actively moving water and nutrients, took about five hours to complete. While not a cure, the treatment can reduce symptoms and stress, giving the trees a better chance at recovery. Results could be visible as soon as next year, and the Zoo will reassess the trees in two years to determine next steps. “This is about symptom and stress reduction,” Dancho said. “We can’t eliminate the disease, but we can give the tree more tools to fight back.”
The tree injections are just one example of the Zoo’s broader commitment to its plant collections. Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is a Level 1 Arboretum—a distinction awarded by ArbNet for collections that meet defined standards for tree diversity, documentation, and care. This year, the Zoo is working toward Level 2 Arboretum status, which requires an even greater diversity of species, formalized tree care policies, and educational outreach. “An arboretum isn’t just about planting trees,” Dancho emphasized. “It’s about protecting and maintaining them for generations to come.” In addition to injections, Bartlett also provides other tree care for the Zoo, such as pruning trees and conducting regular inspections. As part of the zoo’s supported professional development Dancho plans to continue his learnings by taking the Tree Risk Assessment course to further enhance the Zoo’s on-site expertise. By tackling threats like Beech Leaf Disease head-on and striving to reach Level 2 Arboretum accreditation, the Zoo ensures its grounds remain a thriving, shaded, and beautiful home — not just for its animals, but for the people who visit and the plants that complete the landscape.  Photo Credit: Kayla Arnold By: Aimee Turcotte
Andean Bears, also known as Spectacled Bears, are the only bears that are native to the forests and grasslands of the Andes Mountains in South America. These bears can be found at high elevations, 6,000 to 8,000 feet above sea level. Andean Bears are arboreal and have been seen making leafy platforms in the tree canopy. The platforms are the perfect place for these bears to take a midday nap or to enjoy a nice meal. At Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo (CBZ), our Andean Bears have wooden platforms and hammocks where they have been seen resting on gorgeous sunny days! The wooden platforms are supported by tall tree branches, which our Andean Bears love climbing! Andean Bears are primarily herbivorous, feeding on berries, bulbs, and grasses. However, these bears can occasionally eat meat such as rabbits and birds. The Andean Bears at the Zoo are fed mixed produce (grapes, apples, pears, watermelons, mangos, etc.), peanut butter, honey, beef bones, a small rack of ribs, and Wild Carnivore Bear Diet.  Photo by: Andrew Connolly Written By: Andrew Connolly
Lake Erie, born from the glaciers millennia ago, hosts diverse ecosystems on its shorelines, and on the scattering of islands that are housed within its waters. These islands are home to numerous species, found deep below the surface of the water and ice, soaring above its waves, swimming between the islands, and crawling across the land. One species, the Lake Erie Watersnake (LEWS), is a conservation success story, the 23rd species ever delisted from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. This work involved countless community partners, engagement from the public, and was spearheaded by amazing individuals, including “The Island Snake Lady”, or Dr. Kristin Stanford. Though I did not know it at the time, the first person I met on South Bass Island, was an award-winning conservation biologist, a staple of the island community, and someone I am honored to have called a colleague and a friend.  Written By: Aimee Turcotte and Des Flemmings
It may be Pollinator Week, but here at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, we like to celebrate pollinators every day! Pollinators are critical contributors to the health of many ecosystems. Transferring pollen from one plant to another, pollinators help plants grow and reproduce. At the Zoo, staff support pollinators by planting native plants which pollinators rely on for food sources, shelter, and reproduction. In 2023, the Zoo received a two-year $50,000 grant from M&T Bank, allowing the Education Department to work with the City of Bridgeport to establish five pollinator gardens throughout Bridgeport. Two of the gardens have been planted right in front of the Zoo, adjacent to Beardsley Park. The three other garden locations are Fairchild Wheeler Interdistrict Magnet School, Sacred Heart University’s Discovery Science Center and Planetarium, and Wakeman’s Boys and Girls Club.  Written By: Aimee Turcotte
At Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, we are fortunate to have Amur Leopards, one of the rarest big cat species in the world. These apex predators face numerous threats, including habitat destruction, illegal poaching, climate change, and disease. If Amur Leopards were to go extinct, the food web would become destabilized due to an increase in prey species such as hares (7.). The Amur Leopard ensures there is no overpopulation of one prey species, which protects biodiversity and maintains the balance of the ecosystem (7.). Amur Leopards (Panthera pardus orientalis) are agile and adaptable big cats found in the Russian province of Primorsky Krai and China. The mountainous forests of these Asian regions experience various climate conditions, including hot summers and extremely cold winters, to which Amur Leopards have acclimated by growing denser fur in winter (2.). The mixed deciduous and coniferous vegetation of the forests provides Amur Leopards with cover while stalking their prey (10.). At Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, the Horticulture and Animal Care departments designed the habitat of the Amur Leopard to replicate the mountainous forests of the leopard’s native range by adding rocks, logs, trees, bushes, and stumps throughout its habitat. The extreme winter and summer climate conditions in the Amur Leopard’s native range are similar, but to a lesser degree, to the temperature shifts that the Amur Leopards at the zoo experience here in Connecticut.  Written By: Aimee Turcotte
When you think of Giant Anteaters (Myrmecophaga Tridactyla), what do you see? These animals were called Ant Bears because of their size and insectivorous (feeding on insects) diet (2.). We certainly do not see Giant Anteaters in Connecticut, so you would only know what Giant Anteaters look like by seeing them in zoos, out in the wild in South America, or by researching them. If you have not seen a Giant Anteater before, I can testify that these animals are very intriguing. These animals have elongated snouts and tongues up to a third of their body length that allows them to eat termites living on the forest floor (2.). Giant Anteaters can occasionally dine on ripe fruit as well, such as oranges. These animals are opportunistic eaters, so they will eat whatever is readily available if insects are scarce (3.).  Written By: Aimee Turcotte
Bats are creatures that some individuals believe are ‘bewitching’ or ‘bizarre’ and therefore, are a perfect symbol of Halloween. In fact, bats are frequently associated with vampires. Depictions of bats as vampires appeared in many cultures as far back as prehistoric times. For instance, there is a myth about a blood-feeding Philippine manananggal who would cleave the upper part of her body and then grow bat-like wings for flight (1.). The perception of vampires changed in Eastern Europe in the 18th century when horror stories would describe vampires as undead shapeshifters who would be active during the night. Like the Phillippine manananggal, Eastern European vampires transformed into bats for easier travel and for drinking the blood of the living (1.). By the 19th century, vampires became popular in Gothic fiction. In the early 20th century, Dracula became one of the most famous vampires in Gothic fiction. He turned into a bat multiple times in Bram Stocker’s 1897 novel “Dracula” to avoid being recognized and to travel efficiently (2.). Moreover, bats are often misunderstood because they are frequently mentioned in vampire stories as being associated with death and the underworld due to their nocturnal nature (3., 9.).  Written By: Aimee Turcotte
Bats are phenomenal animals typically shrouded in myths that make them feared and misunderstood. Many individuals are unaware of bats’ ecological importance in pest control, seed dispersal, and pollination. In this blog, we will uncover the truth about bats and how many of the resources we have would not be available without them. I attended an evening lecture at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo led by Keelyn Kotecki, a research student pursuing a master's at Southern Connecticut State University. She had the wonderful opportunity of becoming a bat expert by studying Vampire Bats in South America. During this lecture, she shared some general facts about bats that I found very interesting. Did you know that bats are the only mammals capable of true flight (1.)? Even though other mammals like flying squirrels can glide in the sky, they do not have the bone structure to support long flights. Bats have patagia, which are wing membranes that stretch over the bones of a bat’s wing to assist with wing flexibility and lift. Furthermore, bats are a part of the order Chiroptera, which can be split into two major suborder groups, Megachiroptera and Microchiroptera (1., 2.). Throughout the world, there are approximately 1,400 species of bats, so many that these bats make up 20% of all mammals (1.). |
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Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is dedicated to acquainting a diverse public to the delicate balance that exists between living things and their environment.
Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is a 501(c)(3) not for profit owned and operated by the Connecticut Zoological Society.
Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is a 501(c)(3) not for profit owned and operated by the Connecticut Zoological Society.
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