​BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – July 28, 2021 – Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is pleased to announce the official groundbreaking of a spacious new habitat for Andean bears (Tremarctos ornatus), welcoming back a species that last was part of the Zoo’s animal collection in 2011. The bears will join the Zoo when construction on the habitat is complete, slated for spring 2022. 

​BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – July 14, 2021 –For the third time in Zoo history, a Giant anteater has been born at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo. Arriving on June 15 after a 175-day gestation period, the baby weighed 4.3 pounds at nine days old, and 6.1 pounds at 23 days old on July 8. Proud parents are third time dad, E.O., and fourth time mom, Pana. The pair was brought to Connecticut’s only Zoo with the hopes of successful breeding, which occurred for the first time in 2016. Currently mother and baby are in seclusion most of the day, with brief forays into the outdoor habitat for fresh air and sunshine. 

​BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – June 4, 2021 – Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, in partnership with Cooperative Educational Services (CES), has received a $249,799 AccelerateCT Summer Program Innovation Grant from the Connecticut State Department of Education. The “Food for Thought” (FFT) program will teach students and families about the benefits of fresh, healthy food and how gardening and farming enrich our lives.
 
Joining CES and Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo for the project is Green Village Initiative (GVI), a Bridgeport nonprofit organization that focuses on gardening and youth empowerment to spread information about local farms, community gardens, the cultural aspects of food, and how to start growing food at home. GVI manages a network of community and school gardens, a community farm, and a youth leadership program.

​BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – April 21, 2021 –In an important collaboration with The Pollinator Pathway program, Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo has joined the chain of properties with gardens that support butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and other pollinators. With multiple gardens throughout the Zoo grounds emphasizing the important connection between animals, people and plants, the Zoo was already recognized as a Monarch Waystation and as a Certified Wildlife Habitat through the National Wildlife Federation.
 
“The Pollinator Pathway designation is one more way to signal the Zoo’s role as a community leader in supporting wildlife and wild places,” said Horticultural and Greenhouse Manager Jonathan Dancho. “Our emphasis is on planting food sources for pollinators, using plants native to Connecticut, and not relying on chemicals to maintain the beauty of the Zoo grounds.”