The Pocatello Zoo, also known as the Ross Park Zoo, became the Idaho Zoo in 2016. This change was made to accurately reflect the identity of the zoo and their mission to save indigenous species from the region. Read more to find out all about Zoo Idaho in Pocatello, Idaho.
Zoo Idaho was founded in 1932! It originally only had two animals, a monkey and a racoon. The mayor at the time, Ben Ross, helped fund the purchase of land to build the first park, and the zoo was named after him – Ross Park. After the park opened, they added more animals such as coyotes, bobcats, and badgers.
In 1978, the zoo took in an orphaned bear cub named Charlie. He was a three-year-old grizzly bear from Alaska. He quickly became beloved by the town and was a mascot for the zoo. He lived until September of 2009. In 2012 the zoo opened their new Grizzly Bear Exhibit, which holds Charlie’s ashes in remembrance.
The Grizzly Bear Exhibit is world-class. Within its first year, it had record setting attendance numbers. It is currently home to Stripes and Shoni and viewers can watch them from up close! The exhibit provides a beautiful, natural landscape for the bears to roam and explore.
In 2016, the name was changed to Zoo Idaho. This helped to establish their name as a zoo featuring animals within the region. A portion of their animals are also ones they have saved who would have not survived in the wild. Learn more about Zoo Idaho and their exhibits, their mission to animals, and how to visit by clicking the link here.
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