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Tropical Forests to Open continued

The Zoo’s History of Protecting Primates

Tropical Forests embodies the Zoo’s latest commitment Knowledge Sharing: Last year, zoo veterinarians traveled
to primate conservation. Brookfield Zoo Chicago has internationally to provide lectures and workshops on great ape
medicine and welfare at orangutan rehabilitation and conservation
a history of leadership and excellence in primate care,
centers throughout Asia and a chimpanzee sanctuary in Africa.
welfare, and research.
Each year, our scientists publish and present their research findings
Infectious diseases, and the Ebola virus in particular, are arguably to their peers and teach workshops. Our staff promote conservation
the greatest threats to the survival of gorillas in the wild. Besides messages, such as the use of products made with palm oil that
being lethal to humans, the Ebola virus has an estimated mortality is sustainable, meaning they are not made by destroying
rate as high as 98 percent among the wild gorillas that contract it, orangutan habitat.
which would devastate critically endangered subspecies, such as
mountain gorillas and western lowland gorillas. Cooperative Animal Management: Brookfield Zoo Chicago
In a study published in the journal Scientific Reports in 2023, became an accredited member of the AZA in 1986. We have met
researchers from Brookfield Zoo Chicago and other institutions AZA’s rigorous accreditation standards ever since, which affords
used open-source software tools initially developed at Brookfield us opportunities to collaborate with zoos like ours and make
Zoo Chicago by Dr. Robert Lacy, senior conservation scientist a real impact for wildlife in our facilities and in the wild.
emeritus with the Zoo, to create models of the potential impact The Zoo participates in AZA’s cooperative animal management
of an Ebola outbreak on the endangered mountain gorilla programs, including the Species Survival Plans® (SSPs), which
population of the Virunga Massif—protected areas in Rwanda, carefully manage the breeding of specific species to maintain
Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. healthy, self-sustaining, and genetically diverse populations in
Their findings included data about how quickly the Ebola virus institutions. The Zoo has participated in SSPs for primate species
could spread through a gorilla population, how many animals including the western lowland gorilla, Bornean orangutan, common
might die, the potential success of vaccination efforts, and the squirrel monkey, cotton-top tamarin, Geoffrey’s marmoset, white-
optimal time to vaccinate animals to protect the largest portion cheeked gibbon, Goeldi’s monkey, and the golden lion tamarin.
of the population. In addition to Dr. Meehan, many members of our veterinary
The development of this software for use by conservation services and animal programs staff have volunteered to fill
organizations and scientists around the globe is one of many important roles in these programs. For example, Sheila
impacts Brookfield Zoo Chicago has had on the scientific study Wojciechowski, senior animal care specialist, is the studbook keeper
and conservation of wildlife, including primates. Ownership of and population manager for 68 marmosets in 24 AZA institutions
the software was transferred to the nonprofit Species360 in 2023. and the international studbook keeper for 406 Goeldi’s monkeys
In 2013, the Zoo’s scientists launched WelfareTrak®, an online at 122 institutions. Our director of nutrition, Dr. Jennifer Watts,
animal welfare monitoring tool that is now used around the world. has been the nutrition advisor for up to seven SSPs.

Medical Advances: The Zoo’s veterinarians have pioneered Primate Conservation Funding: Between 2001 and 2024,
advanced medical treatments for great apes in their care (see the nearly $1.2 million was awarded to nearly 40 projects that conserve
Timeline to the right). Among the many innovations in veterinary or protect primates around the globe. Many projects involved
medicine spearheaded by the Zoo, which have elevated the care of educating students and communities about the urgency of
primates and other species, is the Zoo and Aquarium Radiology protecting primates. The funds came from the Brookfield Zoo
Database (ZARD) launched in 2024 by Brookfield Zoo Chicago Wildlife Conservation Fund and the Chicago Board of Trade
and six partner institutions. ZARD contains reference radiographs (CBOT) Endangered Species Fund, which is administered by
of dozens of species, many endangered, which can be accessed for Brookfield Zoo Chicago in collaboration with an Advisory
free by professionals who work in veterinary medicine and wildlife Committee. Species have included Javan gibbons, lowland
conservation all over the world. gorillas, chimpanzees, golden lion tamarins, Bornean
orangutans, and Goeldi’s monkeys.
Brookfield Zoo Chicago is grateful to our many partners in the planning and construction
of Tropical Forests—chief among them were Goettsch Partners, PJA Architects +
Landscape Architects (now part of Stantec), Pepper Construction, and other firms working
under Goettsch that contributed civil engineering and focused-design elements.

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GATEWAYS | TROPICAL FORESTS TO OPEN