Our Zoo

What's New
Cosley Zoo is always working to provide new points of interest for our guests to visit. Check this page often, as we anticipate many exciting additions in the next few months.

The Animal of the Year...

Cadbury, the French Lop Rabbit

Cosley Zoo is pleased to announce this year’s Animal of the Year - Cadbury, the French Lop Rabbit. Cadbury was sponsored by Bright Horizons Early Education & Preschool. The Animal of the Year is chosen during a five month long contest, whereby patrons may vote for their favorite animal by placing a donation in that animal’s donation box. The winner was announced at Cosley Zoo’s Grazing Fest, held on October 21, 2011. Other animals in the race were:

• In second place, Mavis, the Guernsey Dairy Cow, sponsored by Wheaton Bank & Trust
• In third place, Lady, the Red Fox, sponsored by Kidstown
• In fourth place, Mika, the raccoon, sponsored by Speer Financial

Cosley Zoo would like to thank all those who made a donation during the race and to all our sponsors, including our media sponsor Patch.com. Your sponsorship and donations will help…

• Care for the animals (veterinarian bills and animal supplies run more than $40,000 annually)
• Feed the animals (more than $30,000 annually)
• Keep our zoo clean • Continue to provide great educational programs
• Continue conservation efforts

To view a gallery of images from the Grazing Fest at which the Animal of the Year was announced, click here.

July 29, 2011 : Cosley Zoo Welcomes Sandhill Crane

This past March, Cosley Zoo acquired a new bird.  The bird, a Sandhill Crane, was brought to a wildlife rehabilitator after an unknown injury left him with a broken wing.  Once his wing healed, the Crane had limited flight ability.  So, Cosley Zoo welcomed the crane and happily took on the responsibility of caring for this beautiful bird.

From March until June, the Sandhill Crane spent time getting used to his new environment at the zoo.  During this time, he was housed in quarantine. All new animals that arrive at the zoo are placed in quarantine for several weeks in order to guarantee their health. This not only allows staff to carefully monitor the new animal but also ensures that the new animal does not bring any type of illness to the zoos current residents. Once the crane was deemed healthy, the keepers introduced the bird to its new home in the deer pen.  He now roams around the exhibit with three White-Tailed Deer, two Turkey Vultures, and the Peafowl. There were a few territorial issues at first with the other birds, but the crane has now settled in nicely with its new “zoo-mates.”

When you come to the zoo to see the new crane, you’ll notice how different in appearance he is compared to the other birds in the deer pen. Cranes are tall birds with long legs, necks, and beaks. Their bodies are gray, but the tops of their heads are bright red. Sandhill Cranes are found in North American grasslands, meadows, and wetlands. They use their long limbs in order to catch fish. While the crane does not need to catch his food, it still uses its long legs to wade in the deer pond. The zoo has only had the Sandhill Crane for a few short months, but he already  seems comfortable in his new home.

July 18, 2011 : "Paw of Approval"

by J. Eakins

The gift shop at the Cosley Zoo in Wheaton has a guard cat. His name is Zack. He takes his job very seriously.

“Zack likes to get in the window and watch,” said Kathy Worby, a gift shop staff member. “But he’s not allowed on the other side of the counter. Today, he’s lost his privileges.”

Zack suffered the indignity of lost privileges pretty well. He sat for photos in the chair behind the counter.

“Push him closer, please,” a pair of women visiting from Japan begged. The camera shutter clicked. “He looks like my old cat.”

A little girl in glittering tennis shoes rose up on her toes to see over the gate. “Kitty!” she called and wiggled her fingers across Zack’s fur.

Zack, like many of the animals at Cosley Zoo, is a rescue. His presence creates an opportunity to talk with children and adults about the many animals that depend on humans to survive. Even in the gift shop, the zoo puts its mission up front--in the window, if Zack has anything to say about it.

“Cosley Zoo is a place to teach kids to love nature,” says Sue Wahlgren, the zoo Director. “Simple contact has an impact. Touching a chicken. Petting a rabbit. We help maintain a connection to animals and nature for everyone in the community.

“The experience of a small zoo is different. It’s more intimate. A big zoo is a day trip. Cosley is a zoo you can visit for lunch.”

Ms. Wahlgren is justifiably proud of Cosley Zoo. Less than 10% of animal parks across the country achieve accreditation by the national Association of Zoos and aquariums. This honor requires strict animal care, educational outreach and conservation efforts. Held to the same standard as larger and better endowed zoos, such as Brookfield and Lincoln Park, Cosley has been consistently accredited since 2000. But it hasn’t been easy.

Tough choices are created by two sets of needs—caring for the physical and mental welfare of the animals while providing an educational recreation space. Over the last several years, the zoo has taken turns improving the parking, pig and poultry areas. They’ve added restrooms, a concession stand, and a small medical clinic for the animals. All of this while joining together with zoos around the Great Lakes in a major conservation effort to save the Blanding’s Turtle.

“Any zoo person will tell you, the reason they work here is to care for the animals and teach the people who visit,” says Wahlgren.

Last year, 120 thousand people visited Cosley Zoo.  Close to half of those visitors come from outside the county, with 45 of the 50 states represented as well as many foreign countries. Even though the zoo recently began charging a small admission fee to non-resident adults, attendance numbers are holding steady. Visitors seem to recognize that quality animal care comes at a price.

“We are always looking to raise the level of care at the zoo, but we also want to be sustainable,” says Wahlgren.

The Wheaton Park District provides some financial assistance by organizing regular fund raisers. June saw the Cosley Run for the Animals.  On July 21st, the zoo will partner with Harris Bank and Malloy’s Wine & Spirits for the Cosley Zoo Uncorked event, an evening wine tasting. Ticket sales benefit the zoo, as well as wine sales.

“It’s a joy to work with Cosley Zoo,” says Jeff Sukowski, the new General Manager for all three Malloy’s. “I’m a local retailer and I know the zoo’s a real asset to our area.” In addition to the sampling, Malloy’s has pledged to donate $1 dollar for every bottle of wine sold that evening.

August 1st, Arrowhead Golf Club will also host the Mike Williams’ Cosley Classic Golf Outing, an annual fundraiser that’s been raising money for the zoo for almost 30 years. For a generation, the community of Wheaton has shown a commitment to the zoo’s mission.

“Years ago, everyone lived a little closer to the farm,” Wahlgren says. “Cosley Zoo is here to help raise our next generation as stewards of the environment. We’re guarding the future for our children.”

Zack steps carefully into the front window of the gift shop and watches the children enter the zoo. He seems to approve.

July 14, 2011 : Chicago magazine's "Best of Chicago" 2011 Issue names Cosley Zoo Best "Small Zoo"

Excerpt from Chicago magazine:

"Packed into five cozy acres, this full-blown zoo houses 200 specimens of 70 species, induding owls, deer, faxes, llamas, peacocks, turtles, and a draft horse. But the real draw is Cosley's manageability: In just two hours, families can walk the entire grounds, have close-up encounters with animals, tackle a variety of hands-on activities, and browse the gift store. We recommend staying for at least one feeding of the native duck species and spending quality time with the real 1880 caboose."

July 13, 2011 : A Calf is Born

On June 13th, the keeper staff expected a typical morning of chores in the barn. However, in an instant, keepers, interns and volunteers alike dropped their pitchforks and brooms to welcome a new calf to the zoo. 

A wobbly 73.2 pounds on four spindly legs, this bull (male) Black Angus calf is a miniature version of his mother, Ember. Although this is Ember’s first calf, she is a seemingly experienced and protective mother. Initially, it was difficult to coax the two outside because the calf was new to walking and Ember was leery of zookeeper assistance. Once the calf was completely steady on his feet, he began to follow Ember outside with only the occasional nudge from a keeper or vocalization from his concerned mother.

Stop by  Cosley Zoo soon to see this thriving new family and to witness motherhood at its finest!

May 20, 2011 : Kid Goats

Recent visitors to the zoo have been greeted by three new faces in the goat yard.  Our nanny, or female, goats, Honeysuckle and Daffodil both gave birth in April. The baby goats, also known as kids, look different from the adults not only due to their smaller size but also because they are a cross between a Nubian goat and a LaMancha goat. When comparing them to their moms you will see the kids have smaller ears and waddles (fleshy growths) on their necks.

While you can easily spot the kids exploring the goat yard you may be surprised to know that the smallest kid was not the most recent birth. The single kid, who is the youngest, did not have to share the womb with any siblings or compete with them for milk so that is why he is actually larger than the others. This has earned him the name Colossus, and you can spot him quickly by looking for the red collar. The other two goats are Moose, the brown kid, and Kodiak, the white kid without a collar.

April 20, 2011 : New Barn Owl at Cosley Zoo

We are excited to introduce a new Barn Owl to the Cosley Zoo family! It came to us from the Lindsay Wildlife Museum in California on March 8th 2011, where it was originally confiscated from someone who was holding it illegally. Because of abnormal feather growth, which impacts flight ability, the owl is unable to be released into the wild.  

On April 9th we put the new owl on exhibit with our current Barn Owl. Our resident owl likes to hang out to the left of the exhibit by the nesting box and our new owl can be found up toward the right in the rafters.  Please come by for a visit and help us welcome one of our newest members!

April 8, 2011 : Lambs Born at Cosley Zoo

On March 31st, twin ram (male) lambs were born to Cosley Zoo’s ewe Rose. At three days of age, the lambs weighed about 14.0 and 14.1 lbs at birth. Another of the Zoo’s ewes, Pearl, gave birth to a single ram (male) lamb on March 31st as well. At three days of birth, he weighed a whooping 19.1 lbs! Both Ewes and all three lambs are doing well!

The new lambs are already playing with each other. Like all hoofed animals, lambs can stand and even run within just a few hours of their birth. They grow quickly and will be in the neighborhood of 120 pounds by mid-late summer. While at the moment they count on their mother’s milk for nutrition, within a few short days the Zoo will start to supplement the milk with hay and special feed just for lambs.

To view a YouTube video of the new lambs click here.

Lambs Born

March 3, 2011 :  New Great Horned Owl!

Come to the zoo to welcome our new Great Horned Owl!

He was found injured on a Naperville business’ window and was taken to Willowbrook Wildlife Center for treatment. There, it was determined that he had sustained head trauma. His head trauma healed quickly but left him permanently blind in his right eye, making him unreleasable because owls count on keen eyesight for hunting. Once his treatment at Willowbrook was finished he arrived at Cosley Zoo. The owl, as with all new animals arriving at Cosley Zoo, remained in our quarantine room for 30 days to make sure that he had no diseases or parasites that he could pass on to other animals.

He is eating well and moving around his exhibit, showing us that he has readily adjusted to captivity. Currently, the owl can be found in our aviary where staff can ensure that he does not have to compete for food with our other Great Horned Owl. The keepers are also working to adjust his feeding schedule to coincide with that of his future exhibit mate, who is being trained for educational programs and eats during the day. Once he is taught to eat during the day he will be relocated to the Birds of Prey Exhibit.

The Great Horned Owl

March 2011 : Staff Training and Enrichment

There is a lot going on behind the scenes at Cosley Zoo that visitors may not notice right away. Throughout the year, staff members get a chance to increase their knowledge and receive training in all sorts of interesting fields. Recently keepers were trained on zoonoses, or zoonotic diseases. Zoonoses are diseases that can be transmitted from humans to animals. Keepers learned about the many types of zoonotic diseases, signs indicating the presence of these diseases in humans and animals, as well as various precautionary steps that can prevent the transmission of these diseases. 

Not only did the keepers learn about the fascinating and complex field of zoonoses, but they also learned how to analyze fecal samples through a procedure called fecal floatation. Yes, it sounds gross but it’s amazing what you can learn just by checking out some fecal samples under a microscope. This particular procedure helped keepers filter fecal samples so that they can examine them under a microscope and identify any parasites that the animals may have, specifically parasites like tapeworm, ringworm and other nematodes.