Contact Us

Questions about an upcoming visit? Our Zoo Today page might have your answer!

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions are here.

Requesting a donation? Please click here.

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Donation Request

To request a ticket donation from the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, please submit a donation request form*. As part of our Green mission, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is only considering donation requests made online. All written correspondence will be referred to our website.

Please note: due to the heavy demand for donations, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden does not accept any inquiries into the status of a donation request.

*Please submit your donation request at a minimum of 30 days prior to your event to be considered. In an effort to better support our community, we only accepts requests within a 150 mile radius of the Zoo.

Wildlife and Conservation Information

Unfortunately, we are unable to personally address every inquiry that comes to us. We encourage you to look on our website for the information you seek. For further information on wildlife and conservation, we recommend you check out these resources online or at your local library. Good luck with your research endeavors!

Wildlife & Conservation Resources

General Animal Information

Benyus, Janine M. Beastly Behaviors. 1992.
Burnie, David. Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World’s Wildlife. 2005.
DK Publishing. Natural History (Smithsonian). 2010.
DK Publishing. Animal Life: Secrets of the Animal World Revealed. 2011.
McGhee, Karen. National Geographic Encyclopedia of Animals. 2006.
Strauss, Rochelle. Tree of Life: The Incredible Biodiversity of Life on Earth. 2004.
Wilson, Edward O. The Future of Life. 2002.
Wilson, Edward O. The Diversity of Life. 1999.

Mammals

Cats

Panthera: Leaders in Wild Cat Conservation, www.panthera.org
Sunquist, Mel and Fiona Sunquist. Wild Cats of the World. 2002.
Tilson, Ronald. Tigers of the World. 2010.

Elephants

International Elephant Foundation, www.elephantconservation.org
Redmond, Ian. Eyewitness: Elephant. 2000.
Shoshani, Jeheskel. Elephants: Majestic Creatures of the Wild. 2000.

Primates

Caldecott, Julian and Lera Miles. World Atlas of Great Apes and their Conservation. 2005.
Fossey, Dian. Gorillas in the Mist. 2000.
Primate Info Net, http://pin.primate.wisc.edu
Rafaelle, Paul. Among the Great Apes: Adventures on the Trail of Our Closest Relatives. 2011.
Redmond, Ian. The Primate Family Tree: The Amazing Diversity of Our Closest Relatives. 2011.
The Jane Goodall Institute, www.janegoodall.org

Other mammals

Bat Conservation International, www.batcon.org
Breither, Matthias. Bears: A Year in the Life. 2009.
Glatston, Angela R. Red Panda: Biology and Conservation of the First Panda. 2010.
Hunter, Luke. Carnivores of the World. 2011.
International Rhino Foundation, www.rhinos-irf.org
Macdonald, David W. The Princeton Encyclopedia of Mammals. 2009.
Mech, L. David. Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation. 2007.
Reep, Roger L. and Robert K. Bonde. The Florida Manatee: Biology and Conservation. 2010.
Sherr, Lynn. Tall Blondes: A Book about Giraffes. 1997
Stirling, Ian. Polar Bears: A Natural History of a Threatened Species. 2011.

Birds

Breining, Greg. Return of the Eagle: How America Saved Its National Symbol. 2008.
Davis, Lloyd Spencer. Smithsonian Q & A: Penguins: The Ultimate Question & Answer Book. 2007.
National Audubon Society, www.audubon.org
Perrins, Christopher. The Princeton Encyclopedia of Birds. 2009.

Reptiles & Amphibians

Alderton, David. Crocodiles & Alligators of the World. 2004
Mattison, Chris. The New Encyclopedia of Snakes. 2007.
Mattison, Chris. Firefly Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. 2008.

Invertebrates

Cranshaw, Whitney. Garden Insects of North America: The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs. 2004.
Marshall, Steven A. Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity: With a Photographic Guide to Insects of Eastern North America. 2006.

Fish

Gilpin, Daniel, Derek Hall, and Amy Jane Beer. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fish & Shellfish of the World. 2012
Pepperell, Julian. Fishes of the Open Ocean: A Natural History and Illustrated Guide. 2010.

Plants

Botanic Gardens Conservation International, www.bgci.org
Capon, Brian. Botany for Gardeners: Third Edition. 2010.
Dawson, John. The Nature of Plants: Habitats, Challenges, and Adaptations. 2005.
Glimn-Lacy, Janice and Peter B. Kaufman. Botany Illustrated: Introduction to Plants, Major Groups, Flowering Plant Families. 2006.
Sibley, David Allen. The Sibley Guide to Trees. 2009.
Tudge, Colin. The Tree: A Natural History of What Trees Are, How They Live, and Why They Matter. 2007.

Biomes, Ecosystems & Habitats

Davis, Barbara J. Biomes and Ecosystems. 2007.

Forest

Berger, John J. Forests Forever: Their Ecology, Restoration, and Protection. 2008.
Forsyth, Adrian. Portraits of the Rainforest. 1995.
Jukofsky,Diane. Encyclopedia of Rainforests. 2001.
Kuennecke, Bernd H. Temperate Forest Biomes. 2008.

Ocean

Cramer, Deborah. Smithsonian Ocean: Our Water, Our World. 2008.
Nancy Knowlton. Citizens of the Sea: Wondrous Creatures From the Census of Marine Life. 2010.
Sheppard, Charles R.C., Simon K. Davy, and Graham M. Pilling. The Biology of Coral Reefs. 2009.

Wetland

Keddy, Paul A. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation. 2010.
Mitsch, William J. and James G. Gosselink. Wetlands. 2007.
Van der valk, Arnold G. The Biology of Freshwater Wetlands. 2012.

Desert

Sowell, John B. Desert Ecology. 2009.
Ward, David. The Biology of Deserts. 2009.

Grassland

Allaby, Michael. Grasslands (Biomes of the Earth). 2006.
Shorrocks, Bryan. The Biology of African Savannahs. 2007.

Tundra

Gutierrez, Beltran and Cristos Pena (editors). Tundras: Vegetation, Wildlife and Climate Trends. 2010.
Moore, Peter D. Tundra (Biomes of the Earth). 2006.

Zoos

Association of Zoos & Aquariums, www.aza.org
Ehrlinger, David. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden: From Past to Present. 1993.
Hosey, Geoff, Vicky Melfi, and Sheila Pankhurst. Zoo Animals: Behaviour, Management and Welfare. 2009.
Koebner, Linda. Zoo Book: The Evolution of Wildlife Conservation Centers. 1997.
Rees, Paul A. An Introduction to Zoo Biology and Management. 2011.
Tudge, Colin. Last Animals at the Zoo: How Mass Extinction Can Be Stopped. 1993.
Zimmerman, Alexandra, Matthew Hatchwell, Lesley A. Dickie, and Chris West (eds). Zoos in the 21st Century: Catalysts for Conservation? 2007.

Animal-related Careers

- - Field, Shelly. Career Opportunities Working With Animals. 2011.
  - Goodall, Jane. Jane Goodall: 50 Years at Gombe. 2010.
  - Hunter Jr., Malcom J., David Lindenmayer, and Aram Calhoun. Saving the Earth as a Career: Advice on Becoming a Conservation Professional. 2007.
  - Maynard, Thane. Working With Wildlife. 1999.
  - Miller, Louise. Careers for Animal Lovers & Other Zoological Types. 2000.
  - Robinson, Philip T. Life at the Zoo: Behind the Scenes with the Animal Doctors. 2007.
  - Scardina, Julia and Jeff Flocken. Wildlife Heroes: 40 Leading Conservationists and the Animals They Are Committed to Saving. 2012.
  - Wildlife Conservation
  - Project Saving Species section of Cincinnati Zoo web site, www.cincinnatizoo.org/savingspecies/
  - CREW section of Cincinnati Zoo web site, www.cincinnatizoo.org/conservation/crew/
  - Conservation International, www.conservation.org
  - Green careers and degrees: http://www.learnhowtobecome.org/green-careers/
  - Galatowitsch, Susan M. Ecological Restoration. 2012.
  - Goodall, Jane, Gail Hudson, and Thane Maynard. Hope for Animals and Their World: How Endangered Species Are Being Rescued from the Brink. 2009.
  - Jepson, Paul and Richard Ladle. Conservation: A Beginner’s Guide. 2009.
  - Lynch, Peter. Wildlife & Conservation Volunteering: The Complete Guide. 2009.
  - Mackay, Richard. The Atlas of Endangered Species. 2008.
  - McGavin, George. Endangered: Wildlife on the Brink of Extinction. 2006.
  - National Wildlife Federation, www.nwf.org
  - International Union for Conservation of Nature, www.iucn.org
  - Ohio Department of Natural Resources, www.dnr.state.oh.us
  - The Nature Conservancy, www.nature.org
  - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, www.fws.gov
  - Wildlife Conservation Society, www.wcs.org
  - World Wildlife Fund, www.worldwildlife.org
  - Resource Conservation
  - Go Green section of Cincinnati Zoo web site, www.cincinnatizoo.org/conservation/go-green/
  - American Solar Energy Society, www.ases.org
  - Amsel, Sheri. 365 Ways to Live Green for Kids: Saving the Environment at Home, School, or at Play–Every Day! 2009.
  - Chiras, Dan. Power from the Sun: A Practical Guide to Solar Electricity. 2009.
  - Clift, Jon and Amanda Cuthbert. Energy: Use Less-Save More: 100 Energy-Saving Tips for the Home. 2007.
  - Clift, Jon and Amanda Cuthbert. Water: Use Less-Save More: 100 Water-Saving Tips for the Home. 2007
  - Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, www.greenroofs.org
  - Hamilton County Soil & Water Conservation District, www.hcswcd.org
  - National Wildlife Federation’s Certified Wildlife Habitat™ program, www.nwf.org
  - Panol, Frank Y. GO GREEN AT HOME: Save money by saving energy and the environment. 2011.
  - Scott, Nicky. Composting: An Easy Household Guide. 2007.
  - Scott, Nicky. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: An Easy Household Guide. 2007.
  - The Green Home Guide (U.S. Green Building Council), www.greenhomeguide.org
  - U.S. Composting Council, www.compostingcouncil.org
  - Water – Use It Wisely, www.wateruseitwisely.com
  - Yarrow, Joanna. How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint: 365 Simple Ways to Save Energy, Resources, and Money. 2008.