Edinburgh Zoo

Welcome to Edinburgh Zoo!
Inspiring people to protect, value and love nature 💛

[Edinburgh Zoo @Edinburgh_Zoo]

We’re proud to announce a new partnership between @rzssofficial and @dsscotland which will create meaningful employment opportunities at Edinburgh Zoo 🐧

Launching during Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week, this initiative will see two adults with Down’s syndrome join our admissions and retail teams this summer with the hope of developing into long-term roles.

With fewer than 7% of adults with learning disabilities in paid work in Scotland, this partnership is a step toward breaking down barriers and building more inclusive workplaces.

Together, we’re focusing on potential, supporting success and creating opportunities where everyone can thrive 💛

[Edinburgh Zoo @Edinburgh_Zoo]

Rain icons that don’t tell the full story could be costing conservation charities thousands every day 🌧

Misleading weather displays on apps can reduce visits to @Edinburgh_Zoo and @highlandwpark by up to 30%, costing our wildlife conservation charity as much as £40,000 in a single day.

[Edinburgh Zoo @Edinburgh_Zoo]

Teshi the binturong on her way to say hello! 👋

Did you know that binturongs are one of only two carnivores with a true prehensile tail?

It acts like a built-in safety rope to anchor them to branches while they nap or snack - it's basically like having a fifth limb! 🌳

[Edinburgh Zoo @Edinburgh_Zoo]

For the fourth year in a row, children in hospital have been getting creative by painting colourful pebbles for the penguins at Edinburgh Zoo 🐧

Penguins try to win over their perfect match by presenting the most beautiful pebbles they can find. And this year the colony were spoilt for choice… with more than 1,000 stunning pebbles to pick from!

A huge thank you to @echcharity for helping make this possible. Together we’re helping children stay connected to nature even during the toughest hospital stays 💛

[Edinburgh Zoo @Edinburgh_Zoo]

The 2026 breeding season is officially underway for our gentoo penguins 🐧

The nest rings are out, the prime spots are being claimed and the wooing is in full swing 💌

Next in will be the pebbles... don’t miss your chance to decorate one of your own for the colony - the Penguin Love Pebbles event

[Edinburgh Zoo @Edinburgh_Zoo]

Meet Inti, March’s Animal of the Month 👑

We’ll be hosting more armadillo talks throughout the month and a special Discovery Day all about the species

[Edinburgh Zoo @Edinburgh_Zoo]

Happy birthday to Fe
You are a beau-tee
Keep napping in the trees
And doing as you please 🌿

📷 Thanks to keeper Megan for these adorable photos of our gorgeous two-toed sloth who celebrated her 6th birthday

[Edinburgh Zoo @Edinburgh_Zoo]

We’re sharing a story that had all of us holding our breath.

If you’ve visited the zoo in the last year, you may have noticed Gilbert, our gentle giant with an unusual swelling on his face. Seeing him uncomfortable was worrying, giraffes are masters at hiding pain 😣

To find answers and give him relief, we had to do something extraordinary... safely anaesthetise an 18-foot-tall patient. It was a tense and emotional moment, but Gilbert was surrounded by exerts who care deeply about him.

Our charity’s devoted keepers and vets worked side by side with incredible teams from @copenhagenzoo, @chesterzoo and @thedickvet, all united by one goal - to help Gilbert feel better.

Turns out our giraffe thinks he's a hamster... and had been storing food in his mouth! With ongoing training, keepers are helping him improve his oral hygiene by regularly flushing the cheek pouch with water 🐹

[Edinburgh Zoo @Edinburgh_Zoo]

Here come the girls 💛

We're so excited to have welcomed three female king penguins to our colony - the first in over a decade! Constance, Maude and Alma have already settled in well with the boys, and their personalities are starting to shine... Miss Maude is particularly feisty and energetic.

Stop by Penguins Rock to spot our new queens 🐧

[Edinburgh Zoo @Edinburgh_Zoo]

Don’t worry, armadillos roll into a ball as a defence mechanism. Curling up lets their hard armour (called osteoderms) protect their softer underside 🛡️

Predators have a much harder time biting and clawing a tiny armoured ball!

[Edinburgh Zoo @Edinburgh_Zoo]

Meet Babsie 💛

Eastern chimpanzee from @aap_europe. You might not spot her right away as she is being given plenty of time and space to settle in. She's already been introduced to some of the other girls in our troop and they're getting on great.
As with all introductions, this process is carried out gradually and entirely at the animals' own pace so it will be a while before she is fully integrated with the rest of the chimps 🐵

This beautiful girl started life as a circus chimp before being rescued by @stichtingaap. We're so happy to be able to give her the chance to live with our troop, where she can spend her time playing, snacking and snoozing 🌿

[Edinburgh Zoo @Edinburgh_Zoo]

Penguin brain thoughts 98% of the day 🧠 🐟

[Edinburgh Zoo @Edinburgh_Zoo]

In a shock twist, January’s Animal of the Month is a tie between Teshi the binturong and Gia the pudu 😯

Teshi’s a beautiful girl with incredible aim having launched many a tomato at her keepers 🍅

Gia has a big personality and is very affectionate with keepers and her mum 💛

Our discovery rangers will be running another Discovery Day dedicated to binturongs and pudus on Saturday 17 January 11am-2pm between their two habitats.

Come along and find out more about these brilliant girls!

[Edinburgh Zoo @Edinburgh_Zoo]

Hop along with Megan and Lynsey as they give our frogs their all-important health check! The first challenge was catching them... some frogs were much better at hide-and-seek than others 👀

Once safely in hand, each frog was carefully checked over, weighed and counted ✨

[Edinburgh Zoo @Edinburgh_Zoo]

Don’t worry, stick insects would never do that 🐛

[Edinburgh Zoo @Edinburgh_Zoo]

Meet the newest little faces enjoying the sun today 🥹

🦥 Atty the Linne's two-toed sloth
🐧 Penguin chicks (gentoo AND Northern rockhopper!)
🦫 Capybaby
🐜 Snoot the giant anteater

Who’s your favourite? 💛

[Edinburgh Zoo @Edinburgh_Zoo]

Calling all conservation enthusiasts 🌿🌍
From flapper skates to giant anteaters, our Conservation team will be showcasing a selection of species we’re protecting and what makes them both wonderful and important to save 💚

[Edinburgh Zoo @Edinburgh_Zoo]

Nico, our male Linne's two-toed sloth, has taken to eating his snacks sitting down... which makes for some interesting photos 🍉🥕

📷 Keeper Charlie

[Edinburgh Zoo @Edinburgh_Zoo]

Masindi is celebrating today with presents filled with delicious treats 🥜

[Edinburgh Zoo @Edinburgh_Zoo]

Keeper Natalie made the cutest stockings for some of our animals, and treated them to some snacks 🎄