Privacy Statement
Protection of individual privacy of our customers is a primary concern and is governed by Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13, Minnesota Government Data Practices Act.

Our Commitment to Data Security
Minnesota Zoo has appropriate security measures in place to protect against the loss, or misuse, or alteration of information that we have collected from you so that you can feel comfortable and secure when making an online transaction.

The Minnesota Zoo website uses Secure Sockets Layering (SSL) to encrypt your personal credit information, including your credit card number, before it travels over the Internet. SSL technology is the industry standard for secure online transactions.

Information Collected
For site management functions, information is collected for analysis and statistical purposes. This information is not reported or used in any manner that would reveal personally identifiable information.

We use log analysis tools to create summary statistics, which are used for purposes such as assessing what information is of interest, determining technical design specifications and identifying system performance or problem areas. Our website logs do not collect personally identifiable information, and we make no attempt to link them with the individuals who browse the website. When you visit the Minnesota Zoo website and browse or download information, we automatically collect and store the following information about your visit:

  1. The Internet Protocol Address and domain name used but not the email address. The Internet Protocol address is a numerical identifier assigned either to your Internet service provider or directly to your computer. We use the Internet Protocol Address to direct Internet traffic to you;
  2. The type of browser and operating system you used;
  3. The date and time you visited this site;
  4. The web pages or services you accessed at this site; and
  5. The website you visited prior to coming to this web site.

If during your visit to this website you participate in a survey, complete a web form, or send an e-mail, the following additional information will be collected:

  1. The e-mail address and contents of the e-mail; and
  2. Information volunteered to complete a web form or in response to a survey.

The information collected is not limited to text characters and may include audio, video and graphic information formats you send us. This information is retained in accordance with Minnesota Statutes Chapter 138.17, subd. 1, and Minnesota Statutes Chapter 15.17, destruction, preservation, reproduction of records, prima facie evidence.

If you send us an e-mail with a question or comment that contains personally identifiable information, or fill out a form that e-mails us this information, we will only use the personally identifiable information to respond to your request and analyze trends. This may be to respond to you, to address issues you identify, or to further improve our web site.

Personal Information and Choice
“Personal information” is information about a natural person that is readily identifiable to that specific individual. Personal information includes such things as an individual’s name, address and telephone number. A domain name or Internet Protocol address is not considered personal information.

We collect no personal information about you unless you voluntarily participate in an activity that asks for information (e.g., sending an e-mail, completing a web form, or participating in a survey). If you choose not to participate in these activities, your choice will in no way affect your ability to use any other feature of this web site.

If personal information is requested on the website or volunteered by the user, State law and the Federal Privacy Act of 1974 may protect it. However, this information is a public record once you provide it, and may be subject to public inspection and copying if not protected by Federal or State law.

Users are cautioned that the collection of personal information requested from or volunteered by children online or by e-mail will be treated the same as information given by an adult, and may be subject to public access.

Donor Data Privacy:
The Minnesota Zoo follows the Minnesota Data Practices Act, Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13.  Section 13.792  of the Data Practices Act states that some Minnesota Zoo donor data are private or non-public, including, but not limited to, data detailing dates of gifts, payment schedule of gifts, form of gifts, and specific gift amounts made by donors.  In accordance with this law, the Minnesota Zoo does not share or sell private or non-public donor data with other entities.

Names of donors and gift ranges are public data, and therefore would be subject to requests under the Data Practices Act.

Public Disclosure
In the State Of Minnesota, laws exist to ensure that government is open and that the public has a right to access appropriate records and information possessed by State government. At the same time, there are exceptions to the public’s right to access public records that serve various needs, including the privacy of individuals. Exceptions are provided by both State and Federal laws.

All information collected at this website becomes public records that may be subject to inspection and copying by the public, unless exempted by State or Federal law or rule. Minnesota Rules, Department of Administration Chapter 1205 defines Minnesota’s Data Practices Act. In the event of a conflict between this Data Practices Act and the Public Records Act or other law governing the disclosure of records, the Public Records Act or other applicable law will control the information.

Cookies
The Minnesota Zoo website does use “cookies” (data stored on the computer you use, which can later be retrieved by our Web server). When you access the Minnesota Zoo website, two types of cookies are used by us and our technical partners. Session cookies track activity on the site and make sure you are getting the right content. Session cookies disappear when you close your browser. Other cookies store the preferences that you set. These cookies remain on the site, but they do not store any personal data about you.

Warranties for Contractors
Notice of Disclaimer: The Minnesota Zoo makes the information on this site available on an “as is” basis. ALL WARRANTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS OF ANY KIND WITH REGARD TO THE INFORMATION ARE EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Under no circumstances will the Minnesota Zoo or any of its officers or employees be liable for any consequential, incidental, special or exemplary damages, even if the likelihood of such damages occurring is known. The Minnesota Zoo does not warrant the information against errors, omissions or deficiencies of any kind. The use of any of this information for work which is under contract with the Minnesota Zoo does not relieve the contractor from any obligations assumed by the contract, or from complete and proper fulfillment of the terms of the contract, nor does it entitle the contractor to compensation for damages or loss which could be attributed to such use.

Duty to Continue Provision of Data
Due to the dynamic nature of the Internet, resources and the locations of data may change as menus, homepages, and files are reorganized, added, or deleted. The user expressly agrees that use of the Minnesota Zoo website is at the user’s sole risk. The State does not warrant that these services will be uninterrupted or error free. The documents and related graphics published on these servers could contain technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically added to the information herein. The State and its respective agencies and programs may make improvements and changes in the information and programs described herein at any time.

Endorsements
The State of Minnesota is a distributor of content sometimes supplied by third parties and users. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including information providers, users, or others, are those of the respective author(s) or distributor(s) and do not necessarily state or reflect those of the Minnesota Zoo and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the State.

Linking Policy

Linking to the Minnesota Zoo Website
Any website can link to the Minnesota Zoo website. You are welcome and encouraged to link from your website to the Minnesota Zoo website. While you are not required to notify the Minnesota Zoo that you are providing a link to the Minnesota Zoo website, please consider emailing us ([email protected]) when you create the link. We are very interested in the types of sites that link to the Minnesota Zoo website.
If you link to this site, you may not:

  • portray any person or subject in a false or misleading light
  • not create frames or capture Minnesota Zoo pages within your frames
  • use other visual altering tools around the Minnesota Zoo identity
  • copy PDF files from the Minnesota Zoo website for posting on another site without permission
  • pull graphics from the Minnesota Zoo site without permission
  • pull text from the Minnesota Zoo site without attribution
  • imply that the state of Minnesota or the Minnesota Zoo  is endorsing your product or service.

Disclaimer for External Links
The State of Minnesota is not responsible for the contents of any off-site pages referenced. The State cannot control and is not liable for the defamatory, offensive, or illegal conduct of other users, links, or third parties. The risk of injury from the foregoing rests entirely with you, the user. Links from the State of Minnesota’s website on the World Wide Web to other sites do not constitute an endorsement from the State. These links are provided as an information service only. It is the responsibility of the user to evaluate the content and usefulness of information obtained from other sites. The Minnesota Zoo website contains links to other related World Wide Web Internet sites and resources. Since the Minnesota Zoo is not responsible for the availability of these outside resources or their contents, you should direct any concerns regarding any external link to its site administrator or Webmaster.

Accessibility
The Minnesota Zoo is committed to making its website accessible to everyone. As part of that commitment, the Zoo will make every effort to adhere to the State of Minnesota Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility guidelines when adding new material to the web site and retroactively modify pages where possible and practical.
If you have a problem accessing content on the Zoo’s website, please notify the Zoo’s Webmaster by e-mail at [email protected] or call the Zoo at (952) 431-9200 or (800) 366-7811. The Minnesota Zoo will work to make the Web page or feature accessible or to provide the information in a format that is accessible.

Copyright Notice
All material on this website is protected by copyright
The Minnesota Zoo claims copyright on all intellectual property created by the department and reserves the right to reproduce, distribute, or display the material, in addition to authorizing others to do so.
Individuals are granted permission to view or print information from this site for personal use and under fair use rights. For commercial uses, including print publications, publication on other websites or in other formats or media, permission is required. Some of the material on this website is copyrighted by others. The Minnesota Zoo cannot grant permission to use or reproduce material copyrights by others. Contact the Zoo at [email protected] for permission to use or reproduce material on this site.
If you do use this website as a source in your work, please use this citation:

© Minnesota Zoo. 2020. The Minnesota Zoo Web Site (online)

Minnesota Zoo Logo
The Minnesota Zoo logo is our official trademark. Its use is reserved for official publications and products of the Minnesota Zoo. Use of this logo without prior permission is prohibited. For use permission, contact the Minnesota Zoo.