Minnesota Zoo ZOOMS STEM Design Challenge - 2026

Avail Academy
Ben Franklin Elementary
Bamber Valley Elementary
Burnside Elementary
Carondelet Catholic School
Cedar Ridge Elementary
Central Park Elementary
Concord Elementary
Cornelia Elementary
Countryside Elementary
DaVinci Academy
Echo Park School of Leadership, Engineering and Technology
Friends School of Minnesota
Garlough Environmental Magnet School
Gibbs Elementary
Highlands Elementary
Highwood Hills
Hillside Elementary
Holy Spirit Catholic School
Independence Elementary STEM
Lincoln Elementary
Longfellow Elementary
Montessori at Franklin Elementary
Pilot Kob STEM Magnet School
Pine Hill Elementary
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Smith Jewish Academy
Southland School District
St. Jude of the Lake
St. Therese Catholic School
Valley Crossing Elementary
Washington Elementary
St. John the Baptist
Centerview Elementary
Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion
Eden Lake Elementary
Prairie View Elementary
Forest Hills Elementary
Minnehaha Academy

Exhibit Design Challenge

As Zoo leaders envision the future of the Minnesota Zoo, a wide range of exciting ideas are being imagined—new animal experiences, immersive habitats, and innovative ways to connect guests with wildlife. As they explore these possibilities, they’re seeking inspiration to bring some of these concepts to life. One such idea is a reimagined indoor/outdoor sea lion habitat in Discovery Bay, expanding into the current plaza area. With the recent arrival of five energetic male sea lions—Clyde, Theo, JoJo, Hudson, and Flynn—this is a timely opportunity to explore how a new habitat could meet their needs, provide engaging experiences for guests year-round, and support Zookeepers in delivering exceptional care for this intelligent and playful species.

In the spring of 2024, the Zoo welcomed five male California Sea Lions to their new habitat in Discovery Bay. The youngest, Flynn and Hudson, are highly energetic one-year olds from Sea World San Antonio. The older sea lions, JoJo from Queens Zoo, Clyde from Bronx Zoo, and Theo (Clyde’s son) from Central Park Zoo, have all made themselves at home. Bringing together these new animals at the Zoo has been a huge undertaking for Zookeepers and animal care staff who have had to learn their personalities, unique needs, and work hard to form relationships with each sea lion for training and husbandry. These intelligent and athletic marine mammals have made great progress in their new home, even participating in the new Sea Lion Discovery presentation to show off their amazing natural behaviors! Because they are quick learners, and very fast swimmers, Zookeepers are looking to find ways to keep them busy and mentally engaged while helping them continue to adjust to their new home.

Father of JoJo and Theo.
•Largest sea lion at over 700 lbs. at the Zoo, roundest biggest eyes
•He has numbers ‘C 023’ branded on his back. Wildlife officials marked Clyde when he was found in the wild feeding on endangered salmon at the Bonneville Dam in Oregon. He was considered a ‘public nuisance’ after several instances. To save the endangered salmon, Clyde was removed by wildlife managers and moved to an accredited zoo in New York City.
•Described as laid back and easy going.
•Not very interactive with enrichment currently, and he is hesitant to perform behaviors with trainers as they work to build his trust.
•Zookeepers would like to encourage him to come up from swimming more to interact with enrichment and ice more (for water intake)
•Training Shape: Blue Square

Flynn

• Male, Approx. 100 lbs.
•Born June 30, 2023 –2 years old
•Arrived from Sea World San Antonio
•Considered smallest sea lion, but he is very close to Hudson’s size
•Has a yellow tag behind his front right flipper.
• Always working out his dominance with Hudson and Theo, so being together in same pool with them during discovery show is challenging lately, as they are often battling and barking.
•He has a short attention span. He is learning patience with feeding and not smothering zookeepers.
•Hesitant to new enrichments due to age and inexperience.
•Training Shape: Yellow Star

JoJo

Male, born on June 11, 2016
•Darker colored with light colored whiskers.
• Half Brothers with Theo –dad is Clyde
•2ndlargest sea lion behind Clyde. He is 2nd dominant
•Fastest Swimmer
•Arrived from Wildlife Conservation Society –Queens Zoo. JoJo has lived at both Central Park Zoo and the Queens Zoo in New York City
•He is very people focused as he was used to constant trainers and people in and out of his habitat space at his previous home, we only interact at trainings and occasional cleanings/shifting for demos.
•Was in a habitat without acrylic and protected contact before here, which is why he will always swim to a zookeeper on deck over a zookeeper at the window.
• Very eager for everything –learning, eating
•He is always right there waiting for zookeepers, checking in at office window, and hyper aware of his surroundings –a little anxious. Always on high alert about what is going on.
•Training Shape: Tan Sideways Diamond

Theo

Male
•Born at the Bronx Zoo on June 28, 2019 –6 years old
•Clyde’s Son, half-brother of JoJo
•3rd largest Sea Lion
•His coat is more yellowish compared to the other sea lions.
•Arrived from the Central Park Zoo in November 2024.
• Originally housed with a female sea lion named Sally at his previous home. Sally was a bit of a bully towards Theo after feedings. Because of this history, it has affected his behavior with other sea lions.
•He is always on high alert for sea lions, doesn’t like it when they are behind him. Zookeepers would like to get him more comfortable around sea lions and feel less vulnerable.
•He doesn’t know as many behaviors as the other sea lions
•Always sorting out dominance alongside Flynn and Hudson –therefore they must be fed separate, 3 different staff, which is not ideal for the marine mammal staffing.
•He tends to be more in the background, more aloof, and never waiting for anything to happen.
•He tends to get agitated towards the end of trainings
•Training Shape: Orange Triangle

Favorite Enrichments:
•Anything with food is always popular. They love feeder balls.
•Fishcicles – must be fed 1 on 1 from Zookeeper due to competition between sea lions.
•Flynn, Hudson, and Theo: Love hoses and freshwater.
•Flynn and Hudson -only animals who have ever used and rolled around in the freshwater troughs on the back pool deck!
•Free moving floating dock in front pool and back pool for hauling out.
•Interacting with guests and objects at the window (JoJo especially!)

California Sea Lions in the Wild and Conservation

California sea lions are a highly social and recognizable marine mammal found along the west coast of North America. These "eared seals" are well adapted to be move around both on land, using their rotatable flippers to walk, as well as in the water, where they are fast swimming predators hunting for fish and squid. They gather in large, noisy colonies on beaches, rocky terrain, and buoys, with adult males defending breeding territories through constant, loud barking. Thanks to the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, their population is healthy and currently classified as least concern.

Despite their status, California sea lions still face increasing threats. Their main challenges include entanglement in marine debris and fishing gear, and sickness caused by harmful poisonous algal blooms. They are also vulnerable to human conflict and the impacts of a changing ocean environment. Innovative conservation efforts, including rescue and rehabilitation programs, are crucial for mitigating these modern threats and ensuring California sea lion populations continue to remain stable.

Make your own sea lion craft! or try out these activity sheets to learn about the different sea lion flippers and how seals and sea lions are different with this craft from National Marine Mammal Center!
Make an origami sea lion with this video tutorial.
Become a Mini Ocean Ambassador and follow along with the National Marine Mammal Center Podcast to learn all about ocean mammal through story time, a podcast, activities, and more.
Check out this live webcam featuring wild California Sea lions hauling out at the famous Pier 39 in San Francisco!

• Providing live and artificial plants for shade and barriers
• Using trees, ropes, or rock work to increase and enhance living space
• Using puzzle feeders that offer a challenging method of obtaining food
• Housing a variety of compatible animals from the same habitat together
• Applying scents (spices, food, animal-lure, dung) around an exhibit
• Simulating or using real prey items in predator exhibits to encourage stalk-and-chase behaviors
• Playing predator or prey sounds to encourage instinctive responses

Join the ZOOMS STEM Design Challenge, presented by Flint Hills Resources, next school year!

If you are a grade 3-12 teacher looking for ways to engage your students in authentic integrated STEM, join the ZOOMS STEM Design Challenge presented by Flint Hills Resources next school year! Participation is completely free! Teachers will receive access to a free training, design challenge supporting curriculum resources for both in person an digital learning formats, and ongoing implementation support throughout the school year from Zoo education staff. Registration will open for the 2026-2027 school year this spring.