The Minnesota Zoo has lots of moose!  Seven moose call our Zoo home and are routinely rotated onto their large exhibit. Moose are solitary creatures, so oftentimes they need to be kept alone but sometimes they can be together in groups of two or three. Managing this many zoo moose can be a tricky and time-consuming job, but one that also provides a dynamic and interesting exhibit for our many “moose-loving” visitors.  Moose have always been a part of the Minnesota Zoo, and rightly so.  They are the largest member of the deer family and are a symbol of what is pristine and wild in our state.  And they have become an iconic species for the Minnesota Zoo.  We have a long history with moose, exhibiting them since we first opened in 1978.  A total of 38 moose have called our zoo home since that time, 14 of which were born and raised within our enclosures and the rest coming to us from the wild as orphan calves. We were a pioneer in moose management during the early days; working out husbandry and management techniques that would best improve their health and longevity in captivity.  Now, after 37 years of experience with this species, we can proudly say that average life spans of our captive moose now are comparable to those of their wild Minnesota counterparts.  Join us this fall, a wonderful time to watch them: the air will be crisp, the leaves will be changing colors, and the bulls will have shed their velvet!

Learn more about the moose.