New Faces, New Spaces: Explore What’s New At John Ball Zoo in 2024

The unseasonably warm weather this year may have you itching to grab the family and head out to the John Ball Zoo, and starting this weekend  you can since they're opening again for the 2024 season.

Good news, the John Ball Zoo is opening for their 133rd season on Saturday, and they say that they have some new faces and updated spaces you'll want to check out when you come and visit.

One of the first newcomers to the Zoo is a new member of the Chimpanzee troo.. Say hello to Zuhura (Zoo-hoo-ra), whose name means “morning star.”

She's a 10-year-old chimpanzee who came originally from the Detroit Zoo. She's here to help socialize herself, and to add some fun to the JBZ Chimpanzee family.

The John Ball Zoo is also welcoming four male Chacoan peccaries. If you've never heard of them, they're a pig-like endangered species native to Paraguay. (So, our West Michigan weather is going to be a change of pace for them, but the staff at the John Ball Zoo has made sure they're comfy and happy in their new home.)

While you're visiting, say hello to the three new San Clemente Island goats at the new and improved Red’s Hobby Farm. The Zoo completed renovations to the hobby farm during the off-season, adding new climbing structures for animal enrichment and extended fencing.

Not all of the new faces you'll see this year are first time friends of the John Ball Zoo. Returning this year is Titan,an Amur tiger, who is being welcomed back from the Toledo Zoo to be a part of a breeding pair. (Welcome back, Titan!)

This year there are so many amazing events planned for the zoo that you'll want to put on your calendar, including the return of the Grand Rapids Lantern Festival. As well as Wildlife Exploration Days, RendeZoo, Dino Adventures and more. (Check their website for tickets)

Make sure you stop by this weekend for their opening day, which is Saturday March 23rd from 10am - 4pm, and you can check their website for their hours on other days. And as always- it's smart to grab your tickets beforehand (especially for their awesome event days) to ensure an easy and timely entrance.

Spring is here, and so is the 2024 season at the John Ball Zoo, and I can't wait to meet all of these new fuzzy friends who are now calling West Michigan their home!