Thursday, June 25, 2015

Check Out the New Zoofari Shuttle!

The Buffalo Zoo today unveiled a brand new custom-designed “Zoofari” shuttle during a media event.

The Zoofari shuttle will run between the Zoo and a parking lot at Medaille College on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The Zoo announced last week that it has partnered with Nichols School and Medaille College to make additional nearby parking available. Parking in these overflow lots and the shuttle service will be free for Zoo visitors.



During the announcement, Zoo President & CEO, Dr. Donna Fernandes emphasized the Zoo’s focus on customer service. She said, “We have long-recognized that we face a parking challenge as a result of […] growth. Because parking is a first step to customer satisfaction, we are happy to have established partnerships with Nichols School, Medaille College, and MASH Urgent Care to help us better serve our customers.”



The custom-designed Zoofari shuttle is wrapped in a full color graphic that features some of the Zoo’s most popular animal residents, including lions, zebras, giraffes, and gorillas. The shuttle’s graphic wrap was sponsored by MASH Urgent Care. 


Shuttle Schedule:

Medaille Lot
11:00 a.m.
11:30 a.m.
12:10 p.m.
12:40 p.m.
1:10 p.m.
1:40 p.m.
2:20 p.m.*
*Last shuttle to Zoo

Zoo Entrance
1:00 p.m.
1:30 p.m.
2:10 p.m.
2:40 p.m.
3:10 p.m.
3:40 p.m.
4:10 p.m.
4:45 p.m.**
**Last shuttle to Medaille


Thursday, June 18, 2015

New Zoo Shuttle Service and Extra Parking!

In an effort to provide guests with expanded parking options, the Buffalo Zoo will offer ancillary parking lots as well as a shuttle service for visitors.

The Zoo has partnered with Nichols School and Medaille College to make additional nearby parking available. Parking in these overflow lots and the shuttle service will be free for Zoo visitors.

The Nichols lot, located at 1250 Amherst St., will be available to Zoo patrons on weekends starting on June 27. The lot is located just a short walk from the Zoo’s main entrance.

The parking lot at Medaille College is located at 18 Agassiz Circle, just down the street from the Zoo’s main entrance on Parkside Ave.

The Zoo will unveil the new, custom designed “Zoofari” shuttle, sponsored by MASH Urgent Care, at a public event next week. The shuttle, which can hold 20 people as well as strollers, and other personal items, will run on Parkside Ave. between the Medaille lot and the Zoo. It will operate from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from June 26 until the end of September.

The Zoo will reveal the exciting new shuttle design in a special preview event next week!

“The increased number of Zoo visitors often means our small parking lot is full shortly after we open,” said the Zoo’s president & CEO, Donna Fernandes. “We’re hopeful that by forming these partnerships and making new parking options available to our patrons, we’ll be making it easier for people who want to visit us.”

The Zoo has experienced steady growth in attendance numbers in recent years, increasing the strain on the small lot, which has fewer than 330 parking spaces. The Zoo’s popularity is expected to grow even more as the new Arctic Edge polar bear exhibit is slated to open this September.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Celebrate Monica the Rhino's 1st Birthday!

We can't believe it's been a whole year since little Monica was born! To celebrate her 1st birthday, the Zoo will host a special party for her this Sunday, June 14th. A team of keepers have put together a schedule of fun birthday activities for visitors. All activities will take place between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. near the rhino yard, and are free with regular Zoo admission.


  • 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
    • Raffle of paintings by Monica
    • Meet "Hank the Tank," the Zoo's rhino mascot
    • Perry's Ice Cream, while supplies last
  • 1:00 p.m. - Birthday cake for Monica the rhino
  • 1:30 p.m. - Question and Answer session with a rhino keeper
  • 2:30 p.m. - Birthday rhino enrichment, Q&A Session with a rhino keeper
Monica is much bigger than she was when this was taken a year ago!
Photo by Kelly Ann Brown.

The Buffalo Zoo thanks Rhino Linings of Buffalo for presenting "All Things Rhino" at the Buffalo Zoo. Rhino Linings is the leader in sprayed-on truck bed liner protection, providing lasting solutions for a wide range of applications.