Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes at the zoo? Here’s your chance to find out! Visit with our amazing keeper staff for a once in a lifetime experience. You’ll get the opportunity to spend half a day with our animal technicians as they care for, train and enrich their animals. You’ll also have the chance to ask lots of questions and learn what you can do to help animals in the wild. Spaces are limited so reserve your place now. You may choose to visit one of ten different animal areas.

• Dates: Saturdays from February - April, and Sundays from May - October.
• Time:  9 am to noon.
• Ages: 14 years and up.
• Cost per day: $100 (ZooFriends), $120 (non-members). (Gift certificates available.)
• Fee includes zoo admission for participant.
• Pre-registration is required.
• Couples are welcome; otherwise there is only 1 participant per area each day.

To book a Behind the Scenes Experience, call (405) 425-0218.

Birds

Learn about our winged wonders and how our keepers interact with them on a daily basis. Enjoy visiting the lorikeets, feeding a baby bird, bathing a macaw, or simply shadowing one of our dedicated keepers to see how it's all done.  

Children’s Zoo

Connect with your inner child in the "CZ." You will learn about lorikeets, meet a goat up close and personal, or help walk and groom a donkey! This area also includes a visit to the education animal room to meet the animal ambassadors that go on the road to help educate Oklahoma school children. 

Oklahoma Trails

Our great state is home to a variety of great animals and you will have the opportunity to meet many of them when you spend the day in "Oklahoma Trails." Watch a training session and help the keepers prepare enrichment activities, too.

Great Escape

The Zoo is home to three of the four great ape species: gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans. Go behind-the-scenes to work with our gr"ape" keeper staff and help prepare meals or enrichment activities, and observe a training session.  

Marine Mammals

Sea" the stars of the Aquatic Center's sea lion show and their marine mammal friends. Experience what it takes to be a marine mammal trainer, and learn the duties of taking care of the Zoo's seals and sea lions. Watch training sessions, create enrichment, make diets for our animals, and of course, have fun! (March and April program times are 9-11:30 a.m.). 

Aquariums

From anemones to sharks, experience the inner workings of what it takes to maintain our unique aquatic habitats! Immerse yourself in the fine art of aquarium keeping and learn about both freshwater and saltwater systems. Work along side aquarium staff to prepare diets and feed a variety of "bubbly" critters!

Hoofstock

Meet our collection of exotic hoofstock species. In addition, you may meet our wild dog and/or cheetahs. You may also help with training or enrichment sessions. Plus, there's a good chance you'll meet a giraffe!

Pachyderms

Travel with our keepers from the rhino area to the Zoo's state-of-the-art elephant habitat to meet our herd of Asian elephants including Rex, our new bull, sisters Asha and Chandra, and Asha's calf Malee. You might also have a chance for an encounter with a rhino!

Carnivores

Lions, tigers and bears! Oh my! Encounter animals from Africa, Asia or even your home state of Oklahoma. Enjoy lots of opportunity for learning about big cats and bears.

Reptiles and Amphibians

The Zoo is home to a large collection of native and exotic reptiles and amphibians from giant snakes to tiny frogs. Shadow one of our keepers and study the specialized care that these amazing animals require. See first hand, some of the unique feeding strategies of these creatures and even get up close and personal with a Galapagos tortoise!