Big changes are coming to the Brookfield Zoo, including fully updated branding and a new name.
The park announced in a statement Friday that its name had changed to Brookfield Zoo Chicago, a “unified identity” shared between the zoo and its parent nonprofit, the Chicago Zoological Society, that includes a new motto and logo.
The park also announced its Next Century Plan, a set of commitments and goals that the zoo will unveil in full this summer, and a new $66 million habitat for gorillas opening next year.
While the zoo’s new name emphasizes its proximity to Chicago rather than its location in the suburbs, Brookfield President Michael Garvey said that he and the village will continue to support the zoo moving forward, including having a representative from the zoo present plans publicly at a village board meeting later this year.
“We knew they were going kind of through a master planning process, which included some rebranding, and I support whatever is best for them,” Garvey said in an interview Friday. “Brookfield’s the best zoo around, and we want it to keep going, so we’ll be happy to support them in any way we can.”
The changes come in the zoo’s 90th anniversary year, representing the “first significant transformation of its visual identity” since it opened in 1934 as a way to merge its “profound conservation science and education initiatives” with its “unparalleled” experience for zoo guests, officials said in the statement. The park’s new motto, “Connect. Care. Conserve,” aims to “ignite [guests’] emotional connections with wildlife” and encourage zoo visitors to act as “stewards of the environment,” furthering the park’s goals of protecting wildlife.
In place of the Brookfield Zoo’s old bison logo, Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s new logo features two lion emblems in the O’s of the word “zoo” as part of the park’s name. According to the zoo’s website, the lions were chosen as an homage to the stone statues of the big cats that can be found near entrances and throughout the park. The two emblems are mirror images that face each other, with one lion peering back at the zoo’s history while the other looks to its future.
In addition to the lion emblems in the logo, Brookfield Zoo Chicago also unveiled nine emblems of other animals at the zoo in the same art style. The animals — an addax, a giraffe, a bison, a dolphin, a penguin, a zebra, a bald eagle, a black rhinoceros and a gorilla — reflect the many kinds of creatures that call the zoo home. Each of the emblems represents a specific aspect of the park’s conservation efforts. A full explanation of each emblem is available on the zoo’s website.
While the zoo will not fully reveal the details of its Next Century Plan until the summer, it did say the “ambitious” and “groundbreaking” plan will include new animal habitats and facilities that emphasize both the educational and recreational sides of the park. The first expansion for the zoo under the new plan will be the opening of its Tropical Forests habitat, a $66 million, three-acre “dynamic” outdoor space that will include a conservation center for gorillas. According to the news release, the plan is “anchored” by a list of seven commitments from the zoo, which promises to:
- “Champion excellence and leadership in animal care and wellness
- Revolutionize and expand animal habitats and spaces
- Transform the guest experience and elevate a zoo for all
- Extend community and environmental education impact
- Expand contributions in conservation science and research
- Reinvigorate existing zoo facilities and assets
- Harness collective power of staff supporters”
Detailed explanations of each commitment can be found on the zoo’s website.
