Beaker the tawny frogmouth held a cicada, given to him by Brookfield Zoo Chicago staff, in his beak but did not eat it. Some of the zoo’s lizards and its screaming hairy armadillos also opted not to eat the emerging insects. | Jim Schulz/Brookfield Zoo Chicago 
One of the zoo’s squirrel monkeys enjoyed the high-protein and low-fat cicadas as a snack. Other animal species like the African painted dogs, sloth bears and brown bears have been enjoying the cicadas that emerge in their outdoor habitats. | Jim Schulz/Brookfield Zoo Chicago 
Alongside its squirrel monkeys, Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s cotton-top tamarins received cicadas as snacks May 21. The zoo said its animals have responded differently to the cicadas: “Some eat the cicadas instantly, while others moved or carried the insects around before consuming them.” | Jim Schulz/Brookfield Zoo Chicago
Animals at Brookfield Zoo Chicago might not have known 17-year periodic cicadas were due to emerge from the ground this month, but they’re certainly benefitting from the situation.
The zoo announced Tuesday evening that many of the animal species it cares for have enjoyed the cicadas as delicious, healthy snacks this week.
“The cicadas coming to the surface in the outdoor habitats may become tasty snacks for some of the animals, including African painted dogs, sloth bears, and brown bears,” the zoo said in the news release. “Animal care staff are also sharing the protein-rich and low-in-fat insects with many of the indoor animals.”
The zoo named its “roadrunner, meerkats, mongoose, and Gray’s monitor lizard” as cicada-enjoyers, though the insects weren’t quite to the tastes of “several species of lizards, the screaming hairy armadillos, and Beaker, a tawny frogmouth, who just held one with his beak but did not eat it.”
