At the Columbus Zoo, The Wilds, Zoombezi Bay, and Safari Golf Club, we're wild about Pride.
In fact, we make it our work, year-round, to make sure all who trod our paths feel welcomed, included, and important.
So let's journey through all-things Pride, including our community participation, fun animal facts, and more.
Our Diversity and Inclusivity Statement
At the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, The Wilds, Zoombezi Bay, and Safari Golf Club, we understand the importance of diversity... human, animal, or otherwise. And it's an understanding that compels us to create a diverse, welcoming, and inclusive environment for our guests and team members.
We encourage our team to be creative, bold, and innovative in their thinking, to serve as a source of community pride, and to celebrate our institution's position as one of the leading zoos in the country.
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, our family of properties does not discriminate in hiring because of an individual's race, creed, color, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability or national origin.
Empowering People. Saving Wildlife.
Community Involvement
Zoo character ambassadors and team members recently celebrated Pride Month locally by participating in the Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival and March!
Learn more about Stonewall Columbus
The Love Story of Lenny and Squiggy, Iconic Lorikeets at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Same-sex pairings in the animal kingdom are not unusual! Several other zoos have noted same-sex pairings, and, additionally, male/male bird pairings are quite common for birds both in human care and in the wild.
Named after characters from the popular TV show Laverne and Shirley, this iconic duo of the Lorikeet Garden in the Zoo's Australia and The Islands region has been inseparable since 2019!
Throughout the year, the pair often chooses to participate in enrichment together, engaging with items that can be made into a house, such as cardboard boxes, branches of eucalyptus, dimple paper tubes, and any container of a substrate (i.e. shavings, mulch, and shredded paper).
During nesting season, the pair claims a home for themselves and are often seen kicking the shavings around to make a “nest” inside their new residence. Zoo Animal Care staff noted that, similar to other lorikeet pairs, they can be quite territorial over their nest box!
The bond between Lenny and Squiggy is very strong, and it is rare to see one without the other close by. Just as other lorikeet pairs do, Lenny and Squiggy are often seen feeding and grooming each other and displaying courtship behaviors to one another.
Take it from Lenny and Squiggy: Be proud to be wildly YOU!
Bonus Fact!
Did You Know: A group of lions is called a PRIDE!
Learn more about the lions at the Columbus Zoo
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium The Wilds Zoombezi Bay Safari Golf Club
