Tagged: Zoo Boise

Inside Zoo Boise, there’s an exhibit called the Zoo Farm.  You put a quarter in what looks like a gumball machine. Out comes  food pellets so you can feed the goats and sheep. 

All those quarters go to conservation to protect animals in the wild.  Since 2007, Zoo Boise has made wildlife conservation part of its mission, raising $1 million dollars for conservation projects. The Zoo celebrates this milestone Saturday at Boise State University. 

The man accused of killing a monkey during a break in at Boise’s zoo appeared in court Thursday. Michael Watkins of Wieser asked the judge for two more weeks to consider his options before entering a plea.

His public defender says Watkins entered the zoo early one morning in November and let the monkey out of its enclosure, but the monkey then attacked him.  The animal later died from injuries caused by blunt trauma.

Zoo Boise has raised nearly $220,000 to build a new exhibit for its patas monkeys in just five weeks after the City of Boise contributed $100,000 from its Parks and Recreation Department budget.

The Friends of Zoo Boise raised the remaining $119,000 from private donors.

Construction is expected to start this spring on a new 1,000-square-foot patas monkey exhibit to replace the previous primate exhibit, which was built in 1967. Officials hope to have the new building finished by fall.

Zoo Boise announced it will soon receive two female patas monkeys. After the death of one primate, the zoo wanted to find companions for the lone remaining male. The new animals will come from a zoo in Syracuse, NY.  

Zoo Director Steve Burns says the arrival of the new monkeys is greatly anticipated.  

“This is a good day at Zoo Boise," Burns says. "We’ve had some rough days here lately, but this is a good day."

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Zoo Boise has taken some additional security measures after a break-in that led to the beating death of a monkey.

The city's Parks and Recreation Department confirmed to KTVB-TV that Zoo Boise added razor wire to some parts of the fence around the attraction.

Updated at 1:25 p.m.

Police have arrested one of two men who they believe broke into an Idaho zoo the night a monkey there died from blunt-force trauma.  But questions remain about how and why the animal was killed.

Twenty-two-year-old Michael Watkins of Weiser was arrested Monday in Washington County on felony burglary and grand theft charges.

A tip from a citizen led police to Watkins.

Updated at 5:12 p.m.