Bear Mountain State Park Trailside Museums & Zoo updates & news

SusScrofa

SusScrofa

Well-Known Member
The Trailside Museums & Zoo is a free native animal zoo/museum hybrid located within Bear Mountain State Park. It's one of the more notable animal sanctuaries within New York state.
The zoo is currently undergoing renovations, with the construction of brand new enclosures for their Red Fox, Bobcat and porcupines. Due to the construction going on, these animals are currently off-display and the entire zoo is currently closed except during Saturday & Sunday (the rest of Bear Mountain is open all week), so plan ahead if you're thinking of visiting.

Any updates on the construction and the zoo in general can be posted on here.
 
It's not really free, it's "suggested donation". Places like this rely a lot on the public donating money to make those improvements. It's free because of the AT going through it. I leave $10, seems like the right price for the place.
 
Forgot to mention earlier, but in mid-August the zoo reopened for the entire week. There is still minor construction going on that may close off the facility for a random day and I believe habitats are not ready yet (as of August at least).
 
On May 17th, 2023, the zoo announced they opened new exhibits for their bobcat and North American porcupine on May 15th. The zoo also announced that they built a new exhibit for red foxes, with one arriving in the future.

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On September 27th, the zoo announced that they acquired a (1.0) Virginia opossum named Alfredo from an unspecified wildlife rehabber and is now an ambassador animal.

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A very happy update from my visit this week:

19-year-old black bear Pal has responded well to treatment for Andean bear alopecia, a condition he was diagnosed with a few years ago that caused his fur to fall out and painful sores and lesions to cover his skin. Luckily, all of his fur has grown back and you would never know what he dealt with. Pal remains on his medicine as he continues to bounce back from his ailment, and there is hope his response to treatment can help understand the disease and assist other bears suffering with this condition.

Here is Pal basking in the sun!
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On March 1st, 2025, the zoo announced their (1.0) coyote named Loki passed away at age 13 on January 28th. The zoo also announced they would renovate the exhibit before acquiring anymore coyotes.

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On April 2nd, the zoo announced their (0.1) American black bear named Sadie passed away on March 20th after a short battle with an illness.

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On April 12th, the zoo announced they acquired (1.1) red foxes named Finn and Aurora after they were both deemed unreleaseable (for different reasons), which are on exhibit.

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On May 23rd, the zoo announced they acquired a (1.0) North American porcupine named Tater from Animal Nation in New York after it was deemed unreleaseable, which is on exhibit.

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Sad news from my visit to Trailside Zoo today: Pal, the zoo's black bear, died this morning (October 9 2025) at 20 years old. He was in poor health the last few weeks and was transported to Cornell for treatment. This is the first time in 50 years that the black bear exhibit has been vacant, according to rangers, and the exhibit will be overhauled before the zoo accepts any new bears.

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