Sad News From Popular Free Zoo Near Rochester, Minnesota
A sad announcement was recently shared by one of the only free zoos in Minnesota. Unfortunately, one of the 80+ animals at Zollman Zoo near Rochester has passed away.
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Sad Announcement From Popular Free Zoo Near Rochester, Minnesota
The Land of 10,000 Lakes is a pretty lucky place if you are an animal lover. Our state has several great zoos where you can spend a day and have an opportunity to see animals up close, including the Minnesota Zoo, Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, Lake Superior Zoo, and Hemker Park & Zoo.
Zollman Zoo, located at 5731 County Rd 105 NW in Byron, Minnesota, is another popular spot for animal lovers and is a free "donation only" zoo in the Southeast Minnesota area. Over 80 different animals call this special place home and bring smiles to visitors every day. Oxbow Park is in this same area and features great hiking spots, camping, picnic areas, and even an outdoor classroom.
Zollman Zoo in Southeast Minnesota Has Experienced Several Losses in 2026
Back in January, I wrote the story about the difficult loss at Zollman Zoo when their grey fox started to experience some serious health concerns.
Over the past few weeks, our “pink nose” grey fox started exhibiting signs of vision loss, hearing loss, and potential olfactory loss as well. Due to her poor quality of life, staff made a difficult decision to humanely euthanize her yesterday. She was born in 2012 and at 13 years old, she was beyond the normal lifespan of her species in the wild and captivity. We are beyond grateful to her for providing the public and staff with educational opportunities and inspiring people to care about these reclusive yet spunky mammals. We will miss her! Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo Facebook Page
Sadly, another bit of sad news was shared last week about another animal that has unfortunately passed away.
Due to a decline in health and quality of life, staff made a difficult decision to humanely euthanize our male white-tailed deer yesterday. At 7 years old, he had lived an average lifespan in captivity and the wild. Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo Facebook Page
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Gallery Credit: Jessica On The Radio
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