BOISE, Idaho — This week for Love Your Neighborhood, I headed out to Zoo Boise, where the mission goes far beyond giving families a place to see animals.
At Zoo Boise, conservation is at the heart of everything they do—and it’s even getting international recognition.
WATCH: See how Zoo Boise has grown from a homemade affair into an internationally recognized standard bearer
Zoo Boise was named The Best Municipal Leadership for Sustainability 2025 by International Explorer, highlighting the impact they’re making not just locally, but around the world.
I spoke with Jeff Agosta, who shared some of the zoo’s history with me. One story that really stood out is one many people say marks the beginning of the zoo—a monkey that was found in the desert and brought back to Boise.
While it’s not the full official origin story, it’s a piece of history that has stuck with the community and helped shape Zoo Boise's identity today.
Instead of letting that story simply live on as legend, the zoo turned that connection into action. Zoo Boise created a conservation program where a portion of every ticket sold goes directly toward protecting wildlife across the globe.
That funding supports efforts like anti-poaching patrols, habitat protection, and wildlife education programs. So, every person who walks through the gates is helping protect animals far beyond Boise
Today, that impact reaches hundreds of species worldwide. So the next time you visit Zoo Boise, just know—there’s a bigger story behind it all. One that started with a single monkey and grew into a mission to protect wildlife everywhere.
To learn more, head to Zoo Boise
