Sunset Zoo Director retires

The Directoor of the Sunset Zoo, Scott Shoemaker, has retired.

The City of Manhattan released a list of  numerous projects accomplished under Shoemaker’s leadership. The zoo completed numerous major projects and celebrated many important milestones, including:

1. The opening of the African Forest Trail, Chimpanzees of Tanganyika, and otter habitats in 1997
2. The renovation of habitats and the return of cheetahs to Sunset Zoo, along with the birth of a sloth bear in 2004
3. The expansion of the zoo’s concession stand in 2005
4. The inaugural Wine in the Wild event in 2007
5. The first Brew at the Zoo event and the surprise birth of Susie the chimpanzee’s baby in 2010
6. The opening of the Nature Exploration Center and the arrival of gibbons in 2012
7. The birth of a baby gibbon in 2017
8. The opening of Expedition Asia in 2022
9. The opening of flamingo and maned wolf habitats in 2023
10. The birth of two critically endangered Malayan tiger cubs and the arrival of critically endangered okapi at Sunset Zoo in 2024

Sunset Zoo hosted conservationists and wildlife advocates Jane Goodall, Joel Sartore, and Jack Hanna during Shoemaker’s tenure. 

Shoemaker retired after 29 years in the job.