Zoo Year’s Eve – Cougar Countdown to 2026

Get an early start to 2026. Two Zoo Year’s Eve celebrations featuring cougars are planned for Wednesday, December 31. These are family-friendly events for those who may have trouble staying up until midnight. A giant 2026 lantern featuring cougars has been specifically created for the celebrations by the artisans behind Glow Wild, Hanart. Get ready for 2026!

DAYTIME CELEBRATION:   1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

1:15 p.m. – Cougar keeper chat at Wojciechowski Cougar Crossing in Alabama Wilds

2:00 p.m. –Cougar Countdown Drop in the Plaza. Photo opportunities.

2:30 p.m. – Cougar keeper chat at Wojciechowski Cougar Crossing in Alabama Wilds

1:00 to 3:00 p.m. – Educational activities in the Plaza related to cougars and a Big Cat Lantern Scavenger Hunt throughout the Birmingham Zoo.

A daytime celebration will be held at your Birmingham Zoo from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., with the giant sign with cougar lanterns being lowered at 2:00 p.m. in a countdown for the New Year. Special keeper chats featuring the cougars will be held at Wojciechowski Cougar Crossing at 1:15 and 2:30 p.m. Fun educational activities related to cougars and New Year’s Eve will be available from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the main plaza.

PURCHASE TICKETS FOR DAY CELEBRATION

NIGHTTIME CELEBRATION:  5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

5:00 to 7:00 p.m. – Educational activities in the Zoo’s Plaza

6:00 p.m. – Cougar Countdown Drop in the Zoo’s Plaza. Photo opportunities.

5:00 to 9:00 p.m. – Big Cat Lantern Scavenger Hunt throughout Glow Wild.

When the sun goes down, a second Zoo Year’s Eve celebration will take place from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Come help countdown the new year with a special NYE drop at 6:00 p.m. Participate in fun photo opportunities and enjoy the educational activities from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Stroll among the 300+ animal lanterns at Glow Wild. Since Alabama Wilds will be closed at night for the animals to sleep, a special scavenger hunt will feature big cat lanterns.

These Zoo Year’s Eve celebrations are included in the cost of regular Zoo admission or Glow Wild admission. The Red Diamond Express train and Virtual Reality experience should be available during both celebrations for an additional fee. Glow Wild is sponsored by Chase with additional support from Alabama Power and UAB Callahan Eye.

PURCHASE TICKETS FOR NIGHT CELEBRATION

ABOUT THE BIRMINGHAM ZOO COUGARS:

“As the Birmingham Zoo celebrates its 70^th anniversary in 2025, the new Cougar Crossing habitat was a significant new chapter in the Zoo’s overall history,’ said Chris Pfefferkorn, President and CEO of the Birmingham Zoo. “We would like to thank Larry and Phyllis Wojciechowski for their generosity to help make this facility a reality. This has truly become a community initiative with hundreds of people, companies, and other organizations joining together to help us be successful,” he said.

Wojciechowski now houses two cougars and two bobcats. All four cats were orphaned and have found a wonderful home in the new facility. Juniper came from Montana where she was found orphaned. Spruce was rescued in January in California and joined Juniper in April, coming from the Oakland Zoo. Both cougars are approximately one year old. Their habitat is next to Boomer and Baxter, two bobcats rescued in the San Diego area. All four cats were transported with the help of Fed Ex.