National Zookeeper Week at WOW

Published July 18, 2025

Every third week in July, National Zookeeper Week (July 20-26, 2025) shines a spotlight on the dedicated professionals who care for animals and uphold wildlife protection standards. At Wonders of Wildlife, we’re proud to celebrate our animal care team — true wildlife heroes whose work goes far beyond our exhibits. 

This year, we’re especially excited to share a milestone that perfectly captures their impact: the successful rehabilitation and release of 19 sea turtles back into the wild.  

On March 26, 2025, 19 sea turtles — 12 loggerheads and 7 critically endangered Kemp’s ridleys — were released at Little Talbot Island State Park in Florida. Their journey began on December 21, 2024, when they arrived at WOW after being cold-stunned in New England waters. Cold-stunning, caused by sudden drops in ocean temperature, leaves turtles lethargic and stranded. This past winter saw over 400 such cases — one of the highest in recent years.  

WOW’s veterinary technicians, animal care staff, and life support specialists worked around the clock for 13 weeks, providing fluid therapy, antibiotics, and intensive monitoring. Thanks to their efforts, these turtles are now thriving in the wild.  

This rescue effort was made possible through collaboration with NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Turtles Fly Too, and the New England Aquarium. The turtles were flown to WOW via Turtles Fly Too, a nonprofit specializing in emergency wildlife transport. Since 2020, WOW has rehabilitated and released over 64 sea turtles, marking 2025 as our fifth consecutive year of sea turtle rescue.  

Additionally, Wonders of Wildlife was honored with USA Today’s America’s Best Aquarium award for a record seventh time and was also named Best Aquarium of 2025 by Newsweek readers. Both prestigious honors stand as a testament to WOW’s dedicated team of caretakers, who consistently uphold the highest standards in animal care and conservation. WOW’s Dive Team also earned recognition as SeaTREK Operator of the Year 2024, celebrating their commitment to delivering immersive guest experiences and demonstrating outstanding leadership in conservation. 

National Zookeeper Week is a time to recognize the passion, expertise, and tireless dedication of zookeepers everywhere. At WOW, our team embodies the spirit of wildlife advocacy, education, and care every single day.  

To all the animal care professionals out there: thank you for being the heartbeat of wildlife conservation!