About Us

One thing we really love about Como is that it’s got animals and plants—you can enjoy both on the same trip. But another thing that’s important to us is the work of Como Friends. It means that there’s this whole organization dedicated to helping the people at Como doing their jobs in the best way they can, taking great care of animals and plants, and making it more accessible to everyone. Como Friends does a great job of showing supporters where their dollars go, which is pretty unique for such a big place. I think it’s exciting to learn about programs like Nature Walk, or to learn from zookeepers who’ve just come back from an amazing conservation trip, and to know that your support helped to make that happen.

“As a community volunteer and a veterinarian, I really appreciate the way that Como Friends’ funding allows keepers to care for animals in a way that Como Zoo’s normal budget might not allow.When you consider the fact that Como is a free zoo, fully accredited with the AZA and with some of the most cutting-edge animal care programs around, it says a lot about our donors, our board and our community and how much we all value great animal care.”

 

“Fewer than one in six Como visitors live in St. Paul, but more than a third of Como’s funding comes from St. Paul taxpayers. It’s a gift from the people of St. Paul to the state of Minnesota and beyond.”