The American Association of Zoo Keepers
St. Louis Chapter
St. Louis Chapter of the American Association of ZooKeepers Animal Art
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St. Louis AAZK zookeepers work to enrich the lives of the animals in their care every day. They add interesting and complex activities to the animals’ daily routine. Enrichment activities are fun for both animals and keepers. Keepers from the Saint Louis Zoo and Endangered Wolf Center offer animal-safe paints and canvas to some of our species, resulting in beautiful works of art. Every original painting is very different from the next.
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Proceeds from the sale of animal artwork benefit the St. Louis Chapter of American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) for projects and programs to save endangered and threatened species from extinction. Items are listed here on our website, in the shop section.
Species that paint:
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Giraffes
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Penguins
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Snakes
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Turtles
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Tortoises
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Hellbenders
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Lizards
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Sea lions
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Gorillas
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Chimpanzee
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Orangutan
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Monkeys
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Invertebrates
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Rhino
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Hippo
Occasionally, we have miscellaneous other species’ art or receive paintings from our friends at the Endangered Wolf Center! When these are available, you’ll see our limited edition section of the store is open, and the species will be listed below!
**Please note that not all sizes will be available for each species. For example, the hippo and rhino only paint with 5x7 and 8x10 canvases. Our sea lions do not paint 16x20 paintings.
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We also offer art prints of previous paintings for $15. These are done on high quality art paper, and are easily matted and framed:
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Grizzly paw
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Tiger paw
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Tiger nose
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Penguin print
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Rhino print
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Hippo print
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Snake print
We occasionally offer limited edition novelty items as well, such as:
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Golf balls, collected from the Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park (formerly a golf course)
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Holiday Ornaments
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Puzzles
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Tote bags
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Magnets
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Animal Art FAQ
Thank you so much for your interest in our animals’ art and in supporting AAZK! We hope that this information will be helpful to you in your search for the perfect art piece.​​​
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May I choose the colors of my painting?
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Since our paintings are done as an enrichment activity, and our storefront is run on a “by availability” basis, we cannot accommodate color requests.
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May I see what the painting looks like before I choose it?
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Due to the high volume of requests that we receive, our inventory is very fluid. It is not feasible for us to share images of the paintings.
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Is it possible to get a photo of the animal while it paints my painting?
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The keepers paint with the animals as a form of enrichment. Keepers are monitor the animal(s) closely during the process and cannot take photos.
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How much is shipping?
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Shipping is included in the cost of the painting!
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Can I arrange to pick my painting up?
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Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate order pickups due to staffing logistics and constraints. The paintings are only available via mail, but the cost of shipping is included in the price of the painting.
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Can I pay extra to get faster shipping?
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As a non-profit, volunteer organization, we are unable to accommodate these requests. We store these paintings off-site, and have a single set shipping date each week.
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Do you ship internationally?
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Unfortunately, not at this time. We are able to accommodate APO boxes.
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Do you have other items besides paintings?
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We do! We offer prints of certain species’ paintings for $15 each. They are on high-quality paper and easily matted or framed. We occasionally have novelty items as well – please check our storefront!
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Can you please call me?
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There is no dedicated phone line for AAZK or the volunteer-run animal art program, and do not use the phone to discuss orders. Due to the nature of our jobs, we are often not near a phone or computer. Our policy is to communicate strictly by email, in order to keep written record of orders
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Why do you list some species specifically, but use general terms with others?
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For several animal areas, we have opted to provide the general term: snake, primate, insect, etc. so that we can give you a painting that best fits your needs ASAP. We still indicate the species that created your specific painting on the canvas. We try to list species’ examples in the storefront header though whenever we can!
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I don’t see the animal I was looking for. Any chance you’ll paint with others in the future?
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Occasionally, we have miscellaneous other species’ art or receive paintings from our friends at the Endangered Wolf Center! When these are available, you’ll see our limited edition section of the store is open, and the species will be listed below!
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For any other questions or concerns email stlanimalart@gmail.com.
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