Tiger's Paw Gift Shop          

Summer Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Winter Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Zoo Animals' Christmas List
Have you ever pondered what a polar bear prefers under their Christmas Tree?  Do you wonder what to stick in a stalking tiger’s stocking?  What kind of wishes do fishes have?  The Zoo Wish Tree would be the place to find those answers! 

Each year when our animals write their letters to Santa, we put their wishes onto the ornaments on the tree in our gift shop.  Anyone can come in and take an ornament with a wish from their favorite animal, go shopping for the item and then bring it in to surprise that animal on Christmas morning!  Some wishes are simple, like fruit, juice, nuts, spices, canned sweet potatoes or essential oils.  Some are more interesting than that like Obsession cologne, or Rubbermaid trash cans.  No matter what the wish, you are almost certain to learn something interesting about the wants and needs of your favorite critter.  The Wish Tree will be up by the weekend of Thanksgiving, so be sure to stop out to the zoo before you head to the mall for your holiday shopping!  Just pick an ornament and make a wish come true! 

A trip to the zoo wouldn't be complete without a walk through the Tiger's Paw gift shop. As the natural light filters through the jungle foliage, lighting up the cathedral ceiling, echoes of animal sounds bounce from every wall. Cuddly images of all the animals you've seen peek at you from each shelf and cubbyhole. Kids enjoy the silly noises of the zoo sound sticks, chattering of candy sticks and screeching of velcro-handed hanging monkeys. Soft polar bears and glittery stuffed snakes catch the attention of all ages. For the eco-conscious consumer we have fair-trade, handmade items from exotic places like Africa and Nepal.

From African fair-trade to locally handmade, the Tiger's Paw Gift Shop in the Lake Superior Zoo seems to stock it all! The shelves are full of stuffed animals, racks are filled with books, and the walls are a collection of clothing, games, and unique items rarely found in Duluth stores.

Many of the items in the Tiger's Paw Gift Shop not only look great, but carry a great message or story. Here are just a few examples:

Accents for Today and the Leaky Collection
Two companies, Accents for Today and The Leakey Collection, offer fair-trade jewelry that is handmade from renewable resources. Beautifully carved stones from Zimbabwe's Shona people make graceful necklaces that bring prosperity to an impoverished land. The fallen African hardwood and Zulu grasses used to make beads are beautifully crafted into unique jewelry that helps to employ women across Africa.

Global Mamas
Every day in Ghana 270 tons of plastic waste is created. Most of this is from non-biodegradable bags containing purified water. Global Mamas is a fair-trade organization that assists women-owned businesses in helping to relieve some of that waste from the trash. The plastic bags are reused to create goods (purses, wallets, bags). Proceeds go to the producers and programs that help them with their business development.

The Snow Leopard Trust
The Snow Leopard Trust items are made by communities in Central Asia. By making and selling camel and sheep wool items (hats, coasters, napkins, toys) these communities have improved quality of life and increased income which leads to less snow leopard hunting and poaching.

ef*Ivory
ef*Ivory (elephant friendly ivory) carvings make wonderful gifts and protect not only elephants but rainforests as well. The nuts from tagua palm trees of South America are gently hand-harvested, then carved by people in the community and sold in place of ivory trinkets. The harvest brings value to the forests to help eliminate slash-and-burn tactics used by farmers.  The sales increase community income, and the exchange of renewable nuts for ivory tusks keep elephants safe from ivory hunters' slaughter.

Looking for something more local? Check out the beautiful ceramic candles made by artist Paula Maki. Paula has battled much adversity in her life and channeled her difficulties into her artistic abilities. Her soy candles, in hand-crafted holders, feature hand-carved animal images and can be reused time and time again.

Our animals create the most unique items in our store. If you've ever wondered how big a grizzly's paw is, come and check out our "Critter Creations," animal paw prints on canvas, or in the case of some of our more "slithery" residents- skin on canvas! Each comes with a photo of the animals whose personal print is on the canvas.

The gift shop is open year-round and zoo admission isn't required to shop. So see us for all your gift giving, whether you are looking for games, puzzles, or animal t-shirts.

Don't forget that members get 10% off regular priced items, and during the summer we have special deals just for members each month.