Donate Goods for Animals

Produce and Bakery Goods

Produce and bakery goods are used to feed our animals as well as for certain enrichment activities. We will take produce items that are relatively fresh, except for onions (green onions and leeks are okay), limes, lemons, potatoes, and herbs. All produce must be pesticide free. We'll also take bread and bakery items, dried fruit, nuts and cereals. Please, no rotten, moldy, or slimy foods. Please do NOT drop off produce without speaking to our commissary department - we cannot use donated produce that is left at our entrance booths or elsewhere on Zoo grounds.

For more information on produce and bakery donations please contact the Commissary Department at (510) 632-9525 ext 253 or email commissary@oaklandzoo.org.

Donating Halloween Pumpkins

We would love to accept your pumpkin donations after Halloween, beginning 11/1! We do not pick up pumpkins -- please deliver them directly to the zoo. We will accept the pumpkins seven days a week from 10am-3pm. When you arrive, a security guard will direct you where to go. Here are guidelines for what we accept:

• Uncarved
• Unpainted/marked on
• No rotten spots or cracks (these pumpkins spoil really fast)
• Any size is ok, from mini to large
• Any species is ok, including gourds

If you have a large quantity of pumpkins either in a trailer/truck or in large boxes, please call 510-632-9525 X253 in advance to see if the donation can be accepted.

We do have a limit of how many pumpkins we accept, so we will only be accepting pumpkins for a limited time starting November 1^st. Once we hit our capacity we will no longer accept pumpkins. Unless you have a very specific question that is not answered on our website, there is no need to call ahead. Public safety will be at the main gate when you first drive in to direct you where to go.

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Tree Branches (Browse)

Tree branches (browse) are also used as food and/or toys (enrichment) by many of our animals. At this time we are not picking up from residential households, but we are accepting deliveries of edible branches. We do not accept individual Christmas Trees, as we work with Christmas Tree lots directly to receive their leftovers.

Please consider these tree companies for your tree removal needs, as they have been working with the zoo for over ten years delivering tree branches for the animals directly to the zoo! Since it is time consuming for our keepers to pick the branches up, we much prefer to work with companies who are willing and able to deliver.

• Garcia Professional Tree Service: (510) 915-0201
• ‍Buena Vista Tree Service: (925) 449-1203
• Luis’s Tree Service: (510) 575-5667
• Duda Tree Service: (510) 531-5261
• Miguel Terra Petra Gardens: (510) 205-9647
• Green Terra Tree Service: (510) 436-5403
• Torogoz Landscaping LLC: (510) 575-8694‍

Click here for a complete list of Frequently Asked Questions about browse donations.