Ron Magill, the face and voice of Zoo Miami, announces his retirement
Ron Magill, a nature photographer who became a Miami-based icon in front of the camera as the face and voice for wildlife, announced Sunday he’s retiring from Zoo Miami after 46 years.
Magill said in a video posted to social media that his last day will be May 10.
“As the landscape of conservation and community engagement continues to evolve, I realize that now is the right time to transition into a role that allows me to continue pursuing what means most to me,” Magill said. “Leaving something to which I’ve dedicated my entire adult life is daunting. But, it’s also the right moment to take the next step.”
He plans to slide into a role as the Zoo Miami Foundation’s goodwill ambassador and conservation liaison, which will “allow me to focus on conservation while remaining closely involved in our local and global communities.
“In this position, I’ll continue to be available to speak to individuals and groups throughout the community and educational, civic and social organizations in the hope of inspiring a love of wildlife and a commitment to protecting it for generations to come,” he said.
Whether it was the tragedy of a zoo worker killed in a tiger attack or how well a gorilla might fare on the Miami Dolphins’ defensive line, South Florida expected to learn more about it from Magill.
“For so many of us in South Florida, Ron Magill has been the voice of wildlife for nearly half a century,” said a statement from Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “Through his work at Zoo Miami, he did more than introduce us to animals. Ron helped us understand wildlife, respect it and care about protecting it.”
The Dan LeBatard Show, despite being a national show, wanted to stay unapologetically rooted in Miami. So the show loved having Magill as a guest, both for the wildlife knowledge he brought with enthusiasm and letting the show brag to the nation about a part of Miami other places didn’t have.
Make-A-Wish also shared what Magill has meant for kids in South Florida.
“Ron Magill’s impact for Make-A-Wish Southern Florida and its ‘wish kids’ has been immeasurable, since it goes well beyond the more than three dozen life-changing wishes he’s helped us grant,” the organization said in a Sunday email. “How do you quantify all the hope, strength, and joy he brought — often when it was needed the most — to the lives of the critically-ill children and families we serve? Ron’s passion for kids, animals, and our mission made any day with him at Zoo Miami one that would be remembered for a lifetime.”
National media also came to call on Magill when reporting stories involving animals most see only in zoos.
“In a perfect world, everyone would have a chance to see giraffes walking across the Maasai Mara, a jaguar hunting in the Amazon or a polar bear walking across the Arctic ice,” Magill said. “But we don’t live in that world. Most people will never experience those moments firsthand. And, that’s precisely why zoos matter. Zoos provide essential windows into the natural world.”
Though Magill’s worked at Zoo Miami since the time of its original location in Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, he said, “In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need zoos at all.
“I could never support taking animals from the wild, unless it was a last and necessary effort to save that individual or the species it represents,” Magill said in the video. “Yet, the reality is without zoos, species such as the California condor, the Arabian oryx or the black-footed ferret might no longer exist in the wild. That alone speaks to the irreplaceable role zoos can play when they embrace conservation as their core mission.”
To that end, Magill started the Ron Magill Conservation Endowment in 2015, which, he said, he wants to be his legacy.
“Over the years, the endowment has provided millions of dollars to in situ conservation efforts around the world as well as scholarships for students dedicated to wildlife conservation careers,” he said. “Not a penny of that money can be spent on the zoo itself. But it has funded grants for zoo staff to travel abroad and participate in conservation programs worldwide.”
This story was originally published February 15, 2026 at 11:34 AM.
