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Keeper Stories – Thursday, March 23

Snakes! When I bring a snake out during an animal presentation, I usually encounter at least one person who’s a little less than enthusiastic. If you are afraid of snakes, let me start by saying it’s okay; in fact, many other animals have a natural fear of snakes (aside from species like the mongoose, whose … Continue reading "Keeper Stories – Thursday, March 23"

Saying farewell to Andazi the rhino

Zoo Atlanta prepares to say farewell to Andazi the rhino; The mother of the first rhino calf ever born at the Zoo will soon begin a new chapter in Arkansas Andazi, a 10-year-old female eastern black rhinoceros, will soon leave Atlanta for a new home at a new zoo, with a new chance to contribute to … Continue reading "Saying farewell to Andazi the rhino"

Panda Update – Wednesday, March 22

Now that our two little girls have mastered the running thing, the climbing thing, and the exploring thing in their indoor habitat, it is time they took the next step and tried to do all of that stuff outside. This week we will begin “cub proofing” one of the pandas’ outdoor habitats in order to … Continue reading "Panda Update – Wednesday, March 22"

Secrets of Elephant Trunks

Let’s do a little experiment. Find a small piece of food around you, about the size of a hard candy or an apple slice, and pick it up. How did you do it? I assume you used the thumb and index finger of your dominant hand. Some people use their thumb and middle finger too. … Continue reading "Secrets of Elephant Trunks"

Keeper Stories – Tuesday, March 21

As we approach Spring Break week here at the Zoo, you may notice a few changes around in some of the bird habitats, including some changes to the type of material that we are now using for the floors of our habitats. The Bird Department loves to use this time of the year as an … Continue reading "Keeper Stories – Tuesday, March 21"

Now Open! Treetop Trail

Now Open: Treetop Trail presented by Kaiser Permanente; The Zoo Atlanta experience climbs to new heights with the grand opening of an all-new aerial playground Spring brings new adventures in zipping, zigging, zagging, balancing and climbing – stories above the ground – with the grand opening of Treetop Trail presented by Kaiser Permanente on March … Continue reading "Now Open! Treetop Trail"

Panda Updates – Monday, March 20

As animals get older it is important to monitor their health with different criteria in mind. Heart health is especially important to monitor. With this in mind I am hoping to train the adult giant pandas for voluntary cardiac ultrasounds, much like the primate keepers are already doing with the great apes. I know of … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Monday, March 20"

Panda Updates – Friday, March 17

You may have noticed that Lun and her munchkins spent the morning in a behind-the-scenes den the other day and were not seen in the dayroom during that time. This was because Lun Lun was passing a mucus stool. Every so often, giant pandas will shed the lining of their GI tract (likely the stomach). … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Friday, March 17"

Keeper Stories – Thursday, March 16

A couple of weeks ago I had the distinct pleasure and honor of being an instructor for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Amphibian Taxon Advisory Group’s (say THAT 10 times fast) Amphibian Biology and Captive Management Course (aka Amphibian School) hosted at Detroit Zoological Society’s National Amphibian Conservation Center (affectionately called the NACC). … Continue reading "Keeper Stories – Thursday, March 16"

Panda Updates – Wednesday, March 15

Months ago in our nursery updates, you may remember us writing to you all about how we would sometimes do biscuit feeds with Lun Lun in order to encourage her to eat more bamboo. While biscuits are an important part of her balanced diet, they are viewed as a supplement, whereas bamboo is her primary … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, March 15"