Search Results for: ja

A keeper’s job is never done. There is always a chore to complete or a project to work on. Our daily routine is full of jobs like cleaning habitats, preparing diets, observing our animals, providing enrichment…are you tired yet? In between all of this, we try to find time to develop ourselves professionally. There are … Continue reading "Keeper Stories – Tuesday, January 24"

It’s about time again for a giraffe training update! I believe when we last checked in, all but our oldest, Abu, were shifting through our giraffe “tamer” apparatus. We are very proud to announce that all four of our boys are now confidently walking though the chute system. We have been successful in getting them … Continue reading "Keeper Stories – Thursday, January 19"

Did you survive the snow-pocalypse 2.0? It wasn’t as bad as the first go round, but we still had enough ice that the Zoo was closed. But what actually happens when the Zoo closes down for bad weather like a snowstorm? It is not all that different from a normal day for us keepers. The … Continue reading "Keeper Stories – Tuesday, January 17"

A native of England, James moved to the U.S. in the 1980s. His zoological career began at Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Center, where he oversaw the management of more than 2,500 birds. Prior to joining Zoo Atlanta in 2001, he served as Senior Keeper of Birds at the Baltimore Zoo. James’s tenure at Zoo Atlanta has seen the additions of The Living Treehouse; Outback Station; Boundless Budgies: A Parakeet Adventure; and the bird propagation center opened in 2009. James has a degree in Geology from the University of Nottingham, U.K.

Love is in the air! Yep, even in the winter. Male opossums go through physiological changes during the winter months that we call rut. As hormones surge through their bodies, their minds are focused on one thing, and only one thing. They lose interest in food and spend hours simply wandering around, noses in the … Continue reading "Keeper Stories – Thursday, January 12"

It’s our first Bird Team keeper blog of the year, and we have a really exciting new bird arriving! In late fall, we very sadly lost our elderly male wreathed hornbill Betelgeuse. He was the man, the beast, terror of the skies. Not really, but he was a tough and feisty old guy and a … Continue reading "Keeper Stories – Tuesday, January 10"

Now that the cubs are more mobile, we are seeing some more personality differences come out. Ya Lun is bold and enjoys exploring new places. Xi Lun is the opposite. She prefers her safe spots: the nest box in the dens or the tub in dayroom. If Lun Lun carries Xi Lun somewhere, Xi Lun … Continue reading "Panda Update – Friday, January 6"

Now that the cubs are able to walk a bit better, the next two tasks for them to tackle are climbing through the shift door into the adjacent den and managing to climb through the bamboo forest that Lun Lun leaves behind in order to follow her. Ya Lun has become quite the pro at … Continue reading "Panda Update – Wed. January 4 "

Move over Brad Pitt and Jennifer Lawrence, there are some new celebs on the block! Okay, so our great apes won’t actually be walking the red carpet, but some of their vocalizations may be featured in a big upcoming Hollywood film. A film sound production crew made a stop at Zoo Atlanta to gather sound … Continue reading "Keeper Stories – Tuesday, January 3"

Happy New Year! It seems like just a week ago the cubs were barely walking around the dens…Oh wait! They were! The cubs have gotten incredibly good at walking in the last few days and have moved on to developing their running and climbing skills. Both girls have demonstrated their clumsy ability to climb over … Continue reading "Panda Update – Monday, January 2"