Research

"Research is formalized curiosity."

— Zora Neale Hurston

Research is an integral part of our mission at Zoo Atlanta. Research helps us better understand and provide stewardship for the animals in our care, and it provides us with valuable insights that enable us to protect their counterparts in the wild. Our basic research also contributes to our knowledge of life on Earth. Scientists at Zoo Atlanta lead research efforts involving animals housed here at the Zoo as well as animals in the wild. Our scientists collaborate with scientists around the world. The Zoo’s scientific staff hold faculty appointments at Georgia State University, Georgia Tech, and the University of Georgia. The results of our research have been published in such journals as Science, Behaviour, Conservation Biology, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, as well as featured by media such as National Geographic, Wired, and The New York Times.

Topics explored by our staff scientists include management of small populations of endangered species both in zoos and in the wild; many aspects of animal behavior and cognition; reproductive physiology; animal health and well-being; biomechanics; and biodiversity studies. Zoo Atlanta served as the headquarters of the Great Ape Heart Project, now based at the Detroit Zoo, and is the hosting institution and longtime partner of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International.