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As many of you already know, it has been especially cold here in Georgia, with temperatures dropping below freezing more often than not. These cold days mean that many of our animals, who are not acclimated to or tolerant of this weather, remain indoors to keep warm. However, of the animals able to comfortably remain … Continue reading "Cold-weather skills of feathered friends"

After being out of town for about a week, I returned to the Zoo and Ya Lun and Xi Lun looked like they had almost doubled in size. We really aren’t kidding when we say these two grow like weeds. Right now, both Ya Lun and Xi Lun weigh around 40 kilograms (or about 88 … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Friday, January 12"

I get stopped by many guests regularly because I have the coolest job on the planet. They want to know how they can be like me. How do you become a zookeeper, and what does it take? This question doesn’t have a simple answer, as each animal care professional has taken a different path to … Continue reading "What’s it take to work at a zoo?"

With the recent cold snap, we have been able to offer the pandas river cane bamboo (Arundinaria gigantea). River cane bamboo is native to Georgia and, as it name suggests, grows along river banks. Our pandas love river cane, but only if it is harvested below 40° Fahrenheit. I don’t know why, but I assume … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, January 10"

Hello! Brittney, Seasonal Keeper from Primates here. Last time you heard from me I was talking about the difference between the Carnivore Department and the Bird Department, and now I am going to give you some insight on my time in the Primate Department thus far. I swing from area to area (pun intended), and … Continue reading "The many faces of our primate area"

We have an update on the sweet potato saga! Ya Lun now likes sweet potato! Both cubs have been offered 25 grams of sweet potato daily for well over a couple of months, and just recently, Ya Lun decided to try a few bites! At first it was likely accidental (we offered a piece of … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Monday, January 8"

The cubs are becoming little eating machines. Just a few months ago, when we would refresh Lun Lun’s bamboo (which happens four to five times a day), the cubs would continue to snooze away on the structures. Nowadays when the cubs notice Lun Lun going inside, most of the time they run right in with … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Friday, January 5"

Happy New Year to all and welcome back from the holidays. If you’ve been around the Zoo recently, you have noticed that construction is underway on our Grand New View project. This is an exciting time for us in the Elephant Team, as well as everyone here at Zoo Atlanta. If you frequent the Keeper … Continue reading "Cozy up to our naked mole rat colony"

Brrrr! Who turned up the air conditioner in Atlanta this week? It’s about as cold here as it was in Pennsylvania when I was visiting for Christmas. Yikes! Of course, the pandas don’t really seem to mind. Just one more way that the giant pandas are different from the meat-eating carnivores and many of the … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, January 3"

My favorite research articles are those that turn over long-held convictions about what plants and animals actually do in the world. An example, from my own lab, was the work by my graduate student, Stephanie Gardner, on leaf-nosed snakes (genus Phyllorynchus), which are common but reclusive snakes in the southwestern U.S. deserts. Every field guide … Continue reading "Science is humming!"