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“I think that we all do heroic things, but hero is not a noun, it’s a verb.” – Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man himself said that. When you hear the word hero, who do you think of?  Maybe superheroes like Iron Man or Wonder Woman, or those who protect or rescue people like firefighters or doctors and nurses, … Continue reading "What is a hero?"

Hello! I’m Sarah, a member of the Outback Station Care Team here at the Zoo. My department is mostly known for our goats, sheep, pigs, and alpacas, but just up the hill from the petting zoo is one of my personal favorite animals that we take care of. It’s probably one most people have never … Continue reading "It’s a deer … it’s a rabbit … no, it’s a mara! "

With the change of the season, it’s time for an update on our favorite golden lion tamarin twins! Ipa and Nema are just over 8 months old now. They are about 600 grams each, which is within 100 grams of their parents’ weight! Even though they are pretty much adult tamarins, they are still experiencing … Continue reading "Changing seasons with Ipa and Nema"

Atlanta’s newest seasonal experience will make its debut with a stunning visual celebration of the wonders of the natural world. IllumiNights at the Zoo: A Chinese Lantern Festival opens to the public on the evening of Monday, November 22, 2021. IllumiNights is presented by Georgia Power, with additional support from Beacon Sponsor PNC. Zoo Atlanta … Continue reading "Now open: IllumiNights at the Zoo"

Have you ever watched a giant panda eat? If so,  you are aware that their ears move when they chew. This is because their jaw muscles are attached to the top of their head, at the sagittal crest, which is a part of their skull. This gives them incredible jaw strength allowing them to crush through … Continue reading "Panda updates – Wednesday, November 17"

If you’re an avid birder, like me, or even just a general bird enthusiast, you have probably heard of the California condor. As the largest living North American land bird, it is the only surviving member of the Gymnogyps genus of New World Vultures. While we do not have California condors here at the Zoo, … Continue reading "Parthenogenesis in California condors"

Hey, Zoo Atlanta fans! My name is Samantha, and I have been a Seasonal Primate Keeper here for over a month. For the majority of that time I have been helping the Orangutan Care Team with feeding, cleaning, diets, and enrichment. One of my favorite things so far has been creating enrichment for the orangutan … Continue reading "Orangutan enrichment: pinecones, smear boards and more!"

We scientists don’t have much patience for myths, science fiction, or pseudo-science. Legends of Bigfoot irritate our rational sensibilities. But sometimes it is really fun to dive into myths and tall tales and try to discover a factual basis for these wild ideas. Let’s consider my favorite one: the mighty, some would say creepy, jackalope! … Continue reading "Are jackalopes real?"

If you’ve visited Zoo Atlanta or watched PandaCam, you’ve likely noticed that the Zoo’s giant panda habitats have several structures in them – what we call “furniture” for the animals around the Zoo. The outdoor giant panda habitats feature a lot of rocks in various conformations and wooden climbing structures. The variety of “furniture” offers the giant pandas choice in how … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Friday, November 5"

Hello, I’m Alexis and I am a Swing Keeper in the Ambassador Animals Department. Here at the Zoo, I work with a variety of animals. This includes reptiles, small mammals, alpacas, Kunekune pigs, sheep and my favorite … goats. In the petting zoo, guests are always asking, “Is that a Billy goat?” or “Is that … Continue reading "Goat myths and facts!"