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When I first started at Zoo Atlanta as a keeper in Outback Station, I always made the time to say hi to Idgie the red panda when I was done taking care of the naked mole rats. Early in the morning is my favorite time to be at the Zoo, as you can often find … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, October 23"

Hello, it’s Allie, a member of the Primate Care Team. Have you ever noticed the way our 3-year-old gorilla, Mijadala, chases after her siblings in the family troop? Or the way Lulu protects and gently carries infant Floyd? These are some of the many similarities you may notice between gorillas and humans. Like humans, every … Continue reading "Taking time to observe gorillas"

If you haven’t noticed, we talk about palm oil a lot during October. That’s because Halloween is known for being the holiday of candy, and a lot of candy contains palm oil. But don’t fret! That doesn’t mean you can’t buy any candy containing palm oil, and you definitely have to be that person passing … Continue reading "Trick or (Sustainable Palm Oil) Treat?"

Just a quick update from PandaLand today! As you all know, we are always on the lookout for ways to make the pandas’ day. Giant pandas eat bamboo, of course, but there is a surprising amount of difference between bamboo species, and the pandas have quite refined palates! Because of this, we like to offer … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, October 16"

Hi everyone! My name is Ryan, and I am going to talk a little bit about some of the training that is going on at the Zoo. Here at Zoo Atlanta, we spend a lot of time training the animals to participate in their own care. The behaviors we train the animals for have a … Continue reading "Time for training"

A lot of people ask us what it’s like being an animal care professional, and specifically what it’s like caring for the giant pandas. Like other animal care team members at any zoo, our days are very much about routines, but we all must be able to adjust that routine at a second’s notice based … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Monday, October 14"

One thing I’ve gotten a lot more experience with since I started in the Panda Care Team a few months ago is talking during our Giant Panda Wild Encounters. Wild Encounters are a great way for guests to get a better insight into what the Panda Care Team does to ensure the needs of the … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Friday, October 11"

About a month ago, the Herpetology Team participated in our annual diamondback terrapin swap with the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island. As part of the Zoo’s support of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center’s Jekyll Island Causeway Conservation Program, we returned 25 individuals back to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center after about a year … Continue reading "A rewarding opportunity with terrapins"

In 2008, my close colleagues, herpetologists David Wake and Vance Vredenburg, used the amphibian crisis to support their invocation of the term the Sixth Mass Extinction. Immediately, I was worried that my friends would be seen as exaggerating, even if I agreed with their argument entirely. Quite the opposite, their phrase was adopted into the … Continue reading "Contemporary mass extinctions?"

Can you believe it’s October? The leaves will soon start falling, the school semester is well underway, and the air is crisp! Well … two out of three of those things are true, at least! It has been pretty sweltering here in Atlanta, but despite the heat, Halloween is just around the corner! Zoo Atlanta … Continue reading "Planning Halloween animal enrichment"