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I think we’re going to have to pull out some of the tricks we have up our sleeves to entice the twins to eat sweet potato. Sometimes, simply always offering a piece of sweet potato will eventually lead a cub to further investigate the new orange item and then eventually develop a liking for it. … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Friday, October 13"

If you have a pet, you may have had the (dis)pleasure of doing a nail trim. Just like our nails, dogs, cats and birds have nails that grow. Wolves, bobcats and wild birds keep their nails trimmed naturally through daily use. Animals in our homes and in the Zoo need a different solution. Since nail … Continue reading "Trim your toes!"

If you tuned in to Swing Keeper Sarah’s #TakeoverTuesday a few weeks ago, you know that the Hoofstock Team recently took over the care of warthogs Eleanor and Shirley! We’re currently getting to know our new charges, and it’s a been a fun experience so far! We’ve spent the last few weeks learning their routine … Continue reading "Getting to know Shirley and Eleanor"

I think it’s safe to say that giant pandas are very much creatures of habit. This is why it is so important that we introduce the cubs to important parts of their adult diets while they are young. We started introducing the girls to leafeater biscuits when they were much younger, and they have turned … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Monday, October 9"

Most of the animals in our care are trained for a number of behaviors depending on needs of the animal. At the Zoo we follow the principles of positive reinforcement, by which the individual being trained is reinforced for the behaviors that the trainer has asked for. The giant panda cubs have begun learning some … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Friday, October 6"

The rate at which Ya Lun and Xi Lun grow and develop is so fun to watch. It seems like even in just the past few days, the girls’ interest in bamboo has doubled. When we say that the girls are starting to investigate bamboo, we are usually referring to the smaller “twigs” that Lun … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, October 4"

What is palm oil? Palm oil comes from the fruit of the African oil palm tree and is grown all over the world in warm and temperate climates. Why are we talking about palm oil? Over half of our household products contain this commonplace oil, which is found in snack foods, shampoo, cosmetics, toothpaste, pet … Continue reading "Why choose only sustainable palm oil?"

Hello – I’m Luke, a keeper in the Bird Department here at Zoo Atlanta. Today I’ll be talking about the process behind transferring animals between zoological institutions, and how a Species Survival Plan®(SSP) works. The main goal of an individual SSP is to maintain genetic diversity of a particular species within a zoological population. Managed … Continue reading "Species Survival Plan plans for king vultures"

The (slightly) cooler weather for the next few days means the giant pandas are able to spend more time in their outdoor habitats. Like all other animals at the Zoo, the pandas have temperature guidelines that we follow to ensure the animals are happy, comfortable and safe. You may have noticed on PandaCam or in … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Monday, October 2"

As the cubs become more and more interested in biscuits, they also become more motivated to search for biscuits. Usually after cleaning and refreshing Lun Lun’s bamboo, we either scatter her remaining biscuits from that feed throughout the area where she is going to be or we hide them in enrichment devices; that way she … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Friday, September 29"