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Panamanian golden frogs are native only to central Panama, where they have been viewed as symbols of good luck for centuries. Unfortunately, an epidemic of chytrid, a fungus highly dangerous to amphibians, has eliminated their populations, and the Panamanian golden frog is considered extinct in the wild. Their species is now maintained in carefully managed survival-assurance breeding groups at facilities in Panama and in the U.S., including Zoo Atlanta.

Kori bustards are very large, ground-dwelling birds that that eat a variety of insects, small animals and some plants. The males are among the heaviest of all flying birds. Recent threats from large-scale agriculture and the bushmeat trade have resulted in sudden declines in this species.

Like all vultures and condors, these large birds are scavengers on carcasses. They soar over large areas searching for food using vision and scent, and when a carcass is found, many individuals may congregate upon it. After centuries of suffering relatively few conservation challenges, vultures in many areas are facing sudden and dramatic declines as a result of new threats caused by human activities.

This is one of the larger owls in the world, and they prey on virtually any small to medium-sized animal. They generally hunt at night, and long-term pairs produce usually two eggs per year, often with only one surviving to fledge.

The word “orangutan” comes from “Orang Hutan,” meaning “Person of the Forest.” They are unique among the great apes in that they do not live in social groups. Adults typically forage on their own, but mothers care for their offspring for years. Orangutans have complex cognitive and spatial skills, meaning that they have good memories and are outstanding problem-solvers. Orangutans are highly endangered as a result of habitat loss and black market trade for infants as pets. There are three species of orangutans: Bornean, Sumatran, Tapanuli (recently discovered, Tapanuliensis). Morphologically, the Tapanuli species has differing skull and teeth structure. ...

Drills are very distinctive primates that are related to baboons. They live in complex social groups led by a single dominant male. Social interactions are mostly focused around grooming, and communication comes in the form of visual displays and vocalizations. Deforestation and unsustainable harvest for the commercialized bushmeat trade are creating an uncertain future for this species.

Giant pandas are very unusual animals that eat almost exclusively bamboo, which is very low in nutrients. Because of this, they have many unique adaptations for their low-energy lifestyle. Giant pandas are solitary, with males and females coming together only briefly to mate. Habitat loss is the primary threat to this species. Its popularity around the world has helped the giant panda become the focus of successful conservation programs.

These small monkeys live only in the unique Atlantic Coastal Forests of Brazil, where they are endangered mostly because of habitat loss. They live in small social groups almost entirely in the trees, rarely coming down to the forest floor.

Sloths are arboreal animals and are slow and deliberate rather than swift and agile. Specialized, enlarged claws enable them to hang upside down below the branches they traverse. Sloths derive their entire diet of leaves and some fruits in the trees, and they do almost everything upside down.

The word “orangutan” comes from “Orang Hutan,” meaning “Person of the Forest.” They are unique among the great apes in that they do not live in social groups. Adults typically forage on their own, but mothers care for their offspring for years. Orangutans have complex cognitive and spatial skills, meaning that they have good memories and are outstanding problem-solvers. Orangutans are highly endangered as a result of habitat loss and black market trade for infants as pets. There are three species of orangutans: Bornean, Sumatran, Tapanuli (recently discovered, Tapanuliensis). Morphologically, the Tapanuli species has differing skull and teeth structure. ...