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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"

Hey everyone! I’m McKenzie, and I’m one of our Program Animal Keepers down at the Wieland Wildlife Home. Now that show season is over some of you may wonder what goes on during off-season with all of our program animals. You heard a couple of weeks ago from one of my fellow Program Animal Keepers … Continue reading "On target with chinchilla training"

There is a good chance that when you visit the giant pandas at Zoo Atlanta, or tune into PandaCam online, you catch the bears in one of their many daily naps. Pandas sometimes get labeled as “lazy” animals due to their sleepy nature, but their sleeping patterns are expected from a carnivore whose diet consists … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, September 27"

While we prep for inclement weather at our homes, we also do so at the Zoo. As animal care professionals, one of our number one goals is to keep all the animals under our care safe. Zoo Atlanta has protocols in place for severe weather, whether that be snow (yes, it sometimes snows here in … Continue reading "Caring for primates in inclement weather"

In the mornings when we arrive for the day, we turn on our camera monitors to see what the pandas are doing. If they are asleep, we let them sleep and we find other things to do. If they are awake and wanting food, we go on and begin our day. Most mornings if Lun … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Monday, September 25"

If you’ve been following our panda family for a number of years, you may remember that at least one of our singleton cubs was known for destroying enrichment, or at least being the proverbial fly that broke the camel’s back. It seems that Ya Lun is following in her older brother’s footsteps. On Sunday we … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Friday, September 22"

During our day-to-day routine, animal care staff are constantly monitoring the animals to make sure they are healthy. We watch their behavior, how they move, their appetites, bathroom habits, and how they interact with their environment and conspecifics (other individuals that they share space with). Vocalizations are also a big indicator of an animal’s well-being. … Continue reading "Do you speak tiger?"

If you have been following the panda updates the past few weeks, you’ve probably read about our awesome new bubble machine that was gifted to Ya Lun and Xi Lun for their first birthday. So far, Yang Yang has been its biggest fan. While the giant pandas were snoozing, we thought it would be fun … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, September 20"