Zoo Atlanta

01/15/2025

Welcome back to a new year of conservation blogs! This year, we look forward to traveling the world with you to explore how Zoo Atlanta team members work beyond the Zoo to support wildlife conservation. Each month, we’ll introduce you to one of our conservation partners, and a second blog will share the experiences of the Zoo team member(s) who have recently ventured out into the field to support their projects. This month, we’re highlighting the Turtle Survival Alliance (also known as the TSA).

Turtles have walked the Earth for over 200 million years – for reference, the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex went extinct a mere 65 million years ago. In the 230 million years since turtles diverged from other reptiles, they have diversified into thousands of species and sub-species. They live on almost every continent (sorry, Antarctica!) and can thrive in a diverse array of ecosystems. As you can imagine, protecting a group of animals that live around the world and face threats as diverse as their genetics is a monumental undertaking.

The Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) works “to protect and restore wild populations of turtles through science-based conservation, global leadership, and local stewardship.” They strategically ground their programs in species protection, community engagement, and best in class practices. These projects benefit over 150 turtle species, including species that call Zoo Atlanta home such as diamondback terrapins, eastern box turtles, and radiated tortoises. They work around the world, from North America to the island of Madagascar. That’s where we’ll venture in the next blog, but some background information will help you prepare for the journey.

Madagascar is a large island (almost four times the size of the state of Georgia!) off the southeastern coast of Africa. It is home to hundreds of animal species that are found nowhere else on Earth. One of those endemic species is the critically endangered radiated tortoise, named for the yellow markings which radiate from the center of each scute on their carapace (top part of the shell). Unfortunately, these beautiful markings sometimes lead people to desire them as pets, resulting in animals being illegally collected from the wild to enter the international pet trade.

In April of 2018, a whopping 10,196 radiated tortoises were confiscated from a residence in coastal Madagascar. Fortunately, TSA had already established conservation work in the region and was able to coordinate a global response of unprecedented proportions. Within weeks, over half a metric ton of veterinary and other critical supplies had arrived, in addition to dozens of people to provide boots-on-the-ground support via veterinary care, habitat construction, and daily husbandry.

As you can imagine, rehabilitating 10,000 tortoises and reintroducing them to the wild is a long-term project. Not only did many of these animals require medical care, but they cannot simply be released into the nearest natural environment. Releasing animals into the wild requires a significant amount of planning and preparation to ensure that the environment is safe and that the released animals will not strain existing natural resources. In the last few years, TSA has returned 3,000 confiscated radiated tortoises into protected forests.

Sadly, the illegal trade continues, but TSA has rescued thousands more radiated tortoises that have been poached from the wild. TSA is still caring for many of these animals, continuing its work to ultimately release over 20,000 radiated tortoises back to the wild. And they have help.

Zoo Atlanta was one of over 70 organizations to have sent support to the TSA Madagascar program back in 2018, and that support continues today. Stay tuned for the next blog to hear from a Zoo team member who recently traveled to Madagascar for the second time to support the ongoing efforts to rehabilitate these tortoises and reintroduce them to their natural habitat.

Sarah Hamilton
Interpretive Engagement Specialist

01/14/2025

The Zoo Atlanta Bird Team and representatives of other Zoo departments participated in the annual National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, January 4. One of the world’s longest-running citizen science projects, the Christmas Bird Count is a census of North America’s bird populations that provides important data for conservation biology. Here on Zoo grounds and in surrounding Grant Park, our teams spotted more than 500 individual birds representing more than 40 species. A few of their personal favorites included the brown creeper, white-breasted nuthatch, and blue-headed vireo. (Photos: Josh M.)

01/13/2025

The meerkats enjoyed learning about snow over the weekend! Meanwhile, the naked mole rats haven't the slightest clue what's been going on... (photos: Nate E.)

01/11/2025

Due to inclement weather conditions, Zoo Atlanta will be closed for daytime admission only on Sunday, January 12, 2025. IllumiNights: A Lantern Festival presented by Georgia Power will be open on Sunday, January 12.

Changes to operational hours for Monday, January 13 are not expected; however, any updates will be posted on zooatlanta.org.

01/10/2025

Due to inclement winter weather, Zoo Atlanta will be closed on Saturday, January 11, 2025. IllumiNights: A Lantern Festival presented by Georgia Power will also be canceled on Saturday, January 11.

Stay tuned to zooatlanta.org for updates on openings later in the weekend.

01/09/2025

Due to winter weather, Zoo Atlanta will be closed on Fri., 1/10. IllumiNights will also be closed on Fri., 1/10. Check zooatlanta.org for further updates.

01/09/2025

We are thrilled to welcome a new addition to our kori bustard flock! This handsome lad hatched in June of last year and is currently being introduced to our two females, Tuza and Zola, as well as Peggy and Don, the blue cranes that share their habitat. While he comes to us on an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) breeding recommendation, it will be a bit of a wait before we can expect any chicks- kori bustards don't begin breeding until they are around 3 years old. Be sure to stop by and say hello the next time you're up at the African Savanna! (photo: Bird Team)

01/07/2025

The last chance to glow is happening now! Take one last stroll through the glowing animals reimagined in lantern form that bring the Zoo to life in a whole new way. IllumiNights at the Zoo presented by Georgia Power ends for the season January 19. Click the link below to purchase tickets now and start a new winter tradition with your friends and family.

zooatlanta.org/illuminights

01/06/2025

Is Hondo practicing his “snow lions” in anticipation of next week’s winter weather advisory? Hello from African lions Hondo, Hatari, and Azizi, who continue to do well behind the scenes, where they have access to both indoor and outdoor areas during renovations to their habitat. We know you miss seeing the boys, but we can’t wait for you to see them in their new-and-improved habitat, set for completion early in this new year! (video: Jen A.)

01/03/2025

There's a new mob in town! Be sure to visit the African Savanna to visit both meerkat groups, weather and temperatures permitting!

01/02/2025

This future silverback has already started his training journey at 1 year and 8 months old. Here at Zoo Atlanta, we use positive reinforcement to train our gorillas for what we call husbandry behaviors. Positive reinforcement means that they get a special reward for the things we ask for, and nothing happens when they give us something else. Husbandry behaviors are behaviors that help the gorillas participate in their own care. Willie B. III and I have started to work on some body presentations.

All of this training is voluntary, meaning the gorillas have the option to come up to us at the mesh inside their behind-the-scenes indoor night area and participate. Much like the other gorillas, Willie B. III loves to come over to me and train every morning. We start with simple body presentations so we can get a good look at all of the gorillas every day, and Willie B. III already knows how to show me both of his hands!

Next up for him will be presenting his feet, and then we can move on to more complex behaviors like "back" and "belly.” Stay tuned for all the updates about Willie B. III's training journey and his ability to participate in his own care as a toddler!

I am so honored to be the one who gets to introduce him into the world of training. – Sherri K., Gorilla Care Team (photo: Cassie M.)

12/28/2024

Midnight is for adults, but Zoo Year’s Eve is for kids! Join us for our newest event December 31 featuring a countdown to the new year every hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Swipe through to see more activities included with your general admission or Membership! Click the link in our bio for more information.

12/27/2024

12/19/2024

Zoo Atlanta announces a commitment of support for seven conservation programs protecting wildlife in Nepal, Borneo, Panama, Cambodia, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, and Madagascar in the new year. Projects for red pandas, orangutans, Panamanian golden frogs, drill monkeys, clouded leopards, gorillas, chimpanzees, and radiated tortoises are the 2025 beneficiaries of the Zoo’s Mabel Dorn Reeder Conservation Endowment Fund.

The Mabel Dorn Reeder Conservation Endowment Fund annually awards grants to projects that enable Zoo Atlanta to amplify its global conservation impact. Projects are proposed by Zoo team members and are selected by a review committee based on relevance to the Zoo’s mission; conservation status and needs of the species in question; conservation significance; and inclusion of education and community outreach.

“Partnerships are a key aspect of the big-picture strategy that is essential to the long-term success and viability of any conservation effort,” said Raymond B. King, President and CEO. “We are excited that in the year to come, our Mabel Dorn Reeder Conservation Endowment Fund will support seven projects, each championed by Zoo Atlanta team members with a passion for making a difference for wildlife.”

Programs slated for 2025 support from the Mabel Dorn Reeder Conservation Endowment Fund are as follows:

Red Panda Network – Nepal
Funding from Zoo Atlanta will support construction of a greenhouse and shade house, each with the capacity to produce and nurture more than 22,000 native seedlings. The trees will contribute to reforestation of wild red panda habitat and sustainable incomes for local communities. The project was championed by Kenn Harwood, Curator of Mammals.

Borneo Orangutan Survival USA – Borneo
For more than 30 years, Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) has been a leader in rehabilitating orphaned orangutans through its Forest School, with more than 520 individuals successfully returned to the wild and monitored in protected rainforest habitats. The project was championed by Lynn Yakubinis, Lead Keeper of Primates.

El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC) Foundation – Panama
Based in El Valle de Antón, Panama, the EVAAC Foundation focuses on the conservation of the Panamanian golden frog – a species which is extinct in the wild and currently housed only in assurance populations within human care, including Zoo Atlanta – and other Panamanian amphibians through research, breeding, protection, reintroduction, and local education. The project was championed by Evan Hoiland, Herpetology Keeper.

Pan African Sanctuary Alliance – Cameroon
The Pan African Sanctuary Alliance’s Green Project is a collaborative effort that incentivizes long-term, sustainable community engagement in conservation to protect the biodiverse habitat of Mt. Cameroon National Park, home to a fragile population of endangered drill monkeys. The project was championed by Pam Miller, Primate Keeper.

Wildlife Alliance Veal Pi Ranger Station – Cambodia
Wildlife Alliance aims to implement an anti-poaching program to address clouded leopard mortality due to poachers’ snares in the Cardamom Rainforest, an area crucial for the survival of this and other species. The program assists in law enforcement patrolling and snare removal. The project was championed by Michelle Elliott, Mammal Keeper.

Goualougo Triangle Ape Project – Republic of Congo
The Goualougo Triangle Ape Project works to mitigate threats to gorillas, chimpanzees, and their habitats. Through research, training, and local partnerships, the effort seeks to facilitate sustainable coexistence and to enhance and strengthen conservation policies across the Congo Basin. The project was championed by Jodi Carrigan, Curator of Primates.

Turtle Survival Alliance – Madagascar
Funding from Zoo Atlanta will support health diagnostics, supplies, and veterinary students for health screening of radiated tortoises confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade prior to rewilding the animals. The project was championed by Kate Leach, DVM, Senior Veterinarian.

Beyond those projects supported by the Mabel Dorn Reeder Conservation Endowment Fund, Zoo Atlanta has a long history of conservation program support and scientific research focused on enhancing the global body of knowledge on animal behavior and biology. Signature partners include Conservation South Luangwa, a Zambia-based organization working to protect African elephants and other species impacted by illegal wildlife trafficking and human-wildlife conflict, and the Golden Lion Tamarin Association, a Brazil-based organization protecting the endangered icons of Brazil’s Atlantic Coastal Forest from habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, and disease.

While all experiences at Zoo Atlanta enable and help to expand the organization’s conservation work, visitation also has a direct impact, with 25 cents of every general admission ticket going directly to the Zoo’s Conservation Fund.

Learn more about conservation programs and partnerships at Zoo Atlanta at zooatlanta.org/conservation.

12/18/2024

While infant Nangka has been the recent star of our orangutan area, we don’t want you to forget about our other amazing orangutans. The Orangutan Care Team takes care of 10 orangutans! We are lucky to have a wide range of ages and personalities, and we even get the opportunity to take care of both Bornean and Sumatran orangutan species. Read below for some fun facts about each of our unique individuals.

One of the most important aspects of our jobs as animal care professionals is providing items to enrich the orangutans’ days and therefore enhance their overall wellbeing. Orangutans are known for their intelligence and ability to create and use tools. Given their curiosity and problem-solving skills, we are always striving and looking for new ways to create more complex, arboreal, and cognitive challenges.

Starting off with our oldest individual, we have Benny! Benny is the oldest male Sumatran male orangutan in managed care. At the age of 45, he enjoys spending his days sleeping in the sun and makes nests using blankets and tulle material. He also enjoys making noise and will tap objects and even makes whistles out of blades of grass.

Next up we have Benny’s son Pongo. He was named after the scientific genus name of orangutans. Pongo will turn 12 years old in January. He is in his “teenage” years. However, if you have been following Zoo Atlanta since he was born, you will remember that Pongo was hand-raised for about three months while his mom, Blaze, recovered from a C-section and then eventually started raising him on her own. These days Pongo spends his time playing with Blaze. He has a lot of energy and he is constantly searching for ways to expend it. Recently keepers have added a “zipline” and a firehose cargo net to his habitat to increase the ways he has to swing around and play.

While Blaze may have needed assistance raising Pongo for the first few months, she has always been a great mom to Pongo. Blaze is now 28 years old, and she continues to teach him the skills he needs, such as how to make tools from different types of browse materials. Blaze seems to enjoy running water and has perfected her ability to innovate ways to plug her water source so that it will constantly run. Often times she will be seen resting underneath her waterfall with paper over her head.

Next up we have the youngest orangutan born at Zoo Atlanta. Pelari, affectionately known as Little P, turned 11 years old in September. He is likely one of the most memorable orangutans guests will see. He spends his time in the front of Habitat One observing the guests. He likes to show them his favorite ways to swing around the climbers and play with the ropes.

Now I know we, just like parents, aren’t supposed to pick a favorite … but Satu is mine, and he just celebrated a birthday that means more to people than to orangutans. He is now 21 years old! Satu is the largest male orangutan we take care of. While at a quick glance it might not seem like it, Satu weighs about 250 pounds. He likes to find new and creative ways to play with the toys and firehose in his habitats. He has often invented new ways to spin and swing on various firehose items.

Up next is the mom of Pelari and Satu. Miri is our 32-year-old Bornean female. While Miri is not always front and center on habitat like Pelari, she really seems to enjoy her outside habitat. When she is active on habitat you can see her foraging and working on the enrichment boxes. The enrichment boxes allow for more complex and engaging enrichment to be given on habitats that would otherwise not be able to be given. These include puzzle feeders like stacked bowls, metal cups, and even Kong toys with food inside.

After talking about our amazing moms Blaze and Miri, we need to introduce the absolute rockstar of all orangutan moms, Madu. Madu has been an adoptive mom for FIVE orangutan infants. Madu is a 41-year-old Sumatran female who has spent the majority of her life raising infants in need. While Madu has raised five infants, she has never had any biological offspring. She is a natural mother, and she does a wonderful job teaching her adopted kids things like nest building, tool use, and how to forage. Some of Madu’s favorite enrichment activities include things such as watching TV or movies (Elmo and live action dogs appear to be her preference) and computer research programs where she gets food reinforcement for figuring out the pattern.

Keju is Madu’s fourth adoptive child. She is 9 years old, and she came to Zoo Atlanta in 2015 from Henry Vilas Zoo. Her mom didn’t raise her, and so the decision was made to bring her to Zoo Atlanta to be raised by Madu. This made Keju very unique in that she is a Bornean orangutan being raised by a Sumatran. While Bornean and Sumatran orangutans are different species, they are still very similar in the most important ways, and it is extremely valuable to animals to be raised in the correct animal culture to allow them to thrive and learn skills unique to them in a way that a human caretaker cannot replicate. Keju likes to use sticks to create a tool that she can use to push things with. She uses her sticks on a special forage table device we use that drops food through a PVC tube from outside the orangutan building to inside the building.

Rembulan Wajah, or as we call him, Remy, just turned 14! He is the third of Madu’s foster kids, and he came to Zoo Atlanta in 2011 from Fort Worth Zoo. His mom was unable to raise him, so Madu took him in and has done an amazing job. Remy enjoys making himself seats out of various plastic toys and buckets and observing the other male orangutans both inside the building and in the habitats. In the habitat, you will either find him in the bushes on the hill or in one of the many hammocks.

Last but not least is our youngest and the one I’m sure everyone has been waiting to hear about. Madu’s fifth adoptive infant, Nangka, has now been at Zoo Atlanta for over a year. We enjoy watching him grow, start exploring more on his own, and discover what life as an orangutan is like. He has started to develop his own personality. He also recently has been venturing further and further from Madu, putting his newfound brachiating skills to the test on various different ropes, firehoses, and swings. While he tests out his new limits, he still shows that he still has his favorite enrichment that he always has had. These favorites include any form of paper or carwash material that he can run/climb/display/hide with.

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know our orangutans a little bit better. I hope our readers are able to come to the Zoo and see for yourselves the orangutan personalities and methods for problem solving (orangutans are usually in their outdoor habitats if temperatures are 50 degrees or higher).

If you would like to provide more of their favorite enrichment items you read about, please consider donating or purchasing items off the Zoo’s Animal Wish List, found here: https://give.zooatlanta.org/zoo-atlanta-wishlist.

Emily V.
Orangutan Care Team

12/16/2024

It’s almost the winter solstice which means the sun is setting earlier and earlier! We love that Elephant Keeper Caleb was able to capture this beautiful photo after the sun went down before the elephants went in for the night. As a reminder, animals are not visible after-hours during IllumiNights at the Zoo presented by Georgia Power, where the amazing lanterns are the wildlife! (photo: Caleb U.)

12/13/2024

The holidays are here, and there's no better time to experience IllumiNights: presented by Georgia Power! With hundreds of hand-painted lanterns, festive winter beverages (alcoholic offerings available for 21+ guests), marshmallow roasting stations and more, all is truly merry and bright at the Zoo. Snag your tickets at the link!
https://zooatlanta.org/event/illuminights/

12/12/2024

At 1 year old, Willie B. III still spends much of his time with his mom, Shalia. Gorilla mothers typically care for their babies until they are around 4 years old, when they become more self-sufficient. While Willie B. III is already incredibly independent, he never passes up the chance to cuddle up in his mom's arms. – Celyn F. , Gorilla Care Team (photo: Celyn F.)