What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 6pm Sunday 10am - 6pm

Zoo Atlanta

Visit us online: zooatlanta.org
(29677)

11/06/2024

Recently, Taz’s troop had the exciting opportunity to explore a tree canopy for the first time. In the wild, gorillas spend much of their time among the trees, so climbing comes naturally to them. Floyd was one of the first to scale the tree, doing so with impressive skill, while some of the others showed a bit more caution. Floyd seemed to have a fantastic time playing among the branches, enjoying this new treetop playground. – Celyn F., Gorilla Care Team (Video: Celyn F.)

11/04/2024

Kambera's birth window opens so soon! Join Curator of Primates Jodi C. to learn about all the planning and strategizing that went on behind the scenes for this little one!

11/01/2024

One of my favorite things about Zoo Atlanta's gorilla habitats, besides their naturalistic environment, is that they allow for so much flexibility with managing the animals. Most zoos only have one, sometimes two habitats for their gorillas to spend time in each day. Here at Zoo Atlanta, we have five outdoor habitats, and this allows us to change up the gorillas’ environment so they can have new surroundings and experiences. These switches provide an extremely enriching environment for the gorillas. Pictured here are our two geriatric gorillas, Kuchi (40) and Machi (48), spending the day exploring Habitat 1. You can regularly see these ladies in Habitat 2, but keep a lookout for them in any of our other habitats on your next visit. – Jodi C., Curator of Primates (photos: Jodi C.).

10/31/2024

Happy Halloween from Zoo Atlanta! Catch a peek of this year's spooky enrichment fun! (media: Animal Care Teams)

10/31/2024

Zoo Atlanta is proud to announce the completion of The Rollins Animal Health Center, a state-of-the-art new veterinary complex that will redefine standards of excellence in zoological animal medicine, scientific research, and academic partnerships. The facility is named in recognition of The Gary W. Rollins Foundation’s generous investment of $3 million in the project and long history of Zoo support.

The complex signifies the culmination of Zoo Atlanta’s successful Care, Conserve, Connect capital campaign, which raised just over $21 million, and represents a notable demonstration of support from the philanthropic community. In addition to the gift from The Gary W. Rollins Foundation, donations of $1 million or more included gifts from Lettie Pate Evans Foundation; Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation; A Friend of the Zoo; The Marcus Foundation; The Sara Giles Moore Foundation; and The Zeist Foundation.

The project’s Joint General Contractors are Turner Construction Company and FS360, with architectural design by Torre Design Consortium, Ltd. The complex has a built-in goal of achieving LEED Gold Certification.

Features of the 17,000 square-foot complex include dedicated laboratory, pharmacy, radiology, treatment, and surgical suites; a CT scanner; interior and exterior animal holding dens and a food preparation kitchen; five animal quarantine dens with dedicated care team member access and dedicated food preparation areas; and office and conference space for the Veterinary Team. The facility also includes a necropsy suite. A second floor features two bedrooms, restrooms and laboratory working space. The bedrooms will allow the Veterinary Team to expand the Zoo’s veterinary internship program by providing housing to participating students and hosting visiting scientists. Thanks to enhanced technology, Zoo Atlanta looks forward to remote learning capabilities not previously possible with its veterinary program.

“The Rollins Animal Health Center is Zoo Atlanta’s newest phase of transformation. We are thrilled to see our world-class Veterinary Team in a facility that allows them to fully inhabit their reputation for excellence in zoo animal medicine,” said Raymond B. King, President and CEO. “These facilities not only exemplify the team’s expertise and commitment, but they also build the team’s capacity as they provide outstanding, skilled care for the hundreds of animals who call Zoo Atlanta home. Additionally, the Veterinary Team now has a broader ability than ever before to share and exchange knowledge with other institutions and to benefit students pursuing veterinary careers.”

The Rollins Animal Health Center notably expands Zoo Atlanta’s capabilities for research; professional externship and internship opportunities; and other collaborations with academic partners across the state of Georgia. The Zoo’s academic partners include Agnes Scott College; Emory University; Georgia Institute of Technology; Georgia State University; Kennesaw State University; Morehouse College; The University of Georgia; University of North Georgia; Gwinnett Technical College; and Fort Valley State University.

While The Rollins Animal Health Center is located behind the scenes and is not open as part of a public visit, future opportunities exist to offer educational programming and tours in the space.

10/28/2024

Calling all big siblings!!! Check out this video from Gorilla Keeper Cassie M. to learn how you can help Willie B. III be the best big brother ever!

Send your videos to [email protected] by November 15 for a chance to be featured on Zoo Atlanta’s social media and win a private meeting with a member of the Gorilla Care Team to learn more about this amazing family and their care! The winning video will be shared on Friday, November 22.

More details here!
https://zooatlanta.org/big-siblings/

10/25/2024

Happy to the superheroes over at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta!

10/24/2024

We've need YOUR help naming our sweet new baby sloth, born to Cocoa and Nutella on August 9. Check out the video to learn the baby's s*x and submit your names to the link below by November 1! The sloth care team will then choose a favorite, to be announced November 12.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RP9QZ22

10/23/2024

The Bird Team is excited to announce the successful hatching of a Bruce’s green pigeon chick.! The chick hatched in early August and was raised behind the scenes by its parents. The team hopes the chick will provide a good companion for Pirate, the Bruce’s green pigeon chick that hatched with one eye in 2022. The new chick has been nicknamed Captain. Once Captain is weaned, you will be able to see both Pirate and Captain on habitat in the Orkin Children's Zoo across from the owls. - Lauren W., Curator of Birds

10/22/2024

Hi everyone, this is Evan again from the Herpetology Team. Over the last several months, I have become very interested in the mimicry of snakes, particularly with tricolor snakes, and what the reasons could be that this tricolor pattern is so often selected for. Here in Georgia, we have a venomous snake called the eastern coral snake. This species is not a viper like the rest of our venomous snakes; it is an elapid, which means they are in the same group as cobras and mambas! Currently there are 88 recognized species of coral snakes in the New World, with many of them featuring a tricolor coloration. This tricolor pattern is typically red, black, and white or yellow bands that alternate each ring. These bright colors are thought to be a warning to predators, something called aposematic coloration. There is a saying that you may have heard that goes, “red touch black, friend of jack, red touch yellow, kill a fellow.” While this saying could certainly be true, it is best to not use this saying as it does not hold true in most places, and if you are ever uncertain, best practice is to leave the snake alone. This phrase arises from the fact that despite the 88 coral snake species, there are countless others that mimic that tricolor pattern.

Historically, the tricolor pattern was thought to be a direct mimic of the coral snakes so that the nonvenomous tricolor snakes would be predated less often. This form of mimicry is called Batesian mimicry. Here in Georgia, we have several species of completely harmless coral snake mimics that fit this mold. We have the scarlet snake, eastern milk snake, and the scarlet kingsnake. The idea that these snakes are mimicking the coral snake, and that is the selective pressure of being tricolor, seems like a very straightforward idea. This is until you realize that there are tricolor snakes outside of the ranges of coral snakes in the New World. The California mountain kingsnake is a great example, as it has a perfect tricolor appearance despite not sharing any of its range with a coral snake.

To get to the bottom of this, you must look at a few other key factors. First is something called flicker-fusion. This is when you have flickering light that reaches a speed where the object seems stationary. The different alternating bands of tricolor snakes create flicker-fusion when the snake is fleeing from predators and can cause them to look like they aren’t moving, allowing them to escape. There are many other banded snake species that play into this that aren’t tricolor, such as the California kingsnake, proving there is a selective pressure for these bands. Secondly, one must look at the ecology of these snakes to better understand their coloration. Coral snakes, as well as all the mimics I have mentioned, are nocturnal or crepuscular, active at dawn or dusk. In limited to no light, these brightly colored snakes no longer appear red, black, and white or yellow. Instead, they are three different shades of grey. Many of their predators that hunt them in these times evolved to not see in color due to the low light. Therefore, this aposematic coloration is not functioning in the way we humans see them and is no longer displaying a warning. The grey will just be camouflaged to their grey surroundings. To summarize, these flashy, tricolor snakes that seem so out of place in nature do, in fact, have evolutionary forces beyond a warning. Next time you see a red, black, and white snake, you can admire the amount of evolution that went into the beautiful coloration!

(Photo: California mountain kingsnake, courtesy of Kelly G.)

Evan H.
Keeper I, Herpetology

10/21/2024

Come behind the scenes for a glimpse at Kambera's recent ultrasound! With the birth window expected to open next month, we're getting so excited to meet the newest member of the Willie B. Jr. family.

10/18/2024

Happy Veterinary Technician Week! With hundreds of animals calling the Zoo home, there's never a dull day for our Vet Techs, and we're so grateful for all their hard work, from routine healthcare to lifesaving procedures. From the whole Zoo Atlanta family, thank you for all you do!

10/17/2024

We’re entering the gorgeous weather of the fall season, and that means Boo at the Zoo is right around the corner. The Gorilla Care Team has been honing our fall enrichment skills, and everyone’s favorite 5-year-old has been more than happy to help test our treats. Watch as Floyd makes short work of his pumpkin ice treat. It looks like we may need to get more creative to challenge this future silverback! – Kaitlyn K., Gorilla Care Team (video: Kaitlyn K.)

10/17/2024

Zoo Atlanta has partnered with iAccess Life to make Voice by iAccess Life, a tool which allows visitors to rate, review, and research locations based on their accessibility, available on Zoo grounds.

Members and guests can scan seven different QR codes and provide anonymous feedback at the Zoo’s Flamingo Plaza; African Savanna; Ford African Rain Forest; Scaly Slimy Spectacular: The Amphibian and Reptile Experience; the main spine of the Zoo leading to Nourish Café; Asian Forest; and Orkin Children’s Zoo. Visitors will be able to provide feedback on a range of experiences, including parking and entry, accessibility of guest pathways and animal habitat viewing, and restroom, food service, and gift shop accessibility.

Zoo Atlanta, including an internal Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion Committee, will use this information to assess areas of need and identify ways to increase accessibility for guests with mobility, hearing or visual impairments.

Plan a visit at zooatlanta.org. Learn more about Voice by iAccess Life at voice.iAccess.life.

10/16/2024

Atlanta’s favorite fun family Halloween festival returns on Saturdays and Sundays, October 19, 20, 26 and 27, 2024, at Boo at the Zoo presented by Georgia Natural Gas! In a Zoo transformed in the spooktacular spirit of Halloween, guests can sample sweet treats on Trick-or-Treat Lane; try their luck at classic carnival games; create Halloween crafts; meet friendly strolling characters; and more.

Boo at the Zoo is free for Members and with General Admission. Click the link for more details!

https://zooatlanta.org/boo-at-the-zoo-presented-by-georgia-natural-gas-6/

10/14/2024

Latinx Heritage Month may be drawing to a close tomorrow, but we're far from done celebrating our wonderful team members. Today we're highlighting Dr. Eridia, our Postdoctoral Research Fellow!

10/13/2024

Giant pandas Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun, and Xi Lun arrived safely in Chengdu, China, on October 13, 2024, following their departure from Atlanta on October 12 aboard the “FedEx Panda Express,” a dedicated Boeing 777 aircraft. Transportation for this move was generously donated by FedEx.

The return of the four pandas to China is in line with Zoo Atlanta’s giant panda agreement with China, which expires this month.

Chengdu is the birthplace of Lun Lun and Yang Yang, both of whom were born at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in 1997. Daughters Ya Lun and Xi Lun are the sixth and seventh Atlanta-born pandas to travel to China.

“Over the past 25 years, Zoo Atlanta has had the honor and the privilege of introducing millions of guests to these treasured animals. The pandas have made their own distinct mark on the cultural fabric of the city of Atlanta. Their departure is not only bittersweet for Zoo Atlanta and the Panda Care Team, but also for everyone who has had the opportunity to get to know and learn from the pandas over the years,” said Raymond B. King, President and CEO. “We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of our giant panda program and of our commitment to our international partners who are helping us save this species.”

More than 9,000 guests visited during Zoo Atlanta’s Panda Palooza event on October 5, making fond farewells to the beloved black-and-white bears; creating bon voyage messages for the pandas; signing thank-you cards for the Panda Care Team; and enjoying panda memories and memorabilia. On September 30, cultural, sports, and philanthropic organizations around the city shared their appreciation for the pandas’ legacy in Atlanta as part of the social media campaign.

2024 marks the 25th anniversary of the Zoo Atlanta giant panda program. Dating to the mid-1990s, even prior to the arrival of Lun Lun and Yang Yang in 1999, Zoo Atlanta’s partnership with colleagues in China has a longtime history of collaboration and information sharing that has benefited the care, study, and conservation of giant pandas.

Since the inception of its giant panda program, Zoo Atlanta has supported the conservation of wild giant pandas and has been in the fortunate position of being able to support giant pandas living in nature reserves. Zoo Atlanta’s conservation support benefits habitat restoration, reserve management, and ranger support, as well as genetic diversity research.

The Chinese government has invested a significant amount of human, material, and financial resources to continuously strengthen the restoration and protection of wild giant panda habitat and has gradually established 67 giant panda reserves. In 2021, a habitat protection system was established with the Giant Panda National Park as the main body, further improving the connectivity, coordination, and integrity of the giant panda habitat. 72% of wild giant pandas are strictly protected.

In addition to conservation support and contributions to the global body of scientific knowledge of giant pandas and their biology and behavior, the Zoo Atlanta panda cooperative conservation program has been notably successful in terms of future contributions to the population of the species. Seven giant pandas have been born at the Zoo since 2006, including two successful pairs of twins. Offspring of Lun Lun and Yang Yang include Mei Lan (born 2006); Xi

Lan (born 2008); Po (born 2010); twins Mei Lun and Mei Huan (born 2013); and twins Ya Lun and Xi Lun (born 2016). Mei Lan, Xi Lan, Po, Mei Lun, and Mei Huan already reside at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China and have since all become parents themselves.

Visit zooatlanta.org/pandacam to review a comprehensive resource of frequently asked questions; check out commemorative videos and a digital book; read blog posts; and more.

Photos courtesy of FedEx

10/12/2024

GIANT PANDAS LUN LUN, YANG YANG, YA LUN, AND XI LUN HAVE DEPARTED FOR CHINA
Pandas have left Atlanta on their way to a new chapter in Chengdu

ATLANTA – October 12, 2024 – Giant pandas Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun,and Xi Lun are officially on their way to China for their new chapter at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. The pandas departed Atlanta in the morning hours of October 12, 2024, with transportation generously donated by FedEx .

The pandas are accompanied by three Zoo Atlanta team members dedicated to ensuring their care and comfort during their travels. Their luggage includes more than 300 pounds of bamboo; around 10 pounds of fresh produce, including apples, bananas, and sweet potatoes; six gallons of water; and 20 pounds of leafeater biscuits. Similar in texture and consistency to dry dog food, these biscuits are nutritionally designed for leaf-eating animals, contain vitamins and minerals, and are a regular part of the pandas’ diet.

Stay tuned for updates on the pandas’ arrival.

Address

800 Cherokee Avenue SE
Atlanta, GA
30315

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 6pm
Sunday	10am - 6pm

Website

http://www.zooatlanta.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Zoo Atlanta posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Zoo Atlanta:

Videos

Kambera's birth plan

Kambera's birth window opens so soon! Join Curator of Primates Jodi C. to learn about all the planning and strategizing that went on behind the scenes for this little one! #OnlyZooATL

Happy Halloween from Zoo Atlanta! Catch a peek of this year's spooky enrichment fun! #OnlyZooATL (media: Animal Care Teams)

Calling all big siblings

Calling all big siblings!!! Check out this video from Gorilla Keeper Cassie M. to learn how you can help Willie B. III be the best big brother ever! Send your videos to [email protected] by November 15 for a chance to be featured on Zoo Atlanta’s social media and win a private meeting with a member of the Gorilla Care Team to learn more about this amazing family and their care! The winning video will be shared on Friday, November 22. #OnlyZooATL More details here! https://zooatlanta.org/big-siblings/

Happy #CapeDayATL to the superheroes over at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta!

sloth sex announcement

We've need YOUR help naming our sweet new baby sloth, born to Cocoa and Nutella on August 9. Check out the video to learn the baby's sex and submit your names to the link below by November 1! The sloth care team will then choose a favorite, to be announced November 12. #OnlyZooATL https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RP9QZ22

Come behind the scenes for a glimpse at Kambera's recent ultrasound! With the birth window expected to open next month, we're getting so excited to meet the newest member of the Willie B. Jr. family. #OnlyZooATL

We’re entering the gorgeous weather of the fall season, and that means Boo at the Zoo is right around the corner. The Gorilla Care Team has been honing our fall enrichment skills, and everyone’s favorite 5-year-old has been more than happy to help test our treats. Watch as Floyd makes short work of his pumpkin ice treat. It looks like we may need to get more creative to challenge this future silverback! #SilverbackStory – Kaitlyn K., Gorilla Care Team #OnlyZooATL (video: Kaitlyn K.)

Latinx Heritage Month: Eridia

Latinx Heritage Month may be drawing to a close tomorrow, but we're far from done celebrating our wonderful team members. Today we're highlighting Dr. Eridia, our Postdoctoral Research Fellow! #OnlyZooATL #LatinxHeritageMonth

Latinx Heritage Month: Coraima

Happy Latinx Heritage Month! We're excited to highlight some of our wonderful team members in celebration, beginning with Hoofstock Keeper Coraima. Learn more about her story and the animals lucky enough to be in her care! #OnlyZooATL

As Willie B. III gets older, he's starting to venture around Habitat 4 all on his own! More often than not, however, you will find him alongside dad Willie B. Jr. throughout the day --- playing, napping, and mimicking many of his dad's behaviors. He's been surprising us by joining his dad at his midday hydration breaks and sitting patiently next to Willie B. Jr. during their daily ice treat toss, waiting for one of his own to snack on. As he continues to grow, we will see more independence and bravery from this little guy! #SilverbackStory – Shannon W., Gorilla Care Team #OnlyZooATL (video: Shannon W