Every once in a while, George the okapi will come down with a serious case of the zoomies! 💨 Have you ever seen George zipping around his habitat?
While walking through our Zoo, you may notice a new addition to our boardwalk: a bridge for our macaws! 🦜
At our Zoo, choice and control is essential to the animal care we provide our residents. Previously, our macaws hung out right outside the entrance to our Lands of Change loop but didn't have multiple habitats to choose between. After months of planning, our animal care team found a creative solution. Now, the birds can use their bridge to access new perching and their nighthouse, located in the flamingos' habitat!
It's safe to say our macaws are already loving their new stomping grounds. Have you gotten a chance to check the bridge out?
Let's protect our marine friends! 🐢🌊
Matcha, a patient at our Sea Turtle Healing Center, was a victim of discarded fishing line. We encourage everyone to take caution and properly dispose of their waste to prevent cases like Matcha's from happening. Small changes in our habits can make all the difference.
It's time for another bear release! We recently said goodbye to Pickles and Millie, two Florida black bear cubs who were rehabilitated at our Zoo's L3Harris Animal Care Center. After treating the duo for several months, our Zoo and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission team sent Pickles and Millie back to their natural habitat. 🌲🐻
🔗Read all about these cubs at our latest blog: https://vist.ly/3msenfu
It's a babirusa birthday! 🎉 Happy first birthday, Merry and Pippin!
We celebrated our two North Sulawesi babirusa piglets' birthdays on Wednesday with an extra special treat. Thanks to our amazing commissary team, the piglets enjoyed their very own cakes made up of their favorite produce including sweet potato, lettuce, apples and beets. 🥬
Be sure to stop by their habitat in our Lands of Change loop on your next Zoo visit to wish the piggies a happy belated birthday!
Today, Rainforest Revealed area supervisor Grace is going over all that goes into training our blue-throated and blue-and-gold macaws! From vocalizations to target training, our zookeepers are always thinking of thoughtful ways to bring out these birds' natural behaviors. These talkative birds are full of energy and personality, so there's never a dull day in the Flooded Forest! 🦜💛
We have some new "tweethearts" among our Florida grasshopper sparrows! We welcomed two new male Florida grasshopper sparrows who were recommended to pair with two of our females. Meet the new pairs: Rowan and Zoey along with Fettucine and Wild One. In this video, watch Wild One and Fettucine enjoy a wormy meal together after first being introduced!
It is so important to ensure that our Florida grasshopper sparrow pairs produce healthy, genetically diverse chicks. This critically endangered species is found only in a few areas of Central and South Florida. About 8 years ago, just over 100 members of their species were found in their natural range. Since starting a conservation breeding program at our Zoo 3 years ago, our resident sparrow pairs have hatched well beyond this number! We're looking forward to breeding season in a few months!
📹 Thanks to Conservation Zoologist Kelly for this sweet video!
We've partnered with Florida Tech to better understand problem solving skills in carnivores. Our not-so-little coati band is helping the team draw scientific conclusions about how these animals can innovate new solutions. 🧠
The research and observations begin with a puzzle box equipped with several doors, each opened in a unique way. When the coati is first introduced to the box, each door is closed but unlocked. Once they figure out how to open a door, the treat hidden inside is revealed, and the coati can claim their reward. After each individual learns to use one solution consistently, that door is then locked. The goal is to see if they can then figure out a new way to get to the food through using a different door.
As with everything we do, participation is completely voluntary. Coatis are curious by nature, so we often see them interested in the box and participating frequently. However, if someone isn’t feeling it that day, they are free to not engage with the study with no negative consequences whatsoever.
We’re excited to be a part of this growing area of science, and we hope it brings further understanding to where carnivores’ cognitive abilities lie. As these types of studies progress, we hope it can also bring further understanding to how we care for our carnivore residents. We strive to incorporate information provided by the newest and most cutting-edge studies into our top-notch animal wellbeing standards to ensure our animal residents are living their best lives in our care.
To learn more about our coati's scientific endevors, head to our blog: https://brevardzoo.org/news/are-you-smarter-than-a-coati/ 🔗
Our Bolivian gray titi monkeys, Cooper and Bellini, are a tiny but mighty pair! 🐒
These small primates are a favorite of Area Supervisor Grace, and she shares what it's like working with the father and son duo. Grace has devoted lots of time to building a trusting relationship with these two and has observed some of their most unique behaviors up close, like tail twining.
Watch the video to learn all about our adorable titis! 🎥
Brody the Florida black bear is trained in a number of behaviors designed to make him participate in his own healthcare. One of those behaviors, opening his mouth, allows his animal care team to inspect his teeth - and was the first step to introducing toothbrushing! 🪥
Wild Florida area supervisor Christen started by soaking this plant-based toothbrush in diluted apple juice for a tasty (and positive!) experience at first, building up to a full brushing of the front teeth. She then phased out the juice for a vet staff-approved, fluroide-free variety - Tom's of Maine kid's toothpaste in the flavor Silly Strawberry! 🍓
Bears in general are prone to worn teeth and dental disease, Christen said. While we haven't seen this yet because Brody is relatively young, this preventative care should help him maintain strong, healthy teeth for years to come.
Christen has been working with Brody on this behavior since spring 2024, and she hopes to eventually introduce toothbrushing to Florida black bears Betty and Cheyenne as well. We want to ensure that all our animal residents receive the best possible care throughout their lives with us.
We'd be lion if we said we didn't love a lion cuddle pile. 🦁
Welcome to part three of our lemur takeover! 🥬
Our lemurs know all kinds of important training behaviors, from targeting to injection training to carrier training. Today, we’re giving you an inside look at how zookeeper Matt practices voluntary crate training with our lemurs. This behavior allows these guys to become comfortable with being transported for veterinary visits or habitat moves. This behavior is a huge help during hurricanes when some individuals may need to be temporarily moved to another living space.
However, carrier training looks a little different for this species. Both of our lemur conspiracies participate in training in hierarchical order. That means the dominant lemur can enter their secure carrier first to allow the other ones to feel comfortable enough to participate themselves. These social systems are complex and nuanced, but currently Juniper the red ruffed lemur and Red Bay the ring-tailed lemur are dominant in their groups.
Each lemur is treated to a high-reward snack (Crasins!) when they successfully enter the carrier space. 🫐
That’s all the time we have for training today but be sure to come back to see how our zookeepers end their day.
#BZAnimalTakeover
