#onlyzooatl

[dragonbeak]

Reminder, I'll be at Art Gone Wild, tomorrow! A Zoo Atlanta pop-up market featuring 40 local makers, 10-4 pm, included with admission. You can find me, my animal-themed wares, and more! Hope to see y'all there!

[zootoo]

Zoo Atlanta is thrilled to announce that Kiazi the southern white rhinoceros gave birth to a calf on December 24, 2023. The newborn is the first southern white rhino ever born at Zoo Atlanta.

The calf appears to be healthy and strong, and Kiazi is providing appropriate maternal care, according to the Animal Care and Veterinary Teams, who continue to monitor the pair closely. Kiazi, 22, has experience as a mother, having given birth to two previous living offspring at another organization prior to moving to Zoo Atlanta. Mother and calf will have an opportunity to continue to bond behind the scenes before entering the rhino habitat.

Just as white rhino pregnancies are among the animal kingdom’s longest, averaging anywhere between 16 months and 18 months, white rhino newborns are also among the animal kingdom’s largest terrestrial mammal babies, weighing 100 to 150 pounds at birth.

The calf is the first offspring for 12-year-old father Mumbles, who first met Kiazi in early 2022 following her late 2021 arrival from another Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited organization. The pair was recommended to breed by the AZA White Rhino Species Survival Plan® (SSP). Zoo Atlanta is an active partner in many SSPs, which seek to maintain healthy, genetically diverse, and self-sustaining animal populations in professional human care.

“The Zoo Atlanta family is beyond excited about the birth of Kiazi’s calf. This birth has been long-awaited news for many months. We have had many exciting developments in our rhino population over the past year,” said Raymond B. King, President and CEO. “If there is a special connection that our Members and guests can make with Kiazi and her calf, this is a connection that can translate to conservation action. All rhino species are currently in peril, and as stewards of this brand-new ambassador here in Atlanta, we also have a responsibility to do all we can to raise awareness of the status of wild rhinos.”

The Animal Care and Veterinary Teams have monitored Kiazi via voluntary ultrasounds since detecting her pregnancy in spring 2023. Only one other rhino calf, an eastern black rhino born in 2013, has been born at the Zoo in the organization’s 134-year history.

Zoo Atlanta’s rhino population received another member in October 2023 with the arrival of a second female, 17-year-old Dakari, also as part of a recommendation from the White Rhino SSP. The females and the calf will be introduced to Mumbles sometime in 2024.

Southern white rhinos, which are the largest of the five rhino species, are not actually white, despite their name. The moniker is believed to have originated with the Afrikaans word wyd, meaning “wide” – a reference to the shape of white rhinos’ upper lips.

The species is currently classified as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). While poaching for their horns is a serious issue for all rhinos and has already resulted in the extinctions and near-extinctions of some species, southern white rhinos are especially vulnerable because they often travel in herds in the wild, a behavior that makes it easier for poachers to locate them. Powdered rhino horn is believed by some cultures to possess medical properties, although rhino horns are made of keratin – the same substance found in human hair and fingernails – and have no known medicinal value.

Stay tuned for updates on the calf and Kiazi, and plan a visit at zooatlanta.org. #OnlyZooATL

[candlemann]

#theIMAGED #artofvisuals #global_hotshotz #folkgood #exklusive_shot #createexplore #awesome_earthpix #awesome.earth #earthfocus #earthofficial #feedbacknation #justgoshoot #instagood #vsco #stayandwander #igmasters #agameoftones #fatal.frames #createcommune #meistershots #niche #weekly_feature #ig_masterpiece @zooatl #onlyzooatl #reptile #chameleon #green #lizard (at Zoo Atlanta)

[hiromipanda]

Some gorgeous shots of Idgie @zooatl #onlyzooatl #redpanda #redpandas #redpandanation #redpandanetwork (at Zoo Atlanta)

[echoooooooooo123123]

#Repost @zooatl with @get_repost ・・・ Today’s PandaCam takeover is with the lappet-faced vultures! Make sure to check them out from 11 a.m. to Noon at zooatlanta.org/pandacam ! #OnlyZooATL https://www.instagram.com/p/CEcnhgqhOCv/?igshid=lj4vueugm59y

[tckelly78-blog]

#onlyzooatl last of the zoo #zoo #animals #sunshine #enjoylife #familytime #exercise https://www.instagram.com/p/BwsDNYsHuDW/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ti6qeofgjg6

[earnestscribblr]

Ed and I got to meet @zooatl's Aldabra tortoises today! #zooatlanta #onlyzooatl #aldabratortoise #latergram (at Zoo Atlanta)

[nonbinary-nature-lover-jeri]

Here’s A Red Panda Being Cute. This was a tweet from Zoo Atlanta @ZooATL They tweeted: Our team wouldn’t be complete without our red panda, Idgie! Red pandas are listed as endangered, and their populations are decreasing. The best way to help is to not support the pet trade. Don't share content of red pandas as pets! #RedPandas #ZAPandas #OnlyZooATL #RedPanda #Cute #Kawaii https://www.instagram.com/p/B97oXJJgnQ9/?igshid=rb7uryux00lg

[wikkedscorpion]

Just look at the pretty kitties!! @Regranned from @zooatl - #TBT to 2012 and this relatable mom moment with Chelsea! Tiger cubs Sohni and Sanjiv were born July 5, 2011. Sohni lives at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and recently gave birth to the first pair of tiger cubs in the park’s history! #OnlyZooATL - #regrann

[isle-of-misfittoys]

Normally I don't go for pandas, but this one just looks so darn cute. #onlyzooatl #Panda #ZooAtlanta (at Zoo Atlanta)

[max-rainet]

Oh my gosh, I just love the Primates at the Zoo Atlanta. So much happy fun!

[candlemann]

#pocket_world #visual_heaven #ilovenature #ig_divineshots #marvelshots #theworldshotz #discoverglobe #igbest_shotz #natgeoyourshot #epic_captures #awesomeglobe #splendid_earth #natureperfection #beautyofnature #fantastic_earth #awesome_earthpix #earthfocus #visualambassadors #nature_wizards #stunning_shots #igersmood #nature_brilliance #nature_sultans #master_shots #naturephotography @zooatl #onlyzooatl #reptile #lizard #iguana (at Zoo Atlanta)

[pandasneedourlove]

So why do you see the #ZAPandas sleeping so much? #OnlyZooATL

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 primarily of bamboo.

Pandas are indeed classified as carnivores, and after many years of researching, scientists have come up with a few speculations as to why pandas choose to eat bamboo. However, there is not currently a concrete answer to that question.

Pandas’ digestive systems are designed to break down meat, not plant material, so they only digest a small portion of what they eat to convert to energy. Ya Lun and Xi Lun, like other young mammals, are still developing and growing so they need all the rest they can get.

Sleeping almost all day is completely normal behavior for cubs their age. Once they get older and start eating bamboo more, they will begin breaking up their day full of napping with eating, playing, and then napping again. After that, they will wake up, eat, play, and then nap again. They sure do have a nice routine around here! Danica W. Swing Keeper I, Mammals

(photo by Danica W.)

[mccann-loves-the-calgary-zoo]

Tech Talk: Save a Species – From Your Own Home

Just launched!

Now you can transform your world into a jungle, find wild apes and protect them - all with your phone!

Wildeverse is a new, free mobile game that transforms your home into the jungle with Augmented Reality. With game-play akin to the smash-hit mobile phone game Pokemon Go, Wildeverse users play wildlife scientists studying the habits of animals in the rain-forests of Borneo and Congo Republic, using their smartphone camera to view life-size virtual trees and primates superimposed on their surroundings.

Developed by Nairobi-based Internet of Elephants in partnership with conservation organizations the Borneo Nature Foundation and Goualougo Triangle Ape Foundation, Wildeverse is jointly launched by Zoo Atlanta (U.S.) and the Chester Zoo (U.K.)

Wildeverse was initially developed as an outdoor game, but game developers worked around the clock in recent weeks to make it suitable for indoor play as well, providing people at home with alternative ways to connect with nature.

Wander through a life-sized jungle and encounter wild apes – all from your living room! The game is free and accessible to anyone with a recent smartphone.

Join a team of wildlife scientists and help them collect the data needed to protect the last wild spaces on Earth and the apes who call them home.

Meet Fio the orangutan, Buka the gorilla, Chilli the gibbon and Aida the chimpanzee – real apes living in the wild.

Collect food traces, footprints and more.

Take and share photos of your friends and family in the virtual jungle! Share them with us using #entertheWildeverse and #OnlyZooATL.

In the next release of Wildeverse, the app will connect you to people and organisations near you through in-app messages, inviting you to join local nature and conservation activities. In addition, in-app purchases will be activated through which a percentage of the profits will go directly to conservation partners to support the animals featured in the game. 

Wildeverse is available today for free download in the Appstore here or at Google Play here. Explore more about the game at wildeversegame.com.

Read more on Zoo Atlanta’s website: https://zooatlanta.org/learn/at-home/wildeverse/

And read more about the Nairobi-based company, Internet of Elephants, who developed the game here: https://www.fastcompany.com/company/internet-of-elephants

[aca-esthetic]

chrissiefit  Best time ever @zooATL! Thank you for bringing out the kid in all of us today 💓 #OnlyZooATL

[tckelly78-blog]

#onlyzooatl #zoo #animals #familytime #freshair #getoutside https://www.instagram.com/p/BwsCpsUn9k7/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=wjcw8bqf64wc