When is the last time you went to the zoo? Here are some of the current exhibits you may not have seen (there is a brand new reptile house):
African Plains and Mzima Springs Home to lions, giraffe, black rhinos, zebras, lesser kudus, meerkats and warthogs, this five-acre landscape simulates the African savanna.
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Giant Panda Conservation Center. Zoo Atlanta is one of only four zoos in the U.S. housing giant pandas. With only an estimated 1,600 giant pandas believed to remain in the wild, the Zoo is committed to behavioral research contributing to a selfsustaining, genetically diverse captive population. Lun Lun (female) and Yang Yang (male) arrived in 1999 on loan from China.
Scaly Slimy Spectacular: The Amphibian and Reptile Experience Opened in April 2015, Scaly Slimy Spectacular is the world’s first LEED Gold-certified reptile and amphibian exhibit. Home to around 100 animals representing more than 70 species, the complex features 60,000 gallons of water; a 35-foot naturalistic waterfall feeding into an indoor alligator lagoon; and more than 9,700 square feet of hand-crafted rockwork designed to replicate some of the most iconic wild places on Earth.
The Asian Forest The Asian Forest houses the nation’s largest zoological collection of orangutans, featuring both Bornean and Sumatran orangutans in three outdoor habitats. Although orangutans are solitary in the wild, the Zoo’s collection lives in small social groups. Seven Sumatran orangutans and three Bornean orangutans have been born at Zoo Atlanta over the past 30 years. Additional highlights include giant otters, red panda and Komodo dragon.
Boundless Budgies: A Parakeet Adventure Boundless Budgies: A Parakeet Adventure, opened in 2009, invites guests to feed hundreds of birds in a dynamic world of wings. Native to Australia and often seen in flocks of thousands, parakeets are highly social, curious and colorful.
Complex Carnivores Opened in April 2011, this series of habitats introduces guests to the diversity of the world’s carnivores. Highlights are bush dogs, binturong, fossa and a plant bog presenting carnivorous flora.
Flamingo Plaza A thriving flock of Chilean flamingos greets guests as they enter Flamingo Plaza. The flamingos’ pink color comes from carotene, the same substance that gives color to shrimp, marigolds and carrots. Flamingos are white when they hatch, grey as juveniles, and pink as adults.
The Ford African Rain Forest The Ford African Rain Forest houses the nation’s largest collection of gorillas, with 20 individuals. The gorillas live in distinct social groups over a 1.5-acre series of habitats, a lush natural environment that promotes behaviors similar to those observed in the wild. Twenty-two gorillas have been born at Zoo Atlanta since the opening of The Ford African Rain Forest in 1988. Also located in The Ford African Rain Forest is The Living Treehouse, a dynamic treetop environment bringing to life the importance of trees to wildlife survival. The Living Treehouse is home to a colorful diversity of bird life in an open-air aviary, as well as Schmidt’s guenons, Wolf’s guenons, Angolan colobus monkeys, lemurs and critically endangered drills.
Orkin Children’s Zoo and Outback Station The Orkin Children’s Zoo carries a South American theme and is home to golden lion tamarins. Other features include Base Camp Discovery, three climate-controlled cabins that allow guests to enjoy an educational overnight experience among animals from around the world. The second phase of the Orkin Children’s Zoo, Outback Station, opened in 2004 and introduced red kangaroos. Other examples of Australian wildlife include Major Mitchell’s cockatoos, kookaburra and cassowary. One of the world’s largest bird species, the cassowary is roughly the size of an emu. A spacious petting zoo enables close interactions with pigs, sheep, goats in a fun, friendly environment themed to resemble an Australian sheep station. Designed with kids in mind, the petting zoo is an excellent introduction to wildlife for urban visitors.
Trader’s Alley: Wildlife’s Fading Footprints Opened in June 2010, this thought-provoking pathway introduces guests to the global problem of the wildlife trade against the backdrop of a recreated Asian market, with breathtaking views of many of the species affected by the trade. Highlights include sun bears, Sumatran tigers, clouded leopard and wreathed hornbills. The Zoo is home to an adult pair of Sumatran tigers, Chelsea and Kavi. Sohni and Sanjiv, born to Chelsea on July 5, 2011, were the first tigers born at Zoo Atlanta in more than a decade.
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