Latest news with #AssociationofZoosandAquariums-accredited
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Miami Herald
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
You can now see lion cubs at this South Florida zoo. Here's what to know
After months of bonding with their mother behind the scenes, two African lion cubs are now on full display at Lion Country Safari in Palm Beach County ready for vistors eager to see the playful felines. Adari and Zarina were born on April 21 to their first-time mother, Mara. The Lion Country Safari wildlife team has been taking care of the cubs as they stayed with their mother. The cubs were first seen by the public on the safari's first live 'Cub Cam' to watch them grow. 'Mara has been doing a fantastic job raising and protecting her cubs and it's been extremely rewarding for our team to see them hit all their milestones and now venture out into the habitat with the pride,' said Ashleigh Kandrac, general curator at Lion Country Safari. Cam followers also named them after two rounds of voting on a list of 734 submissions. The cubs will join the other females in the lion pride after successful, careful introductions, including Mashika, a 3-year-old female and half-sister to the cubs, who is their favorite playmate. The drive-through preserve has 12 African lions, the largest pride within an Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited institution. 'The cubs have been spending a lot of time with Mashika. They enjoy running, playing and napping with her, and when things get too rambunctious, Mara, their mom, will step in to quiet things down,' Kandrac said.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
St. Louis Zoo scrambles animals, 10,000 visitors to safety as EF-3 tornado leaves trail of damage
ST. LOUIS – While a Tornado Warning can be stressful for a family, imagine being the St. Louis Zoo, which was right outside the path of an EF-3 tornado and managed to keep hundreds of animals, insects, reptiles and 10,000 visitors safe. The greater St. Louis metro region is facing unimaginable loss and a long recovery after a strong tornado carved a 23-mile path of destruction through the city, leaving five dead and damages estimated at over $1 billion. The tornado just brushed the north of the St. Louis Zoo, which suffered significant wind damage throughout the historic property. 7 Killed In Missouri After Tornado-warned Storm Causes Extensive Damage St. Louis Zoo Director Michael Macek said the zoo staff didn't wait for a Tornado Warning to prepare for the storm. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited facility has an emergency plan for about every situation, including animal escapes, fires and weather events. "The morning was a beautiful day. In fact, even after the tornado came through, the sun came out, and it was a beautiful afternoon," Macek said. "As the weather was approaching, we'd let everybody know. We just made sure they had all their radios on. They had their landlines, you know, volume up. And they have their mobiles on for any kind of messaging related to a tornado warning or watch." Even before the National Weather Service issued the Tornado Watch, animal caretakers were using recall techniques to ensure the animals were back inside their enclosed areas. Not all animals were inside ahead of the storm. The Asian elephants had their own tornado drill. "So you can imagine a big animal. If you're on land, you could potentially take a lot of projectiles," Macek said. "So they actually instinctively go into the water. So they went into the pool during the course of the biggest, hardest, hardest winds, and then they came back out." Herding animals wasn't the only challenge; zoo staff also needed to ensure the shelter of all 10,000 visitors. Throughout the zoo, there are areas considered safe severe weather zones. "Our team members could be bringing people into the administration building, into the basement," Macek said. "We had approximately 70 people in the basement of our reptile house. There were people in our bathrooms, which are all just cinder blocks, no windows." St. Louis Food Truck Owner Killed During Storms Leaves Behind 7 Children: 'He Always Showed Up With A Hug' After the storm passed, Macek said it was apparent from the damage that the zoo needed to close. The staff then evacuated all the guests who had sheltered from the storm throughout the zoo. Macek said the recently renovated solarium in the Herpatrium was damaged, and some perimeter fencing was knocked down. The roof of the Zoo's Ann Lee Butterfly Wing was also damaged during the storm. The Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House at the Missouri Botanical Garden in Chesterfield swooped in and took in butterflies, chrysalids and cocoons needing a temporary spot. Macek said it took about two days to collect all the butterflies. "If you're a proficient butterfly netter, it's not so complicated and our team is pretty proficient at it," he said. The most significant loss is the trees throughout the zoo. Macek estimates that about 100 trees, some more than 100 years old, fell in the storm. "That's an incredible shame," Macek said. On Monday, about 70% of the zoo campus reopened, and Macek hopes the full zoo will be open by Memorial Day article source: St. Louis Zoo scrambles animals, 10,000 visitors to safety as EF-3 tornado leaves trail of damage
USA Today
24-04-2025
- General
- USA Today
Endangered Galapagos tortoise babies debut in Philadelphia; zoo needs help picking names
Endangered Galapagos tortoise babies debut in Philadelphia; zoo needs help picking names Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises have been endangered for more than 200 years, with a prime threat being human conflict. Show Caption Hide Caption Century old tortoises become new parents at the Philadelphia Zoo Century old tortoise couple at the Philadelphia Zoo are new parents to four critically endangered Galapagos tortoises. Four critically endangered tortoise babies made their debut at the Philadelphia Zoo this week, just in time for a belated Earth Day celebration. Four Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises, born in February, made their debut in the Philadelphia Zoo's Reptile and Amphibian House on Wednesday, April 23. The babies were born to two of the zoo's oldest residents, Mommy and Abrazzo, with each estimated to be about 100 years old. Mommy has resided at the zoo since 1932, and Abrazzo joined more recently in 2020. The four new tortoises are a part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan breeding program, which aims to protect species that are endangered and maintain a genetically diverse population. Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises are listed as "critically endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and have been endangered for more than 200 years, with prime threats being human-wildlife conflict, the introduction of invasive species and habitat loss, the Philadelphia Zoo reports. The last batch of Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises to hatch in an Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoo was in 2019 at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in South Carolina. Zoo asks for help in naming babies The zoo is looking for help in naming its new residents. Zoo staff came up with four different name combinations, based on varying themes: Female herpetologists: Mary, Joan, Grace and Hellen (named after Mary Cynthia Dickerson, Joan Beauchamp Proctor, Grace Olive Wiley and Helen Thompson Gaige) Mary, Joan, Grace and Hellen (named after Mary Cynthia Dickerson, Joan Beauchamp Proctor, Grace Olive Wiley and Helen Thompson Gaige) Celebrating Philadelphia: Liberty, Independence (Indy), Betsy and Belle Liberty, Independence (Indy), Betsy and Belle Golden Girls: Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia "In West Philadelphia born and raised...": Aunt Viv, Willie, Jazz and Avery (named after "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air") Voting is available on the Philadelphia Zoo website through 11:59 p.m. local time on Sunday, April 27. Here's what to know about visiting the Philadelphia Zoo The Philadelphia Zoo is open every day from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time. Admission for non-members is between $20 and $34. Children under the age of 2 are admitted for free. The zoo also offers behind-the-scenes visits with Mommy and Abrazzo on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. local time. Tickets are $65 per person and do not include zoo admission. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@
