Latest news with #PittsburghZoo&Aquarium
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Pittsburgh Zoo remains ‘storm-ready' 1 year after EF-1 tornado touched down
It has been one year since a tornado touched down at the Pittsburgh Zoo. It's the kind of natural disaster that could have had a serious ripple effect, but the staff was ready with a severe weather plan to keep guests and animals safe. PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium assessing damage after EF-1 tornado touched down in Highland Park 'We could see out the stairwell that there was a funnel cloud, right about there whenever we got those alerts on our phones, so we immediately went to shelter, sort of a lower indoor space,' Katie Hughes, Director of Marketing and Communications with the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium, said. Katie Hughes and her team were ready, getting visitors, staff and animals to safety. There was some damage but no one was injured. 'We had some large trees fall. We had a tree fall in our parking lot and we had some trees fall throughout the park,' Hughes said. Since then, the zoo has been certified as a 'storm-ready' community by the National Weather Service. PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium becomes 'storm ready,' recognized by National Weather Service 'They're not only prepared for the weather but they also know how to respond to the weather when that information comes in and then quickly share that information with everybody on the zoo ground who needs to know that information,' said Matt Brudy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The program helps community leaders better prepare for hazardous weather. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
CBS News
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Kidsburgh Weekend Guide: March 21-23
Lots of fun things to do with your kids on this first official weekend of spring! Check out the highlights below and see the full weekend guide from Kidsburgh here . Wednesday, March 19 through Saturday, March 22: Just Between Friends Consignment Sale This weekend at the AHN Montour Sports Complex, come score amazing deals on used kids' clothing, toys, books and more. The fun includes an Easter Egg-Stravaganza on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. with an egg hunt, face painting, balloon art and visits with the big bunny himself. Find details about the sale here . (And hear about it here on the Kidsburgh Podcast.) Saturday, March 22: NatureFest at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This event, which is included with admission, is the perfect way to explore the resources at the museum. The Carnegie Museum of Natural History's scientists, educators and community partners can't wait to teach families all about science. Browse the full schedule here and plan your day. Whether you're looking for family-friendly fun or a deep dive into land stewardship and invasive species research, there's programming for nature lovers of all ages. While this event is free, registration is suggested. Click here to learn more and register. Sunday, March 23: I AM WILD with the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium at the Children's Museum, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. This event is a great chance to meet live animals who are visiting the museum from the zoo. Learn all about habitats and the lives of these animals while exploring the new exhibit, I AM WILD . This event is included with museum admission. Find more details here . KDKA is proud to partner with
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium becomes ‘storm ready,' recognized by National Weather Service
The National Weather Service is recognizing the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. It has just been named the first storm 'storm ready' zoo in the entire state. The program better helps communities prepare for severe weather. The zoo said it routinely performs severe weather drills. An EF-0 tornado hit the zoo last May. It brought down trees and fences. PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium assessing damage after EF-1 tornado touched down in Highland Park No animals were harmed. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
CBS News
04-03-2025
- General
- CBS News
Small fire at Pittsburgh Zoo's aquarium prompts evacuation
A small electrical fire at the Pittsburgh Zoo's aquarium prompted an evacuation on Tuesday morning. The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium said the fire was reported in the aquarium building shortly before 11 a.m. Firefighters "responded promptly" and quickly got the fire under control, the zoo said in a Facebook post. All guests and workers were safely evacuated. The animals are being monitored closely. The zoo said the fire was confined to the ductwork, and the building has been deemed structurally sound. While smoke in the aquarium has been cleared and fans are in place, the zoo says the building will be closed for the rest of the day. The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium is home to more than 8,000 animals representing over 600 species. Animals like penguins, blacktip reef sharks and sea turtles live in the aquarium.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Where the buffalo roam: Somerset County conservation center adds bison
SOMERSET, Pa. – The Pittsburgh zoo has added one of the nation's most iconic creatures, the American bison, to its sprawling Somerset County conservation center. Three female bison and a male 'bull' – described as some of the purest stock in North America – have been transferred to the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium's International Conservation Center from a prairie-based nature reserve in central Montana, zoo officials said in a release to media. 'This is the beginning of an exciting breeding and reintroduction program that will repatriate bison to indigenous territories across the United States,' said ICC Director Ayeshah Al- Humaidhi. 'The herd will also provide training opportunities for animal care managers across zoological institutions and our Native American partners.' Tens of millions of American bison, often called buffalo, were once abundant across the plains and as far east as New York, Pennsylvania and Florida, according to the National Park Service. Over the span of generations, European settlers wiped out herds in Pennsylvania and nearly drove the species to U.S. extinction. The species is listed as 'near threatened,' which is closed to endangered status, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Pittsburgh Zoo and American Prairie, which provided the bison, are part of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums' Bison Saving Animals from Extinction (SAFE) program, which is working to share its resources with North American partners, including Indigenous groups, as part of a broader effort to enable bison populations to thrive again, zoo officials said. 'Based on AZA SAFE recommendations, we will actively look for partners to receive any bison that are bred at the ICC,' said Al-Humaidhi. Genetic integrity plays an important role in bison conservation, he said. Given that many bison bred with cattle over centuries, the Saving Animals from Extinction program incorporates the most genetically pure bison and pays close attention to genetic diversity to manage the health of its herds. At the International Conservation Center in Fairhope, the goal will be to encourage breeding among a male and three females who are purer stock, officials said. 'We are thrilled to partner with the ICC and contribute to this important new program to help grow bison populations across North America,' said Scott Heidebrink, Director of Landscape Stewardship for American Prairie. 'We have spent the past 20 years restoring bison to their native prairie home and look forward to seeing even more of these iconic mammals on this historic landscape.' Zoo officials first told The Tribune-Democrat about plans to add bison to the historically elephant-focused conservation center in June 2023. The four bison arrived in December and are now 8 months old, officials said. As new residents of the center, the bison will also serve as Pennsylvania ambassadors for their species, the Pittsburgh zoo wrote, 'helping visitors understand the vital role they play in the ecosystem as a keystone species and the importance of preserving their natural habitats.'
