Latest news with #PittsburghZooandAquarium
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
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Somerset conservation center helps repopulate endangered species
FAIRHOPE, Pa. (WTAJ) — Local conservationists are raising awareness about dozens of species with animals at risk of extinction. The International Conservation Center in Somerset County, a branch of the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium, houses four different species of these animals on up to 30 acres of land each. These animals include bison, camels, reindeer and their infamous African elephants. 'You need a lot of space,' the conservation center's director Ayeshah Al-Humaidhi said. 'You need a lot of space. Most zoos are limited by their footprint and can only house so many elephants in a healthy, both mentally and physically, environment. Here we have 1000 acres. We have a lot of space to work with and a lot of opportunity for expansion when necessary.' Local beekeeper emphasizes the importance of honeybees for the environment Their goal is to help create climates where the animals can breed and repopulate while not being comfortable around humans. They want to have them stay in touch with their wild side. 'We're looking at certain species that we want to breed for reintroduction, and we don't want them to become human-focused and build relationships with humans because that actually sets them up to fail in the wild,' Al-Humaidhi said. Some of these animals are not grounds for reintroduction into the wild, like the African elephant. But more are in the works to happen, including plans to bring back the Allegheny Woodrat. 'Unfortunately, their numbers are dwindling due to disease that's being introduced by other wild animals,' Al-Humaidhi added. 'So we will be building habitats there. So these animals are being bred in institutions. However, we're looking at a place where they can learn to be wild animals and ensure that they're successful.' As time goes on, they want to help the cause that makes the circle of life and each ecosystem continue to run for generations to come. 'Animals are dependent on each other,' Al-Humaidhi said. 'We might not be. It might not be obvious to us, but there is a cycle of life.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium to debut new Ice Age exhibit
The Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium will soon debut a new Ice Age exhibit. The temporary exhibit, "Ice Age: Frozen in Time," runs from Monday, April 14, through Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. The experience will send guests "on a journey 2.58 million years back in time to the deep freeze of the Pleistocene epoch," according to a press release from zoo officials. Over 50 animated, life-like prehistoric creatures, including mammoths, mastodons, woolly rhinoceroses, saber-tooth cats, ground sloths, and dodo birds, will offer a glimpse into what life was like on Earth. The display is designed to recreate the sights and sounds of the Ice Age with realistic movements and recreated sounds of snorting, grunting, and rumbling, the press release adds. "The centerpiece of the exhibit is an animatronic mammoth towering over 12 feet tall," says Director of Special Projects and Events Sam Holloway. "You will be amazed to see how massive these animals were. The size of a mammoth's tusks or a saber-tooth cat's teeth is truly incredible to see firsthand." Visitors will learn how the creatures adapted and survived in harsh conditions while piecing together a timeline of Earth's evolution into what humans know today. "Many of these ancient animals were the ancestors of our current Zoo residents and are evidence of how wildlife has evolved over time," says Holloway. "They offer valuable information to us today about the effects of climate change and the importance of biodiversity."
CBS News
18-03-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Pittsburgh Zoo named "StormReady" by National Weather Service
Just a few days before the Pittsburgh region saw severe weather, the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium officially became a StormReady community. The Pittsburgh Zoo announced on Friday that it's now the first zoo in the state and fourth in the country to receive this designation from the National Weather Service. Being StormReady will help keep staff in the know 24/7 and help them protect animals and people when bad weather rolls in. May 17, 2024, was a particularly wild day at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. "We were kind of closing up close to the end of the day here at the zoo. We had warnings go off on our phones and we had a few guests on the grounds. We did go ahead, and pull them into safety. We had animals that we were able once again to go ahead and get into safe areas. So we did absolutely see just a funnel cloud kind of going past here at the zoo," said Katie Hughes, Director of Marketing and Communications at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. The NWS confirmed an EF0 tornado with 85 mph winds passed through the zoo that day, taking down trees and fences. The zoo's staff, visitors, and more than 8,000 animals were safe due to swift action. Nearly a year later, the zoo is certified as StormReady by the National Weather Service. Hughes said they applied for the program because they already know what to do to protect lives when a storm strikes. "We do have plenty of emergency procedures and we have ones for a variety of weather types, extreme heat, extreme cold, snow, heavy rain, flooding, and all of these things are things we already drill for and prepare for. And that aligns with the StormReady program," Hughes said. She said partnering with the NWS takes their emergency readiness to the next level. "We received some new radios that kind of give us some emergency alerts that come directly from them. We did join a few platforms that they have. So we're on some message boards and texts with them. And it is very nice now that we are in direct communication with the National Weather Service. We are able to share data with them. So, they share with us, we share back," said Hughes. The Zoo was put to the test Sunday afternoon. Hazardous weather rolled through, and the zoo proved to be more ready than ever. "They were calling for a severe weather warning in the area as well as a tornado any animals that shouldn't be out in weather like that, we have indoor areas to keep them safe and secure. And then we were also messaging to our guests. We did have a shelter in place for a period of time. So we made sure that guests were able to get to the shelter," said Hughes. "Sure enough, we did have hail, minor debris down, a few things knocked over, but everybody got through it nice and safe," she added. Being StormReady will especially also ensure the zoo is ahead of the game with forecasts for big events such as Summer Safari.
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
