Zoo Atlanta Zoo Atlanta News 2025

 
biggest_dreamer said:
It was just sectioned off for my last visit in April. To my knowledge they haven't announced any plans for it or made any changes to it, probably because they're holding out hope that they can get some more pandas.
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That's what I assumed but was hoping I might be incorrect. A friend of mine is visiting Atlanta and part of me was considering tagging along to see the zoo and aquarium, but another part of me would rather wait a little bit and see how this situation unfolds.
 
I have consistently been pessimistic about pandas returning to the US and I have consistently been wrong. With that said, I would once again be surprised if this works out for Atlanta. It’s just a pretty small set of exhibits. I really wouldn’t love it even for sun bears. I hope that if they do get pandas back, it will be after some capital expenditure on the exhibit.

The other time based factor to weigh is that no one knows how much longer Georgia’s last tiger shark will actually last. Could be many years. Could be less. The captive track record isn’t great for the species.
 
biggest_dreamer said:
She was their only one, but I'm not sure how long she'd been there. I'm pretty bummed about this one too. I saw her just three days prior to her passing. The "Complex Carnivores" section had already taken a big hit very recently with the loss of Logan the fossa, and both the bush dogs and raccoon dogs several years back... not to mention that the sun bears probably won't be around much longer.

I really hope the area can bound back, because on average carnivorans are probably my absolute favorite order and we've seen what an impressive collection this zoo is capable of. I'm just not sure how likely that is under current management.
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The sun bears are in there mid to late 20’s I think the will still have some time.
 
Piece of June 2025 / 2 Pieces of July 2025 News Not Mentioned:

On June 24th, the zoo announced they acquired a ball python named Pancake from another unspecified AZA facility, which is an ambassador animal.

Zoo Atlanta

On July 10th, the zoo announced that 2 tawny frogmouths named Latke and Pistachio hatched in May.

Zoo Atlanta

On July 11th, it was announced that the zoo transferred a male (1.0) pancake tortoise and a prehensile-tailed skink to San Francisco Zoo in California on June 4th.

https://sfrecpark.org/DocumentCenter/View/26342/JtZooAg71725

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On August 13th, the zoo announced that 2 red-and-yellow barbets hatched, which are now on display in The Living Treehouse.

Zoo Atlanta
 
 
A very quick report from my visit:
- A red-tailed hawk has taken residence in the former Bald Eagle aviary.
- The former clouded leopard enclosure has tarps covering the windows and signage removed. Whiile the animal's passing is known, it is the only empty enclosure I saw 'hidden' in this manner.
- The former fossa enclosure is now signed for Binturong, three of which were visible in their other enclosure. Some guests were unaware the fossa had passed and were asking about him.
- The former ground hornbill enclosure is empty; the species has been moved to an enclosure in the Children's Zoo across from the alpacas.
- The former raccoon dog enclosure is still empty and unsigned. (They left years ago, it's a shame the space is still empty.)
- The former giant panda enclosure area looks to be under some construction, or at least has construction vehicles are present still. I suspct the zoo is still planning to update the enclosure pending the design.
- In Slimy Scaly Spectacular, the diamondback terrapins (#34) and neighbors (enclosures #33 and #32) appear to have been abruptly taken off exibit; a sign clarified a promised keeper talk would not take place.
- The following previously reported species were not seen or signed in Slimy Scaly Spectacular: Reticulated python, Green Anaconda; one of their former enclosures has been taken by another Jamaican iguana in #5 (not seen) and the other by a boa constrictor in #6. The second room is a bit of a letdown now. Incidentally, Saint Louis Zoo also before my visit in 2023 lost their Green Anaconda in a multi-level viewing space and used a boa constrictor as filler...
- The following tanks in Slimy Scaly Spectacular were empty or signed as off display, includng those listed above: #5, #16, #23, #26[?], #32, #33, #34, two of the indoor enclosures in the 'desert' section, at least three of the 'jewel case' exhibits in the middle of the hallways (I believe the third, fourth and sixth of six cases, with a prehensile-tailed skink in the fifth) and outdoor enclosure #X11.
- The first three cases in the greenhouse section of SSS currently contain an emerald tree monitor (#3) the Guatamalen beaded lizard (#4) and a Timor python/Short-tailed python mix.
- Most of the tourtoises outside Slimy Scaly Spectacular are already off display for the winter, although it was still warm today. No Aldabra tortoise, Impessd tortoise, or Eastern box turtle in either of two enclosures was visible. Gopher tortoise was seen though, which makes sense as a native species.
- There were no zebra seen today; other guests remarked on this as well. I did not see the ostrich either but other guests commented explicitly on the zebra. Only two giraffe were outside.
- The zoo currently has no antelope whatsoever, despite having held three species at once just a decade or so ago, according to my research.
- The wrinkled hornbill were off display. I may have seen the tail of one from through the keeper area door.
- The zoo sems to only have one wolf's guenon; I checked the habitat several times and only saw the one individual with the three drills.
- This isn't news, but I really want to mention the sun bears were extremely active, and I saw them active on no less than three separate occasions throughout the day. Considering they seem to be no-shows almost everywhere else that has them and are rapidly on the declne, this was super cool!
- One more non-news item but one of the Speckled pigeons approached the mesh of the lemur exhibit and attracted the interest of a black and white ruffed lemur, which was so cool to see.

Today was really busy with excited Boo at the Zoo guests. I may try to do one more visit before I leave Atlanta. I covered most of it extremely twell but there's a few spots I'd like to cover one more time.
 
JVM said:
A very quick report from my visit:

- The former clouded leopard enclosure has tarps covering the windows and signage removed. Whiile the animal's passing is known, it is the only empty enclosure I saw 'hidden' in this manner.

- The former giant panda enclosure area looks to be under some construction, or at least has construction vehicles are present still. I suspct the zoo is still planning to update the enclosure pending the design.

- The following previously reported species were not seen or signed in Slimy Scaly Spectacular: Reticulated python, Green Anaconda; one of their former enclosures has been taken by another Jamaican iguana in #5 (not seen) and the other by a boa constrictor in #6. The second room is a bit of a letdown now. Incidentally, Saint Louis Zoo also before my visit in 2023 lost their Green Anaconda in a multi-level viewing space and used a boa constrictor as filler...

- The zoo currently has no antelope whatsoever, despite having held three species at once just a decade or so ago, according to my research.

- This isn't news, but I really want to mention the sun bears were extremely active, and I saw them active on no less than three separate occasions throughout the day. Considering they seem to be no-shows almost everywhere else that has them and are rapidly on the declne, this was super cool!
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Oh, you finally made it to Atlanta! Not at the best time, from the sound of it, but still.

I actually didn't know the clouded leopard was dead. Interesting that they're working on the exhibit, though. It'd be kind of nice if they connected that space to the tiger exhibit.

Construction in the panda exhibit also has my attention. I wonder what that's about...

Sad that the two big snakes are gone. The python was legitimately pretty impressive to see.

Will confirm that the zoo held Greater (?) Kudu for several years, and bongos were present as of my visits in 2016. I don't know off hand what the third species was.

Awesome to hear that the sun bears are still doing well and gave you a show. I haven't visited since 2021; I'm hoping to get a return trip in soon, but I wasn't sure what to expect from the old bears. I want to see them again while I can.
 
Having visited the zoo myself, I can confirm much of the facts, like the absence of clouded leopards and the snakes. Admittedly, its sometimes hard to see all those birds near that bird show theater, as the paths closest to it seem blocked to all but the staff.

During my visit, I got to see the theater area in the African rainforest, which had a theme featuring animals thay have defenses against predation, such as the lesser hedgehog tenrec, the Madagascar hissing cockroach, the gopher tortoise, and the Guatemalan beaded lizard. An interesting fact is that this theater plays music from Disney movies, probably to sell the idea of it being a family friendly experience.
 
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JAG said:
Oh, you finally made it to Atlanta! Not at the best time, from the sound of it, but still.

I actually didn't know the clouded leopard was dead. Interesting that they're working on the exhibit, though. It'd be kind of nice if they connected that space to the tiger exhibit.

Construction in the panda exhibit also has my attention. I wonder what that's about...

Sad that the two big snakes are gone. The python was legitimately pretty impressive to see.

Will confirm that the zoo held Greater (?) Kudu for several years, and bongos were present as of my visits in 2016. I don't know off hand what the third species was.

Awesome to hear that the sun bears are still doing well and gave you a show. I haven't visited since 2021; I'm hoping to get a return trip in soon, but I wasn't sure what to expect from the old bears. I want to see them again while I can.
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Lesser kudu, and they had yellow-backed duiker and a bontebok some years ago.
 
When did the zoo have the kudus? I recall bongo perhaps a decade ago, and then briefly a bontebok (that I believe I only saw once) within the past 5 years or so. I know these two species didn’t overlap, and if the bongo overlapped with kudus I have no recollection of it.

The former raccoon dog enclosure used to keep an unsigned tortoise species that I never bothered IDing for a while, but that hasn’t been the case for a few years in my experience.

Really sad to see this collection’s continued stagnation compared to a decade ago when they had giant panda, raccoon dog, bush dog, fossa, clouded leopard… They used to have an incredibly strong carnivoran lineup.
 
Don't quote me on it, but I want to say the kudus were there as of my first visit shortly after the pandas first arrived. 2000, or thereabouts. Two of them were definitely in the African savannah enclosure when I visited in 2016, but gone on my last visit in 2021.

I never knew about the bontebok! That would have been cool to see. They're weird looking antelope, and I wasn't aware they even exist until recently.
 
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