Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium News 2025

TigerValley98 said:
The zoo gets a $10 million dollar donation for giraffe barn and for Expedition Indonesia.

Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium Receives "Transformative" $10 Million Gift from Anonymous Donors - Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
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They apparently said the outdoor giraffe space will be mixed species. I imagine they're implying they're move the Nyalas there and possibly add other antelope species and the ostrich. That would give the elephants some more room. My main concern with the giraffes though would be the zebras potentially attacking the antelope species if housed with them.
 
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I'll admit that this is disappointing seeing as it looks like this means they won't have space for taking in another elephant seal anytime soon. Or walrus either, since I think that was the original plan. I was there last year not long before their last elephant seal died hoping to see it, but it was a no-show that day.
 
I don’t think anyone new is going to get walruses for a while. The current population is dependent on wild rescues to maintain numbers as I understand it, and if the aquariums want to get breeding up they’ll probably need to increase the number of individuals at the existing holders to better mimic wild social groupings. At least, that’s the theory.

It also just doesn’t really make business sense to keep a large exhibit holding a redundant species just in case there’s a random unreleasable elephant seal. I’d like to think if there is one they could probably hang out at Alaska Sealife Center or some other more rehab-focused facility for long enough to ship the sea lions or penguins / pelicans out.
 
Persephone said:
I don’t think anyone new is going to get walruses for a while. The current population is dependent on wild rescues to maintain numbers as I understand it, and if the aquariums want to get breeding up they’ll probably need to increase the number of individuals at the existing holders to better mimic wild social groupings. At least, that’s the theory.

It also just doesn’t really make business sense to keep a large exhibit holding a redundant species just in case there’s a random unreleasable elephant seal. I’d like to think if there is one they could probably hang out at Alaska Sealife Center or some other more rehab-focused facility for long enough to ship the sea lions or penguins / pelicans out.
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The zoo will soon have the issue of what to do with the polar bear habitat. Snowflake is of advanced age. Polar bears are not always easy to get these days. The habitat may have to have a different species living there at some point thus giving the zoo more room to utilize if anything like this comes up.
 
Other Early-Mid 2025 News Not Mentioned:
On March 13th, the zoo announced they rehabilitated and released a large group of sea turtles (species(s) not specified) back into the ocean.

17K views · 473 reactions | The sea turtles in our Sea Turtle Second Chance Program have been released back into the ocean! Here, one of our loggerhead sea turtles swims back home. The turtles were taken down to Little Talbot State Park in Florida by our team. Stay tuned for more on the release and the journey to give these sea turtles their second chance. Sponsored by Peoples Natural Gas | Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium

On May 23rd, the zoo announced that 3 nine-banded armadillos named Boulder, Geode, and Onyx were born, which will become animal ambassadors for the facility in the future.

39K views · 722 reactions | Arma-delightful news! Meet Boulder, Geode, and Onyx. Our education team at the Zoo has been hard at work taking care of our new nine-banded armadillo pups. They are born with soft leathery skin that hardens within a few weeks. In this video, you can watch them grow and change. While these ‘little armored ones’ get adjusted to the new world around them, you can learn more about armadillos through our Rainforest Wild Encounter and our education programming. These armadillos join our other Animal Ambassadors, which are viewable through education programming, outreach or special visits, and select Wild Encounters. | Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium

On June 16th, it was announced that the zoo transferred a (1.0) Bornean orangutan named Jiwa Hati to Fort Worth Zoo in Texas.

142K views · 4.7K reactions | You may have noticed a new face in the World of Primates … meet Jiwa Hati (which means “soul-heart” in Indonesian)! Jiwa is a 19-year-old male Bornean orangutan who recently came to us from the Pittsburgh Zoo. Since his arrival, Jiwa has adjusted quickly, appearing comfortable in his new home and forming connections with his troopmates and animal staff within just his first week in Texas. As a flanged male, Jiwa sports the distinctive cheek pads - called flanges - that are characteristic of dominant male orangutans. This feature helps distinguish him from the females here at the Zoo! Male orangutans are typically more solitary than females, so our animal staff took a gradual approach to introducing Jiwa to our three female orangutans. Fortunately, our keepers report that Jiwa is a gentle and easygoing male - and the females, especially P.T., have warmed up to him quickly. P.T., who was born at the Zoo and has lived here for over 50 years, is a well-established member of the group and can certainly show Jiwa the ropes! Before arriving at the Fort Worth Zoo, Jiwa lived exclusively indoors. So, exploring his new outdoor habitat, complete with a climbing structure, water features and grass areas, has been an adjustment for him! Our staff made sure to give him time to slowly acclimate to his indoor and outdoor habitats before we were ready to share his arrival with the world. As you can see, Jiwa seems to be enjoying the habitat, exploring and engaging with all the enrichment it has to offer! Jiwa will be sharing time with our other orangutans, so if you don’t see him outside, be sure to check the indoor habitat too. Welcome to the Zoo, Jiwa! | Fort Worth Zoo

On July 20th, it was mentioned that the zoo transferred a (0.1) giant anteater named Tapas to Bronx Zoo in New York*.

On July 24th, the zoo announced that a (0.1) macaroni penguin named Aria hatched.

18K views · 518 reactions | We have a macaroni penguin chick! This week, we celebrated the new addition to the Aquarium colony with a gender reveal party. It was revealed that the chick was a girl, and she was named Aria! You can look forward to seeing her in her habitat after she passes her swim test. | Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium

* Information given by @blospz in the North American Giant Anteater population thread (Page 1 Post #8).
 
Piece of August 2025 News Not Mentioned:
Smaggledagle said:
On May 23rd, the zoo announced that 3 nine-banded armadillos named Boulder, Geode, and Onyx were born, which will become animal ambassadors for the facility in the future.

39K views · 722 reactions | Arma-delightful news! Meet Boulder, Geode, and Onyx. Our education team at the Zoo has been hard at work taking care of our new nine-banded armadillo pups. They are born with soft leathery skin that hardens within a few weeks. In this video, you can watch them grow and change. While these ‘little armored ones’ get adjusted to the new world around them, you can learn more about armadillos through our Rainforest Wild Encounter and our education programming. These armadillos join our other Animal Ambassadors, which are viewable through education programming, outreach or special visits, and select Wild Encounters. | Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
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On August 9th, it was announced that the zoo transferred nine-banded armadillo, Geode, to Boonshoft Museum of Discovery in Ohio (and since renamed to Banjo).

Boonshoft Museum of Discovery

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On August 27th, the zoo announced they received accreditation from the World Association of Zoos & Aquariums (WAZA).

Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium Accepted as Member of World Association of Zoos & Aquariums - Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
 
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