Association of Zoos and Aquariums

On International Save the Vaquita Day, we want to highlight the importance of this astounding species and how you can support SAFE Vaquita 🐬 The vaquita is the world’s most endangered marine mammal, threatened by entanglement in gill nets which are used to capture Totoaba for sale of its bladder in the illegal wildlife trade. The International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita, of which SAFE is a part, is a team of #Scientists established by the government of Mexico. In 2019, combined efforts that support vaquita #Conservation removed and destroyed over 1,720 gill nets from the Vaquita Refuge in the Upper Gulf of California and almost 1,400 pieces of illegal fishing gear. The solution to vaquita #Recovery is more complex than removing gill nets and illegal fishing gear. To be successful, all stakeholders must work in concert to ensure coexistence between people, wildlife, and ecosystems, and only then will the species of the Upper Gulf, and the #Vaquita, thrive. 🌎 In January 2020, SAFE vaquita was awarded funding from AZA’s SAFE Granting Program to conduct a series of workshops to promote information exchange with the fishermen and law enforcement in San Felipe, Mexico, in hopes that open dialogue will further the creation of #Sustainable fisheries in the Upper Gulf. Learn more about what can be done for the Vaquita: https://bit.ly/3A1Zbxw #SAFE #SAFEVaquita #MarineMammal #EndangeredSpecies #Sustainability #Entanglement #IllegalWildlifeTrade #CIRVA

Making #ZooBorn history at the Detroit Zoological Society! 🍼 The Zoo announced that a baby #Gorilla of 26 year old Bandia, a first-time mother, has been born for the first time in the Zoo’s 96-year history. The #Zoo is pleased to report that mom and baby, along with the father, 36-year-old Mshindi, are all doing very well.👨👩👦 The new gorilla, who does not yet have a name, is now the fifth to call the Zoo home. The Detroit Zoo mammal and primate teams, along with #Veterinary staff, have been working for months to not only prepare Bandia for #Motherhood, but also to make sure the rest of the troop was ready for the baby’s arrival. 🦍 Bandia and her baby will be closely monitored in the coming days and weeks. Animal care staff will be carefully watching for #Maternal and nursing #Behaviors while tracking milestones such as eye movements, sound recognition and object grasping along the way. 👀 👂 The other gorillas will continue to be observed as well to see how they behave and react to the addition of the baby to their #Troop. Read more about the exciting #ZooBaby in Connect: https://bit.ly/3XuWGkt #AnimalHealth #Primates #Detroit #Michigan #Biology #Milestone

As the retail operator in more than 35 AZA-accredited facilities and science center stores, Event Network, LLC has sought to address issues of #Accessibility and #Equity within their store environments. 🌏 The company reached out to California Academy of Sciences, Woodland Park Zoo, and Mystic Aquarium to see how their partners addressed issues of pricing and how they ensured that their mission and values were reaching the most underserved communities. Incredible efforts from these #Zoos and #Aquariums include the Affordable Access Initiative, Community Access Programs, and working with Cris Access. 👫 💕 “We know that #Diverse communities are stronger and more resilient both in nature and also in human society,” said Leah Van der Mei, the chief operating officer, and head of government affairs at the California Academy of Sciences. “It’s so important that people can see themselves in spaces like this―can see themselves in #Science, aquariums, and cultural institutions. If we don’t do this, I think we will fail.” 🔬 ⚗️ Learn more about these specific programs in Connect: https://bit.ly/4gfL1gD. #Diversity #Inclusion #Retail #EventNetwork #CommunityEngagement #California #Washington #Connecticut

Congratulations Luna and Oliver! 🐧 Lincoln Park Zoo welcomed two African #Penguin chicks this summer. After a roughly 40-day incubation period, two healthy #Chicks hatched, and are being closely monitored by expert animal care and veterinary staff. Their sex has not yet been determined. Both eggs were laid by African penguin Luna with her partner Oliver as part of the African Penguin Species Survival Plan®. One egg was left with first-time parents Luna and Oliver to #Incubate, while the other was given to penguin pair TJ and Sunny to foster. This older parent pair have successfully raised numerous chicks. 🐣 “Having two healthy chicks has been really exciting and we’ve loved watching them grow so far,” said Nicole Finch-Mason, the Hope B. McCormick Curator of Birds. “We’re so proud of new parents Luna and Oliver for successfully incubating and rearing their chick, and equally appreciative of TJ and Sunny for sharing their penguin parent expertise.” 🍼 📉 The African penguin is an AZA SAFE priority #Species due to its decreasing #Population in the wild, which has gone from 141,000 breeding pairs in 1956 to less than 20,000 today. 💡 Learn more about African penguins in Connect: https://bit.ly/4e8B4Qf. #SAFE #SSP #AnimalHealth #ZooBorn #AfricanPenguin #EndangeredSpecies #Illinois #Chicago

🎉 Last month, the Louisville Zoo celebrated the birth of its first giraffe calf in twelve years. The zoo’s last #Giraffe calf was Silvester in 2012. The newborn male Masai giraffe was born to parents Kianga and Baridi on August 9th. After a gestation period of 15 – 17 months, seven-year-old Kianga delivered the healthy calf, who weighed 160 pounds and stood at six feet and two inches tall at birth. This pregnancy was a planned part of AZA’s Species Survival Plan® for Masai giraffes, aimed at maintaining the genetic diversity of managed animal populations in human care. 📉 Masai giraffe numbers have declined more than fifty percent in the last thirty years. Masai giraffes, native to #EastAfrica, are the largest subspecies of giraffe. ⭐ They are distinguished by their irregular, star-shaped spots which are like a fingerprint and unique to each individual animal. The IUCN categorizes #Giraffes as a whole as vulnerable and Masai giraffes as an #EndangeredSpecies. Their largest threats in the wild are habitat loss and #Poaching. 🦒 Read more about the #ZooBaby in Connect and take a peek at the zoo's giraffe cam: https://bit.ly/4e8B4Qf. #MasaiGiraffes #ZooBorns #SSP #Zoo #Louisville #Kentucky

🌊 After months of undergoing rehabilitative care at the New England Aquarium in #Boston, nine endangered and threatened sea turtles are back in ocean waters off Cape Cod after fully recovering from their life-threatening injuries. Loggerhead, green, and Kemp’s ridley sea #Turtles are all threatened or endangered species, facing threats including fisheries interactions, #ClimateChange, ocean #Pollution, and degradation of their habitats. 🐢 Rescue and rehabilitation efforts help to conserve this species. These turtles spent several months at the #Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital, undergoing treatment for hypothermia-related conditions including pneumonia, dehydration, and emaciation, all results of being unable to regulate their body temperature in the cold waters of Cape Cod Bay last fall and winter. 🩺 After physical examinations, staff #Veterinarians cleared the sea turtles to return to Nantucket Sound off West Dennis Beach. Read more about the rescue and release in Connect: https://bit.ly/3XGE92i. #Turtle #AnimalRescue #EndangeredSpecies #AnimalHealth #Veterinary #WildlifeRescue #Quincy #Massachusetts #CapeCod

Some of the world’s rarest #Butterflies are thriving at the John Ball Zoo 🦋. This year alone, the #Zoo has successfully bred forty-five pairs of Poweshiek skipperling butterflies and more than 1,200 of the endangered species have been released into the wild this season. These butterflies may be small, but they play a crucial role in our planet's #Biodiversity and serve as an important indicator of how environmental changes are affecting many other species in the same regions. 🌎 The Minnesota Zoo, another AZA-accredited facility, is also conserving Poweshiek skipperlings by rearing and breeding them to boost survival in the wild. This member frequently coordinates with John Ball Zoo to exchange eggs, helping to maintain genetic diversity and expand populations. 🤝 The Zoo works maintains several partnerships including with David Pavlik, a research assistant at the Haddad Lab at Michigan State University; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS); and other organizations involved in the Poweshiek Skipperling International Partnership to help repopulate the Poweshiek skipperling. Land managers for releases include the Michigan Nature Association and Springfield Township in #OaklandCounty. John Ball Zoo is also launching a new interactive experience called Backyard Butterflies to help guests engage directly with #Michigan's butterfly species and spark interest in their #Conservation. 📰 You can read more about Poweshiek skipperlings in Connect: https://bit.ly/3XGE92i. #Butterfly #GrandRapids #AppleValley #Minneapolis #Minnesota #Zoos #WildlifeConservation

🌴 Heading to the beach this weekend? While you’re enjoying the sun and sand, Perdido Key beach mice are having a very different kind of beach day. These nocturnal animals spend their daylight hours in cozy burrows and are usually tucked away when you’re out soaking up the rays! ☀ The SAFE Perdido Key Beach Mouse program, a collaboration between AZA-accredited institutions, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other partners, is working hard to conserve and reintroduce these endangered mice to their native habitat on Perdido Key in #Florida. 🌊 These tiny mice play a crucial role in coastal dune ecosystems in Florida and #Alabama, helping to spread seeds of dune-stabilizing plants and aerate the soil. This natural process keeps plants rooted and prevents severe erosion, which is vital for the stability of the dunes. 🐭 The main threat facing the Perdido Key beach mouse is continued development along beaches. 🏨 Development along beaches can cause destruction or degradation to sand dunes limiting areas of habitat for the beach mouse. Increased traffic on sand dunes is also a threat as increased traffic damages vegetation on dunes that the beach mice rely on for food and shelter. Hurricanes also pose a risk to the #Beach mouse as they can cause damage to sand dunes with the accompanying intense winds and storm surge 🏖️. The species was listed as endangered in 1985, and Hurricane Ivan in 2004 significantly impacted their population. Other threats include increased predation from free-ranging cats, foxes, raccoons, and coyotes. To help protect these essential #Mice, it's important to support efforts that minimize beach development, manage dune traffic, and address predation by other animals. Their survival depends on the health of the coastal dunes they inhabit. 🌟 Learn more about how SAFE programs are supporting this conservation effort: https://bit.ly/3viDYRt. #NationalBeachDay #Mouse #Beaches #SandDune #EndangeredSpecies #Conservation

The Event Network, LLC purchasing team finds unique inspiration within each location where they operate retail. They take pride in what one of their partners called, “their creative eye,” the ability to seek out what is important at a location and translate that inspiration into a compelling product or assortment of products. In a meeting not long ago, Julie Ricci, Event Network’s VP of Purchasing for Aquarium Stores got into a conversation with Evan Barniskis, their partner contact, and Associate Vice President at the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. The discussion focused on the remarkable legacy of Dr. Eugenie Clark. Nicknamed “The Shark Lady,” Dr. Clark was a world authority on #Sharks and #Fish and founded the MOTE Laboratory. 🦈 🐟 She was a #Research assistant at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the New York Zoological Society, and the American Museum of Natural History in New York. She used her platform to promote marine #Conservation and has been a role model for generations of people. In the spirit of creating product as unique as each partnership, Julie set out to create an item that would inspire young visitors — especially young girls who visited the MOTE gift shop 👧🏿👧🏼👧🏽. She worked with a trusted vendor, Petting Zoo, to create a prototype of a diver doll holding a shark. The original version was designed to look like Dr. Clark herself, but then Julie and the team decided to design a more inclusive collection with a variety of skin tones and hair colors. ✨ The new Diver Doll collection is made using recycled materials and is now available exclusively at MOTE, Georgia Aquarium, Shedd Aquarium, New England Aquarium, and Mystic Aquarium. #Aquarium #Diver #Retail #WomenInSTEM #MarineConservation #MarineLife

Yesterday, AZA's President and CEO, Dan Ashe, joined the Seattle Aquarium as they celebrated the grand opening of their new Ocean Pavilion. The ceremony drew a large crowd, with Washington state Governor Jay Inslee among the distinguished attendees. The Ocean Pavilion offers an exciting look at the vibrant #Reef ecosystem of the Coral Triangle—a hotspot of #Biodiversity in the Indo-Pacific. Visitors can explore 3,500 animals and plants, including #Sharks, #Rays, #Mangroves, and nearly 30 species of #Coral. The experience also features cutting-edge digital storytelling that brings to life a powerful story about how all of Earth’s oceans are connected. Guests will walk away with a deeper appreciation of how our future is tied to the oceans, and how we can protect the #MarineLife and environment we all depend on. This new space reflects the #Aquarium’s mission to inspire #Conservation of marine environments. More about the Ocean Pavilion: https://bit.ly/3MqHiPK. #SeattleAquarium #CoralReef #AquaticLife #Seattle #Washington #PNW