The Beastly Feast: “Under the Canopy,” a celebration of Zoo Atlanta’s Ford African Rain Forest, May 5, 2018

Atlanta GA, 2018-Apr-27 — /Travel PR News/ — One of the Southeast’s most anticipated black-tie galas celebrates one of North America’s largest populations of western lowland gorillas at The Beastly Feast to benefit Zoo Atlanta on Saturday, May 5, 2018. Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, returns as the event’s Presenting Sponsor.

The 2018 theme is “Under the Canopy,” a celebration of Zoo Atlanta’s Ford African Rain Forest, which turns 30 this year. Janin and Tad Hutcheson serve as the event’s Co-Chairs. Beastly Feast Executive Committee members include Patron Co-Chair Tony Brewer; Patron Co-Chair Holli Cortelyou; Auction Co-Chair Kristen Gibbs; Auction Co-Chair Matthew Simon; Hospitality Chair Keven Lake; Ford Motor Company Fund representative Benna Logan; and Ford Motor Company representative Mark A. Street.

“The Beastly Feast is a spectacular and inspirational evening that provides crucial support for Zoo Atlanta and its conservation and education programs. We’re very grateful to Ford Motor Company for their more than three decades of consecutive support for this event,” said Raymond B. King, President and CEO. “On May 5, we’ll celebrate all that this remarkable partnership has made possible, with an eye toward the future as Zoo Atlanta continues to evolve as a world-class organization.”

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres from some of Atlanta’s top restaurants during a stroll through the Zoo, followed by a seated dinner and dancing in the Zoo’s Ford Pavilion, which will be transformed for the night by Tony Brewer & Company. An annual highlight of The Beastly Feast is its silent auction, featuring art, jewelry, home décor, antiques, travel opportunities, boxes at sporting and cultural events; one-of-a-kind Zoo experiences; and more.

“We continue to be very proud of the longtime partnership between Ford Motor Company and Zoo Atlanta,” said Benna Logan, Manager of Global Community Development, Ford Motor Company Fund. “Our tradition of supporting our community, promoting education, and working toward environmental sustainability are exemplified in partners like the Zoo.”

The 1988 opening of The Ford African Rain Forest was a landmark event for Zoo Atlanta and for the city of Atlanta, when the complex’s most famous inhabitant, the legendary late Willie B. the western lowland gorilla, stepped outside for the first time in more than 25 years. The Ford African Rain Forest’s gorilla population is now one of the largest in North America. The complex also includes The Living Treehouse, home to black-and-white-ruffed lemurs, crowned lemurs, ringtailed lemurs and a spectacular diversity of bird life, and The Monkeys of Makokou, home to Angolan colobus monkeys, drill monkeys, Schmidt’s guenons and Wolf’s guenons.

Twenty-three gorillas have been born at Zoo Atlanta since the opening of The Ford African Rain Forest. Research by Zoo Atlanta staff has influenced industry-wide improvements in the care of gorillas in zoos, as well as enhanced the world’s understanding of gorillas, with more than 100 published papers on maternal care, reproduction, social behavior and cognition. Zoo Atlanta is the headquarters of the Great Ape Heart Project, the world’s first effort to understand, diagnose, and treat cardiac disease across all four great ape taxa: gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees and bonobos.

Gorilla populations have plummeted in the wild since the time of Willie B. The species is now classified as critically endangered as a result of habitat loss, poaching, illegal hunting for the bushmeat trade and emerging diseases. Populations living within North American zoos are overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Gorilla Species Survival Plan® (SSP), which seeks to maintain a self-sustaining, genetically diverse gorilla population for future generations.

Zoo Atlanta is a Platinum Supporter of the AZA Ape Taxon Advisory Group (TAG), a collective effort to preserve wild ape populations and to increase and sustain financial support from zoos for their conservation. For more than 20 years, the Zoo has supported its longtime partner in gorilla conservation, The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, by providing pro-bono headquarters space, information technology support and financial resources.

In addition to its international reputation for the care and study of western lowland gorillas, Zoo Atlanta has also risen to leadership in the care of gorillas in a variety of life stages and situations. The Zoo was an early leader in the housing of male gorillas in bachelor groups, and Zoo Atlanta staff have become experts in the care of geriatric gorillas. Choomba, 55, and Ozzie, 57, are among the oldest members of their species, and Ozzie is the oldest living male gorilla in the world.

Visit zooatlanta.org to learn more about The Beastly Feast. To inquire about tables, tickets or corporate or individual benefits, call 404.624.5836.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Rachel Davis
Director of Communications
404.624.2812 – office
404.309.2238 – cell
rdavis@zooatlanta.org

Gavin Johnson
Public Relations & Communications Specialist
404.624.5980 – office
gjohnson@zooatlanta.org

About Zoo Atlanta
Viewed as one of the finest zoological institutions in the U.S. and a proud accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Zoo Atlanta has a mission to inspire value and preservation of wildlife through a unique mix of education and outdoor family experiences. From well-known native wildlife to critically endangered species on the brink of extinction, the Zoo offers memorable close encounters with more than 1,000 animals from around the world. Zoo highlights include giant pandas, including Ya Lun and Xi Lun, a set of twins born to Lun Lun on September 3, 2016; one of North America’s largest zoological populations of great apes; and a global center of excellence for the care and study of reptiles and amphibians. Scaly Slimy Spectacular: The Amphibian and Reptile Experience, featuring more than 70 species in a 111,000 square-foot complex, is the world’s first LEED Gold-certified reptile and amphibian exhibit. The Zoo’s newest experience, Treetop Trail presented by Kaiser Permanente, opened in March 2017. Up-close-and-personal animal experiences include behind-the-scenes Wild Encounters with African elephants, African lions, Aldabra giant tortoises, giant pandas and lemurs. Zoo Atlanta is open year-round with the exceptions of Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Keeper talks, interactive wildlife presentations, education programs and special events run year-round. For more information, visit zooatlanta.org.

SOURCE: ZOO ATLANTA

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