Zoo Atlanta hosts Play the Animal Way on September 7

September 7 brings opportunities to learn, play, and get engaged in conservation.

Atlanta GA, 2019-Sep-08 — /Travel PR News/ —

WHAT: Look forward to an activity-packed Saturday as Zoo Atlanta hosts Play the Animal Way, its annual signature event highlighting the wild world of animal enrichment, and International Vulture Awareness Day, a global event highlighting some of Earth’s most crucial creatures.

Play the Animal Way: Enrichment is a vital component of superior animal care at accredited zoological organizations, and Zoo Atlanta has a robust enrichment program in place year-round for all species. Animal enrichment, which may take the form of objects, foods, scents, feeder puzzles and more, stimulates animals’ natural behaviors and adaptations while promoting their well-being. Play the Animal Way is a notable opportunity for visitors to see enrichment in action as animals throughout the Zoo discover colorful surprises in their habitats. Don’t miss: enrichment on the all-new African Savanna, opened August 8. The immersive transformation features new and expanded habitats for African elephants, giraffes and more.

Not to be excluded from the fun, human guests are also invited to try enrichment of their own at stations throughout the Zoo. Activities will include opportunities to make enrichment items for the animals; a foraging game; a termite mound activity; and a scent station.

Play the Animal Way is free with general admission; free for Zoo Atlanta Members and children under 3. Visit zooatlanta.org for a full list of animal activity times, or check the Zoo Atlanta map on arrival. Animal activities are weather-dependent and are subject to change for animal well-being.

International Vulture Awareness Day: As scavengers, vultures are vital to ecosystems around the world. By consuming carrion, they aid human populations by helping to keep diseases such as botulism, cholera, rabies, anthrax and tuberculosis in check. Despite these essential roles in the environment, vultures are the most threatened group of birds in the world, particularly in Africa, where some species have declined by more than 95 percent.

Event highlights will include education stations devoted to vulture conservation; a chance to “be a scavenger” to find out firsthand what it’s like to be part of nature’s cleanup crew; an opportunity to meet a bird care specialist; and more. Exclusive International Vulture Awareness Day buttons will be available for purchase during the event, with proceeds benefiting the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) African Vulture SAFE Program.

International Vulture Awareness Day activities are free for Zoo Atlanta Members and children under 3; free with general admission.

WHEN: Saturday, September 7, 2019

WHERE: 
Zoo Atlanta
800 Cherokee Avenue, S.E.
Atlanta, GA  30315

ABOUT:                
About Zoo Atlanta
A proud accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the gold standard for animal care and welfare, Zoo Atlanta has a mission to save wildlife and their habitats through conservation, research, education and engaging experiences. The Zoo is home to more than 1,000 animals representing more than 200 species from around the world, many of them endangered or critically endangered. Highlights include giant pandas, including Ya Lun and Xi Lun, the only giant panda twins in the U.S.; 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. Recent transformations include Scaly Slimy Spectacular: The Amphibian and Reptile Experience, home to more than 70 species in the world’s first LEED Gold-certified reptile and amphibian complex. Experiences include behind-the-scenes Wild Encounters with 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.

NOW OPEN: the all-new African Savanna, featuring new and expanded habitats for African elephants, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, warthogs and meerkats. The African Savanna is part of the Zoo’s landmark Grand New View transformation. Future elements include Savanna Hall, a state-of-the-art special event destination, and a new grand entry plaza, opening in early 2020. For more on the Zoo’s mission and conservation programs and partnerships, visit zooatlanta.org/conservation or download the 2018 conservation report, Beyond the Zoo.

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

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

Source: Zoo Atlanta

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