Latest news with #PittsburghZoo
CBS News
25-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Pittsburgh Zoo plans giraffe breeding program and new exhibit after "transformative" $10 million donation
The Pittsburgh Zoo says it has big plans after receiving its most significant donation ever. The zoo on Wednesday announced that it received a $10 million gift from donors who want to remain anonymous. Zoo president and CEO Dr. Jeremy Goodman called the donation "transformative," saying it will allow the zoo to build a new giraffe barn with space to start a breeding program and design a new exhibit, Expedition Indonesia. The zoo says the new giraffe barn will offer daily opportunities for winter viewing, and there will be new VIP experiences, like letting guests walk along a catwalk and feed the giraffes eye-to-eye. Expedition Indonesia will be a multi-level habitat at the highest point of the zoo with waterfalls, pools and an animal facility that will also allow for off-season viewing. It will house species like orangutans, siamangs and tapirs. "This tremendous gift really serves as a catalyst for other gifts and growth at the Zoo," Goodman said in a press release. "It is an investment in the future of animal well-being and the revitalized direction we're taking Pittsburgh as a leader in conservation initiatives." The zoo says the donation is at the forefront of the first phase of a 20-year master plan to reimagine the zoo. The giraffe barn and new exhibit are early priorities, along with the new admissions and ticketing plaza that's currently under construction. Construction on the barn and design for the new habitat are expected to begin after this year, the zoo says.
CBS News
23-06-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Zookeepers at Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium helping animals stay cool during extreme heat
The staff at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium are also prepared to keep even their wildest creatures cool in this extreme heat. It's a busy day for Assistant Mammal Curator Karen Vacco and all the staff at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. "Tyranny is the mother, and we have her two kids, Andre and Tesha," she said while walking over to the tigers. At the zoo, they have over 8,000 animals representing over 600 species. They can suffer from heat exhaustion just like humans, which is why the zoo takes it so seriously to keep the animals cool on these hot days. That means the staff is distributing ice blocks to the mammals in this extreme heat. "We make these nice flat ones for the cats to lay on," said Vacco," she said. "Especially with these guys. Your Amur tigers, your Amur leopards, the red panda, and especially the polar bear. This is not a good time for them. They don't like it." Just like us, they're taking extra steps to keep all the wild animals cool in these scorching temperatures. "The same that you're caring for your grandmother and your babies, they're our grandmothers, they're our babies," Vacco said. The zoo staff use ice treats, fans, and hoses to help mammals cool off. She showed KDKA-TV some of the ice blocks filled with fruit. "We actually go above and beyond for them to make sure they're happy," said Vacco. Just like humans, the oldest and most vulnerable zoo animals are kept inside. "She's back there. She had two fans on her, she has a hose running in there, and she's getting one of the ice blocks," Vacco added. Don't forget, they're paying extra attention to the youngest little monkeys, too. "(The baby gorillas) are playing constantly. They don't know that they should be taking a break, so we really watch them," Vacco said while in front of a gorilla exhibit. From the shade to supplemental cool snacks, it's a scorching day at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium, keeping curators quickly cooling the animals. "It's everything. That is why I'm here, that is why the keepers are here. Welfare is the No. 1 top priority," Vacco said. One of the best times to see the animals is in the morning before it gets too hot, but if you can't make it during the summer, the fall is a good time to explore as well.
CBS News
27-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Pittsburgh Zoo welcomes 3 adorable armadillo pups
The Pittsburgh Zoo is welcoming three adorable baby nine-banded armadillo pups. The zoo on social media shared a video of Boulder, Geode and Onyx. The three pups were born with soft leathery skin that hardens within a few weeks. The video shows the zoo's education team caring for the pups as they transform from little pink babies. The armadillos will join the zoo's other animal ambassadors, which visitors can see through education programming, outreach, special visits and select wild encounters. The nine-banded armadillo isn't native to North America, but the National Park Service says they can be found all over the southern states, and their range is slowly expanding north, with some found as far as Illinois. Armadillos migrated across the Rio Grande in the mid-1880s and merged with another population that was established in Florida. When you imagine an armadillo, you may picture it curling up in a ball. But the nine-banded armadillo actually can't. Instead, it jumps about three feet up in the air, and since it can't control which direction it goes, the unpredictability scares off predators, the National Park Service explains. The three nine-banded armadillo pups aren't the only recent new arrivals at the zoo. Hondo, an 8-year-old African lion from the Idaho Falls Zoo, is making a home in Pittsburgh. The hope is that he'll be a companion for lionesses Abana and Scarlett. Those two came to the zoo in 2019 with Kit, who died in 2023.
CBS News
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Pittsburgh zoo welcomes new male lion Hondo
The Pittsburgh Zoo has a new African lion, and so far, he's been a hit with the ladies. The zoo on Tuesday announced that 8-year-old Hondo has arrived from the Idaho Falls Zoo. The hope is that he'll be a companion for lionesses Abana and Scarlett. The females came to the zoo in 2019 with Kit, who died in 2023. The zoo said it had a few choices, but Hondo's "robust" genes and experience living with females made him "the most eligible bachelor." (Photo Credit: Paul A Selvaggio) How Hondo will join the pride The zoo said lions are social animals with a unique pride structure, and introducing a lion to an existing pride isn't easy, especially because females take longer to accept a new member. It could take anywhere from three months to five years, but so far, the zoo says it's looking pretty good for Hondo. "There were lots of matches, but Hondo was the best fit," curator of mammals Kelsey Forbes said in a news release. "He is good with females having lived with his mother and two younger sisters. Here in Pittsburgh so far, Hondo is a perfect gentleman, and the ladies are obsessed with him." As Hondo gets used to his new home and future pride-mates, the zoo says he and the lionesses will alternate on view in their outdoor habitat. Initial signs of a bond include behaviors that look friendly like grooming and head rubbing, but some gestures like swatting, hissing and biting may be alarming to guests. The zoo says it's all part of the process. Lions also typically call at sunrise and sunset, and the zoo says Scarlett and Abana are already responding to Hondo's call. As for whether the pride will expand to include some little lion cubs, Forbes says, "That remains up to them!"
CBS News
04-03-2025
- General
- CBS News
Small fire at Pittsburgh Zoo's aquarium prompts evacuation
A small electrical fire at the Pittsburgh Zoo's aquarium prompted an evacuation on Tuesday morning. The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium said the fire was reported in the aquarium building shortly before 11 a.m. Firefighters "responded promptly" and quickly got the fire under control, the zoo said in a Facebook post. All guests and workers were safely evacuated. The animals are being monitored closely. The zoo said the fire was confined to the ductwork, and the building has been deemed structurally sound. While smoke in the aquarium has been cleared and fans are in place, the zoo says the building will be closed for the rest of the day. The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium is home to more than 8,000 animals representing over 600 species. Animals like penguins, blacktip reef sharks and sea turtles live in the aquarium.
