Cincinnati Zoo Saddened By Loss of Silverback Gorilla
CINCINNATI (October 23, 2012) – It is with a heavy heart that the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden announces the passing of its 30-year-old silverback, Western lowland gorilla, “Kwashi.” The 320-pound gorilla was born at the Memphis Zoo on May 16, 1982 and came to the Cincinnati Zoo in May of 2010 from the Knoxville Zoo, to reside with a bachelorette group of gorillas, Chewie, Samantha, and M’Linzi. On Sunday, October 21, primate keepers saw a change in Kwashi’s eating habits and noted that he was drinking less as the day progressed. Early Monday, keepers found Kwashi lethargic, unable [...]
Our Baby Giraffe Has a Name!
CINCINNATI, OH (October 19, 2012) – Today, the Cincinnati Zoo’s baby giraffe is one week old and she now has a new name. After an exciting week of seeing name suggestions on the Zoo’s Facebook page, the Zoo left the final decision to the public and more than 5,400 people answered the call by voting online. “Lulu” has been selected the official name of the baby giraffe, receiving over half of the total votes cast with over 2,800 votes. Naming baby Lulu was not an easy task. After a LONG process of sifting through almost five thousand names from all [...]
Manatee “Wooten” is Heading Back to Florida
CINCINNATI (October 16, 2012) – Wooten, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s 630-pound Florida manatee will soon be heading home! After arriving at the Cincinnati Zoo two years ago, Wooten will return to the wild as part of the US Fish & Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Manatee Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release Program. Visitor’s last chance to see Wooten at the Zoo’s Otto M. Budig Family Foundation Manatee Springs exhibit will be Sunday, November 4. Coincidentally, Wooten was seen at the Cincinnati Zoo for the first time on November 4, 2010. Video of Wooten – http://youtu.be/EDzDqdSxVDQ The USFWS recently deemed Wooten [...]
Help Us Name the Baby Giraffe
Name suggestions for the baby giraffe will be accepted on the Zoo’s Facebook page and via tweets to @CincinnatiZoo through end of day Wednesday, October 17. On Thursday, October 18, the Zoo will post the top three names, chosen by Zoo staff, on its Facebook page. There, people can vote for their favorite and the winning name will be announced Friday. The female giraffe, born Friday, October 12, is doing well and is spending this time bonding with her mom, “Tessa” and her dad, “Kimba” in their indoor stall at Giraffe Ridge. Zoo visitors can view the family through windows [...]
It’s a Girl! Baby Giraffe is Here.
Tessa, our five-year-old Maasai giraffe, has given birth! On Friday at 8:20 a.m., Tessa delivered a healthy, 150-pound female calf in her indoor stall. Mother, father (“Kimba”) and baby are doing well and are spending time bonding off-exhibit. “The Zoo is buzzing with excitement and incredibly, so is the community,” said Thane Maynard, Executive Director of the Cincinnati Zoo. “We made the decision several weeks ago to live-tweet the birth in real-time and the response has been astonishing. The #giraffebirth tweets spread like wildfire, making this, the first birth to be live-tweeted, an overwhelming success. And, we saw people heavily [...]
Cincinnati Zoo Partners with Green BEAN Delivery
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is excited to announce a new partnership with Green BEAN Delivery, a company that delivers organic produce and natural groceries to Midwest homes and workplaces. Green BEAN Delivery is leasing 50 acres of the Cincinnati Zoo’s 528 acre property, EcOhio, located in Warren County, where it will harvest fresh, local foods that will be distributed to families throughout Greater Cincinnati. “The Cincinnati Zoo values partnerships that promote enterprise within our community,” said Mark Fisher, Senior Director of Facilities and Operations at the Cincinnati Zoo. “So, managing our farm in a way that is consistent [...]
Free Field Trips for Qualifying Schools
The Living Classroom Education Access Fund The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is now able to offer FREE field trips to the Zoo for qualifying schools by offering schools an application to apply for financial aid through The Living Classroom Education Access Fund. This aid will not only go towards helping schools go on Zoo daytime field trips but it can also be used towards a Nocturnal Adventures Overnight program at the Zoo, as well. The Living Classroom Education Access Fund is being made possible with the lead support of The Helen G., Henry F. and Louise Tuechter Dornette Foundation, [...]
Cincinnati Zoo Giraffe Now Expecting
CINCINNATI, OH (September 27, 2012) – Tessa, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s five-year-old Maasai giraffe is pregnant again, due in the next month. Tessa, and father “Kimba,” are both doing well and currently can be seen at the Zoo’s Giraffe Ridge exhibit. The Zoo (@CincinnatiZoo) will be live-tweeting leading up to and during the birth. Make sure you follow hashtag #giraffebirth for the latest updates. The Cincinnati Zoo’s history with giraffe births dates back to 1889 when it became the first zoo in the Western Hemisphere to have a giraffe born in captivity. This will be Tessa’s second calf, [...]
Cincinnati Zoo Awarded National Leadership Grant for Plant Conservation
CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is the only Ohio institution to receive a prestigious National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in 2012. This competitive grant was awarded to the Cincinnati Zoo to support a three-year research study at the Zoo’s Carl H. Lindner Jr. Family Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) that will provide critical information for botanical gardens in the U.S. and worldwide to aid in developing strategies and methods for cryopreservation as a tool for plant conservation. Through the grant, CREW’s plant division research team will [...]
First Sifaka Birth for Cincinnati Zoo!
CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is thrilled to announce the birth of its first Sifaka (SEE-fah-kah) baby. The baby boy was born on September 3 to mother “Wilhelmina” and father “Rinaldo” who arrived at the Cincinnati Zoo in April of 2011. The parents were the first sifaka’s in the Zoo’s history. “Not only is this species a rarity at the Cincinnati Zoo, but with only 54 individuals in captivity in the world, all at 10 US zoos, this birth is rare and monumental for the species,” said Thane Maynard, Executive Director of the Cincinnati Zoo. “The family [...]
