SAN DIEGO (Aug. 29, 2022) – Lucas, a prominent member of the San Diego Zoo’s African penguin colony who was diagnosed with a degenerative foot condition, has a new opportunity to thrive, thanks to intervention by the Zoo’s wildlife heath and wildlife care specialist teams. Team members—with the help of Thera-Paw, a national organization that designs and manufactures rehabilitative and assistive products for animals with special needs—created and fitted Lucas with custom orthopedic shoes made of neoprene and rubber, to prevent pressure sores from developing on his feet and ankle when he stands and walks.

SAN DIEGO (Aug. 17, 2022) – Orphaned animals of several mammal species suffer socially and physiologically, and even if their mother dies after weaning, they may have lower survival than non-orphans. One physiological consequence of orphaning – stunted growth – had been discovered in humans and chimpanzee orphans.  A new study, published recently in the journal Conservation Physiology, shows that orphaning also stunts the growth of African elephants by an estimated average of 13 centimeters.

SAN DIEGO (Aug. 4, 2022) — The San Diego Zoo has announced the birth of a Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth at the Zoo’s new Denny Sanford Wildlife Explorers Basecamp. The baby sloth was born June 25 to mother Xena (pronounced Zee-na), who was born at the Zoo in 2013 and is one of the Zoo’s most popular Rady wildlife ambassadors. Wildlife care specialists report that the young sloth is doing well, instinctively clinging to its mother, nursing and gaining strength each day.   

SAN DIEGO (May 18, 2022) – A new study has found contaminants that were banned decades ago are still imperiling critically endangered California condors. The condors may be at increased risk for reproductive impairment because they consume dead marine mammals along the California coast.

SAN DIEGO – (April 12, 2022) San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced today that Erika Kohler will take over as the executive director of the 100-acre San Diego Zoo. Kohler has been a member of the organization since 2015, when she was hired as the Zoo’s director of operations—bringing nearly two decades of experience from her time with the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. She has served as the San Diego Zoo’s interim executive director since November 2021.

SAN DIEGO (March 3, 2022) – This spring break, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park invites guests to celebrate in full color—with an escape into nature. Spring Safari Featuring Butterfly Jungle, March 19 through May 8, will allow guests to experience wildlife up close while enjoying the open spaces and stunning vistas of the Safari Park.

BOZEMAN, MONTANA (Jan. 26, 2022) – Polar Bears International is supporting a team of researchers from leading zoos and aquariums involved in the Polar Bear Research Council (PBRC) in devising a Masterplan to advance the understanding of polar bear biology and management by participating in scientific research that will help protect the world’s polar bears.

(KAHULUI, MAUI) – An ambitious effort to rescue four tiny birds deep in a thick Hawaiian rainforest saw its first taste of success last Sunday (Dec. 5, 2021), giving hope to a critically endangered species driven to the brink of extinction by malaria—an unfortunate consequence of climate change.