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Standing Tall
Mention the term “bird of prey,” and most people think of soaring eagles and hawks. Secretary birds break that mold, as they hunt on foot. Long, stork-like legs hold most of the bird’s body above...
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Centennial Throwback: A Dapper Pair
During the 1930s and 1940s, Isabel and Isadore led a procession of their fellow feathered friends through the Zoo and to the Mirror Pool every day. Their black-and-white attire coupled with their...
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Running Wild
From the ranges of the American West to the desert steppes of Mongolia, horses have played a pivotal role in the story of mankind. Their relevance, however, has been largely based on their...
View ArticlePanda Party
For quite a few years, a group of fans of our Panda Cam have coordinated their own panda-lovers convention here in San Diego, and Panda-monium 2016 is right around the corner. Everyone is invited to...
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Centennial Throwback: Fruitful Favorites
After their arrival from the Calcutta Zoo in 1940, a pair of African river hippos quickly became popular with Zoo visitors during the war years. Rube and Rubie loved to devour watermelons and their...
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Tiny, Mighty Meerkats
For many people, meerkat watching is a workout for the eyes. The squirrel-sized, tawny animals blend in well with their dun-colored surroundings, so spotting one can be a challenge. Keeping them in...
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Centennial Throwback: When Sally Met Barney
Sally made an imprint on history by being the Zoo’s first black rhino, as well as the first rhino of any type in a zoo. Her flirtatious personality was a surprise to her keepers, but it wasn’t until...
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Pretty Poison
Bright as baubles from a fairy tale, these energetic little hopping gems dot the hot, damp forests of Central and South America. But there is nothing “happily ever after” for predators of these vividly...
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Update on Our Panda Family
Our panda research team recently traveled to China to meet with a range of our colleagues to discuss our collaborative panda programs, past and future. While the meetings went exceptionally well, a...
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Centennial Throwback: Maggie and the Model T
Maggie came to the Zoo in 1928, in the front seat of a Ford Model T. Her affection for vehicles was a sight to behold, but her fondness for taking apart gates and fences in her enclosure also made her...
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To the Point
Acupuncture is an ancient healing method. It has been practiced since at least 100 BC and the first acupuncture book was written by 100 AD. The gray koala, fluffy as a toy, pulls fragrant eucalyptus...
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Labor Of Love
It takes a village to raise a child, and recently it took a department—several, actually—to save and raise a tiger cub. When Joanne, a first-time Sumatran tiger Panthera tigris sumatrae mother at the...
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See Ruuxa Run
From his familiar crate, Ruuxa the cheetah watches his best friend Raina, a domestic dog, in hot pursuit of a small zebra toy. Once Raina catches her “prey,” it’s Ruuxa’s turn. The door to his crate...
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Centennial Throwback: Kiss Me, I’m Irish
Irish came to the Zoo in 1927. Keepers said that clever was his middle name—and that he was an outrageous and unabashed flirt. Belle Benchley described Irish as “one big bundle of personality. His...
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Simply Simian
Primates are a diverse order of mammals that includes prosimians, monkeys, apes, and humans. We all share characteristics like fingernails instead of claws, opposable thumbs, forward-facing eyes, and...
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Rock Hoppers
Hyraxes have an identity problem. They have an unusual, rabbitlike appearance, yet they are frequently mistaken for a rodent or chubby mongoose. Outward similarities have given the hyrax (pronounced...
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Feeling Foxy
Some may like it hot, and some may like it cold, but when it comes to foxes, nearly anywhere can feel “just right.” These compact little omnivores can be found around the world, inhabiting parts of...
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Big Hearts
Graceful despite his hefty 345 pounds, he soundlessly crosses the room to meet his keeper at the mesh. She holds a bucket of his prized daily fruit allotment in one hand and a reusable bottle filled...
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Triple the Fun
SURF AND TURFAt their current exhibit in the Children’s Zoo, African penguins enjoy zooming underwater (Vi and D.G. are swimming, at top) and soaking up the sun on their pool’s adjacent rocky shoreline...
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When Longer is Better
While nearly all mammals from mice to elephants have seven vertebrae, the exceptions are sloths (from five to nine, depending on the species) and manatees (which have six). There are two good reasons...
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