National Hispanic Heritage Month

Fri Sep 20 07:20:43 PDT 2024

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National Hispanic Heritage Month
Happy National Hispanic Heritage Month! In celebration of this month, which started September 15 and runs thru October 15, we wanted to acknowledge the many significant contributions made in the U.S. by Hispanics and Latinos culturally, scientifically and historically, and to celebrate the rich diversity within our communities.

Zoos have a way of reaching beyond culture to instill an appreciation of wildlife from a young age, especially those found right in our own backyards. Critically endangered species, like the Mexican gray wolf found at our Wolf Canyon habitat, represent among those fragile species whose recovery from extinction was a partnership between the U.S. and Mexico, and our axolotls, a critically endangered salamander species who were taken from the wild are thankfully thriving here after confiscation from the illegal pet trade. Come see our wolf siblings, axolotls, jaguar and the diversity of species from South and Central America found at Puente al Sur and the South American Tropical Rainforest & Aviary throughout National Hispanic Heritage Month!

On Saturday and Sunday, September 21 & 22, Members are invited to a special screening weekend to view our newest and spookiest new virtual reality experience, JINXED for free! Just show your membership card to receive free access all weekend long. Please note that the free viewing applies only to JINXED and not the other VR offerings. JINXED will open to the public on September 23 and end on November 3. Tickets are $9 per ride.

Celebrate International Red Panda Day here on Saturday, September 21st! Animal care staff will be on hand to share information about red pandas and the important work of the Red Panda Network (https://redpandanetwork.org/) to save red pandas. Activities and keeper talks will take place at the Red Panda Treehouse located in the Exploration Zone.

Come see our newest female red panda, “Little Mebo,” our male “Tenzing” and older female, “Hunter” throughout the day.

World Rhino Day
Of the five remaining rhinoceros species, three are listed as critically endangered, including black rhinos, like our eastern black rhino male, “Boone.” We are also home to a male Greater one-horned rhino, “Gauhati”, a species listed as vulnerable. Rhinoceroses continue to face exceeding difficult challenges in the wild, as rhino poaching in Africa has been steadily increasing. In total, of the five rhino species, there are fewer than 28,000 individuals left in the world.

One of the important organizations working to save rhinos is the Rhino Recovery Fund (https://rhinorecoveryfund.org/) , which works to safeguard rhinos and their landscapes with the goal of protecting rhinos from wildlife crime and to restore their landscapes, improving the health of rhino populations and benefiting local people. We hope on this important day, you will support this organization, headed by conservationist and Zoo friend, Markus Hofmeyr.

In honor of Save the Koala Day on Friday, September 27, we are offering free admission to San Francisco residents and Australian citizens. SF Residents must show a valid I.D. showing their residency or a utilities statement with street address. Citizens with an Australian passport will receive free access all weekend long.

SF Zoo is one of just 11 zoos in the U.S. with koalas, now listed as an endangered species in many regions of Australia due to habitat loss, disease, and climate change, including frequent bushfires. Some ways you can help support koala conservation is by donating to organizations such as the Australian Koala Foundation (https://www.savethekoala.com/) and by visiting our koalas at the Zoo's Koala Crossing, open 365 days a year!

(Photo by May Woon)

The Zoo’s popular family-friendly Halloween event is back and will take place on Saturday and Sunday, October 26 & 27! You won’t want to miss the fun costume parade and contest, and this year, we’ve added the new Franken-stomp Costume Dance Party. Plus visit the giant hay maze and be sure to make note of the schedule each day when animals receive their Halloween and pumpkin treats.

Info on Boo at the Zoo is available here (https://www.sfzoo.org/hoo-ray-fall-2024/) .

World Gorilla Day
The 7th Annual World Gorilla Day is September 24th and is an opportunity for people around the world to celebrate gorillas and take action to protect them in the wild. According to AZA Gorilla SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction), which focuses on the collective expertise of AZA-accredited zoos, like ours, to bring awareness to the plight of critically endangered gorilla species, only pockets of populations still exist in some areas of equatorial Africa, making their survival tenuous.

Gorillas are threatened by illegal poaching, civil unrest, disease and habitat destruction due to extractive industries such as mining. The date commemorates the day in 1967 when Dian Fossey established Karisoke Research Center to study endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Until that time, gorillas were often portrayed to the public as brutish villians. Dr. Fossey helped us to see gorillas as gentle giants who prefer to avoid physical conflict whenever possible and have each other's backs.

At the Zoo, our Western lowland gorillas represent one of the Zoo's 14 critically endangered species. Celebrate World Gorilla Day with our resident gorillas, “Oscar”, “Bawang”, “Monifa” and “Kimani”! You can also check out, GORILLA TREK, an awe-inspiring virtual reality experience featuring mountain gorillas at the VR Zone.
San Francisco Zoo & Gardens connects all people with wildlife, inspires caring for nature and advances conservation action.

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