Pandas to Present
1999 was an unforgettable year for the Zoo, when years of hard work and forging of important relationships both in China and in the United States culminated in the arrival of the giant pandas Lun Lun and Yang Yang. When a widely publicized cavalcade transported the animals to Zoo Atlanta, where they would be housed in a state-of-the-art exhibit, the Zoo joined only two other zoos in housing giant pandas. The institution’s reputation as a leader in research and conservation catapulted to global status.
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Lun Lun and Yang Yang
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Atlanta joined the Zoo in mourning Willie B., who passed away in 2000 at the age of 42. The gorilla that had become the symbol of the Zoo’s resurgence was eulogized by Ambassador Andrew Young, memorialized by a crowd of over 5,000 people and remembered by media throughout the country, including Time magazine.
In many ways, the early years of the 21 st century were challenging for Zoo Atlanta. Like many of the nation’s cultural attractions, the Zoo felt the impact of the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center in 2001. During this time, Zoo leaders embarked on an important period of evaluation, seeking to align the Zoo’s mission of conservation, education and family experience with a solid strategic plan that would guide the institution forward in a growing and changing city and state.
In 2002, Dr. Terry Maple announced his retirement to accept a position as Director of the newly formed Georgia Tech Center for Conservation and Behavior. Atlanta native Dennis W. Kelly assumed leadership of the Zoo as President & CEO in 2003. A year later, the Zoo opened Outback Station, the final phase of the Orkin Children’s Zoo. Outback Station was followed in 2004 by The Living Treehouse, a new addition to The Ford African Rain Forest.
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Kuchi and Twins-Kali and Kazi
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Gorillas’ names became household words once again in 2005, when Kuchi delivered a rare set of twins on Halloween. Zoo staff watched with great excitement and a little trepidation; no mother gorilla had ever successfully reared twins in captivity without benefit of human intervention. Kuchi proved a record-breaker, becoming the first captive gorilla to ever accomplish this feat. Later that year, the Zoo celebrated the birth of another baby gorilla – and this was one with a famous bloodline. Never had the legacy of the late Willie B. been more apparent than when the Zoo announced that his first offspring, Kudzoo, had given birth to his grandchild.
Over a century removed from its circus origins, Zoo Atlanta has evolved from a quaint picnic stop where people gawked at wild animals to a modern-day destination seeking to teach the public about its animal ambassadors and work for the preservation of their wild counterparts. Evidenced by the opening of the interactive children’s exhibit Wild Like Me in 2006, the Zoo remains dedicated as always to a wholesome family experience, with a 21 st-century focus on educating young people, raising awareness of the natural world and bridging empathy for animals. Zoo Atlanta’s long journey from Victorian curiosity to powerhouse of conservation and research has not been without its challenges, but the institution’s mission will ensure that history will continue to be made.
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