atlanta zoo
June 8, 2023
Special Gorilla Keeper Talk, Interactive Educational Activities, Chance to Meet Willie B. III on June 18
Atlanta – June 8, 2023 – The Atlanta Zoo will celebrate “Willie B. Day” on Father’s Day on Sunday, June 18, 2023, in honor of the achievements of one of its most famous animals.
Guests will have the opportunity to witness a special Keeper Talk by the Gorilla Care team, interactive educational activities on the Takamena Gorilla Deck, and the late Legend’s newest grandson, Willie B.III, who was named in his honor last month. Enjoy. Activities run from 10am to 3pm. Guests at the Ford Willie B Gorilla Conservation Center will also have the opportunity to view scenes from his Channel 2 History of His News special, The Life and Times of Willie B, on WSB. It was broadcast in 2001.
2023 marks our 35th anniversaryth It was the year that Willie B first entered the lush Ford African Rainforest, a moment that was celebrated with joy all over Atlanta and around the world. Named after then-mayor William B. Hartsfield, this famous western lowland gorilla arrived in Atlanta in 1961 as a young man about two years old. He spent his first 27 years at the zoo in an indoor environment and became the face of a radical transformation of the zoo in the 1980s. A move to the new Ford Africa Rainforest Complex saw him meet a female gorilla, become a successful unit leader, and father five children. Four of his five children (daughters Kudzu, Scali, Lulu, and only son Willie B. Jr.) live at the Atlanta Zoo. His younger daughter, Olympia, lives in another Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) accredited body. Since then, all five have had offspring of their own, and Willie B has been a grandfather many times.
More than 5,000 people attended the memorial service for Willie B., who died in February 2000 at the age of 42. He is immortalized in the life-size Willie B. memorial statue near the entrance to the African rainforest of his most popular Ford. Photo shoot at the Atlanta Zoo.
Fans near and far alike are encouraged to share their memories of Willie B. via email. WillieB@zooatlanta.org. Share more memories on Sunday, June 18 on the Atlanta Zoo’s Facebook and Instagram.
Guests 21 and older can try Willie B. Legacy Lager, developed by Sweetwater Brewery specifically for the Atlanta Zoo. Willie B. Legacy Lager, a refreshing pilsner with notes of banana and orange, will be available throughout the season at the Atlanta Zoo’s Sweetwater His Beer Garden and Nourish Cafe. Sweetwater Beer Garden is open from 10:30am to 5:00pm.
Celebrating Willie B. III: Find 1-month-old Willy B. III and his mother, Sharia (pronunciation). whoosh, ray, uh) in gorilla habitat 4. This infant is Willie B. Jr.’s firstborn. A TikTok video posted on April 26, 2023 showing a new father meeting his offspring for the first time has been viewed more than 8.5 million times.
Help the Atlanta Zoo welcome new members to this beloved family legacy by purchasing items from our exclusive site. gorilla baby shower wish list At ZooAtlanta.org. Items selected by the Gorilla Care team include construction materials for the new play platform, enhanced feeders and more. Purchases are shipped directly to the Atlanta Zoo.
Willie B. and his namesake go far beyond cherished Atlanta traditions. The Atlanta Zoo is now home to the largest population of western lowland gorillas in North America, but these gorillas are endangered. Wild populations have plummeted in recent years as a result of habitat loss, poaching, illegal hunting for the bushmeat trade, and emerging diseases. Over a 25-year period, these combined threats have reduced wild populations by 60 percent, and by as much as 90 percent in some West African ranges, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The zoo is home to the largest gorilla population in North America. Research by team members at the Atlanta Zoo has not only impacted gorilla care in zoos, but has also published more than 100 papers on maternal care, reproduction, social behavior and cognition, improving the world’s understanding of gorillas. I was.
The Atlanta Zoo supports the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Gorilla SAFE (Save Animals from Extinction) program that focuses on expertise within accredited zoos. For more than 20 years, the zoo has supported its longtime partner in gorilla conservation, the Diane Fosse Gorilla Foundation International, by providing free headquarters space, information technology support and financial resources. The Atlanta Zoo, through the Mabel Dawn Leader Conservation Fund, also supports the Gua Lugo Triangle Ape Project, which works to reduce threats to western lowland gorillas and other apes in the Congo Basin.
Plan your visit or learn more at zoatlanta.org.