ATLANTA FULTON COUNTY ZOO INC

The visitor experience: from well-known native wildlife to critically endangered species on the brink of extinction, zoo atlanta offers memorable close encounters with hundreds of animals from around the world. These exclusive hands-on experiences use the zoo's living population to create connections between guests and the natural world. Zoo atlanta has been internationally recognized for its science, conservation, education, and behavioral research programs. Keeper talks, interactive wildlife shows, education programs, and special events run year-round. Zoo atlanta pursued significant capital projects in 2024 to improve the visitor experience and animal wellbeing, including the construction of the new rollins animal health center and renovations of the lion habitat and flamingo plaza restrooms. In 2024, zoo atlanta welcomed 973,921 visitors. With a continually growing social media following, the zoo attracted 597,000 followers on its facebook and instagram platforms and 3 million likes on tiktok by the end of 2024. Community access programs: the zoo continued to offer and expand community access programs in 2024 to ensure that zoo atlanta is a zoo for all. In partnership with iaccess life, the zoo launched the new "voice" initiative, a tool that allows visitors to scan seven different qr codes around the zoo and anonymously provide feedback on accessibility. In a commitment to our education mission, zoo atlanta also provided free educational programming for thousands of low-income students in 2024. Through the generosity of cox enterprises, southwire, and individual donors, zoo atlanta provided 49 scholarships to elementary school students from title i schools for safari camp, where campers embarked on zoo expeditions to learn about wildlife and wild places while school was out. The zoo also provided free admission to 12,754 students and their teachers from title i schools through the sponsored admissions and wild walks programs during the 2023-2024 school year. Zoo atlanta also hosted the second annual vet for a day program on november 9 to connect local students and their families to veterinary careers. 40 teens from metro atlanta title i schools joined the zoo veterinary team and drs. Terrence ferguson and vernard hodges, the stars of "critter fixers: country vets," to participate in hands-on activities, tour the rollins animal health center, and learn about zoological and veterinary careers. Lastly, the zoo provided free admission and tailored programming to 179 seniors during the inaugural city of atlanta and fulton county senior days in september. Through programs such as sponsored admissions, library pass, arts incommunity, and city of atlanta and fulton county family days, we provided free admission to 89,169 guests in 2024, 9% of total attendance. Conservation initiatives: zoo atlanta is directly involved in field conservation programs for wildlife and wild places around the globe, including work in africa, asia, central and south america, and georgia. The zoo's contributions range from funding for other established conservation organizations who share its mission, enabling a greater total impact in the field than might be achievable by a single organization, to projects in which its own staff are personally engaged in field work, community outreach programs, research, and education programs on continents around the globe. Zoo atlanta is pleased to share significant conservation initiatives in 2024 that honor the legacy of the zoo's late vp of collections & conservation, dr. Jennifer mickelberg, who passed away in 2023. The zoo awarded the first recipients of the mickelberg field conservation grant to zoo team members pursuing conservation projects requiring regional or international travel. The mickelberg grant recipients will support projects to protect or study wild indigo snakes in georgia, western lowland gorillas in the republic of congo, southern ground hornbills in south africa, african vultures in south africa, and a novel snake virus in arizona. Zoo atlanta is also proud to build upon a longstanding partnership with the golden lion tamarin association, an organization and cause dr. Mickelberg supported throughout her life through research and direct field work. The latest golden lion tamarin conservation effort in brazil, the reforestation of a track of land named "jennifer's corridor," will connect enough fragmented golden lion tamarin habitats to enable a viable population, fulfilling dr. Mickelberg's vision for the species. Zoo atlanta also supported local and global conservation through ongoing partnerships and funding in 2024. The 2025 beneficiaries of the mabel dorn reeder conservation endowment fund include projects for red pandas, orangutans, panamanian golden frogs, drill monkeys, clouded leopards, gorillas, chimpanzees, and radiated tortoises in asia, africa, and central america. Additionally, in an outstanding example of global collaboration for the conservation of one of the world's rarest lizard species, zoo atlanta hatched and transported 11 endangered guatemalan beaded lizards to parque zoologico nacional la aurora in guatemala in january 2024. The lizards are now part of a breeding colony to bolster the wild population of the species, continuing a decades-long partnership between zoo atlanta and our guatemalan partners. Conservation efforts for native species include a collaboration to rear and reintroduce eastern indigo snakes to alabama's conecuh national forest and an ongoing commitment to rearing diamondback terrapins for release into the wild through support of the georgia sea turtle center's jekyll island causeway conservation program. Zoo atlanta also partners on efforts to restore the critically endangered mountain bog ecosystem of the southern appalachian region and is home to a safeguarding site for the critically endangered michaux's sumac, a plant species found only in the southeastern u.s. Research initiatives: research helps zoo atlanta better understand and provide stewardship for the animals in its care, and it provides the zoo with valuable insights that enable it to protect their counterparts in the wild. Basic research also contributes to overall knowledge of life on earth. Scientists at zoo atlanta lead research efforts involving animals housed at the zoo as well as animals in the wild. The zoo's scientists collaborate with scientists around the world. The zoo's scientific staff hold faculty appointments at georgia state university, georgia tech, and the university of georgia. Zoo team members have published the results of their research in such journals as science, behaviour, conservation biology, and proceedings of the national academy of sciences, as well as featured by media such as national geographic, wired, and the new york times. Zoo atlanta published 10 peer-reviewed articles in 2024, bringing total publications to 432 since record-keeping began in 1978. Research is contributing to new learnings about elephant herpesvirus screening, prey-detecting behavior in guatemalan beaded lizards, and auditory enrichment for elephants. In an example of the collaborative nature of our research, a study conducted by undergraduate students from georgia tech, colleagues at georgia state university, and zoo team members investigated how eastern box turtles make distinctions between an amount of food and a number of food items, findings that help us understand how these turtles make complex decisions in the wild. These collaborative research efforts advance knowledge of animal behavior, health, and wellbeing so that we can better care for animals at the zoo and help conserve their counterparts in the wild. Public events & fundraisers: zoo atlanta's attendance is boosted from established signature events such as boo at the zoo, brew at the zoo, and sippin' safari as well as expanded accessibility initiatives. On december 31, we rang in the new year with over 4,000 guests during zoo year's eve, a new event for 2024 filled with special family-friendly celebrations and countdowns on the hour. Beastly feast, zoo atlanta's signature black-tie gala, is one of the southeast's most unique philanthropic events. Zoo atlanta continues to expand its reputation for offering special events for people of all ages and interests. Volunteers: as a nonprofit organization, zoo atlanta counts on volunteers to be an integral part of its workforce. In 2024, volunteers contributed 41,916 hours to zoo atlanta, which is valued at nearly $1,310,000. There were 51 event volunteers, 55 zoo crew volunteers, 865 group volunteers, 86 volunteens, 41 interns and externs, 155 education volunteers, and 12 joey volunteers who gave their time to the zoo in 2024.

Education & conservation: in 2024, the zoo's public, school, and family education programs served 1,073,914 individuals. Education programs create fun and engaging experiences to connect zoo visitors with wildlife, support science curricula to improve students' understanding of the natural world and empower individuals to take action. The quarters for conservation program donates 25 cents of every zoo admission ticket to conservation projects for wildlife and wild places around the world. The mabel dorn reeder conservation endowment fund awarded seven grants totaling $53,000 in 2024.