Photos

Western lowland gorilla

Behind the Gorilla Gaze

Gorillas are very expressive. They sometimes greet each other nose-to-nose and embrace. Just like humans, they show aggression by pressing their lips together and giving a stern stare. In addition to facial expressions, scientists have studied the vast repertoire of gestures gorillas use to communicate with one another. Both types of non-vocal communication offer clues to an individual’s emotions, motivations, and intentions.

Sea lion Kiani

Lunch at the Pool

It takes a lot of herring, capelin, and mackerel to satisfy the “beachmaster” of Astor Court, sea lion bull Kiani. He eats up to 35 pounds of fish per day! Stop by during his mealtimes, and to watch sea lion enrichment demonstrations, at 11:00 a.m. (except Wednesdays) and 3:00 p.m. daily.

Chestnut Breasted Malkoha

Call Me Cuckoo

A new cuckoo species has arrived at the World of Birds, the chestnut-breasted malkoha. This vibrant bird hails from Southeast Asia, ranging from Myanmar to eastern Java, the Philippines and Borneo. You can distinguish males and females by their eye color—males like this one have pale blue irises, and females’ irises are gold or straw-colored.

Northern Caiman Lizard

Bathing Beauty

Hailing from northern South America, the northern caiman lizard spends much of its time in the water. It feeds mostly on snails, but requires no escargot fork—the lizard crushes its prey with its back teeth, then spits out the pieces of snail shell.

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