Four Zoo Atlanta Animals Find New Homes

Four members of the African savanna family at Zoo Atlanta will be moving to new homes in coming weeks. Warthog sisters Daphne, Eloise, and Penelope and female plains zebra Shinda will be making moves to other Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited organizations. These moves are a result of recommendations from the AZA Species Survival Plan® (SSP).

The SSP is a big-picture approach to assessing animal populations at accredited zoos, and recommendations take into account factors such as social, individual, and housing needs. Collaborative programs like the SSP are important to the long-term success and viability of animal populations in AZA-accredited zoos, and may involve transfers of animals from other organizations to Zoo Atlanta or vice versa.

Daphne, Eloise and Penelope were the first litter for parents Eleanor and Hamlet. The sisters are approaching their second birthday. Their parents will remain at the zoo.

As for Shinda, Zoo Atlanta have been seeking a new home for her since her companion, Hannnah passed away at the end of 2022. Zebras are social animals and they require companionship which she will have at her new home. It is hoped that zebras will return to Zoo Atlanta in the future.

“We will miss Daphne, Eloise and Penelope, as we and our Members and guests have enjoyed watching them grow here at Zoo Atlanta, but we are excited for their new opportunity. We will likewise miss Shinda, but it is most important that she have the social interactions that her species needs,” said Jennifer Mickelberg, PhD, Vice President of Collections and Conservation. “In any discussions of animal moves, the well-being of the animals is our number one consideration.”

Zoo Atlanta opened their African savannah habitat in 2019 where guests can meet the zebras and warthogs alongside African elephants, giraffes, meerkats and rhinoceros.