Rio Grande Zoo
he Botanic Garden is an institutional member of the American Public Gardens Association.
APGA has emerged as the premiere association for public gardens in North America.
APGA members are committed to excellence in horticultural display, education, research and plant conservation.Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The ABQ BioPark is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you and a better future for all living things.
With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation and your link to helping animals in their native habitats.World Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The ABQ BioPark is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The mission of the World Association of Zoos and Squariums is to guide, encourage and support the zoos, aquariums, and like-minded organisations of the world in animal care and welfare, environmental education and global conservation.
Located next to the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the 64-acre Zoo has been offering guests close encounters with exotic and native animals since 1927.
A male Queensland koala and zookeeper from the Los Angeles Zoo arrived at the ABQ BioPark Zoo last night. The 20-month old koala was born at the L.A. Zoo, and the visiting keeper will assist for several days as the animal transitions to his new home behind-the-scenes in the Zoo's Australia exhibit.
The Zoo is also home to the only Victorian koala in North America. 'Zaki' is also one of the oldest koalas in the country and turns 18 years old in January. He has been in Albuquerque since 1997. Zaki will remain in the koala exhibit's familiar branches as long as possible, being carefully monitored by keepers for age-related health issues. Koalas can live up to 20 years.
"We are excited to welcome this new koala to Albuquerque," said Lynn Tupa, Zoo Manager. "We can be proud that we are one of only a few zoos in the country with the expertise to care for koalas. Stephanie Kain, our senior keeper for the area, has more than 12 years of experience with koalas. She even went to Australia to participate in a field study about wild koalas."
Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are a threatened species and protected by Australian law, although habitat loss continues to threaten populations. These marsupials spend most of their lives in trees, where they sleep for 18-19 hours a day.
Koalas are highly adapted to eat eucalyptus, a plant that is toxic to most animals. The BioPark ships in fresh eucalyptus branches twice a week from Arizona and Florida. While there are hundreds of Eucalyptus species, koalas have clear preferences, and we have added Luke's favorite, including Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Eucalyptus robusta, to our regular order
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