Hub City AAZK

Hub City AAZK The Hattiesburg Zoo chapter of the American Association of Zoo Keepers.

06/18/2026

we ❤️ Dr. Julia

Today, we have Lacey (Genet) for Portugal vs our Bongo boys for the D.R. Congo. Then Abeni (Serval) for Ghana vs Lumpy (...
06/18/2026

Today, we have Lacey (Genet) for Portugal vs our Bongo boys for the D.R. Congo. Then Abeni (Serval) for Ghana vs Lumpy (two toed sloth) for Panama. And Peanut (Blue and gold Macaw) will be rooting for Brazil.

But let’s talk a little bit more about Lacey. Why is she supporting Portugal when Genets are naturally from Africa? Well, there are now healthy, established colonies of genets around much of southern Europe. Originally thought to be brought over in the hopes to domestic them as rodent hunters, they began to make themselves at home, just not inside our homes. BUT, they are not an invasive species, as they are not damaging to the local ecosystems. In fact, the have been quite beneficial by regulating small prey populations and helping with seed dispersal. So instead of being qualified as invasive, they are considered naturalized. Portugal welcomes these once African immigrants as one of their own now, and she is happy to support her new home team.

Today we have Samson (Royal/Ball Python) for Senegal, and our reigning champ Leggs (Rose haired tarantula) for Argentina...
06/16/2026

Today we have Samson (Royal/Ball Python) for Senegal, and our reigning champ Leggs (Rose haired tarantula) for Argentina.

Samson has been at the zoo for 24 years, and Leggs for 15 years. Both are older than this but exact ages are unknown because of previous ownership. Royal/Ball pythons typically live 30-40 years under professional care, and Rose haired tarantula females typically live 20-30 years. Both are very common as exotic pets in the U.S. and the commitment they take is more than most people realize.

Who’s got the best game day face? -Bongo (Fennec fox) for Saudi Arabia -Priscilla (Prehensile tailed porcupine) for Urug...
06/16/2026

Who’s got the best game day face?
-Bongo (Fennec fox) for Saudi Arabia
-Priscilla (Prehensile tailed porcupine) for Uruguay
-Kevin Bacon (KuneKune pig) for New Zealand

Moonpie (Sand boa) is training to try out for Egypt next year, but he skipped leg day again.

Hydration break! Craig (Galapagos tortoise) is hoping for an Ecuador win. Meanwhile Cal (Calabar boa) is practicing, hop...
06/14/2026

Hydration break! Craig (Galapagos tortoise) is hoping for an Ecuador win. Meanwhile Cal (Calabar boa) is practicing, hoping to make goalkeeper for Cote d’Ivior next year.

Samhain (Barnevelder hen) is hoping the Netherlands can get a victory like Delilah’s (Spangled Hamburg hen) German team did.

Later, Sweden and Eloise (Alpine goat) take on Tunisia and Zuri ( Nigerian Dwarf goat) to see who is the real G.O.A.T. of the petting zoo.

Charlie (Bearded Dragon) has got all his gear ready to support Australia later tonight. Talon (Golden Eagle) is getting ...
06/13/2026

Charlie (Bearded Dragon) has got all his gear ready to support Australia later tonight.

Talon (Golden Eagle) is getting his game face on for Scotland. Golden eagles were nearly hunted out of Scotland by scared farmers in the past. But they have been brought back from the brink through conservation efforts and now are protected and fill the Scottish skies again. An amazing comeback story!

Violet (Alpine goat) is putting on a strained smile after Switzerland’s tie earlier today.

And right now, it’s Brazil and Lulo (kinkajou) vs Morocco and Banjo (Fennec fox). Both cute, both fuzzy, and both species extremely threatened by the exotic pet trade. One of their biggest threats in the wild is trafficking for pets and private exhibitors.

Thank you to everyone who was apart of Bingo for Bongos 2026! We had the best time playing bingo and raising money for b...
06/13/2026

Thank you to everyone who was apart of Bingo for Bongos 2026! We had the best time playing bingo and raising money for bongo antelope conservation despite the humid evening.

We truly appreciate the support from Southern Prohibition and our sponsors! We couldn't have done it with out them.

You can learn more about what our raised funds are going towards at https://mountainbongo.org/.

Stay tuned for more fun!

This year, our Barred owl “Rebar” will be supporting Canada, and she has a special message. While native to eastern Cana...
06/12/2026

This year, our Barred owl “Rebar” will be supporting Canada, and she has a special message. While native to eastern Canada, her barred owl brethren are now invasive in the western territories. They are becoming a threat to the Northern spotted owl. Timber harvesting and logging have altered old-growth forests, making it easier for highly adaptable barred owls to move through, while threatening the more specialized spotted owl. Now, the northern spotted owl is one of Canadas most endangered species.

Want to help? The Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Program is the only one of its kind! You can support them here.

https://www.nsobreedingprogram.com/

In other news: Koni (Striped skunk) and Sesame (Chacoan peccary) both got into their game day snacks a little early and are sleeping it off. Hopefully they will be up in time to support the USA and Paraguay later.

It’s time!! The World Cup starts today! The animals at the zoo from around the world are all amped up to support their n...
06/11/2026

It’s time!! The World Cup starts today! The animals at the zoo from around the world are all amped up to support their native countries. Today, we have Tobi supporting Mexico vs our African ground hornbills supporting the Republic of South Africa. And later today, Riceball and Czechia will take on RK and Korea.

This years ref will be our barn owl Nyra. Barn owls are found in every continent in the world apart from Antarctica, making him an excellent impartial judge (hopefully).

Keep up with us for the rest of the tournament to see our animals in action and learn fun facts along the way.

🦜Dancer says “Happy World Parrot Day” to all those cool birds out there! Did you know that parrots are very smart? Like ...
05/31/2026

🦜Dancer says “Happy World Parrot Day” to all those cool birds out there! Did you know that parrots are very smart? Like toddler level intelligence smart! They also live a reallyyyyyy long time. Please always research a potential pet but especially parrots because they can be a lifelong commitment🦜

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Hattiesburg, MS
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