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Pittsburgh AAZK Chapter

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Pittsburgh AAZK Chapter

Local chapter of the American Association of Zoo Keepers, a non-profit organization made up of Zoo Keepers, Staff Members, and Volunteers.

https://pghaazk.square.site/

06/01/2026

We are excited to announce that our highly anticipated family fun event is now live! Join us for Bowling for Rhinos 2026: Pins for Pachyderms and help support rhino conservation on August 15th!

For tickets and more information use our QR code or the link below!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bowling-for-rhinos-2026-tickets-1989350759674?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=wsa&aff=ebdsshwebmobile

We also wanted to give a big thank you to our sponsors: Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium, Rhino Plumbing, and Gary's Animal Kare!

05/05/2026

Happy Cinco de Rhino!

There are 5 remaining species of Rhino and we would like to celebrate them today by showing off our Bowling for Rhinos logo for this year!

Congratulations to our contest winner Grayson and thank you to our other participants!!

Registration for our Bowling for Rhinos event is coming soon so keep your eyes out 🎳🦏

04/22/2026

It’s Earth Day! As we drift in this vast universe, how lucky are we that we can call the earth home?

We share our planet with 2.5 million known different species of organisms, but there may be up to 7.7 million species total! There are around 38,500 species currently listed by the ICUN as at risk of extinction, and that is with only around 28% of all known species assessed. Up to 70% of plants assessed are under threat. There is so much left to discover and so much to cherish and protect.

Some species that are on the verge of extinction include the vaquita which is the most endangered marine mammal with only around 9 individuals left on the planet. And one species a bit closer to home whom has been kept from extinction by accredited zoos and other facilities is the Guam Kingfisher! There are only around 130 Guam Kingfishers left in the world, and you can see some right here in Pittsburgh at the National Aviary)!

As we take a moment to appreciate all the amazing species we share our planet with, consider what small ways you can help protect the planet. Here are some great ideas: https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-tips/

How are you celebrating Earth Day?

04/15/2026

Wow, it's warm today (at least compared to last week)! We hope you stay as cool as these lorikeets with their frozen fruit ice treats!
Rainbow lorikeets live in Australia and eat mostly fruit and nectar. Just like us, they enjoy some popsicles on warm days.
You can see (and feed!) rainbow lorikeets at the National Aviary
How are you staying cool in today’s warm weather?

04/09/2026

Today is Pygmy Hippo Day!!
There are only two species of hippos in the world: the common or Nile hippopotamus and the endangered pygmy hippopotamus.

Native to the swamps and forests of West Africa, these small hippos are less than ¼ the weight of their larger cousins. Pygmy hippos are semiaquatic herbivores that rely on water for food and to keep cool, but spend much more time on land than common hippos. Like their larger cousins they secrete ‘blood sweat’ from their skin which has antiseptic and sunscreen properties. The substance is actually hipposudoric acid and is not blood or sweat.

As of 2015 there are only an estimated 2,500 pygmy hippos left in the wild, mostly due to loss of habitat and poaching.
You can help pygmy hippos by purchasing sustainable palm oil products that will reduce deforestation caused by agriculture. There are lists of sustainable brands online or you can download the PalmOil Scan mobile app where you can scan barcodes to check products.
You can also see them and support conservation by visiting the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium!

04/01/2026

Welcome to our Pittsburgh AAZK Chapter!
For those just finding us, AAZK stands for the American Association of Zoo Keepers. We are an animal loving bunch that aim to spread awareness of the amazing creatures we share our world with and promote fundraising events where we can help support those species most in need.

We are going to start a new Wildlife Wednesday series on our social media platforms to showcase some fun facts about animals around the world (no joke!). Please stick around as we explore some fun critters and the amazing lives they live~

To start out, let's meet an animal that fools others!
What kind of large red-eyed beast is this?
Sunbitterns are a species of bird found in the tropics of the Americas. These birds may look like bitterns but are in a family of their own and are more closely related to kagu.
Sunbitterns may appear drab and well camouflaged at first glance, but when alarmed they spread their wings wide and appear to transform into a much larger creature with its eyes wide open, a great way to scare off potential predators.

Some other cool features of this water-loving bird:
They have been found to use bait or lures to attract aquatic prey within their striking distance.
If they are protecting a chick, they will often try to lead a predator away from the area by pretending they have a broken wing.
There are three recognized subspecies that vary in their coloration and size. These subspecies are separated geographically (aka allopatric).
They are the only living members of their family (Eurypygidae) and genus.

You can see sunbitterns in person at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh!

03/27/2026

Just a little over one week left to enter for the chance to have your design be this year’s Pittsburgh AAZK's Bowling for Rhinos logo!

03/26/2026

Hello! A little late into the year but we would like to introduce this year's Pittsburgh AAZK chapter officers!

President: Hope - pictured with African pygmy goose Nano
Vice President: Jessica - pictured with White cheeked turaco Fiona
Secretary: Shanna - pictured with Macaroni penguin Mickey
Treasurer: Sami - pictured with Spectacled owl Franklin

We're excited for a great year! We have some fun plans in store, check back in for events such as our popular Bowling for Rhinos and our puzzle competition!

03/14/2026

Do you love to create art? Have you ever wanted to help support conservation? Now you can combine the two!

The Pittsburgh AAZAK chapter is holding an art contest for Bowling for Rhinos!

We are looking for creative individuals to design a logo for this year’s event.

This is an international event where all the proceeds from chapters all over the world go to support Rhino conservation.

This year’s theme for our group is Pins for Pachyderms!

Winning entries will reflect the theme. Entries should be one to two colors and be in a .jpeg format. You cannot use AI to generate your submission.

The winner will receive a ticket for the August 15th event which includes 3 hours of bowling, shoe rental, access to silent auction items and raffle baskets, food, and a t-shirt with your logo on it!

Your design will be on t-shirts given out to all event attendees with credit to you.

Entry submission is $2.

Submit interest to [email protected] with Bowling for Rhinos Logo as the subject line and you will be sent an Entry submission form.

The contest runs from March 14th to April 4th! Go rhinos!

03/09/2026

We are so excited to announce our Bowling for Rhinos event for this year - Pins for Pachyderms! Keep a lookout for more information soon 🎳🦏

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Pittsburgh, PA
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