zoo

Two giant pandas have left China on a flight bound for Zoo Atlanta, where they will live on loan from the Chinese government. The move is the latest example of Beijing's long-standing practice of "panda diplomacy," using the beloved animals to strengthen ties with other countries. Observers see it as a soft-power gesture amid ongoing efforts to stabilize US-China relations.

A photography enthusiast repaired a zoom lens and found the mechanism now works again, but was left with one spare screw after reassembly. They concluded the screw had been floating loose inside the zoom mechanism since before they bought the lens, recalling that it rattled when they first owned it. The repair ended well despite the initial panic.

Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka, California, has opened up grant funding for wildlife conservation projects, inviting applicants to seek money for conservation work. The announcement was reported by local news in Humboldt County. Details on grant amounts, eligibility and deadlines have not been widely reported yet, but the move signals the zoo's effort to support regional and wider wildlife protection efforts through direct funding.

The Bronx Zoo in New York has announced the arrival of a new snow leopard cub, according to the New York Daily News. The birth is a welcome boost for the endangered species, which zoos across the world breed through conservation programmes. No further details about the cub, such as its name or sex, have been released yet.

Reid Park Zoo in Tucson has opened its Pathway to Asia expansion, bringing new exotic wildlife to visitors. The development adds animals and habitats themed around the Asian continent as part of the zoo's growth plans, and local coverage is highlighting what guests can now see.

Brookfield Zoo Chicago is serving as a setting in a Christmas film, according to the Riverside-Brookfield Landmark. The story gives the suburban Chicago zoo a moment in the holiday spotlight, drawing local attention to its appearance on screen. Details about the movie's title, cast and release date were not provided in the report.

Brevard Zoo in Florida is drawing attention with 'Gail', its baby giraffe, which has become a popular attraction for visitors. Coverage highlights the young animal's appeal as a crowd-pleaser at the Melbourne-area zoo, adding to the park's reputation for giraffe encounters and newborn animals that regularly draw local families and animal lovers.

A new holiday movie shot at Brookfield Zoo in the Chicago area will stream on Tubi, CBS News reports. The film uses the zoo as its backdrop, adding a familiar local landmark to the streaming service's seasonal lineup. Details on the cast and release date have not been widely shared yet.

A Christmas movie set at Brookfield Zoo near Chicago is preparing for release, with local outlet Riverside Brookfield Landmark reporting on the upcoming premiere. Details about the plot, cast and release date have not been widely shared yet, but the film puts the well-known zoo at the center of a holiday story, drawing interest from local residents and movie fans ahead of the season.

Reid Park Zoo in Tucson is giving the public a behind-the-scenes look at how its animals are cared for and fed, as reported by KGUN 9. The feature highlights the work of keepers and nutrition staff in preparing specialised diets and daily care routines for the zoo's animal collection.

A volunteer is assembling a team to run a workshop helping people move away from major proprietary platforms toward open-source alternatives. Planned switches include Zoom to Jitsi, OneDrive or Google Drive to Nextcloud, Google Android to GrapheneOS, and Windows to Linux, with more topics possible depending on how many helpers join. The project is at an early planning stage.

NASA's Science team is inviting the public to join a citizen science effort examining cosmic dust. The call for volunteers to help spot overlapping features in astronomical images is drawing attention as a way for non-scientists to contribute to real research on dust and other phenomena in space.