Pittsburgh AAZK Chapter

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?

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!

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!