Newsroom
Listen up
We have news to announce!Welcome to the Metro Richmond Zoo’s newsroom. Here you will find copies of the zoo’s latest press releases and other announcements in a blog format.
Media Resources
If you are a member of the media please contact Taylor, our Communications Manager at [email protected] for the following:
- Schedule an interview for a story
- Access high-quality images or video
- Request to be added to our media mailing list
View our official press kit.
The zoo sends press releases to the media whenever we have significant announcements about animal births, new exhibits, or other exciting updates. You can read them below.
For more daily updates, follow us on social media.
Snow Leopard Cub Born August 5
The Metro Richmond Zoo is excited to announce the birth of a female Snow leopard named Alakhai. She was born to parents Elsa and Nitro on August 5, 2022, after a 3 month gestation period. Alakhai was born inside a private den where she spent the first few months of...
Cheetah Boom: 19 Cheetah Cubs Born in 2022
The Metro Richmond Zoo is proud to report a successful year for cheetah conservation. In 2022, 19 cheetah cubs from 6 different litters have been born at the zoo so far. This is the greatest number of cubs born in a single year in the zoo’s history. The 19 cubs were...
Metro Richmond Zoo Now Included In National Geographic’s Photo Ark
In August 2021, Joel Sartore of the National Geographic Photo Ark visited the Metro Richmond Zoo to photograph two species missing in the Photo Ark: the African clawless otter and the Canebrake rattlesnake. A year later, we have received the official portraits, and we...
Chimpanzee Root Canal
On Tuesday, December 7, 2021, the Metro Richmond Zoo performed a root canal on Kip, a twenty year old, 165 pound, male chimpanzee. Earlier, zookeepers noticed Kip had swelling on the right side of his face. The zoo’s vet team examined Kip’s mouth, discovered his...
ZAA Long Term Commitment and Significant Propagation of a Single Species Award
The Metro Richmond Zoo is the recipient of the 2021 ZAA Long Term Commitment and Significant Propagation of a Single Species Award for our work in African penguin conservation. At the ceremony, a representative from the Zoological Association of America (ZAA) stated,...
Three New Cheetah Litters
The Metro Richmond Zoo is proud to announce the births of three cheetah litters. On April 10, 2021, Rey gave birth to four cubs (one male and three females) sired by Kalu. This is Rey’s second litter. On April 26, 2021, Vaila gave birth to four cubs (one male and...
Metro Richmond Zoo in the News