The Georgia Aquarium and Atlanta Zoo joined in on this week's "cute animal tweet off," but now they want to remind people that they are "cute with a cause."
While the two institutions may be better known as a great place to spend a day watching adorable animals and sea life, they both have important conservation roles at the heart of their priorities.
The Atlanta Zoo highlighted work that it does with Georgia's own diamondback terrapins. In partnership with the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island, the zoo raises terrapins hatched from eggs that were retrieved from turtles killed by automobiles. After nurturing and studying them for nine months, the zoo releases them back into their native habitat, now large enough to be less vulnerable to predators.
The Georgia Aquarium choose a baby penguin to highlight its conservation work on Twitter.
In addition to its participation in the Species Survival Plan for the African penguins, the aquarium has sent workers to South Africa to assist SANCCOB, a non-profit group, with the rehab and release of the endangered birds.
At the aquarium itself, the endangered penguins, which are one of the main attractions, are managed for genetic diversity and health through breeding loans and exchanges with other facilities.
Zoos and aquariums from around the world have joined the hashtag campaign, hoping to remind their fans that they are more than tourist attractions. These institutions are protecting and preserving thousands of endangered species, while also educating their visitors about wildlife.
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