Loading...
News

Smuggled animals get a second life at Atlanta's zoo and aquarium

When exotic animals are confiscated at the Atlanta airport, where do they go? Sometimes, they find a new home locally at Zoo Atlanta or the Georgia Aquarium. The illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be a $7 billion to $23 billion industry. Demand is booming, but the aquarium and zoo work hand in hand with Atlanta ports to process the confiscated creatures. The AJC's Fraser Jones follows the trail of illegally smuggled wildlife and how the zoo and aquarium give the animals their second life. Sources: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

1:52
AJC | July 20, 2025
Today's Video Headlines
More Videos

A Georgia facility trains ICE agents nationwide. Former instructors say standards have slipped.

Credits: AJC|Getty|UnitedStatesMarshalsServiceHQ/YT|LaurieLohne/FB|FLETC|ICEgov/YT|AP|CNN|USGS|PBS|CSPAN/YT|OversightDems/YT|DVIDS

No pay, no staff: Shutdown leaves TSA workers off the job in Atlanta

Weeks without pay: TSA workers at Atlanta’s airport say they’re selling plasma, sleeping in cars as staffing shortages worsen. Credits: AP| Ben Hendren/AJC

FROM

Why 'Showtime at the Apollo' host Kiki Shepard was a staple of Black pop culture

Best known for her iconic role on “Showtime at the Apollo,” Kiki Shepard died on March 16. Credits: AJC/"Showtime at the Apollo"|FOX/@OutkastOfficial_/YT|Getty

We tasted Atlanta's best lemon pepper wings. Here's how they stack up.

Atlanta didn’t invent chicken wings, but we absolutely put lemon pepper on the map.