DENVER — Black-footed ferret recovery efforts aimed at increased genetic diversity and disease resistance took a bold step forward Dec. 10, 2020, with the birth of “Elizabeth Ann,” created from the frozen cells of “Willa,” a black-footed ferret that lived more than 30 years ago.

An international group of primatologists led by the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) — with support from San Diego Zoo Global, the Columbus Zoo and GaiaZOO — are providing a new home for 25 monkeys that were confiscated from wildlife traffickers.

Omeo (pronounced Ooh-me-ooh), a male koala at the San Diego Zoo, turned 1 year old (July 15, 2020) and received a special birthday celebration—complete with a heart-shaped ice cake made with natural flowers, and “presents.”

A koala moved quickly out of a caretaker’s arms and up into a tall eucalyptus tree, while wildlife care specialists looked on. This koala is a member of an important group of the species that returned to their home in the Blue Mountains of Australia this past weekend.