Zoo Atlanta Shares the Sports Their Animals Would Compete in at the Olympics
The 2024 Summer Olympics are coming to an end, and many of us are already dreading the end of the competitions. Zoos have been sharing some very funny clips of their animals and how they could compete in the Olympics, and it's been just as fun to watch them as the real thing!
Zoo Atlanta posted a video on August 1st of the animals that they think could qualify for Team USA and which sports they'd compete in. From rugby to gymnastics and even water polo and dressage, there's something for everybody. If the zoo can figure out how to pull off getting the animals to compete, I guarantee there'd be a huge audience waiting to see it. Make sure your sound is on so you can hear the Olympic theme song playing in the background as they introduce their athletes!
You can tell that Zoo Atlanta had fun creating this gold-medal-winning-Olympic video! They got creative with matching animals to events, but there was a clear favorite. The fan fave was Floyd the gorilla breakdancing! Audubon Nature Institute agreed and laughed, "It’s the breakdancing for us!" @Taylor Pagel added, "Honestly Floyd is killing it." and the zoo replied, "Right? A natural talent!" And everybody agreed with the commenter who said, "10s-10s-10s across the board!" Why isn't breakdancing an Olympic sport?!
Related: Indianapolis Zoo Shows off Their ‘Olympic Swimmers’ and It’s Just Too Cute
More About Breakdancing Floyd
Floyd is so cute, and I could watch him all day! The zoo shares videos of his antics often, and he's a lot like other little boys I know. Floyd, a western lowland gorilla, celebrated his 4th birthday at the end of July, so he really is like a toddler! Willie is another youngster at the zoo. He turned a year old in May and is just as silly and as much fun to watch as Floyd is.
According to People, "Floyd is the 24th gorilla born at the zoo and is the grandson of Zoo Atlanta legend the late Willie B. He is also a great-grandson of Ozzie, the world's oldest living male gorilla at 59." He comes from good genes, and I hope that he lives a long and healthy life!
Sadly, Zoo Atlanta reported in a press release that these gorillas in the wild are critically endangered. This is due to poaching, illegal hunting for the bushmeat trade, habitat loss, and diseases such as Ebola. They say their numbers continue to decline, "Numbers by 60 percent in the wild, with declines of as much as 90 percent in some parts of their range in western Africa."
The zoo is heavily involved in the gorilla conservation efforts and has a longtime partnership with The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. "The Fossey Fund and Zoo Atlanta were among the first organizations to observe World Gorilla Day, which is observed annually on September 24," according to the press release.
If you're a fan of learning about animals and watching cute/funny/silly animal videos, I highly recommend giving Zoo Atlanta a follow on their social media channels. You never know what they'll share next!
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