Zoos
The Wildlife Can Be So Distracting Up Here!
Posted at 7:37 pm October 3, 2007 by Ronit Abramson
Ronit is the San Diego Zoo’s 2007 Arctic Ambassador. She and other teens from around the world are in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, to partipate in Polar Bears International’s Polar Bear Leadership Camp.
Today’s weather stands in stark contrast to the rain from yesterday. The sun is high in the sky and horizon is lined with clouds, framing the clear blue sky elegantly. We took advantage of the beautiful weather to take two gorgeous trips out in the tundra buggies.
We left this morning to spend a couple of hours on the tundra. We saw a polar bear as well as several species of birds. We returned to the buggy to listen to a presentation by Michael Goodyear from the Northern Studies Research Center regarding the ringed seals, which is the primary prey of the polar bear. He described the natural habits of the seals and their reliance on the ice for birthing. Their “livelihood” is supporting the polar bear population and the Inuit community so their presence is crucial in the arctic biome.
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/1460/
Animal Day debate: Should Manila Zoo be shut down?
By Allison Lopez, Tina Santos
Inquirer
Last updated 06:48am (Mla time) 10/04/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- As the world observes Animal Day on Thursday, a debate rages on whether the Manila Zoo should be shut down.
With more than 700 creatures crammed inside the facility, the country’s oldest and one of the region’s first, rights groups are calling for its closure and protesting the alleged mistreatment of the creatures penned inside.
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said the zoo animals should be returned to the wild -- their natural habitat -- because most of them exhibited “zoochosis,” a condition where animals are driven “mad” by captivity.
As concern for the residents of the Manila Zoo mounts, animal lovers elsewhere celebrate this day with fund-raising and information campaigns and other special events.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view_article.php?article_id=92417
Louisville Zoo - World's Largest Halloween Party
Location:Louisville Zoo
Start Date: Thursday, October 18, 2007
End Date: Sunday, October 21, 2007
Time: Varies - See Event Details
Event Details:
If scary is no fun for your little one, then don’t miss the sweetest party in town. Join the Louisville Zoo for an evening of not-too-scary Halloween fun for the whole family with costumed characters and fanciful storybook scenes all over the Zoo.
Plus there’s trick-or-treating for kids 11-and-under, the Halloween Express Train ride and more!
Time:
- Thursdays and Fridays - 5 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
- Saturdays and Sundays - 4 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
For Additional Information:
Call 459-2181 or visit:
http://www.louisvillezoo.org/events/halloween.htm
Zoo to celebrate 100-year anniversary this weekend
by Ashley Bailey, The Eureka Reporter, 10/3/2007
Morgan Millard brought her 10-month-old son, Michael, to the Sequoia Park Zoo on Wednesday, as her mother brought her many times while growing up in Humboldt County.
As with many other area residents, trips to the zoo became a tradition for Millard and her family.
This weekend will mark 100 years since the zoo opened its doors to the public in 1907.
“It’s unique that such a small community has such a quality zoo,” said Gretchen Ziegler, Sequoia Park Zoo manager.
The Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation will host events this weekend for the centennial celebration.
Melinda Booth, development director of the Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation, said proceeds from the celebration will benefit new improvements to the zoo.
http://www.eurekareporter.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ArticleID=29119
Binghamton Zoo to open a new coral reef exhibit
The Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park will formally open its newest attraction this week: a coral reef exhibit will open this Saturday.
Representatives of the Southern Tier Reef Society will be on hand to discuss the exhibit along with information about the conservation of this vanishing habitat, as well as offer tips on how to develop and maintain your own salt water aquarium in your home.
Coral reefs are made up of millions of tiny animals and many of the other animals living in and around these reefs look much more like plants or rocks. Found in tropical waters around the world, coral reefs are under serious threat by pollution, changing water levels, rising ocean temperatures and illegal harvesting. All of the residents of the zoo's tank were raised in captivity. There are dozens of species of coral and other invertebrates along with several species of fish that inhabit the coral reefs around the world in this active new exhibit.
http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071004/LIFESTYLE/710040308/1004/LIFESTYLE
Special notice
EDITORIAL
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
THERE ARE two public institutions in Pueblo which rate special notice, the Pueblo Zoo and the City-County Library District.
The zoo once again has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The zoo operation first earned AZA accreditation in 1992.
Accreditation is granted by the AZA after a rigorous investigation of all aspects of a zoo’s operation, including everything from animal care and conservation efforts to financial stability and educational programs.
Accreditation enables the Pueblo Zoo to acquire animals, especially endangered species, that are on display and attempt to breed - species like the lesser slow loris, African black-footed penguins and Asian wild horses. The AZA support also gives the local zoo more credibility when it applies for grant money.
http://www.chieftain.com/editorial/1190960703/1
I’ve seen them in zoos in San Diego
http://rantsand.blogspot.com/2007/09/glo…
I got braced by a global warming alarmist on the street the other day, who wanted to know if I liked polar bears.
“Uh, not in my neighborhood.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said I don’t want polar bears in my neighborhood. They eat people.”
“Oh but I mean in the Arctic. Global warming is destroying their habitat and they’re in danger of extinction.”
“How is global warming going to threaten polar bears? I’ve seen them in zoos as far south as San Diego and they looked just fine to me.”
She on the other hand, looked upset. “Global warming is threatening all life on earth!” she said accusingly, as if it were somehow my fault…
“Listen, I’m a little busy right now but I’d be happy to speak to you at length another time - if you can answer me a few questions.”…
Hoo-ah!
http://tjic.com/?p=7285
Polar Bear on the Beach
Posted at 8:36 pm September 30, 2007 by Ronit Abramson
Ronit is the San Diego Zoo’s 2007 Arctic Ambassador. She and other teens from around the world are in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, to partipate in Polar Bears International’s Polar Bear Leadership Camp. See her previous blog, My International Polar Bear Adventure Begins.
Hello, (finally!) from Churchill, Manitoba-
Today we flew as a group to Churchill. For some this was incredibly exciting as it was their first plane ride of the whole trip (namely the students from Manitoba), and for some it was their first plane ride in which they didn’t lose their luggage, miss a connection, or didn’t have to fly solo. So it was a good flight!
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/polar-bear-on-the-beach/
My International Polar Bear Adventure Begins
Posted at 6:38 am September 29, 2007 by Ronit Abramson
Ronit is the San Diego Zoo’s 2007 Arctic Ambassador. She and other teens from around the world are in Churchill, Manitoba,
Canada, to partipate in Polar Bears International’s Polar Bear Leadership Camp.
Greetings from Canada! Everyone is finally here, and Polar Bear Leadership Camp has officially begun. The jitters about meeting everyone are long gone, and although conversations were halting and unsure at first, we now talk about everything from politics to sports at a mile a minute…or 1.609 kilometers a minute, now that we are in Canada. I have to admit that the biggest culture shock for me has been the switch to the metric system. I really appreciate the ease of measuring with metrics because we use it in science classes in the USA, but I am still somewhat unsure about measuring temperature in Celsius. For example, the temperature here in Winnipeg has been around 27 degrees, which I expected to be cold, forgetting that in Celsius, 27 degrees is hot! But I am adjusting; I am beginning to do all my measurements in metrics, now that I have been here for three days. The majority of the camp is in metrics so I am learning quickly and I hope to be completely “fluent” by the end of camp!
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/an-international-polar-bear-adventure-begins/
Satch Krantz began his career at Riverbanks in 1973 and has served as its executive director since 1976, making him one of the longest serving zoo directors in the nation.
During his career, Krantz has served as president of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Krantz is one of only three American zoo directors that has served as president of both of these organizations. He is currently slated to once again serve as AZA president in 2008, making him the first zoo director to serve two presidential terms since WWII.
Krantz has been heavily involved in the community Riverbanks serves. He is a past president of the board of Palmetto Richland Children's Hospital and the Columbia Rotary Club. He has also served as president of the Clemson University Board of Visitors and the University of South Carolina University Associates and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the River Alliance, the Children’s Hospital and the AZA.
In 1995 he received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Regional Cooperation from the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce and in 2002 he was given the International Ambassador of the Year Award by the Committee of 100. He received the Global Vision Award by the World Affairs Council in 2005.
Throughout his career, Krantz has traveled extensively, including thirteen safaris to six different African countries. In February 2002, he walked 120 miles across Tsavo National Park in Kenya, which was only the second time anyone had ever walked the Park's entire length.
Krantz is a native of Columbia, South Carolina and a graduate of Clemson University. He and his wife Becky are the proud parents of two grown sons.
http://www.riverbanks.org/mediacenter/includes/execbio_satch.htm
Award: Zoo praised for its iguana breeding program
The Indianapolis Zoo's efforts to raise and care for rare Jamaican iguanas has earned it an Edward H. Bean Award.
The zoo has used artificial incubation and other efforts to ensure the success of its captive breeding program, which so far has produced more than 20 iguanas.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums presents the Bean Award annually, according to a news release, in recognition of efforts in long-term management and husbandry of various animal species in accredited zoos and aquariums.
The award was established in 1956, honoring Edward H. Bean, the first director of the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago.
-- Star report
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070930/LOCAL/709300365/1196
Preserve parks
Chicago has the Field Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Shedd Aquarium, the Art Institute, as well as two zoos plus myriad other institutions and museums. This begs the question: Why have a children's museum at all? Why not expose children to the real thing in the hope it will inspire them?
Mayor Richard M. Daley has considered a congestion tax similar to the one in London and the one New York City is considering. A children's museum in Grant Park will only add to congestion as children will need to be driven there in school buses or cars.
The mayor hasn't been paying too much attention because he seems unaware of the antiquated CTA and the unbridled growth in the Loop. Public transportation simply doesn't serve parts of the city.
Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) is correct in trying to preserve green space; if there must be another museum, don't place it in Grant Park (perhaps there is space in the Cultural Center?). Our parks are the crown jewels of Chicago and need to be preserved.
Peter W. Broido
Chicago
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_opinion_letters/2007/09/preserve-parks.html
Panda Politics
China Makes Endangered Animal More Difficult to Obtain
For decades China has given or loaned highly endangered pandas to foreign countries as goodwill gestures, but now the Chinese quietly have ended the tradition.
Even though the panda population is larger than what it was in the 1970s, the Chinese government is more protective than ever of its national treasure.
Now, zoos are paying a hefty price to borrow the cuddly creatures. The giant panda has become a cash cow for the Chinese government.
China now offers 10-year giant panda loans to zoos that meet certain standards and can contribute to panda research. Zoos in the United States have paid as much as $1 million annually for the adorable attractions.
http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3671210
BRONX ZOO'S FIRST BABY PANDA BRED IN CAPTIVITY
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x33q8k_bronx-zoos-first-baby-panda-bred-in_fun
ADI: Zoo chimpanzee shooting raises questions.
Monday, 01 Oct 2007 13:46
On Saturday 29th September, two chimpanzees, Coco and Jonnie, escaped from their enclosure at Whipsnade Safari Park. Neither animal was believed by the zoo to be dangerous. There was a pursuit. Coco was recaptured. Jonnie was shot. A zoo spokesman stated: “No staff or members of the public were injured. But in the interests of public safety Jonnie was shot. That is normal practice if a chimp cannot be recaptured. But at no stage was the safety of our visitors at risk.”
It gives a chilling take on the war movie cliché “Anyone caught trying to escape will be shot.”
Tim Phillips, Campaigns Director Animal Defenders International: “Chimpanzees are our closest relatives in the animal kingdom, sharing over 98% of our DNA. Some scientists have even proposed that chimps be included in the same genus as us humans – that they be reclassified as Homo troglodytes.
http://www.politics.co.uk/press-releases/opinion-former-index/animal-welfare/adi-zoo-chimpanzee-shooting-raises-questions-$479172.htm
Clean Water Maze opens at Hands On
Monday, Oct 01, 2007 - 01:48 PM
By Special Contribution
Hands On! Museum will open a new feature exhibit, the Clean Water Maze, Saturday, Oct. 6.
Museum visitors will enter the maze, be transformed into a drop of water, and journey through different watershed habitats. At each decision point within the maze, they will spin a wheel to determine their next destination. Clean selections lead to new rooms featuring rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands, estuaries, bays, and oceans within the water cycle, while landing on pollutants will send them to an urban storm drain and an unhealthy ocean. But the journey doesn’t end there. These "water drops" can evaporate, condensate, precipitate and start again.
http://www.tricities.com/tristate/tri/news/education.apx.-content-articles-TRI-2007-10-01-0033.html
Must be something in the air as fourth baby Bongo arrives at zoo
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
By Linda McKee
Belfast Zoo's baby boom continues with the birth of four Eastern Bongos - an unusual striped antelope.
Three of the babies were born in August and September, but keepers arrived at the zoo yesterday to discover that a fourth infant had made its debut.
The babies were born to mothers Holly, Winnie, Willa and Fern after their nine-month pregnancies and all four were fathered by Embu, the resident male, who is on loan from Chester Zoo. The four new arrivals bring the zoo's bongo population to eleven.
The animals can be recognised by their striking reddish brown coats, white stripes and long, slightly spiral horns, which appear in both males and females. The animals can grow up to 250cm, with a shoulder height of 130cm.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/article3019111.ece
Wildlife Safari hangs onto accreditation following evaluation
Wildlife Safari has retained its accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums after questions had been raised about whether the Winston park could maintain its status with the Maryland-based organization.
Dan Van Slyke, Wildlife Safari’s executive director, and other park officials met last week with the association’s 12-member accreditation commission during the group’s annual conference in Philadelphia. They answered questions and discussed improvements made at Wildlife Safari since an AZA evaluator visited the park a couple of months ago.
Van Slyke said he was pleased and relieved that Wildlife Safari retained its accreditation through the end of the current 5-year period, which expires in September 2010.
“That’s a big statement, coming from them,” Van Slyke said. “Losing our accreditation would have been a big setback.”
http://www.oregonnews.com/article/20071002/NEWS/71002007
Zoo's most recent penguin chicks are males
Posted by Pedro Ramirez III October 02, 2007 11:27AM
Categories: Breaking News, City News, Entertainment News
The Rosamond Gifford Zoo announced today that the two penguin chicks that hatched in August are males. The zoo staff has named the chicks Sergio and Cuzco.
Zoo officials say Sergio and Cuzco could help provide mates for several captive female penguins at other zoos across the country.
"The Rosamond Gifford Zoo is poised to make an extremely positive impact on the Humboldt penguin population," says Ted Fox, curator.
The two chicks hatched on August 7 and August 10. The chicks are expected to join the rest of the colony in the main exhibit in early November.
http://blog.syracuse.com/news/2007/10/zoos_most_recent_penguin_chick.html
The lucky devils: Safe haven for an island icon
They're vicious, ugly and smelly – and endangered by a mysterious disfiguring disease. But that hasn't deterred Australians from rushing to the aid of the Tasmanian devil, in an ambitious project that has been compared to Noah's Ark. Kathy Marks reports on a extraordinary evacuation
Published: 03 October 2007
Less cuddly than the koala, less quirky than the kangaroo, the Tasmanian devil is not everyone's cup of tea. But the rare carnivorous marsupials, known for their blood-curdling yowls and their insatiable appetite for wombat carrion, may not be around for much longer.
A mysterious facial tumour disease is devastating the devil population, found only in Tasmania, the island state off the Australian mainland. Numbers have halved in a decade, and the fierce black furry creatures face extinction in the wild within 10 to 20 years unless a cure is found. There may be as few as 20,000 left.
Scientists are trying to preserve the species by sending a "Noah's Ark" population of healthy animals to zoos and sanctuaries on the mainland. Institutions in Europe and the US are also expected to play a part in Project Ark, aimed at conserving the creatures and, if possible, releasing them back into the wild if and when the disease is eliminated.
A total of 48 devils have been relocated to zoos around Australia, and four devils have been born at a Queensland wildlife park participating in the project. The size of a grain of rice at birth, they were the first babies produced under the captive breeding programme.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/australasia/article3021346.ece
Wildlife Safari accredited and stands among elite 25 zoos in the nation
By Warren Wells
Wildlife Safari is among the top 25 zoos in America as it retains its accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The process of being accredited happens every five years and after the last go-around, the AZA found some potential problems at the park but they were all addressed and the Winston drive-through park passed with flying colors.
Wildlife Safari Executive Director Dan Van Slyke says, ''But what's really significant is, with this new accreditation being re-established, we're able to move forward now and get a lot of the excess baggage behind us and really move forward with the confidence that we have this entire association behind us.''
The new animal curator at the safari, Dan Brand, says they went through a detailed process.
http://www.kpic.com/news/local/10209786.html
UK Travel
Half term fun on the Isle of Wight
Oct 03, 2007
Want to pack your vacation with a lot of fun and robust activities of your choice? The best way to do this is to set out on a trip to one of UK's Islands. For an involved family holiday, no other place than UK has so much to offer for every taste and budget, especially during half term. Each one of UK's Islands are packed with walks and zoos, theme parks and manor houses to get the best of your holiday.
During this October half term between 22nd and 28th of October, Isle Wight can provide gardens, Historic homes, Halloween themed events like Harry-potter themed wizard, steam train rides, zoos and aviaries besides a range of family events like fancy dress.
Fans of history can visit the Needles Old Battery to explore some of the age-old defence techniques from this famous Victorian military base.
On October 25th, National Trust's Mottistone Manor Garden is to provide family outdoor explorations with garden trails and fun activities.
Between October 22nd and 27th, Appuldurcombe is to provide Halloween adventures at 18th-century baroque house boasting of owl centre, falconry, landscape gardens, and self-catering accommodation.
The historic theme park, Blackgang Chine, is to organize gruesome story telling and ghost walks on 25th and 26th of October. The other attractions at the park are hedge maze, hall of mirrors, roller coaster, and 100-meter boat slide. Visitors are surely to get a real good time here.
http://news.ebookers.com/news/half-term-fun-on-the-isle-of-wight/160/
Baby croc prompts zoo sex shock
A zoo in Lancashire was surprised to find a new addition to their reptile collection - a tiny baby yacare caiman.
The keepers at Blackpool Zoo had thought the two 10-year-old animals in the enclosure were both female - but nature proved them wrong.
It is notoriously difficult to identify the gender of the yacare caiman - a South American member of the crocodile family - a zoo spokeswoman said.
Staff at the zoo have not yet named the eight-inch youngster.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lancashire/7017580.stm
Limassol zoo needs facelift, Ecozoo ideal solution for Cyprus
28/09/2007
COMMENT: By Patricia Radnor Kyriacou
Last week’s Opinion dealt with the archaic restrictions imposed on The Mall of Cyprus (and on other shopping outlets) with regard to opening hours. The situation has parallels with another outdated way of thinking that still prevails in Cyprus: the mindless habit of importing large exotic animals and incarcerating them in cages for the rest of their lives in Limassol Zoo, a loss-making, unlicensed entity that leaks away taxpayers’ money.
The Mall of Cyprus is a first for the island. The proposed Ecozoo for Limassol would be the first of its kind anywhere. Limassol zoo has been operating without a license, in breach of the EU Zoos Directive 22/1999 for the past four years. Former Agriculture Minister Timis Efthymiou acknowledged this. The Ministry agreed that the facilities could never comply with the Directive and must therefore, in accordance with the legislation, be closed down.
This breakthrough, achieved by a lobbying campaign conducted by the NGO Animal Responsibility Cyprus (ARC/Kivotos) was followed by the much publicised airlifting of the two long-suffering brown bears to a Hungarian sanctuary. This humane move was funded by the World Society for the Protection of Animals – a global charity that works with more than 800 member organisations, including ARC, in over 147 countries to raise the standards of animal welfare throughout the world. The bears went with the blessing of the mayor, the Ministry and the government Veterinary Services, and good publicity was generated for Limassol with Sky News covering the event and broadcasting it widely.
http://www.financialmirror.com/more_news.php?id=8410&nt=Politics
Sep 28, 2007
Riverside students visit the Bronx Zoo butterfly exhibit
Jackson Rubich and Nicholas Plants study types of butterflies at the Bronx Zoo.
The Riverside School second grade class recently visited the Bronx Zoo on a field trip to see the Butterfly Exhibit.
The field trip complemented the first science unit of the year in which the students studied the lifecycle of the Monarch Butterfly in class. The students, supervised by teachers and parent chaperones, were also able to have free time to see other areas of the zoo, have their brown-bagged lunch, and ride the Bug Carousel.
“The students all enjoyed themselves and the exhibit at the zoo was the perfect culmination for this science unit,” said Jennifer Prieto, a second grade teacher. “Many of the students also saw the reptiles, which we will be studying later in the year.”
The day was also a cost effective outing for the four sections of 80 students in the second grade; every Wednesday, admission to the Bronx Zoo is free.
http://www.acorn-online.com/news/publish/greenwich/23238.shtml
Two zoo cubs captured after brief escape
By ANTIGONE BARTON
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Friday, September 28, 2007
Black bear cubs Kiona and Tehya worked both hard and smart to earn their brief foray into freedom, but the world outside their exhibit at the Palm Beach Zoo was daunting.
The sisters were discovered on top of their exhibit around 8:30 Thursday morning, after they squeezed their hundred-pound bodies through a gap they created by painstakingly stretching the cable holding two sides of the enclosure together.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2007/09/28/s9b_cubs_0928.html
Video Profile of Bronx Zoo’s Green Restrooms
Posted on September 28th, 2007 in Green Building, New York City, The Bronx by Stephen
Earlier this summer, host Vanessa Rae and RiverWired’s Pulse profiled the Bronx Zoo’s new eco-friendly restrooms, which we’ve written about previously at gbNYC. The video does a great job of presenting the details behind the restrooms- which, according to Crain’s, feature eighteen composting toilets that cost $250,000 each- and describing exactly how the fixtures function, conserve energy, and interface with an adjacent graywater garden. As Ms. Rae points out, the U.S. quietly flushes 100 billion tons of solid waste and 32 billion gallons of water daily. Though not the sexiest of green building measures, efficient wastewater management is a powerful ally in the battle against environmental degradation.
http://www.greenbuildingsnyc.com/?p=315
It's All Happening at the Zoo
The Zoological Society of San Diego redefined its corporate culture with its new employee performance management system.
Appraisals are consistently completed on time.
Managers are more motivated and accountable.
The organization is focused and goal driven.
Retention and recruiting of skilled employees is improved.
Implementation won praise and recognition from the board of trustees.
Company Profile
The not-for-profit Zoological Society of San Diego operates the 100-acre San Diego Zoo, the 1,800-acre San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park and the department of Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES). The Zoological Society, dedicated to the conservation of endangered species and their habitats, engages in conservation and research work around the globe.
The Society has existed for 90 years as a not-for-profit organization. However, in 2006 the Society will bring in approximately 100 million dollars in revenue for the first time. This level of revenue drove the society to re-evaluate its old practices and to create a new strategic plan that would modernize their way of doing business. One of the key elements of the new plan was a focus on employee accountability. To achieve accountability, the Society made use of Halogen eAppraisal, the latest employee performance management (EPM) technology, to establish consistent reviews containing individual goals that were aligned with those of the organization and to build a pay-for-performance culture.
http://www.halogensoftware.com/customers/case-studies/services-manufacturing/study_sandiegozoo.php
Zoo wins plaudits for education, conservation
By MARK DAVIS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/28/07
A program with roots in China recently won accolades in Philadelphia for Zoo Atlanta. At the same time, the zoo's turtle expert was also recognized for his work.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, meeting earlier this month at its annual convention, gave the zoo's education team the 2007 Education Award. It was the first time the zoo won the award.
Also, Dwight Lawson, the zoo's senior vice president of collections, education and conservation, won the International Conservation Award for his work in Asian turtle conservation.
The zoo won the education prize for its role in creating the Academy for Conservation Training, a China-based program that teaches representatives of Chinese zoos the best ways to promote wildlife awareness and conservation in China, home of the giant panda.
Since its creation in 2006, the academy has graduated specialists from 27 Chinese zoos. The nation has 218 accredited zoos.
http://www.ajc.com/living/content/living/stories/2007/09/28/zoo_0928.html
Rare tiger cub on show at Fuengirola zoo
By: thinkSPAIN
Visitors to Fuengirola zoo can now view a female Sumatra tiger cub that was born three months ago. It and its mother are being exhibited in a compound designed to resemble the ruins of Angkor Temple in Cambodia.
According to a zoo spokesman, the birth was the result of one of 35 European captive reproduction schemes currently being undertaken at the centre, the aim of which is to safeguard species in extreme danger of extinction.
The Sumatra tiger is the smallest of the six surviving species of tiger still in existence and is included on the Nature Conservation Union's Red List of Endangered Species, classified as "critically threatened."
It is estimated that fewer than 400 Sumatra tigers exist in the wild and their future is being threatened by illegal poachers owing to the growing demand for their bones, which are used in traditional Asian medicine, while their natural habitat and hunting grounds are being lost to deforestation.
http://www.thinkspain.com/news-spain/13824
Zoo Vet:Endangered Animals Roars Into Retail For The Holiday
Authored by Surida on 2007-09-29 01:04:24 AM
This interactive exploration of veterinary medicine is the follow-up to 2005’s Zoo Vet, which earned the Parent’s Choice Seal of Approval, sold more than 250,000 copies and inspired the Washington Times to note: “Zoo Vet provides the perfect balance of learning, interaction in real-life situations and honing logic skills to make it one of the best animal-care simulations on the market.”
“We’re proud to announce that a portion of the proceeds from sales of Zoo Vet: Endangered Animals will benefit the African Wildlife Foundation, which supplied some incredible content, including more than 80 gorgeous photos for the Andrew’s Album feature of the game,” says Legacy Interactive CEO Ariella Lehrer. The leading international conservation organization focused solely on Africa, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) has played a major role in ensuring the continued existence of some of Africa’s most rare and treasured species. “We are very happy to be associated with Zoo Vet: Endangered Animals and Legacy Interactive,” notes AWF CEO Patrick Bergin.
http://www.spawnpoint.com/feature/656/Zoo_Vet:Endangered_Animals_Roars_Into_Retail_For_The_Holiday
Animals at the zoo gain weight from eating processed foods
Posted: Sep 28th 2007 10:07PM
by Martha Edwards
Filed under: Health in the MediaHeavily processed foods have been blamed for the ever-expanding waistlines of the human population, as well as a number of health problems. But humans aren't the only ones affected by how our food is made. According to this article, animals at the zoo in Seoul, Korea, have become so overweight from their diet of processed foods that they are going on a strict diet.
I think this is very unfortunate -- it's one thing for humans to cause their own health problems by giving into their cravings, but it's another when harmless animals are being fed junk food when they're helpless to do anything about it -- especially because it probably boils down to the zookeepers being too frugal to purchase real foods for the animals.
http://www.thatsfit.com/2007/09/28/animals-at-the-zoo-gain-weight-from-eating-processed-foods/
Addax an important addition to zoo and to the species' existence
Published 9/28/2007
The birth of a critically endangered antelope calf at the zoo last Saturday has staff and visitors smiling.¬ The newborn, an addax, is native to the Sahara Desert in Africa.¬ The parents of the 17-pound male youngster are a 10-year-old male owned by Lee Richardson Zoo and a female on loan to us from the St. Louis Zoo.¬ The pairing was recommended by the Addax Species Survival Plan committee, which oversees breeding programs for this critically endangered species.¬ The parents both arrived at the zoo late last year, and judging by the nine-month gestation within the 10 months they have been together, hit it off right away.
http://www.gctelegram.com/News/140958
New Dubai Zoo project not scrapped, clarifies official
By Joy Sengupta
29 September 2007
DUBAI — The Dubai Municipality has categorically declared that the new Dubai Zoo project at DubaiLand has not been scrapped. Rashad Bukhash, Director of the General Projects Department at the Dubai Municipality, said the project, which boasts of the construction of the biggest zoo in the region with all facilities and different features, is very much in the pipeline.
Earlier, there have been reports that the project is being scrapped. The present zoo is situated in Jumeirah and houses around 1,200 animals, raising
concerns that it is overcrowded. It has also been under the scanner of prominent animal welfare groups like PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals).
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