Blooms at the Zoo.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Morning Papers - continued
Zoos
Taiwan agonizes over embracing a gift from China of its most precious weapon
Mark Magnier, Los Angeles Times
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Wolong Nature Reserve , China -- Taiwan and China quibble about everything from diplomatic slights and hidden meanings to ancient history and obscure definitions. So perhaps it's not surprising that they'd argue over two chubby animals that bite each other's ears and have trouble procreating.
China's latest weapon in its increasingly effective charm offensive against Taiwan is an offer of giant pandas. Who would think of turning down two lovable animals that zoos around the world could only dream about, you might ask?
The government of archrival Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian, for one, which finds itself tied in knots over the offer. Let one panda's nose in the tent, Chen and his allies fear, and you buy into Beijing's claim that Taiwan is part of China, a pill impossible to swallow for the pro-independence government on the island.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/03/26/MNGJ9HSCC61.DTL
Procedures reviewed after lion incident at zoo
By Brent Killackey
RACINE - When it comes to cats - especially large cats like lions - don't expect them to move when you want them to.
It took more than six hours Thursday to lure Elsa, a 1-year-old African lioness, far enough into an outdoor exhibit so that zoo employees could safety close a 4-by-4-foot metal door between the off-exhibit lion's den and the animal care staff's secure work area.
Discovery of that open door - and the potential that Elsa could get into that secure work area - prompted the evacuation of the zoo about 11:30 a.m. Thursday.
Zoo employees tried scaring Elsa further into the outdoor exhibit by shooting a fire extinguisher under another door, but apparently she
wasn't close enough to care. And she wasn't immediately tempted by food in the outdoor exhibit because she had eaten a big breakfast.
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2006/03/25/local/iq_3969175.txt
Presto! A School for Magic Creates Hope Out of Thin Air
By MICHAEL WINES
KHAYELITSHA, South Africa — Life is hard for the 750,000 or so people crammed into this shantytown, one of South Africa's largest and toughest. In the last census, in 2001, 6 in 10 adults here said they had no steady income. What little money they have tends to vanish quickly, spent on essentials or stolen in the break-ins and robberies that are endemic here.
The way Phumile Dyasi makes money vanish is rather less common.
"I want to show you this coin," he said one recent afternoon, standing in the tiny parlor of his family's plank-and-tar paper shack. He held out a copper disc. "Now, blow on it," he said. A visitor obliged, and the coin disappeared. Only Phumile's sly grin remained.
For six years, 16-year-old Phumile has studied prestidigitation at College of Magic in Cape Town, a sort of kindergarten-to-baccalaureate institution for aspiring conjurers. Making coins disappear is the least of the tricks he has picked up.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/27/international/africa/27khayelitsha.html?ei=5070&en=17c3bd17509a6dda&ex=1144126800&emc=eta1&pagewanted=print
Patna zoo abuzz with 'Ramdev effect'
Anupama Sharan
[ Monday, March 27, 2006 01:43:36 am
TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates
PATNA: The "Ramdev effect"is undeniably here - one can see it manifest even in the Patna zoo referred to as the "lungs of the city".
What a sight it is! People from all strata shuffle on at various paces rubbing their nails together in anticipation of the miraculous blackening of grey hair. There are others who sit doing other yoga steps along with multiple groups clapping together.
Motivation in the youth is electric. They are "walking"the talk of Ramdev - his postures and his posturings. They appear to be in the grip of Ramdev fever.
Says one gangling youth to his grinning comrades, "Ka to bolta hai ki baal kala ho jayega. Ab tak to sab rishi-muni ke ujjale baal dekhte-sunte aaye hain.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1465120.cms
I am Mr Lonely...
Kavitha Sreekumar
[ Sunday, March 26, 2006 10:31:30 pm
TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates
Lonesome and sans companion, residents of the Hyderabad zoo have been hit hard as exchange programmes designed to find them mates have fallen through.
A multi-coloured macaw, Sun Conure, is not as happy as the colours of his plumes. "He is an unhappy bird without a mate,"says Rajan Kumar, the keeper of bird enclosures in the Nehru Zoological Park.
His friend was to come all the way from Prague, Czech Republic, last month but as V Kishen, director, Nehru Zoological Park, explains, "It took months of correspondence to organise it. The plan was for us to send the zoo in Prague three pairs of painted storks and four pairs of star tortoises in exchange for five macaws and a pair of Greater Rhea, an ostrich-like bird from South America but the dispatched shipment was sent back to the Czech Republic because of bird flu."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1464899.cms
Conservation Celebration at Zoo
March 25, 2006, 03:55 PM EST
A conservation celebration took place Saturday at Mesker Park Zoo.
Home Depot was on hand to help kids construct wooden birdhouses to take home. And a team from World Bird Sanctuary highlighted the event with a bird show. The show featured several birds, including eagles and hawks.
Coordinators hope the celebration will educate participants to preserve the earth's biological diversity and secure the future of threatened animals.
Marketing director Charlotte Roesner states, "One of the things in the zoo's mission statement is to promote conservation; that's why we are holding this event. We are also going to hand everyone a conservation scavenger hunt when they walk through the door; it will tell them about endangered species, and a list of things they can do to preserve the environment."
http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=4681431&nav=3w6o
The great Blue Peter badge scandal
By Joanna Bale
How winners of the famous prize for achievements are flogging them online to greedy parents
FOR almost 50 years the Blue Peter badge has been coveted by generations of middle-class children as an emblem of hard work and achievement. The tiny piece of enamel with its distinctive ship logo has inspired thousands to help worthy causes, write letters, stories and poems and paint pictures to send in to the BBC children’s programme.
But now it has fallen victim to unscrupulous eBay sellers, with some openly bragging that holders get free entry to more than 100 attractions, including London Zoo, Madame Tussaud’s, Legoland Windsor and the Eden Project. Cheating parents will pay up to £30 a badge to save money on family trips.
Edinburgh Zoo is losing so much money to the ruse that it is about to become the first attraction to end free entry for badgeholders. A spokesman said yesterday: “We are surprised and disappointed to find out these badges are being sold on eBay. As a result we are looking at discontinuing our free admission offer, which is a shame for those who did genuinely earn the badge.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2105542,00.html
Deficit may affect zoo, Lansing jobs
By ADAM LARK
The State News
The future of Potter Park Zoo and the regional make-up of Ingham County's fire department dispatch response could be in limbo with Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero's budget plan.
Bernero will present those ideas and a list of 40 budget proposals to quell Lansing's $11 million deficit at 7 p.m. today at the Lansing City Council meeting on the 10th floor of City Hall, 124 W. Michigan Ave.
Regionalizing or combining fire service calls to cut public service costs and the possibility of raising fees and selling control of the Potter Park Zoo to Ingham County are a few of the issues that could affect East Lansing residents.
Also mentioned in the list of Bernero's budget proposals are the elimination of some full-time city positions and funding cuts in the city's road and sidewalk repair.
Lansing's Waverly and Red Cedar golf courses could also be closed, saving the city about $278,000 in subsidies.
http://www.statenews.com/article.phtml?pk=35438
Indian zookeepers mourn 250-year-old Aldabra giant tortoise
27.03.06
Kolkata zookeepers are in mourning following the death of a 250-year-old Aldabra giant tortoise.
Brought to Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) during the rule of the British East India Company, the tortoise was a gift presented to administrator Robert Clive by British sailors travelling to the port from Seychelles in 1875.
Kolkata Zoo director Subir Chowdhury is quoted by the AFP news agency as saying that the tortoise had passed away following a string of illnesses.
The giant tortoise was one of several presented to Clive, but was the only one to survive for any length of time after the journey, earning himself the name "Adwaitya" meaning the only one.
"Our records show the tortoise was born in 1750, but some have claimed he was born in 1705," said Mr Chowdhury, adding that the zoo will use a scientific method known as carbon-dating to determine his real age.
"His shell will be preserved in the zoo. All zoo employees are saddened by his death."
The oldest known torti zean in Seychelles is Bird Island's Esmeralda, for which records go back to 1856 and, according to unreliable folklore accounts, could possibly have made his way to the island from the wreck of the Hirondel in 1808.
http://www.nation.sc/index1024.php?art=5742
Roaring 1st B-day: No cake, please; zoo tigers fight for meat
By Susan Vela
Lansing State Journal
What a wild, thrilling feast it was!
Potter Park Zoo threw a birthday party Sunday for its three Amur tiger cubs - Zakhar, Kumara and Mishka - and the 1-year-old felines literally pounced on their gifts.
With predatory growls and extended claws, the cubs tore into a special birthday meal: deer-shaped pinatas stuffed with horse meat.
"It was really cool," said Sean Ketner, 11, of Okemos. "They ran in there and (tore) it apart."
The cubs are the first born at the zoo since 1992. They have evolved from 2-pound cuddly bundles to aggressive cats weighing 128 to 142 pounds.
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060327/NEWS01/603270338/1001/news
Who Will Run the Zoo?
Tony Tagliavia
The new tiger cubs at Lansing's Potter Park Zoo are celebrating their first birthday Sunday.
By the time they their second comes around, the zoo could be a very different place.
"From what I've seen, we would have to get rid of probably a quarter of our animals," Potter Park Zoological Society Executive Director Diane McNeil said.
That is if Lansing doesn't find a 'new' way to fund the park that's functioned as a zoo for more than 85 years.
Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero has proposed finding a new funding source for the zoo -- namely, Ingham County.
Some county commissioners appear receptive to the idea of the county taking over funding.
http://www.wilx.com/news/headlines/2526071.html
Zoo to ape life in the jungle
GARETH EDWARDS
A TROPICAL forest complete with waterfalls and exotic plants will be created at Edinburgh Zoo as part of a £5.6 million chimpanzee centre.
Plans for the Budongo Life Science Centre, the first part of the zoo's 20-year masterplan, show that designers want to mimic a tropical forest research station to immerse visitors in the natural environment of the animals.
Water features, including waterfalls, will be created around the centre, while inside the building will be decorated with the kind of plants and trees found in the chimps' native habitat.
Work on the centre, which will be a world first, is set to start later this year subject to planning permission. It is part of the Tropical Forest biome, one of four themed areas which will be created in the zoo under the ambitious masterplan.
http://news.scotsman.com/edinburgh.cfm?id=474702006
Land swap an option for zoo expansion
Under the plan, a park would be built north of Blank Park Zoo after it expands east to Fort Des Moines Park.
JOSE DE JESUS
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
March 27, 2006
A group of south-side business owners and residents is willing to endorse a plan to expand Blank Park Zoo east into Fort Des Moines Park only if zoo officials yield the vacant land they own to the north, a partnership member says.
The 18 tax-exempt acres north of the zoo, donated by West Des Moines developer Bill Knapp, are worth about $2 million, said Terry Rich, head of the Blank Park Zoo Foundation.
Rich has been lobbying for public support to expand the zoo, 7401 S.W. Ninth St., and convert it into one of the region's top tourist attractions. He said he would consider all proposals on the table - including one by the South Side Revitalization Partnership - if it would ultimately lead to the expansion of the zoo.
"(The) bottom line is we are interested in making sure the zoo survives for many, many years to come," Rich said.
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060327/NEWS08/603280329/1010
Glad You Asked - Denuding of foliage at the zoo; When wil 'Commander In Chief' return?; More used cell phone questions
By Chris Bennett
Why have they cut down so many trees and shrubs along the North Beach lakefront, particularly behind the zoo? Michael Burke wrote about this issue in early February, but the issue keeps arising in questions to GYA. It's understandable - it's hard to miss the cutting of trees.
From the Root River northward and then west, Racine is extending the Lake Michigan Pathway, a multi-use trail for biking, walking, rollerblading and more.
When completed later this year, the work will extend the Lake Michigan Pathway so it stretches from Chicory Road to 3 Mile Road. It will help form a complete northern bike trail loop, just as the south side has a complete loop.
Eighty percent of its cost comes from a federal congestion, mitigation and air quality grant. That program, funded through the federal gas tax, is designed for just such strategies to make it easier to leave the car in the garage.
A second goal of the project is shore protection. As the city is having the pathway extended, it is also stabilizing the lake bluffs, especially near Goold Street and the Racine Zoo's south end. There, the railroad timbers once put in place to try to hold the hillside in place have been sliding downhill. Atop that hill sits a storm sewer.
To stabilize the hillside, it will be built outward to create a gentler slope. That's the reason for all the clear-cutting that began in October. The existing vegetation would be buried anyway.
Once the hill has been built up to its new slope and the bike trail is in place, the bare areas will be replanted. The city has ordered more than 13,600 plants: a combination of evergreen and deciduous ornamental trees, shrubs and native grasses.
And the stairway leading down to Zoo Beach will be rebuilt with switchbacks and observation decks. Water quality should also improve - Kewaunee Street, which used to head down to the lakefront, will be closed off. That will keep street pollutants from rushing down that avenue to the lake. And new traffic patterns created by the closure of Kewaunee and Hoffert streets should be less confusing.
The new bike trail will also be lighted throughout and should improve security along the lakefront.
The project should be finished in August.
What happened to the show on Tuesdays called "Commander In-Chief"? It will return to ABCs lineup on April 18 in an episode entitled "Tricky Dicks."
A synopsis for the episode at http://www.abc.com reads as follows: "While out solo at a reception as Mac works on her upcoming State of the Union Address, Rod seemingly has too much to drink and winds up in a compromising position with an internŠ with cameras flashing. An incriminating photo ends up on the cover of the papers the next day, humiliating an incredulous Mac and threatening to publicly and politically damage her image. Meanwhile, Templeton sets out to sabotage Mac's Homeless Initiative Bill, forcing her to play political hardball in return. And Dickie and Jayne - who is now back as Templeton's chief of staff - go to dinner in an effort to pick the other adversary's brain, and end up spending the night together."
I don't watch the show and know nothing of those plot clues, but I hope you die-hards enjoy the show's return.
According to the Web site http://www.Zap2it.com, a must for any TV aficionado, Geena Davis' drama, in which she plays the president of these United States, took a break to iron out some creative changes. The show opened in fall 2005 to robust ratings and slipped shortly after the start of the year.
Veteran TV producer Steven Bochco ("NYPD Blue") took over from series creator Rod Lurie shortly before the holidays, and all involved in the show - including the network's executives - want everything squared away before renewal decisions for next season are made.
Where can a person get rid of an unwanted cell phone? We offered an incomplete answer to this question in Thursday's GYA.
Test stations for the Wisconsin Vehicle Inspection Program test stations accept used cell phones and give you a $5 long distance calling card in exchange.
Racine's emissions testing station is at 1913 Melvin Ave. Burlington's is at 800 Krift St. and Kenosha's is at 5910 77th St.
For more information, visit: http://www.wivip.com However, I still encourage you to ask your neighbor or friend what they do with their old cell phones. I guarantee someone you know is holding a drive to collect old cell phones, and your used and unwanted phone might benefit a worthy cause.
What is Glad You Asked?
Glad You Asked finds answers to the questions that keep you up at night. Don't lose sleep. Send your questions to at ask@journaltimes.com or call (262) 631-1758.
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2006/03/27/local/columns/iq_3969126.txt
New at the Zoo
Bigger hospital means better care for animals; education center means study opportunities for you
BY JIM KNIPPENBERG ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden is approaching the home stretch of the first phase of an unprecedented building boom that will forever change the face of the 130-year-old institution.
It's a boom that will mean better animal care, more extensive research and a major boost of community involvement in zoo projects and conservation efforts.
"This year is seeing the most capital improvements at any one time in the zoo's history," said zoo president Gregg Hudson. He's referring to more than $12 million in projects, including a $4 million hospital to open early May, and an $8.4 million education center that will be ready in September. Both projects began last fall and are on schedule.
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060327/LIFE/603270310/-1/CINCI
Here’s our shameful human zoo
Tonio Borg has finally decided to let journalists visit parts of the immigrants’ detention centres for the first time on a staged media tour, a day before a European Parliament delegation inspection. For Karl Schembri, it was a glimpse at brooding insanity
As we descended from our coach, the black hands and desperate eyes behind the iron bars became more visible.
With the cameras filming and tape recorders switched on, the troupe of journalists watched silently as more and more of the 90 immigrants crammed in the building called Block B, built by the British at the Safi Barracks, came out of their rooms to face us.
A couple of feet away, separated by rusty gates and fences and with somewhat ambivalent instructions from the army “to talk but not to interview” them, some of the men on the other side started banging on the iron rods.
“We need to speak to you,” one of them started shouting with others soon joining in. “We’re going crazy in here.”
“Can we talk to them?” one journalist asked Lt. Col. Brian Gatt, the commander in charge of the Detention Services Unit.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2006/03/26/t14.html
Tropical waterfall for city zoo
A new chimpanzee enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo is to be fitted with a tropical forest, waterfalls and exotic plants.
Water features will be created around the centre while inside will be transformed to recreate the chimps' native habitat.
Work on the Budongo Life Science Centre will start later this year, subject to planning permission.
The new centre is being built as the first part of a 20-year masterplan for the site.
The visitors will be invited to discover a lot more about the chimpanzees in the zoo and our work with wild chimpanzees in the Budongo Forest with our new interactive displays
Mairi Rosko
Edinburgh Zoo
Mairi Rosko, head of development at Edinburgh Zoo, said: "Budongo will be a truly unique exhibit combining elements to suit both animal and visitor.
"With large naturalistic habitats, the chimpanzees will not only be able to roam between areas at their leisure, but also be encouraged to concentrate on specially designed enrichment activities.
"The visitors will be invited to discover a lot more about the chimpanzees in the zoo and our work with wild chimpanzees in the Budongo Forest with our new interactive displays.
"The large windows will also provide a better opportunity for our visitors to observe the natural behaviour of these intelligent apes first-hand."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4850658.stm
Adwaita’s death reveals loopholes in zoological gardens
Rats fed on the tortoise’s blood and meat when the lower right side of its shell cracked last December.
Express News Service
Kolkata, March 27: The Alipore Zoo authorities may have given its recently deceased oldest member a fitting tribute, but the condolence meeting held in honour of Adwaita, revealed some appalling truths about the glaring loopholes in the health and management infrastructure of the zoological gardens.
Adwaita, the aldabra giant tortoise, died of hepato renal failure, but records reveal that it suffered from a more serious injury in the month of December. And what is even more deplorable is that before the injury was totally healed, rats fed on the old tortoise’s blood.
“The lower right side of Adwaita’s shell cracked on December 17. The reason was old age. But before the zoo doctors could mend that wound, rats invaded the senile tortoise’s cage and fed on its blood and meat. But in due time, it was shifted to another cage which was amply sealed and protected from such alien attack. Though doctors managed to heal the wound, it is a fact that the infrastructure of the zoo has to be bettered to avoid such grim incidents,” said Dr Shivaji Bhattacharya, one of the doctor-members of the health and management committee for animals under captivity.
“The zoo has to be spruced up further. Adwaita’s sad demise has made us realise that,” said Dr Bhattacharya.
Adwaita’s shell will be preserved and exhibited by the zoo authorities in the near future. In the condolence meeting it also came to the limelight that the area of treatment and protection of animals need more attention. “Visitors flout rules and feed the wild animals with outside food. This has to be checked,” he said.
There were two more such tortoises in the zoo, but Adwaita was the last of its clan who died at such a ripe age of 260. “However, that the medical authorities did a commendable job can be had from the fact that Adwaita never suffered from any critical illness,” said Dr Subir Choudhuri, director of the zoo.
Adwaita passed away in the morning of March 22. It did not suffer from any illness, but when the caretaker went to feed him in the morning, he found it dead. It died of liver and kidney failure. The zoo authorities feel that Adwaita’s death is a great loss for them and replacing such an animal will be an almost impossible task.
Zoo levies on May ballot
How much do you love your zoo?
March 27, 2006 - Two levies will be on the primary ballot.
The spring primary election is five weeks from tomorrow. The Toledo Zoo will be on the ballot with two levies. One is for capital improvements and the other one for operations.
Spokesperson Andi Norman explains, "The operating levy, those funds go to help pay for personnel costs, care and feeding of the animals, maintenance, utilities, those types of expenses."
The capital levy would finance some big changes for the growing addition, Baby Louie, who isn't much of a baby any more. The African elephant turns three next month and he is still gaining two pounds a day. At this rate, zookeepers say Louie will soon outgrow the elephant facility. "The facility we have is not large enough or strong enough to house Louie."
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=local&id=4030064
Animal lovers condole death of world's oldest tortoise
Kolkata, Mar 27: Animal lovers and zoologists today held a solemn condolence meeting for the over 250-year old aldabra tortoise Adwaitya, which died in the zoo here on March 22, besides discussing the management and healthcare of animals in captivity.
Employees of the Alipore Zoo shared nuggets of information on aldabra tortoises -- their habitat, food habits and diseases, at the meeting.
Adwaitya, whose shell has been preserved by the zoo authorities, was at the centre of discussions as officials from the management committee of the zoo, Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) veterinarians talked on the life of animals in captivity.
Considered the world's oldest living tortoise, Adwaitya died after a liver failure leaving zoologists to wonder about his actual age.
According to records, four tortoises were brought to Calcutta by British seafarers from Seychelles, known for its giant tortoises, and presented to Lord Robert Clive.
While three of them died as the new environment did not suit them, Addwaita ruled the Latbagan estate of Clive in north Calcutta till he was gifted to the zoo in 1875.
No one knows, how old the tortoise, the biggest crowd puller of the zoo, was when he was brought here. His approximate recorded age was somewhere between 250 to 260 years.
http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&id=32371
Phanatic turns 'red' at Philly Zoo
Mascot dunked in paint as part of 'Paint the Town Red'
By Andy Jasner / Special to MLB.com
PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies couldn't have picked a more fitting way to begin their week-long "Paint The Town Red" celebration.
During the first event held on Monday on the Impala Lawn at the Philadelphia Zoo, the Phillie Phanatic took his shirt off, put on a pair of goggles and was hoisted on a crane, courtesy of Crane Manufacturing, and dunked into a huge red can of MAB paint. The Phanatic Safe Formula turned the green mascot into a shade of bright cheery red.
"Daddy, he looks different," one boy said.
"Different is good, because it will be good luck," the boy's father responded.
http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060327&content_id=1364339&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi
Zoo update
New director has ambitious agenda
In discussing his outlook for the future of the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park, new Executive Director Michael J. Janis used the term "ReZoovenation." We like the sound of that. It's exactly what the historic zoo needs to survive.
Janis has been in his post but a few months and already he has adopted an aggressive, progressive agenda. That involves pursuing both the big and little pictures. For example, Janis' efforts to attract lapsed zoo members has brought in about 70 renewals worth $10,000. "And that's before we opened," he said. "These members were members who were just not being asked to renew their memberships."
Architect Mies van der Rohe was right when he said "God is in the details." Before launching elaborate plans for a futuristic Binghamton Zoo, it's important to show some restraint and take care of such details as membership to build a sturdy foundation. Janis appears to be taking that tack already. Exhibits are being repaired and restored. New animals are being added to the collection. The Web site has been revamped with current news, animal collection list and a calendar of upcoming events. And Janis is eyeing the whole campus for development.
http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060328/OPINION/603280317/1005
Big Noise at the Zoo
The Assiniboine Park Zoo has welcomed its newest inhabitants -- four baby crested screamers.
"They're really unusual birds," said curator Dr. Bob Wrigley. "The neatest thing about them is they're in the waterfowl family even though they don't look anything like a duck or a goose. But their goslings look just like Canada geese."
Crested screamers are found in South America and have sharp spurs under their wings for protection against predators. Their name stems from the Mohawk-like feathers that develop on their backs of their heads and their piercing shriek.
"You get 50 screamers calling at the same time and it's absolutely deafening," said curator Bob Wrigley. "Thankfully we only have four adults in here."
The zoo has successfully raised fledgling crested screamers before but Wrigley said it's no easy task.
"They're not so difficult to breed but very difficult to raise," he said. "We're lucky if we get one in four babies to adult size."
The only other babies born at the zoo this year are some Eurasian red squirrels, which the public won't be able to see for about a month. The zoo acquired its adult squirrels -- the only Eurasian red squirrels in North America outside of Fargo, N.D. -- last year.
Wrigley said the zoo definitely sees a jump in attendance when baby animals are born.
"Everyone loves babies. Having babies is a very important part of the lifecycle of animals so we try to let as many breed as possible," said Wrigley. "The challenge for me as a curator is to find good homes for all the offspring because generally we're all filled up with animals."
http://winnipegsun.com/News/Winnipeg/2006/03/28/1508698-sun.html
BBC tries to stop Ebay trade in fake Blue Peter badges
By Anil Dawar
It has been one of the most coveted prizes in children's television for nearly half a century.
The distinctive Blue Peter badge, awarded to youngsters in recognition of their charitable work or artistic efforts, is so highly esteemed that holders can get free entry to many tourist attractions.
A genuine Blue Peter badge
But what was a symbol of hard work and dedication has been sullied by dealers who are selling fake versions so parents can save money on family days out.
The BBC and Ebay, the online auction house, have joined forces to stamp out the illegal trade in pirated Blue Peter badges.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/03/28/nbadge28.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/03/28/ixhome.html
News crew goes wild about zoo's nursery
IMAGES of this group of Blackpool toddlers will be beamed across the Atlantic.
America's biggest news network NBC was at Blackpool Zoo's "A to Zoo" Nursery after the opening of the new facility was reported in The Gazette.
NBC correspondent Dawna Friesen said: "We read about this story in our office and thought it was worth covering because you can't go wrong with children and animals in the same story.
"The idea of putting a nursery at a zoo, with all the extra
educational advantages that could bring, seems so natural and yet here they are the first to do it.
"I think thousands of children would love the opportunity to go to a nursery like this. I have a 14-month-old son and he would be thrilled if he came here."
The nursery, which is situated just yards from the elephant sanctuary, opened in January.
Bosses at the attraction came up with the idea following a telephone call from neighbouring Blackpool Victoria Hospital, which said its own nursery was full and another facility was needed nearby.
In just six months, the former back offices at the zoo were transformed into a state-of-the-art facility which can cater for up to 66 children, aged from three months to four years.
http://www.blackpoolonline.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=62&ArticleID=1406117
New 'Code of Conduct' for Salisbury's Parks and Zoo
03/28/2006
SALISBURY- The Salisbury City Council on Monday night voted for new rules visitors to the city's parks and zoo.
The council agreed to a new "code of conduct" that will go into effect for the city's parks, playgrounds and the Salisbury Zoo.
Salisbury Public Works Director John Jacobs said the rules will allow city officials to warn and kick out people who threaten others or misbehave.
"An example at the city park is we frequently have kids in the summer playing in the water fountain," Jacobs said. "We think that is not appropriate and it's not safe."
City officials say the new code does not single out any particular person.
However, web bloggers have recently been posting pictures from inside the zoo. Some officials have accused the bloggers of harassment.
http://www.wboc.com/Global/story.asp?S=4690779&nav=MXEF
Rising river threatens Prague
Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:34 PM GMT
PRAGUE (Reuters) - Authorities reinforced the main river in Prague on Tuesday as rising waters threatened to flood low-lying parts of the historic city, including its zoo.
Barriers were erected to prevent water spilling into streets, and metal walls will be erected at the mediaeval Kampa district below the 14th century Charles Bridge.
"It is necessary to secure this part of the city as soon as possible due to the growing water flow in the Vltava river in Prague," Prague City Council said in a statement.
Rivers across the central European country were rising fast due to rain and unusually warm weather which melted deep snow which fell over the winter.
An operator at the Vltava river management firm Povodi Vltavy said the water flowing into Prague was three times the average for spring, and estimated it could rise by another about 75 percent in the coming days. Weather forecasters said there would be more rain throughout the week.
Prague suffered its worst flooding in centuries in the summer of 2002, when the swollen Vltava river forced tens of thousands to leave their homes and water spilt into large parts of the city and flooded its underground rail system.
The floods killed 17 people and caused damage worth several billion dollars across the country and damaged many buildings in the ancient city centre.
The city council said Prague Zoo, where more than 100 animals including an elephant drowned in 2002, may be forced to evacuate its lower-lying part in the next 24 hours.
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-03-28T163422Z_01_L28282812_RTRUKOC_0_UK-WEATHER-CZECH-FLOODS.xml&archived=False
Calm in zoo as summer settles in
WITH WINTER gone, calm has settled in the zoo. The silence is occasionally broken by the characteristic sound of inmates. The cackling of the gray-legged geese, call of the chitals and the chattering of langoors set the mood of the zoo.
Visitors, particularly small children, shout in joy on seeing the snow white flamingoes flapping their wings to break the all-encompassing silence. Crocodiles arouse the inquisitiveness of children as they swim languidly across the surface of the lake.
Darters, herons and kingfishers, popular among the children, constantly entertain visitors.
“The summer”, said wild life expert and director of the Zoo R Hemant Kumar, “is in fact time to rest for zoo inmates.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/5922_1661313,0015002500030000.htm
Rain brings out umbrellas, animals at the zoo
William Hermann
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 28, 2006 06:31 PM
In a land of relentless sunshine, even a little variety in our weather can be a good thing, and the scattered clouds and intermittent rain Tuesday and Wednesday likely were and are good for all of us. At the Phoenix Zoo, crowds were a little smaller considering it's the peak visiting time for the zoo, said spokeswoman Aimee Yamamori.
"In the Valley, any clouds or rain discourages people," she said.
But Geoffrey Hall, general curator, said that "true zoo connoisseurs" know that a day of clouds, light showers and a cool breeze, "is the absolutely best time to see the animals."
He smiled and said, "The lions and tigers and bears . . . the carnivores . . . particularly like this weather, but all the animals like to come out and kick up their heels and celebrate.
"A cooling raining is a rare event, a novelty, and the animals love it."
And as long as it's not sprinkling too hard, people seem so enjoy it too. Next door to the zoo at Rolling Hills Golf Course, duffers dotted the fairways and greens.
Jim and Leslie Goldsberry, both 62, were in town with their grandson Blake, 8, for a reprieve from the freezing winds of Denver.
"This is nothing," Jim Goldsberry said of the breeze blowing across the course.
"When you are from Colorado, you don't worry about a few raindrops," Leslie said. "In fact, almost nothing bothers you."
Over at Encanto Park Golf Course in central Phoenix, Brian Wilson, 40, was approaching the first tee wearing plaid shorts and a T-shirt.
"I carry raingear, but being born and raised here, I know it seldom rains all day, or even for very long," he said. "If it starts raining while I'm on the course, I'll get under a tree and wait it out."
On the west side, scattered showers meant that requests for windshield wiper blades went up at Arrowhead Honda in Peoria.
Jay Bell, assistant parts manager, estimates that they sell 30 percent to 40 percent more of these parts after it's rained or when there's a chance of rain.
"We don't use (the wipers) enough so what happens is it bakes (the blade) to the window in the summertime, and the first time you use it, it tears it apart," Bell said.
He said the dealership's body shop also sees a spike in business: more drivers with minor fender-bender to serious car damage caused by rain-related accidents.
The overcast sky and few sprinkles didn't keep loyal fans from catching a ballgame Tuesday.
Goodyear resident John Kenison came with his family to the 1:05 p.m. match-up between the Seattle Mariners and the Chicago Cubs.
Kenison said the weather and the atmosphere were just right.
"It's perfect," he said. "I couldn't have asked for a better day."
And though there is no evidence that a cool, cloudy, showery day is a psychological boost for people weary from too much sun, an Arizona State University professor said the notion, "certainly makes sense to me."
"After all the sunshine, I have to admit to having my spirits lifted by a gray day," professor Roger Schvaneveldt said. "Perhaps that old saying, 'a change is as good as a rest' applies here."
Reporter SherryAnne Rubiano contributed to this report.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0328rain-ON.html
Walking school buses detour to the zoo
Wednesday, 29 March 2006, 12:20 pm
Press Release: Auckland City Council
29 March 2006
Walking school buses detour to the zoo
A fleet of dedicated walking school bus goers will detour to Auckland Zoo on 10 April for five hours of wild entertainment.
Forty young walkers won the safari night prize after entering an Auckland City competition designed to reward youngsters for taking part in the walking school bus scheme.
All 35 Auckland city primary schools registered with the scheme were invited to participate in the Detour to the Zoo competition and more than 150 children entered.
The contest involved writing a creative poem in the shape of a footprint about the positive effects walking schools buses have on the environment.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0603/S00175.htm
Johan's ark to be a floating zoo
Johan Huibers, 45, of Schagen, the Netherlands, is building an enormous working replica of Noah’s Ark to demonstrate his faith in the Old Testament.
The ship, nearing completion in the local harbour, is 70m (230ft) long, 9.5m (31ft) wide and 13.5m (44ft) tall. Mr Huibers plans to set sail in September with a collection of animals in his floating religious museum and petting zoo. (AP)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-2108408,00.html
El Paso Zoo's Board Maps Out 5 Year Plan
The El Paso Zoological Society's Board of Directors did some strategic planning to make the zoo better for visitors.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006 — The big focus is on customer service. Better signage to guide visitors around the zoo and better food and beverage selection.
The zoo also wants to hire more people that can educate the public about the zoo's animals, improving the overall experience.
And the board also wants to increase advertising, particularly to attract more customers from Las Cruces and Juarez.
Zoo visitors will see some of the changes suggested in the 5 year plan right away. Others will take place between now and the end of 2007.
http://www.ktsm.com/story_news.sstg?c=1798
Zoo Blooms
Annual flower show returns to Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
If you've ever wanted to tiptoe through the tulips, you've got to visit the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden this spring.
More than 80,000 tulips will be on display as "Tulip Mania" takes over Zoo Blooms 2006 at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. Joining in the festivities will be the Southwest Ohio Daffodil Society on April 8 and 9, with hundreds of the flowers in various colors, shapes and sizes on display. The Easter Bunny will also join in the fun on Saturday, April 15 with an "egg-citing" activity.
http://www.cinweekly.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060329/NEWS0102/603290311/1067
Two to face court over croc theft
By Chris Herde
29mar06
TWO 20-year-old women will face court over the theft of a 1.2m female freshwater crocodile from a central Queensland zoo.
The women and other accomplices scaled a 1.8m fence to steal the crocodile from Rockhampton Zoo between 3am and 5am (AEST) on Saturday morning.
The crocodile was lifted over her exhibit fence and then over the zoo's 2m perimeter fence, which is ringed with barb wire.
The two women were summonsed to appear at the Rockhampton Magistrates Court on April 14.
Police are still looking for their accomplices and the crocodile.
Rockhampton Sergeant Paul Elliott said the motive for the theft was unknown.
"The people we have spoken to already can't enlighten us on a motive, they can't say what the reason for taking it was or whether there was any financial gain," he said.
Rockhampton City Council parks and gardens director Tom Wyatt said there were concerns for the crocodile's safety.
He said while crocodiles do not need much food at this time of year, they do need looking after.
"At this time of the year they sort of go into hibernation and they don't eat much at all, like in another month they won't be eating for about six months apart," he said on ABC radio.
"But we are concerned for the crocodile because it has to be kept moist and all those types of things."
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,18645656%5E1702,00.html
Beastly tales scripted by us
A begging bear at the Guwahati zoo. Courtesy: PETA
Last week a news channel carried a story done by PETA, India, volunteers on the zoos of eastern India. It was shocking to say the least. Visitors in the Shillong zoo were seen drinking and then assaulting animals. One even gave a lit cigarette to a fox. No zoo-keeper was around to stop them.
In the Guwahati zoo, a bear infested with ticks was seen crying and begging for food from the visitors. In the same zoo, a one-horned rhino has been living alone in his enclosure for 36 years. He has developed a wound above his horn from banging his head on the wall of the enclosure in frustration.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060326/asp/calcutta/story_6012091.asp
Giant pandas to enjoy air conditioning
www.chinaview.cn 2006-03-26 13:34:38
CHENGDU, March 26 (Xinhua) -- A research group has begun analyzing the air in Wolong, a giant panda habitat in China, to try and duplicate it in zoos, officials with the Wolong Giant Panda Research Center said on Thursday.
The scientists will try to develop an air conditioning system that will produce air similar to that in Wolong, southwest China's Sichuan Province, deputy director of the center Wang Yanbin said.
They will analyze temperature, humidity and airflow and conduct simulated tests to develop the system, Wang added.
Scientists from household appliances giant Sichuan Changhong Electric Company Limited were invited by the center, which has longed for an ideal air conditioning system for giant pandas in captivity outside Wolong.
The center hopes that the system will be developed before the giant panda couple Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan leave for Taiwan, though the date remains a question as Taiwan authorities are still playing the admission of the giant pandas as a political card.
The couple are intended as goodwill gifts from people on the Chinese mainland to Taiwan compatriots. They were selected from 23 candidates and named by public votes.
With a semitropical maritime climate, Taiwan would not be a comfortable place for giant pandas without air conditioning.
The giant panda is one of the world's most endangered species and is found only in China. It is estimated that 1,590 giant pandas live in the wild in China. Those in captivity totaled 183 on the mainland at the end of last year. Enditem
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-03/26/content_4346438.htm
Two zoos: Detroit, Lansing zoos are regional assets; regions should fund them
A Lansing State Journal editorial
Potter Park Zoo and the Detroit Zoo have more in common than being domiciles for exotic animals.
Both are owned by cities in the throes of severe budget deficits. Both can be preserved, if the respective metro communities acknowledge the zoos for what they are - regional assets - and fund them accordingly.
Lansing's zoo issue is just heating up. Mayor Virg Bernero wants to reduce the city's $1.26 million yearly subsidy to the zoo. He makes a good case for Ingham County taking control, and funding it with a county tax.
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060326/OPINION01/603260611/1086/opinion
Study finds petting zoos can spread E. coli
Staff and agencies
21 March, 2006
44 minutes ago
ATLANTA - Animals at petting zoos can transmit the potentially deadly E. coli E. coli bacteria, underscoring the need to lather up after visiting these facilities, health researchers said on Monday.
A study of people who visited Florida petting zoos in March 2005 concluded that the bacteria, which kills 60 people annually in the United States and causes diarrhea and other ailments, can be transmitted through contact with animals.
Another study conducted in South Carolina suggested many visitors are not taking the most basic steps to guard against illness. Researchers in South Carolina who watched visitors at a petting zoo there last year found that 28 percent of people who left the zoo did not wash their hands at faucets provided by the zoo, researchers said.
"The major takeaway is to wash your hands after visiting the zoo, wash your hands before eating after a zoo visit and inform yourself," said Daniel Chertow, a Florida Department of Health official who discussed the Florida study at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta.
Chertow said E. coli transmission from animals was a growing concern. The first human E. coli outbreak tied to animals was reported to the CDC in 1996, and 10 more animal-related cases were chronicled by 2002, he said.
The most common types of contact that contributed to E. coli infection in the Florida study were feeding cows and touching or feeding goats.
But the study also showed humans don‘t have to touch animals to get sick. Indirect contacts that transmitted E. coli included stepping in manure and touching soiled clothing after washing hands at the zoo, the study said.
Those most likely to stave off illness lathered their hands with soap upon leaving the petting zoo, and washed up again before eating, the study found.
http://www.leadingthecharge.com/stories/news-00161737.html
Elusive Coyote Is Captured in Central Park
By MARIA NEWMAN
and JANON FISHER
A coyote roaming through Central Park today got a taste of what it's like to lead the police on a chase in New York City, where the tabloid media and countless other reporters and photographers will chase anything that gives chase.
The coyote, which was first spotted in the park late on Sunday, was finally captured at about 10 this morning near Belvedere Castle, after an officer with the New York City Police Department's Emergency Service Unit shot it in the rear with a tranquilizer dart.
A 35-pound male that had been dubbed "Hal" by some police officers and reporters because it was first spotted near the Hallett Nature Sanctuary in the park's southeast corner, the coyote appeared healthy when it was captured, according to a city veterinarian who examined it. Hal will be taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center in upstate New York, officials said.
During its several-day adventure in Central Park, the coyote has been spotted by many but harmed no one, and it had attracted quite a following from a motley crowd that tailed him through New York City's otherwise bucolic oasis.
Just before it was caught this morning, the coyote's chasers included not only about a dozen officers dressed in dark blue uniforms and flak jackets armed with tranquilizer rifles, but also park maintenance employees on carts, their rakes sticking idly out of the back as they barked directions into walkie-talkies.
There were also countless reporters and photographers sprinting after the coyote as it made its way through the paths, meadows, ponds and wooded areas of the park, and a few curiosity seekers among people visiting the park.
There were even news helicopters hovering above the park, broadcasting the hapless coyote's every move to viewers around the country.
Police officials had warned people that the biggest danger the coyote posed was to pets. Adrian Benepe, the city's parks commissioner, first caught a glimpse of the animal on Tuesday, in the Hallett sanctuary.
After it was captured, Mr. Benepe told reporters that the coyote may have made its way to Central Park from Westchester County via an Amtrak train bridge over the Harlem River.
"For a coyote to get to Midtown, it has to be a very adventurous coyote," Mr. Benepe said. "It was a very curious kind of coyote."
Even Michael Bloomberg, New York's mayor, felt compelled to comment on the coyote's travails.
During a session with reporters Wednesday morning, he said: "This is New York, and I would suggest the coyote may have more problems than the rest of us."
On Tuesday night, the police managed to shoot the coyote it with a tranquilizer dart. But that didn't stop Hal, who was seen again this morning by a construction worker at a ball field that was being mowed.
Suzanne Kelly, who was working on the wardrobe department of a movie crew filming in the park, said she saw the coyote at about 8 this morning. She said it was near another woman walking her small dog. At first, Ms. Kelly said she thought the coyote was another dog.
"She tried to shoo it away," she said of the dog walker. "I saw it coming toward me. I purposely turned away. I have bad luck with dogs. I thought it would try to bite me."
The coyote, however, did not seem that interested in her, and made his way to another part of the park.
Finally, the police spotted the animal once again at the Hallet sanctuary, an area in the park near 65th street which includes a duck pond and is surrounded by an 8-foot-high fence.
The coyote darted through the wooded areas of the sanctuary, making his way in and out of a rocky area, and finally jumped into the pond.
But before officers could catch up with him, Hal scaled the fence around the sanctuary, and made his way through the park again. At one point his followers saw him go past Wollman Rink, where a woman in a sparkly sweater was serenely executing figure-8s upon the glistening ice, unaware of the commotion around her.
Hal turned north again, and was spotted going past the Boathouse Restaurant. Finally, he made its way past Belvedere Castle, and at about 10 a.m., he became trapped near some air conditioning equipment behind a nearby fire department comunications substation.
At about 10 a.m., Emergency Service officer Phillip Tropp took a shot at him, hitting him in the rear.
"We waited a few minutes for the tranquilizer to take effect," Mr. Tropps said, "then we noosed it and put it in the cage."
The coyote's breathing was shallow and he appeared in a deep sleep.
The last time a coyote was seen in the same section of the park was in April 1999, when one was tracked down, tranquilized and sent to live at the Queens Zoo.
Mr. Benepe had tried to calm any fears people may have had of an animal more common in the rural areas of Westchester County than in the middle of a big city.
"He's probably more frightened of you than you are of him," Mr. Benepe said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/22/nyregion/22cnd-coyote.html?ei=5070&en=f5818a85fef1e7e6&ex=1143694800&emc=eta1&pagewanted=print
SA steps in to save Abidjan zoo
14/03/2006 12:48 - (SA)
Christophe Koffi
Abidjan - Once one of west Africa's most stunning animal attractions, Abidjan's zoo has become a tragic victim of the country's political turmoil.
Now, however, vital help from South Africa could give the zoo a facelift - and its animals a new lease on life.
Boasting more than 200 animals from about 50 species, the zoo suffered serious lack of attention and funding during the former jewel of west Africa's crisis years. International tourism dried up, and things went from bad to worse.
"Since its creation, very few shelters and cages have been built, putting the lives of animals at risk," said zoo director Ayekoue Yapo.
About 100 animals died in three years, he added. The zoo had to survive on a meagre annual budget of 50 000-euros, far less than it required.
Elephants, lions, chimpanzees and crocodiles live in dilapidated shelters, most of them built in the 1930s. Walls and fences are in ruins and many are collapsing.
The only vehicle available, which is supposed to travel 50km around the zoo every day, delivering food to the animals, breaks down frequently.
Now, in an effort to give the animals a new lease on life, Yapo intends to establish "true relations" with the Pretoria Zoo, thanks to financial support from South Africa.
Visit by SA vets
Two South African veterinary surgeons visited the zoo in August 2004, as part of a mission coordinated by the African Association of Zoos and Aquaria (PAAZAB) to help look after the animals, many of which were already in distress.
The two specialists attended to lions, Lea, Simba and Loulou, as well as chimpanzees, Judith and Bras, halting a trend that had seen the number of animals reduced from 320 in 2002 to 231 in 2005.
The much awaited South African support should allow installation in the zoo of a 20-hectare special zone to accommodate animals like a 100-year-old tortoise that weighs more than 100kg.
The South African experts will also work to increase the number of animals at the zoo, and to enhance reproduction among some of the zoo's star attractions - elephants Taya, Azagny and Canne - as well as rare pygmy hippopotamuses.
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1897525,00.html
continued ...
Taiwan agonizes over embracing a gift from China of its most precious weapon
Mark Magnier, Los Angeles Times
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Wolong Nature Reserve , China -- Taiwan and China quibble about everything from diplomatic slights and hidden meanings to ancient history and obscure definitions. So perhaps it's not surprising that they'd argue over two chubby animals that bite each other's ears and have trouble procreating.
China's latest weapon in its increasingly effective charm offensive against Taiwan is an offer of giant pandas. Who would think of turning down two lovable animals that zoos around the world could only dream about, you might ask?
The government of archrival Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian, for one, which finds itself tied in knots over the offer. Let one panda's nose in the tent, Chen and his allies fear, and you buy into Beijing's claim that Taiwan is part of China, a pill impossible to swallow for the pro-independence government on the island.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/03/26/MNGJ9HSCC61.DTL
Procedures reviewed after lion incident at zoo
By Brent Killackey
RACINE - When it comes to cats - especially large cats like lions - don't expect them to move when you want them to.
It took more than six hours Thursday to lure Elsa, a 1-year-old African lioness, far enough into an outdoor exhibit so that zoo employees could safety close a 4-by-4-foot metal door between the off-exhibit lion's den and the animal care staff's secure work area.
Discovery of that open door - and the potential that Elsa could get into that secure work area - prompted the evacuation of the zoo about 11:30 a.m. Thursday.
Zoo employees tried scaring Elsa further into the outdoor exhibit by shooting a fire extinguisher under another door, but apparently she
wasn't close enough to care. And she wasn't immediately tempted by food in the outdoor exhibit because she had eaten a big breakfast.
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2006/03/25/local/iq_3969175.txt
Presto! A School for Magic Creates Hope Out of Thin Air
By MICHAEL WINES
KHAYELITSHA, South Africa — Life is hard for the 750,000 or so people crammed into this shantytown, one of South Africa's largest and toughest. In the last census, in 2001, 6 in 10 adults here said they had no steady income. What little money they have tends to vanish quickly, spent on essentials or stolen in the break-ins and robberies that are endemic here.
The way Phumile Dyasi makes money vanish is rather less common.
"I want to show you this coin," he said one recent afternoon, standing in the tiny parlor of his family's plank-and-tar paper shack. He held out a copper disc. "Now, blow on it," he said. A visitor obliged, and the coin disappeared. Only Phumile's sly grin remained.
For six years, 16-year-old Phumile has studied prestidigitation at College of Magic in Cape Town, a sort of kindergarten-to-baccalaureate institution for aspiring conjurers. Making coins disappear is the least of the tricks he has picked up.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/27/international/africa/27khayelitsha.html?ei=5070&en=17c3bd17509a6dda&ex=1144126800&emc=eta1&pagewanted=print
Patna zoo abuzz with 'Ramdev effect'
Anupama Sharan
[ Monday, March 27, 2006 01:43:36 am
TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates
PATNA: The "Ramdev effect"is undeniably here - one can see it manifest even in the Patna zoo referred to as the "lungs of the city".
What a sight it is! People from all strata shuffle on at various paces rubbing their nails together in anticipation of the miraculous blackening of grey hair. There are others who sit doing other yoga steps along with multiple groups clapping together.
Motivation in the youth is electric. They are "walking"the talk of Ramdev - his postures and his posturings. They appear to be in the grip of Ramdev fever.
Says one gangling youth to his grinning comrades, "Ka to bolta hai ki baal kala ho jayega. Ab tak to sab rishi-muni ke ujjale baal dekhte-sunte aaye hain.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1465120.cms
I am Mr Lonely...
Kavitha Sreekumar
[ Sunday, March 26, 2006 10:31:30 pm
TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates
Lonesome and sans companion, residents of the Hyderabad zoo have been hit hard as exchange programmes designed to find them mates have fallen through.
A multi-coloured macaw, Sun Conure, is not as happy as the colours of his plumes. "He is an unhappy bird without a mate,"says Rajan Kumar, the keeper of bird enclosures in the Nehru Zoological Park.
His friend was to come all the way from Prague, Czech Republic, last month but as V Kishen, director, Nehru Zoological Park, explains, "It took months of correspondence to organise it. The plan was for us to send the zoo in Prague three pairs of painted storks and four pairs of star tortoises in exchange for five macaws and a pair of Greater Rhea, an ostrich-like bird from South America but the dispatched shipment was sent back to the Czech Republic because of bird flu."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1464899.cms
Conservation Celebration at Zoo
March 25, 2006, 03:55 PM EST
A conservation celebration took place Saturday at Mesker Park Zoo.
Home Depot was on hand to help kids construct wooden birdhouses to take home. And a team from World Bird Sanctuary highlighted the event with a bird show. The show featured several birds, including eagles and hawks.
Coordinators hope the celebration will educate participants to preserve the earth's biological diversity and secure the future of threatened animals.
Marketing director Charlotte Roesner states, "One of the things in the zoo's mission statement is to promote conservation; that's why we are holding this event. We are also going to hand everyone a conservation scavenger hunt when they walk through the door; it will tell them about endangered species, and a list of things they can do to preserve the environment."
http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=4681431&nav=3w6o
The great Blue Peter badge scandal
By Joanna Bale
How winners of the famous prize for achievements are flogging them online to greedy parents
FOR almost 50 years the Blue Peter badge has been coveted by generations of middle-class children as an emblem of hard work and achievement. The tiny piece of enamel with its distinctive ship logo has inspired thousands to help worthy causes, write letters, stories and poems and paint pictures to send in to the BBC children’s programme.
But now it has fallen victim to unscrupulous eBay sellers, with some openly bragging that holders get free entry to more than 100 attractions, including London Zoo, Madame Tussaud’s, Legoland Windsor and the Eden Project. Cheating parents will pay up to £30 a badge to save money on family trips.
Edinburgh Zoo is losing so much money to the ruse that it is about to become the first attraction to end free entry for badgeholders. A spokesman said yesterday: “We are surprised and disappointed to find out these badges are being sold on eBay. As a result we are looking at discontinuing our free admission offer, which is a shame for those who did genuinely earn the badge.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2105542,00.html
Deficit may affect zoo, Lansing jobs
By ADAM LARK
The State News
The future of Potter Park Zoo and the regional make-up of Ingham County's fire department dispatch response could be in limbo with Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero's budget plan.
Bernero will present those ideas and a list of 40 budget proposals to quell Lansing's $11 million deficit at 7 p.m. today at the Lansing City Council meeting on the 10th floor of City Hall, 124 W. Michigan Ave.
Regionalizing or combining fire service calls to cut public service costs and the possibility of raising fees and selling control of the Potter Park Zoo to Ingham County are a few of the issues that could affect East Lansing residents.
Also mentioned in the list of Bernero's budget proposals are the elimination of some full-time city positions and funding cuts in the city's road and sidewalk repair.
Lansing's Waverly and Red Cedar golf courses could also be closed, saving the city about $278,000 in subsidies.
http://www.statenews.com/article.phtml?pk=35438
Indian zookeepers mourn 250-year-old Aldabra giant tortoise
27.03.06
Kolkata zookeepers are in mourning following the death of a 250-year-old Aldabra giant tortoise.
Brought to Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) during the rule of the British East India Company, the tortoise was a gift presented to administrator Robert Clive by British sailors travelling to the port from Seychelles in 1875.
Kolkata Zoo director Subir Chowdhury is quoted by the AFP news agency as saying that the tortoise had passed away following a string of illnesses.
The giant tortoise was one of several presented to Clive, but was the only one to survive for any length of time after the journey, earning himself the name "Adwaitya" meaning the only one.
"Our records show the tortoise was born in 1750, but some have claimed he was born in 1705," said Mr Chowdhury, adding that the zoo will use a scientific method known as carbon-dating to determine his real age.
"His shell will be preserved in the zoo. All zoo employees are saddened by his death."
The oldest known torti zean in Seychelles is Bird Island's Esmeralda, for which records go back to 1856 and, according to unreliable folklore accounts, could possibly have made his way to the island from the wreck of the Hirondel in 1808.
http://www.nation.sc/index1024.php?art=5742
Roaring 1st B-day: No cake, please; zoo tigers fight for meat
By Susan Vela
Lansing State Journal
What a wild, thrilling feast it was!
Potter Park Zoo threw a birthday party Sunday for its three Amur tiger cubs - Zakhar, Kumara and Mishka - and the 1-year-old felines literally pounced on their gifts.
With predatory growls and extended claws, the cubs tore into a special birthday meal: deer-shaped pinatas stuffed with horse meat.
"It was really cool," said Sean Ketner, 11, of Okemos. "They ran in there and (tore) it apart."
The cubs are the first born at the zoo since 1992. They have evolved from 2-pound cuddly bundles to aggressive cats weighing 128 to 142 pounds.
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060327/NEWS01/603270338/1001/news
Who Will Run the Zoo?
Tony Tagliavia
The new tiger cubs at Lansing's Potter Park Zoo are celebrating their first birthday Sunday.
By the time they their second comes around, the zoo could be a very different place.
"From what I've seen, we would have to get rid of probably a quarter of our animals," Potter Park Zoological Society Executive Director Diane McNeil said.
That is if Lansing doesn't find a 'new' way to fund the park that's functioned as a zoo for more than 85 years.
Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero has proposed finding a new funding source for the zoo -- namely, Ingham County.
Some county commissioners appear receptive to the idea of the county taking over funding.
http://www.wilx.com/news/headlines/2526071.html
Zoo to ape life in the jungle
GARETH EDWARDS
A TROPICAL forest complete with waterfalls and exotic plants will be created at Edinburgh Zoo as part of a £5.6 million chimpanzee centre.
Plans for the Budongo Life Science Centre, the first part of the zoo's 20-year masterplan, show that designers want to mimic a tropical forest research station to immerse visitors in the natural environment of the animals.
Water features, including waterfalls, will be created around the centre, while inside the building will be decorated with the kind of plants and trees found in the chimps' native habitat.
Work on the centre, which will be a world first, is set to start later this year subject to planning permission. It is part of the Tropical Forest biome, one of four themed areas which will be created in the zoo under the ambitious masterplan.
http://news.scotsman.com/edinburgh.cfm?id=474702006
Land swap an option for zoo expansion
Under the plan, a park would be built north of Blank Park Zoo after it expands east to Fort Des Moines Park.
JOSE DE JESUS
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
March 27, 2006
A group of south-side business owners and residents is willing to endorse a plan to expand Blank Park Zoo east into Fort Des Moines Park only if zoo officials yield the vacant land they own to the north, a partnership member says.
The 18 tax-exempt acres north of the zoo, donated by West Des Moines developer Bill Knapp, are worth about $2 million, said Terry Rich, head of the Blank Park Zoo Foundation.
Rich has been lobbying for public support to expand the zoo, 7401 S.W. Ninth St., and convert it into one of the region's top tourist attractions. He said he would consider all proposals on the table - including one by the South Side Revitalization Partnership - if it would ultimately lead to the expansion of the zoo.
"(The) bottom line is we are interested in making sure the zoo survives for many, many years to come," Rich said.
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060327/NEWS08/603280329/1010
Glad You Asked - Denuding of foliage at the zoo; When wil 'Commander In Chief' return?; More used cell phone questions
By Chris Bennett
Why have they cut down so many trees and shrubs along the North Beach lakefront, particularly behind the zoo? Michael Burke wrote about this issue in early February, but the issue keeps arising in questions to GYA. It's understandable - it's hard to miss the cutting of trees.
From the Root River northward and then west, Racine is extending the Lake Michigan Pathway, a multi-use trail for biking, walking, rollerblading and more.
When completed later this year, the work will extend the Lake Michigan Pathway so it stretches from Chicory Road to 3 Mile Road. It will help form a complete northern bike trail loop, just as the south side has a complete loop.
Eighty percent of its cost comes from a federal congestion, mitigation and air quality grant. That program, funded through the federal gas tax, is designed for just such strategies to make it easier to leave the car in the garage.
A second goal of the project is shore protection. As the city is having the pathway extended, it is also stabilizing the lake bluffs, especially near Goold Street and the Racine Zoo's south end. There, the railroad timbers once put in place to try to hold the hillside in place have been sliding downhill. Atop that hill sits a storm sewer.
To stabilize the hillside, it will be built outward to create a gentler slope. That's the reason for all the clear-cutting that began in October. The existing vegetation would be buried anyway.
Once the hill has been built up to its new slope and the bike trail is in place, the bare areas will be replanted. The city has ordered more than 13,600 plants: a combination of evergreen and deciduous ornamental trees, shrubs and native grasses.
And the stairway leading down to Zoo Beach will be rebuilt with switchbacks and observation decks. Water quality should also improve - Kewaunee Street, which used to head down to the lakefront, will be closed off. That will keep street pollutants from rushing down that avenue to the lake. And new traffic patterns created by the closure of Kewaunee and Hoffert streets should be less confusing.
The new bike trail will also be lighted throughout and should improve security along the lakefront.
The project should be finished in August.
What happened to the show on Tuesdays called "Commander In-Chief"? It will return to ABCs lineup on April 18 in an episode entitled "Tricky Dicks."
A synopsis for the episode at http://www.abc.com reads as follows: "While out solo at a reception as Mac works on her upcoming State of the Union Address, Rod seemingly has too much to drink and winds up in a compromising position with an internŠ with cameras flashing. An incriminating photo ends up on the cover of the papers the next day, humiliating an incredulous Mac and threatening to publicly and politically damage her image. Meanwhile, Templeton sets out to sabotage Mac's Homeless Initiative Bill, forcing her to play political hardball in return. And Dickie and Jayne - who is now back as Templeton's chief of staff - go to dinner in an effort to pick the other adversary's brain, and end up spending the night together."
I don't watch the show and know nothing of those plot clues, but I hope you die-hards enjoy the show's return.
According to the Web site http://www.Zap2it.com, a must for any TV aficionado, Geena Davis' drama, in which she plays the president of these United States, took a break to iron out some creative changes. The show opened in fall 2005 to robust ratings and slipped shortly after the start of the year.
Veteran TV producer Steven Bochco ("NYPD Blue") took over from series creator Rod Lurie shortly before the holidays, and all involved in the show - including the network's executives - want everything squared away before renewal decisions for next season are made.
Where can a person get rid of an unwanted cell phone? We offered an incomplete answer to this question in Thursday's GYA.
Test stations for the Wisconsin Vehicle Inspection Program test stations accept used cell phones and give you a $5 long distance calling card in exchange.
Racine's emissions testing station is at 1913 Melvin Ave. Burlington's is at 800 Krift St. and Kenosha's is at 5910 77th St.
For more information, visit: http://www.wivip.com However, I still encourage you to ask your neighbor or friend what they do with their old cell phones. I guarantee someone you know is holding a drive to collect old cell phones, and your used and unwanted phone might benefit a worthy cause.
What is Glad You Asked?
Glad You Asked finds answers to the questions that keep you up at night. Don't lose sleep. Send your questions to at ask@journaltimes.com or call (262) 631-1758.
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2006/03/27/local/columns/iq_3969126.txt
New at the Zoo
Bigger hospital means better care for animals; education center means study opportunities for you
BY JIM KNIPPENBERG ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden is approaching the home stretch of the first phase of an unprecedented building boom that will forever change the face of the 130-year-old institution.
It's a boom that will mean better animal care, more extensive research and a major boost of community involvement in zoo projects and conservation efforts.
"This year is seeing the most capital improvements at any one time in the zoo's history," said zoo president Gregg Hudson. He's referring to more than $12 million in projects, including a $4 million hospital to open early May, and an $8.4 million education center that will be ready in September. Both projects began last fall and are on schedule.
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060327/LIFE/603270310/-1/CINCI
Here’s our shameful human zoo
Tonio Borg has finally decided to let journalists visit parts of the immigrants’ detention centres for the first time on a staged media tour, a day before a European Parliament delegation inspection. For Karl Schembri, it was a glimpse at brooding insanity
As we descended from our coach, the black hands and desperate eyes behind the iron bars became more visible.
With the cameras filming and tape recorders switched on, the troupe of journalists watched silently as more and more of the 90 immigrants crammed in the building called Block B, built by the British at the Safi Barracks, came out of their rooms to face us.
A couple of feet away, separated by rusty gates and fences and with somewhat ambivalent instructions from the army “to talk but not to interview” them, some of the men on the other side started banging on the iron rods.
“We need to speak to you,” one of them started shouting with others soon joining in. “We’re going crazy in here.”
“Can we talk to them?” one journalist asked Lt. Col. Brian Gatt, the commander in charge of the Detention Services Unit.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2006/03/26/t14.html
Tropical waterfall for city zoo
A new chimpanzee enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo is to be fitted with a tropical forest, waterfalls and exotic plants.
Water features will be created around the centre while inside will be transformed to recreate the chimps' native habitat.
Work on the Budongo Life Science Centre will start later this year, subject to planning permission.
The new centre is being built as the first part of a 20-year masterplan for the site.
The visitors will be invited to discover a lot more about the chimpanzees in the zoo and our work with wild chimpanzees in the Budongo Forest with our new interactive displays
Mairi Rosko
Edinburgh Zoo
Mairi Rosko, head of development at Edinburgh Zoo, said: "Budongo will be a truly unique exhibit combining elements to suit both animal and visitor.
"With large naturalistic habitats, the chimpanzees will not only be able to roam between areas at their leisure, but also be encouraged to concentrate on specially designed enrichment activities.
"The visitors will be invited to discover a lot more about the chimpanzees in the zoo and our work with wild chimpanzees in the Budongo Forest with our new interactive displays.
"The large windows will also provide a better opportunity for our visitors to observe the natural behaviour of these intelligent apes first-hand."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4850658.stm
Adwaita’s death reveals loopholes in zoological gardens
Rats fed on the tortoise’s blood and meat when the lower right side of its shell cracked last December.
Express News Service
Kolkata, March 27: The Alipore Zoo authorities may have given its recently deceased oldest member a fitting tribute, but the condolence meeting held in honour of Adwaita, revealed some appalling truths about the glaring loopholes in the health and management infrastructure of the zoological gardens.
Adwaita, the aldabra giant tortoise, died of hepato renal failure, but records reveal that it suffered from a more serious injury in the month of December. And what is even more deplorable is that before the injury was totally healed, rats fed on the old tortoise’s blood.
“The lower right side of Adwaita’s shell cracked on December 17. The reason was old age. But before the zoo doctors could mend that wound, rats invaded the senile tortoise’s cage and fed on its blood and meat. But in due time, it was shifted to another cage which was amply sealed and protected from such alien attack. Though doctors managed to heal the wound, it is a fact that the infrastructure of the zoo has to be bettered to avoid such grim incidents,” said Dr Shivaji Bhattacharya, one of the doctor-members of the health and management committee for animals under captivity.
“The zoo has to be spruced up further. Adwaita’s sad demise has made us realise that,” said Dr Bhattacharya.
Adwaita’s shell will be preserved and exhibited by the zoo authorities in the near future. In the condolence meeting it also came to the limelight that the area of treatment and protection of animals need more attention. “Visitors flout rules and feed the wild animals with outside food. This has to be checked,” he said.
There were two more such tortoises in the zoo, but Adwaita was the last of its clan who died at such a ripe age of 260. “However, that the medical authorities did a commendable job can be had from the fact that Adwaita never suffered from any critical illness,” said Dr Subir Choudhuri, director of the zoo.
Adwaita passed away in the morning of March 22. It did not suffer from any illness, but when the caretaker went to feed him in the morning, he found it dead. It died of liver and kidney failure. The zoo authorities feel that Adwaita’s death is a great loss for them and replacing such an animal will be an almost impossible task.
Zoo levies on May ballot
How much do you love your zoo?
March 27, 2006 - Two levies will be on the primary ballot.
The spring primary election is five weeks from tomorrow. The Toledo Zoo will be on the ballot with two levies. One is for capital improvements and the other one for operations.
Spokesperson Andi Norman explains, "The operating levy, those funds go to help pay for personnel costs, care and feeding of the animals, maintenance, utilities, those types of expenses."
The capital levy would finance some big changes for the growing addition, Baby Louie, who isn't much of a baby any more. The African elephant turns three next month and he is still gaining two pounds a day. At this rate, zookeepers say Louie will soon outgrow the elephant facility. "The facility we have is not large enough or strong enough to house Louie."
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=local&id=4030064
Animal lovers condole death of world's oldest tortoise
Kolkata, Mar 27: Animal lovers and zoologists today held a solemn condolence meeting for the over 250-year old aldabra tortoise Adwaitya, which died in the zoo here on March 22, besides discussing the management and healthcare of animals in captivity.
Employees of the Alipore Zoo shared nuggets of information on aldabra tortoises -- their habitat, food habits and diseases, at the meeting.
Adwaitya, whose shell has been preserved by the zoo authorities, was at the centre of discussions as officials from the management committee of the zoo, Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) veterinarians talked on the life of animals in captivity.
Considered the world's oldest living tortoise, Adwaitya died after a liver failure leaving zoologists to wonder about his actual age.
According to records, four tortoises were brought to Calcutta by British seafarers from Seychelles, known for its giant tortoises, and presented to Lord Robert Clive.
While three of them died as the new environment did not suit them, Addwaita ruled the Latbagan estate of Clive in north Calcutta till he was gifted to the zoo in 1875.
No one knows, how old the tortoise, the biggest crowd puller of the zoo, was when he was brought here. His approximate recorded age was somewhere between 250 to 260 years.
http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&id=32371
Phanatic turns 'red' at Philly Zoo
Mascot dunked in paint as part of 'Paint the Town Red'
By Andy Jasner / Special to MLB.com
PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies couldn't have picked a more fitting way to begin their week-long "Paint The Town Red" celebration.
During the first event held on Monday on the Impala Lawn at the Philadelphia Zoo, the Phillie Phanatic took his shirt off, put on a pair of goggles and was hoisted on a crane, courtesy of Crane Manufacturing, and dunked into a huge red can of MAB paint. The Phanatic Safe Formula turned the green mascot into a shade of bright cheery red.
"Daddy, he looks different," one boy said.
"Different is good, because it will be good luck," the boy's father responded.
http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060327&content_id=1364339&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi
Zoo update
New director has ambitious agenda
In discussing his outlook for the future of the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park, new Executive Director Michael J. Janis used the term "ReZoovenation." We like the sound of that. It's exactly what the historic zoo needs to survive.
Janis has been in his post but a few months and already he has adopted an aggressive, progressive agenda. That involves pursuing both the big and little pictures. For example, Janis' efforts to attract lapsed zoo members has brought in about 70 renewals worth $10,000. "And that's before we opened," he said. "These members were members who were just not being asked to renew their memberships."
Architect Mies van der Rohe was right when he said "God is in the details." Before launching elaborate plans for a futuristic Binghamton Zoo, it's important to show some restraint and take care of such details as membership to build a sturdy foundation. Janis appears to be taking that tack already. Exhibits are being repaired and restored. New animals are being added to the collection. The Web site has been revamped with current news, animal collection list and a calendar of upcoming events. And Janis is eyeing the whole campus for development.
http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060328/OPINION/603280317/1005
Big Noise at the Zoo
The Assiniboine Park Zoo has welcomed its newest inhabitants -- four baby crested screamers.
"They're really unusual birds," said curator Dr. Bob Wrigley. "The neatest thing about them is they're in the waterfowl family even though they don't look anything like a duck or a goose. But their goslings look just like Canada geese."
Crested screamers are found in South America and have sharp spurs under their wings for protection against predators. Their name stems from the Mohawk-like feathers that develop on their backs of their heads and their piercing shriek.
"You get 50 screamers calling at the same time and it's absolutely deafening," said curator Bob Wrigley. "Thankfully we only have four adults in here."
The zoo has successfully raised fledgling crested screamers before but Wrigley said it's no easy task.
"They're not so difficult to breed but very difficult to raise," he said. "We're lucky if we get one in four babies to adult size."
The only other babies born at the zoo this year are some Eurasian red squirrels, which the public won't be able to see for about a month. The zoo acquired its adult squirrels -- the only Eurasian red squirrels in North America outside of Fargo, N.D. -- last year.
Wrigley said the zoo definitely sees a jump in attendance when baby animals are born.
"Everyone loves babies. Having babies is a very important part of the lifecycle of animals so we try to let as many breed as possible," said Wrigley. "The challenge for me as a curator is to find good homes for all the offspring because generally we're all filled up with animals."
http://winnipegsun.com/News/Winnipeg/2006/03/28/1508698-sun.html
BBC tries to stop Ebay trade in fake Blue Peter badges
By Anil Dawar
It has been one of the most coveted prizes in children's television for nearly half a century.
The distinctive Blue Peter badge, awarded to youngsters in recognition of their charitable work or artistic efforts, is so highly esteemed that holders can get free entry to many tourist attractions.
A genuine Blue Peter badge
But what was a symbol of hard work and dedication has been sullied by dealers who are selling fake versions so parents can save money on family days out.
The BBC and Ebay, the online auction house, have joined forces to stamp out the illegal trade in pirated Blue Peter badges.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/03/28/nbadge28.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/03/28/ixhome.html
News crew goes wild about zoo's nursery
IMAGES of this group of Blackpool toddlers will be beamed across the Atlantic.
America's biggest news network NBC was at Blackpool Zoo's "A to Zoo" Nursery after the opening of the new facility was reported in The Gazette.
NBC correspondent Dawna Friesen said: "We read about this story in our office and thought it was worth covering because you can't go wrong with children and animals in the same story.
"The idea of putting a nursery at a zoo, with all the extra
educational advantages that could bring, seems so natural and yet here they are the first to do it.
"I think thousands of children would love the opportunity to go to a nursery like this. I have a 14-month-old son and he would be thrilled if he came here."
The nursery, which is situated just yards from the elephant sanctuary, opened in January.
Bosses at the attraction came up with the idea following a telephone call from neighbouring Blackpool Victoria Hospital, which said its own nursery was full and another facility was needed nearby.
In just six months, the former back offices at the zoo were transformed into a state-of-the-art facility which can cater for up to 66 children, aged from three months to four years.
http://www.blackpoolonline.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=62&ArticleID=1406117
New 'Code of Conduct' for Salisbury's Parks and Zoo
03/28/2006
SALISBURY- The Salisbury City Council on Monday night voted for new rules visitors to the city's parks and zoo.
The council agreed to a new "code of conduct" that will go into effect for the city's parks, playgrounds and the Salisbury Zoo.
Salisbury Public Works Director John Jacobs said the rules will allow city officials to warn and kick out people who threaten others or misbehave.
"An example at the city park is we frequently have kids in the summer playing in the water fountain," Jacobs said. "We think that is not appropriate and it's not safe."
City officials say the new code does not single out any particular person.
However, web bloggers have recently been posting pictures from inside the zoo. Some officials have accused the bloggers of harassment.
http://www.wboc.com/Global/story.asp?S=4690779&nav=MXEF
Rising river threatens Prague
Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:34 PM GMT
PRAGUE (Reuters) - Authorities reinforced the main river in Prague on Tuesday as rising waters threatened to flood low-lying parts of the historic city, including its zoo.
Barriers were erected to prevent water spilling into streets, and metal walls will be erected at the mediaeval Kampa district below the 14th century Charles Bridge.
"It is necessary to secure this part of the city as soon as possible due to the growing water flow in the Vltava river in Prague," Prague City Council said in a statement.
Rivers across the central European country were rising fast due to rain and unusually warm weather which melted deep snow which fell over the winter.
An operator at the Vltava river management firm Povodi Vltavy said the water flowing into Prague was three times the average for spring, and estimated it could rise by another about 75 percent in the coming days. Weather forecasters said there would be more rain throughout the week.
Prague suffered its worst flooding in centuries in the summer of 2002, when the swollen Vltava river forced tens of thousands to leave their homes and water spilt into large parts of the city and flooded its underground rail system.
The floods killed 17 people and caused damage worth several billion dollars across the country and damaged many buildings in the ancient city centre.
The city council said Prague Zoo, where more than 100 animals including an elephant drowned in 2002, may be forced to evacuate its lower-lying part in the next 24 hours.
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-03-28T163422Z_01_L28282812_RTRUKOC_0_UK-WEATHER-CZECH-FLOODS.xml&archived=False
Calm in zoo as summer settles in
WITH WINTER gone, calm has settled in the zoo. The silence is occasionally broken by the characteristic sound of inmates. The cackling of the gray-legged geese, call of the chitals and the chattering of langoors set the mood of the zoo.
Visitors, particularly small children, shout in joy on seeing the snow white flamingoes flapping their wings to break the all-encompassing silence. Crocodiles arouse the inquisitiveness of children as they swim languidly across the surface of the lake.
Darters, herons and kingfishers, popular among the children, constantly entertain visitors.
“The summer”, said wild life expert and director of the Zoo R Hemant Kumar, “is in fact time to rest for zoo inmates.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/5922_1661313,0015002500030000.htm
Rain brings out umbrellas, animals at the zoo
William Hermann
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 28, 2006 06:31 PM
In a land of relentless sunshine, even a little variety in our weather can be a good thing, and the scattered clouds and intermittent rain Tuesday and Wednesday likely were and are good for all of us. At the Phoenix Zoo, crowds were a little smaller considering it's the peak visiting time for the zoo, said spokeswoman Aimee Yamamori.
"In the Valley, any clouds or rain discourages people," she said.
But Geoffrey Hall, general curator, said that "true zoo connoisseurs" know that a day of clouds, light showers and a cool breeze, "is the absolutely best time to see the animals."
He smiled and said, "The lions and tigers and bears . . . the carnivores . . . particularly like this weather, but all the animals like to come out and kick up their heels and celebrate.
"A cooling raining is a rare event, a novelty, and the animals love it."
And as long as it's not sprinkling too hard, people seem so enjoy it too. Next door to the zoo at Rolling Hills Golf Course, duffers dotted the fairways and greens.
Jim and Leslie Goldsberry, both 62, were in town with their grandson Blake, 8, for a reprieve from the freezing winds of Denver.
"This is nothing," Jim Goldsberry said of the breeze blowing across the course.
"When you are from Colorado, you don't worry about a few raindrops," Leslie said. "In fact, almost nothing bothers you."
Over at Encanto Park Golf Course in central Phoenix, Brian Wilson, 40, was approaching the first tee wearing plaid shorts and a T-shirt.
"I carry raingear, but being born and raised here, I know it seldom rains all day, or even for very long," he said. "If it starts raining while I'm on the course, I'll get under a tree and wait it out."
On the west side, scattered showers meant that requests for windshield wiper blades went up at Arrowhead Honda in Peoria.
Jay Bell, assistant parts manager, estimates that they sell 30 percent to 40 percent more of these parts after it's rained or when there's a chance of rain.
"We don't use (the wipers) enough so what happens is it bakes (the blade) to the window in the summertime, and the first time you use it, it tears it apart," Bell said.
He said the dealership's body shop also sees a spike in business: more drivers with minor fender-bender to serious car damage caused by rain-related accidents.
The overcast sky and few sprinkles didn't keep loyal fans from catching a ballgame Tuesday.
Goodyear resident John Kenison came with his family to the 1:05 p.m. match-up between the Seattle Mariners and the Chicago Cubs.
Kenison said the weather and the atmosphere were just right.
"It's perfect," he said. "I couldn't have asked for a better day."
And though there is no evidence that a cool, cloudy, showery day is a psychological boost for people weary from too much sun, an Arizona State University professor said the notion, "certainly makes sense to me."
"After all the sunshine, I have to admit to having my spirits lifted by a gray day," professor Roger Schvaneveldt said. "Perhaps that old saying, 'a change is as good as a rest' applies here."
Reporter SherryAnne Rubiano contributed to this report.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0328rain-ON.html
Walking school buses detour to the zoo
Wednesday, 29 March 2006, 12:20 pm
Press Release: Auckland City Council
29 March 2006
Walking school buses detour to the zoo
A fleet of dedicated walking school bus goers will detour to Auckland Zoo on 10 April for five hours of wild entertainment.
Forty young walkers won the safari night prize after entering an Auckland City competition designed to reward youngsters for taking part in the walking school bus scheme.
All 35 Auckland city primary schools registered with the scheme were invited to participate in the Detour to the Zoo competition and more than 150 children entered.
The contest involved writing a creative poem in the shape of a footprint about the positive effects walking schools buses have on the environment.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0603/S00175.htm
Johan's ark to be a floating zoo
Johan Huibers, 45, of Schagen, the Netherlands, is building an enormous working replica of Noah’s Ark to demonstrate his faith in the Old Testament.
The ship, nearing completion in the local harbour, is 70m (230ft) long, 9.5m (31ft) wide and 13.5m (44ft) tall. Mr Huibers plans to set sail in September with a collection of animals in his floating religious museum and petting zoo. (AP)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-2108408,00.html
El Paso Zoo's Board Maps Out 5 Year Plan
The El Paso Zoological Society's Board of Directors did some strategic planning to make the zoo better for visitors.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006 — The big focus is on customer service. Better signage to guide visitors around the zoo and better food and beverage selection.
The zoo also wants to hire more people that can educate the public about the zoo's animals, improving the overall experience.
And the board also wants to increase advertising, particularly to attract more customers from Las Cruces and Juarez.
Zoo visitors will see some of the changes suggested in the 5 year plan right away. Others will take place between now and the end of 2007.
http://www.ktsm.com/story_news.sstg?c=1798
Zoo Blooms
Annual flower show returns to Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
If you've ever wanted to tiptoe through the tulips, you've got to visit the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden this spring.
More than 80,000 tulips will be on display as "Tulip Mania" takes over Zoo Blooms 2006 at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. Joining in the festivities will be the Southwest Ohio Daffodil Society on April 8 and 9, with hundreds of the flowers in various colors, shapes and sizes on display. The Easter Bunny will also join in the fun on Saturday, April 15 with an "egg-citing" activity.
http://www.cinweekly.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060329/NEWS0102/603290311/1067
Two to face court over croc theft
By Chris Herde
29mar06
TWO 20-year-old women will face court over the theft of a 1.2m female freshwater crocodile from a central Queensland zoo.
The women and other accomplices scaled a 1.8m fence to steal the crocodile from Rockhampton Zoo between 3am and 5am (AEST) on Saturday morning.
The crocodile was lifted over her exhibit fence and then over the zoo's 2m perimeter fence, which is ringed with barb wire.
The two women were summonsed to appear at the Rockhampton Magistrates Court on April 14.
Police are still looking for their accomplices and the crocodile.
Rockhampton Sergeant Paul Elliott said the motive for the theft was unknown.
"The people we have spoken to already can't enlighten us on a motive, they can't say what the reason for taking it was or whether there was any financial gain," he said.
Rockhampton City Council parks and gardens director Tom Wyatt said there were concerns for the crocodile's safety.
He said while crocodiles do not need much food at this time of year, they do need looking after.
"At this time of the year they sort of go into hibernation and they don't eat much at all, like in another month they won't be eating for about six months apart," he said on ABC radio.
"But we are concerned for the crocodile because it has to be kept moist and all those types of things."
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,18645656%5E1702,00.html
Beastly tales scripted by us
A begging bear at the Guwahati zoo. Courtesy: PETA
Last week a news channel carried a story done by PETA, India, volunteers on the zoos of eastern India. It was shocking to say the least. Visitors in the Shillong zoo were seen drinking and then assaulting animals. One even gave a lit cigarette to a fox. No zoo-keeper was around to stop them.
In the Guwahati zoo, a bear infested with ticks was seen crying and begging for food from the visitors. In the same zoo, a one-horned rhino has been living alone in his enclosure for 36 years. He has developed a wound above his horn from banging his head on the wall of the enclosure in frustration.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060326/asp/calcutta/story_6012091.asp
Giant pandas to enjoy air conditioning
www.chinaview.cn 2006-03-26 13:34:38
CHENGDU, March 26 (Xinhua) -- A research group has begun analyzing the air in Wolong, a giant panda habitat in China, to try and duplicate it in zoos, officials with the Wolong Giant Panda Research Center said on Thursday.
The scientists will try to develop an air conditioning system that will produce air similar to that in Wolong, southwest China's Sichuan Province, deputy director of the center Wang Yanbin said.
They will analyze temperature, humidity and airflow and conduct simulated tests to develop the system, Wang added.
Scientists from household appliances giant Sichuan Changhong Electric Company Limited were invited by the center, which has longed for an ideal air conditioning system for giant pandas in captivity outside Wolong.
The center hopes that the system will be developed before the giant panda couple Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan leave for Taiwan, though the date remains a question as Taiwan authorities are still playing the admission of the giant pandas as a political card.
The couple are intended as goodwill gifts from people on the Chinese mainland to Taiwan compatriots. They were selected from 23 candidates and named by public votes.
With a semitropical maritime climate, Taiwan would not be a comfortable place for giant pandas without air conditioning.
The giant panda is one of the world's most endangered species and is found only in China. It is estimated that 1,590 giant pandas live in the wild in China. Those in captivity totaled 183 on the mainland at the end of last year. Enditem
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-03/26/content_4346438.htm
Two zoos: Detroit, Lansing zoos are regional assets; regions should fund them
A Lansing State Journal editorial
Potter Park Zoo and the Detroit Zoo have more in common than being domiciles for exotic animals.
Both are owned by cities in the throes of severe budget deficits. Both can be preserved, if the respective metro communities acknowledge the zoos for what they are - regional assets - and fund them accordingly.
Lansing's zoo issue is just heating up. Mayor Virg Bernero wants to reduce the city's $1.26 million yearly subsidy to the zoo. He makes a good case for Ingham County taking control, and funding it with a county tax.
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060326/OPINION01/603260611/1086/opinion
Study finds petting zoos can spread E. coli
Staff and agencies
21 March, 2006
44 minutes ago
ATLANTA - Animals at petting zoos can transmit the potentially deadly E. coli E. coli bacteria, underscoring the need to lather up after visiting these facilities, health researchers said on Monday.
A study of people who visited Florida petting zoos in March 2005 concluded that the bacteria, which kills 60 people annually in the United States and causes diarrhea and other ailments, can be transmitted through contact with animals.
Another study conducted in South Carolina suggested many visitors are not taking the most basic steps to guard against illness. Researchers in South Carolina who watched visitors at a petting zoo there last year found that 28 percent of people who left the zoo did not wash their hands at faucets provided by the zoo, researchers said.
"The major takeaway is to wash your hands after visiting the zoo, wash your hands before eating after a zoo visit and inform yourself," said Daniel Chertow, a Florida Department of Health official who discussed the Florida study at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta.
Chertow said E. coli transmission from animals was a growing concern. The first human E. coli outbreak tied to animals was reported to the CDC in 1996, and 10 more animal-related cases were chronicled by 2002, he said.
The most common types of contact that contributed to E. coli infection in the Florida study were feeding cows and touching or feeding goats.
But the study also showed humans don‘t have to touch animals to get sick. Indirect contacts that transmitted E. coli included stepping in manure and touching soiled clothing after washing hands at the zoo, the study said.
Those most likely to stave off illness lathered their hands with soap upon leaving the petting zoo, and washed up again before eating, the study found.
http://www.leadingthecharge.com/stories/news-00161737.html
Elusive Coyote Is Captured in Central Park
By MARIA NEWMAN
and JANON FISHER
A coyote roaming through Central Park today got a taste of what it's like to lead the police on a chase in New York City, where the tabloid media and countless other reporters and photographers will chase anything that gives chase.
The coyote, which was first spotted in the park late on Sunday, was finally captured at about 10 this morning near Belvedere Castle, after an officer with the New York City Police Department's Emergency Service Unit shot it in the rear with a tranquilizer dart.
A 35-pound male that had been dubbed "Hal" by some police officers and reporters because it was first spotted near the Hallett Nature Sanctuary in the park's southeast corner, the coyote appeared healthy when it was captured, according to a city veterinarian who examined it. Hal will be taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center in upstate New York, officials said.
During its several-day adventure in Central Park, the coyote has been spotted by many but harmed no one, and it had attracted quite a following from a motley crowd that tailed him through New York City's otherwise bucolic oasis.
Just before it was caught this morning, the coyote's chasers included not only about a dozen officers dressed in dark blue uniforms and flak jackets armed with tranquilizer rifles, but also park maintenance employees on carts, their rakes sticking idly out of the back as they barked directions into walkie-talkies.
There were also countless reporters and photographers sprinting after the coyote as it made its way through the paths, meadows, ponds and wooded areas of the park, and a few curiosity seekers among people visiting the park.
There were even news helicopters hovering above the park, broadcasting the hapless coyote's every move to viewers around the country.
Police officials had warned people that the biggest danger the coyote posed was to pets. Adrian Benepe, the city's parks commissioner, first caught a glimpse of the animal on Tuesday, in the Hallett sanctuary.
After it was captured, Mr. Benepe told reporters that the coyote may have made its way to Central Park from Westchester County via an Amtrak train bridge over the Harlem River.
"For a coyote to get to Midtown, it has to be a very adventurous coyote," Mr. Benepe said. "It was a very curious kind of coyote."
Even Michael Bloomberg, New York's mayor, felt compelled to comment on the coyote's travails.
During a session with reporters Wednesday morning, he said: "This is New York, and I would suggest the coyote may have more problems than the rest of us."
On Tuesday night, the police managed to shoot the coyote it with a tranquilizer dart. But that didn't stop Hal, who was seen again this morning by a construction worker at a ball field that was being mowed.
Suzanne Kelly, who was working on the wardrobe department of a movie crew filming in the park, said she saw the coyote at about 8 this morning. She said it was near another woman walking her small dog. At first, Ms. Kelly said she thought the coyote was another dog.
"She tried to shoo it away," she said of the dog walker. "I saw it coming toward me. I purposely turned away. I have bad luck with dogs. I thought it would try to bite me."
The coyote, however, did not seem that interested in her, and made his way to another part of the park.
Finally, the police spotted the animal once again at the Hallet sanctuary, an area in the park near 65th street which includes a duck pond and is surrounded by an 8-foot-high fence.
The coyote darted through the wooded areas of the sanctuary, making his way in and out of a rocky area, and finally jumped into the pond.
But before officers could catch up with him, Hal scaled the fence around the sanctuary, and made his way through the park again. At one point his followers saw him go past Wollman Rink, where a woman in a sparkly sweater was serenely executing figure-8s upon the glistening ice, unaware of the commotion around her.
Hal turned north again, and was spotted going past the Boathouse Restaurant. Finally, he made its way past Belvedere Castle, and at about 10 a.m., he became trapped near some air conditioning equipment behind a nearby fire department comunications substation.
At about 10 a.m., Emergency Service officer Phillip Tropp took a shot at him, hitting him in the rear.
"We waited a few minutes for the tranquilizer to take effect," Mr. Tropps said, "then we noosed it and put it in the cage."
The coyote's breathing was shallow and he appeared in a deep sleep.
The last time a coyote was seen in the same section of the park was in April 1999, when one was tracked down, tranquilized and sent to live at the Queens Zoo.
Mr. Benepe had tried to calm any fears people may have had of an animal more common in the rural areas of Westchester County than in the middle of a big city.
"He's probably more frightened of you than you are of him," Mr. Benepe said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/22/nyregion/22cnd-coyote.html?ei=5070&en=f5818a85fef1e7e6&ex=1143694800&emc=eta1&pagewanted=print
SA steps in to save Abidjan zoo
14/03/2006 12:48 - (SA)
Christophe Koffi
Abidjan - Once one of west Africa's most stunning animal attractions, Abidjan's zoo has become a tragic victim of the country's political turmoil.
Now, however, vital help from South Africa could give the zoo a facelift - and its animals a new lease on life.
Boasting more than 200 animals from about 50 species, the zoo suffered serious lack of attention and funding during the former jewel of west Africa's crisis years. International tourism dried up, and things went from bad to worse.
"Since its creation, very few shelters and cages have been built, putting the lives of animals at risk," said zoo director Ayekoue Yapo.
About 100 animals died in three years, he added. The zoo had to survive on a meagre annual budget of 50 000-euros, far less than it required.
Elephants, lions, chimpanzees and crocodiles live in dilapidated shelters, most of them built in the 1930s. Walls and fences are in ruins and many are collapsing.
The only vehicle available, which is supposed to travel 50km around the zoo every day, delivering food to the animals, breaks down frequently.
Now, in an effort to give the animals a new lease on life, Yapo intends to establish "true relations" with the Pretoria Zoo, thanks to financial support from South Africa.
Visit by SA vets
Two South African veterinary surgeons visited the zoo in August 2004, as part of a mission coordinated by the African Association of Zoos and Aquaria (PAAZAB) to help look after the animals, many of which were already in distress.
The two specialists attended to lions, Lea, Simba and Loulou, as well as chimpanzees, Judith and Bras, halting a trend that had seen the number of animals reduced from 320 in 2002 to 231 in 2005.
The much awaited South African support should allow installation in the zoo of a 20-hectare special zone to accommodate animals like a 100-year-old tortoise that weighs more than 100kg.
The South African experts will also work to increase the number of animals at the zoo, and to enhance reproduction among some of the zoo's star attractions - elephants Taya, Azagny and Canne - as well as rare pygmy hippopotamuses.
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1897525,00.html
continued ...
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Morning Papers - continued ...
Zoos
Inuit See Signs In Arctic Thaw
String of Warm Winters Alarms 'Sentries for the Rest of the World'
By Doug Struck
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, March 22, 2006; Page A01
PANGNIRTUNG, Canada -- Thirty miles from the Arctic Circle, hunter Noah Metuq feels the Arctic changing. Its frozen grip is loosening; the people and animals who depend on its icy reign are experiencing a historic reshaping of their world.
Fish and wildlife are following the retreating ice caps northward. Polar bears are losing the floes they need for hunting. Seals, unable to find stable ice, are hauling up on islands to give birth. Robins and barn owls and hornets, previously unknown so far north, are arriving in Arctic villages.
The global warming felt by wildlife and increasingly documented by scientists is hitting first and hardest here, in the Arctic where the Inuit people make their home. The hardy Inuit -- described by one of their leaders as "sentries for the rest of the world" -- say this winter was the worst in a series of warm winters, replete with alarms of the quickening transformation that many scientists expect will spread from the north to the rest of the globe.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/21/AR2006032101722.html
Zoo mourns 255yo tortoise
From correspondents in Kolkata, India
March 23, 2006
A FAMED 255-year-old tortoise brought to the eastern Indian city during the rule of the British East India Company has died, Zoo officials in Kolkata said today.
The giant Aldabra tortoise was one of four brought by British seamen from the Seychelles Islands as gifts to Robert Clive of the East India Company in 1875. It died after a string of illnesses, Kolkata Zoo director Subir Chowdhury said today.
"Adwaitya (The Only One), who delighted the zoo visitors for 131 years, died on Wednesday morning," Mr Chowdhury said. "His shell will be preserved in the zoo. All zoo employees are saddened by his death."
The three other tortoises given as gifts to Clive died soon after they arrived in Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, he said.
"Adwaitya spent his early days in Robert Clive's garden," the zookeeper said. He was later transferred to the Alipore zoo, located in the city's southern district, after it opened in 1875.
Despite his many years of life, he only became sick eight years ago when an infection was detected in his legs, Mr Chowdhury said. He was successfully treated at that time.
"Our records show the tortoise was born in 1750, but some have claimed he was born in 1705," he said. He added that the zoo will use a scientific method known as carbon-dating to determine his real age.
Adwaitya became ill several months ago after a crack developed around a wound on his chest, Mr Chowdhury said.
The average lifespan of an Aldabra tortoise is well beyond 100 years, according to the website of the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas.
Most of the tortoises are found on Aldabra, an atoll of four large coral islands in the Indian Ocean.
The atoll has been protected from human influence and is home to some 152,000 giant tortoises, the world's largest population of the animal, according to the United Nations world heritage body.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,18581034%255E1702,00.html
Mexican Land Boom Creates Commotion in Whale Nursery
By JAMES C. MCKINLEY JR. (NYT) 895 words
Published: March 12, 2006
LAGUNA SAN IGNACIO, Mexico, March 7 - This remote lagoon, surrounded by salt flats, mesas and desert, has been a sanctuary for gray whales for centuries.
Every year they return in January to these quiet, protected waters to give birth and nurse their calves through the first few months of life. Then they mate again in a swirl of water and fins, and frolic in the warm waters, breaching and flopping their gargantuan bodies.
Fishermen, who serve as guides during the whales' three-month stay, ferry tourists to the center of the lagoon, and the whales play with the boats. Sometimes, enthusiastic visitors can pet and scratch the leviathans' blubbery, sensitive skin.
But the lagoon has proved a powerful draw for more than just nature lovers. The area's salt and oil deposits have long drawn development interests, pitting environmentalists and local fishing and tourism concerns against big companies and land speculators in battles that have intensified in recent years.
In 2000, for instance, environmentalists won a long-fought victory over the Mitsubishi Corporation, which had sought to build a giant salt-mining complex on the lagoon, which would have devastated fishing and the whale-watching industry.
Another company, Exportadora de Sal, has received a 50-year concession from the government to mine salt, suggesting another looming battle. Environmentalists also say that plans to exploit oil deposits near the lagoon and build a big marina near its entrance threaten the whales.
From ecologists' standpoint, though, perhaps the greatest threat to the lagoon is the land boom that is sweeping the peninsula. All across the Baja California, land speculators are buying out members of ranching and fishing cooperatives, which own vast tracts including beaches on some of the most pristine and rich marine habitats in the world.
But here, environmental groups have reached an unusual agreement with a cooperative that will help protect the lagoon, the last undisturbed gray whale nursery, from industrial development or land speculation.
Under the accord, the cooperative, the Ejido Luis Echeverría, has agreed to protect 120,000 acres around the lagoon from development, in return for a $675,000 trust fund put together by several groups, among them the Natural Resources Defense Council and Wildcoast.
Trust earnings go to the cooperative to be invested in projects to create permanent jobs and give its 43 members a stake in protecting the whales and their habitat.
''This is a long term project, a project for perpetuity,'' said the president of the cooperative, Raúl López. ''We have to be an example for the other cooperatives.''
Still, the Echeverría cooperative is only one of six that own land around the lagoon, and the environmentalists have their work cut out for them persuading the rest to commit themselves to protecting the whales.
Serge Dedina, the executive director of Wildcoast, has tried to convince the cooperative members that they have more to gain in the long run from developing tourism around the whales, as well as sustainable fisheries, than from a one-time windfall of cash for their land.
The gray whales migrate every year from the seas off Alaska to Mexico's waters. They begin arriving in January and stay until early April. The lagoon, along with two other less pristine bays, are vitally important to their survival, since it is here the mothers give birth and here the calves gain enough strength to handle the perils of the open ocean.
The lagoon is also home to 221 bird species. Ospreys, cormorants and pelicans fish the waters, while falcons, gold and bald eagles sweep the skies. Rare species like endangered peninsular pronghorns and green sea turtles can be spotted here, too.
The whales are the big draw, however. Eight camps are scattered along the southeastern shore of the bay and 16 boats have permits to take tourists out.
Mr. López said that the idea of the local cooperative, or ejido, was that the trust fund's support of small projects would bring in jobs and erase the temptation for people to sell out to mining or other development concerns.
But leaders of other cooperatives around the bay are not convinced. To the north, the San Ignacio Ejido is controlled by ranchers and businessmen who have little or no stake in the whale-watching business.
Their president, Rodrigo Martínez Zapien, a grocer, said most of the 81 members were ranchers or small-business men and would support selling their beaches to a salt-mining company or anyone else who would produce jobs. Already, they have been approached by land speculators, he said. ''The truth is there is not much interest in going to exploit this business of the whales,'' he said.
Others say they see the whales as a resource. The whale tours are a lot less work than hauling in fishing nets. And the money from the trust will help small businesses that provide jobs. The only other option, they say, is to sell, move to the city and run through the profit.
''Sure there have been people who have come around wanting to buy, but for us it doesn't interest us to sell the land, because almost all of us work in tourism now,'' said one local fisherman, Alejandro Ramírez, 35, who works at a whale-watching camp. ''If I sell out, sure, I'll have more money, but money in your hands goes quickly, and with this natural area my family has a way to make a living for a long time.''
Photo: A gray whale pops up for air in Baja California, where advocates of tourism and the environment clash with those favoring heavier development. (Photo by Adriana Zehbrauskas for The New York Times)
Map of Mexico highlighting Laguna San Ignacio: For centuries, gray whales have given birth in Laguna San Ignacio.
http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=FB081FF638550C718DDDAA0894DE404482
All zoos have to be closed
2006/3/28
Two giant pandas are not coming to Taipei or anywhere else in Taiwan. China wants to send the pair to Taiwan as a gift, but the Council of Agriculture, the Cabinet agency in charge of authorizing their import, certainly will decide against it, now that President Chen Shui-bian has turned down the Chinese offer. The decision will be announced shortly.
The offer was rejected because President Chen believes the rare animals "will not be happy if they are kept in captivity or given away as presents." He wrote in his latest weekly A-bian e-newsletter he is convinced that giant pandas do not exist for the pleasures of humans, who like to think they could conquer nature, though they "must learn how to peacefully coexist with other species ... so all life on this earth will be preserved." He urged Chinese leaders to allow the pair to remain in their natural habitat instead of sending them to Taiwan.
Well said and done. The fact, however, is that not just giant pandas but all other animals in captivity or in the wild do not exist for the pleasures of the human race. Do you think cattle, swine, poultry, fish and whatnots love to live for our pleasures? Of course, none of the animals kept in a zoo want to continue to live the rest of their lives for the pleasures of those of us who want to watch them. Many of the animals have been captured and sent far away from the wild to the zoo. Not all of them like to live freely and breed willingly in their natural habitat. Some may prefer an easy life in captivity. Small herbivores, for instance, can live free from the constant threat of predators.
Besides, a few endangered species may need better human protection. If left in the wild, some rare animals would die out. The Asian lion is one such species. The giant panda may be another. That's why China has started breeding giant pandas in captivity. Incidentally, the two cubs China has decided to present to Taiwan have been bred in a wildlife park. They were not "born free" in their natural habitat and snatched out of the wild for the pleasures of humans. President Chen seldom means what he says. The only reason he doesn't want the two giant panda cubs to come to Taiwan is that they were presented to Lien Chan, honorary chairman of the Kuomintang, as a token of friendship China is trying to extend. Chen believes that friendship is nothing but a cover for Beijing's united front campaign to prevent a further leaning of Taiwan toward independence. Maybe. But the cubs are innocent. All our children would welcome them.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/editorial/detail.asp?onNews=&GRP=i&id=79347
Rahul Khanna makes a trunk call for PETA
By IndiaFM News Bureau, March 25, 2006 - 22:47 IST
For all those who were wondering where has actor Rahul Khanna disappeared, well he is back. He recently offered his services for PETA’s latest ad. Rahul Khanna has a soft spot for elephants. Khanna posed for the press with a baby elephant, pulling it free of its leg chains. Of course, because of PETA's motto that animals are not ours to eat, wear or use for entertainment, the elephant was played by a stand-in made of styrofoam.
"When PETA came to me with the proposal, I thought it was something I would want to be associated with," Khanna said. He added “The mark of a truly evolved civilization is that it treats its animals in a humane way.”
Elephants in Indian zoos live in appalling conditions. Some are chained year-round and many suffer from malnutrition and illness. Rahul Khanna and PETA are out to spread the message that elephants do NOT belong in zoos.
http://www.indiafm.com/news/2006/03/25/6876/
Fears for possums after death
From: AAP
By Jane Bunce
March 27, 2006
ONLY one member of the endangered possum species that is Victoria's state faunal emblem remains in captivity after its mate died in a Melbourne sanctuary.
Leadbeater's Possum, which lives in the mountain ash forests of Victoria's central highlands, was considered extinct until it was rediscovered in 1961 and a successful captive breeding program started.
The death of the second-last Leadbeater's Possum in Healesville Sanctuary this week marks the end of that program, author Peter Preuss said.
Mr Preuss, the biographer of the late amateur naturalist Des Hackett, said Mr Hackett had remarkable results breeding the possums in captivity.
By the 1980s he was able to hand over breeding colonies to zoos throughout Australia, with the hope the offspring could one day be released in the wild, he said.
"Unfortunately, the Leadbeater's Possum is a very politically sensitive animal," he said.
"Because their natural range is almost exclusively within Victoria's timber harvesting areas, Leadbeater's Possums were never released. Instead, colonies were exported to zoos throughout the world."
Mr Preuss, the author of a biography of Mr Hackett's work with the Leadbeater's Possum and Sugar Gliders, Bred To Be Wild, said Australia was ineffective in protecting its native wildlife.
He said when Mr Hackett died in 1997 there were thriving colonies of Leadbeater's Possums in zoos throughout the world and an estimated 5000 Leadbeater's Possum in the wild.
"Today, there are just 1000 left in the wild and only one lonely individual remains in captivity," he said.
"Thanks to Des Hackett, we had the chance to turn the tide of extinction for our state emblem.
"But because of a lack of communication between zoos and wildlife authorities, we may yet see this amazing animal become extinct."
The small nocturnal marsupial is grey with a white underbelly and face, and a black stripe down its back and on each cheek.
The weedy sea dragon, the helmeted honeyeater and pink heath are Victoria's other state emblems.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,18625964-29277,00.html
JACKO JUMBO SALE
Skint sells Neverland zoo animal
MICHAEL Jackson is selling off the zoo animals from his Neverland Ranch.
The troubled singer is desperately trying to raise funds by letting his menagerie of exotic beasts go at bargain-basement prices.
Jackson has been frantically phoning round Hollywood trying to offload his collection of elephants, tigers, orangutans and giraffes.
He's so skint that he's willing to sell the expensive creatures for as little as a quarter of their true value.
A source close to the King of Pop said: "Michael's fortune is nothing like it used to be.
"When he refused to pay the staff at Neverland recently, every-one knew he had hit hard times.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16861536&method=full&siteid=66633&headline=jacko-jumbo-sale--name_page.html
Houston Zoo's elephants will benefit from expansion plans
$100 million in projects set to begin this fall
By SALATHEIA BRYANT
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
The Houston Zoo's Asian elephant trio of Methai, Shanti and Thai are about to get more room to roam.
Their expanded space will come with new barns, an additional pool, and several observation areas that will allow more intimate public viewing of their habitat.
The expansion will boost the pachyderm space to slightly more than 3 acres, giving the zoo space to grow its elephant herd to at least six animals.
Expansion of the elephant yard, scheduled to start in late fall, is one project in an extensive $100 million renovation blitz intended to improve the profile of the 84-year-old zoo.
"We're tearing down just about all the old stuff," said Sharon Joseph, director of animal programs. "We have made a commitment to keeping elephants. We're going into an intensive phase of growth and renovation."
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/3747417.html
Procedures reviewed after lion incident at zoo
By Brent Killackey
RACINE - When it comes to cats - especially large cats like lions - don't expect them to move when you want them to.
It took more than six hours Thursday to lure Elsa, a 1-year-old African lioness, far enough into an outdoor exhibit so that zoo employees could safety close a 4-by-4-foot metal door between the off-exhibit lion's den and the animal care staff's secure work area.
Discovery of that open door - and the potential that Elsa could get into that secure work area - prompted the evacuation of the zoo about 11:30 a.m. Thursday.
Zoo employees tried scaring Elsa further into the outdoor exhibit by shooting a fire extinguisher under another door, but apparently she wasn't close enough to care. And she wasn't immediately tempted by food in the outdoor exhibit because she had eaten a big breakfast.
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2006/03/25/local/iq_3969175.txt
Local Zoo Targeted in Mayor's Budget Plan
March 25, 2006, 07:24 AM EST
Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero has completed his plan for next years' city budget. In it he's proposing several significant budget cuts, some of which affect funding for the city's Potter Park Zoo. The zoo is something that many want to see stick around, even if it's at a higher price.
Donna Martin hasn't been to Potter Park Zoo in five years, but Friday was special, it was her grand daughter Marissa's fourth birthday.
Donna Martin, Lansing resident: "This little one has just been squealing at plain old little squirrels, now look at this, it's priceless to me."
http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=4680696&nav=0RbQ
What a zoo
March 25, 2006 - Getting the zoo grounds ready for spring
Despite the weather we promise spring is here. Many people can't wait to dig into the dirt and begin planting. It's time to see what the zoo's doing to get their grounds ready in this morning's what a zoo!
Getting the zoo grounds ready for spring is a year round task.
Caroll Moorhead is a landscape assistant at the Toledo Zoo and explains what goes on to prepare for all the seasons.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=local&id=4023967
Animals arrive for new zoo exhibit
(Daily Oklahoman, The (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Mar. 25--While construction continues on the Oklahoma City Zoo's new Oklahoma Trails exhibit, the animals that will occupy the new site have started to arrive.
Animal Management Director Dwight Scott said animals acquired for the new exhibit, scheduled to open in early summer, include a Western diamondback rattlesnake and a roadrunner.
Members of the Oklahoma City Zoological Trust met this week and discussed the animals and progress on the Oklahoma Trails exhibit.
On the wish list for the exhibit are black bears, hog-nosed and spotted skunks, grey and red foxes, woodchucks, a nine-banded armadillo and various native birds and reptiles, Scott said.
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2006/03/25/1488586.htm
Bird flu scare hits zoo plan
SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates
HYDERABAD: The bird flu scare has stalled exchange programmes at the Nehru Zoological Park in the city.
About a month ago, the zoo was all set to ship six pairs of painted storks to a zoo in Prague. And in exchange, receive blue and yellow macaws and Hahn's macaws from the zoo in the Czech Republic.
The zoo was supposed to receive two male and three female blue and yellow macaws and the same number of Hahn's macaws. Chennai was to be the point of exchange.
"A quarantine officer at Chennai, who is in-charge of checking and certifying the birds being sent and received from abroad, refused permission for the same citing bird flu threat,"said Nehru Zoological Park director V Kishan.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1464463.cms
Donations will help rebuild petting zoo
3/25/2006 4:38 PM
By: News 14 Carolina
SALISBURY, N.C. – Officials at the Salisbury Parks and Recreation Department say they’ve been overwhelmed by people volunteering to donate and help rebuild and repopulate the petting zoo at Dan Nicholas Park.
Investigators said the fire that destroyed the petting zoo, killing more than 40 animals, is suspicious.
Anyone wishing to donate can write a check to the Rowan County Dan Nicholas Park Animal Fund. Send it to the Salisbury Parks and Rec Department, care of Karen Wilkinson, P.O. Box 4053, 28145-4053.
http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/local_news/?ArID=116338&SecID=2
MLB: PHILLIES: Phanatic to make history at the Zoo on Monday
All children who wear red to the Zoo that day to receive a free ticket to the Phils vs. Dodgers game on April 8
/noticias.info/ With the help of a zoologist, MAB Paints and a crane operator from Capital Manufacturing, the Phillie Phanatic will unveil his true Phillies colors during a milestone event on the Impala Lawn at the Philadelphia Zoo on Monday, March 27. The festivities will begin at noon and lead off the Phillies Paint the Town Red week. The event is open to the public with zoo admission.
Highlights also include face painters, Phanstormers and performances by the Whiz Kids Band (which begin at 11:30 a.m.). Following the event, all children are invited to join in on a parade with the Phanatic.
As part of the celebration, all children 14 and under who wear red to the zoo that day will receive a free ticket to Verizon Kids Opening Day on April 8 when the Phils take on the Dodgers -- 3:05 p.m. -- at Citizens Bank Park.
The Philadelphia Zoo is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Click here for a full listing of Paint the Town Red Week events.
http://www.noticias.info/asp/aspComunicados.asp?nid=159279&src=0
The fun of a gateway getaway
St. Louis is more than a stop; it's a destination
By Patrick Foose
COX NEWS SERVICE
ST. LOUIS - So maybe St. Louis isn't the first place you think of for a getaway.
There are no mountains or beaches. But on the plus side, it's only about 51/2 hours from Lexington or a short plane ride.
St. Louis was near where Lewis and Clark started their expedition. It also was where Charles Lindbergh began his flying career and Chuck Berry learned to play guitar. And it was where the people rooted in the 19th century first saw some of what would become common in the 20th century at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exhibition, the largest of all world's fairs.
For more than 300 years, people have been passing through St. Louis on their way to becoming something else.
Those who stayed created a town with enough interest to keep a visitor busy for days.
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/living/travel/14183660.htm
continued …
Inuit See Signs In Arctic Thaw
String of Warm Winters Alarms 'Sentries for the Rest of the World'
By Doug Struck
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, March 22, 2006; Page A01
PANGNIRTUNG, Canada -- Thirty miles from the Arctic Circle, hunter Noah Metuq feels the Arctic changing. Its frozen grip is loosening; the people and animals who depend on its icy reign are experiencing a historic reshaping of their world.
Fish and wildlife are following the retreating ice caps northward. Polar bears are losing the floes they need for hunting. Seals, unable to find stable ice, are hauling up on islands to give birth. Robins and barn owls and hornets, previously unknown so far north, are arriving in Arctic villages.
The global warming felt by wildlife and increasingly documented by scientists is hitting first and hardest here, in the Arctic where the Inuit people make their home. The hardy Inuit -- described by one of their leaders as "sentries for the rest of the world" -- say this winter was the worst in a series of warm winters, replete with alarms of the quickening transformation that many scientists expect will spread from the north to the rest of the globe.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/21/AR2006032101722.html
Zoo mourns 255yo tortoise
From correspondents in Kolkata, India
March 23, 2006
A FAMED 255-year-old tortoise brought to the eastern Indian city during the rule of the British East India Company has died, Zoo officials in Kolkata said today.
The giant Aldabra tortoise was one of four brought by British seamen from the Seychelles Islands as gifts to Robert Clive of the East India Company in 1875. It died after a string of illnesses, Kolkata Zoo director Subir Chowdhury said today.
"Adwaitya (The Only One), who delighted the zoo visitors for 131 years, died on Wednesday morning," Mr Chowdhury said. "His shell will be preserved in the zoo. All zoo employees are saddened by his death."
The three other tortoises given as gifts to Clive died soon after they arrived in Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, he said.
"Adwaitya spent his early days in Robert Clive's garden," the zookeeper said. He was later transferred to the Alipore zoo, located in the city's southern district, after it opened in 1875.
Despite his many years of life, he only became sick eight years ago when an infection was detected in his legs, Mr Chowdhury said. He was successfully treated at that time.
"Our records show the tortoise was born in 1750, but some have claimed he was born in 1705," he said. He added that the zoo will use a scientific method known as carbon-dating to determine his real age.
Adwaitya became ill several months ago after a crack developed around a wound on his chest, Mr Chowdhury said.
The average lifespan of an Aldabra tortoise is well beyond 100 years, according to the website of the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas.
Most of the tortoises are found on Aldabra, an atoll of four large coral islands in the Indian Ocean.
The atoll has been protected from human influence and is home to some 152,000 giant tortoises, the world's largest population of the animal, according to the United Nations world heritage body.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,18581034%255E1702,00.html
Mexican Land Boom Creates Commotion in Whale Nursery
By JAMES C. MCKINLEY JR. (NYT) 895 words
Published: March 12, 2006
LAGUNA SAN IGNACIO, Mexico, March 7 - This remote lagoon, surrounded by salt flats, mesas and desert, has been a sanctuary for gray whales for centuries.
Every year they return in January to these quiet, protected waters to give birth and nurse their calves through the first few months of life. Then they mate again in a swirl of water and fins, and frolic in the warm waters, breaching and flopping their gargantuan bodies.
Fishermen, who serve as guides during the whales' three-month stay, ferry tourists to the center of the lagoon, and the whales play with the boats. Sometimes, enthusiastic visitors can pet and scratch the leviathans' blubbery, sensitive skin.
But the lagoon has proved a powerful draw for more than just nature lovers. The area's salt and oil deposits have long drawn development interests, pitting environmentalists and local fishing and tourism concerns against big companies and land speculators in battles that have intensified in recent years.
In 2000, for instance, environmentalists won a long-fought victory over the Mitsubishi Corporation, which had sought to build a giant salt-mining complex on the lagoon, which would have devastated fishing and the whale-watching industry.
Another company, Exportadora de Sal, has received a 50-year concession from the government to mine salt, suggesting another looming battle. Environmentalists also say that plans to exploit oil deposits near the lagoon and build a big marina near its entrance threaten the whales.
From ecologists' standpoint, though, perhaps the greatest threat to the lagoon is the land boom that is sweeping the peninsula. All across the Baja California, land speculators are buying out members of ranching and fishing cooperatives, which own vast tracts including beaches on some of the most pristine and rich marine habitats in the world.
But here, environmental groups have reached an unusual agreement with a cooperative that will help protect the lagoon, the last undisturbed gray whale nursery, from industrial development or land speculation.
Under the accord, the cooperative, the Ejido Luis Echeverría, has agreed to protect 120,000 acres around the lagoon from development, in return for a $675,000 trust fund put together by several groups, among them the Natural Resources Defense Council and Wildcoast.
Trust earnings go to the cooperative to be invested in projects to create permanent jobs and give its 43 members a stake in protecting the whales and their habitat.
''This is a long term project, a project for perpetuity,'' said the president of the cooperative, Raúl López. ''We have to be an example for the other cooperatives.''
Still, the Echeverría cooperative is only one of six that own land around the lagoon, and the environmentalists have their work cut out for them persuading the rest to commit themselves to protecting the whales.
Serge Dedina, the executive director of Wildcoast, has tried to convince the cooperative members that they have more to gain in the long run from developing tourism around the whales, as well as sustainable fisheries, than from a one-time windfall of cash for their land.
The gray whales migrate every year from the seas off Alaska to Mexico's waters. They begin arriving in January and stay until early April. The lagoon, along with two other less pristine bays, are vitally important to their survival, since it is here the mothers give birth and here the calves gain enough strength to handle the perils of the open ocean.
The lagoon is also home to 221 bird species. Ospreys, cormorants and pelicans fish the waters, while falcons, gold and bald eagles sweep the skies. Rare species like endangered peninsular pronghorns and green sea turtles can be spotted here, too.
The whales are the big draw, however. Eight camps are scattered along the southeastern shore of the bay and 16 boats have permits to take tourists out.
Mr. López said that the idea of the local cooperative, or ejido, was that the trust fund's support of small projects would bring in jobs and erase the temptation for people to sell out to mining or other development concerns.
But leaders of other cooperatives around the bay are not convinced. To the north, the San Ignacio Ejido is controlled by ranchers and businessmen who have little or no stake in the whale-watching business.
Their president, Rodrigo Martínez Zapien, a grocer, said most of the 81 members were ranchers or small-business men and would support selling their beaches to a salt-mining company or anyone else who would produce jobs. Already, they have been approached by land speculators, he said. ''The truth is there is not much interest in going to exploit this business of the whales,'' he said.
Others say they see the whales as a resource. The whale tours are a lot less work than hauling in fishing nets. And the money from the trust will help small businesses that provide jobs. The only other option, they say, is to sell, move to the city and run through the profit.
''Sure there have been people who have come around wanting to buy, but for us it doesn't interest us to sell the land, because almost all of us work in tourism now,'' said one local fisherman, Alejandro Ramírez, 35, who works at a whale-watching camp. ''If I sell out, sure, I'll have more money, but money in your hands goes quickly, and with this natural area my family has a way to make a living for a long time.''
Photo: A gray whale pops up for air in Baja California, where advocates of tourism and the environment clash with those favoring heavier development. (Photo by Adriana Zehbrauskas for The New York Times)
Map of Mexico highlighting Laguna San Ignacio: For centuries, gray whales have given birth in Laguna San Ignacio.
http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=FB081FF638550C718DDDAA0894DE404482
All zoos have to be closed
2006/3/28
Two giant pandas are not coming to Taipei or anywhere else in Taiwan. China wants to send the pair to Taiwan as a gift, but the Council of Agriculture, the Cabinet agency in charge of authorizing their import, certainly will decide against it, now that President Chen Shui-bian has turned down the Chinese offer. The decision will be announced shortly.
The offer was rejected because President Chen believes the rare animals "will not be happy if they are kept in captivity or given away as presents." He wrote in his latest weekly A-bian e-newsletter he is convinced that giant pandas do not exist for the pleasures of humans, who like to think they could conquer nature, though they "must learn how to peacefully coexist with other species ... so all life on this earth will be preserved." He urged Chinese leaders to allow the pair to remain in their natural habitat instead of sending them to Taiwan.
Well said and done. The fact, however, is that not just giant pandas but all other animals in captivity or in the wild do not exist for the pleasures of the human race. Do you think cattle, swine, poultry, fish and whatnots love to live for our pleasures? Of course, none of the animals kept in a zoo want to continue to live the rest of their lives for the pleasures of those of us who want to watch them. Many of the animals have been captured and sent far away from the wild to the zoo. Not all of them like to live freely and breed willingly in their natural habitat. Some may prefer an easy life in captivity. Small herbivores, for instance, can live free from the constant threat of predators.
Besides, a few endangered species may need better human protection. If left in the wild, some rare animals would die out. The Asian lion is one such species. The giant panda may be another. That's why China has started breeding giant pandas in captivity. Incidentally, the two cubs China has decided to present to Taiwan have been bred in a wildlife park. They were not "born free" in their natural habitat and snatched out of the wild for the pleasures of humans. President Chen seldom means what he says. The only reason he doesn't want the two giant panda cubs to come to Taiwan is that they were presented to Lien Chan, honorary chairman of the Kuomintang, as a token of friendship China is trying to extend. Chen believes that friendship is nothing but a cover for Beijing's united front campaign to prevent a further leaning of Taiwan toward independence. Maybe. But the cubs are innocent. All our children would welcome them.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/editorial/detail.asp?onNews=&GRP=i&id=79347
Rahul Khanna makes a trunk call for PETA
By IndiaFM News Bureau, March 25, 2006 - 22:47 IST
For all those who were wondering where has actor Rahul Khanna disappeared, well he is back. He recently offered his services for PETA’s latest ad. Rahul Khanna has a soft spot for elephants. Khanna posed for the press with a baby elephant, pulling it free of its leg chains. Of course, because of PETA's motto that animals are not ours to eat, wear or use for entertainment, the elephant was played by a stand-in made of styrofoam.
"When PETA came to me with the proposal, I thought it was something I would want to be associated with," Khanna said. He added “The mark of a truly evolved civilization is that it treats its animals in a humane way.”
Elephants in Indian zoos live in appalling conditions. Some are chained year-round and many suffer from malnutrition and illness. Rahul Khanna and PETA are out to spread the message that elephants do NOT belong in zoos.
http://www.indiafm.com/news/2006/03/25/6876/
Fears for possums after death
From: AAP
By Jane Bunce
March 27, 2006
ONLY one member of the endangered possum species that is Victoria's state faunal emblem remains in captivity after its mate died in a Melbourne sanctuary.
Leadbeater's Possum, which lives in the mountain ash forests of Victoria's central highlands, was considered extinct until it was rediscovered in 1961 and a successful captive breeding program started.
The death of the second-last Leadbeater's Possum in Healesville Sanctuary this week marks the end of that program, author Peter Preuss said.
Mr Preuss, the biographer of the late amateur naturalist Des Hackett, said Mr Hackett had remarkable results breeding the possums in captivity.
By the 1980s he was able to hand over breeding colonies to zoos throughout Australia, with the hope the offspring could one day be released in the wild, he said.
"Unfortunately, the Leadbeater's Possum is a very politically sensitive animal," he said.
"Because their natural range is almost exclusively within Victoria's timber harvesting areas, Leadbeater's Possums were never released. Instead, colonies were exported to zoos throughout the world."
Mr Preuss, the author of a biography of Mr Hackett's work with the Leadbeater's Possum and Sugar Gliders, Bred To Be Wild, said Australia was ineffective in protecting its native wildlife.
He said when Mr Hackett died in 1997 there were thriving colonies of Leadbeater's Possums in zoos throughout the world and an estimated 5000 Leadbeater's Possum in the wild.
"Today, there are just 1000 left in the wild and only one lonely individual remains in captivity," he said.
"Thanks to Des Hackett, we had the chance to turn the tide of extinction for our state emblem.
"But because of a lack of communication between zoos and wildlife authorities, we may yet see this amazing animal become extinct."
The small nocturnal marsupial is grey with a white underbelly and face, and a black stripe down its back and on each cheek.
The weedy sea dragon, the helmeted honeyeater and pink heath are Victoria's other state emblems.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,18625964-29277,00.html
JACKO JUMBO SALE
Skint sells Neverland zoo animal
MICHAEL Jackson is selling off the zoo animals from his Neverland Ranch.
The troubled singer is desperately trying to raise funds by letting his menagerie of exotic beasts go at bargain-basement prices.
Jackson has been frantically phoning round Hollywood trying to offload his collection of elephants, tigers, orangutans and giraffes.
He's so skint that he's willing to sell the expensive creatures for as little as a quarter of their true value.
A source close to the King of Pop said: "Michael's fortune is nothing like it used to be.
"When he refused to pay the staff at Neverland recently, every-one knew he had hit hard times.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16861536&method=full&siteid=66633&headline=jacko-jumbo-sale--name_page.html
Houston Zoo's elephants will benefit from expansion plans
$100 million in projects set to begin this fall
By SALATHEIA BRYANT
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
The Houston Zoo's Asian elephant trio of Methai, Shanti and Thai are about to get more room to roam.
Their expanded space will come with new barns, an additional pool, and several observation areas that will allow more intimate public viewing of their habitat.
The expansion will boost the pachyderm space to slightly more than 3 acres, giving the zoo space to grow its elephant herd to at least six animals.
Expansion of the elephant yard, scheduled to start in late fall, is one project in an extensive $100 million renovation blitz intended to improve the profile of the 84-year-old zoo.
"We're tearing down just about all the old stuff," said Sharon Joseph, director of animal programs. "We have made a commitment to keeping elephants. We're going into an intensive phase of growth and renovation."
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/3747417.html
Procedures reviewed after lion incident at zoo
By Brent Killackey
RACINE - When it comes to cats - especially large cats like lions - don't expect them to move when you want them to.
It took more than six hours Thursday to lure Elsa, a 1-year-old African lioness, far enough into an outdoor exhibit so that zoo employees could safety close a 4-by-4-foot metal door between the off-exhibit lion's den and the animal care staff's secure work area.
Discovery of that open door - and the potential that Elsa could get into that secure work area - prompted the evacuation of the zoo about 11:30 a.m. Thursday.
Zoo employees tried scaring Elsa further into the outdoor exhibit by shooting a fire extinguisher under another door, but apparently she wasn't close enough to care. And she wasn't immediately tempted by food in the outdoor exhibit because she had eaten a big breakfast.
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2006/03/25/local/iq_3969175.txt
Local Zoo Targeted in Mayor's Budget Plan
March 25, 2006, 07:24 AM EST
Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero has completed his plan for next years' city budget. In it he's proposing several significant budget cuts, some of which affect funding for the city's Potter Park Zoo. The zoo is something that many want to see stick around, even if it's at a higher price.
Donna Martin hasn't been to Potter Park Zoo in five years, but Friday was special, it was her grand daughter Marissa's fourth birthday.
Donna Martin, Lansing resident: "This little one has just been squealing at plain old little squirrels, now look at this, it's priceless to me."
http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=4680696&nav=0RbQ
What a zoo
March 25, 2006 - Getting the zoo grounds ready for spring
Despite the weather we promise spring is here. Many people can't wait to dig into the dirt and begin planting. It's time to see what the zoo's doing to get their grounds ready in this morning's what a zoo!
Getting the zoo grounds ready for spring is a year round task.
Caroll Moorhead is a landscape assistant at the Toledo Zoo and explains what goes on to prepare for all the seasons.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=local&id=4023967
Animals arrive for new zoo exhibit
(Daily Oklahoman, The (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Mar. 25--While construction continues on the Oklahoma City Zoo's new Oklahoma Trails exhibit, the animals that will occupy the new site have started to arrive.
Animal Management Director Dwight Scott said animals acquired for the new exhibit, scheduled to open in early summer, include a Western diamondback rattlesnake and a roadrunner.
Members of the Oklahoma City Zoological Trust met this week and discussed the animals and progress on the Oklahoma Trails exhibit.
On the wish list for the exhibit are black bears, hog-nosed and spotted skunks, grey and red foxes, woodchucks, a nine-banded armadillo and various native birds and reptiles, Scott said.
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2006/03/25/1488586.htm
Bird flu scare hits zoo plan
SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates
HYDERABAD: The bird flu scare has stalled exchange programmes at the Nehru Zoological Park in the city.
About a month ago, the zoo was all set to ship six pairs of painted storks to a zoo in Prague. And in exchange, receive blue and yellow macaws and Hahn's macaws from the zoo in the Czech Republic.
The zoo was supposed to receive two male and three female blue and yellow macaws and the same number of Hahn's macaws. Chennai was to be the point of exchange.
"A quarantine officer at Chennai, who is in-charge of checking and certifying the birds being sent and received from abroad, refused permission for the same citing bird flu threat,"said Nehru Zoological Park director V Kishan.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1464463.cms
Donations will help rebuild petting zoo
3/25/2006 4:38 PM
By: News 14 Carolina
SALISBURY, N.C. – Officials at the Salisbury Parks and Recreation Department say they’ve been overwhelmed by people volunteering to donate and help rebuild and repopulate the petting zoo at Dan Nicholas Park.
Investigators said the fire that destroyed the petting zoo, killing more than 40 animals, is suspicious.
Anyone wishing to donate can write a check to the Rowan County Dan Nicholas Park Animal Fund. Send it to the Salisbury Parks and Rec Department, care of Karen Wilkinson, P.O. Box 4053, 28145-4053.
http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/local_news/?ArID=116338&SecID=2
MLB: PHILLIES: Phanatic to make history at the Zoo on Monday
All children who wear red to the Zoo that day to receive a free ticket to the Phils vs. Dodgers game on April 8
/noticias.info/ With the help of a zoologist, MAB Paints and a crane operator from Capital Manufacturing, the Phillie Phanatic will unveil his true Phillies colors during a milestone event on the Impala Lawn at the Philadelphia Zoo on Monday, March 27. The festivities will begin at noon and lead off the Phillies Paint the Town Red week. The event is open to the public with zoo admission.
Highlights also include face painters, Phanstormers and performances by the Whiz Kids Band (which begin at 11:30 a.m.). Following the event, all children are invited to join in on a parade with the Phanatic.
As part of the celebration, all children 14 and under who wear red to the zoo that day will receive a free ticket to Verizon Kids Opening Day on April 8 when the Phils take on the Dodgers -- 3:05 p.m. -- at Citizens Bank Park.
The Philadelphia Zoo is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Click here for a full listing of Paint the Town Red Week events.
http://www.noticias.info/asp/aspComunicados.asp?nid=159279&src=0
The fun of a gateway getaway
St. Louis is more than a stop; it's a destination
By Patrick Foose
COX NEWS SERVICE
ST. LOUIS - So maybe St. Louis isn't the first place you think of for a getaway.
There are no mountains or beaches. But on the plus side, it's only about 51/2 hours from Lexington or a short plane ride.
St. Louis was near where Lewis and Clark started their expedition. It also was where Charles Lindbergh began his flying career and Chuck Berry learned to play guitar. And it was where the people rooted in the 19th century first saw some of what would become common in the 20th century at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exhibition, the largest of all world's fairs.
For more than 300 years, people have been passing through St. Louis on their way to becoming something else.
Those who stayed created a town with enough interest to keep a visitor busy for days.
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/living/travel/14183660.htm
continued …
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