Morning Papers - concluding

Zoos

Earth Day: Zoo helps kids' views
About 2,000 schoolchildren went on a scavenger hunt at the Montgomery Zoo on Thursday for treasure more valuable than gold or precious jewels -- the knowledge of how to protect and preserve the Earth for future generations.
The hunt was part of the zoo's Earth Day Safari, a two-day event that teaches children about the environmental problems plaguing their world. Students from schools throughout central and south Alabama turned out for the event.
Steven Pierce, program services director for the zoo, said about 3,500 more students were expected today.

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060421/NEWS/604210321/1001


Kids make toys for bored zoo animals
TOYS FOR TIGERS: Boys & Girls Club helps alleviate animal boredom at zoo.
BY SHELLEY NELSON
NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Imagine being penned up in a cage all day with nothing to do.
Children at the Boys & Girls Club in Lincoln Park thought about that when they listened to a member of the Lake Superior Zoo staff discuss the problem of boredom faced by some of the animals.
And the kids decided to come up with a solution.
Club members mounted an attack on animal boredom by creating toys designed to enrich the animals' environment as part of National and Global Youth Service Day.
"With the toys that we made, (the animals) could have fun and be active," said 10-year-old Carly Johnson of Duluth.
Club members created and decorated papier-mache boxes and strung beads on knotted shoelaces to donate to the zoo for the animals' enjoyment. Carly helped with both projects.

http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/local/14394829.htm


Parasite kills endangered tigers in Pakistan zoo
21 Apr 2006 11:54:53 GMT
Source: Reuters
KARACHI, April 21 (Reuters) - A blood parasite that has killed scores of tigers in India and Bangladesh has now killed two endangered Bengal tigers at a zoo in Pakistan, officials said on Friday.
The tigers died in Lahore Zoo on Wednesday, victims of the "Trypanosoma" parasite which is spread by flies and mosquitoes, Nasir Saleem, a deputy director of the zoo, said.
The parasite is known to have killed over 100 tigers in India and Bangladesh in the last six months.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PEK127262.htm


Zoo's success
Apr 21 2006
Chester Chronicle
GROUP visits to Chester Zoo are at an all-time high, with bookings up 54% on last year.
Groups have been taking full advantage of the benefits they get and the zoo's tourism co-ordinator, Julie Benn, has been inundated with inquiries and bookings for the summer.
More than 100,000 people visit Chester Zoo each year as part of a group of 15 people or more. From April, groups can enjoy a special admission price.

http://iccheshireonline.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_objectid=16976044&method=full&siteid=50020&headline=zoo-s-success--name_page.html


Zoo Veterinarians Examine Sloth Bear Cub
Sloth Bear Cub Appears Strong, Healthy
POSTED: 2:48 pm EDT April 21, 2006
UPDATED: 3:40 pm EDT April 21, 2006
WASHINGTON -- Veterinarians at the National Zoo have gotten their first look at the sloth bear cub that was born in Jan. 9.
They were able to conduct a quick exam Thursday after numerous attempts by animal care staff to separate the cub and its very protective mother, Hana. Veterinarian Carlos Sanchez, who gave the cub a de-wormer and a rabies shot, said the male cub, which weighs about 11 pounds, appears strong and healthy.
Zoo officials said this is the third cub for 11-year-old Hana. She gave birth to two cubs in December 2004, but both cubs died within four days of being born.
At birth, sloth bear cubs are very small, fragile and dependent on their mothers. They are known to stay in their dens until they are a few months old.

http://www.nbc4.com/news/8886386/detail.html


NEW DELHI: First snakes and now cats, all kinds of non-human threats are besieging Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's sprawling residence.
Anxious not to be caught catnapping on the job, security officials at the august residence sought the expertise of senior Delhi Zoo officials in tackling the feline menace.
"Though we only deal with wild animals, our experts will try to suggest ways to put an end to the problem," said a zoo official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Senior officials said it was only after stray cats were seen ambling in and around 7
Race Course Road, a complex of four spacious bungalows linked to each other, that they had to press the panic button and ask for help from the zoo officials.
A few months ago, the prime ministerial residence had to deal with the menace of non-
venomous snakes in the leafy gardens.
"Our job is to protect the prime minister and we are taking all steps to do our job," said a senior official of SPG (Special Protection Group).
Officials said the snakes that were found in the gardens, which the prime minister uses for his morning walks, were non-venomous wolf snakes.
"These snakes have large fangs but are not poisonous," said the zoo official.
However, not all animals go hiss over here.
The gardens are also home to friendly peacocks which preen and dance in front
of photographers and television cameras during major prime ministerial event.

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1025400


Zoo plans semi-annual volunteer training class
Beardsley Zoo is planning its semi-annual volunteer training class for new Zoo Friends and Zoo Gardeners. Prospective volunteers must meet with Volunteer Coordinator Tracy Benham prior to April 30. She can be reached at (203) 330-6046.
A nominal fee for training materials and dues is required. A minimum of six volunteer hours per month is requested.
Zoo Friends help run the zoo’s special events and enhance visitors’ experiences by answering general questions. Zoo Gardeners work in the Victorian Greenhouse, help maintain flower and herb beds on zoo grounds, and may assist with exhibit landscaping.

http://news.newstimeslive.com/story.php?id=82909&category=Regional


Zoo's New Ad Gets Some Negative Attention
Monkey Exhibit Ad In Union-Tribune
POSTED: 5:49 pm PDT April 21, 2006
UPDATED: 6:25 pm PDT April 21, 2006
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SAN DIEGO -- San Diego Zoo officials said their latest ad campaign was not intended to offend anyone, but it has.
The advertisement promotes the zoo's newly reopened monkey exhibit.
The campaign's been going on for about a year now and has hit its first snag.
The latest ad in the campaign is a single page in the Union-Tribune, promoting the monkey exhibit. The newspaper did not receive any negative calls about it, and neither did 10News. The zoo received very few.

http://www.10news.com/news/8893751/detail.html



Adoptions draw human, animal closer
http://www.chinaview.cn/ 2006-04-22 07:51:45
BEIJING, April 22 -- For Zhang Yifeng's third birthday, his mother gave him a present more surprising than the typical toy cars or baseballs -- she adopted a chimpanzee for him.
Zhang Yifeng visits the chimpanzee his mother adopted for him at the Beijing Zoo.
Zhang's mother made a donation to the Beijing Zoo in June last year and, in return, the zoo allowed her to adopt the chimpanzee for her son.
Zhang's parents, who named the creature Ding Ding, take him to the zoo almost every weekend to visit his "good friend."
"I love Ding Ding," said the boy.
Zhang is not alone. More private individuals and households have adopted and befriended animals of the Beijing Zoo after the zoo's donation and adoption programme was initiated in early 2001.
The programme is designed to raise money to take better care of the animals. It also aims at getting more individuals, households and enterprises involved in the efforts to protect wild animals, said Ye Mingxia, an official with the Beijing Zoo's publicity department.
Donations are used to improve animals' living conditions, including disease prevention, facilities upgrading and scientific research, Ye said.
According to the programme, any domestic and overseas individual, household or enterprise is allowed to adopt animals after donating a sum of money.
It requires the minimum 500 yuan (US$61.70) donation to adopt an animal. People can name the animals if the donation reaches at least 1,000 yuan (US$123.30), according to Ye.
"Most adopted animals were birthday presents from parents to their children, and there are also some young men who gifted adoptions to their girlfriends," said Zhang Jinguo, vice-director of the Beijing Zoo, adding that a total of 36 families adopted animals last year.
"Public interest in animal donation and adoption has been on the rise."
The donation and adoption programme is expected to arouse people's passion for animals and let them develop a closer relationship with animals, said Zhang.
Most of the animals that get adopted are pandas and monkeys, said Zhang.
Beijing's Hepingmen Middle School donated 10,000 yuan (US$1,233) for a golden monkey, and that money has been used to improve the animal's living conditions.
The golden monkey, originally living in the alpine area, is not used to Beijing's droughty weather. As a result, the zoo used the money to buy moistening treatment facilities to improve its living conditions, according to Ye.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-04/22/content_4459327.htm


Fort Wayne Children's Zoo Opens
April 23, 2006 04:31 PM EDT
New State Slogan Getting Mixed Reviews
The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo opened for the summer season on Saturday. This year the zoo has a new and improved gift shop. The space was doubled and the shop has been Wild Things.
On opening day three tiger cubs will celebrated their second birthdays. Teddy, Sparky and Cantik were born at the zoo in 2004. They now weigh between 175 to 235 pounds. Visitors to the zoo will also got a chance to see a young baby Siamang named Tucker. Tucker is a 10-month old ape who can be seen with his dad in the Indonesian Rain Forest. Other additions to the Rain Forest are the thorny devils insects and two new species of birds. Thorny devils look like tree bark and are 6 inches long. Golden-crested mynahs and Pekin robins will join other birds in the domed jungle. Also new for visitors is a jungle carpet python. The snake has yellow and black coloring and will be housed in the Australian Adventure.
The zoo hours are daily from 9 a.m. to 5p.m. The zoo season lasts through October 15th. Adults are $7.50 and children are $5. For more information on the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo click here.

http://www.wane.com/Global/story.asp?S=4801583&nav=0RYb


Longer Stay
By STAFF
Those who missed out on sneaking a final peek at the Calgary Zoo's visiting baby hippo have another chance.
Splash, originally slated to fly home to Quebec on Thursday, will be sticking around for a few more weeks, said zoo spokeswoman Kathleen Hewitt yesterday.
"His new habitat isn't quite ready, so they've asked us to keep him a bit longer," Hewitt said, about Splash's home at the Granby Zoo.
Splash has caused quite a stir since his arrival last December.
"We've been taking a lot of phone calls about him, he's become so popular with everyone," she said.
Splash has doubled in size to 690 lb. (314 kg) during his stay, requiring zoo staff to build a new crate to ship him May 4.
"We're going to miss him," said Hewitt.
Previous story: Busiest roadwork year yet

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2006/04/22/1545622-sun.html


Painful cuts could result from failure of zoo levies
By JENNI LAIDMAN
BLADE STAFF WRITER
It will be time for painful decisions at the Toledo Zoo if either of its two levies fails at the polls May 2.
But if the issues pass, zoo officials say, it won't mean free spending or rapid growth.
Passage "means that we don't have to make any major deletions of staff or programs,'' said Anne Baker, the zoo's executive director. "We're still going to have to do belt-tightening. We just need to do that to be fiscally responsible.''
On the ballot is an 0.85-mill, five-year operating levy, which helps pay salaries and feeds animals. The other is a 1-mill, 10-year capital improvement levy that will pay for repairs to the antiquated aquarium, eliminate $17 million in debt acquired under the zoo's previous management, and initiate a pay-as-you-go system that will prevent future debt.

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060422/NEWS09/604220336


Chaffee Zoo Hosts Breakfast With the Animals
April 22, 2006 - Valley children got the chance to eat breakfast with some very interesting guests and a little song and dance Saturday morning.
The Chaffee Zoo hosted Breakfast with the Animals, so the kids had their usual weekend breakfast of pancakes, eggs and bacon.
But they also shared some breakfast with the giraffes, who stretched out to get some grub.
The kids also checked on the primates and the sea lions eating their morning meals.

http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=local&id=4107094


Zoo to use Smith cash on grizzlies
Plans bear showcase with funds donated by FedEx founder, wife
By Wayne Risher
Contact
April 23, 2006
The Memphis Zoo will build Teton Trek, a showcase for grizzly bears, with a $10 million donation from FedEx founder Fred Smith and his wife Diane.
The largest private contribution in the zoo's 100-year history, the Smith donation is part of a $28 million, 10-year campaign that will also fund a future hippopotamus exhibit.
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Teton Trek, tentatively scheduled to open in spring 2009, will immerse visitors in natural history and the culture of Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Teton mountains.
The grizzlies, namesake of the city's NBA franchise, have been missing from the zoo since 2002; the old bear moats were shut down and the last grizzlies were sent to the Detroit Zoo.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/article/0,2845,MCA_25340_4644464,00.html


Thousands gather for the Topeka Zoo Family Character Fair
Topeka — A couple thousand people showed up at the Topeka Zoo today for the annual Family Character Fair.
The first 500 families at the Zoo this morning received a free book titled Achieving True Success: How to build character as a family.
The day's activities were headlined with a scavenger hunt through the Zoo.
There were also pony rides, inflatable slides, carnival games and face painting for those tiny Topekans to enjoy!

http://www.49abcnews.com/news/2006/apr/22/thousands_gather_topeka_zoo_family_character_fair/


Valley throws Earthly bashes
BY LISA M. SODDERS, Staff Writer
For More Info
• Photo Gallery: Earth Day
With nature walks, songs and educational opportunities, San Fernando Valley residents celebrated Earth Day on Saturday, despite overcast skies that threatened rain.
At the WorldFest celebration in Woodley Park, Dean Spunt, 24, of Hollywood, and his girlfriend, Jennifer Clavin, 22, of Silver Lake, said they made sure they took the Orange Line busway to the festival, rather than drive.
"This is my fourth year, and it just keeps getting better and better," said Spunt, a vegan. "All of these booths give you information and make it easy for you to make choices that are more Earth-friendly. You realize, `I don't have to go out and protest, I can buy this product or not buy this product,' and it's not just all-or-nothing."

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_3740222


Zoo raises awareness on Earth Day
Adriana M. Chávez
El Paso Times
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Hundreds of visitors to the El Paso Zoo learned about the world's endangered species and changing climate Saturday during the zoo's annual Earth Day celebration.
The event featured informational booths by businesses and environmental organizations and a display of hybrid cars. About 60 volunteers, including Mayor John Cook, also read a list of more than 15,000 endangered species.
The zoo's Earth Day event continues from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today.
Lower Valley resident Leah Smith took her little sister, Leslie Astorga, 9, to the zoo on a family outing Saturday afternoon and received information on endangered animals, including the panda.

http://www.borderlandnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060423/NEWS/604230337/1001


Snow forecast for Chiang Mai
Thailand's Zoological Park Organisation gave a greenlight to construct an artificial snow building for a pair of pandas, ambassadors of friendship from China, now living at the Chiang Mai Zoo.
The planned artificial snow habitat is designed to encourage the pandas to produce baby pandas.
Zoo director Thanapat Pongphamorn said that the planned structure was proposed by the zoo to make a new home for Chuang Chuang and Lin Hui similar to their natural habitat in China.
The 50-million-baht project will support natural mating conditions for the panda couple. It is expected to begin next year and to be completed in 2009.
The new building will extend up to two rai (1 acre = 2.5 rai) from their existing enclosure. When the snow environment building is finished, the two pandas will switch to stay there for a period of time, depending on the seasons in China, their country of origin.
Zoo visitors will be allowed to enter the snow building to touch and play with the artificial snow. - (TNA)

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=92419


Swim on by
Kordell Murphy, 6, is reflected in the glass at the sea lion pool as he watches the animals swim by during opening day for the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, where hundreds came out to enjoy the day. New this year will be a program where visitors can meet with zookeepers and ask questions. The zoo is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Related photo on Page 4C.

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/14410971.htm


Is Claire a former Aussie Zoo girl?
24.04.2006
IT’S almost guaranteed that things will get wild in the Big Brother house, but this year they have an animal handler nearby to help keep things under control.
One of the contestants in the popular show is believed to have worked with the cheetahs at Australia Zoo, but that couldn’t be confirmed yesterday.
On the Big Brother website, housemate Claire lists her occupation as a big cat handler and is quoted as saying she is “going to be the next Steve Irwin crossed with Dr Harry Cooper, but the female version”.
She was described by Big Brother last night as “attractive, smart, strong and competitive and passionate about animal conservation”.

http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3681534&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection=


Autism Awareness Celebrated at Philadelphia Zoo
April 23, 2006 - Hundreds of kids, adults and athletes took part in a special day at the Philadelphia Zoo.
The seventh annual autism awareness day was filled with plenty of fun and entertainment for all.
Families got a chance to meet members of the Philadelphia Soul team and cheerleading squad.
They also took part in some fancy dancing with the "Soulman" mascot.
In between kids got their faces painted and learned how to spin balls on their fingers.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=local&id=4108864


Shanghai marks Earth Day
http://www.chinaview.cn/ 2006-04-24 08:40:33
Students from Shanghai Rainbow Bridge International School perform during an Earth Day celebration at Shanghai Zoo to raise public awareness about the environment. (Photo: Shanghai Daily)
BEIJING, April 24 -- Earth Day was celebrated in Shanghai over the weekend at Shanghai Zoo. The annual international celebration raises public awareness about the environment.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-04/24/content_4465496.htm


Tegel Recalls Zoo Animal Chicken Nuggets
4:53 PM, 24 Apr 2006
Tegel Foods is recalling batches of Zoo Animal Chicken Nuggets in the Auckland and Northland area, after metal fragments were found in the product.
Tegel says the affected nuggets are in one kilogram bags and carry the batch codes 16073 AM and 16073 PM.
It says the recall is a precautionary measure and it is investigating how the fragments got into the nuggets.

http://www.newswire.co.nz/main/viewstory.aspx?storyid=313566&catid=33


Committee sets out to ensure Oregon Zoo can outdo itself
Vision - Work begins on a new master plan and maintaining momentum
Monday, April 24, 2006
WADE NKRUMAH
Attendance is at an all-time high and revenues are rising yearly at Oregon Zoo.
This is good news for Tony Vecchio, zoo director.
Still, he's looking over his shoulder. Among the reasons: expenses are outpacing revenues; the zoo site is land-locked, making it difficult to plan new exhibits; and parking is at capacity.

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/portland_news/114568715114530.xml&coll=7

State briefs: FedEx founder, wife give $10 million to Memphis Zoo
FedEx founder Fred Smith and his wife, Diane, have given $10 million to the Memphis Zoo for a new, three-acre grizzly bear exhibit.
The donation is the largest private contribution in the zoo's 100-year history and part of a $28 million, 10-year campaign that also will include a new hippopotamus exhibit. Zoo officials said about $18.6 total has been raised.

http://www.rctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060424/NEWS01/604240348/1006/MTCN0301


Toy company and zoo heads among top managers
By: CBW, 24. 04. 2006
The Manager of the Year 2005 awards took place in Prague’s palác Žofín on April 20.
The winner of the 13th annual competition in the men’s category was Pavel Kafka, CEO of the Czech branch of Siemens, and in the women’s category it was Jana Malá of toy producer Moravská ústředna Brno. Best manager of a small company was Josef Šesták of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, while Petr Fejk of the Prague Zoo won in the category of the manager of a medium-sized company. The competition is organized by the Czech Management Association, the Confederation of Industry and Transportation of the Czech Republic and the Confederation of Employers' and Entrepreneurs' Associations of the Czech Republic.

http://www.cbw.cz/phprs/2006042424.html


Parasite Kills Endangered Tigers in Pakistan Zoo
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PAKISTAN: April 24, 2006
KARACHI - A blood parasite that has killed scores of tigers in India and Bangladesh has now killed two endangered Bengal tigers at a zoo in Pakistan, officials said on Friday.
The tigers died in Lahore Zoo on Wednesday, victims of the "Trypanosoma" parasite which is spread by flies and mosquitoes, Nasir Saleem, a deputy director of the zoo, said.

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/36094/story.htm


Labor of love
John Bergmann brings compassion and wisdom to Popcorn Park Zoo.
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 04/24/06
BY BOBBI SEIDEL
STAFF WRITER
Two tall black llamas stroll over to a visitor in their large outdoor enclosure at Popcorn Park Zoo in Lacey.
It's obvious from their friendly demeanor that they know the man, who feeds each a graham cracker: John Bergmann, general manager of the zoo and the adjacent Forked River animal shelter, programs of the nonprofit Associated Humane Societies.
Stroll through the zoo with Bergmann, 51, and it's clear: He knows and loves all the animals — about 200 of them — and they return that sentiment.
The cougars, for instance.

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060424/LIFE05/604240309/1006/COMMUNITY


Birds Missing From Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
(CBS4) COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. Zoo keepers at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs were trying to figure out how two green aracari toucan birds got out of their exhibit over the weekend. Officials feared the birds may have been stolen.
The male and female pair was discovered missing from the exhibit on Saturday morning. They have not been found at the zoo.
The bird and reptile building is equipped with multiple successive sets of doors. According to animal department officials, it is unlikely that both birds could get through the sets of doors without someone noticing.
The green aracari is native to South America. The birds are the smallest of the toucans weighing in at 125 grams.

http://cbs4denver.com/pets/local_story_114085044.html


Milwaukee County Zoo ostrich breaks leg, dies
Associated Press
MILWAUKEE - A 9-year-old ostrich at the Milwaukee County Zoo died last week after breaking a leg when it became caught in a fence, causing massive internal blood loss and releasing blood clots into her system, a pathologist says.
Joan Maurer, a veterinarian technician at the zoo, said it was not immediately apparent what had caused the death of the 207-pound bird named Xena when it was found dead Tuesday at the fence.
Heather Simmons, the zoo's pathologist and a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's School of Veterinary Medicine, then performed a necropsy to determine what had taken place.

http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/politics/14416636.htm


At Zoo, day revolves around Earth
Respect for planet fostered by exhibits at facility in West Brighton
Monday, April 24, 2006
By ANDREA BOYARSKY
ADVANCE STAFF WRITER
As the lemurs and leopards curiously looked on, people celebrated Earth Day yesterday at the Staten Island Zoo in West Brighton.
The zoo held its third annual Earth Fair which featured entertainment, education, artwork and, of course, animals. Throughout the zoo, information tables and games were set up to urge people to conserve and care for the planet.

http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/114588456510930.xml&coll=1


Lady banker chooses the zoo
April 25, 2006
Page 1 of 2 Single page
James Chessell studies the bulls, bears, lions, cheetahs, hyenas and monkeys.
Bruce McWilliam … plans approved but still fighting in court.
Illustration: Rocco Fazzari
AdvertisementAdvertisement
GAIL PATRICIA KELLY has picked the occasion of her 50th birthday to visit the zoo.
St George's chief teller notches up the half century today but is waiting until May 6 to celebrate the great day with more than 100 family and friends.
The venue is Taronga Park Zoo, a place that contains a few creatures from her native South Africa.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/cbd/lady-banker-chooses-the-zoo/2006/04/24/1145861284934.html


Pittsburgh Zoo Unveiling Polar Bear Tunnels
(KDKA) PITTSBURGH The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is unveiling the see-through tunnel in the City of Pittsburgh – and there will be two of them.
The addition will make it possible for visitors to walk through the 30-foot-long polar bear tunnel with a 1,500-pound polar bear or 2,600-pound walrus overhead.
The Water's Edge is the new exhibit that will provide visitors with three large viewing windows.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

http://kdka.com/local/local_story_114114526.html


Power scarcity hits zoo inmates and visitors
HT Correspondent
Kanpur, April 24
OVER SEVEN-HOUR-LONG power rostering affected water supply to zoo on Monday, causing a lot of trouble to inmates, staff and visitors.
As most of big animals — like rhino, chimpanzee, tiger and bear — did not come out of their enclosures throughout the day, and visitors, especially children, were disappointed.
The bird enclosure was devoid of chirpings, as they sat idly under the shade of trees to protect themselves against the heat.
The mats made of khas-khas were put around the bird enclosures and of other small animals to give them shade from the sun. But, such measures failed to provide any relief to zoo inmates.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/5922_1682588,0015002500030000.htm



Zoo Tycoon 2
April 24, 2006 Jonathan Lowrie
The "tycoon" genre of games is arguably one of the most popular in computer gaming. First made popular by games such as Railroad Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon, tycoon games have spawned dozens of wanna-be's including titles such as Pizza Tycoon, Airline Tycoon, Lemonade Tycoon, and dozens of others.

http://www.insidemacgames.com/reviews/view.php?ID=660



Playwright Spends Week Inside Cage At Zoo
April 24, 2006 3:03 p.m. EST
Mary K. Brunskill - All Headline News Contributor
Paris, France (AHN) - A French playwright spent up to 10 hours a day in a cage for a week to better understand the life of the panda for a theater project he’s working on.
Norbert Aboudarham, 57, spent his time in the cage in Paris’ Amiens Zoo writing "The Panda’s Flea."
He explained that his reason was "about the universe, you have to put yourself in a cage smaller than the universe."
He worked on his new play on his laptop inside the cage, which he inhabited alone. His neighbors included red pandas, wolves, and raccoons.
This is the third play Aboudarham has written about animals since 2002.

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7003301292


Tunnels Give New View At Zoo
Zoo Officials Also Unveil Windows, Exhibits
POSTED: 3:25 pm EDT April 24, 2006
PITTSBURGH -- Monday, Pittsburgh's first see-through tunnels will be unveiled at a couple of exhibits.
A 30-foot-ong tunnel will run underneath the home of a 1,500-pound polar bear at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium.
A 40-foot-long tunnel will run underneath the home of a 2,600-pound walrus in the water's edge exhibit.
The exhibits will also include polar bear, walrus and underwater sea otter windows.

http://www.wpxi.com/news/8962831/detail.html


Lahore Zoo’s latest victim
By Shoaib Ahmed
LAHORE: Another white tiger at the Lahore Zoo has fallen victim to the deadly blood parasite that killed three tigers last week, and while the Wildlife Director General and the zoo management claimed they were about to hire blood parasite expert Dr Tusi to deal with the problem, Dr Tusi denied being updated on the issue.
Lahore Zoo Sources told Daily Times that the tiger was critically ill and could hardly stand. Out of the total six tigers in the zoo, three have already died because of.
Wildlife Director General Imtiaz Tajwar told reporters in a recent press conference that he had contacted Dr Tusi from UAE and planned to hire him to deal with the parasite.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C04%5C25%5Cstory_25-4-2006_pg13_6


Case Of The Missing Zoo Birds
Colorado Springs
Lauri Martin
Two birds are still missing from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and zookeepers are losing hope they are still alive.
The pair of green Aracari Toucans has been missing since Friday night or early Saturday morning. They are native to South America and can't withstand the cold temperatures we’ve been having. "We're concerned since the last few nights were below freezing and there was no food source. The birds eat fruit and there is no budding fruit on the trees," Sean Anglum, zoo spokesperson said.
The birds are able to fly freely inside the exhibit, but in the 5 years that “Salsa” and “Verde’ have been at the zoo, they never tried to get out. Zookeepers are baffled about what happened. There are three sets of doors to get inside and outside the exhibit. They believe the birds were either birdnapped or set free on purpose.
"We think they're valued at $1,000 to $2,000. If you saw them in pet store, they would stick out like sore thumb because they aren't available through pet shops," Anglum said.
Since their disappearance, the Aracari Toucan information plaque has been removed from the exhibit.

http://www.kktv.com/news/headlines/2687041.html


Zoo adds tunnels for polar bear exhibit
Philip G. Pavely/Tribune-Review
By Bill Zlatos
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Tunnels were installed Monday at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium to enable visitors to view a new exhibit of polar bears and walruses.
A crawler crane 190 feet tall and weighing 10 tons positioned the 30-foot-long tunnel for the bears' exhibit into place with an inch clearance on both sides. The polar bears will swim in a pool that holds 148,000 gallons of water.
The tunnel for the walrus exhibit is 40 feet long.
"The walrus tunnel is the only one of its kind in the world," said Barbara Baker, president and CEO of the zoo in Highland Park.
Both tunnels are seamless, 12 feet wide and made of clear acrylic to enhance visitors' view of the animals' underwater activities. The tunnels were built by Reynolds Polymer Technology, of Grand Junction, Colo.
Two male polar bears, Koda and Nuka, will arrive in June from the Denver Zoo and be ready for viewing in July. They will be given new names.
The females will arrive after the males have had a chance to test the new environment.
"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife (Service) is considering designating them threatened or endangered because of global warming," Baker said.
The exhibit, called Water's Edge, also will feature sea otters. They will arrive this fall and the walruses in fall 2007.
The walruses will have a 265,000-gallon pool, and the sea otters a 57,000- gallon pool.
The zoo has raised $14.4 million for the project, which will cost at least $19 million. The campaign also includes construction of a new animal hospital.

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/pittsburgh/s_447061.html


Letter: How to improve Taipei Zoo
By Charles Shuttleworth
Tuesday, Apr 25, 2006,Page 8
I am writing in response to recent adverse comment on Taipei Zoo.
From my own knowledge this criticism is justified. And, although there are some mitigating factors, the situation is an appalling indictment of the zoo's management.
For a modern, well-funded zoo to keep an animal, namely a chimpanzee (`Siao Chiang'), in cramped, solitary confinement for nine years simply because he was intelligent enough to manage to escape on two occasions and also misbehaved, is inexcusable.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2006/04/25/2003304507


Islamabad zoo to be relocated to Zone V
Tuesday April 25, 2006 (1118 PST)
ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to relocate Marghazar Zoo to the Zone V of Islamabad Capital Territory.
Capital Development Authority Chairman Kamran Lashari told 'The News' Monday that the current site of the zoo is not suitable for extension. He said that he has given one-week time to the concerned officials of the CDA to identify the new site in Zone V.

http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=141724


Tigress dies at zoo
Tuesday April 25 2006 13:42 IST
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sonia, a tigress at the zoo here, died on Monday reducing the number of the striped cats here to six.
The big cat, aged 23 died due to old age, zoo director P.N. Unnikrishnan said.
The carcass of the tigress was burnt as per the existing rules.
“This tigress had been at the zoo for many years. She was brought from Mysore in 1984,” he said.
With Sonia gone, there are three tigers and three tigresses, all a big draw with the visitors to the zoo.
There have been a number of deaths in the zoo recently. A tiger had died on March 26 and a black buck on March 19.
The death of the black buck had kicked up a row after part of its skull and an antler had gone missing.
Later, a supervisor and another employee of the zoo were found guilty of the theft along with an outsider.

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IER20060425032033&Page=R&Title=Kerala&Topic=0


Heat hits Chiang Mai zoo
Chiang Mai zookeepers sprayed down cages and handed out ice creams and frozen meat to their animals on Tuesday as the mercury topped 40 degree Celsius in the northern capital.
When the temperature hit 38C, five water trucks were quickly despatched and zookeepers rigged up temporary shade screens, drew extra water supplies and installed sprinklers in some cages housing animals particularly prone to heat stress.
And today is tipped to be even hotter.
Zoo public relations chief Rossukhon Juikhamwong said constant sprays were set up in the panda viewing zone and the roof of their enclosure periodically soaked with water.
Zoo veterinarian Kwanreun Duangsaard said the animals were being given special foods, such as frozen tuna for the penguins, frozen meat for tigers, ice cubes for elephants and icecream for the orangutans.
Everyone at the zoo was on the lookout for telltale signs of frustration among the animals, so they could be separated if need be, said Kwanreun.
Meteorological Department officials had previously tipped tomorrow to be the Kingdom's hottest this year, solely for the reason that the sun would be directly above Bangkok at noon .
But now, with changes on the way from China, officials are saying today might be the hottest day of the year.
An official at the Weather Forecast Division said 40C in the North was normal for this time of year, because of the orbital movement of the Earth around the sun.
Chiang Mai is particularly affected because it sits in a geographical bowl, surrounded by mountains, which tend to make the city extra hot during the day, but cool at night.
The Nation

http://nationmultimedia.com/2006/04/25/headlines/headlines_30002492.php


Support mixed for zoo's dual levy issues
Public looks divided over capital funding
By JENNI LAIDMAN
BLADE STAFF WRITER
The Toledo Zoo's 1-mill, 5-year operating levy should pass handily on May 2, but the fate of the zoo's 10-year capital levy is too close to call, according to a Blade-Zogby International poll.
In a survey of 804 likely voters, 60.2 percent said they would vote for the tax that helps pay for the zoo's day-to-day operations.
But the fate of a 0.85-mill capital levy was less clear. Polling showed 48.9 percent of respondents in favor of its passage and 43 percent opposed. Because of a plus-or-minus 3.5 percent margin of error, no prediction is possible, said pollster John Zogby.
"I wouldn't even call that a lean, with that margin of error,'' Mr. Zogby said.
The 10-year capital levy would pay for better elephant and rhino facilities, a new parking lot, and an all-weather children's zoo. It would cover repairs on the 66-year-old aquarium, and pay off some $13 million in debt.

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060425/NEWS38/604250360


New Polar Bears, Walruses Coming To Pittsburgh Zoo
POSTED: 9:30 am EDT April 25, 2006
UPDATED: 10:38 am EDT April 25, 2006
PITTSBURGH -- Workers installed two transparent acrylic tunnels as part of new polar bear and walrus exhibits planned at Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium.
Zoo visitors will walk through the tunnels, which will run under pools that hold water in which the bears and walruses will swim.
The tunnel for the bear exhibit is 30 feet long and the walrus tunnel is 40 feet long.
Two male polar bears will arrive at the zoo in June and be on display by July. Sea otters will also be added to the exhibit later this year. The exhibit, called Water's Edge, will add the walruses in the fall of 2007, zoo officials said.

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/8982856/detail.html


Zoo says two endangered penguins hatched
April 25, 2006, 4:05 PM EDT
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) _The Rosamond Gifford Zoo announced Tuesday its first two hatchings of Humboldt penguin chicks, an endangered species in the wild.
The first chick was born Saturday and weighed 94 grams, or about 3.3 ounces, said zoo spokeswoman Sarah Fedele. The second chick was born Monday, weighing 74 grams.

The chicks have not yet been named and the genders have not yet been determined, she said. Frederico and Danta, which came to Syracuse from the Brookfield Zoo near Chicago, were incubating these eggs. This penguin couple paired while at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo's $3 million Penguin Coast Exhibit that opened in June 2005.
Danta had one previous clutch of two eggs with a different male while at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. Zookeepers will closely monitor the health and progress of the newly hatched chicks, Fedele said.
Humboldt penguin chicks do not begin to explore their surroundings until about 45 days old. The chicks will remain in the nesting box with their parents until then. They don't acquire all their waterproofing plumage until approximately 90 days old.
The zoo's Humboldt penguin colony now comprises 21 birds, including the two newly hatched chicks.
Humboldt penguins are native to Chile and Peru. There are an estimated 12,000 to 30,000 left in the wild.
Rosamond Gifford also has successfully bred other endangered species, including Asian elephants, Amur tigers, red pandas and golden lion tamarins.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--penguinchicks0425apr25,0,2674530.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork


Finally, some good news for animals at Byculla zoo
Panel’s ideas adopted. Animals get bigger enclosures, more guards
Mumbai, April 25: MORE than two months after the death of 10 black bucks and a chausingha due to the entry of a stray dog in the antelopes’ enclosure, the steps taken by the Byculla zoo authorities indicate that the animals’ deaths have served as a wake-up call.
‘‘After the February incident, we wanted to avoid a mishap at all cost,’’ said Superintendent of Gardens P A Naringrekar.

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=179621


Zoo Boise Home to Endangered Squirrels
By Teri Nelson
BOISE -
Tuesday Zoo Boise opened a new exhibit to teach Idahoans about a little critter that seems to be disappearing in the Treasure Valley.
Boise Zoo Director Steve Burns says ground squirrels are an integral part of Idaho's high desert ecosystem--and they're increasingly threatened. According to the zoo the Southern Idaho Ground Squirrel population has dropped from about 40,000 in 1985 to fewer than 5,000 today.
"This is an animal that lives right here in the Treasure Valley that we can take an active role in helping to protect." Burns told KBCI CBS 2 News.
Burns says ground squirrels are a main food source for birds of prey.

http://www2.kbcitv.com/x71272.xml


Fund crunch hits zoo, animals need help
HT Correspondent
Kanpur, April 25
KANPUR ZOOLOGICAL Garden (Zoo) is in need of assistance from philanthropists once again. It not only requires financial assistance but also adoption of big animals by interested persons and organisations.
According to zoo authorities, they were unable to carry out most ambitious programme of developing the zoo into one of the best in the country just for fund crunch. The only hope of promoting welfare schemes for zoo inmates lay on the shoulders of philanthropists, who could adopt animals for their better upkeep, said a senior official of the zoo.
Animal lovers also feel that government assistance alone will not be sufficient for welfare of zoo inmates and people from affluent classes have to take lead in extending direct fiscal support to the zoo or by adopting some of the big animals.
However, it is strange that despite appeal for adoption of animals, no philanthropist offered to adopt animals. But all appeals fell on deaf ears of citizens. On the other hand, one philanthropist alleged the strict government laws relating to animals and tax complications discouraged them to come forward to contribute to welfare of animals.
According to them, unless existing laws pertaining to animals were changed and tax relaxation were introduced by the government, philanthropists would remain helpless in extending their support to zoo animals.
With the death of a lioness and other big animals during the past years, the zoo also needed their replacement. But, this too was not possible amidst tough wild life laws. Existing laws prohibit exchange or import and export of animals except under certain exceptional conditions with prior permission of wild life authorities.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/5922_1683448,0015002500030000.htm


Zoo loans popular albino gator to Pennsylvania animal park
Beth Cochran beth.cochran@arizonarepublic.com
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 26, 2006 12:00 AM
White alligators are rare creatures from the bayous of Louisiana. Legend has it that those who get a glimpse of the reptile will receive good fortune.
The Southwest Valley has until Friday to get one last look at the white alligator, at least until October, at the Wildlife World Zoo.
The 4-year-old albino alligator, named Marie Laveau after a New Orleans voodoo queen, was leased to the zoo in October. The white gator was so popular that the zoo purchased her.
advertisement

http://www.azcentral.com/community/westvalley/articles/0426swv-gator26Z2.html


Deadly fungus devastating populations of amphibians
By John Biemer
Tribune staff reporter
Published April 25, 2006, 8:23 PM CDT
A devastating fungus is sweeping the world, wiping out entire populations of amphibians at such a rate that Brookfield Zoo biologists are helping pull together a massive "Noah's Ark" project to capture frogs, toads and salamanders and put them in safe places.
A variety of factors already have combined to cause more than 120 amphibian species to vanish since 1980, in what one biologist has called "one of the largest extinction spasms for vertebrates in history."
A third of the world's nearly 6,000 amphibian species are threatened—their populations weak and susceptible to disease. If they go, ecosystems will tilt out of balance and potential medical breakthroughs—such as potent painkillers or HIV inhibitors—could be lost.
It is hard to determine how many species have been affected by the fungus because they cannot be assessed fast enough, but it has factored into most of the recent extinctions and declines, said Bob Lacy, the zoo's population geneticist and chairman of the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-060425fungalfrogs,1,2016792.story?coll=chi-news-hed

concluding...

Tomorrow then.

The Antarctica Wind Chime.

April 24, 2006.

The El Reno, Oklahoma tornado.

April 24, 2006.

The Yukon, Okalahoma tornado.

The vortex center is unique. It is appearing now among cumulus cloud structure.

April 24, 2006.

Wichita, Kansas

Surreal

April 24, 2006.

Wichita, Kansas.

April 24, 2006.

Wichita, Kansas

April 24, 2006.

Wichita, Kansas.

Photographer states :: These came from the storm that hit on the morning of April 24th. The biggest hailstones were measured 1 3/4 in. or golfball size.

The western boundary of the Atlantic. Latitude 41.56 North

April 23, 2006.

Woodbury, Connecticut

Altitude approximately 450 feet above sea level. This area of the country is still seeing temperatures of 38 degrees Fahrenheit with spring arrival and it nearly is May.

The vortices of the Europe African Hemisphere

April 26, 2006.

Europe - Africa Satellite.

With advancing direct solar radiation north there is a 'layering' of heat storms now. Supercells. The land mass of Northern Africa provides a place for a vortex to operate in distributing tropospheric heat.

It is troubling in the more western hemisphere as well. Northern Equatorial South America has been steadily building heat concentration. That interprets into higher potential for far warmer Gulf and Carribean waters. The Carribean is the place where trubulence will probably manifest over water first. It is a small body of water that has not really cooled much from last season.

The presence of chronic vortexes are obvious.

April 25, 2006.

Europe's Satelllite.

At the Koros River, part of the Danube River Basin (Click on)

April 23, 2006.

Szarvas, Hungary.

The majority of Hungary is below 200 meters above sea level.

Latitude 46.8 North

April 23, 2006.

Kunszenmarton, Hungary.

Photographer states :: At the Koros river. Leaking dams resulting in flooded woods.

April 23, 2006.

Szarvas, Hungary.

Morning Papers - concluded

The weather in Antarctica (Crystal Ice Chime) is:

Scott Base

Snow

-23.0°

Updated Tuesday 25 Apr 8:15AM

The weather at Glacier Bay National Park (Crystal Wind Chime) is:

43 °F / 6 °C

Partly Cloudy

Humidity:
70%

Dew Point:
34 °F / 1 °C

Wind:
8 mph / 13 km/h from the SE

Pressure:
30.09 in / 1019 hPa

Windchill:
38 °F / 3 °C

Visibility:
10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers

UV:
5 out of 16

Clouds:
Few 4100 ft / 1249 m

end

Click here to animate

April 24, 2006.

Antarctica. The temperatures are predominately below zero. There is a warming trend that seems very stubborn over the Peninsuala extending down the shoreline where very valuable ice shelves still exist and should be reestablished. The warming can be noted on animation. West Antarctica has been under a serious melt for some time now and the 'alarm' regarding this has fallen on deaf ears. There is never statements about the dramatic collapse of the Larsen ICE SHELVES (Plural). That is not a small aspect of living on Earth. Ice shelves are extremely important. To personalize it, if that is necessary, "Ask a penguin."

Blue vs. Red, it's not just a basketball game

No. This isn't an article about sympathy and pandering for hand holding. We in the family know how to support each other through anything when it comes to Patricia. It is getting everyone to cope that is the issue.

In 1957 an infant daugther was born to Thomas and Grace Zambo of Olyphant, Pennsylvania. She would be the second child of four. The third would be lost to miscarriage. All the children were daughters in a Middle Class household where 'status' was valued by their mother and love was valued by their father. Due to those extremes a war was waged in the heart of their children to please their father with their mother as the gatekeeper to his approval. He knew little of this horrible game until far to late to save his second child from her fate.

Patricia knew how to get attention. From the time she was born she was a handful. There was no feeding her commercial formulas and in 1957 it wasn't fashionable to breastfeed. As a consequence she was prepared small formulation with farina, strained to perfection and fed from a bottle that had seen sixty nipples percisely developed to find the one 'correct' size hole that would allow her father's household to return to 'normal' with a child that was not in distress eveytime she ate. Pat would grow up with the rest of her piers and siblings fairly normally achieving better than average grades in school with conditions set for an adolescent to perform to better than above average standards calling her successful on all fronts of accomplishments.

That desire to please lead her to being a member of the Manville High School Drill Team. Perhaps some might remember Manville, New Jersey. It was the home base for Johns Manville, the Asbestos Capital of the World. As a matter of fact the last time I was in their public library a rock sits underglass stating "Manville , The Asbestos Capital of the World." Amazing. A material as deadly as that valued to that extreme. I wonder if Saudi Arabia puts containers of crude under glass in their public libraries.

[Off subject for a second, is anyone contemplating the public's safety when the Greenland Ice cracks and slides in the Atlantic? Or is that going to be a complete surprise as well so that Mr. Joshua B. Bolten, Bush's new Chief can then send FEMA to the entire Atlantic Seaboard to declare it a disaster area and find the hero status in all that occurs of a president completely negligent of the dangers of Global Warming. Do I then simply say "I told you so, again." from 500 miles inland? The carpets in the Oval Office must be lumpy and getting lumpier by the minute for all the pertinent issues needing attention that is currently swept under them.]

Back to Patricia.....

Patricia would have many boyfriends much to her mother's delight and father's frustration. She would pursue tennis as an athlete while her older sister found horsemanship more interesting and her macho younger sister would see baseball's pitching and catching more to her liking.

Patricia would go to college. No surprise there. The institution 'of choice' for Patricia was "Rider University" with a Bachelor of Degree in Business. The university has it's substantial music programs in Princeton Proper. Needless to say Patricia was liked among her piers and she thought well of herself. She would go on to graduate in a timely fashion and was hired into the Somerset County, Office of the Aging as their accountant and all around great person. The office did not have an overwhelming budget and Pat liked the 'idea' that martyrdom would lead to bigger and better things and surely it did. After two years of employ she would be hired by AT&T and in a short period of time advance into their International Division working out of Morristown, New Jersey. She did very well for herself. Her salary there was substantial for a young woman.

While, working as a martyr at The Office of the Aging she took up a part time second job as a hostess at the Holiday Inn on Route 22 highway. At that time it was the third most deadly highway in the country. Odd, isn't it, that residents of an area keep up with 'Top Ten of this" or "Worst Top Ten of that." Avoidance of disaster was an occupation in Somerset County, New Jersey. She was working one evening when a young man approached her and asked her on a date. She said, "No." He returned a second night and asked again. She politely said, "No, it is policy we don't date customers." He returned a third night with the Manager and asked her if she would go on a date with him. The Manager stated there would be no ill effects if she said yes, but, that was not a requirement to keep her job either. She said, "Yes." That young man, in time, would become her spouse.

He was and is a great man. He is accomplished and the two together could do anything they darn well pleased in the world by simply writing a check. Their combined salaries bought a gorgeous home away from the maddening crowd on "Jenny Jump Mountain" not far from Hope, New Jersey with a more than sufficient public school not far from their front door. It was hard to tell what the neighbors were doing as the trees were so thick on their property that sunlight was an infrequent visitor. They didn't have a 'deck' so much as an attic study with a sun-roof window. The trees were so thick there was concern nearly immediately for the house regarding infestation of any type of home devouring insect larvae and to that end a silvaculturist was called. The Professional of the moment stated he would mark whatever trees he felt he needed to cut down and call the next Professional of the Moment to cut them down.

Indeed.

There was to be about thirty trees cut down. Mr. Wonderful, and he was, stayed home from work to oversee the operation and after the eight tree was felled he could not stand the sound of the buzz saws any longer and cancelled the rest of the cutting as he stated, "The sunlight on the house seemed to be to his liking." The rest of the cutting was stopped, the sacrificial lambs carted away, landscaping took their place and contemplation as to the destruction was made short work of that day when his bride arrived home. He cancelled his week of home cartaking and returned to his work the next day. He was right. The house never needed that much sun on it.

That in defines Mrs. Wonderful's life. She was destined for happiness even if no happiness was to be found. They were great with each other and there was no 'status quo' ideologies or 'mind think' or genderization of roles in the family. They were a couple ready to take on the world but little did they know the world they were taking on would be microscopic and threatening in a far different way than anyone could anticipate and especially at such an early age in life.

After a few years of marriage, Patricia's spouse would seek employment elsewhere. He literally could write his own ticket. After leaving a job in New Jersey to work in Canton, Ohio, we would come to realize the contracts in New Jersey would follow him. Affectionately the families would call them the "Mr. Wonderful Contracts" because they were government issued and required his talent. Naturally, any subsequent job he worked would be along the same lines and the companies that would come to hire him 'anticipated' the work he previously did would accompany him. It did. Mr. Wonderful had his life mapped out before him. It was quite a revelation.

He and Patricia would be treated royally with a residence in a hotel for a month until they found a 'place to live.' Rather than buying a house they decided to build their own on a plush 17 acre estate. No sunlight issues, of course. So, in anticipation of working with 'the architect' next they rented a very modest two bedroom apartment. No children yet. It wasn't time after all, they didn't even have a home to bring them into with their own room. Yes, they were Roman Catholic and still are and attend church weekly. Patricia was not returning to AT&T International as there was no office for her to transfer into and she would take her time finding a place and a venue for her talents outside the home. No genderinzing rolls here, of course.

There would be three months of residency in Ohio before Patricia would be troubled by blurred vision. As a rule, both she and I would seek optomologists rather than optomitrists to perscribe eyesight needs. It seemed to work better for us that way. I am not sure why, except an MD was more successful at providing a perscription to eyeglasses or contacts that didn't need replacing except once a year. That isn't true of others, but, it was of us. So, while everyone was getting great bargains we were getting great eyecare to fill our needs.

Patricia made an appointment for an optomologist locally to have her persciption updated. He stated there was bilateral infammation of her optic nerves and before he could provide any changes to her perscription she needed to be seen by a neurologist. She went to a neurologist and he did a CAT Scan. CT Scans were state of the art at the time. MRIs would be available about a year or so later. This was 1985.

The scan revealed a tumor just above the Pineal Gland and a biopsy was needed. In humans, the Pineal Gland secretes high amounts Melatonin in children. It shrinks at puberty. There is little information outside of Wikipedia regarding this gland. It is little understood which speaks to the lack of focus in understanding childhood metabolism. There is a lot of 'mysticism' surrounding this gland actually. At any rate, it appears to me that this gland is a hormonal support to children until they enter puberty and it ceases to function as the secondary sexual development of an individual begins. It is my feeling that perhaps something went array during that point in time when it began to lay dormant that this slow growing astrocytoma in a female started. This tumor is normally found at age 11 or so in males. It seems linked to testosterone and we all know that women have lower levels of testosterone which would explain the slow growth of this tumor.

continued ...

The two mes. Myself. My injured self.

The need to understand was incredible. The building project would be put on hold and forever for this couple. Mr. Wonderful realizing what he was all about was supported by his brother to 'return home.' No. Not to New Jersey, but, New England. His brother also knew full well what he was all about. This was a family of character. They were built from the ground up and Mr. Wonderful would occassionally tell tales of his childhood to Patricia. She especially enjoyed the story about his newspaper route and being chased by moose from time to time in the backwoods of Maine.

He followed his brother's wishes to return nearer to family and moved to Derry, New Hampshire while taking a position in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Like I said, "The Mr. Wonderful Contracts" would follow. He is now supervisor over an entire division. He would again marry many, many years later a woman he had worked with and still does. We'll get to all that. As I said, Patricia tends to like a martyr status. Again, the house was perfect but this time it was 'just newly built' on an acre and a half next to a strawberry field.

To illustrate the devotion Mr. Wonderful paid to his spouse he would bring home a dog they named "Marathon." Yes, he was a runner. Yes, he was/is a long distance runner. Yes, he ran in marathons. He completed them as well. The purpose for the dog was to bring dimension to Patricia's life. He wanted something to motivate her to live every day and puppies need lots of attention. She had no choice to be on a couch and become a vegetable for lack of will or desire to live. Never one day did I ever hear my sister state, "I'd rather be dead." She stated, "... but, who will take care of Marathon?"

I am a little ahead of myself here and we need to return to Ohio. I wanted to illustrate the extensive love that exists in this circumstance among the family and within this couple.

Ohio

Following all the excitement after the CT Scan an appointment was made with a neuro-surgeon. A biopsy was needed to know exactly what this tumor was since it was rarely found in women. The path for the surgery was minimally damaging across the board with every surgeon Patricia would subsequently come in contact. Following the surgery Patricia was in a coma for three days.

Upon wakening she was transferred to a general medical/surgical floor. You know the deal; if a patient 'qualifies' to be moved to a 'cheaper' room then do so immediately. Back then it was DRGs and today they call it efficiency. I couldn't figure out then and still can't figure out today what type of 'efficiency' this is. It sure isn't one designed by doctors and certainly not designed by patients. The USA has the worst medical model for nursing care in the world. It places patients in the care of a nurse patient ratio that is inappropriate for excellant care. Come on tell me I am wrong

After surgery, she now exhibited not blurred vision but double vision and a gait disorder (she had balance problems.) We knew there would be problems but we were all relieved to have her conscious at this point. An unfortunate accident happened in that Patricia tried to walk to the bathroom in the middle of her first night on a general floor; she feel and hit her head after a fairly fresh craniotomy. Scary word, craniotomy. Rightfully so. It is still debatable today whether 'the fall' lead to greater damage than before, but, that would not daught her recovery. This couple with the support of their families lived upto every word of praise and devotion to purpose anyone can muster. The projects Mr. Wonderful piloted were never disturbed and continued on schedule while he oversaw his wife's recovery. This was not out of greed but the 'idea' of purpose in our 'larger' self. We all just wanted what was best for Patricia. All she wanted was for Marathon to be looked after when she could not do it herself. Very simple equation. We respected the boundaries of need and sympathy all too well. It worked like a charm.

The next scare came when The Radiologist was called in. Dear God. Whatever happened to this MD to give him such lousy bedside manner is beyond me. He stated: "I have seen the results of the surgery and there is a series of treatments we can render, but, (Never speaking to Pat, The Victim, by this point.) your wife only has six months to live." Mr. Wonderful nearly died at that point and I do believe Patricia offered to call a cab. I don't know how they made it home but they did and the first phone call was to me.

After listening for nearly a half hour of trauma by Mr. Wonderful with Mrs. Wonderful on the extension clinging to some form of sanity, my very, very simple statement was: "Did you get a second opinion?" Click and the phone went dead.

Mr. Wonderful sent Patricia's biopsies to three separate (Not part of some kind of stupid health network that only manifests it's own incompetencies for any 'inefficient' venues within it.) and different medical centers. University of California at San Francisco , Mayo Clinic and The Cleveland Clinic. They concluded it was a very rare tumor for women. Researchers in San Fran found maybe 100 other cases of it. It was decided Patricia's care would go to Cleveland. She hated the idea, "...because you are treated like a number there." Lord knows, Patricia was not used to being treated like a number.

It was at The Cleveland Clinic in 1985 that Patricia came to understand how wonderful being treated like a number was when she fell under the care of Dr. Janet Bay. She stayed with her mother for thirty days in a hotel suite designed for such American princesses and received a complete series of radiation treatments. So much for six months of life.

New England. Massachusetts. "Pat is a tumor."

By the time this couple 'returned home' to New England her care was mostly centered around 'the shunt.' With the very first operation she a ventricular shunt was placed. These shunts are troublesome and can cause brain damage when they malfunction. A shunt placement is called a craniotomy as well. She sought treatment at The Lahey Clinic as she also went for scans of the tumor every six months.

There is a lot of precident regarding this case. Dr. Bay following the same surgical path as Patricia's previous surgeon, literally, biopsied this turmor herself and immediately viewed her slides under a microscope. The tumor could not be immediately excised as it would cause too much damage. Dr. Bay was faced with an issue. Before going into surgery, Dr. Bay knew the options for treatment based on the 'category' of tumors of astrocytoma . She knew if she classified this a Class One, the treatment option was repeated surgeries with any growth and a far higher potential of brain damage with each intervention. It was the sixth slide she that revealed a Class I - Class II tumor. Now, she could recommend radiation without compromising any standards of practice. Later she would recommend a new classification system called Low, Medium or High and at all 'classes' radiation would be an option. It is the radiation that nearly killed the tumor and saved Patty's life. Dr. Bay, in our family history, is the greatest neurosurgeon on Earth. She no longer is with the Cleveland Clinic exclusively, but, in private practice.

At The Lahey Clinic, the management style of a former team member of Dr. Bay's Cleveland service would conduct shunt revisions. Pat would have eleven shunt revisions with nearly no damage during her time in Ohio and Massachusetts. She eventually leaves New England and settles in North Carolina. Hospital of choice, Duke and managed by the head of neurosurgery, Dr. Friedman. Don't expect me to say kind things. Here, Patricia was less than a number and there was a good deal of damage done. There are several issues that play into this and it is sincerely tragic when 'power' enters the picture and a support system is destroyed. She no longer is treated at Duke Medical Center.

continued ...

"When I become a shadow of myself...what will become of me?"