Morning Papers - continued...

Zoos

Kow Keow Zoo announces Global Warming Campaign.

At the Koe Keow Zoo located 40kms outside of Pattaya, the grand opening of a 4 day event took place led by Khun Sureeya, the Director of the Zoo. A Global Warming Campaign supported by Esso is currently taking place which aims to educate students from Chonburi Province and around the Eastern Seaboard about the problems the world is currently encountering in relation to Global Warming and how the students can help to prevent global warming on a local level.

http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_24_10_50_3.htm


Monkeytown

http://www.monkeys.co.za/about.htm


Want to shadow a zookeeper for a morning?
Shadows study, feed, clean up after animals
By KATHY MULADY
P-I REPORTER
Pat Owen starts his day at Woodland Park Zoo with a rake in hand, cleaning up after the elk. For a good hour he scoops and scrapes.
"They eat a lot and they defecate a lot, it's a big exhibit," he says.
Then it's on to the bears. He lures them into their holding rooms with breakfast while their exhibits are scrubbed.
"They know they have to go into certain rooms to get their foods," Owen said. "They have lived at the zoo for years and have the routines down pretty well."
And finally he feeds the snow leopard, Nadia, who might soon be getting a mate thanks to some Internet matchmaking for zoo animals.
"She's a great cat," said Owen, a zookeeper for 14 years.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/336956_zoo26.html



They’ll eat anything!
Wordless Wednesday
Can you imagine!
I’ve never had anything quite like this happen to me before - and I’m glad of it!, but I have had a few interesting encounters with animals in zoos and animal sanctuaries.
I remember once when I was a little kid my family took a road trip to the States. I’m not sure where we were exactly, but we went to a zoo or something that allowed people to walk in the very large enclosure that held deer, llamas and I’m certain there was a buffalo in there too.
Well you know at places like that there are food stations that people can buy pellets or in my case a cracker type of food to feed the animals. When I got my food to give to the animals they totally mobbed me! I was maybe 3.5 feet tall at the time and I was surrounded by I’m sure 20 deer. I’m pretty sure I was terrified and screaming. It certainly is a vivid memory!

http://www.feverishthoughts.com/2007/10/24/theyll-eat-anything/



Eklin Technology Expands in Growing Number of Zoos and Marine Mammal Facilities
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Eklin Medical Systems, a leading provider of digital radiography (DR) and image management for the veterinary care market, announced it is installing the Eklin Digital Practice(TM) at four new zoo and marine facilities. The Brookfield Zoo, Columbus Zoo, Georgia Aquarium and Kansas City Zoo join a growing list of exotic animal veterinary care providers in bringing state-of-the-art DR imaging, archiving and review capabilities to their patients. The company is showcasing the Eklin Digital Practice at the annual American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV) meeting being held October 23-25, 2007 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,206096.shtml



Noah's Ark option may save Tasmanian devil
By Nick Squires in Sydney
Last Updated: 12:01pm BST 24/10/2007
A mysterious cancer has wiped out half the wild population of Tasmanian devils and threatens the unique carnivorous marsupial with extinction.Fierce and black-furred, Tasmanian devils earned their name from early British settlers for their steel trap jaws and blood-curdling nocturnal screeches.Tasmanian devil could become extinct, like the Tasmanian tigerThe size of a small dog, they live only in Tasmania and were immortalized by Warners Bros as the snarling, half-crazed Loony Tunes cartoon character Taz.For all their famed ferocity, the species has proved to be vulnerable to a highly infectious facial cancer which emerged about a decade ago.Up to 50,000 animals are believed to have died from the illness. The disease, which is spread by fighting over carrion and during boisterous mating, causes hideous facial tumours which eventually prevent the animals from eating.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/10/24/eatas124.xml



Zoos host fur-raising events this weekend
Thursday, October 25, 2007 1:00 AM CDT
Their vampires are bats. Their black cats are panthers. And their tricks are fun. Lincoln Park and Brookfield zoos are celebrating Halloween this weekend with a variety of special events.
Brookfield Zoo's Boo! at the Zoo begins at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. It includes trick-or-treating opportunities, haunted hayrides, pumpkin carving demonstrations and more.
Zoo Chats will also add some not-so-scary fun to the weekend. At 11 a.m. visitors can meet Tex, a great horned owl in the Children’s Zoo. Afterward, they can visit the Australia House at 11:45 a.m. to meet and learn about the Rodrigues fruit bats. And to wrap up the Zoo Chats, visitors can visit Hamill Family Play Zoo for the chance to touch a snake at 12:30 p.m.
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, visit the Nature Stage and get jack-o-lantern tips from professional pumpkin carvers.

http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/10/25/community/rop/doc84fab5fc813e4c158625737e006c36a6.txt



Frog study takes leaf out of nature's book
25 Oct 2007
A brightly coloured tropical frog under threat of extinction is the focus of a new research project hoping to better understand how environment and diet influence its development and behaviour.
Biologists from The University of Manchester have teamed up with experts at Chester Zoo in the hope that their findings will not only help save the splendid leaf frog Cruziohyla calcarifer from extinction in the wild but provide clues as to how it can be better catered for in zoos and aquariums.
Loss of habitat in its native Costa Rican rainforest, combined with global declines in amphibian populations generally through a combination of environmental change and disease, have all contributed to the splendid leaf frog's precarious situation.
"This research aims to contribute to our understanding of the basic factors that influence the development and survival of these frogs," said Dr Richard Preziosi, a lecturer in the University's Faculty of Life Sciences, who is supervising the project.
"For instance, with the exception of certain mammals, we know surprisingly little about what animals should be eating. And yet the diet of splendid leaf frogs affects their colouration which, in turn, determines their mating behaviour.
"The global decline in amphibian populations means research such as this, carried out ex situ, is therefore critical for both conservation projects in the wild and for maintaining and successfully breeding the frogs in zoos and aquariums."

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/display/?id=126450



Como Zoo
1225 Estabrook Drive (in Como Park), St. Paul, MN. 651-487-8200. www.comozooconservatory.org/
Free (but donation of $2 adult/$1 child suggested). Free parking. Stroller accessible. Restrooms available, family restroom in main building. Cafe on-site, concessions available.
We’ve been to a few zoos in the past few years, and we’ve noticed that there are two types: big ones, where you walk for miles to see animals in their “natural” habitats, and smaller zoos where the animals each have their own little area. St. Paul’s Como Zoo is of the latter type, making it fun for kids without being exhausting for stroller pushers.
One of the nice things about Como Zoo is that you can see all of the typical “zoo” animals–lions and tigers and (polar) bears, plus zebras and giraffes. We’ve been to zoos where we walked and walked looking for the lions, only to learn that they didn’t have any. Something else nice is that if you get lost, or if your kids want to dart from one exhibit area to another, it’s all in close proximity, so you really can let the kids lead you if that’s what you choose to do. All of the buildings are stroller-accessible, but a few have stairs on one side and a ramp on the other, so you can’t just file in one door and out the other.

http://minnemom.wordpress.com/2007/10/25/como-zoo/



McKinney company's dinosaurs in high demand
09:23 AM CDT on Friday, October 26, 2007
By JAKE BATSELL / The Dallas Morning News
McKINNEY – Don't tell Sandra Billings that dinosaurs are extinct. She has a warehouse full of them.
ERIC KAYNE/DMN
About a dozen workers, including Juan Diego (right), at Billings Productions are trying to keep up with the demand for the company's dinosaurs. Museums and zoos across the country use them for exhibits to draw more visitors.
Her four-year-old company, Billings Productions, makes life-size, animatronic dinosaurs from scratch and ships them to zoos, theme parks and museums all over the country.
Ms. Billings oversees a constant blur of flying sparks and whirring power tools at the McKinney warehouse where about a dozen employees hustle to bring dinosaurs to life.
And despite the hectic pace, she says, she's barely able to keep up with demand. Most of her 80 dinosaurs already are booked for outdoor exhibits from Florida to Oregon to McKinney's Heard Museum.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/102607dnmetdinofactory.2c5b346.html



Erie Zoo's wait for polar bear longer than expected
BY KARA RHODES
kara.rhodes@timesnews.com
Scott Mitchell knew matchmaking is difficult.
But the chief executive of the Erie Zoo said finding a mate for Mizar has proven particularly challenging.
Zoo officials are waiting to hear whether the male polar bear will get a female companion this fall.
"There's still a chance this could all fall apart. It's not a done deal by any stretch. But we're still very hopeful," Mitchell said Thursday. "Things are just proceeding slower than we had hoped."
The zoo said in September it wanted to get a female polar bear this fall. Mizar has been alone since his brother, Alcor, died in August 2006 after undergoing surgery to repair a broken leg.

Pasted from <http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071026/NEWS02/710260380/-1/NEWS>


Are Benny's nails too long? Help me trim, I'm scared!!
I've attached pics of Benny's nails. My mom is wondering if they're too long. I don't know. They're not sharp at all, quite dull, but do I need to trim them?

http://www.tailfeathersnetwork.com/community/showthread.php?t=47431



Zoo Tuesday: Fruit Bats
It sure is hard to get a good shot of a bat. Most of the time when I walk by their exhibit they're all wrapped up asleep so they just look like withered fruit hanging from the ceiling. Today they were quite lively, squabbling over melons and bananas; but most of the enclosure is glass, and all I got was a lot of reflections and blurred bat action. Finally I stuck my camera up to the wire mesh on the side of the cage and got a few shots that way, but you don't want to use your flash, so most of what I got was bat silhouettes. The kicker was that they were all hanging around posing for me!
Oh well. I'll try again. Those bats haven't beaten me yet.

http://7deadlysinners.typepad.com/foureyedbat/2007/10/zoo-tuesday-fru.html



Panda attacks boy in Beijing zoo
By Duncan Hooper and agencies
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 23/10/2007
A panda previously attacked by a drunken tourist has taken revenge on another interloper in his enclosure, savaging a teenager who leapt over the fence during feeding time.Eight-year-old Gu Gu and another bear were being fed at Beijing Zoo when a 15-year-old boy crossed the 1.4-meter (4-foot-7) barrier surrounding his outdoor exercise area. The 240-pound (110 kilgram) bear turned on the visitor and began ripping chunks out his legs, according to the director of the zoo management office, identified only by his surname, Zhang.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/10/23/eabear123.xml



Female gorilla born at zoo
By Brian Alexander
Seattle Times staff reporter
RYAN HAWK / WOODLAND PARK ZOO
The baby girl is the twelfth successful gorilla birth for the zoo and the third offspring between 37-year-old Amanda and the father, 28-year-old Vip.
The Woodland Park Zoo is celebrating the birth of a female western lowland gorilla — the third offspring of its parents and the 12th successful birth of the endangered species at the zoo.
The gorilla was born about 3:30 a.m. Saturday. It is indoors off public exhibit while it remains under 24-hour observation.
The first 72 hours of a gorilla's life are the most critical, according to Dr. John Ochsenreiter, interim associate veterinarian of animal health.
The new gorilla, which does not yet have a name, seems to be well; her mother, Amanda, is showing "excellent maternal care," according to a news release.
The baby is particularly important because of its genetic diversity, according to the release. Its mother was born in the wild and its father, Vip, has only two other relatives outside of Woodland Park Zoo.
Public viewing of the baby and her mother will be dependent on outdoor temperatures, according to the zoo. A video of the newborn has been made available on the Web at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE4zFSYDDkU.
Brian Alexander: 206-464-2026 or balexander@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003968037_webgorilla22m.html



Animals of San Diego Zoo Staying Put
Written by Ayesha Thomas, Multimedia Producer
While firefighters rush to evacuate residents throughout San Diego, there is concern over about some furrier creatures at San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park.
Zoo officials say they spent most of the night moving critically endangered animals to the park's veterinary hospital.
According to the zoo's website: "The Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center has been chosen as the safe zone for the condors and animals not located in field enclosures. The area is free of brush and other fuels, is located near the highway, and is a state-of-the-art facility equipped with sprinkler systems and medical equipment."

http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=34242



Zoo's new president wants to bring back polar bears for display
CanWest News Service
Published: Tuesday, October 23, 2007
CALGARY -- Polar bears are coming, and beluga whales haven't been ruled out for the Calgary Zoo by its new president, who officially started work on Monday.
Clement Lanthier said the zoo will proceed with plans to acquire polar bears, and suggested the controversial move to bring in belugas remains on the back burner until more money can be found.
That could be several years away, he said.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=6b896cc8-12e9-4349-b33f-4584a83a8290



Zoo erupts with joy over baby jag's name
Top vote getter at floridatoday.com was Nindiri
BY CHRIS KRIDLER
FLORIDA TODAY
The Brevard Zoo's baby jaguar is now known as Nindiri, an appropriate name considering she's a "spitfire."
That's how Michelle Smurl, director of animal programs, describes the 4-month-old cat.
"We like to think of it as the daughter of Masaya," Smurl said Monday, when the name was announced at the conclusion of a floridatoday.com poll. "Masaya in Nicaragua is a volcanic area, and Nindiri is one of the eruptions on Masaya."

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071023/LIFE/710230316/1005



Zoo's new president wants to bring back polar bears for display
CanWest News Service
Published: Tuesday, October 23, 2007
CALGARY -- Polar bears are coming, and beluga whales haven't been ruled out for the Calgary Zoo by its new president, who officially started work on Monday.
Clement Lanthier said the zoo will proceed with plans to acquire polar bears, and suggested the controversial move to bring in belugas remains on the back burner until more money can be found.
That could be several years away, he said.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=6b896cc8-12e9-4349-b33f-4584a83a8290



Flamingos Killed in German Zoo Attack
3 days ago
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Intruders decapitated three flamingos and strangled a fourth in a grisly attack at Frankfurt's zoo, officials said Tuesday.
Police said the birds were killed inside their enclosure by intruders who sneaked into the zoo between Monday night and Tuesday morning.
The zoo said three of the birds killed were more than 30 years old. The fourth was a Chilean flamingo, a species native to the South American country.
The zoo counts several flamingos among its menagerie of animals that includes rhinoceros, hippos lions, giraffes and scores of different birds, insects and reptiles.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h-SHTE_uvNUHXTtIvpXBchPr6baw



Zoo welcomes newborn gorilla
By CASEY MCNERTHNEY
P-I REPORTER
A western lowland gorilla was born Saturday morning at Woodland Park Zoo. The female is the 12th gorilla born there and third offspring of the 37-year-old mother and the 28-year-old father.
The infant and mother are under round-the-clock observation and can't be viewed by the public, and staff said future viewing depends on outdoor temperatures. Meanwhile, staff members plan to post images and video on the zoo's Web site, zoo.org, and on YouTube.
"The first 72 hours are the most critical for a newborn gorilla," said the zoo's interim associate veterinarian of animal health, Dr. John Ochsenreiter.
"We need to ensure that mom and her infant are bonding, the infant is nursing properly and she is receiving adequate milk."

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/336439_gorilla23.html?source=mypi



The Maryland Zoo In Balt. Gets New President (Video)
(WJZ) BALTIMORE The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is about to get a new leader.
The zoo has weathered recent financial troubles, but Ron Matz reports they are looking toward the future.
It's home to more than 1,500 animals and now the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is preparing for a new leader.
Former Baltimore County Executive and civic leader Don Hutchinson will take over as interim zoo president. He'll evaluate all funding and operations. His first day will be Jan. 2, 2008.

http://wjz.com/local/local_story_296122017.html



Zoo Welcomes Two Baby Animals
Keepers Welcome Baby Potto, Bongo
POSTED: 11:36 am EDT October 23, 2007
UPDATED: 11:50 am EDT October 23, 2007
BOSTON -- There are two new adorable additions at the Franklin Park Zoo. A potto, a small primate, was born on Sept. 9, and a bongo, a type of antelope, on Sept. 28, zoo officials announced Tuesday.
The birth of the potto gave a boost to the tiny North American captive population, which only numbers 12 animals. Franklin Park Zoo is one of three zoos in the country to exhibit them, and one of the only zoos that has been consistently adding to the captive population.
This baby potto, not yet named, is the offspring of Tallensi (mother) and Rendille (father), and is being cared for by zoo staff off-exhibit, marking the third time a potto has been successfully hand-raised at Franklin Park Zoo. Zoo New England's animal care and veterinary staff prefer to have baby animals raised by their mothers, as they would be in the wild. However, Tallensi has never shown an interest in caring for her young so zoo staff had to step in to help ensure the baby potto’s survival.

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/14402992/detail.html



Fire Update from the Panda Station
Posted at 11:38 am October 23, 2007 by Pamela Crowe
As you are all aware, numerous fires are sweeping through the San Diego area. I know many of our devoted panda fans are worried about the safety of our animal collections and staff, and especially our pandas.
The fires are burning both to the north and south of the San Diego Zoo. They are still quite a good distance away, and are not posing any threats at this time. Though the air quality is quite poor in many parts of the county, here at the Zoo it’s not too bad. We are all so grateful that, at this point, the Zoo and our animal collections are safe. However, we are closely keeping an eye on our sister facility, San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park, which has been impacted by the fire. We are a family and will assist the Park as needed. Thankfully, the Park’s animals are okay.

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/fire-update-from-the-panda-station/



Image: Chimpanzee born at Wellington Zoo
Wednesday, 24 October 2007, 9:45 am
Press Release: Wellington Zoo
Media release
Chimpanzee born at Wellington Zoo
A chimpanzee was born at Wellington Zoo early on 22 October, Husbandry Manager, Suzette Nicholson announced today.
‘Our chimpanzee keeper Cassandra Butler came in to work on Monday morning and found that Sally had given birth at around 6am, a week early than expected. Both mother and baby appear to be doing well.’

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0710/S00246.htm



Money to Help L.V. Zoo Expand, Add Exhibits
The Lehigh Valley Zoo is seeing green. And it has nothing to do with a new frog exhibit coming next year. The zoo captured close to $100.000 in corporate donations today. WFMZ's Bo Koltnow has more. >> Reporter: A snap shot not easy to capture at the Arctic Wolf exhibit. But that's one reason why visitor Rick Carbonell likes the zoo. >> Rick: This zoo you can look at all the vistas and driving into the woods. It's part of the whole experience it's nice. >> Reporter: The zoo expects $100,000 people to get similar feelings this year. To draw more visitors inside extensive renovations, new exhibits, and expanded educational programs are planned.

http://wfmz.com/view/?id=167483



LA Zoo Video

http://cdn.dayport.com/wfmzimg/htm/DayPortWFMZPlayer.html?limit=10&articleID=167483&isSpanish=false&adInsertionInterval=2&bannerAdConDefID=8&defaultPreviewImage=http%3A//wfmzimg.dayport.com/img/icons/PlayerThumbnail.jpg&domain=wfmz.dayport.com&imageDomain=cdn.dayport.com/wfmzimg&limit_default=10&conDefID=2&videoAdObjectID=4&logoAdObjDefID=5&siteName=WFMZ%20TV&callLetters=WFMZ&version=20070627



Brand new BABY GORILLA!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE4zFSYDDkU&eurl=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/336439_gorilla23.html?source=mypi



Farewell, Our Silly, Sweet Boy
Posted at 9:41 am October 26, 2007 by Angie Fiore
It is with a heavy heart that I write this. For four years we have had the pleasure of caring for Mei Sheng, watching him grow from a tiny cub to the beautiful bear he is today. For me, Mei Sheng was the first bear to throw his back against the mesh for a much-anticipated back scratch, and from that moment on I was hooked. He continued to win my heart through his silly and sweet forays at the Giant Panda Research Station: wrestling with his favorite enrichment items, welcoming me each morning with bleats, anointing himself with the scents we spread around his exhibit. And then there was the particular scent that was not supposed to be enrichment: the alcohol used for his blood draw training. On his first session of cleaning his arm with the alcohol, Mei Sheng took one whiff, removed his arm from the sleeve, and proceeded to have a great roll around the crate while rubbing the scent all over his body, paying particular attention to his head! Of course, he was supposed to be in a “serious” training session, but we all had a great laugh and gladly waited for him to finish.

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/farewell-our-silly-sweet-boy/



Zoo elephants show support for Bengals
A photo of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger became part of Thursday's Pumpkin Pandemonium at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.
As part of its annual HallZOOween tradition, the zoo presents an animal version of trick-or-treating, which includes Gorilla Pumpkin Hunts, Snow Monkey Pumpkin Hide & Seeks, Polar Bear Pumpkin Bobs, and Elephant Pumpkin Smashes.
When Asian elephants My-Thai, Jati and Princess Schottzie, did the "Monster Mash," they always attract a crowd.
At Thursday's gathering, My-Thai's pumpkin featured a photo of Roethlisberger, and MyThai was pleased to crush it. The Bengals play the Steelers this weekend.
After crushing the pumpkins, the elephants get to eat the tasty treat.
Hall
ZOOween wraps up from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071026/NEWS01/710260375

continued...

Dallas Zoo keeper visits Madagascar to study wildlife

Deforestation and forest fragments in Madagascar
Those mountains are supposed to be covered in dense forest. They are permanently barren with the exception of 'shredded' (shredded is a legal biotic term - click here) biotic areas along the rivers and streams. The government required 66 feet of a tree line along it's water ways because of tourist interests. A vigorous work of conservation restoration needs to ensue and the United Nations should be advocating with all these countries to return their forests to their natural balance.

Elana Kopel, a keeper at the Dallas Zoo, went to Madagascar on a 16-day Earthwatch Institute expedition to study lemurs and other wildlife.

Madagascar is one of the most environmentally damaged country but permission of their government. The tropical forests are primarily gone and as a result there is less carbon sinks and erodible land. I'll find some references and place them here.

Conservation Carbon – Protecting Madagascar’s Northeastern ForestsRegion (click here)

Located off the east coast of Africa, Madagascar has been isolated from other landmasses for more than 160 million years. Consequently, most of Madagascar’s plant and animal species have evolved in long isolation, and many are found nowhere else on the planet. Highly threatened, Madagascar has been classified as one of the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots. Covering just 2.3 percent of the planet’s surface, hotspots face extreme threats and have already lost 70 percent of their original vegetation....

Madagascar's unique forest under threat (click here)

Ten years ago Friends of the Earth's Andrew Lees died trying to save an idyllic island. The Observer told his story. Now, as miners arrive, Jo Revill asks if he died in vain Sunday August 7, 2005The Observer
One of the world's biggest mining companies has been given permission to open up an enormous mine on the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar which will involve digging up some of the world's most unique forest.
The decision has outraged campaigners at Friends of the Earth, who had opposed the plans from the outset. It is all the more poignant because one of their leading directors, Andrew Lees, died 10 years ago in the same forest while investigating the controversial plans for a mine....

Video: Madagascar Forest Holds Uncommon Critters, Unwelcome Guests (click here)

March 8, 2006—Sorry, there are no animated zoo creatures here. But conservationists visiting Madagascar's remote Makira rain forest did find amazing wildlife, along with evidence of unexpected invaders. Watch as the researchers trek through unyielding jungle to record and protect the African island's rare animals—and stumble upon an ominous surprise.
Video by "Wild Chronicles," airing on PBS, made possible by National Geographic Mission Programs and WWF and presented by WLIW New York

The London Zoo
Posted by Mark
We decided to pass by the London Zoo today since its in Camden Town close to where we wanted to do some shopping. The zoo is larger than the Kuwait Zoo (duh) but much smaller than the San Diego Zoo. They have an incredible gorilla exhibit surprisingly with around 3 gorillas. The zoo looks like it was built in a forest, the whole area around the zoo is a huge green park with hills and trees and the inside of the zoo is the same. The zoo is actually split in two with a canal passing through, you need to cross a bridge to get to the other side, very cool. There are a couple of more pictures if you click on continue.

http://www.248am.com/mark/animals/the-london-zoo/



First director of Micke Grove Zoo dies
By Ross Farrow
News-Sentinel Staff Writer
Last updated: Friday, October 26, 2007 6:49 AM PDT
The first manager of the Micke Grove Zoo when it opened in 1957 has died.
Ronald Theodore Reuther, who has led a full life as a zoo manager and countless other pursuits, died Oct. 4 at his home in Belvedere, Marin County. He was 77.
Born Dec. 25, 1929, in Miami, Reuther moved to 1943 and later to San Francisco. He began his career with animals in 1957, when Micke Grove Zoo in Lodi opened for the first time. The zoo held its 50-year anniversary celebration in August.
Ronald Theodore Reuther
The zoo sits on land dedicated by William and Julia Micke for development of a park in 1938.

http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2007/10/26/news/5_reuther_071026.txt



Zoo animals get their pumpkins
Oct 26th, 2007 by kecute
Yay! for the cuties serving time. In recent news, the San Francisco zoo has already passed out Halloween treats to the animals. The pumpkins must be really tasty because they all seem to enjoy them.

http://kecute.wordpress.com/2007/10/26/zoo-animals-get-their-pumpkins/



'Nature in the Frame' at Chester Zoo
Friday 26 October 07
National Museum Liverpool's collections are an important source for a whole range of scientists, academics and researchers. One man who is no stranger to the zoological collections is acclaimed wildlife artist David Quinn. For over 25 years he has worked as an illustrator of a broad range of natural history publications. His incredibly detailed illustrations have featured in many books and journals dealing with bird identification issues and in academic studies concerning the biology, behaviour and ecology of birds. Not only are his illustrations and paintings extremely accurate, they are so incredibly lifelike and animated that the creatures depicted look as if they will spring to life at any minute. It's no surprise that he's a former winner of British Bird's 'Bird Illustrator of the Year' award.

http://blog.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/NatureInTheFrameAtChesterZoo.aspx



Zoo celebrates baby boom
26 October 2007 09:02
Six day-old Mandrill
COLCHESTER ZOO has been celebrating a baby boom in the past few weeks.
The new arrivals include two Red River hog piglets and two types of primates, a Squirrel Monkey and a Mandrill.
The two piglets were born to Mathilde, one of the two female Red River Hog at the zoo.
The Red River Hog are often hunted by farmers in Africa and are also hunted for the bush meat trade.

http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/news/story.aspx?brand=EADOnline&category=News&tBrand=EADOnline&tCategory=News&itemid=IPED26%20Oct%202007%2009%3A02%3A32%3A263



Zoo welcomes new addition to family
Oct 26, 2007 7:17 PM
Wellington Zoo is welcoming a new member into it's chimpanzee family after Sally the chimp gave birth.
It is the latest member of the chimpanzee family.
At four days old baby Abenny was born on Monday night, and given an African name.
Zoo staff are still not sure if she is a she, as mother Sally is very protective of her baby.

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1416917



Zoo Sharks Relocated
KOTV - 10/23/2007 4:41 PM - Updated 10/23/2007 6:32 PM
It was moving day Tuesday at the Tulsa Zoo. They are updating the shark exhibit and needed temporary housing for three nurse sharks. The News On 6’s Rick Wells reports moving almost four hundred pounds of live sharks isn't hard with enough people, but it isn't easy either.
The Tulsa Zoo is refurbishing its shark tank, so in the meantime, a temporary home for its three nurse sharks will be at The Oklahoma Aquarium.
The heaviest of the three sharks weighs more than 170 pounds so it takes some effort to get him moved.
At the Oklahoma Aquarium, the nurse sharks are sharing a tank with two big lemon sharks who were circling Tuesday afternoon, probably wondering about the new guys. And, they’re probably looking for food. Since the nurse sharks are bigger than a mouth full they're OK.
This move took a couple of months to plan with both the zoo and aquarium working together.
The three nurse sharks will remain in the holding area "off exhibit" at the Oklahoma Aquarium until the shark tank at the Tulsa Zoo has been renovated. Then, they'll be moved back.

http://www.kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=138478



Shark moving Video

http://www.kotv.com/e-clips/news/?id=9483



Almost $100,000 marked for Valley zoo
The Lehigh Valley Zoo is receiving almost $100,000 in corporate donations toward its education program as part of the state Department of Community and Economic Development's Educational Improvement Tax Credit program.
Ironton Telephone, a longtime supporter, has designated $50,000 for the zoo. The Lehigh Group has appropriated $40,000; Air Products and Chemicals Inc. $3,000; and Embassy Bank $1,000.
Also, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs announced that the zoo will be the exclusive sponsor of the Lehigh Valley IronPiglets Kids Club. A new supporter of the zoo, the IronPigs are co-sponsors of this weekend's Boo at the Zoo event.

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-b4-5zoo-1.6104719oct24,0,5752063.story


Zoo needs to make change in priorities
Published: 10/24/2007 12:28 AM
This is an open letter to Stuart Strahl, CEO of Brookfield Zoo.
Recently an innocent, endangered species entrusted to your care was killed. Killed not by the father, an Amur tiger who was reacting on instinct, but by the incompetence of your staff. This inexcusable error led to the death of a newborn and a valuable asset of the Brookfield Zoo. In recent years, Brookfield Zoo has become more enamored with building carousels and wedding pavilions than with its primary purpose of caring for those creatures upon whose very lives depend upon you and your staff. While your priorities drift to donors and galas, elephants are enclosed in cramped quarters; tigers, wolves and dolphins die.
No one doubts that zoos need better funding. Raise more money; however, if you can't raise the money and see to the welfare of those innocents in your care then resign and let someone take over who places the care of these creatures above all else. You and your staff have failed in your responsibilities. Have those directly responsible been dismissed or shunted to another less visible area? Will their continued neglect result in the loss of less popular exhibits than infant tigers?
A change in priorities needs to be done now, before more innocent lives are lost. If you are not up to it, move aside. It is not your life you are risking, but a life that cannot speak for itself.
Either change or leave.
Suzanne Berglund
Hinsdale

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=62760&src=



Africa section at zoo to roar in '09
$35M expands facility, adds animals
By Stephanie Sanchez / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 10/24/2007 12:00:00 AM MDT
El Pasoans will be able to eat in an African savannah by 2009 without spending thousands to get there, El Paso Zoo officials said.
After seven years and nearly $35 million, 70 percent of renovations and the expansion project to the El Paso Zoo has been completed. Most of the money came from a $33.4 million quality-of-life bond passed in 2000, and more money was donated. The zoo will grow from 13.5 acres to 33 acres, and new exhibits and other facilities are expected to open in 2009.
"This will benefit El Paso in every way possible," said Liz Kern, El Paso Zoo spokeswoman. "You want to be able to (take your children) to some place and teach them about animals. There is nothing that can duplicate seeing an animal up close -- an experience you can't get in a book."

http://www.elpasotimes.com/entertainment/ci_7263184



Zoo has scare or two up its sleeve
On Howloween night, the beasties and ghouls will stalk the Johannesburg Zoo, snacking on bug pizza and fried frogs. Take the family along for the show.
October 24, 2007
By Tabisa Mntengwana
DRESS up funny or scary and take the kids to Howloween at the Johannesburg Zoo on Saturday, 27 October. The fun starts at 5pm.
The zoo has lined up various games, including trick or treating. "We cater for the youngsters with no scary stuff as well as for the older children and adults to scare you witless," says the zoo.
And the theme is Be afraid, be very afraid, says Sophia Mtshali, the Joburg Zoo's events manager.
Guests will be welcomed at the gate by mime artists and stilt walkers.

http://www.joburg.org.za/2007/oct/oct24_zoohowloween.stm



Edinburgh zoo setback
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
Plans for a £72m redevelopment of Edinburgh Zoo has been set back after councilors declined to allow the zoo to commercially develop part of its land.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) has expressed it extreme disappointment in the outcome of the Special Meeting of the Planning Committee to discuss the Edinburgh City Local Plan.
Edinburgh Zoo's £72m masterplan envisaged selling off part of the site at Corstorphine for 100 new homes. However, Edinburgh City Council's planning committee decided not to earmark the land for development in the city's finalised local plan.
RZSS says will consider the implications of this decision and will seek the earliest possible meetings with the council.
A feasibility study revealed that the land to the west of the Zoo was surplus to the animal needs of the proposed new collection and was in contravention of the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) due to its steep gradient making it an area visitors could not use.

http://www.builderandengineer.co.uk/news/general/edinburgh-zoo-setback-914.html



Monkeys move in at Brevard Zoo
BY CHRIS KRIDLER
FLORIDA TODAY
The saki monkeys’ neighbor, baby jaguar Nindiri, has been getting all the attention, but these fluffy newcomers don’t seem to mind.
The placid pair arrived at Brevard Zoo a couple of weeks ago from other zoos — Chuckette, the female, from Sacramento, and white-faced Yuki, the male, from Denver. They are in quarantine while on exhibit, so keepers let them out last in the morning.

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071024/BREAKINGNEWS/71024050/1086



'Angel' ape delights zoo staff
The Dominion Post Thursday, 25 October 2007
Wellington Zoo staff are besotted with their new arrival, a baby chimpanzee with an "angel face" called Abeni.
View video: Chimpanzee born at Wellington Zoo
"The name is of African origin and means, `we wanted her, we got her, and she's ours'," said chimpanzee keeper Cassandra Butler.
Miss Butler went in to work on Monday morning and found chimp Sally had given birth a week earlier than expected.
"We had surveillance cameras and they captured the birth so that was great."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dominionpost/4249172a6000.html



Zoo director resigns amid financial woes
Doug Kemper resigns as executive director, will stay on as consultant
Wednesday October 24th, 2007
GULF BREEZE — The Zoo Northwest Florida is preparing for a transition following the resignation of its long-time executive director and the hiring of his replacement.
Doug Kemper submitted his resignation last week, said Chuck Emling, president of The Gulf Coast Zoological Society, which oversees The Zoo. Kemper’s resignation was approved Tuesday at the society’s meeting.
Kemper, who is out of the country and could not be reached for comment, has been at The Zoo for about six years.

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/article/9769


Zoo with our friends
Last Saturday, we went to the Mexico City zoo with our friends the Cottrills. They had seen our other video of the zoo and contacted us to see if we wanted to go with them. Their kids are a little older than Nathan, so we said sure. We had a great time. Hopefully, it will be the first of many times we get together with them.

http://ymimexico.youthministrytv.com/vlog/2007/10/24/zoo-with-our-friends/



Lincoln Park Zoo matches up super mascots, predicts Chicago win
Chicago PETA chapter applauds horse's bloody death
Friday, Feb. 2, 2007
After pitting a bear against a horse, the Lincoln Park Zoo knows who will win the Super Bowl and Bears fans will be happy to hear the news.
From the instant teams were announced, experts ranging from teen-aged Xbox gamers to the statistical gurus with super computers guaranteed a Colts victory. But the staff at the zoo begs to differ.

http://www.theheckler.com/news/templates/?a=611&z=3

continued...

Understanding Endangered Frog's Diet And Environment May Save It

A brightly coloured tropical frog under threat of extinction is the focus of a new research project hoping to better understand how environment and diet influence its development and behaviour. (Credit: Image courtesy of University of Manchester)

Science Daily (Oct. 25, 2007) — A brightly coloured tropical frog under threat of extinction is the focus of a new research project hoping to better understand how environment and diet influence its development and behaviour.

Biologists from The University of Manchester have teamed up with experts at Chester Zoo in the hope that their findings will not only help save the splendid leaf frog Cruziohyla calcarifer from extinction in the wild but provide clues as to how it can be better catered for in zoos and aquariums.
Loss of habitat in its native Costa Rican rainforest, combined with global declines in amphibian populations generally through a combination of environmental change and disease, have all contributed to the splendid leaf frog's precarious situation....

How to tell a jaguar to stick out its tongue and say "ahh"
By Jessa Franck, Keeper
Imagine you’re a Zookeeper working with the giraffes. You are putting a flake of alfalfa in the hay feeder when you notice the youngest female has a cut by her eye. She’s moving around so much that it’s hard to get a good look at the injury. What do you do? Anesthetizing any animal is risky and giraffes are among the worst due to their height and sensitive nature. Fortunately, you have been training the giraffes to accept brief examinations. You call her over to the training platform and reward her with small pieces of apple, grapes, and acacia leaves as she calmly touches her nose to a pole after hearing the command “target.” She starts to back up and you say “move up” then “eye” and “ear” as you manipulate the corresponding parts. The vet is standing next to you and he also has a chance to look over the injury. The cut is smaller than you first imagined and no treatment will be necessary other than daily monitoring for infection.

http://sacramentozoo.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-to-tell-jaguar-to-stick-out-its.html



BRONX ZOO: Yanks could hire new manager this week
Home News Tribune Online 10/24/07
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TAMPA: The New York Yankees could hire a new manager by the end of this week.""It's possible,'' Hank Steinbrenner said Wednesday, adding that the process could extend longer. ""We want to get it done as soon as possible.''
Hank, son of owner George Steinbrenner, spoke on his way into Legends Field before first-base coach Tony Pena became the third candidate to interview for the job that opened when Joe Torre quit last week. Yankees broadcaster Joe Girardi interviewed Monday and bench coach Don Mattingly on Tuesday.

http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071024/NEWS/71024014/1001/rss



Zoo Welcomes New Tiger Cubs
- 1 day ago - publicbroadcasting.net
The Buffalo Zoo announced Tuesday the births of two endangered Amur tiger cubs Amur tigers, formally called Siberian tigers, are the largest of the tiger species and are native to eastern Russia, northeastern China and northern regions of North Korea.

http://www.care2.com/news/member/100041282/519879



There is plenty of fun to be had at the Little Rock Zoo.
Boo at the Zoo is Arkansas’ largest Halloween festival that features trick-or-treating in a safe environment along with spooky lights, fun rides, great concessions, and other fun offerings.
This year’s Boo at the Zoo will feature VIP appearances from Sponge Bob Square Pants, Tigger, Scooby Doo, and Elmo each night of the event.
Boo at the Zoo offers extras such as the Haunted Train, Fun House, Haunted House, Beauty Shop of Horrors, and our nightly Creatures of the Night animal demonstration on the Civitan Amphitheatre stage.
Boo at the Zoo starts Oct. 24 through Oct. 31.

http://www.todaysthv.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=55169



Zoo Mourns the Loss of a Lioness
The Santa Barbara Zoo is mourning the loss of a very special member of its community, African Lioness "Kali". She was euthanized on Tuesday.
The 22-year-old lion was put to sleep because the Zoo wasn't able to treat her age-related illnesses.
Many will remember Kali for her calm disposition and powerful yet graceful presence.
She moved to the Zoo in 1985 when she was ten weeks old and has helped raise two lion cubs. She was the oldest lion in an accredited zoo.
The CEO of the zoo says she was one of the most photographed and popular animals at the zoo and she will be missed.
Her unfortunate death proceeds a special annual event at the Zoo this weekend called Boo at the Zoo.
Story Created: Oct 24, 2007 at 6:13 PM PDT
Story Updated: Oct 25, 2007 at 10:31 AM PDT

http://www.keyt.com/news/local/10779736.html



Zoo Mourns the Loss of a Lioness

http://www.keyt.com/news/local/10779736.html?video=YHI&t=a&randpre=9520462



Zoo to start breeding program with new African elephant
By MATT CAMPBELL
The Kansas City Star
The Kansas City Zoo announced Wednesday that it has acquired a new female African elephant and will attempt to start a breeding program.
All it needs now is a male.
Zoe, a 22-year-old, arrived at the zoo Tuesday after a 14-hour truck ride from the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, Texas.
“Zoe has an attitude,” said zoo director Randy Wisthoff.
While she is in quarantine, she can be viewed from an overlook outside the elephant barn, weather permitting. She will be introduced to the zoo’s six other female elephants.
The others are all over 25 years old and thought to be too old to produce calves, said Liz Harmon, general curator.
Wisthoff said the Association of Zoos and Aquariums has approved the zoo becoming an elephant-breeding facility, as has the Elephant Species Survival Plan, a cooperative agreement among zoos.
He said the zoo has begun its search for a bull elephant.
If one cannot be obtained, the zoo will explore an artificial insemination program, he said.
The zoo has one of the largest elephant facilities in North America. The zoo previously had two bull elephants, including the venerable Casey, but both died.
To reach Matt Campbell, call 816-234-4905 or send e-mail to mcampbell@kcstar.com .
To reach Matt Campbell, call 816-234-4905 or send e-mail to mcampbell@kcstar.com.

http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/331863.html



Boo At The Zoo Scares Up Fun For Everyone!

http://www.keyt.com/news/local/10779736.html?video=YHI&t=a&randpre=9520462



Zoo director resigns amid financial woes
By DUSTY RICKETTS, Florida Freedom Newspapers'
2007-10-25 08:30:00
GULF BREEZE — The Zoo Northwest Florida is preparing for a transition following the resignation of its long-time executive director and the hiring of his replacement.
Doug Kemper submitted his resignation last week, said Chuck Emling, president of The Gulf Coast Zoological Society, which oversees The Zoo. Kemper’s resignation was approved Tuesday at the society’s meeting.
Kemper, who is out of the country and could not be reached for comment, has been at The Zoo for about six years.

http://community.emeraldcoast.com/articles/zoo_19502___article.html/kemper_financial.html



Old age catches up with Santa Barbara Zoo's popular lion Kali
The Associated Press
Article Launched: 10/25/2007 05:29:19 AM PDT
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.—Old age finally caught up with the Santa Barbara Zoo's popular lion Kali.
The 22-year-old African lion was euthanized by zoo officials this week because of Kali's many age-related problems.
Kali, short for Kalahari, first arrived at the zoo as a 10-week-old cub.
But veterinary care could no longer ease the animal's age-related discomfort.
For many years, Kali faced kidney problems and the decision to euthanize the lion came after assessing her quality of life. Medications weren't working and she refused to eat.
———
Information from: Santa Barbara News-Press, http://www.newspress.com

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7276984?nclick_check=1


Zoo seeking volunteers
If you like animals and children and have some free time, the Pueblo Zoo wants to meet you.
The zoo has openings for volunteers for its Animal ABCs program for kindergarten students. Marti Osborn, associate director and education curator, said the new program has become quite popular, enough so that the zoo needs more bodies to fill the requests.
"We really need volunteers for this program, particularly," said Osborn.
Training includes learning about various animals. Some of the studying can be done at home with a DVD, if necessary.

http://www.chieftain.com/life/1193292404/2



Things go bump in the night — and day — at zoo
WEST AKRON — The Akron Zoo’s 19th annual Boo at the Zoo celebration got under way Oct. 18 for several days and nights of nonscary fun for families.
On Oct. 19, Ward Doornbos, 5, of Copley, ventured out in his Captain Hook costume, as shown above right.
Pictured below left is Evan Pomeraning, 6, of North Hill, wearing a Special Forces costume, who takes a break from the revelry with a dragon.

http://www.akron.com/20071025/csl5.asp



'Little Zoo' seeks zoning for new site
Gulf Shores Planning Commission unanimously favors rezoning donated plot
Thursday, October 25, 2007
By RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporter
GULF SHORES -- The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo took another step toward relocating to high and dry land north of the Intracoastal Waterway on Tuesday, winning the Planning Commission's unanimous support to rezone a tract off Baldwin County 6 to accommodate the menagerie.
The land -- 25 acres just east of Alabama 59 -- was given to the zoo in July 2006 by the family of local entrepreneur Clyde Weir and his daughter Andrea Weir Franklin, who own the Souvenir City shops in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.
Weir said at the time that his family decided to donate the tract after seeing the zoo's hurricane-related struggles in 2004 and 2005 depicted in the prime time Animal Planet series "The Little Zoo That Could."

http://www.al.com/news/press-register/baldwin.ssf?/base/news/119330390317810.xml&coll=3



Jungle Palms Restaurant and Zoo
by Steve
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Last July, an OCThen reader named Cindy asked if anyone remembers a little zoo in Fullerton, featuring a gorilla with a head wound...
Does anyone else remember the little zoo in Fullerton on Raymond and Orangethorpe? I remember going there last around 1970. It was next to the old Laura Scudders plant and the Akua Lodge Motel. They had a chimp that sometimes the zookeeper would let me hold and a big, sad old gorilla. The last time I saw the gorilla he had a head wound that was bleeding. I guess it is just as well it's no longer there as I don't think they took such great care of the animals.
By Cindy
We received the following response from "Eve"...

http://www.octhen.com/2007/10/jungle-palms-restaurant-and-zoo.htm



San Diego zoo ordered closed, Wild Animal park in immediate danger
Firefighters attempt to save homes in Rancho Bernardo, California, USA on 22 October 2007. More than a dozen wildfires have engulfed Southern California, killing at least one person, injuring dozens more and threatening scores of structures County officals have reported.. EPA/SEAN MASTERSON

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/usa/news/article_1367662.php/San_Diego_zoo_ordered_closed_Wild_Animal_park_in_immediate_danger



North Carolina State Zoo Announces "Big Sweep" a Success
The North Carolina Zoo, located in Asheboro, NC, announced that local efforts as part of the annual state wide litter collection effort held in September was a success and also set a new record for the total amount of litter collected. There was also a record turn out of volunteers who turned out to participate in the North Carolina annual event.
Originally founded as Beach Sweep in the late 1980's as a hastily planned effort to clean up debris and trash along coastal waters, the event attracted over 1,000 volunteers who gathered up more than 14 tons of trash and water clogging debris. In 1989 the annual event grew to become known as the Big Sweep which was the United States first state wide waterway cleanup event. Boasting more than 230,000 volunteers and over eight million tons of debris collected from waterways, the Big Sweep organization is also involved in such stewardship projects as the Marina Monofilament Line Recycling Project, the Pier Litter Educational Campaign, as well as the 12-month Adopt-A-Beach program.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/425237/north_carolina_state_zoo_announces.html



Mill Mountain Zoo unveils statue of Ruby the Tiger (10/25)
Ruby the Tiger may be gone but the Mill Mountain Zoo has found a way for her to be remembered.
This morning the zoo unveiled a statue of the tiger. Ruby was part of the zoo family for 18 years until she died in December.
This sculpture is eight feet long and weighs about 250 pounds.
Ruby was loved in life and even in death. Despite the rain, a group of onlookers came out to see the latest attraction.
Mill Mountain Zoo Director Sean Greene said, "When you say Ruby, it just was she was larger than life. She was the face of the zoo up here. She was so important to the growth of the zoo and we have been thinking about a way that we could fittingly tribute her."
It took six weeks to make the sculpture and another week to paint it.

http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=7265360



Video

http://www.wdbj7.com/global/video/popup/pop_player.asp?ClipID1=1869048&h1=Mill%20Mountain%20Zoo%20unveils%20statue%20of%20Ruby%20the%20Tiger%20%2810/25%29&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=44033&LaunchPageAdTag=News&activePane=info&playerVersion=1&hostPageUrl=http%3A//www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp%3FS%3D7265360&rnd=69566084


Two coastguards required to serve in Kaohsiung zoo
Friday, October 26, 2007
The China Post news staff
KAOSHIUNG, Taiwan -- A Kaohsiung district prosecutor has ordered two coastguards to serve in the zoo in the southern Taiwan port city for 160 hours each.
Sergeant Chen Yi-teh was found to have ridden a sea turtle on Taiping Island of the Spratley Archipelago. Another sergeant, Liao Wen-tai, picked up a baby sea turtle and made a gesture of eating it up. Both of them had their pictures of cruelty to the sea turtles taken. Neither of them were prosecuted for cruelty to animals on Tuesday, however. Instead, they were required to report to the Kaohsiung city zoo for 160 hours of volunteer work.
"It is hoped," the prosecutor said, "that the two sergeants will learn how to take good care of animals in the zoo."

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/2007/10/26/128181/Two-coastguards.htm



Zoo introduces new elephant, Zoe
By MATT CAMPBELL
The Kansas City Star
Zoe the elephant got a good deal.
The Kansas City Zoo’s newest addition to its pachyderm pack comes from a small zoo in Waco, Texas, where she had one companion. Here she will inhabit one of the largest elephant yards in the country with six other females.
“It’s like coming to an elephant penthouse,” said Scott McCall, manager of the elephant staff.
This afternoon Zoe explored a pen outside the large elephant barn within sight of some of the other residents, who were well aware of a newcomer in their midst.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/332717.html



Zoo gets three giraffes after 14 years
LAHORE: The Lahore Zoo has bought three giraffes, which will arrive from South Africa on November 2. The Lahore Zoo did not have any giraffe since the last one died after swallowing a plastic bag 14 years ago. The announcement of the purchase was made by the Wildlife Department, which permitted the purchase of a pair of southern giraffes (found in South Africa) for Rs 4.788 million. The giraffes had not reached yet because their international permit and exit were being arranged.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C10%5C26%5Cstory_26-10-2007_pg13_6



Famous Animals Quiz
Posted by Officer Crabtree at 09:49 on 27 Oct 2007
Another self completing quiz - groan.
Usual principle - think of a famous animal - zoos, pets, in films for each letter of the alphabet - give provenence if your choice is unusual.
NB We will not be including Fifi your pet poodle as she is only famous in your house.
Example: T = Trigger - (Roy Rogers' horse)

http://my.telegraph.co.uk/officer_crabtree/october_2007/famous_animals_quiz.htm



Favoritest Photo of the Week: Boo Bear
(AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Normally, we're not big fans of zoos, but we're staying objective for the selection of our Favoritest Photo of the Week. Nothing this week has simultaneously put The Slug in the Halloween spirit and made us say "awwwwww!" more than this grizzly bear stuffing her face in a jack-o-lantern. Carve out the original caption:

http://asapblogs.typepad.com/theslug/2007/10/favoritest-ph-2.html



Decision on fate of Potter Park arctic foxes to come tonight
Evening update
Kathleen Lavey
Lansing State Journal
UPDATED 5:50 P.M. - Dr. Dean Sienko said he wants a decision tonight as to whether Potter Park Zoo’s arctic foxes will have to be euthanized.
One of the foxes nipped the finger of a 10-year-old boy who climbed over the barrier to their enclosure last Saturday, zoo officials said.
Sienko said he was informed of the incident today.
If the boy’s family agrees to a series of rabies shots, the foxes will live. If not, the foxes will have to be killed for an autopsy, the only way to determine whether rabies is present.
The foxes have been vaccinated for rabies and are healthy, said zoo Director Gerry Brady.
The problem, Sienko said: The rabies vaccine was developed for dogs and is not licensed for use in foxes.
Brady said the boy’s mother doesn’t want him to have to undergo a series of rabies shots, so the foxes may have to be killed. Autopsy is the only way to determine whether an animal carries the rabies virus.
Brady said it’s impossible to tell which of the foxes nipped the boy, but that all of the animals have been vaccinated.
“They’re very healthy,” Brady said.
Check back at www.lsj.com for updates on this story.

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007310260005



DON'T WATCH THIS VIDEO UNLESS Y0U CAN TOLERATE GRUESOME VIOLENCE. WHO EVER PUT TOGETHER THIS VIDEO IS ABOUT THE SICKEST PERSON I HAVE WITNESSED IN A LIFE TIME. AND THERE ARE ADVERTISING DOLLARS THAT SPONSOR THIS GARBAGE. I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO WRITE THEIR LEGISLATORS TO STOP THIS LEVEL OF VIOLENCE OF CHILD CONTENT !!!!


Happy Tree Friends - Part II

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3ax38_happy-tree-friends-a-to-zoo-part-ii_fun

continued...

I said it was going to be $100 per barrel by the end of the year. Yep. Poor dollar, low stocks, invasion by Turkey. Yep.

Tehachapi wind farm (click here)

It sure looks good to me.

Wind farm at N.D. border to start by year's end (click here)
By Ben Shouse
Another border-straddling wind farm announced Wednesday it would start spinning by the end of the year, putting South Dakota on track to quadruple its production of electricity from wind.Acciona Energy, based in Sarriguren, Spain, is building 120 wind turbines at the Tatanka Wind Farm in North and South Dakota, according to the Governor's Office of Economic Development. The company has turbines in 180 wind farms worldwide.Tatanka will generate 88.5 megawatts of energy, enough to power the equivalent of roughly 26,000 homes. It would be the largest turbine installation in the state.
The state's first major wind farm is 44 megawatts near Highmore. The second - slated for 51 megawatts in South Dakota and 99 in Minnesota - is Minn-Dakota, also set to come online this year.

PRODUCTION (CRUDE OIL) ON THE DAVIS #5 FLOWING INTO TEMPORARY TANKS: (click here)

There is also a video of the zealotry of the industry culture at the bottom of the link.

The Electric Car (click here)

...The 2007 Tokyo motor show featured a raft of new models and radical concept cars giving a glimpse at our motoring future.

The Disaster President - Well said, Mr. Moore

George Stands on Yet Another Pile of Rubble (click here)

Georgie can't take the heat, "President gets his photo op four days after fire started."

Current USA military deaths in Iraq :: 3838

Minimum known Iraqi deaths :: 71,259

Current excess Iraqi deaths :: over 655,000

Current Iraqi refugees :: over 2 million

Progress toward stability and political solution for Iraq ::

Turkey: U.S. Won't Stop Iraq Invasion (click here)
Prime Minister Says American Objections Will Not Deter Fight Against Kurdish Rebels
ANKARA, Turkey, Oct. 25, 2007

One year ago, Bush stated he would invade Pakistan. This is the kind of leadership that results in stabilization of regions and negotiable peace? No. This is a figure head acting on the strings of his extremist electorate base. The Republicans don't make policy without a head nod from their electorate while stacking the deck for their profiteers. The USA doesn't need to be lead by puppets.

Rudy Giuliani - Which ever way the wind blows. Will the real Giuliani please stand up.

Blind ambition causes Rudy to submit to 'strategies' that will win an election. He is not capable of finding his own footing in policy making. The Republican Rudy Giuliani has emerged as a front runner without a backbone. This is typical of any Republican candidate for president. They are figure heads, no different than Walker Bush. Giuliani is a puppet whom's puppeteers are the Religious Right and Corporate Greed. Gosh that sounds familiar.

... in March, Rudolph W. Giuliani, who was not at the time known as a zealous supply-sider, held a news conference in Midtown Manhattan to announce that the conservative activist and former presidential candidate Steve Forbes would become his campaign co-chairman.

In the happy bluster of the event (Forbes declared that a Giuliani administration would launch "an assault" on the federal tax code), the former New York mayor was asked whether he would endorse Forbes's signature policy, the flat tax. A decade earlier, when Forbes made the flat tax part of the policy discussion, Giuliani dismissed it out of hand. Now, Giuliani was amenable. "The flat tax," he said, "would make a lot of sense."

(By Reed Saxon -- Associated Press)


It seemed a surprisingly ideological declaration for a candidate who had been billed as the pragmatist and the moderate in the 2008 Republican presidential field. For conservatives who believe in the policy, it split the difference between a thrilling moment and a puzzling one. "I've got to tell you, I don't think he understands what the Steve Forbes flat tax proposal is," said Alan Viard, a resident scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.

That Forbes and the Giuliani campaign had ever gotten together was largely the work of one man -- a longtime conservative insider and friend of Giuliani's who was once a Republican candidate for governor of California -- Bill Simon. Simon, the Giuliani campaign's policy director, had arranged a lunch at which Giuliani made the case to Forbes that he was the right kind of Republican. "What came through with both Bill and the mayor was that they really got it on the economy and on taxes," Forbes said.

Starting last fall, when Giuliani first called Simon and said he was running for president, Simon, 56, has been more responsible than anyone for Giuliani's policy education, and he has been the agent charged with managing the sometimes eager, sometimes awkward relationship between the former mayor of a liberal city and the conservative establishment.

Well before Giuliani said publicly that he would be a candidate, Simon put him through a rolling seminar that those in the campaign called Simon University, bringing in thinkers to brief Giuliani on key issues. The result is that though many of Giuliani's campaign operatives worked with him when he was mayor, his policy staffers, who have largely been assembled by Simon, come mostly from the think-tank world.

The roster of the seminars was a who's who of conservative intellectuals, and their ideas a menu of conservative thought. There were neoconservatives Norman Podhoretz, John R. Bolton and R. James Woolsey Jr. on foreign policy, as well as less ideological thinkers such as Gen. Anthony C. Zinni and Yale professor Charles Hill; the Hoover Institution's Michael Boskin on taxes and economic policy; Hoover's race scholars Shelby Steele and Thomas Sowell; and retired Gen. Jack Keane and the military scholar Frederick W. Kagan, the authors of the Iraq "surge."

"Simon is an incredible asset for the Giuliani campaign," said Grover Norquist, a conservative anti-tax activist. "He has the added advantage for Giuliani of being a serious social conservative and a pro-lifer, which gives people some assurance that social conservatives and judges will not be ignored."

Though Giuliani's natural inclination has been to talk primarily about national security and his experiences managing the city government in New York, Simon has helped coach him to express himself more prominently on positions that might resonate with the Republican Right: his conservative-leaning disposition on tax and economic policy, and his strict-constructionist views on judges.

Giuliani's senior policy advisers tend to favor some of the least popular elements of Bush administration policy. His most visible foreign policy adviser, Podhoretz, supports an armed intervention in Iran and a lengthy stay in Iraq. Giuliani's lead economic adviser, Boskin, was a prominent proponent of privatizing Social Security and remains convinced of the long-term necessity of private accounts. And Forbes, his campaign co-chairman, believes the Bush tax cuts did not go far enough in cutting marginal tax rates for the wealthy.

This has left Simon managing two ambitious, politically essential projects at once: helping to demonstrate that Giuliani is a conservative, and trying, through Giuliani, to ensure that his corner of the conservative movement is still powerful enough to pick the Republican nominee....

The existance of Human Induced Global Warming is not a myth, not a matter of 'belief.' It's a fact.

Antarctica Wind Chime

To illustrate how deceptive heat transfer is from a state of solid ice to one of sublimination of that ice, the temperatures across ...

October 26, 2007
0600 am
Antarctica

...the continent are freezing. The peninsula continues to be the warmest at a lower elevation/altitude/sea level actually, and the highest point of the ice the coldest.

This is an extreme environment and due to the severity of the cold there exists the ability to 'remain the same while absorbing damage. Over time there is visible loss of ice although the reality is such that the actual temperatures never 'seem' to reflect that. That is the 'property' of the latent heat of water that changes the state of water from ice to vapor. The ice in Antarctica rarely converts to water and runs off the continent, it receives heat from the equator and other latitudes and 'sublimes' into it's gaseous state.

Before the massive shift in cold air to counter the arrival of the heat transfer over East Antarctica, the peninsula was above freezing.

The warmest reporting stations in Antarctica:

Palmer Station, Antarctica

Time :: 3:00 AM CLST

Elevation :: 26 ft / 8 m

Temperature :: 27 °F / -3 °C

Conditions :: Light Snow

Humidity :: 67%

Dew Point :: 20 °F / -6 °C

Wind :: 34 mph / 54 km/h from the NNE Wind Gust :: -

Pressure :: 28.89 in / 978 hPa (Rising)

Visibility :: 10.0 miles / 16.0 kilometers

Aviation
Flight Rule:
VFR ()
Wind Speed :: 34 mph / 54 km/h /
Wind Dir :: 30° (NNE)
Ceiling :: 100000 ft / 100000 m



Vernadsky, Antarctica

Time :: 9:00 AM GMT

Elevation :: 36 ft / 11 m

Temperature :: 27 °F / -3 °C

Conditions :: Partly Cloudy

Humidity :: 68%

Dew Point :: 21 °F / -6 °C

Wind :: 15 mph / 24 km/h from the NE

Wind Gust :: -

Pressure :: 28.90 in / 979 hPa (Rising)

Visibility :: 12.0 miles / 20.0 kilometers

Aviation
Flight Rule:
VFR ()
Wind Speed :: 15 mph / 24 km/h /
Wind Dir :: 50° (NE)
Ceiling :: 100000 ft / 100000 m

The coldest reporting stations are :

Vostok, Antarctica

12:00 PM VOST

Elevation :: 11220 ft / 3420 m

Temperature :: -61 °F / -52 °C

Humidity :: 42%

Dew Point :: -68 °F / -56 °C

Wind :: 9 mph / 15 km/h from the West

Wind Gust :: -

Pressure :: in / hPa (Rising)

Visibility :: 12.0 miles / 20.0 kilometers

Aviation
Flight Rule:
VFR ()
Wind Speed:
9 mph / 15 km/h /

Wind Dir:
280° (West)
Ceiling:
100000 ft / 100000 m


Siple Dome, AA

9:50 PM NZDT

Temperature :: -15 °F / -26 °C

Wind :: Calm

Wind Gust :: -

Pressure :: 28.79 in / 975 hPa

Aviation
Flight Rule :: NA
Wind Speed :: 0 mph / 0 km/h /

Wind Dir :: N/A

Ceiling :: -


Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica

Time :: 9:50 PM NZDT

Elevation :: 9285 ft / 2830 m

Temperature :: -59 °F / -50 °C

Conditions :: Snow

Wind :: 15 mph / 24 km/h from the ESE

Wind Gust :: -

Pressure :: in / hPa (Falling)

Visibility :: 7.0 miles / 11.0 kilometers

Clouds :: Few 7874 ft / 2400 m
(Above Ground Level)
Aviation
Flight Rule :: VFR ()
Wind Speed :: 15 mph / 24 km/h /
Wind Dir :: 120° (ESE)
Ceiling :: 100000 ft / 100000 m

These are two interesting images, especially the response of 'cold' in Antartica

October 26, 2007
0722 gmt
Southern Hemisphere


October 23, 2007
1931 gmt
Southern Hemisphere


These satellite images are approximately two and a half days apart. Of notable significance is the massive movement of 'cold' air to counter the arrival of a heat transfer vortex. In the bottom image the coldest air mass is 'orange' in color and located in majority over the highest portion of the Blue Ice which is in Eastern Antarctica.

In the image at the top the 'area' of cold moves off the top ice to meet the heat transfer vortex arriving at the shoreline of Antarctica. That 'cold' is lost to the ice continent and will have a huge impact on the stability of the ice structures.

...So far this month, there's only been a trace of snow recorded. Typically 8 cm. falls during October.

October 25, 2007

Millet, Canada

Photographer states :: Damage to a portable garage from the high winds on Wednesday. Evidence of past storm can be seen(the rope). This structure was once picked up and thrown over the house by a 90mph wind gust

NO PERCIPITATION is a reality the USA and it's neighbor to the north has yet to get it's mind around.

Winds brought warm weather (link at title to entry)
(Breaking News) Thursday, 25 October 2007, 13:23 PST
Citizen Staff

Citizen staff
Those gusts of howling wind brought more than power outages to the area.
The chinook-like gusts also pushed the temperature to a high of 18.8 C by 3 p.m. Tuesday, just shy of the record for that day of 20.1 C, set in 1999. But the high for Wednesday of 16.8 C, reached at midnight, broke the old record for Oct. 24 of 15.6 C set in 1982.
The temperature dropped quickly over the following hours and a low of -1 C was recorded for Thursday morning.
"The cooler air is nicely settled in across the area," Environment Canada meteorlogist Jim Steele said Thursday morning.
Steele said the wind was the result of warm air from the south following in behind a front that dropped 22.8 mm. of rain on the city on Monday, which broke the old record for the day of 19.4 mm., set in 1978.
Power outages hit about 400 homes in the Prince George area, B.C. Hydro spokesman Bob Gammer said.
The first of the outages struck at about 5 a.m. Wednesday while the last of the lights was back on by about 10 p.m.
Wind speeds had reached as high at 43 km/h by 7 p.m. Tuesday and continued to howl late into the night before starting to subside at about 2 a.m. Wednesday. However, gusts of 28 km/h were recorded at about the time the first calls came into Hydro offices.
Steele said the current pattern should continue until Saturday when more rain clouds are expected to roll in for the weekend, with a chance of wet snow in the early morning.
So far this month, there's only been a trace of snow recorded. Typically 8 cm. falls during October.

In the year 2007-2008 a home is not just a home anymore...

It is common for the American home to be a work place as well. For people hit with devastating tragedy such as the Southern California wildfires, they see more than a home gone and treasured memories and belongings devastated; their entire ability to sustain their economic well being is gone.

Considering the state of the housing market and the credit connected to it, the devastation of the 'at home work place' economy contributes to a sustained declination of economic growth. The fires of Southern California are more than a personal tragedy, it impacts the economy both in California and the larger picture of economic recovery for the USA.

Southern California has to achieve water independence through desaliation so there is no day when drought dictates NOT TO WATER THE LAWN. There has to be a return of biotic stability sustainable through artificial measures with water delivery to even wilderness areas if necessary. Without any return of water vapor to the region enough to rehydrate the biotic nature of terra firma, the USA is destined for sustained disaster.

Governor Schwarzenegger has a large populous with significant trauma this time

Rachel Whittemore, 17, right, and her mother, Winsome, at Malibu Presbyterian Nursery School.

It was reported the evacuee venues were festive. That is the best venue to emotional recovery from such trauma. There are larger populations involved this time and there will be depression and emotional disorientation to the directions lives will take. Treating these folks as having diminished fiscal resources in support by government to relocate, even if temporary, will provide a smooth transition back to 'normalcy' while they figure out where all this goes from here. A return to a 'sustainable' life will springboard success instead of people left in disarray to depress their own economy and dismantle their return to happiness. I would think a healthy balance between a 'normal' life and recovery of property would diminish the trauma and provide hope.

It is a lot for a Governor and State Legislature to consider. I wish them all well. I don't believe the federal government is much help. Katrina still lingers in New Orleans. The States have to be able to respond to these emergencies nearly autonomously while supporting each other reginally, as the federal domestic authorities are failed and continue to fail the needs of the nation under this administration. Maintaining economies after this level of trauma will be an interesting community dynamics that will bring them out of this tragedy quicker than if they are left to cope alone.





A CDF firefighter is dwarfed by flames along East Grade Road on Palomar Mountain.


The firefighters were dedicated by at the same time had fire dynamics that more than likely took an emotional toll on their ability to protect the public. Many may have lost homes as well. There is potential for changing the technology and the methodology of fighting these infernos. As difficult as this may seem, it may be in realizing there are areas of Southern California prone to this disaster and while living there is a wonderful quality of life, it may not be a sustainable financial dynamic for many families.


At some point, a hard look at the 'realistic' future outcomes has to ensue and 'rebuilding' may be more foolish than prudent. A similar assessment to FEMA hurricane standards and flooding has to apply to areas prone to this tragedy. It is my estimation this could happen year after year as the continued trend in drought provides fuel to such events.


The trend is to drier and drier dynamics and not a return to sustainable biotic conditions. The 'idea' of recovery conservation should be considered in this instance for sustainable movement toward lush biota with desaliation plants and continuous hydration of the topsoil and plant nourishment as a buffer to housing and potential chronic drought. It's expensive.

The migrating air mass from the location of the tropical storm helped calm the winds in Southern California (12 hour loop - click here)

October 25, 2007
0815z
UNISYS Water Vapor satellite of the north and west hemisphere (12 hour loop click here, thank you)

The hemispheric satellite shows a very slow and meandering system of depleted water vapor throughout with revitalization of a continental vortex currently Mississippi. The east coast of the USA where the densest CO2 accumulates has water vapor migrating out of the Carribean Sea where a anti-cyclonic vortex is loosely organized. This dynamic also helped contribute to a more stable tropospheric air mass over southern California. These two vortices, one in the Pacific and one in the Atlantic have manifested together previously in more intense air mass instability. Another 'loose and large' vortex was seen a few days ago near Mexico where it delivered some intense storms. These systems are taking a long time to develope starved for water vapor to generate their heat transfer ability.

October 25, 2007

1815z

UNISYS Water Vapor GOES West Satellite

The air mass was jet propelled further west into the Pacific where it found water vapor off the Equator. With that it was able to organize and begin to concentrate heat and energy into a low pressure system that would reduce the winds over Southern California. No rain, there isn't going to be, but, a change in the dynamics of the tropospheric air mass allowed enough of a reduction in wind to allow CONVENTIONAL fire fighting techniques and mechanisms the ability to stop the progression of the 'drought tinderbox' fires.

This is the sad reality of Southern California. It's a national disgrace. The USA has NO policy of the prevention of Human Induced Global Warming.

The link at the title above is a review of an interview with the retired founder of CNN, Ted Turner. The staff and crew of CNN should read the words of their 'former boss' and realize how every "W"rong they are in their focus. The rest of the media organizations should follow suit and realize the problems they cause in Western Media with their political bias and pandering.

Ted Turner has been a strong proponent to peace and environmental stability. He has contributed large amounts of funds to the United Nations, especially in the years when Republican administrations in DC wouldn't pay the USA's dues to the United Nations. Not only that but he has been the sponsor of ideas such as 'micro-credit' whereby impoverished citizens of third world countries are able to obtain loans to better their lives.

Ted Turner is not about politics. He is about issues and in this instance I could not agree with him more. The media in recent years turned away from the facts and the brevity of those facts and due to pressure and politics at the FCC have been required to 'administer' justice to the Chrisitan Right without court hearings or regard to other religions in the country. All the media was forced into principles of extremist "Fundamental" agendas for their outlets to cater to war and conservative preferences. It has been "W"rong, it continues to be "W"rong and it needs to stop.

Human Induced Global Warming is not a political issue, it's a matter of survival. It is the most pressing issue facing the USA and as a result 'the world of nations.' The USA has done nothing to prepare for these outcomes, including water source issues and now we have entire metropolitan areas facing the greatest challenge they have ever faced. They are alone in their plight facing only help from their state governments. NOTHING has been done to avert these tragedies including these wildfires in Southern California by stopping the trend of Human Induced Global Warming and reversing that trend. Instead, every available measure to increase the emission of these gases has been given opportunity by the Bush White House and Republican Majority extending back to 1994. It's a national disgrace and it takes on a political tilt because of the cronism of Republicans. The nation can't get anything done to stop this trend because every time it tries there is political partisanism catering to Republican cronies and agenda.

Human Induced Global Warming is not a political issue. It's a matter of Republican corruption and that is all it is.

Iran is not a political issue either. As with Human Induced Global Warming, there is a right path and a "W"rong path. The Republicans insist on choosing the "W"rong path all the time. They are incompetent. They 'sell themselves' to their electorate based on Christian priorities and they are returned to the legislature to wheeled power over the USA treasury and regulatory powers of the federal government. It's "W"rong, it's immoral and it's totally ineffective government.

"Freedom of the Press" has come to be the Fourth Estate of the USA government. The place where citizens get information, help educate each other and affect change in their government. That has been destroyed. Now, the press is partisan and influence peddlers for the Christian Right. It is biased, prejudice, bigoted and now poses real dangers to citizens of the USA and other countries because of the NEGLIGENCE of issues, while allowing the Republicans to spend monies they never had, causing undue burdens on future generations.

The USA has lost it's way. It is due to the corruption of the Republican Party and it's unwillingness to accept facts that relate to real issues the USA federal legislature and Executive Branch had to tackle. Now, we are involved with the unrelenting heating of Earth and STILL nothing is being done in hopes nothing will be done while power pander to electing still another unqualified, biased and incompetent Republican.

I appreciate Ted Turner for riding the white horse again. It's an important position and he among all in the media business has been the mover and shaker to so much including advocating "The Shield Law" for journalists. The media better find it's stride on these issues and if it means condemning Bush and Cheney and the Executive Branch along with the Republicans then I suggest they get on it. NOW !


October 23, 2007
Valley Center, California
Photographer states :: This pic was taked 10/23/07 in Harras Casino in valley center the fire is very close to the big and luxor casino!

The cause for these extensive and unrelenting fires is due to extreme drought and extremely dry conditions as well as high winds. These are extreme conditions. They are not 'normal' even by the longest stretch of the imagination for Southern California. The drought is profound and caused from lack of water vapor in the troposphere.


October 24, 2007
Econdido, California
Photographer states :: This pic was taked 10/24/07 close to Lake Hodges!

Cultural Bias in the Media in reporting the California Wildfires

You know, Old Hallows Eve is on the way and the devil is coming to town so he annouced the fact by burning down California. It is that simplistic thinking and pandering that provides a venue for incompetent government and 'explaining' away much needed policy to prevent such tragedy again. It's unfortunate every news event is an opportunity for policial influence peddling when the reality is Americans die for very real reasons. Spiritual death is another topic and one that should be made by preachers. This is simply outrageous to think the media is this overwhelmed with pandering to a religious minority in order to please the FCC. It's idiocy. At least in this picture there is actually frost on the pumpkin which won't happen in many places across the southern USA this year.


CULT-ural bias and bigotry in the media intended for INFLUENCE PEDDLING ! This is a well established 'cult'ural icon of the Christian Right. Just that simple.


CULT-ural Bias and Bigotry in the media intended to be INFLUENCE PEDDLING !

Do we really need it? There are more than Christian Conservatives that are supposed to have access to UNBIASED reports of such tragedy.

This is the title to the New York Times. CNN is just as bad if not worse.

The New York Times needs to get rid of it's biased staff in their newsrooom. They are chronically overshadowing reality with religious bias and bigotry when they can get away with it. If a person cannot work for a media organization without bigoting their facts then that is nothing but a propaganda campaign against those that see the world differently. Someone should file a class action suit to stop this hideous practice by all media. Pandering to a particular religious 'sect' is hardly American or the practice of freedom !

California Wildfires Have Burned 666 Square Miles

At what point in time were there 666 square miles burnt. I am assuming by that statement it's over now, because if it's not then that is CULTURAL BIAS intended to entertain the thought a spiritual devil at work and it's offending. 666 is stupid and childish and insulting. I am not Christian Conservative and NEVER will be. It's outrageous.

If I appraise the circumstances in California RIGHT NOW there is no determining accurately the description of the FACTS of the fire in square miles because every moment that goes by the area increases, so the reporting is grossly inaccurate.

Last night CNN embarked on the same BIASED CULTURAL RANT. Instead of stating the forests were dry due to drought and Human Induced Global Warming, they used the term "...there is a lot of fuel...' on the ground. That is a 'clue' to the audience that California is mismanaging it's forests and therefore there was more 'wood' on the ground that caused this tragedy. That is hogwash.

Then they emphasied "The Witch Fire" as if there was no other fire at work in Southern California.

It's all propaganda and this an outrageous bias in reporting by The New York Times. Honestly.