Friday, June 29, 2007

Michael Moore's finances in robust health



...Thanks to a lucrative contract negotiated with the Weinstein Co. by his talent agent, Endeavor's Ari Emanuel, Moore is in line to receive 50% of "Sicko's" gross profits — arguably one of the most lucrative deals on Hollywood's books, richer even than those enjoyed by the likes of Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts and director Peter Jackson. After theater owners have taken their cut, in other words, "Sicko's" profits will be split in half between Moore and Harvey and Bob Weinstein, whose Weinstein Co. is releasing the film nationally today.


And that's not the only place Moore's deal eclipses almost all other movie deals. While most actors and directors get a cut calculated on 20% of a film's DVD revenue, Moore's cut of those earnings is calculated based on all of the DVD proceeds. Of course, since Moore's documentaries take in far less than most big-studio movies, his bigger slice is of a much smaller pie. The ramifications of that loaded deal are not lost on the filmmaker, particularly since "Sicko" is arguably his most populist film yet.


This is an article about Micheal. He deserves his money. This film could very well change the face of American healthcare and no one will offer him royalities if that occurs. I have tickets waiting for me at the theater this evening, so I won't belay my leaving to enjoy the summer heat.


I have not reviewed 'the newspapers' this week. I may take a look at the issues tomorrow. There is a brevity manifesting in DC regarding the high levels of corruption notably in the Executive Branch. Certainly, the discovery of an 'underground' network of terrorists in Britain is again a reminder of the serious nature of the world we live in. But, also to realize the expertise of the authorities there have to thwart any attack is more impressive than the efforts to build bombs and kill. I congratulate the Brits for their incredibly 'able' society. I am also not surprised at the 'timing' of these car bombs. We have noted before that with any change in government, including the elections in Madrid, what accompanies these democratic principles is an attempt to discredit them with violence by terrorists with a huge psychological agenda to change 'the way The West' thinks. So, we persist. And especially. In the USA. The 'liberals' are the greatest asset to 'the concept' of freedom, especially the freedom of thought.


Regards.


...later...

Before I discuss the alarmingly crass, Ann Coulter, I'll prove how completely incompetent the Robert's Court actually is.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the USA reversed the directive to desegregate schools, and I don't care if Kennedy tried to walk 'the middle ground, he failed the people of this nation.

There was no 'solid' reason for this decision making as is the case 'chronically' with Scalia, Thomas, Alito and Roberts. These four men make decisions on ideology and economic benefit. Ultimately, this decision ends bussing. More money in the pockets of the taxpayers. This court is highly political in all decisions while the Four ? conservative' judges seek to intimidate the others with malpractice or some stupid thing. That is the only thing I can realize that causes Kennedy to even 'give pause' to this ideology. Bush and Cheney have to be up to some kind of monkey business here. Some kind of power play.

But that said and realizing I could be completely wrong and this might be the passion of Kennedy finally coming to the surface, the decisions of the Robert's Court is grossly flawed.




To begin, there was no discrimination with the decision making of these school districts. The students attending these schools systems have to qualify for certain programs. These programs are considered 'special' and 'adventageous' to the best outcome of a student's scholastic standing. So the 'idea' that these students were chosen based on race is false from the beginning. These students had to 'achieve' this standing of academically attractive, in order to be considered for the placement in these special school opportunities. If any student didn't qualify there would not be placement into these programs. This is simply 'not just' decisions made by race or 'minority standing.' Women, by the way, are considered in similar compromised stature in social consideration as minorities.

Okay, so then what is a 'fair' decision? We have seen something like this in Michigan. Yes? Whereby the University 'assigned' 'weighted decisions' to students to facilitate 'fairness' in admission to university level educations. Part of that 'statistically' has to be race simply because 'that is the way it is' in the USA. There is absolutely no concrete reason for this decision by the Robert's court. The addition of 'race' to this process was no different than the consideration by The University of Michigan.

Additionally, in the year 2005, there were TWO, count them TWO Black PhDs to graduate from the USA university system. That statistic alone is astounding. The statistical disadvantage of a Black minority student in any aspect of life of being TAUGHT by a Black PhD is virtually impossible. At this rate, the sun will nova before minorities have a reason to say they have equality in the USA. These decisions by the Robert's Court is simply bigoted and extremely poorly considered and decided.

Okay? Now. There is a reason to overturn Brown vs. Board of Education. A reason based in fairness. A reason that is appropriate. That reason is when it is SHOWN the majority of the USA have a disadvantage to the minorities in the country. In other words, the decision Brown vs. ... worked so well there is now a disparity in opportunity to the white folks, primarily men. That day will never come at this rate. A 'reasonable' decision to reverse Brown vs... would have to include 'proof' of that disparity in the way of adverse statistics revealing lack of progress of the USA majority in light of the application of the statue WHILE proving there are NO, NONE, NADA other factors at work causing that disparity.

It is outrageous to realize parents simply 'poo-pooed' Brown vs... because they 'thought' it was race alone that caused the adverse decisions for their children. Would they consider flipping a coin any different? That is used in some instances in districts with 'magnet' schools. As I write this there are 'perferred' placement in schools in Wilmington, North Carolina that are literally decided by a 'lottery.' Would parents consider that a better alternative, because, when they go before the Supreme Court of the USA to deny 'equity' to all children 'weighted' by social realities that is exactly what they are doing. The attorney's for the parents offered no statistics that would prove the adversity of this broadly applied law to the American society. The plaintiffs literally complained that being of a certain race was really lousy in the face of adverse decisions made by highly dynamic statistical reasons. Well, gosh, do you think? Do you think reversing decades of discrimination comes overnight? Well, it doesn't. Frequently it is a bitter pill to swallow while realizing in the 'long view' the USA will be a far better country to live.

In the case of 'more money' for 'price fixing' do I have to explain this one? I mean the 'horse hockey' floating around the net about the ? advantages ? of this one is so obviously stupid. Price fixing will literally hold the American consumers hostage to corporations.

This decision REVERSED the intent of 'anti-trust.' Where do you think this is going?

Century-Old Ban Lifted on Minimum Retail Pricing (click here)
WASHINGTON, June 28 — Striking down an antitrust rule nearly a century old, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that it was not automatically unlawful for manufacturers and distributors to agree on minimum retail prices.
The decision will give producers significantly more, though not unlimited, power to dictate retail prices and to restrict the flexibility of discounters....

I don't believe there will be any limits except what the states place on merchandise/services/etc. marketed within their borders. I mean here we go again with States and the right to monitor the well being of their consumers, which should have been happening in the housing market.

This decision leads to cartels and/or cartel-like cultures by corporations both inside the USA and outside of it when marketing to Americans. I can't state enough how towns and cities need to focus on 'local economies' whereby they are accountable in a real way to their consumers while shunning 'corporate' style merchandise.

It's a very difficult 'thing' for Americans to 'find a way' with the pressure of corporations' to undersell 'very good' merchandise of which small worker-owned enterprises produce. It is nearly a 'conscience' decision to Buy American over and above all other products. I think we know the importance of that and are turning more and more on self reliance especially in the face of failed government both domestically and abroad. Domestically we have learned that imports can harm us in the way we eat and can kill our pets. Internationally our jobs left the country and/or were assigned to illegals that found 'ease' in crossing our borders to provide cheap labor while our American ports were assigned as profitable enterprises known to be foreign in origin with history of sympathizing with terrorists.

This is just another nail in the coffin of 'The American Corporation.' We don't want corporate health care anymore and we aren't about to be held hostages to corporate greed as we have with Halliburton and Big Oil. This is just another 'power play' by Bush's affinity for favoring corporations to 'attempt to float' an economy. Americans providing an economy for Americans will rob these indulgent Neocon decisions of their impact.

Along awaited justice for the truly innocent. "Hang 'em High in Texas no longer includes the insane." I'll be darn. There is an aspect to American society that don't know the harm they do. THAT, in and of itself has even farther reaching implications as America awakens to the fact there are those among us that are IGNORED by a healthcare system to treat mental illness. I'll be darn. It's about time the USA has a ruling that is just ! No thanks to the four major incompetents on the court including the 'chief.' Gee, Chiefs whether they come from the Judicial Branch of government or the Executive don't seem to be the quality we are used to in this country !

Supreme Court Blocks Execution of Delusional Killer (click here)
HOUSTON, June 28 — Amplifying its ban against execution of the insane, a closely divided United States Supreme Court on Thursday overturned the death sentence of a delusional Texas murderer who insisted that he was being punished for preaching the Gospel.
In a rebuke to lower courts, the justices ruled 5 to 4 that the defendant, Scott Louis Panetti, had not been shown to have sufficient understanding of why he was to be put to death for gunning down his wife’s parents in 1992.
The court, acting on the last day of the 2006-7 term, declined to lay out a new standard for competency in capital cases. But it found that existing protections had not been afforded.
Justice
Anthony M. Kennedy provided the swing vote, joined by the court’s liberal wing: Justices John Paul Stevens, David H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer.


BREAK TIME. I'll deal with Coulter or whatever her name is in a different breath than the idiots at the 'top spot' of the Judiciary. By the way is Gonzalez still there?

A look at Ann Coulter's 'appearance' on "Hardball with Chris Matthews." I find it nothing short of brilliant he should put her 'on the spot' with Elizabeth Edwards, evidently the show has tighter security than the White House for the lack of leaks that occurred to Ms. Coulter surrounding this 'surprise.' It was completely evident she was not only surprised but befuddled by the interaction. That's not surprising, Ann Coulter is befuddled about most issues in her life, as she finds it far easier to allow 'a party line' to dictate her behaviors and decision making. How convenient.


"...CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Ann Coulter, author of “Godless: The Church of Liberalism,” plays HARDBALL. Let‘s play with her!..." By all means, play with Ann and her ludicrous priorities.

The focus of her appearance was to adovcate violence in the 'human theater.' I want to take a look first at the transcript to be accurate in the number of times, Ms. Coulter stated she wanted people, you know human beings to die. You know, Ann is the icon of the women of Bush that call for the Supreme Court to harness the power of the American uterus to produce armies of people to kill others.

Right out of the box, Annie has no intention of seeking a diplomatic solution or mentioning the word peace, but, she honestly states she doesn't know much about the issues of which she speaks:


MATTHEWS: So what do you make of the war, where the president‘s talking—Tony Snow, the president‘s spokesman, is talking a long-term commitment beyond September, people talking about a Korean-style commitment of a half a century. Is that bad PR?

COULTER: I don‘t know. I mean, I‘m not very savvy about PR. What I do know is that it would be a disaster if we pulled out. And maybe we could fight the war a little harder and not keep responding to Amnesty International...






The fighting she is talking about doesn't have referees or bells at the end of each round. She is stating when she uses the words, ...we could fight the war a little harder..., that we need to kill more people. And here she even states, ...I think we need to be less worried about civilian casualties.... Really? So, let's see, the USA under Bush and Cheney embark on an illegal war, lie about the impetus for the war, proceed immediately to no bid contracts that gets Dick of the hook with Halliburton stockholders, but, we should kill more people. Not that the people of Iraq are human beings at all. As Ann goes on to state realizing she just advocated the death of innocent civilians, these people are NOT human beings, they are 'terrorists.' So, therefore, it is easy to assume in the mind of Ann Coulter that every 'preceived innocent civilian' in Iraq is a terrorist or at least with the potential of and therefore should have a reign of bombs and bullets showered on them to eliminate the 'enemy' from within.


MATTHEWS: More troops?


COULTER: I don‘t think we even need more troops. I think we need to be less worried about civilian casualties.


I mean, are the terrorists—are Islamic terrorists a more frightening enemy than the Nazis war machine? I don‘t think so. Fanatics can be stopped. Japanese kamikaze bombers—you can stop them by bombing their society. We killed more people in two nights over Hamburg than we have in the entire course of the Iraq war.

It would seem Ann would have the same directive of Bush and Cheney in that a victory at any cost is a prime directive and that the deaths of people in Iraq is an insignificant loss to 'the cause' of spreading democracy throughout Islam. Does she realize by 'backing' such a hideous concept of promoting democracy in countries with established and benevolent leaders of which are monarchies, she is actually declaring war against most sovereign countries in the Middle East? Probably not. Her, mind speak, is so complete that any reality other than 'the cause' is eliminated in a way that would guarantee death to hundreds of thousands if not millions of innocent people.

She asked the question, "I mean, are the terrorists—are Islamic terrorists a more frightening enemy than the Nazis war machine?". I would like to answer that. No. The terrorists in Iraq are rather few in number. There are a lot of people in opposition to this war that are actually citizens of Iraq that use whatever means available to stop the USA occupation. They do it with remarkable freedom of movement. They do it in a Civil War with each other. But the real answer I wanted to give to that question is that I find the Islamic terrorists and the Nazis far less scary than the hegemony Ann Coulter advocates.

The appearance of Coulter goes on and on in an entertaining way not captured here in words. She was smiling and being herself with Chris, all the while entertaining the 'idea' that killing is like a good 'gum workout' with a dental hygienist: "COULTER: I think I‘ve just said it. You cannot fight a clean, hygienic work." Over and over again she advocated killing of innocent civilians as a means of stopping terrorists. Let me see if I can count that advocacy and then I'll move on to the interaction with Elizabeth Edwards.

I actually lost count. There were minimally thirty six times Ann Coulter advocated killing of ANY people including those that practice religion other than Christianity. If I may? ... I think we either have to get rid of this secular religion of FDR, or we have to get rid of the idea of a hygienic war because that was not a clean, hygienic war, World War Two. We killed a lot of civilians, and we crushed the Nazi war machine. She also states about the Koran, which has gotten American military in plenty of trouble in Gitmo, "And the idea that Nazism, which was tied to a civilized culture, was less of a threat than the Koran, tied to a Stone Age culture, I think is preposterous!.."

This was a precious statement and must reflect a frustration with Condi's shoe shopping when Katrina hit: "No! No. Because you are destroying the society that has produced these monsters. And you win by killing the other side and not allowing your side to be killed. Withdrawal would be the worst thing we could do. We could definitely fight it a little bit harder. I mean, I understand why Rumsfeld wanted to have a small footprint. It is a little bit different since it wasn‘t a country attacking us, it is this ideology that has spread throughout the Middle East. Yes, that makes it a lot trickier. But the small footprint didn‘t really work. Americans are getting fed up. Democracies don‘t like to go to war, so we‘re going to have to wrap it up quickly and destroy the fighting spirit of the fanatics."



Next time, if there is ever a next time, I'll bring my manual counter used in mass production to count the number of American cars that do not emit carbon dioxide as they roll off the assembly line in order to keep up with the verbose Coulter hatred of humanity.

But, the issue with The Edwards is really very distressing and Elizabeth is absolutely within her rights to confront this maniac whom seems to think she can take views about people with immunity to any backlash that matters.

This is how the exchange began:


COULTER: We‘re still paying for the New Deal and Social Security.

MATTHEWS: You know who is on the line? Somebody to respond to what you said about Edwards yesterday morning. Elizabeth Edwards. She wanted to call in today. We said she could. Elizabeth Edwards, go on the line. You‘re on the line with Ann Coulter.

ELIZABETH EDWARDS, WIFE OF JOHN EDWARDS: Hello, Chris.

MATTHEWS: Do you want to say something directly to the person who is with me?

EDWARDS: I‘m calling—you know, in the South, we—when someone does something that displeases us, we want to ask them politely to stop doing it.
I would like to ask Ann Coulter to—if she wants to debate on issues, on positions, we certainly disagree with nearly everything she said on your show today. But—but it is quite another matter to—for these personal attacks.
That‘s—the things that she has said over the years, not just about John, but about other candidates, is—lowers our—our political dialogue precisely at the time that we need to raise it.
So, I—I want to use the opportunity, which I don‘t get much, because Ann and I don‘t hang out with the same people—to ask...


(CROSSTALK)

COULTER: ... have enough money.

EDWARDS: .... her politely to stop the personal attacks.

COULTER: OK. So, I made a joke, let‘s see, six months ago.
And, as you point out, they have been raising money off of it for six months, since then.


MATTHEWS: But this is yesterday morning, what you said about him.

COULTER: I didn‘t say anything about him, actually, either time.

EDWARDS: Ann knows—you know that‘s not true. And, what‘s more, this has been going on for some time.

The definiton of 'time removed' as relevant to the issues of the day purported by Ann Coulter as a means of defense to her persistent personal attacks of The Edwards ends up being three years. It's rather incredible to realize Ann actually admits to personally attacking The Edwards for three years in grossly inappropriate ways. It is also rather astounding that the 'focus' of the justification for these 'personal attacks' is notably for campaign fund raising.

I mean, where does that come from? I am quite confident when The Edwards lost their son it was a profound loss to them and they weren't looking to benefit from any sympathy in a presidential bid.

These attacks, and that is exactly what they are, surmount to demoralizing John Edwards as a loving father and somehow a hopeless candidate relying only on sympathy by the public to win a victory to the Oval Office. It's not only ludicous but also litigable if John ever decides to stop being the gentleman he obviously is.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a potential for a John Edwards run for the White House. He is a wonderful man by every measure of American values and quite qualified to lead this country. He has probably walked more miles to reach out to people in campaigning than any other candidate in the field.

The Edwards are simply wonderful people with high moral standards and love their children dearly. The entire 'idea' that a child's death should be more than it is for the purpose of campaign fund raising is simply ludicrous and I propose that Ann Coulter benefits financially everytime she makes those statements.

I believe Ms. Coulter has some serious personal issues she needs to resolve before she grows up to be a 'real journalist' with something substantial to say. I personally apologize to Elizabeth and John Edwards for a member of this society that simply can't behave when the opportunity to make money in appearances and book sales manifests at every attack of a presidential candidate. There should be a law.

If Elizabeth Edwards did not defend her family and husband and their desire together to bring qualified leadership to the USA, there would be something profoundly wrong. I don't know how much it means to her to hear from someone who wants her to succeed more than she realizes but, I am proud of her and sincerely hope her campaigning with John at her side provides this country with a President that sincerely love the people of this country.


John Edwards grew up in the south where living is hard. It's just that simple. The 'fine line' between Middle Class and poverty is so small in North Carolina, it's scary. John in his advocacy at any time in his life, including his legal practice, sought and fought to balance the scales of injustice for the Middle Class of North Carolina. The State of North Carolina is a draconian state whereby the best of efforts to rise out of poverty results in failure more often than not. Education is the 'best bet' to achieving relief from adversity in North Carolina and there are many grateful to John that he took his profession seriously as well the plight of initially his clients but eventually his constituency.

I have frequently and even today referred to gross social injustice in the State of North Carolina. That is not all that exist there. Many wonderful people within North Carolina, but, the state government has much, much to be desired. There are grossly oppressive laws still 'in play' and not just 'on the books' in that state. It is not John's fault as a political candidate and/or a former State Senator that 'this still goes on.' Northh Carolina for all it's natural beauty has some of the worst state legislators that live in the USA. There has been absolutely no efforts to stop poverty in that state. The governors have invited vast expanses of military institutions to provide an economy to people without really taking the issue of a serious economy to task. They invite housing construction while pandering to the 'wealthy retired' as a means of economy in NC. I mean I should look at the 'retired' per square mile in NC vs the rest of the country to better make this argument. But, I know I am right.

John Edwards is an excellant candidate for president of the USA. His spouse simply dedicated to that purpose for the love of her country inspired by the potential for the future of her children. There is absolutely no reason to personally attack these people. Elizabeth could not be more correct in wanting 'dialogue' regarding the issue statements and John's proposed policies for the USA. I don't know of any other candidate that has a focus on the disparity of 'fairness' the Middle Class faces post devastation of the Bush/Cheney Executive Branch, as John Edwards brings to the debate. There is NO Republican candidate that even mentions concern for the Middle Class yet alone seek to improve their circumstances.

I am seeking to place any one candidate before another in this country. I think it is up to the American electorate to find a Presidential Candidate that truly can lead and bring America back from the clutches of corruption. I believe John Edwards is one of those people. I wish the American electorate the best in seeking their next President. It needs to be a good one.

As far as Ann Coulter. I hope she seeks the professional help she needs. I have never witnessed a woman so focused on death, the dead and killing. Like. Holy smokes. She has no regrets for advocating mass killing of people to insure her political dominance in the elections of the USA? I mean she doesn't actually believe wiping out entire populous is an answer to terrorist networks, does she? It's not. At all. There is something dearly wrong with the views of Ms. Coulter.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Elizabeth Edwards happens to be right. The Neocon Attack Dogs have no real understanding of the issues.

"What's her name" was on Chris Matthews show, "Hardball." What's her name? I forget. Who wants to remember except some pandering fool with a sign that said, "Marry me."

I heard the interview. She had nothing to say, but, clearly demonstrated she has an issue with necrophilia.

I'll take a look at that tomorrow.

Have a good day.

Oh, yeah, Ann somebody. Or at least she thinks she is somebody.

Bush reinvents his 'military image' again; this time it's called "Phantom Thunder." I don't recall any of the revolutionaries in Iraq naming...


BOMB SITE: Residents gather at the site of a car bomb attack in Baghdad June 28. A car bomb killed 21 people and wounded 42 Thursday at an intersection in Baghdad where minibuses pick up and drop off passengers, Iraqi police said. (REUTERS)


...it anything than what it is: "Get the USA out of Iraq." (click here) I suppose those folks that live in the neighborhood look forward to more of the same. Right? I mean each one of those 'human beings' in the picture probably lot a friend or family member in the explosion. They could be next. Who wants the American military there besides Bush?

The 'new' campaign to 'rename' the failed war in Iraq with 'newly released' video does not impress me. The USA military is shown sending in aircraft 'after' an assault that killed Iraqi police. There is no intelligence to stop the rebels. There is no strategy against them except to cause damage after the fact. That is not a strategy, that is a clear message that the USA is completely defensive in Iraq.

In Albar alone where four 'friendly' sheiks have been assassinated, those that remain will again find their own militias more effective and turn against the USA military. Bush is killing our troops and the people of Iraq for no reason. The Iraqis want the USA out of Iraq. The American people want the USA troops of Iraq. Tony Blair is a 'special envoy' by international recruitment. Does anyone actually believe these deaths will facilitate stability and peace in Iraq?


Surging toward disaster in Iraq (click here)
As the U.S. takes sides in Iraq's splintering civil war, a top Republican warns Bush's policy will fail.
By Juan Cole
Earlier this week Sen. Richard Lugar, the senior Republican from Indiana, dismissed the U.S.
"surge" in Iraq as unlikely to succeed. He condemned any illusions about staying the course. "We have overestimated what the military can achieve, we have set goals that are unrealistic, and we have inadequately factored in the broader regional consequences of our actions," Lugar said from the Senate floor.
His alarm has been illustrated by the difficulties the U.S. and Iraqi militaries faced in the recent offensive operation dubbed "Operation Arrowhead Ripper," aimed at subduing Baquba (pop. 300,000), the restive capital of Diyala province, located 31 miles northeast of Baghdad. American generals admitted that 80 percent of the guerrilla leadership there had slipped away, and that the Iraqi army lacked the equipment and training to hold areas taken in difficult hand-to-hand fighting. The U.S. military compounded its public-relations problem by implausibly branding virtually everyone it fought or killed in the Sunni-majority city as
"al-Qaida." ...

Minorities have special status in the USA. At least they did before Bush's Bigotry over threw the Supreme Court




Thurgood Marshall (center) with George E.C. Hayes and James Nabri congratulate each other for winning an important case against segregation in 1954
CREDIT: "George E.C. Hayes, Thurgood Marshall, and James Nabrit, Congratulating Each Other, Following Supreme Court Decision Declaring Segregation Unconstitutional." Copyprint, 1954. New York World-Telegram and Sun Photograph Collection, Courtesy of AP/Wide World Photos. The African American Odyssey, Library of Congress.


This is an outrage. It is highly questionable as to whether the Bush appointees are competent. They have violated every pledge to the USA Constitution they claimed in their Appointee Hearings. The people of the USA will not tolerate the lies and incompetencies of these justices. This is not 'Conservatism' in the USA. It is a 'star chamber' lead by incompetences. For too long, the USA has tolerated the 'likes' of Scalia and Thomas as well. The 'run for the roses' by Kennedy is a new trend him. He is finding his weakness in character to be accepted by his piers just too much to overcome. It's a sorry sight indeed. The people of the USA need to consider impeachment of WHITE MEN who seek to over throw the pride and heritage of the minorities of this country in the decision of "Brown vs. Board of Education."





June 28, 2007
Justices Limit Use of Race in Placement of Students
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 10:57 a.m. ET
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The
Supreme Court on Thursday rejected school diversity plans that take account of students' race in two major public school districts but left the door open for using race in limited circumstances.
The decision in cases affecting schools in Louisville, Ky., and Seattle could imperil similar plans in hundreds of districts nationwide, and it further restricts how public school systems may attain racial diversity.
The court split, 5-4, with
Chief Justice John Roberts announcing the court's judgment. The court's four liberal justices dissented.
The districts ''failed to show that they considered methods other than explicit racial classifications to achieve their stated goals,'' Roberts said.
Yet Justice Anthony Kennedy would not go as far as the other four conservative justices, saying in a concurring opinion that race may be a component of school plans designed to achieve diversity.
To the extent that Roberts' opinion could be interpreted to foreclose the use of race in any circumstance, Kennedy said, ''I disagree with that reasoning.''
He agreed with Roberts that the plans in Louisville and Seattle violated constitutional guarantees of equal protection.
Justice Stephen Breyer, in a dissent joined by the other liberals on the court, said Roberts' opinion undermined the promise of integrated schools that the court laid out 53 years ago in its landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education.
''To invalidate the plans under review is to threaten the promise of Brown,'' Breyer said.
The two school systems in Thursday's decisions employ slightly different methods of taking students' race into account when determining which school they will attend.
Federal appeals courts had upheld both plans after some parents sued. The Bush administration the parents' side, arguing that racial diversity is a noble goal but can be sought only through race-neutral means.
Louisville's schools spent 25 years under a court order to eliminate the effects of state-sponsored segregation. After a federal judge freed the Jefferson County, Ky., school board, which encompasses Louisville, from his supervision, the board decided to keep much of the court-ordered plan in place to prevent schools from re-segregating.
The lawyer for the Louisville system called the plan a success story that enjoys broad community support, including among parents of white and black students.
Attorney Teddy Gordon, who argued that the Louisville system's plan was discriminatory, said, ''Clearly, we need better race-neutral alternatives. Instead of spending zillions of dollars around the country to place a black child next to a white child, let's reduce class size. All the schools are equal. We will no longer accept that an African-American majority within a school is unacceptable.''
The Seattle school district said it used race as one among many factors, relied on it only in some instances and then only at the end of a lengthy process in allocating students among the city's high schools. Seattle suspended its program after parents sued.
The opinion was the first on the divisive issue since 2003, when a 5-4 ruling upheld the limited consideration of race in college admissions to attain a diverse student body. Since then, Justice
Sandra Day O'Connor, who approved of the limited use of race, retired. Her replacement, Justice Samuel Alito was in the majority that struck down the school system plans in Kentucky and Washington.

Beastly business: zoos under the microscope (I simply loved this picture. I can't help but believe animals want privacy at times, too.)



Mane attraction … zoo attendances are up for the first time in five years.Photo: Bryan Obrien


So, when it comes to survival of a species the creatures in the zoos and aquariums, while ambassadors for their species, also pay a price. I am quite confident there is stress these particular members of a species have; their wild partners do not. These zoo 'inmates' are quite unique in their role to keeping their species alive while finding ways to enjoy their lives to the extent they can within the limits of their instincts.

New cheetah cubs on display at the Toledo Zoo



Thw two new cheetah cubs are relaxing with their mother Shaka at the Toledo Zoo today. ( THE BLADE/ANDY MORRISON )

Morning Papers - continued...

Zoos

Meet the Zoo's Baby Humbolt Penguins! (video)
June 22, 2007 - Noah, Gilligan, and Pancake are the newest arrivals at the Philadelphia Zoo. They're baby Humbolt penguins!
The chicks hatched about a month ago.
Thursday night, a few lucky visitors got to pet them during a special sneak preview.
You'll get to see them when they go on display later this summer... After they grow a full set of feathers.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=animals_oddities&id=5411765



Topeka Zoo Loses Lion Cub
There have been 1 comments posted
Posted: 8:58 AM Jun 27, 2007
Last Updated: 8:58 AM Jun 27, 2007
When Asante, a lion at the the
Topeka Zoological Park, gave birth to a her first litter early in June, the four cubs were the first born at the Zoo's Lion's Pride facility in eighteen years. Unfortunately, two cubs did not survive the birth and Tuesday the Zoo was saddened to announce the death of one more cub.
Right now, Zoo officials say they were surprised when the 17-day old cub died; it had been reportedly active and nursing. A gross necropsy initially revealed abnormal kidneys. The zoo says it will provide more information when a complee histopathology is completed.
The lone surviving cub and its mother are still living in an off exhibit Lion's Pride holding facility and will be reintroduced at a later time.
Asante came to the Topeka Zoo from the Ft. Worth Zoo along with another female lion, Zuri, two years ago. The cub's father, Avus, joined the pride last year from Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison,
Wisconsin.

http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/8203027.html



Endangered Gharials jostling for space in Orissa zoo
Shortage of space for them has forced the zoo authorities to cry for help. Gharial breeding in Nandankanan is one of the success stories of zoo management ...

http://www.kalingatimes.com/orissa_news/news/20070627_Gharials_jostling_for_space_in_Orissa_zoo.htm


Tiny tots in zoo toddle for charity
Published on 27/06/2007
TWELVE tiny tots, along with their mums from St Aidan’s Mother and Toddler group, Barrow, toddled for charity on Friday.
The toddlers completed a half-mile walk, starting at Dalton Zoo.
The event was preceded by a teddy bear’s picnic.
Everyone enjoyed the day, and each child received a medal, certificate and sweets at the end of the walk.
The tots then got a chance to look around the zoo and feed some of the animals.
So far they have managed to raise a total of £201 for Barnardo’s, with more sponsorship money still to come in.

http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=514288


June 25, 2007
Zooloretto
Zooloretto is a family-friendly board game title from Rio Grande Games where players compete to expand zoos and their respective collection of colorful animals for each of their parks. The game is approachable, easy to pickup, while also remaining strong in the gameplay department. Zooloretoo strikes a balance of being fun for broad spectrum of gamers, from youngins who love fluffy zoo animals, to more serious gamers who'll find enough substance here to massage their brain between sessions of more complex board game titles.

http://www.criticalgamers.com/archives/board-games/zooloretto.php


Elephant's death puts zoos in spotlight
As Seattle mourns, the loss adds fuel to animal groups' contention that illness is linked to lack of space and other conditions.
By Lynn Marshall, Times Staff Writer
June 25, 2007
SEATTLE — The death of Hansa the elephant remains a mystery. Last week, preliminary necropsy results only ruled out a host of illnesses in the sudden demise of the 6-year-old star of Woodland Park Zoo.
Hansa's death set off public mourning in the city, and again raised questions about the advisability of keeping elephants in urban zoos.
Seattleites have left many flowers and the occasional bouquet of carrots at the zoo entrance. The park's memorial Web page for Hansa (
www.zoo.org/hansa_memorial/index.html) rapidly filled with comments, some from as far away as Europe and Australia, but most from her hometown.
"Hansa brought such light and joy to our city!" reads one entry.
National animal rights groups, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and In Defense of Animals of San Rafael, Calif., point to zoo conditions — the lack of space and the inappropriate terrain — as likely factors in the deaths of Hansa; of two other elephants who were euthanized this month, one in San Diego and one in Birmingham, Ala.; and of Gita at the Los Angeles Zoo last year.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-elephants25jun25,1,7880782.story?coll=la-headlines-nation&ctrack=2&cset=true



Owner of roadside zoo hit with summons
Mon, June 25, 2007
Lickety-Split has been a target for animal-rights activists
By
RANDY RICHMOND, SUN MEDIA
The province of Ontario is taking a controversial roadside zoo to court.
But not for the reasons animal-rights activists want.
Lickety-Split Ranch and Zoo owner Shirley McElroy has received a summons to appear in Provincial Offences Court in London July 23 to answer a charge the zoo has failed to renew its $100 yearly licence to care for wildlife.
If convicted under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, she could be fined up to $25,000, said David Critchlow, regional enforcement supervisor for the ministry of natural resources.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2007/06/25/4289515.html


Why no Darwinian Zoo…?
To the best of my knowledge there is no animal collection in the world that takes the idea of evolution as its overall theme, although we do have a creationist zoo here in the UK, and I am pretty sure several in the USA ( to be clear, I am with Voltaire in defending the right of others, including creationists, to express ideas I disagree with, whilst marking creationism as entirely dependent on resolute ignorance).
Given how pivotal the concept of evolution is to our view of the world, this seems conspicous by its absence. From a funding point of view, I am convinced that the first institution that used the Darwinian theme ( perhaps allied to genetics and therefore the biosciences) would win the immediate interest of regional and national economic funders. ( in fact, consider that idea copywright!)

http://zoofunding.wordpress.com/2007/06/25/why-no-darwinian-zoo/


What are the best options for transformational funding to develop a zoo site..?
In terms of external funding, and leaving aside commercial borrowing, where should a zoo organisation prioritise its attention if it wants to radically raise its game, or even establish a completely new operation?
A few quick thoughts and in very rough order of priority…
1. Those authorities responsible for the socio economic development of your nation, region, city or locality. How can your plan meet their aims? Such agencies may well be willing to put major funds into organisations if they see economic benefits for the relevant area. See this document:
zoos-and-economic-development5.doc

http://zoofunding.wordpress.com/2007/06/26/what-are-the-best-options-for-transformational-funding-to-develop-a-zoo-site/



Houston Zoo Launches New Interactive Web Site With Schipul
HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwire - June 26, 2007) - Animal lovers throughout Southeast Texas have a new and naturally wild place to visit online at the redesigned Houston Zoo Web site. The new site,
www.houstonzoo.org, was designed by Houston-based Schipul - The Web Marketing Company (www.schipul.com) in coordination with the Zoo's Marketing Department. The redesigned Houston Zoo site is powered by the Tendenci® (www.tendenci.com) Web marketing application, which is developed and marketed by Schipul.
Attracting 1.5 million visitors each year and home to more than 4,500 animals in over 200 exhibits, the Houston Zoo encourages appreciation, knowledge, and care for the natural world. The new Web site brings that world to life online through subtle animation that has a three-dimensional quality and creates a lush look and feel. The new site incorporates interactive tools, such as podcasts, really simple syndication (RSS) feeds, online event registration and online membership sign-up, renewal and upgrade.
"Our goal has been to extend the Zoo experience with more opportunities to interact with Web users and really make a lasting connection with them," said Debra Ford, vice president of marketing with the Houston Zoo. "We are happy to have the guidance and support of the experts at Schipul because they are able to help us leverage the latest technologies and trends to accomplish our mission and strengthen our brand."
In response to feedback from recent surveys, the site has a section devoted to helping plan a visit. It also features a multimedia interactive map offering more than 20 downloadable podcasts about the exhibits.

http://www.marketwirecanada.com/2.0/release.do?id=745934



Houston Zoo

http://www.houstonzoo.org/


Mail snapper's display is the cat's whiskers
A STRIKING exhibition of big cats has opened at an art gallery.
Tigers' features over 180 full colour photographs – including more than 140 photographs shown on a large plasma screen – capturing the magic of tigers and other big cats and wildlife.
The collection which is on display at Hartlepool Art Gallery is the work of Mail photographer Frank Reid who, in his leisure time, has spent a number of years travelling around Britain to photograph tigers and other animals in wildlife sanctuaries and zoos.
"My interest in tigers came as a result of photographing Bengal tigers for the Mail at a circus that was being held on Mayfield Park, the home of Hartlepool Rugby Club," says Frank.
"From that moment on I fell in love with them. They are the most beautiful of all the big cats. They have strength yet gentleness, power yet grace, and they have held me spellbound ever since. For me, photographing them is like
stepping into their world."

http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/people?articleid=2981119


Cheating with the Cheetah
You know...zoos and their schedule don't work well with many animals, including cats. Most cats are nocturnal hunters and wish to nap the day away, so it's difficult to get a good shot of a cat during the day time hours.
One interesting thing with this cheetah and this day, was a canadian goose flew into the enclosure. The cat had to look, but apparently didn't care much...he went back to sleep.
Ecological note: Cheetahs are apparently VERY threatened, with numbers less than 15,000 in nature and most zoo cats being too old to produce viable embryos. Will our children (or for some of you, our grandchildren) ever see a cheetah ?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dbarronoss/629679570/



NIGHTTIME ZOO: San Diego Zoo unveils brand-new after-dark festivities running through Sept. 3
Friday, June 22, 2007
By The San Diego Zoo
Su Lin, a giant panda cub, plays in a tree at the zoo. The San Diego Zoo has the largest number of giant pandas in the United States.
Photo provided by the Zoological Society of San Diego
The San Diego Zoo revealed all-new Nighttime Zoo festivities June 23 with an exciting new theme and entertainment line-up. "Fiesta De Las Caras" is a celebration of the Americas bringing the sights, sounds and tastes of California and Latin America's past and present to the Zoo each evening through Sept. 3.
From live music filling the Zoo with the sounds of South and Central America to visually stunning theatrical productions, performance artwork and fun festive children's shows, this summer's Nighttime Zoo promises to be an exciting cultural immersion.
Every afternoon at 4 p.m. the festivities begin. Authentic master artisans from Latin America have traveled to the Zoo to showcase their skills like gourd carving (an art that dates back 3,500 years), to basket weaving, ancient pottery techniques and cultural retablos artwork. Guests can witness the artisans perfecting their crafts, and can even purchase a one-of-a-kind piece to take home with them.
In the Zoo's front plaza visitors are sure to be impressed with the fun, high-energy artwork of Splash! - Faces of the Wild. The artist creates his masterpieces by splashing, brushing and finger painting while dancing, jumping and performing to choreographed music. Within mere minutes a tiger, gorilla or other spectacular wild face reveals itself in the artwork for a stunning display of entertaining artistry.

http://www.navycompass.com/news/newsview.asp?c=217756



Oh, Boy!...and Boy and Boy!

Philadelphia, PA - June 26, 2007 - On May 25th, the Philadelphia Zoo proudly announced the birth of three rare Amur (AH-moor) tiger cubs in Bank of America Big Cat Falls.
Our keepers have determined that Kira is the proud mother of
three male cubs! You can check out tiger keeper Tara Brody's new blog today at www.philadelphiazoo.blogspot.com. Visit Kira's Homepage.
Kira and her cubs are living in an area that her keepers created to give her a quiet and comfortable space where she can care for her cubs in privacy. Female tigers in the wild keep their cubs hidden after they're born, and our tiger family will remain off exhibit in the "Lauren Albert" cubbing den for about two more months. Then, she and her cubs will make their public debut!

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=animals_oddities&id=5422752



Zoos have wild ways to keep their inhabitants happy
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
By Cathy Bayer
of the Journal Star
PEORIA - Fish juice ice, mud wallows and a close shave. Domestic pets aren't the only ones that need extra attention in the summer.
Animals at the Peoria Zoo at Glen Oak Park and Wildlife Prairie State Park in Edwards also have some extra help keeping cool.
Some zoo animals are given ice blocks with lemon in it to lick or rub up against to cool down.
The tigers get ice blocks made of fish juice, or even frozen fish. They also get a larger pool of water in their habitat. On extra hot days, the tigers will go for a swim, exposing only their heads in the pool.

http://www.pjstar.com/stories/062707/TRI_BDK7LAJ4.008.php


Zoo Hospital brings more animal care to the DS
by
Fraser MacInnes
Visiting sick animals at a zoo hospital must be a nightmare; who knows how many Wine Gums, flowers and Lucozade you'd have to bring a poorly Rhino. The zoo medical staff have it even worse, with the threat of being trampled or mauled an everyday occupational hazard (and not just from asking an elephant if you can take its temperature in the usual animal fashion...)
Still it is into the shoes of the latter, a zoo vet, that you'll step in the DS's next animal themed title, Zoo Hospital.
Published by Majesco, Zoo Hospital puts you in charge of caring for endangered beasts as well as under-the-weather animals. Beginning with ten different species, ranging from pandas (nature's hypochondriac) to jaguars, it's your job to use the stylus to diagnose, treat and calm your various patients.

http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/DS/Zoo+Hospital/news.asp?c=3406



State agency faults San Francisco Zoo for tiger attack
Friday, June 22, 2007
(06-22) 09:05 PDT San Francisco (AP) --
The San Francisco Zoo is at fault for a tiger mauling that left a keeper severely injured, according to a report by the state's workplace safety agency.
In December, a 350-pound Siberian tiger swiped at keeper Lori Komejan, 46, during a regular afternoon feeding, using its claws to pull her closer to its cage, eventually biting her right hand and leaving deep gashes in both her arms, as terrified visitors looked on.
"The flesh was torn from her right arm," said Dean Fryer, spokesman for California's Division of Occupation Safety and Health. "It was peeled off, similar to peeling off a glove."
Komejan screamed, and four people, including an emergency medical technician visiting the Lion House, came to her help. One of them hit the tiger, called Tatiana, in the face with a squeegee until the 3 1/2-year-old Siberian let go of her.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/06/22/state/n090315D87.DTL



Cal-OSHA faults zoo for attack
Patricia Yollin, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, June 22, 2007
The San Francisco Zoo is at fault for last December's gruesome tiger attack on a keeper, according to a probe by the state's workplace safety agency.
"It was obvious that any of the cats could reach through or under the bars and that a potential hazard zone extended approximately 18 inches from the cage face," concluded the report by California's Division of Occupation Safety and Health.
Lori Komejan was mauled by Tatiana, a 350-pound Siberian tiger, on the afternoon of Dec. 22 -- exactly six months ago -- as dozens of horrified visitors watched. The incident occurred inside the Lion House after a routine public feeding of the big cats.
"The flesh was torn from her right arm," said Cal-OSHA spokesman Dean Fryer in a phone interview Thursday. "It was peeled off, similar to peeling off a glove."
The investigation said zoo officials were aware that hazardous conditions existed at the Lion House, closed since Komejan was injured. Cal-OSHA ordered changes -- which already have been made -- in the setup of the cages and wants to impose an $18,000 penalty, which the zoo can appeal.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/06/22/BAG14QK0UK1.DTL



The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore holds Zoomerang 2007
Baltimore Times - Baltimore,MD,USA
by Ursula V. Battle Hundreds partied with the animals under the stars as The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore held Zoomerang 2007. ...

http://www.btimes.com/News/article/article.asp?NewsID=79879&sID=4



SFA students helping to get gorilla for zoo
By
MICHELLE McBRIDE
The Lufkin Daily News
Friday, June 22, 2007
LUFKIN — Monkey see, monkey do. Students watch.
Lufkin's Ellen Trout Zoo primate exhibit was crowded with Stephen F. Austin State University students Thursday from Dr. Karol Chandler-Ezell's anthropology class. The class members were observing the primates — as well as the people walking by.
The anthropology class is a project in which SFA partners with Ellen Trout Zoo. The zoo lets the students come in and observe the primates as well as interact with them.
"The lemurs were like cats with opposable thumbs," said student Katie Revell as she observed Marylou, Fidget and Kizee, a trio of lemurs that reside at the zoo.

http://www.news-journal.com/news/content/region/ETtoday/stories/2007/06/22/zoo_and_sfa.html



Grizzly heads to Colorado zoo
By The Associated Press
HELENA - A grizzly bear, captured after bluff-charging a man and killing a goat near Eureka, is headed to a Colorado zoo.
The 2-year-old, 300-pound bruin arrived at the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks shelter in Helena last August and faced euthanasia if center manger Patti Sowka couldn't find a zoo with an opening for a grizzly.
"The decision was made to euthanize him or place him into captivity," Sowka said. "It took me until December to find him a home. I was afraid we'd have to put him down."
Luckily, she was able to place the bear with the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, where a new Rocky Mountain wildlife exhibit is under construction.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/06/22/news/state/40-bear.txt



Zoo ups conservation efforts, admission price
02:53 PM EDT on Friday, June 22, 2007
Louisville Zoo press release
The Louisville Zoo is committed to bettering the bond between the people and our planet, and starting July 1, $.15 of every admission to the Zoo will go straight to supporting conservation efforts.
“We have always been a strong supporter of conservation, but there has never been a more critical global need than there is today, so we are increasing our financial commitment,” Zoo Director John Walczak said.
The $.15 per admission acquired will support conservation programs at the Louisville Zoo both ex-situ (caring for species outside of their natural habitats) and in-situ (caring for species in their natural habitats). Efforts include: Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Polar Bear International, Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program, International Elephant Foundation, American Chestnut Tree Conservation, Cuban Crocodile Project, Butterfly Initiative, Kentucky’s Blanton Forest, Micronesia Archipelago Recovery and more.

http://www.whas11.com/news/local/stories/062207whasrtLocalZooPrices.3c906f8.html



Calgary Zoo Opens New Elephant Crossing
Jun, 22 2007 - 12:20 PM
CALGARY/AM770CHQR - The grand opening of a new home for the Calgary's elephants was celebrated at the Calgary Zoo Friday.
The Elephant Crossing is a project four years in the making.
The enclosure includes an indoor and outdoor amphitheater, a bigger swimming pool for the elephants - much appreciated in Friday's heat - state-of-the-art technology, and enhanced educational facilities.
The four elephants housed in the Zoo now have triple the space to roam.
The opening ceremony which included plenty of entertainment was attended by Alberta's Lieutenant-Governor, the Minister of Tourism, and the president of the Calgary Zoo.
The new facility was largely funded by the provincial government.

http://www.770chqr.com/news/news_local.cfm?cat=7428218912&rem=68378&red=80121823aPBIny&wids=410&gi=1&gm=news_local.cfm



Zoo's 'king' giraffe euthanized
THE GAZETTE
June 23, 2007 - 3:18PM
The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s bull giraffe was euthanized Wednesday evening, the zoo announced today.
The end for Laikipia, leader of the zoo’s world-renowned herd of reticulated giraffes, came hours after zoo staff welcomed a newborn giraffe.
It was the ninth offspring for 17-year-old mother Uhura — and the 35th sired by Laikipia, the zoo’s head giraffe bull. His 36th is due to be born to 26-year-old Becky within a few weeks.
The zoo is home to the most prolific giraffe breeding program in the world.
Laikipia (la-KEEP-e-uh) was born in Kenya in 1981 and came to the zoo in December 1982. The decision to euthanize came after walking became painful for Laikipia, who was plagued by degenerative disease. He died in the African Rift Valley giraffe yard that he had called home since moving from the old giraffe building to the new exhibit in 2003.

http://www.gazette.com/articles/zoo_23954___article.html/giraffe_laikipia.html



Zoo Tycoon Cheats Codes FAQs and Hints for PC
From
Jason Rybka,
Your Guide to
Video Game Strategies.
FREE Newsletter.
Sign Up Now!
File edits, hints, cheats, and codes for Zoo Tycoon on the PC.
Cheat Method via File Edits
1. Open config.ztd with
winzip or another compression tool.
2. Open Economy.cfg with notepad or wordpad.
3. Search for cZooDooRecyclingAmount and change the number to whatever you want. This will be the profit for every recycle you do. Normally you recycle around 8-12 times per month.
4. Also, look for cKeeperCost which should be 800. This is the salary you pay your zoo keepers. Change it to something lower and your expenses will decrease dramatically.
5. If you want more money at start of the game, edit zoo.ini with notepad or wordpad and find a line called MSMaxCash. Change that to whatever you want and you can start out with a couple of million.
Note on changing exhibit names: Let the game auto name your exhibit, then change it, otherwise you may lock up the game.

http://vgstrategies.about.com/od/pccheatsxyz/a/zootycooncheats.htm



2-year-old grizzly relocated to Colo. zoo
June 23, 2007, 00:56 AM
COLORADO SPRINGS, June 22 (UPI) — A 2-year-old grizzly bear that would have been euthanized has found a home in Colorado Springs, Colo., at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
The bear had been relocated to the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Wildlife rehabilitation center last August after bluff-charging a man and killing a goat near Eureka, Mont., The Helena (Mont) Independent Record reported.
The bear would have been euthanized if the center's manager, Patti Sowka, hadn't found him a home at the new Rocky Mountain wildlife exhibit in the Colorado zoo.

http://www.imedinews.ge/en/news_read/47465



Zoo's elephants stampede into new enclosure
UPDATED: 2007-06-22 15:40:05 MST
By
SHANNON WOODWARD, SUN MEDIA
The Calgary Zoo’s most prominent — and largest — residents were introduced to their brand new enclosure today.
To the cheering and clapping of hundreds of happy onlookers, Ganesha, Kamala, Swarna and Maharani, the zoo’s four Asian elephants, stepped out of the great doors and into the sand-filled outdoor space that will become their playground for many years to come.
Elephant Crossing, part of the $35 million Project Discovery plan to rejuvenate the zoo, has expanded the elephant’s outdoor living space by more than three times and more than doubled the indoor space.

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2007/06/22/4282655.html



Registration opens for annual Zoo Camp
Saturday, June 23rd 2007
The Guyana Zoological Park said it is once again inviting children to participate in the Zoo Camp which is being hosted at the Nature School.
In a press release the Park said the Camp is designed for children between the ages of 6-9 years and 10-12 years and consists of four one-week sessions. The Camp would be held weekdays from 8.30 am to 3 pm and the cost for each one-week programme is $3,500 per child. The programme would be conducted by the Nature School Educator and the Guyana Zoo Education Volunteers whose duties would include full time supervision of the campers. A trainee nurse will also be on site.
The Camp said it is celebrating six years of educational opportunities and fun activities focused on wildlife and environmental issues. Some of the activities offered in the programme include educational tours in the Zoo, guest speakers on wildlife topics, field trips, nature-related stories and videos, arts and craft, fishing and birding. The release said the Zoo has, for many years, nurtured the minds of children by informing them about nature and its unique creatures in the hope of developing an understanding and appreciation for it.
Registration can be done and information sheets about the programme uplifted from the Zoo. The closing date for registration is July 6.

http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article_general_news?id=56523050



Death, new life for zoo’s giraffe herd
Head male euthanized hours after 35th offspring is born
By BILL RADFORD
THE GAZETTE
June 23, 2007 - 3:12PM
It was a day first for smiles, then tears.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo staff welcomed a newborn giraffe Wednesday, but hours later had to euthanize Laikipia, head male in the zoo’s world-renowned herd of reticulated giraffes.
It was the ninth offspring for mother Uhura and the 35th sired by Laikipia. His 36th is due to be born to Becky in a few weeks.
The zoo is home to the most prolific giraffe-breeding program in the world, according to the zoo. Wednesday’s birth was the 186th since 1954, when the zoo welcomed its first giraffes: wild-born Stretch, Susie and Pet.

http://www.gazette.com/articles/zoo_23983___article.html/giraffe_laikipia.html



Alligator has a zoo home
By Peter Mucha
Inquirer Staff Writer
Where the alligator came from, no one knows. But yesterday, after an overnight rest stop, the 41/2-foot reptile was already on view at Norristown's Elmwood Park Zoo.
The gator was discovered Thursday afternoon, sunbathing on a rocky bank of Pennypack Creek in Bryn Athyn.
"Obviously a pet gone wrong," said Shawn Tarman, an Upper Moreland animal control officer at the scene.
Tarman's counterpart from Warminster, Craig Claycomb, netted his brownish-black prey. Then he carried it "like a baby" - after its snout was secured with medics' tape - and put it into a large dog carrier, Tarman said.
The alligator spent the night, unsedated, behind a Little Mermaid shower curtain in the bathtub of Buddy Mullen, Warminster's public-works director.
"He's pretty friendly," Mullen said yesterday morning. "If you rub him underneath his neck a little bit, he likes that."

http://www.philly.com/philly/health_and_science/8144752.html



Beijing Zoo throws birthday bash for baby elephant
Beijing, June 25: Migara, a baby elephant gifted by Sri Lanka to China this year to celebrate their growing friendship, celebrated his sixth birthday at the Beijing Zoo, reports said on Sunday.
With a red ribbon on head, the male elephant received birthday wishes from both Chinese and Sri Lankan children, as well as delicious bananas from its raiser at a party organised on Saturday. Some 50 students from a Beijing-based China-Sri Lanka friendship school gave performances at the party. They also sang birthday songs to Migara both in English and Chinese.
Migara also relished a piece of a three-layer birthday cake.
Sri Lankan Ambassador to China Karunatilaka Amunugama called Migara a symbol of friendship between the two countries, representing the love from Sri Lanka to Chinese.
“Migara has been very popular among children since his public debut in March,” said Wu Zhaozheng, head of the Beijing Zoo, Wu Zhaozheng said, adding that Migara has got accustomed to the life in China, gaining some weight now.
PTI

http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=46551




A New Microbiological Zoo
Here's a
very interesting article that says that RNA is much more important than we used to think, with profound implications for medicine, biotech and even evolutionary theory.
Posted by Rand Simberg at June 24, 2007 08:49 AM

http://www.transterrestrial.com/archives/009253.html




Really New Advances
Jun 14th 2007
From The Economist print edition
Molecular biology is undergoing its biggest shake-up in 50 years, as a hitherto little-regarded chemical called RNA acquires an unsuspected significance
IT IS beginning to dawn on biologists that they may have got it wrong. Not completely wrong, but wrong enough to be embarrassing. For half a century their subject had been built around the relation between two sorts of chemical. Proteins, in the form of enzymes, hormones and so on, made things happen. DNA, in the form of genes, contained the instructions for making proteins. Other molecules were involved, of course. Sugars and fats were abundant (too abundant, in some people). And various vitamins and minerals made an appearance, as well. Oh, and there was also a curious chemical called RNA, which looked a bit like DNA but wasn't. It obediently carried genetic information from DNA in the nucleus to the places in the cell where proteins are made, rounded up the amino-acid units out of which those proteins are constructed, and was found in the protein factories themselves.
All that was worked out decades ago. Since then, RNA has been more or less neglected as a humble carrier of messages and fetcher of building materials. This account of the cell was so satisfying to biologists that few bothered to look beyond it. But they are looking now. For, suddenly, cells seem to be full of RNA doing who-knows-what.

http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9333471



No obvious cause of death for elephant at Seattle zoo
Jun 22, 5:18 PM EDT
SEATTLE (AP) -- There was no obvious cause of death for a six-year-old elephant at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.
The zoo says preliminary post-mortem findings are inconclusive. More tests are being run.
So far, the zoo has ruled out gastric obstructions, genetic or nutritional diseases, cancer and salmonella. There's no evidence of a bacterial infection.
Tissue and blood samples have been sent to labs and other zoos around the country for tests that will take several weeks.
Hansa (HAHN'-suh) died June eight after only showing mild symptoms of inactivity and loss of appetite. Three other elephants remain at the Seattle zoo.
© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our
Privacy Policy.

http://www.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP06222007news157159.cfm


Australia Zoo names boat after Steve Irwin
Article from: AAP
June 23, 2007 05:34pm
WHALE conservation and the memory of crocodile hunter Steve Irwin became intertwined today when Australia Zoo launched its latest venture.
Despite bitterly cold conditions, Terri Irwin launched the zoo's whale watching boat dubbed Steve's Whale One, in memory of her late husband.
The vessel, named by the couple's children Bindi and Bob, will take guests in search of whales migrating up the east coast of Australia.
Departing from Mooloolaba Wharf on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, the 130-man boat will offer 360-degree views from large observation decks.
Guests can also listen to the whale songs using an underwater hydrophone, while a biologist will be on board to explain and discuss the gentle giants.
"We hope the trip will make people fall in love with the whales so much that they become a fully fledged supporter of whale conservation," said Australia Zoo spokeswoman Natalie Hodgskin.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21957028-5005961,00.html



Atascadero zoo tiger killed by exhibit mate
ASSOCIATED PRESS
6:45 a.m. June 26, 2007
ATASCADERO – A zoo tiger was killed by his longtime exhibit mate.
Hoshi, an Indochinese tiger who joined the Charles Paddock Zoo in fall 2000, was found dead in his den Sunday.
Zoo director Alan Baker said the tiger died from asphyxiation caused by exhibit mate Sala. Laboratory tests are incomplete and details about the death weren't known.
Hoshi was born in February 2000 at the Cincinnati Zoo and joined the Atascadero zoo later that year, Baker said.
Sala will stay on display at the zoo, which was established in 1955 by San Luis Obispo County park ranger Charles Paddock, who nursed wild animals back to health.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20070626-0645-ca-brf-cencoast-tigerkilled.html



Dwarf hippo baby attracts attention at Paris zoo
The Associated Press
Published: June 26, 2007
PARIS: Aldo looks, eats and lazes like a hippopotamus — but he's only about as big as a human baby, at 53 centimeters (21 inches).
The pygmy hippo, born this month at the Paris Zoo, is one of only a few dozen in Europe, bred in a special program to boost the rare species.
There are no more than 3,000 around the world, mostly concentrated in west African countries such as Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau or Liberia, said Juliane Villenain, a biologist at the zoo in the Bois de Vincennes, a park on Paris' eastern edge. According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, pygmy hippos have already disappeared from Nigeria.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/06/26/europe/EU-GEN-France-Dwarf-Hippo.php



Monkey music at zoo night - Video
Primates will be treated to live music at Whipsnade zoo on Friday night.
Lemurs will lead the dancing when a steel band strikes up as part of a special late opening on June 29 at the animal park.
The Zoo Nights event offers visitors a chance to explore the zoo after dark, with live music and entertainment from stilt-walkers and jugglers.
From 6.30pm to around 10pm, animal lovers can see sea lions, birds of prey, elephants and more.
There will also be talks on insects and spiders by experts and licensed bars and barbecues.
Tickets and information are available on the door and at
www.zsl.org
Last Updated: 26 June 2007 4:45 PM

http://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/news?articleid=2983345



Bali Zoo needs your help
e-Travel Blackboard (press release) - Sydney,NSW,Australia
Bali Zoo, situated in the village of Singapadu (near Ubud), has known better days. Since the tragic terrorist attacks of 2002 and 2005, a downturn in ...

http://www.etravelblackboard.com/index.asp?id=66172&nav=48



Grant award will help 'bring back the roar' to Oregon Zoo
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
PORTLAND - The Oregon Zoo said goodbye to African lions nearly 10 years ago, and today it is working hard to " bring back the roar." Thanks to a $50,000 grant from the Spirit Mountain Community Fund - a charitable foundation of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde - the roar is getting a little bit louder.
The grant brings the campaign total to more than $1.7 million of the $5 million needed to build a major new exhibit titled Predators of the Serengeti.
"As a Tribal foundation, we are honored to work with the Oregon Zoo to promote ongoing efforts to maintain our natural environment, as well as the animals that inhabit it," said Director Shelley Hanson. "We're proud supporters of this newest conservation and education exhibit at the zoo."

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/argus/index.ssf?/base/news/1182884051316570.xml&coll=6



SPCA to recommend charges against Cariboo tiger owner
By Paul Carlucci
Black Press
Jun 21 2007
Kim Carlton wants his day in court.
In about three weeks, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is going to recommend he have it.
Marcie Moriarty, SPCA’s general manager of cruelty investigations, said the organization is poised to recommend charges under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Carlton owns two tigers, a lion and a primate under the auspices of Siberian Magic, an exotic animal farm.
Recently, a third tiger was put down after his fiancee lost her life in a mauling incident.
The SPCA said the completion of its investigation and the death of Tanya Dumstrey-Soos are unrelated.
After the charges are recommended, it’s up to the Crown to press them.
The investigation against Carlton has been developing since November 2005, when the group became aware of the man’s presence in 100 Mile House.

http://www.wltribune.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=37&cat=23&id=1010902&more=0



Johannesburg Zoo, JHB, South Africa (waymark gallery)
S 26° 10.133 E 028° 02.228
35J E 603648 N 7105199
Quick Description: Come explore the Johannesburg Zoo with 2070 Animals, 365 Species in over 54 hectares!
Location: Gauteng, South Africa

http://www.waymarking.com/wm/details.aspx?f=1&guid=950a0f76-8e74-4653-bded-25bd20b07abf



Virginia Zoo welcomes its newest and rarest new member.
The dozens of kids and grownups gathered at one exhibit just by the main entrance of the Virginia Zoo have a serious case of animal anticipation. Sarah Stanford, an eight-year-old from Smithsburg, MD, says "I'm not leaving this spot until I see my panda bear."
Stanford and the other spectators are here to see the red panda inside an air-conditioned hut. It's not the kind with the big black eyes. This is a red panda which is also rare. Greg Bockheim is the Zoo's Executive Director. He says "It's an amazingly special for us to receive such a critically endangered animal. A lot of zoos do want red pandas. There's about 120 in zoos across the country but less than 25-hundred in the wild." Red pandas live in bamboo forests from the Himalayas to South China. And like giant pandas they have an extra 'thumb,' zoo officials say, which is simply an enlarged bone.

http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=6694102&nav=23ii



new york zoos

http://gridskipper.com/travel/new-york/nyc-zoos-269974.php



Tauber gift takes zoo visitors for a ride on the wild side
$750,000 donation will pay for railroad renovations
By Mary Beth Almond
C & G Staff Writer
BLOOMFIELD HILLS — When patrons sit down for a ride on the Detroit Zoo’s train this summer, they can thank the Tauber family of Bloomfield Hills for making it possible.
Joel and Shelly Tauber recently donated $750,000 to the zoo to preserve the train — a symbol of the zoo’s rich heritage.
The Detroit News donated the first train — a replica steam locomotive with passenger cars — in 1931 to help the zoo survive hard times during the Great Depression. The train carried 10 million passengers before becoming obsolete in 1948.

http://www.candgnews.com/Homepage-Articles/2007/6-27-07/BF-RAILROAD.asp


Zoo upgrades feasts for beasts
By Amy Maxmen
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
06/28/2007
Kristen Frizzell prepares fish for penguins at the St. Louis Zoo.
(Sarah Conard/P-D)
As the sun rises this morning, a handful of chefs will fix chow for 22,805 beastly mouths in a kitchen big enough to park a yacht in.
A new animal nutrition center is opening at the St. Louis Zoo.
It has a refrigerator bigger than a two-car garage, a freezer the size of half a basketball court, and three 4.5-ton, two-story silos full of high-fiber pellets.
Beyond the top-notch climate-controlled pantry space, the new center includes lab space for nutritional research, and outdoor educational exhibits.
Advertisement
The Orthwein Animal Nutrition Center, which cost $5.3 million, is named after contributors William R. Orthwein, Jr., and Laura Rand Orthwein.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/31784E631479456F862573080010D801?OpenDocument


Eagles spark interest; zoo thankful for support
Advertisement
The last two months have been very exciting for the Miller Park Zoo. The eagle experience has been a very positive event.
Even though no eaglet was hatched, the interest in the Beauty/Mathata story was very gratifying.
Not only did attendance at the zoo increase, but we believe the interest in wildlife in our community has increased because of the eagles.
We here at the zoo sincerely appreciate all of the positive comments, media support and interest in the eagles this event has generated. We thank our community for the continued support of the Miller Park Zoo and of wildlife in our region.
John Tobias
Bloomington
The writer is superintendent, Miller Park Zoo.

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007/06/28/opinion/letters/126633.txt



Plan for double zoo size in future
Board gets its first look at how animal park could grow with Measure Z funding.
By Marc Benjamin / The Fresno Bee
06/28/07 04:54:00
– All Job Categories – Accounting Admin & Clerical Automotive1 Banking1 Biotech1 Broadcast - Journalism1 Business Development Construction Consultant Customer Service Design Distribution - Shipping Education Engineering Entry Level Executive Facilities Finance General Business General Labor Government Health Care Hotel - Hospitality Human Resources Information Technology Insurance Inventory Legal Legal Admin Management Manufacturing Marketing Nurse Other Pharmaceutical Professional Services Purchasing - Procurement QA - Quality Control Research Restaurant - Food Service Retail - Grocery Sales Science Skilled Labor - Trades Strategy - Planning Supply Chain Telecommunications Training Transportation Warehouse
The Fresno Chaffee Zoo board took its first glimpse into the zoo's future Wednesday night and visited new grasslands filled with predators and other exotic creatures.
The zoo's new master plan could include the return of two popular species that have been absent -- lions and hippos.
During a special meeting, board members discussed master plan renderings of new and expanded exhibits to be built with funding from Measure Z, the countywide sales tax approved by voters in 2004 to pay for zoo improvements.
The master plan lays out how that money could be spent to expand the zoo. But the plan also opens a 20-year window for showing how the zoo could eventually double in size.

http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/71656.html



Zoo's 'rainforest' opens
Bertie Ahern

Elephants will make their first appearance at Dublin Zoo for almost two years when a spectacular rainforest enclosure is opened.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is to unveil the sprawling Kaziranga Forest Trail habitat, which includes water pools and dense vegetation.
It will be home to the zoo's two new adult Asian elephants, Bernhardine and Yasmin, which have been in quarantine since arriving from Germany earlier this year. A two-month-old baby elephant born at the zoo in May has yet to be named.
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2007, All Rights Reserved.
Last Updated: 28 June 2007 2:55 PM

http://www.tyronetimes.co.uk/latest-irish-news?articleid=2989459



Elephants unpack trunks in new enclosure
The elephants explore their new enclosure at Dublin Zoo
Elephants today made their first public appearance at Dublin Zoo for almost two years in their new specially designed rainforest enclosure.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern unveiled the Kaziranga Forest Trail habitat, which includes water pools and dense vegetation.
It will be home to the zoo's two new adult Asian elephants, Bernhardine and Yasmin, who have been in quarantine since arriving from Germany earlier this year.
A two-month-old baby born at the Zoo in May has yet to be named.

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0628/breaking32.htm



Scenes from Lincoln Park: Lincoln Park Zoo
Posted 6/28/2007 by Sheila Burt
Monkey alert! This little guy kept staring at us when we visited the
Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N Clark St, earlier this week.
The zoo is home to 1,200 animals representing 230 species, according to its
Web site. It's been around since 1868 when two swans were donated from New York's Central Park, according to the Encyclopedia of Chicago (though the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce's Web site says the zoo started in 1874 with the $10 purchase of a bear cub) .

http://yochicago.com/today/environment/scenes-from-lincoln-park-lincoln-park-zoo_5339/


Virginia Zoo welcomes its newest and rarest new member.

The dozens of kids and grownups gathered at one exhibit just by the main entrance of the Virginia Zoo have a serious case of animal anticipation. Sarah Stanford, an eight-year-old from Smithsburg, MD, says "I'm not leaving this spot until I see my panda bear."
Stanford and the other spectators are here to see the red panda inside an air-conditioned hut. It's not the kind with the big black eyes. This is a red panda which is also rare. Greg Bockheim is the Zoo's Executive Director. He says "It's an amazingly special for us to receive such a critically endangered animal. A lot of zoos do want red pandas. There's about 120 in zoos across the country but less than 25-hundred in the wild." Red pandas live in bamboo forests from the Himalayas to South China. And like giant pandas they have an extra 'thumb,' zoo officials say, which is simply an enlarged bone.
At 11:04 a-m -- the gate opens for Yin-- the panda's name. And the first thing the crowd learns about the one year old is she's shy. Stanford asks, "Why is she hiding from us?" Her keeper, Martha Hamilton, explains, "This is her first time you know being in front of a crowd of people."

http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=6694102&nav=23ii


What is a Wild Horse?
June 22nd, 2007 by shenron
The wild horse is the original design of the horse, descended from undomesticated animals who have lived on earth for millions of years. Today they are extinct in much of the world, and only exist naturally in Asia. There are only two subspecies of wild horses that survived to modern times due to direct human involvement. The first is the Tarpan, or Eurasian Wild Horse, and the other is the Mongolian Wild Horse. The Mongolian Wild Horse was at one point listed as extinct in the wild, but since has been found again and through careful conservation has been brought back from the brink of total obliteration with 1500 in zoos providing the basis of a breeding program for reintroduction into the wild. As of now there are just over 250 Wild Mongolian Horses in the wild, and the numbers are hopefully going to increase and bring that species of wild horse back to sustainable levels that will insure the species survival. Wild Horses used to be in nearly every continent, including North America, but were either starved out with climate change - or hunted to extinction. The Tarpan went extinct completely in 1875.

http://www.themules.net/what-is-a-wild-horse


Group: Close Birmingham elephant pen after Mona's death
6/22/2007, 12:31 p.m. CDT
By JAY REEVES
The Associated Press
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — An animal protection group said Friday the Birmingham Zoo should shut down the pen where an elderly Asian elephant named Mona lived alone before being euthanized due to deteriorating health.
Believed to be the oldest elephant in captivity at an accredited U.S. zoo, Mona was put to sleep by a lethal injection on Thursday. She was unable to stand without the help of a crane on Monday.
A group that previously criticized the animal's treatment said her death was the perfect time to permanently close the pen where she lived.

http://www.al.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-29/118253394413050.xml&storylist=alabamanews


Animals living in dire conditions in Johor zoos
I VISITED the Saleng zoo in Kulai, Johor, last month and found the animals there in a miserable state.
The enclosures were small, dirty, hardly maintained and stank. I doubt very much that the animals are sufficiently fed.
I can sense the hopelessness among the big animals such as tigers and lions.
Many monkeys were chained and lost their fur.
When I related told this to a Malaysian friend, he replied that the condition in the zoo in Johor Baru is worse.
Why does the Malaysian government allow such deplorable conditions? We destroy animal habitat, eat them or, in this case, turn them into exhibits in such inhumane condition.

http://www.straitstimes.com/ST+Forum/Online+Story/STIStory_131874.html


European zoos celebrate Madagascar National Day
June 23, 2007
On 26 June Madagascar celebrates its National Day. The Living Rainforest will be among the zoos and aquaria all over Europe joining this celebration and organising Malagasy activities.
The activities on 26 June are part of the 2006/7 Madagascar campaign organised by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). During the campaign year, The Living Rainforest and other EAZA members will tell their visitors about the wonderful flora and fauna of the island and raise funds for conservation projects.
EAZA member institutions will organise various activities, showing the magnificent Malagasy animals and plants and explaining the threats to their survival. Madagascar National Day is an extra reason to bring this message to the visitors and invite them to join the celebrations and help conserve the island.

http://www.livingrainforest.org/news/item?id=59


The elephants as we know them
By: JOHN VAN DOORN - Staff Writer
When wild animals and people get together, for any reason at all, it's not an easy association.
For every Tarzan in the world ---- he grew up in Africa swinging through the trees with ape friends, charging across the veldt astride his favorite elephant ---- there are millions of the rest of us who don't know what our relationship with wild animals should be, or if there should be any at all.
Cautious, we tend to leave these great animals to the zoos, where in nervous safety behind the barriers we look at them and wonder who they are, or what, and when they got here, and how, and why they often do not look happy. Tarzan's animals did.
These are age-old questions that often include another on the metaphysical side, which is how to decide who is actually "behind" the barriers where such alien animals pace and glare.
One thing to be agreed upon: We humans want to assure ourselves that whatever sort of life the animals have around here, it is at least life.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/06/24/perspective/vandoorn/21_17_446_22_07.txt


Zoo on the path to national accreditation
By ANDREA THOMAS
athomas@journalandcourier.com
Of the more than 2,500 United States institutions that are licensed animal exhibitors, only 208 -- or less than 10 percent -- are accredited members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The Columbian Park Zoo hopes to someday be in that company.
If it succeeds, it would join the ranks of four other Indiana animal exhibitors that are AZA members -- the Indianapolis Zoo, Mesker Park Zoo in Evansville, Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend and Fort Wayne Children's Zoo.
Johanna Zalkin, a West Lafayette resident, says she is an animal rights activist in her "own quiet way," and she's looking forward to the changes.

http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070624/NEWS/706240352/1152


A week's worth of science news

Jun 24, 2007 04:30 AM
Peter Calamai
Science Reporter
DANCING FEET
You can see penguins in Sudbury this summer, as part of a special exhibition at the innovative Science North museum to mark International Polar Year.
But those are cardboard cut-outs, not real ones like the Humboldt penguins reported in rare sightings off the B.C. and Alaska coasts since the mid-1970s. As recently as July 2002, a fisherman photographed a Humboldt among salmon netted off southeast Alaska.
What are penguins that normally live along the coasts of Peru and Chile doing that far north?
A study in the current issue of The Wilson Journal of Ornithology concludes these particular birds most likely travelled north as pets aboard long-distance fishing boats from the southern oceans, which are home to the 17 species of penguins.

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/228768


The B. Bryan Preserve In Point Arena Granted AZA Certification
June 24, 2007 at 12:34 pm
A zoo in Point Arena?
Not exactly, but Dr. Frank and Judy Mello have won acreditation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) for their private animal preserve, the
B Bryan Preserve in Point Arena, which is home to Sable, Roan and Greater Kudu Antelope as well as rare and endangered Grevy’s Zebra and Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra
“Only the very best zoos and aquariums can meet tough Association of Zoos and Aquariums standards,” said AZA President and CEO Jim Maddy, in a press release provided to MendocinoFun.com. “The leadership and staff of the B Bryan Preserve are to be congratulated for the hard work and commitment that they put into the process to become certified.”

http://www.mendocinofun.com/2007/06/24/the-b-bryan-preserve-in-point-arena-granted-aza-certification/


Nashville and three other cites to share $3 million for zoo improvements
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) -- Four Tennessee cities will share $3 million in state funding to make improvements to their zoos.
Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville will each receive $750,000 approved by the recent General Assembly for improvements to animal attractions. Chattanooga will use $525,000 for its zoo, and the rest will go toward its Tennessee Aquarium exhibit.
State Sen. Ward Crutchfield said he has been a fan of the Chattanooga zoo for years and has done some fundraising on his own, but he realized for the zoo to get the money it needed for its long-term plans the state needed to help.
"The aquarium had a lot of backers, but the zoo needed more," said the Chattanooga Democrat.
Officials said the money will be used for a new front entrance for the Chattanooga Zoo and upgrades to the aquarium's exhibits.

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070624/NEWS01/70624007/1006


Border fence may stop ocelot
11:55 PM CDT on Sunday, June 24, 2007
By KATIE MENZER / The Dallas Morning News
kmenzer@dallasnews.com
A 700-mile fence proposed along the Texas-Mexico border might do more than curb illegal immigration.
It also might cut in two the habitat of many native animals – such as the endangered ocelot – and possibly isolate northern animals from their southern brethren.
Without more details on what the fence – which Congress approved last year – will look like, scientists said they can't predict how the barrier will affect wildlife, but they know the impact will be felt.
"The fence is going to interrupt the environment for a lot of species," said Ken Kaemmerer, curator of mammals for the Dallas Zoo and leader of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums' Species Survival Plan for ocelots.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/062507dnmetocelotsider.37f7ccc.html


Dated

Polar bears in Berlin's zoo enjoy ice with a difference
Berlin, July 25: The polar bear has a layer of fat that can be as much as four inches thick. This helps it survive in the freezing temperatures of its natural habitat, but doesn't help much in a zoo as the German polar bear Lars discovered.
Lars and his mate live in Berlin Zoo, where the temperature on Friday (July 21) was above 30 degrees celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) again. But Lars has been able to have a refreshing break thanks to his sponsors.
"The company 'Eis Vogel' sponsors the polar bear Lars, and they thought they would bring a bit of diversity into his life and if it is too hot then we shall donate some ice, and that is what they have for a change," Zookeeper Markus Robke said.
'Eis Vogel' donated ice which they usually use for decorations at events, so while wild polar bears are digging out shallow "summer dens" in order to escape the heat, Lars is able to play with the ice footballs or demolish ice on Brandenburg Gate.
Polar bears can survive even when the temperature drops to minus 70 degrees because its fat keeps its body heat trapped inside.
The hairs on a polar bear are hollow and can channel ultraviolet light from the sun down to the bear's black skin, which absorbs it. This means that the bear's body is somewhat like a greenhouse, trapping solar energy and then storing it in the from of heat.

http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=311445&ssid=26&sid=ENV



Plight of animals at Haifa Zoo
By Raffi Berg
BBC News, Haifa
Buba is confined to her concrete sleeping quarters
Buba the bear is not well. She has been locked inside for most of the past nine days and the effects are beginning to show.
"She has developed an abscess on her leg and I am worried about her," said Dr Etty Ararat, the director of Haifa Zoo.
Like all the mammals at the zoo, Buba, an eight-year-old Brown Syrian bear, has been confined to her concrete sleeping quarters for her own safety as the city is bombarded by missiles from Lebanon.
"The bears are not stressed by the air raid sirens but they don't understand why they have to be inside all the time," said Dr Ararat.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5213602.stm



Fuel Cell Power Plant Under Way at the L.A. Zoo
Los Angeles, California [RenewableEnergyAccess.com]
The new Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) Zoo Fuel Cell Power Plant, recently dedicated at the Los Angeles Zoo produces 200 kilowatts (kW) of highly efficient and clean hydrogen-fueled electricity -- enough to power 250 homes -- and marks the fourth fuel cell in LADWP's award-winning Fuel Cell Demonstration Program.
"By generating power near the load, DG also helps save money by reducing pressure on our infrastructure while providing for increased reliability."
-- Ron Deaton, LADWP General Manager
Fuel cells and other types of distributed generation (DG) help to relieve the daily strain on the system and to maintain the quality of power when the grid is loaded down. Thus, along with demand side energy and energy efficiency programs, they are a key part of LADWP's long-term plans to meet the City's energy needs, helping to achieve 20 percent of retail energy sales through renewable energy by 2010, said David Nahai, vice president of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners.
"By generating power near the load, DG also helps save money by reducing pressure on our infrastructure while providing for increased reliability," said LADWP General Manager Ron Deaton.

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=45535



Authorities find drugs, guns at private N.C. zoo
Date created: 7/26/2006 2:54:46 PM
Last updated: 7/26/2006 2:54:56 PM
A raid at a private zoo near Salisbury turned up more than four-legged animals.
Authorities say they found drugs, guns and illegal video poker machines at Metrolina Wildlife Park, formerly known as Charlotte Metro Zoo.
Sergeant Tony Sharum of the state Wildlife Resources Division says park owner Steve Macaluso faces misdemeanor charges related to the number of animals he kept and how he kept them.
Officials say officers seized numerous animals along with drugs, guns and eight to ten video poker machines. State law says a permit is required to store more than five video poker machines.

http://www.wbir.com/news/national/story.aspx?storyid=36398



Zoo may be final destination for Scott man's lion cub Simba
Published 07/27/2006 By
KEVIN CASTLE
GATE CITY - A Snowflake community property owner plans to go ahead with a zoo project following a court decision involving his pet lion cub on Thursday.
Scott County General District Court Judge Larry Lewis accepted an Alford plea from Marc Bradley of Gate City on one misdemeanor count of importation and possession of an undesirable and predatory animal, a charge lodged against him in March by a Virginia game warden following a search of his and his father's home.
At that time, that official found a 7½-month-old lion cub named "Simba" confined in a sturdy holding cage following an anonymous call from one of Bradley's neighbors out of concern for the animal's welfare.

http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=3659832



Then & Now: Evolution of the zoo
Web Posted: 07/30/2006 01:19 AM CDT
Scott Huddleston
Express-News Staff Writer
The San Antonio Zoo began with little more than a herd of bison in Brackenridge Park, but it has become one of the top local attractions for visitors.
Now with more than 3,500 animals representing 750 species, the zoo has focused more over the years on education, conservation, species preservation and sensory stimulation for young children. It typically draws at least 800,000 visitors annually and often is listed among the world's leading zoos.
San Antonio's first zoo dates at least to the 1870s. U.S. poet Sidney Lanier wrote about an aviary, a Mexican lion, two bears, a wolf and other animals displayed in San Pedro Park.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA073006.02B.Then_Now_zoo.18c7d86.html



Zoo Tycoon 2 Adds Dino Park
No word yet on whether or not the new addition will feature a petting zoo.
by
IGN Staff
July 28, 2006 - It's hard to believe there was a time when gigantic lizards roamed these hills. Now, the only place you can find dinosaurs is in a zoo. Today Microsoft Game Studios announced a Dino Danger Pack is available online for Zoo Tycoon 2, allowing users to throw a few prehistoric beasts into their zoo and see what happens.
Dino Danger Pack adds four dinosaurs to the mix: Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, Carnotaurus, and Styracosaurus. New dino-themed buildings and objects are available, too, such as the all-important electric fence to keep your Rex out of the funnel cakes. Prehistoric challenges will test your abilities to keep these beasts in captivity, impress visiting researchers, and take good photos.
Zoo Tycoon 2 Dino Danger Pack is only available from the game's
website for $4.99.

Zoo Tycoon 2: Dino Danger Pack
Also known as:
Zoo Tycoon II: Dino Danger Pack

http://zootycoon.com/



Thai elephants to face pressure to breed
An Australian zoo official feeds two of the elephants in Thailand.
Photo: AP
Andrew Darby
August 1, 2006
THE first attempt at artificial insemination of an Asian elephant in Australia has failed, putting pressure on Sydney and Melbourne zoos to use the technique with their Thai elephants.
Zoos say that rather than being used to attract customers, which would be a breach of international wildlife trade law, the eight Thai elephants will form the nucleus of a breeding herd for conservation.
But no Asian elephant has yet been successfully bred in Australia.
The difficult technique was tried with a bull, Putramas, and a cow, Permai, both aged 16, at the Perth Zoo, it was learned yesterday.
However, the procedure had failed to achieve a pregnancy, a Perth Zoo spokeswoman said.
"AI with elephants is a very invasive procedure that can require very heavy-handed tactics," said the RSPCA's Jane Speechley.
"The lack of success in Perth shows that the procedure is in its infancy, and these elephants should not be subjected to these kind of experiments."

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/thai-elephants-to-face-pressure-to-breed/2006/07/31/1154198074605.html

continued...