The Antarctica Ice Sheets, at least where they used to be !

Changes in the extent and stability of Antarctic ice shelves prompted NSIDC to begin a monitoring program of the major ice streams and outlet glaciers along the Antarctic coast. (click here).

This archive spans back to the late 1980's. We began by using data from the AVHRR Polar 1km data set and in 2001 switched to MODIS level 1B data. Currently 19 areas are being monitored year round. This archive is a selected subset of scenes, generally the clearest and most informative scenes available.

Citing these data: Scambos, T., J. Bohlander, and B. Raup, compilers. 2001, updated current year. Images of Antarctic ice shelves. Boulder, CO: National Snow and Ice Data Center.

Digital media.

For more information on this data set contact NSIDC User Services.

When Antarctica melts it means there is instability of the climate. There is no other 'profound' meaning.

Glacier-ice shelf interactions: In a stable glacier-ice shelf system, the glacier's downhill movement is offset by the buoyant force of the water on the front of the shelf. Warmer temperatures destabilize this system by lubricating the glacier's base and creating melt ponds that eventually carve through the shelf. Once the ice shelf retreats to the grounding line, the buoyant force that used to offset glacier flow becomes negligible, and the glacier picks up speed on its way to the sea. Image by Ted Scambos and Michon Scott, National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado, Boulder.

A critical feature of an ice shelf is the "grounding line," the point where the underside of the ice shelf detaches from land and floats on the ocean water. If an ice shelf retreats to the grounding line, the shelf's shape changes. More ice protrudes above the water line, and the ocean water exerts little buoyant pressure on the ice. As a result, the flow of the glacier meets very little resistance. In the 18 months following the Larsen Ice Shelf disintegration, glaciers feeding that ice shelf accelerated between three- to eight-fold (Scambos et al. 2004 and Rignot et al. 2004). Similar mechanisms are at work in the Jakobshavn Ice Stream in Greenland (Joughin et al. 2004).

How "W"rong could they be? Any regrets?

This is the collapse of the Larson B Ice Sheet which occurred March 20002 (click here)

This occurred after this article appeared in the BBC News (see below):

Thursday, 27 December, 2001, 20:16 GMT
Low probability of ice collapse (click here)

By Christine McGourty, science correspondent, in the Antarctic
Scientists think there is just a one in 20 chance that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) will collapse in the next 200 years.
More data on the ice sheet is urgently required to be more certain about the future of the ice sheet and possible future sea-level rises
Dr David Vaughan, Bas The integrity of the WAIS is crucial to future sea levels; if all the ice melts in this region of the White Continent, it could raise the oceans by several metres.
The 5% probability of disintegration has been worked out by researchers commissioned by the British Government. Their work will be published in the journal Climate Change next month.
It is the first time a risk assessment of a WAIS collapse has been attempted....

Now, fast forward past the collapse of the Larsen B and following an extremely warm climate in Antarctica this year. I tracked it right here on this blog. The Wilkins Ice Sheet has collapsed in images released today. Bush stated in 2003, "There is no such thing as global warming and carbon dioxide could never be a toxic gas." Really? Does anyone doubt the Wilkins Ice Sheet will completely collapse? If you still don't 'GET IT' then it's because you were educated under "NO Child Left Behind !"

Antarctic ice shelf disintegrating as result of climate change, say scientists (click here)

While the area of collapse involves 160 square miles at present, a large part of the 5,000-square-mile Wilkins Ice Shelf is now supported only by a narrow strip of ice between two islands, said CU-Boulder's Ted Scambos, lead scientist at NSIDC. "If there is a little bit more retreat, this last 'ice buttress' could collapse and we'd likely lose about half the total ice shelf area in the next few years." ...

Global warming blamed for ice shelf collapse (click here)
Last Updated: 12:01am GMT 26/03/2008
An ice shelf of 5,000 square miles in western Antarctica has started to collapse, scientists said.

The disintegration of the Wilkins ice sheet, the largest on the Antarctic Peninsula to be threatened, is more evidence of rapid climate change on the continent, they claimed.
Satellite images from the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre show the rapid disintegration of the Wilkins ice shelf
The British Antarctic Survey said the ice shelf was "hanging by a thread".
Satellite images from the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre showed an iceberg measuring 25.5 miles by 1.5 miles - the size of the Isle of Man - broke off last month.
A large section of the sheet, a broad plate of permanent floating ice around 1,000 miles south of South America, is now held together by a four-mile strip of ice.
The collapse of the shelf had been predicted, but is happening more quickly than expected, scientists said. It is thought the warming of the atmosphere, which has been happening several times faster on the Antarctic Peninsula than the global average, has melted more surface ice, which is weakening the shelf....

Wilkins Ice Sheet Collapses

Wilkins Ice Sheet from 2003
Location Map: MODIS image from 13 February 2003, 13:15 (click here)


This series of satellite images shows the Wilkins Ice Shelf as it begins to break up. The large image is from March 6. The images at right, from top to bottom, are from Feb. 28, Feb. 29 and March 8. The images were processed from the MODIS satellite sensor flying on NASA's Earth Observing System Aqua and Terra satellites. Images courtesy NSIDC, NASA, University of Colorado

Satellite images from the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre show the rapid disintegration of the Wilkins ice shelf

Paved Roads, Wagering on War and Using American Intelligence for Political Gain. AKA "The Stupid American Electorate" - The Cheney Observer - So !

According to Hamid Karzai, paved roads are the success to the defeat of the Taliban and al Qaeda. Who knew? If that is the case, then build a damn superhighway !

Paved road provides improved access to mountain area (click here)

I mean for this, we get 'fly in the face of regard' of SO !!! Yeah, right ! Why do I get the feeling that paved roads FACILITATE the Opium economy that supports the Taliban, al Qaeda and their warlords? Why is that? Any guesses?

...Vice presidential advisers said Cheney wanted to talk to Karzai (click here) about the problems in the south, push him to take steps to extend Afghanistan's governance beyond Kabul and stress the need for successful elections next year. Cheney also wanted to address ways the Afghan government could curb corruption and deal with the rising production of poppies, which are used to make narcotic drugs that fund insurgent operations.
At a news conference later, Karzai highlighted progress, saying that just a few years ago, his country, which is about the size of Texas, lacked paved roads.
"Now we have more than 3,000 kilometers of paved highways and other roads," he said. "Go to schools, go to hospitals, go to lots of other reconstruction activities in the rebuilding of Afghanistan. ... So thanks to you, the international community, for having given us all of that. Please continue."...

The USA Electorate has out done themselves over the past month in its hideous willingness to be lead around by the nose.

The FBI was used by the Bush/Cheney White House to 'hunt down' a sex scandal on Eliot Spitzer and rather than realizing the illegal activity of its intelligence agencies, the American Public danced on the grave of its Democratic Brain Trust still again.

The 'knee-jerk' reaction from Oprah was to have women on to discuss infidelity (click here). Did she discuss something 'half-way' intelligenct, like the abuse of power? Heck, no, that would actually mean taking a hard look at a politically dangerous subject, therefore, American women are again confirmed as mindless voters seeking justice of their own marital difficulties while publically prosecuting a political figure:

U.S. Defends Tough Tactics on Spitzer (click here)

By DAVID JOHNSTON and PHILIP SHENON
Published: March 21, 2008

Supposedly, the Justice Department was investing "The Emperor Club" a prostitution ring. Do you know how many professional prostitutes there are in the USA? A lot. Do you how many prostitutes there are in New York City? A lot. Do you KNOW how many times The New York Times has come out in defense of the treatment of prostitutes by society? A lot. Do you know how long times 'sex traffiking' of minors in the USA has been an issue? A long time. Do any of these undertones to the social mores give permission for 'sex on demand?' You betcha. The number one reason men look for prostitutes for sex is to perform fellatio. Does the American Electorate care to understand the idiocy connected with illegal prostitution? Heck, no, all the USA electorate wants to believe is that every elected official has a perfect marriage so they can hide their own issues with infidelity from sight and therefore IT DOESN'T EXIST !

If the Spitzer's marriage and intimate relationship lacked the tenacity to sustain 'fidelity' IT AIN'T ANY OF MY BUSINESS. Quite frankly, when it comes to infidelity among political spouses and their mates, I am not surprised, the rigors of public life are divisive and lend itself to opportunity rather than not. In a country with declining marriage rates and divorce rates still in high percentages there is little to no room for the American electorate to be this stupid about the realities of 'sexual antics' of its members.

So, here again the Neocon Elite has a field day with the Democratic brain trust. The Republican Neocons found a way to enforce antiquated social mores of fidelity, racism while at the same time scoffing at the majority of American citizens that oppose the Iraq invasion. How is it that Cheney manages to avoid impeachment? Any distracted?

I mean. ???????????? SO ??????????????

Before the USA electorate loses their ability to discern sincere leadership from that of religiously motivated 'political content' in 'moralizing' over issues that are irrelivant and gain the support of government budgets including that of the FBI, they best start to put into perspective the events leading up to the demoralizing of Eliot Spitzer, Barak Obama, the intellect of the American woman and the 'fly in your face' disregard of the Vice President of the USA while conducting business in the Middle East for the Executive Branch of the country.

KEEP YOUR LEGS CROSSED LADIES, IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department used some of its most intrusive tactics against

Eliot Spitzer, examining his financial records, eavesdropping on his phone calls and tailing him during its criminal investigation of the Emperor’s Club prostitution ring.
The scale and intensity of the investigation of Mr. Spitzer, then the governor of New York, seemed on its face to be a departure for the Justice Department, which aggressively investigates allegations of wrongdoing by public officials, but almost never investigates people who pay prostitutes for sex.
A review of recent federal cases shows that federal prosecutors go sparingly after owners and operators of prostitution enterprises, and usually only when millions of dollars are involved or there are aggravating circumstances, like human trafficking or child exploitation.

And here is the excuse. It's a New York Governor, therefore and hence, every action by the FBI is justified. NOT !!!!! The misuse of the powers of the Executive Branch for political purposes is exactly that and as in discord as all these entries may be there is a serious discussion NOT occurring in the American media suppressed by people such as Michael Powell, whom as a journalist is seriously concerned about profound issues such as 'The Real Eliot Spitzer' (click here). Powell should write an article in a 'fair and balanced format' regarding 'The Real Dick Cheney' when he is openly in disgust with the American people and their LONGEVITY of disgust with him and the Iraq War he promoted under false realities !

Government lawyers and investigators defend the expenditure of resources on Mr. Spitzer in the Emperor’s Club V.I.P. case as justifiable and necessary since it involved the possibility of criminal wrongdoing by New York’s highest elected official, who had been the state’s top prosecutor.
Bradley D. Simon, a veteran Justice Department trial lawyer who was federal prosecutor in Brooklyn throughout the 1990s, said that although it was rare for the department to use so many resources on the workings of a prostitution ring, the involvement of such a high-level politician must change the equation.
“If they’ve got some evidence of a high-ranking public official involved in violations of federal criminal code, it may not be unreasonable for them to pursue it,” he said. Still, he said, “I don’t think prostitution has been a high priority at the Justice Department.”
The focus on Mr. Spitzer was so intense that the F.B.I. used surveillance teams to follow both him and the prostitute in Washington in February. The surveillance teams had followed him at least once before — when he visited the city in January but did not engage a prostitute, officials said, confirming a report in The Washington Post. Stakeouts and surveillance are labor-intensive and often involve teams of a dozen or more agents and non-agent specialists....

In previous reporting regarding the 'hunt' for a reason to demoralize Eliot Spitzer's public image the surveillance was more than just January, it began during 2007 and sustained from a period of time that is unreasonable to consider this as a 'sting operation of a prostitution ring.' This was a political operation perscribed by the Justice Department that began under Gonzalez, most assuredly as a favor to Bush on behalf of his brother, potential running mate to McCain and future presidential hopeful, Jeb !

While Eliot was pushing his luck in New York State when "Troopergate" manifested (click here) as his own abuse of power, he paid the political price following that escapade and his popularity was dimished for valid and zealous methodologies. Yet, while Spitzer's Troopergate was revealed and he was held responsible, the FBI is yet to answer for using tactics not dissimilar on him. What gives?

The difference between "Troopergate" and "Spitzergate" is a matter of a twat and a twenty somethings 'American Sex Idol' rise to stardom? Give me a break !

The lead editorial following the zealotry of the New York Times under the direction of Michael Power was that this 'woman' was a twenty something and not a thirty or forty something, while Eliot's spouse in much older. THAT AIN'T IT. I doubt The Emperor Club employs many 'senior women' in the 'profession' on their Call Girl List. Hello?

Here AGAIN and STILL the 'Poor, Aggrieved American Woman' was used to promote 'unrest' among the 'stupid electorate.' I mean when do people FINALLY get so disgusted with this mess that they simply reject it for what it is? Never? If that is the case then the American electorate will deadlock their decision making regarding any dismantling of the Republican 'mind set' that holds them hostage while carrying out illegal wars and false agendas that benefit cronies, FOREVER.

Then and in zealotry becoming the finest of Michael Powell's FCC dictatorship rulings, the media reinvented a Black Minister as a sinister character 'in control' of the Post Election Agenda of a Democratic Presidential Hopeful in Barak Obama. And the favorite ridicule of the American Electorate in regard to the Bush/Cheney lies in the lead up to the Iraq War is "Conspiracy Theorists Suck !' Well. Guess what the media is using to demoralize the public image of Barak? Yep, you guessed it, "Conspiracy." See, somehow and here again, only this time it's a Black Man, the 'mindlessness' of Barak will be over taken by his overpowering minister to carry out crimes against White America no less than Hitler. No one is sick and tired of this mess, yet? I am and I am tired of people in this country with the POWER to vote for Neocon War Lords to continue to do so in ignorance of their own failings to overcome the propaganda of it's media.

White House still runs on Iraq misinformation

http://c2l.newsworthyaudio.com/Partners/COXNewspapers/C2lPlayer.aspx?PartnerKey=COXNewspapers&SiteKey=palmbeachpost&ArticleGUID=palmbeachpost_opinion_epaper_2008_03_24_a18_leadedit_iraqwar_0324&ArticleURL=http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/cnishared/newsworthy/palmbeachpost//opinion/epaper/2008/03/24//palmbeachpost_opinion_epaper_2008_03_24_a18_leadedit_iraqwar_0324.mp3&PartnerSpecificParam=AdUrl=http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/pbp.cni/$PAGE%23ap%40click2listen%23pg%40$PAGE%23sub%40$SUB%23fromsite%40palmbeachpost%23

MS. RADDATZ: Two-thirds of Americans say it's not worth fighting, and they're looking at the value gain versus the cost in American lives, certainly, and Iraqi lives.
VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY: So?
MS. RADDATZ: So -- you don't care what the American people think?
VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY: No, I think you cannot be blown off course by the fluctuations in the public opinion polls. Think about what would have happened if Abraham Lincoln had paid attention to polls, if they had had polls during the Civil War. He never would have succeeded if he hadn't had a clear objective, a vision for where he wanted to go, and he was willing to withstand the slings and arrows of the political wars in order to get there.
In this one passage, Cheney was able to compare Bush and Iraq to Lincoln and the Civil War, refer to the president's support in the polls -- which ranges from about 32 percent to 34 percent -- as fluctuations, and respond to American public opinion with one word: "So?"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/03/16/DI2008031602423.html

The comment came in Amman, Jordan,...

In Amman, Jordan is where Dick Cheney demoralized the importance of the American people and their opinion of the relevancy of the Iraq invasion and war.

In Amman, Jordan Dick Cheney told the entire Arab world that the American people were not important and therefore didn't deserve his attention of their opinion.

Why?

Why is it that Richard 'the Dick' Cheney can 'get away' with demoralizing an entire majority of Americas to audiences in The Middle East?

Why is that and more importantly why do Americans CONTINUALLY elect people exactly like Dick Cheney that DO disregard their importance causing them embarrassment to that importance in their OWN democracy while Dick Cheney speaks out of both sides of his mouth?

Why?

Because the American people are caught up in a national abuse of their regard by the Republicans UNTIL it comes time for elections when the Republicans can 'push their buttons' and demoralize their oppossion?

Americans can't set a better example to the world than this regarding their ability to make decisions that will protect nations from illegal invasions while twarting every effort to protect themselves through effective military actions that actually defeat terrorist networks?

There is something very "W"rong with this picture !

...during an interview with ABC's Martha Raddatz, who prefaced a question to Cheney by saying, "Two-thirds of Americans say it's not worth fighting."

"So?" Cheney interjected.
"So?" replied Raddatz. "You don't care what the American people think?"
"No," said Cheney. "I think you cannot be blown off course by the fluctuations in the public opinion polls."
Cheney continued with standard White House rhetoric about improving conditions in Iraq and the need for steady leadership.
On Thursday, it fell to White House press secretary Dana Perino to put Cheney's comments into perspective. President Bush and Cheney, she said, don't "chase popularity polls."
"And they understand that people aren't necessarily going to agree with their decisions," she said.
"I think what he means," Perino said of Cheney's remark, "is that regardless of how bad it could get in terms of your popularity rating, you can't make decisions based on chasing popularity."
Everyone in the Bush administration, she said, "would like for people to support the president's decisions."
"We realize that that's unrealistic, especially in a time of war, and in particular this war," she added.
"But what the president has said is that while people might not like the decisions that he makes, he has to do what he thinks is right for the country."
Meanwhile in Afghanistan, Cheney dismissed fears that that nation could slide into a failed state, telling troops Thursday that the United States and NATO allies will not allow resurgent extremists to bully their way back into power.
More than 8,000 people died in Afghanistan last year, making it the most violent year since 2001, when the U.S. invaded Afghanistan to oust the Taliban regime after the Sept. 11 attacks. Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters have regrouped, especially in the south, and the job of coordinating aid and NATO troops from scores of nations has proved daunting.
"The Afghan people have no desire to be pulled back into the dark ages," Cheney said at Bagram Air Base during an unannounced trip to Afghanistan. "They're trusting America to stand by them in this fight, and that trust is being repaid every day. Having liberated this country, the United States and our coalition partners have no intention of allowing extremists to shoot their way back into power."
Cheney said NATO members need to step up military assistance for Afghanistan as it struggles to rebound from years of tyranny and war. That will be at the top of the agenda when leaders of the 26 nations in NATO meet early next month in Romania.
Cheney flew from Oman to the Afghan capital, then took a helicopter to the dusty presidential compound, where he met President Hamid Karzai for an hourlong discussion.
At a news conference later, Karzai highlighted progress, saying that just a few years ago, his country, about the size of Texas, lacked paved roads.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/nation/content/nation/epaper/2008/03/21/a3a_bushwar21cox_0321.html

Suicide Bomb Attack Kills 36 near Baghdad during Cheney's Visit
By Diane Smith
20:04, March 17th 2008
The series of suicide bomb attacks was continued on Monday, the day US Vice President Dick Cheney visited Baghdad, as a female wearing an explosives-laden vest detonated it close to a Shiite shrine in the Iraqi city of Karbala. The powerful blast killed at least 36 people and wounded at least 50 according to health and police reports.
Cheney made an unannounced visit to the Iraqi capital to meet US and Iraqi leaders and confer about the country's security issues.
The exact place where the woman blew herself up was about one-half mile from the Imam Hussein shrine of Karbala. She was among a large crowd of people when she detonated the explosives which ripped people apart, sending body parts all over the place.
Seven pilgrims which came from Iran at the shrine were also killed in the explosion according to AFP which quoted Salim Kadhim, spokesman for the Karbala health directorate.
It's not the first time the insurgent carry out attacks on the Shiite shrine so after the blast, the local police imposed a curfew in the central districts of Karbala.
The suicide bomb attacks have increased recently and most of the volunteers are women. Nevertheless, it's not sure weather they volunteer for the attacks or not, but there were cases when insurgents used mentally disabled women to do the job.
The bloodiest bomb attack carried out by a woman occurred last month in two very crowded Baghdad markets. The woman blew herself up and took with her at least 100 civilians. A Sunni tribal leader was also a victim of a female suicide bomber when she detonated her explosive vest near him on March 10 in the Diyala province.
"Late in 2007 there were about eight or 10 (suicide bombings) a month; in the month of February, there were 18. There is an increase," Rear Admiral Gregory Smith said during a news conference on Sunday.
© 2007 - 2008 - eFluxMedia

http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_Suicide_Bomb_Attack_Kills_36_near_Baghdad_during_Cheneys_Visit_15254.html

Aaron Brown
6 years in, and a 40-year flashback
As has been widely noted, this past week marked the fifth anniversary of the Bush administration's unethical, immoral, and unwinnable war in Iraq. As the war enters its sixth bloody year, no end appears in sight. The fragile, fractious political situation in Iraq is no better now than it ever was. The public infrastructure is still shattered, with such basic necessities as electricity and potable water still widely unavailable in many regions of the country for more than a few hours a day. The so-called surge is stalled and its tenuous successes are failing to take hold. Everyday violence is still omnipresent, and the 3,000-year-old civilization of Iraq is still in shattered ruins. By any measure, George Bush's ill-advised Iraq adventure is an unqualified disaster.
Numerous comparisons have been made between the untenable situation in Iraq today and the equally untenable situation in Vietnam back in the 1960's. Not all of those comparisons are apt or accurate, but many of them are. America in the spring of 1968 was a very different place than it is in the spring of 2008, even though it's fundamentally unchanged in many ways today. Racial and political tensions were far higher then than they are today, with riots in the streets still in the news and bombings of banks and other public institutions still far too common for comfort. The assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy were raw wounds in the shared psyche of America in 1968. And overseas, an endless war against amorphous insurgents continued to drain the hearts and minds and blood and treasure of our nation's best and brightest for the sake of a cause that no one could satisfactorily explain at home.

http://culturekitchen.com/people/aaron_brown

Ever hear the words "Gun Control." I hope the Supreme Court is reading the news. To mandate vast use of guns through personal ownership is "W"rong. It's not the answer to resolving the issue of violence in our country, it only masks it !

Neighbors of victim's dad feel uneasy
BY NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON nia.henderson@newsday.com
11:07 PM EDT, March 22, 2008
It was the sight of the grief-stricken father raging on television and, later that night, the sound of car wheels cutting across their front lawn that made the Huston family rethink their place in Old Town Estates.
"That's when we got scared," Karen Huston, 40, said. "I don't know what's going to happen."
What's happened so far has had nothing to do with the Huston family, of Port Jefferson Station, but fate and race have upset the peace that suburbia was supposed to offer.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-linabe0323,0,3007545.story

If there is corruption in government than deal with it.

Bush and Cheney should have been gone out of the Executive Branch of the USA a long time ago.

If there are social issues that overshadow the best interests of the nation than those are issues that need to be put into a context and dealt with in a manner that resolves those issues. There is absolutely no way that social issues should be dominating the 'Power of the Vote' of any people where a nation is conducted with the highest esteem of free will and self regulation.

I live in a country called the USA. But. In the year 2008, it doesn't at all resemble the country I grew up in. I am being 'robbed' of my 'entitlement' to the country I was supposed to inherit by greed accompanied by government corruption.

REMOVE THE REPUBLICANS FROM OFFICE.

MAKE THAT A PRIORITY OVER AND ABOVE ANY OTHER SOCIETAL MANDATE IN THE USA !!

DO IT NOW !!!!!!!!!!!

4,000 U.S. deaths in Iraq...Arkansas braces for floods...Drew Peterson ... (click here)

BAGHDAD (AP) A grim milestone in the Iraq war as the conflict enters its sixth year. The deaths of four U.S. soldiers from a roadside bomb in Baghdad yesterday has brought the total number of Americans killed to at least 4,000. A U.S. military spokesman says the death of every soldier is "equally tragic."

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) Clear skies, sunshine and floods are in the forecast for communities along the White River in Arkansas. The National Weather Service says high water left over from last week's rains could produce the worst flooding in more than 25 years.

Seas a little rough? (click here)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) A crew member is still missing from a fishing ship that sank off Alaska's Aleutian Islands yesterday. The captain and three crew members died. Forty-two crew members were rescued.

NEW YORK (AP) JPMorgan Chase is considering a deal that would sharply increase its bargain-basement offer for troubled investment bank Bear Stearns. The New York Times reports JPMorgan wants to raise its offer from two dollars a share to ten dollars in an effort to appease unhappy Bear Stearns stockholders....

And Drew Peterson is STILL a free man !

The "Swift-Boating" of Barak Obama

Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright

Rev. Wright has been around the political scene for many decades. He is equally as respected as Jesse Jackson.

I don't doubt he is regretting many of the statements that are causing so much controversy now, but, at the same time, freedom of speech and a right to revolt against oppression is a 'right' he should always express.

The greatest sin of this particular type of bigotry/oppression the nation of the USA is now experiencing over words spoken by Rev. Wright is particularly venomous. The 'Swift Boating' of Barak Obama started a year ago with Sean Hannity (the link is at the title to this entry).

I don't have to say much to defend either of these men, they are more than honorable Americans. Reverand Dr. Wright has attended White House Prayer Breakfasts, but, never when George Walker Bush was present. I doubt sincerely he was ever invited.

He is one of those folks that have moved through the ranks of the American experience including service in the military. He, no different that any other voice in 'discord' with that of the Republican Infrastructure, is ridiculed for his words. Yet, he is an American and allowed to state what he cares to and address the issues of the day in the way he sees fit.

Neither of these men are racists or bigots and I dare anyone to state that the USA doesn't have an issue with race and bigotry. I dare you. Because that is the issue that Rev. Dr. Wright is obligated to address from his 'Bully Pulpet' in whatever manner he sees to address it and UNLESS you are acting in the same capacity to empower every Black American in this country, then you have no room to talk.

In 2004, there was an estimated 71,796,719 Catholics in the USA. Of that there is a percentage that doesn't attend mass on Sunday, there is a percentage that eat meat on Friday and even Good Friday, there is a percentage that use birth control and there is a percentage that don't pray the rosary. The Pope preaches, especially the latest one, preaches very strict standards for every Catholic to abide within to 'get to heaven.' Do they all they listen? Heck, no.

One, if not, THE most radical Popes of all times was that of Pope Constantine (click here). Pope Constantine was a Syrian. I don't know if that made him more of a revolutionary than any of the others, but, he certainly added spice to the Catholic faith. For those that are 'boned' up on this, they already know where I am going with it, but, it's my experince MOST if not ALL Catholics state, "Pope who?"

The Catholic Doctrine at the time was fairly bland and the good Pope was finding it difficult to get Pagans to convert. There just wasn't any 'jazz' to the Catholic faith. Wasn't fun. Wasn't sexy. So Pope Constantine took a look around and decided he was going to try and figure out a way to recruit Pagans to 'the faith.'

This is a true story.

So, he realized that the 'HOLY DAYS' of Jesus Christ occurred about the same time of the Pagan rituals. We just experienced the Spring Equinox and that in many venues is a HOLY DAY. In Pagan ritual 'spring,' realizing the majority of human experience occurs in the Northern Hemisphere, is affiliated with fertility. So, Pope Constantine decided to incorporate the Pagan rituals into the Catholic faith, at least ceremoniously, hence, the expression of The Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs.

We in society today see them as commercial venues and a way for children to incorporate Jesus' Resurrection into their lives in a way that is emotionally competent. It is 'fun' to decorate Easter Eggs. It's fun to wait in anticipation of being a good boy or girl waiting for the Easter Bunny. Well, little do Catholics realize that the 'tradition' of the Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs was adopted by Pope Constantine to bring in new recuits to the faith, hence, raising the 'tithing' or as I think of it "religious levy/tax."

Every faith on Earth has experienced controversy and revolution. In most circles it called a schism. Recently, the Anglican faith has been fighting the potential of a schism over homosexuality in its ministry.

Rev. Dr. Wright is an inflammatory speaker. He shakes his congregation awake from their slumbering reality of racism and bigotry in the USA in words most can't really relate to in a way that is productive. But, someone like Sean Hannity can come along and completely disregard Rev. Wright's acceptance and work and use it for exploitive maneuvers to attempt to derail a Democratic candidate from a deserved run for the Presidency. Sean figures he got 'on top of the Hillary potential' with his rantings and ravings so now the USA Neocons, of which Mr. Hannity belongs, needed to have a strategy to instill (And here is their favorite word.) fear in the public and 'push' the electorate just slightly to the majority of votes in favor of a Neocon in McCann.

That is all this is. There isn't any 'underhanded,' 'underground,' or 'treasonist' agenda by Barack Obama. Couldn't be further from the truth about that. He has a multi-racial background, I do believe his mother is caucasian, right? I mean I'm not wrong about that, so to believe that Barak Obama is a bigot or has leanings of the same is completely hideous. In attempting to portray Barak Obama as some kind of subversive is simply 'bad politics' and far less patriotic or American than I care to state here.

Sean Hannity is a racist. That is completely evident. It is evident because he has gone through a great deal of trouble to 'attempt' to make a huge issue out of something that will COMPLETELY distract from the issues and sway voters to 'run to McCann' out of 'fear' based in religous 'undertones' relating to a Black minister in his outreach to HIS Black congregation.

The racism involved in the maligning of Barak Obama steals away the dignity of this man and his ability to lead.

Rev. Dr. Wright didn't 'make' Barak Obama. He didn't write his speeches or approve of his campaign. He isn't standing behind a curtain like the Wizard of Oz waiting to descend on White America as soon as the majority of votes are cast.

Rev. Dr. Wright is no different than the inflammatory directives of Pope Constantine in his day, or Martin Luther in his day. There are 'creative ways' to reach people unable to find a path in a society with 'ingrained' bigotry and racism. Rather than pointing a finger at Rev. Dr. Wright, we ought to be congratulating him because 'in spite' of some very inflammatory words, he managed to stimulate productive thought of a brilliant man and Harvard lawyer. If Barak Obama is elected to this country's highest office, than it will be more than 'a feather in the cap' of Rev. Dr. Wright. I congratulate both men in seeking a way to connect while coming to some of the most fascinating dynamics that has lead to one of the greatest men of our time.

I wish them both well and a great deal of luck in their ambitions. Barak needs to make his point in his qualities in the positions and policies he advocates. He needs to reflect on the realities that lie ahead and seek what is best for the people of this country. In stating that, it's also true that Hillary Clinton must do the same. We have a country in serious disrepair due to Republican corruption and unnecessary war. We need 'the best of the best' and they need to prove to the Ameican electorate which of the two that is. They need to point to their best qualities and leadership, and NOT allow choices be influenced by the likes of Sean Hannity or his 'clones.'

If there were an abundance of fish in the seas there wouldn't be seals at the 'salmon ladders.'

Seal harvesting a Chinook Salmon at Bonneville Dam in Idaho. Currently zoos across the country are seeking to place the seals rather than have them destroyed. When fisheries collapse there is a cascading effect across THE ECOSYSTEM, and while seals have been an issue for some time at the dams with 'fish ladders,' so has the depleted status of Salmon.

The failure of the Chinook Salmon fisheries didn't happen overnight and where there is failure of one fishery there will be others.

...Any animals that are captured may be euthanized if no permanent holding facility can be found for them. NOAA’s Fisheries Service and representatives of zoos and aquariums are compiling a list of pre-approved permanent holding facilities interested in receiving a limited number of captured sea lions as an alternative to euthanasia. NOAA has authorized the states to remove as many as 85 animals annually, but estimates that only about 30 animals will be removed each year, given the conditions in its authorization....

Zoos

Orphan cougar kittens arrive at Wahpeton zoo from Wyoming
The Associated Press - Saturday, March 22, 2008
WAHPETON, N.D.
Three cougar kittens captured in Wyoming after their mother died are making themselves at home in North Dakota.
The young orphans, two females and a male, arrived at the Wahpeton zoo late Thursday night. They will be on exhibit with the Chahinkapa Zoo's female cougar, Sasha, when the zoo opens April 26.
Officials from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, looking to place the orphan cougars, had learned that the Wahpeton zoo had lost its male cougar, Charlie, to injuries.

http://www.in-forum.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D8VI32LO1



Twin monkeys a double delight for Canberra Zoo
Posted Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:38am AEDT
Among the the smallest of primates, the South American cotton-top tamarins habitat in the Amazonian region of South America is threatened by logging and the clearing of the forests for farming [File photo]. (Reuters: David Gray )

Map: Canberra 2600

Twin baby cotton top tamarins - an endangered monkey species native to South America - have been born at the National Zoo in Canberra.
While they are endangered in the wild due to deforestation, a regional zoo breeding program has been successful.
The baby monkeys were born at the zoo eight weeks ago.
Zookeeper Shontelle Lorenzo says the tiny monkeys are a favourite with the crowds.
"Because these guys are so active they're very entertaining," she said.
"It's never boring to watch a little cotton top tamarin, they're very inquisitive and they're always checking out kids and people that are going by."
She says the captive breeding program is vital to the species' survival.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/22/2196589.htm



Spot in the centre
By Adrienne Brady
Published: March 20, 2008, 23:54
"I was born in a mokoro," boasts Mothupi with a wide smile, before launching into another fascinating story about his life in the bush. As the chief guide at Khwai River Lodge, he adds star quality to a safari lodge that offers the ultimate in luxury in a perfect wilderness setting overlooking the floodplain of the Khwai River.
One of the oldest of Botswana's hunting lodges, Khwai River was opened in 1969 by Sir Seretse Khama. King of the baTawana tribe; first president of independent Botswana, knighted by Queen Elizabeth. This was our second visit to the lodge and to have Mothupi as our guide once again was the bonus we had hoped for.
Mothupi may not have been born in a mokoro (dug-out canoe) but he is a member of the baYei tribe whose ancestors, in the 18th century, travelled down connecting waterways from Zambia to settle in the delta.

http://www.gulfnews.com/friday/Travel/10198951.html



Impending cuts to KCs zoo grab attention all over town
By MATT CAMPBELL
The Kansas City Star
In Kansas City’s current budget wars, there has been no greater lightning rod than the zoo.
After Mayor Mark Funkhouser proposed weaning the zoo completely from public support, he and council members have been bombarded by pleas from zoo supporters afraid the zoo would close.
Now a compromise proposal would reduce the subsidy from $4.6 million to $4 million. That would keep the Kansas City Zoo open, but it probably would make it less affordable and less enjoyable for visitors, said director Randy Wisthoff.

http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/541808.html



Zoo statues recall lives of children killed in plane crash
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/18/08
The bronze images capture a good time in their young lives, which ended on the same day 17 years ago.
He's smiling, a snake curling around his forearm. She holds a fluffy cat in her lap. Brother and sister, their bronzed images invite you to linger at Zoo Atlanta. And so you do, in the shadows where children whoop and tumble at the playground. You run your hand over their heads, shiny from the caresses of other strangers. You read the inscription:
Dedicated in loving memory of Brian and Laura Birdsong
Their spirit and love of animals will live on through the joy that all children find in nature.
Brian: June 2, 1981 - April 5, 1991
Laura: May 30, 1984 - April 5, 1991
Laura and Brian Birdsong were Decatur kids. They loved visiting the zoo, where Brian invariably headed to the World of Reptiles, dragging mom Isabelle Birdsong behind. Then they'd head downhill to the spot where the lions sunned themselves, their tails flicking at flies. Laura liked that.
The trio always wound up at the playground, hard against the tiny tracks where Zoo Atlanta's train has been making the circuit for decades. Mom would take a break while her kids ran and jumped like young animals. No surprise there: In the last year of their lives, Brian was 9, a third-grader; Laura, a beaming first-grader, was 6.

http://www.ajc.com/living/content/living/stories/2008/03/17/statues_0318.html



Big cat spotted near Winnipeg Zoo
Last Updated: Monday, March 17, 2008

3:52 PM CT
Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park Zoo closed its doors noon Monday so zookeepers could investigate reports they might have one extra-big cat on the prowl.
Zoo officials received reports Sunday night of a large cat seen near the south perimeter of the zoo.
Animal tracks, perhaps those of a cougar or lynx, were found near one of the zoo's perimeter fences, and there is concern the animal may have jumped the fence and entered the zoo.
"If an animal came in from the outside, we just want to determine what it is," said zoo curator Bob Wrigley.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2008/03/17/wpg-cougar.html


Originally posted: March 17, 2008
Weight Watchers for zoo animals?
Is this a good thing? What Mullen didn't have space to mention is that in addition to suffering from increasingly difficult humanlike geriatric problems--allergies, osteoperosis, arthritis, glaucoma--zoo animals are also fighting obesity because their natural diet often can't be replicated.
It has gotten so bad that at the Brookfield Zoo, staff nutritionist Jennifer Watts is "hatching a Weight Watchers-style plan for the beasts," reported AP medical writer Lindsey Tanner. "The idea is to assign points to food and allow the animals a limited number of extra points a week.
"For example, molasses is a favorite treat of the bears and gorillas. Keepers often spread it around their enclosures to get them moving. Under Watts' plan, two cups of molasses might be worth two points, and granola bars — a favorite bear treat — would be worth one."
Polar bears at the Indianapolis Zoo get sugar-free Jell-O. And some zoos give giraffes low-salt crackers and specially prepared alfalfa biscuits, according to veterinarian Chris Hanley from the Toledo Zoo, Tanner wrote.

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/features_julieshealthclub/2008/03/weight-watchers.html


Earth Day Party for the Planet at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo
One Conservation Place
Syracuse NY 13204
(315) 435-8511
April 19, 2008 from 10 am till 4:30 pm
Come celebrate Earth Day and see how easy it really is to be green. Event festivities include environmentally frriendly activities for the kids. Free with Admission to the Zoo.http://www.rosamondgiffordzoo.org

http://www.skaneatelessuites.com/2664/earth-day-party-for-the-planet-at-the-rosamond-gifford-zoo/



Rare spot-nosed guenon born at Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Orlando area
Tammie Wersinger

Sentinel Staff Writer
March 18, 2008
Barely 5 weeks old, Makena is already taking baby steps.
In an enclosure at the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens, the baby lesser spot-nosed guenon ventured inches out onto a branch, before jumping back and nuzzling into the warmth of its mother's belly.
"Mom and baby are doing well," zoo curator Bonnie Breitbeil said recently. "In fact, the keepers have determined that the baby guenon is adventurous and already attempting to experience its surroundings."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/lake/orl-lzoo1808mar18,0,1537286.story


Terri denies plans to change Australia Zoo focus
March 18, 2008 - 7:42PM
The wife of the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin has denied rumours she plans to sell Queensland's Australia Zoo and relocate to her homeland, the US.
Rumours are rife about the future of Australia Zoo amid media reports Terri Irwin plans to do a deal with US-based investors to turn the wildlife conservation site into some kind of theme park.
"I'll never leave. I love Australia and I'm doing my best to be a fair dinkum Aussie sheila and honour all of Steve's work and yeah, I'll be here the rest of my life," Terri told Seven Network's Today Tonight.
"There have been so many rumours about so many things and I have no idea where they all come from but I can assure everyone that the conservation work that we're doing in Australia will continue and will certainly have a global impact but we're not leaving and we love Australia and everybody here."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/people/terri-irwin-denies-plans-to-move-to-us/2008/03/18/1205602379447.html


Ardastra Gardens and Zoo a lovely little zoo!
Mar 21, 2008
My favorite day on a cruise was spent on my own at the zoo. I didn't pay for a tour or taxi there, just asked the locals directions to the bus stop and picked up the Jitney bus. I think it cost $1 or $2. The bus won't move till it's full however. We took the bus to Arawak Cay/The Fish fry as the locals call it.
It's a lovely area where the locals dine, very laid back open air restaurants, way better prices on sea food then downtown, not crowded or toursity when I was there.It's pretty too reminds me of Key West colorful little eatery's on the water. A local girl on the bus who got off at our stop even walked us there as she worked at one of the sea food places. She was so nice we decided to eat at the place she worked at. I had a Conch salad it was very tasty.

http://www.travbuddy.com/Ardastra-Gardens-and-Zoo-Nassau-Bahamas-v191677


Terri has Disney vision for Zoo
Glenis Green March 20, 2008 11:55am
STEVE Irwin's dream to turn Australia Zoo into a world tourist destination rivalling Disneyland could now become a reality within five years with staff numbers expected to jump from 500 to 2000.
The late Crocodile Hunter's widow and zoo director Terri Irwin said at the attractions annual VIP breakfast today that planning was well underway for the zoo to become a tourist jump-off point for the rest of Australia with luxury accommodation on site and safari-style experiences.
"Everything at Australia Zoo has ended up quicker and bigger than I anticipated and Steve's sense of urgency is something I'm taking up now and trying to achieve things as quickly as possible," she said.
About 350 intimate-style eco-themed accommodation villas were being proposed where visitors could become part of the wildlife experience.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/money/story/0,26844,23407737-3102,00.html


New animals move into the Dallas Zoo
08:45 PM CDT on Thursday, March 20, 2008
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
eaasen@dallasnews.com
The Dallas Zoo is welcoming a menagerie of new animals – a baby colobus monkey, a burnt red fossa, frogs, tortoises, African porcupines and even a cat that fishes – to attract first-time visitors and entice veterans.
"People come out here to have a good time and want to see new things," said zoo spokesman Sean Greene.
Zoo officials feel they have their groove back since Jabari, a 350-pound western lowland gorilla, was killed in 2004 after escaping from his enclosure.
In 2006, Dallas voters approved $25 million in bond funds for zoo improvements. In 2007, zoo attendance increased 16 percent from the previous year.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/032108dnmetzoo.311dc6f.html


Death has a field day at city zoo
Tuesday March 18 2008 12:18 IST
Express News Service
THE last five years could be the worst in the history of the city zoo, for it lost 259 animals to death. In 2007, there were 65 deaths and in 2008 the toll has already crossed the half-century mark. These figures were revealed by Minister for Education and Culture M.A. Baby in the Assembly in answer to an unstarred question raised by G. Karthikeyan. The reasons for the deaths have been cited as old-age, diseases and infighting among the animals. As many as 22 animals died soon after birth. In 2008 itself, three bear cubs, four tiger cubs and one fawn died in the months of January and February. Most of these deaths have been attributed to genetic defects resulting out of inbreeding of animals in captivity. Another reason cited is the lack of maternal care. Unlike the animals living in the wild, the animals in captivity seem to lack the capacity to take care of their young ones. The lack of space is supposedly a limiting factor.

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEO20080318015634&Page=O&Title=Thiruvananthapuram&Topic=0


Wildlife advocates, zoo, school employees build new habitats
By Darren Meritz

El Paso Times
Article Launched: 03/18/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT
Some employees who work at the San Elizario Independent School District have taken a special liking to a few feathered friends who have made a home out of the grounds of the district's administration building.
The school district enlisted the help of wildlife experts after finding that the threatened burrowing owls, native to the Southwest, had been nesting in precarious locations at the district building that place their lives and their chick offspring in danger.
After heavy rains last year, Nancy Swanson, director of instructional programs for the district, couldn't bear to see eggs washed out of drainage pipes and landing in the parking lot, getting killed by unsuspecting motorists.
"It would just be so sad because those were the babies," Swanson said.
So Swanson first called the Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue, which in turn contacted El Paso Zoo officials and the Texas Parks and Wildlife. Texas Parks and Wildlife and the El Paso Zoo put together a plan to flush the nesting owls out of drains in the parking lot and build adequate, safe nests for them at an adjacent ponding area next to the San Elizario school district building.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/education/ci_8606970



Buffalo Zoo's baby rhino to go on public display this spring
March 18, 2008
BUFFALO, N.Y. - An Indian rhinoceros born at the Buffalo Zoo earlier this month is being put on public display this spring.
The 135-pound female rhino was born on March 1 and was named Clover by zookeepers because of St. Patrick's Day.
The one-horned Indian rhino is among the world's most endangered animals, with a population of about 2,500. The rhinos are native to India and Nepal.
Clover is the second calf produced by the zoo's pair of adult rhinos, Tashi and Henry, since a breeding program was begun in 2000. Another of their offspring, 4-year-old Ashakiran, now lives at the Toronto Zoo.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--zoo-babyrhino0318mar18,0,4495800.story


Zoo Gives Away Swan's Plastic Ex-Boyfriend
The plastic pedal boat once loved by a swan named Petra has been given away. A zoo in Münster, where Petra had been spending winters with the boat before falling for a real-life swan named Paul, has given it to a nearby rental service.
A fowl love triangle: Petra, Paul and a surplus-to-requirements boat.
Nothing is quite so cathartic as discarding the mementos of a bygone romance. But what if the offending objects are not photos and mix tapes, but a giant, swan-shaped pedal boat?
A zoo in the western German city of Münster helped its most famous part-time resident address that issue last Thursday, when it gave away the plastic pedal boat formerly adored by Petra, a female black swan.
Petra found a new flame in December (more...), a real-life swan that shares the pond in the Münster Zoo where she had spent the last two winters beside her beloved plastic vessel. Because she's so enamoured with Paul, as a local paper dubbed the white mute swan, zoo officials decided they could now get rid of the clunky pedal boat.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,542208,00.html


Zoo encourages amphibian adoptions
The Edmond Sun
EDMOND — Local residents can help protect endangered amphibians by “adopting” an amphibian, and taking part in other “toad”ally fun festivities at the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums has designated 2008 as the “Year of the Frog” to mark a major conservation effort and address the dire extinction crisis of amphibians worldwide. The Oklahoma City Zoo & Botanical Garden and The Oklahoma Zoological Society, often called ZooFriends, are bringing Oklahoma City several ways to get involved in “Year of the Frog” conservation efforts.

http://www.edmondsun.com/local/local_story_078131239.html


New monkey at Folsom Zoo
By Mary Chou
Ferguson, an 11-year-old male macaque, is the newest addition to the Folsom Zoo.
The Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary welcomed its newest member, an 11-year-old macaque named Fergu-son, to its family of monkeys early March.
Ferguson came from the Performing Animal Welfare Society, a sanctuary in Galt. PAWS originally rescued him after he was found locked in a crate, abandoned by his owner.
“That’s the problem when people take on exotic animals as pets,” said Roberta Radcliff, spokesperson for the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary. “They don’t realize the high level of commitment required.”
Housed next to Darwin and Wallace, two younger macaques of the zoo, Ferguson spends most of his time basking in the sun and settling into his new environment.
“I really like him, but he’s shy because he’s new to the zoo,” said Haley Webb, an 8-year-old visitor. “He’s really cute.”

http://folsomtelegraph.com/detail/79644.html


Maryland Zoo operator racks up $500K in unpaid water bills
Baltimore Business Journal - by Daniel J. Sernovitz Staff
The Maryland Zoological Society Inc. has amassed nearly $500,000 in unpaid water bills dating back to 2002, a tab the city's public works department views as 'uncollectible' amid the organization's efforts to shore up its finances.
The circumstances surrounding that debt are unclear, but the Baltimore City Board of Estimates is scheduled to vote Wednesday morning on whether to wipe the slate clean while the nonprofit seeks to resolve its financial problems, according to city documents. The debt dates back to the period from 2002 to 2005, according to the city.
Interim CEO Donald P. Hutchinson, who took over the post in January following the resignation of former chief executive Elizabeth Grieb, is scheduled to appear before the city spending board Wednesday morning to address the situation.

http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/03/17/daily19.html


Franciscana Dolphins - Tracking Day #15 (March 18)
Dolphins Remain Inside Protected Area
Nahuel and Kona remain to the northeast of San Blas, and appear to continue to move together. Kure and Tunken remain in Bahia San Blas. Early this morning they appeared to be together, but Kure does not have a position from the same time as Tunken's most recent position at the mouth of the bay, so I can't say if they remain together. According to Pablo, the movements of both sets of animals remain inside the marine protected area. The photo-ID team photographed dolphins yesterday, including a resighting of one seen earlier in this session, but did not find any of the tagged dolphins. They will remain in San Blas for several more days.
Posted by Brookfield Zoo at 5:14 PM

http://czsdolphins.blogspot.com/2008/03/franciscana-dolphins-tracking-day-15.html


New report: Zoo understaffed, unprepared day of fatal tiger attack
Audrey Cooper, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
(03-18) 16:58 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Zoo was dangerously short-staffed and generally unprepared for an emergency on Christmas Day when a tiger escaped and killed a 17-year-old visitor, according to a report by the independent group that accredits zoos.
The report was released today by zoo officials, who said the Association of Zoos and Aquariums was impressed by the zoo's actions after a 243-pound tiger named Tatiana escaped, killing Carlos Sousa Jr. and injuring two of his friends. The survivors - San Jose brothers Kulbir and Paul Dhaliwal - have said they will sue over the attack.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/18/BAL8VM6RR.DTL&tsp=1


The zoo's long, slow climb back
Joey McLeister, Star Tribune
Lee Ehmke, director of the Minnesota Zoo, sat in Bear Meadow. This spring, as the result of what Ehmke calls “the first major state investment in the zoo in many, many years, a huge show of support,” visitors will discover an elaborate and showy new $30 million exhibit.
By DAVID PETERSON, Star Tribune
Last update: March 19, 2008 - 6:41 AM
THEY'RE BACK!
Attendance at the Minnesota Zoo soared past 1.2 million in the late 1990s, but then sagged, slipping below the 1 million mark in 2003 and staying below it for years. Thanks in part to renovations such as a new Minnesota Trail, attendance climbed back over 1 million, officials say. And it should keep rising as the zoo this year unveils its most significant new exhibit ever.
When he makes his pitch for what it will take to lift the Minnesota Zoo into the uppermost ranks of American zoos, Lee Ehmke starts off reminding people what the San Diego zoo has done to draw crowds to that city.
But the director of the zoo in Apple Valley is also being reminded, during the current session of the Legislature, of how vulnerable a zoo can be as it seeks to assemble the money to create such a place.
In the aftermath of the bridge collapse in Minneapolis, even Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a stout supporter of a zoo that is located in what was once his own legislative district, was unwilling to recommend any of the $15 million the zoo wanted to pursue Ehmke's ambitious master plan for a makeover of the state-owned facility.

http://www.startribune.com/local/south/16716071.html


Alpaca first birth of the year for zoo
Published 3/18/2008
By RACHEL DAVIS
rdavis@gctelegram.com
Lee Richardson Zoo's first animal birth of the year came in the form of a baby male alpaca, who arrived Friday, Kathy Sexson, zoo director, said.
Sexson said no one on the zoo staff witnessed the birth of the alpaca, on display at the South American pampas exhibit, but a zookeeper noticed the addition in the yard Friday afternoon.
Sexson said while the baby, who joins three males and three female alpacas, is the latest zoo addition, zoo staff are expecting another baby alpaca due at any time and a third in May.
Sexson, who noted alpacas are born after an 11-month gestation, said the leggy, dark-brown baby weighed 19 pounds at birth and baby and mother are doing well.

http://www.gctelegram.com/News/alpaca-birth-3-18-08


Animal rights group hits out against Limassol zoo plans
By Anna Hassapi
RESPONDING to recent press reports on developments regarding the relocation of Limassol Zoo, animal rights group Animal Responsibility Cyprus (ARC/ Kivotos) yesterday attacked the authorities for their failure to implement legislation and address the problems of the zoo.
“Why are animal welfare organisations not being consulted? Why is there no transparency? Why are these backward decisions being made behind closed doors? Why are taxpaying citizens being deprived of their rights? Why is the World Society for the Protection of Animals’ proposal being ignored? What kind of democracy is this?” Patricia Kyriakou, President of ARC told the Cyprus Mail.
According to Kyriakou, ARC, in co-operation with international animal rights organisations, has for years been lobbying local and state authorities with the objective of transforming Limassol Zoo into an eco-zoo with no animals, equipped with interactive and educational facilities, thus ending the suffering of animals presently kept in cages.

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=38203&cat_id=1


Commission wants S.F. Zoo to be rescue center
Heather Knight, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
San Francisco's Animal Control and Welfare Commission on Tuesday unanimously agreed to send a proposal to the Board of Supervisors to convert the San Francisco Zoo to an animal rescue center - and the group might have a champion in Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi.
The commission, an advisory council to the board on animal-related issues, wants the supervisors to hold hearings on animal welfare at the zoo, including the idea of making the facility into a sanctuary for exotic species owned privately and kept in inhumane conditions.
The commission has no power to effect any changes and would need Mirkarimi or another supervisor to call for hearings and submit legislation.
Mirkarimi said he hadn't seen the proposal from the commission, but said he likes the notion of converting the zoo to a rescue center.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/19/MNERVM27K.DTL


City poised to offer zoo $1.5 million
March 19, 2008
Baltimore is prepared to forgive nearly a half-million dollars in unpaid water bills for the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore and give its management $1 million more to fix aging infrastructure.
Local and state governments have increased funding for the zoo, which is located in Druid Hill Park, after zoo officials called attention to a $3 million budget deficit in 2006.
The Board of Estimates is expected to vote on the measures today. According to its agenda, the unpaid bills amount to $473,541 and date from 2002 through 2005. The agenda cites the zoo's "ongoing financial difficulties" and describes the money as "uncollectible."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.ci.zoo19mar19,0,1119016.story


Baghdad Zoo Rebounding With Help from U.S. Vets
In better times, the Baghdad Zoo had more than 500 animals, including giraffes, elephants and exotic birds. But its location, inside Zawra Park in the city's center, put it in the middle of heavy fighting between invading U.S. troops and Saddam Hussein's forces in 2003. U.S. shells damaged the compound and inadvertently freed some animals; looting that followed the fall of Baghdad stripped away everything else.
Veterinarians, students and animal researchers across the state are leading the effort to help the Baghdad Zoo -- once the Middle East's largest -- return to its pre-war glory days.

http://www.huliq.com/54162/baghdad-zoo-rebounding-help-us-vets


March 24, 2008
African American Family Celebration at the National Zoo
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Free admission
The African American Family Celebration has been a Washington-area multicultural tradition for many years. Visitors enjoy a variety of special family activities, including an Easter egg roll and hunt, crafts, and entertainment ranging from children's dance troupes to costumed characters and storytellers. In addition, we offer an array of delicious food.
This year's live entertainment includes:

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ActivitiesAndEvents/Celebrations/Easter/



Not Doing What Comes Naturally
Mei Xiang and Tian Tian Fail to Mate, So Scientists Step In for a Third Time
By Paul Duggan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 20, 2008; Page B02
Scientists at the National Zoo said they artificially inseminated the giant panda Mei Xiang yesterday after she and her partner, Tian Tian, unsuccessfully tried to mate Tuesday.
Whether the procedure will result in a panda birth won't be known for a few months. Mei Xiang gave birth to a cub, Tai Shan, in 2005 after being artificially inseminated. But a similar procedure last year was unsuccessful.
The yearly breeding period for pandas lasts only a day or two, and for Mei Xiang, 9, and Tian Tian, 10, it began Tuesday, specialists said at a news conference.
After monitoring Mei Xiang's hormones and waiting for the big moment, "we saw the earliest onset of very strong estrous behavior" Tuesday, said Suzan Murray, the zoo's chief veterinarian.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/19/AR2008031902362.html



Polar Bear Webcam at the Memphis Zoo

http://www.memphiszoo.org/polarbear.aspx


Panda cub at National Zoo injures keeper
Associated Press
Published on: 03/19/08
WASHINGTON — The 170-pound giant panda cub at the National Zoo grabbed a worker while trying to play, sending her to the hospital with a small leg laceration, zoo officials said Wednesday.
The panda apparently entered his yard through an unsecured door Tuesday during a routine feeding, zoo spokesman John Gibbons said.
The keeper was treated at a hospital and released. The incident is being investigated.
The keeper took 2-year-old Tai Shan indoors before placing food in his yard, Gibbons said in a statement. The panda re-entered the yard and approached the keeper from behind, playfully grabbing her with his mouth, Gibbons said. Pandas have sharp teeth, used for chewing bamboo.
"The keeper was able to radio for help, and other animal care staff distracted Tai Shan with food as they also safely assisted the keeper out of the yard," Gibbons said.
Keepers stopped entering the panda cub's yard with him for safety reasons when he reached about 70 pounds, Gibbons said.
Tai Shan, whose name means peaceful mountain, was born July 9, 2005. He is the first giant panda born at the National Zoo to survive more than a few weeks. The mother, Mei Xiang, and the father, Tian Tian, are on a 10-year loan from China. The cub will remain at the zoo at least until 2009.
Only about 1,600 giant pandas remain in the wild, and fewer than 180 live in captivity.

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/03/19/panda_0319.html


Chickens, ducks and geese not welcome at Cohanzick Zoo
By JOHN MARTINS Staff Writer, 856-794-5114
Published: Thursday, March 20, 2008
BRIDGETON - Zoo curator Kelly Shaw is not a big fan of counting chickens. Or ducks. Or geese.
If she wanted to, Shaw could probably spend days taking inventory of all the waterfowl that roam the city's Cohanzick Zoo.
The problem, quite frankly, is that she doesn't want to know.
"I'm afraid to count," Shaw said.
The number of animals that either quack, honk or cluck has reached critical mass at the Cohanzick Zoo, which - quite literally - is bursting at the seams with them. And it's not because zookeepers are hoarding them. It's because people with unwanted animals drop them off at the zoo hoping the staff will offer sanctuary.

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/182/story/111311.html


SF Zoo's male penguin pair returns
NEWS
Published 03/20/2008
by Matthew S. Bajko
m.bajko@ebar.com
Harry and Pepper, the San Francisco Zoo's male penguin pair, are once again canoodling at home after a nine-month star turn at the Sacramento Zoo. Their foray up north did little to break their now three-year-long bond.
Upon their return in January, "they were attached, just like the old times," said Quinn Brown, their keeper in San Francisco.
The lovebirds departed shortly after Valentine's Day last year to help christen a new temporary penguin exhibit at the zoo in the state capital. Along with two other Magellanic penguin pairs from the SF Zoo's Penguin Island exhibit, Harry and Pepper made quite a splash as the Sacramento Zoo celebrated its 80th year.

http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=2806


Nuremberg's zoo readies for mass interest in polar bear cub Flocke's debut
The Associated Press
Published: March 21, 2008
BERLIN: The Nuremberg Zoo is preparing for an influx of ursine enthusiasts when polar bear cub Flocke makes her public debut next month.
The fluffy white cub — now 3 months old — has become as famous in Germany as her hand-raised predecessor, Knut.
The zoo, which receives thousands of visitors a week, said Friday it was expecting up to 25,000 a day after Flocke goes public on April 9.
To accommodate the people, the zoo will build a stage in front of Flocke's enclosure to allow up to 500 people watch her frolic for up to 15 minutes at a time, said Dag Encke, director of the Bavarian city's zoo.
Flocke, or Flake — as in snowflake — was born in mid-December and was taken Jan. 8 from her mother, Vera, after the elder bear was seen carrying and tossing the cub around her enclosure, prompting concerns she could harm or even kill the newborn.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/21/europe/EU-GEN-Germany-Polar-Bear-Debut.php


The art of making the new flamingo exhibit

http://woodlandparkzblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/art-of-making-new-flamingo-exhibit.html


Arna and Gigi settling into retirement at Western Plains Zoo
By Saffron Howden, Environment Reporter
March 22, 2008 12:00am
IT may not look like fun but it's the only way former circus elephant Gigi can get used to her regular pedicure.
Since moving to Dubbo to live out their twilight years, Arna and Gigi have adjusted to a slower pace at Western Plains Zoo.
Handlers are having to retrain the enormous new residents in how to co-operate with their daily health checks, with the help of a giant contraption designed to keep them still.
"It's been a very significant upheaval for them," Western Plains senior veterinarian Benn Bryant said.
"It's like a person undergoing retirement. As circus animals they were required to undertake a number of behaviours. They had to be good at travelling and getting on and off transportation. And none of that changed much over many, many years," Dr Bryant said.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23413625-5006009,00.html


Red Ruffed Lemur Euthanized At Woodland Park Zoo
A 20-year-old red ruffed lemur has been euthanized at Woodland Park Zoo following an illness due to kidney failure.
Tromi arrived at the zoo in 1999 from the Duke University Primate Center. He lived in Woodland Park's tropical rain forest and was euthanized on Tuesday.
Red ruffed lemurs can live 15 to 20 years in the wild and up to 19 years in zoos. Dr. Kelly Helmick, Woodland Park's interim director of animal health, says the post-mortem exam confirmed conditions of a geriatric lemur, including a mottled liver, small dark kidneys and a thickened heart.

http://monkeydaynews.blogspot.com/2008/03/red-ruffed-lemur-euthanized-at-woodland.html


National Zoo Zebras' New Digs
20 Mar 2008 at 18:53
Two Grevy's zebras, 2-year-old Dante, left, and 4-year-old Gumu, explore their new yard in the Cheetah Conservation Station at the National Zoo.
Photo Credit: By Mehgan Murphy -- Smithsonian Institution Photo

http://xtine562.vox.com/library/post/national-zoo-zebras-new-digs.html?_c=feed-atom


Refurbished aviary at London Zoo allows birds and humans to get up close and personal
Lewis Smith, Environment Reporter
Close encounters with toucans, hummingbirds and a dove that has already died out in the wild are bringing the public closer to nature.
The Victorian tropical bird house at London Zoo has undergone a £2.5 million refurbishment to allow people and birds to mix instead of being separated by glass and wire.
Among the birds that will fly freely in the aviary as visitors amble through are the critically endangered Montserrat oriole and the Socorro dove, which disappeared from its natural habitat in the 1970s and survives only in captivity. The zoo, run by the Zoological Society of London, is involved in a project that conservationists hope will allow the return of Socorro doves into the wild in their native Mexico. As part of the captive breeding programme, keepers were last year able to celebrate the first hatching at the zoo of a Socorro dove chick.
Several species of hummingbird are also expected to make their home within the pavilion during the next couple of years, as the birds become a focus for conservation work at the zoo.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3593945.ece


Zoo's mongoose pack enjoy Easter treats
By Howard Pankratz
The mongoose pack may not have known what an Easter egg hunt is.
But early today, they knew the brightly colored eggs placed in their habitat exhibit were food.
Shortly after 10 this morning, as zoo keeper Christina Seeley let them out into their exhibit, the 15 members of the Denver Zoo's banded mongoose pack went dashing madly across the dirt to the eggs.
There were yellow, purple, green, lime, pink and orange eggs.
Tiki, Magwai, Evanrude, Tavi, Chama, Iggy, Gobo, Sprocket, Doozer, Wembley, Red, Mokey, Zoe, Elmo and Dang quickly pounced on them.
In some cases, the mongooses were attracted to the same eggs, especially the bright yellow ones, and little wrestling matches broke out.

http://origin.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_8639818


March 21, 2008
Refurbished aviary at London Zoo allows birds and humans to get up close and personal
Lewis Smith, Environment Reporter
Close encounters with toucans, hummingbirds and a dove that has already died out in the wild are bringing the public closer to nature.
The Victorian tropical bird house at London Zoo has undergone a £2.5 million refurbishment to allow people and birds to mix instead of being separated by glass and wire.
Among the birds that will fly freely in the aviary as visitors amble through are the critically endangered Montserrat oriole and the Socorro dove, which disappeared from its natural habitat in the 1970s and survives only in captivity. The zoo, run by the Zoological Society of London, is involved in a project that conservationists hope will allow the return of Socorro doves into the wild in their native Mexico. As part of the captive breeding programme, keepers were last year able to celebrate the first hatching at the zoo of a Socorro dove chick.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3593945.ece


London Zoo's new bird enclosure
Some of the world's most beautiful - and rare - birds are flying free among visitors to a new enclosure at London Zoo.
The attraction has been renovated at a cost of £2.5m to showcase the central London zoo's exotic birds.
The Victorian Blackburn Pavilion has been modernised to involve visitors with up to 200 tropical birds.
It includes the UK's only collection of hummingbirds and Socorro doves - a species extinct in the wild.
The Blackburn Pavilion was originally built in 1883 to house reptiles.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7306169.stm



March 20, 2008...11:08 am
5 New Blackfooted Penguin Chicks at Pueblo Zoo
The Pueblo Zoo’s African penguin population has been steadily growing–five penguin babies were born over the winter. They’ll soon be on display.
At birth an baby African penguin is only about the size of a golf ball. Now they weigh close to five pounds.
The chicks were recently separated from their parents to make sure they’re getting enough good and aren’t hurt by the older, larger penguins.
“Another oil spill could pretty much devastate the African penguin population, so to know that we’re doing something that could help bring them back–if anything did happen, it’s very exciting to feel like I’m a part of that, ” said zoo keeper Stephanie Pyles.
The Pueblo Zoo is having continued success at raising penguins. Last year six babies were born. They’re now considered “teenagers” and will soon be moved to other zoos.

http://penguingeek.wordpress.com/2008/03/20/5-newblackfooted-penguin-chicks-at-pueblo-zoo/


Dated

Crikey, the Crocodile Hunter lives on!”
After bidding boring Brizzie adieu, we headed north to Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo. Crikey, the Crocodile Hunter lives on! Here, you realize how much effort Steve put into conservation and education and how much he will be missed. His daughter Bindi has become quite a celebrity though, and seems poised to carry on his work. Overall, we rate Currumbin sanctuary, cheaper, less busy, more intimate and better overall, but we still saw some pretty cool stuff here.

http://realtravel.com/beerwah-journals-j2955730.html


County decides to refinance zoo loan
Daily News staff
6:38 p.m., Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Collier County commissioners agreed Tuesday to refinance a short-term loan used to purchase the land under and around the Naple Zoo.
Nearly a year ago, the county purchased the land to save the landmark zoo and keep it out of the hands of developers.
Commissioners voted 3-0 in favor of refinancing the $35.9 million loan and there was no discussion. Voting in favor were
commissioners Fred Coyle, Donna Fiala and Tom Henning.
A balloon payment on the original loan is due Dec. 5, and theloan will be refinanced before then so the county won't have to make that payment.
The new loan will be for no more than $32.9 million.

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2006/nov/28/county_decides_refinance_zoo_loan/?latest


Birthday boy Irwin
November 29, 2006 12:00am
BOB Irwin will celebrate his third birthday on Friday at Australia Zoo, despite concerns that he is not coping with the death of his father Steve.
The Zoo will have free entry for kids, along with prizes, cake and rides.
The Crocodile Hunter's manager John Stainton has defended the party.
"He's a little boy and every little child deserves to have their birthday," he said.
"It's something Steve would have wanted him to celebrate. There's no reason why it wouldn't go ahead as planned."

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20838342-28957,00.html


Beastly weather puts demands on zoo
Jeff Holubitsky, The Edmonton Journal
Published: Wednesday, November 29 2006
EDMONTON - For the Valley Zoo's rare snow leopards, there are few things more romantic than a roll in the snow.
The mating season for the endangered Himalayan carnivores begins in December, but if Dimitri and Sherri are to do their part to keep the species alive, they have to be warm and healthy.
Their thick, multi-layered spotted coats do part of the job, but zoo staff must work hard to ensure the animals are getting enough food.
Sherri, one of the two rare snow leopards at the Valley Zoo, ventures outside her heated shed.
Chris Schwarz, The Journal
"In order for a carnivore to shiver and keep warm, it will eat more in colder weather, so we feed them more," zookeeper Brenda McComb says.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/cityplus/story.html?id=353849c4-5938-4319-811e-a672ee260b94&k=21916


Polar bears help to attract record crowds at zoo
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
By Linda Wilson Fuoco, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Daily and yearly attendance records were shattered last weekend at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, aided, no doubt, by two playful polar bears, rain-free skies and unseasonably warm weather.
Slideshow: See what the fuss is all about in this presentation showing the zoo's large and furry stars.
A total of 12,027 people visited the zoo Friday and 12,642, on Saturday. The average daily attendance in November is about 6,000 on weekends and 1,000 to 1,500 on weekdays.
By the end of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the year-to-date zoo attendance totaled 802,140. The previous annual record was 801,071 in 2000, the year the PPG Aquarium opened.
The state-of-the-art polar bear exhibit opened last Wednesday and special activities were held Friday to celebrate the 2nd birthday of the bear brothers born at the Denver Zoo.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06333/741964-85.stm


Taronga rejects claims it's struggling
Wednesday Nov 29 21:40 AEDT
Taronga Zoo has denied claims it is struggling to attract visitors and will have trouble repaying a loan to build its new Asian elephant enclosure.
NSW opposition environment spokesman Michael Richardson claimed figures from the auditor-general showed paid attendance numbers were down almost 30,000 on 2004 figures and running six per cent below budget.
Four new Asian elephants arrived at the zoo last month, after two years of court battles, animal rights protests and lengthy quarantine.
Mr Richardson said it was clear the pachyderms would have to perform to help repay a $30 million loan for their enclosure.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=166973


Reggae night at The Zoo
Kilkenny music fans can look forward to the first monthly Reggae night in the Zoo Club, 40 Parliament Street, on Friday night.
Local reggae band Ghost Town will make a long anticipated return to the music scene and they are making this show special, as it is their first gig with a new singer.
The Ghost Town crew are known among local musicians for being musical perfectionists with their style and technique. They like to focus on their performance and have been searching for a singer for quite some time.

http://www.kilkennyadvertiser.ie/index.php?aid=3725


Rare frog gets new jump-start
By Tony Perry
Los Angeles Times
SAN DIEGO — The mountain yellow-legged frog may have yet another chance to avoid extinction.
Already imperiled by modernity, the sweet-voiced croaker was devastated by forest fires in 2003 that ravaged its native habitat in Southern California.
Then 11 were found in the San Bernardino Mountains and brought to the San Diego Zoo for a captive-breeding experiment. Despite around-the-clock attention, they succumbed to a condition akin to tuberculosis.
Amphibian-lovers were close to saying farewell to the yellow-legged frog.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003454422_frogs30.html


Zoo exhibits damaged
The Capital-Journal
Police were investigating an incident at the Topeka Zoo in which several animals were freed from their pens after someone cut locks off the exhibits.
According to police reports, the incident occurred sometime between 5 p.m. Sunday and 7 a.m. Monday.
Police said an unknown person gained entry to the zoo and cut the chain off a goat's pen, a chain-link section of the arctic fox pen and fabric at the bald eagle's exhibit.
All animals were found uninjured on park grounds, police said.
Damage to the exhibits was listed at $1,500, according to police reports.

http://cjonline.com/stories/113006/loc_zoovandals.shtml


Our Hometown: Elmwood Park Zoo
by Susan Barnett
NORRISTOWN (CBS 3) ― You know the big zoos, but some zoos come in smaller packages. CBS 3's Susan Barnett found one off the beaten path right here in our hometown.
A day at the zoo doesn't have to mean fighting traffic into the city. You can safari in the suburbs at Elmwood Park Zoo.
David Wood, curator of the zoo, said, "We get one of two comments -- either, 'Elmwood Park Zoo! Love it! We're members! We come all the time!' or, 'There's a zoo in Norristown?'"
There sure is. In fact, Wood says it's been in Norristown for more than 80 years, and it has everything from big cats to bison to bald eagles.
"These are birds that were injured in the wild and were at a rehabilitation center, and, because of the extent of their injuries, can't be re-released into the wild," said Wood. "So zoos can provide homes for them and give them a nice place to live."
This zoo is a great place to visit: it's intimate, easy to get around, and you can really get up close to the animals.

http://cbs3.com/specialreports/Elmwood.Park.Zoo.2.305894.html


Name that panda: Zoo announces nominees
By Tom Sabulis Thursday, November 30, 2006, 08:55 AM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sorry, “Bling Bling” did not make the final cut. Nor did any of the other tongue-in-cheek names suggested for the new panda cub by internet bloggers in recent weeks.
Zoo Atlanta announced the 10 finalist names for Lun Lun’s nearly 3-month-old baby on Thursday, and all have a traditional Chinese ring to them. Their English translations emphasize tranquility, simplicity and harmony. A few reflect her Georgia birthplace.

http://www.ajc.com/living/content/shared-blogs/ajc/pandas/entries/2006/11/30/name_that_panda_zoo_announces.html


Fires threaten NSW koalas
Fears are held for the biggest koala population in New South Wales, which is under threat from bushfires in the state's north-west.
The state's new wildlife rescue service will today travel to the Pilliga region to assess the koalas.
Taronga Zoo spokesman Mark Williams says koalas cannot move quickly enough to escape the flames, unlike other native species.
"Tragically, the speed and power of bushfires in Australia tend to incinerate animals if they are trapped, so there is little evidence after such a severe bushfire such as this one," he said.
"I believe one of the fires in the Pilliga region moved 40 kilometres over the previous night."
He says vets from the Taronga and Western Plains zoos will attempt a rescue mission and the zoos are on stand-by to accept any injured animals.
"It's just great to see the cooperation between agencies that's available these days," he said.
"And with the expertise that zoos have, being able to take that into the field and apply it directly to wildlife populations, this is increasingly becoming a vital role for zoos."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200612/s1801672.htm


Giraffe Dies at Zoo
by Associated Press
A young female giraffe at the Garden City Zoo has died after breaking its neck. Zoo officials say the year-old giraffe, named Makena, wedged her head into a small opening inside a barn and panicked, breaking her neck as she tried to escape.
The accident occurred in a newer section of the barn. It had two housed two previous calves and no prior incidents had occurred. Zoo director Kathy Sexson says the staff is devastated by the loss of Makena and counseling is being offered to help them cope with the loss one of the zoo's favorite animals.

http://www.kwch.com/Global/story.asp?S=5755811


Kimble: New zoo center to be Earth-friendly
MARK KIMBLE
Tucson Citizen
If you're like me, you probably feel environmentally aware if you check the bottom of plastic bottles for the triangular recycling symbol before buying a product.
If we're really good, we'll make sure to throw the plastic bottles in the blue bins instead of in the trash.
Maybe we'll even take canvas totes to the grocery store instead of amassing an ever-larger collection of those horrible plastic bags.
Those all are important steps to take for the future of our planet. But take a look at a new building that soon will be going up at the Reid Park Zoo, and your home recycling efforts will seem puny.
The building - the Conservation Learning Center - will take recycling and environmentalism to levels not seen before in Arizona and rarely seen anywhere.
It's going to be expensive - about $3.5 million. But over the life of the building, it will save a lot of money that would be sucked up by a conventional building.
It will put a broader spin on the zoo's message of conserving the resources of Earth, not only for us, but also for the animals with whom we share the planet.
It sounds lofty - and it will be.
"It is clearly aligned with the zoo's missions of education, conservation, research and recreation," said Vivian VanPeenen, curator of education at the zoo. "This is all of those in one."
And it will start to come together Jan. 28 when a groundbreaking ceremony is held.
When the center is completed, the zoo hopes to achieve a platinum rating - the highest possible - from the U.S. Green Building Council. The United States has only 20 platinum buildings - none in Arizona.

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/opinion/34209.php

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