Zoos
NZ wallabies dying on re-introduction to Australia
16.11.05 1.00pm
By Kent Atkinson
Dozens of wallabies re-introduced to a South Australian national park from Kawau Island in the Hauraki Gulf have died.
Only 14 of the 46 NZ tammar wallabies released into a new life at Innes National Park in the past 12 months have survived, the Yorke Peninsula Country Times reported.
Of the first 10 tammar wallabies released 12 months ago, only four are still alive, and of the second batch of 36 animals released in June, 10 have survived.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10355504
County buying 130 acres to save Naples Zoo
By LAURA LAYDEN, lllayden@naplesnews.com
November 15, 2005
Collier County has come to the rescue.
After 19 months of wrangling over how to save the Naples Zoo, county commissioners voted Tuesday to buy nearly 130 acres of land under and next to the landmark attraction. Their mission — preservation.
"We basically got license today to continue business," said David Tetzlaff, zoo director. "That is what we were looking for."
And that's what others were looking for as they sat in the commission chambers to cheer the zoo, which the Tetzlaff family has run for more than 35 years. Supporters held up homemade signs. One of them simply said: "Save the Land." Another said, "We Voted to Save the Land."
http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/news/article/0,2071,NPDN_14940_4241368,00.html
LA Zoo Director Says Reports Of Gita Elephant's Health Untrue
POSTED: 9:49 am PST November 16, 2005
UPDATED: 11:32 am PST November 16, 2005
LOS ANGELES -- There's new concern about the elephant named Gita at the Los Angeles.
Some say her health is not getting better and questions are being raised about the future of the elephant exhibit.
Critics say Gita's condition is further proof that the elephant exhibit at the Zoo needs to be closed.
The LA Zoo Director John Lewis says Gita's health is improving. He says two specialists from UC Davis examined the elephant on Tuesday, and said her foot wound continues to improve. Lewis said reports that Gita is "near death" are simply untrue.
The public cannot see Gita the elephant on display. She's in a back barn at the zoo.
http://www.nbc4.tv/news/5339424/detail.html
Town to see 'Zoo Lights' glisten again
By Stephen Hagan/ stoneham@cnc.com
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Once again, the bright lights of Stoneham will get a bit brighter this holiday season, as thousands of light bulbs shimmer during "Zoo Lights" at the Stone Zoo.
The festival runs from Nov. 24 through Dec. 30, from 5 to 9 p.m. each night.
One couple was so enamored with the event they decided to hold their wedding during "Zoo Lights." The request for the ceremony was a first for the zoo, according to Melissa Grossenbacher, public relations manager for Zoo New England.
"We were like, all right, like sure" said Grossenbacher. "They met last year and one of their first dates was 'Zoo Lights.' They have such an affection for the zoo they decided to get married there.
"They both have a love of animals."
The wedding will be held on Dec. 17 at the Santa's Castle exhibit, just prior to the commencement of the public evening show.
http://www2.townonline.com/stoneham/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=369023
K-Zoo Promise students could get CMU Promise
By Jason Ogden
Staff Reporter
November 16, 2005
CMU will step up recruitment in Kalamazoo after last week’s announcement of the Kalamazoo Promise.
The promise offers free tuition to any student from the three Kalamazoo public high schools to any state university or community college.
Kalamazoo Public Schools announced the plan Thursday, although nobody knows who is funding it – the donors have chosen to remain anonymous. Under the program, the longer a student is in the district, the more money they will receive for college, starting with the class of 2006.
Students who have spent at least four years in the district will receive 65 percent of their tuition and fees paid, while students who have been in the district since kindergarten have all costs taken care of.
http://www.cm-life.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/11/16/437abeb063a42
Fresno County supervisors, Fresno City Council members emphasize restoring public's trust.
By Marc Benjamin / The Fresno Bee
(Updated Wednesday, November 16, 2005, 5:43 AM)
Pressure mounted Tuesday against three Fresno Zoo Corp. Board members as fellow board members called for their resignations. Joining the criticism were Fresno County supervisors and Fresno City Council members.
The resignation calls follow an emotional zoo board meeting Monday night,when board Chairman Jay Weed and treasurer David Cowin were asked to step down but refused. County supervisors Tuesday also sought the resignation of Mike Woods, who headed a transition team that negotiated the lease between the Fresno Zoo Corp. and the city of Fresno. The passage of Measure Z last November would allow the corporation to take over operation of the zoo from the city.
http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/11486619p-12225801c.html
Demanding Answers From Chaffee Zoo Board
November 15, 2005 - Demanding answers and more calls for resignations for several members of the Chaffee Zoo board. It started as an emergency meeting to decide how meetings would be handled, but it ended with calls for board members to resign.
New calls for resignation are coming from Fresno County's Board of Supervisors, some of whom say they are appalled at their zoo appointee's actions.
Tuesday morning, the supervisors voted to ask for three zoo board members to step down so the zoo board can move forward.
"I want them gone. If they worked for me, I'd fire them. You don't ask for the resignations of people like this. You fire them," said Supervisor Bob Waterston.
But, neither the city, nor county, have that authority, so the supervisors are writing a letter asking for zoo board chairman Jay Weed, treasurer Dave Cowin, and board member Mike Woods to step down.
http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=local&id=3636128
Zoo Reveals Date For Public Panda Viewing
Tickets To Be Available Online
POSTED: 7:50 am EST November 16, 2005
UPDATED: 8:01 am EST November 16, 2005
WASHINGTON -- If you're one of the thousands waiting to see the new panda cub at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, your wait is almost over.
Zoo officials have announced that panda fans eager to get a look at 4-month-old Tai Shan will get their first peek Dec. 8.
http://www.nbc4.com/news/5336827/detail.html
Breaking News: Tiger on the loose from Ashville Zoo
By PAT DOWD
Yes, you read that headline correctly.
According to police reports, one of the tigers is on the loose from the Ashville Game Farm and Zoo in Greenwich.
Police are asking folks to stay out of the area while the search goes on.
The full-grown "golden tabby" tiger is believed to be friendly, but police don't want anything to startle it.
For a look at the company's Web site that shows Tahan the tiger, click here.
A state police helicopter is headed to the area from Albany to join the search.
The game farm is on Lick Springs Road in Greenwich.
http://www.poststar.com/story.asp?storyid=2048
Breaking News: Loose tiger found, tranquilized
Staff Report
Updated: 11/16/2005 2:50:56 PM
GREENWICH -- A 225-pound tiger that escaped from a game farm in Greenwich on Wednesday morning was found about three and a half hours later and tranquilized, authorities said.
The 7 year old female tiger, named Tahan, found several miles from the outdoor zoo, was shot twice with tranquilizer darts fired by a state Department of Environmental Conservation officer.
She was trained to do tricks, including walking on her hind legs.
The gold and white tabby Bengal tiger was described as being docile by its owner Jeff Ash, who operates the Ashville Game Farm & Exotic Zoo on Lick Spring Road in Greenwich. Ash, though, said the tiger had the potential to be dangerous if cornered.
The loose tiger prompted Argyle Central School, several miles away, to cancel outdoor recess Wednesday.
The tiger escaped about 10:30 a.m. from the game farm and was tranquilized just before 2 p.m. near Cottrell Road off Route 40.
http://www.poststar.com/story.asp?storyid=2049
Zoo master plan, donation program moving ahead
Kimberly Wear
EUREKA -- The City Council voted Tuesday to move forward with a new 20-year master plan to help determine future needs and preserve the Sequoia Park Zoo’s accreditation after the American Zoo and Aquarium Association raised a series of concerns.
The council authorized the Public Works Department to send out request qualifications to find an applicant capable of doing the specialized work. The estimated cost is $55,000.
”The need for an updated master plan has been identified for a couple of years by staff,” said Public Works director Michael Knight, adding that tight budgets have made that difficult.
Knight said the zoo may be receiving a bequeath in the next few months that could aid in paying for the plan, which currently has no designated funding source.
http://www.times-standard.com/local/ci_3222669
Baby rhino brings cheer to Patna Zoo visitors
Patna November 16, 2005 2:12:27 PM IST
The birth of a healthy male baby rhino at the Patna Zoo has brought a lot of cheer in the lives of both the zoo authorities and its visitors.
The one-horned baby rhino weighs about 40 kilograms and is in good health, zoo authorities said, adding that the total rhino population of the zoo has now gone up to nine.
"It is a matter of great happiness that a new baby rhino has born which takes the taking the rhino population to nine, which is the highest in any zoo in India. We have got International recognition for successful breeding of the rhino and with his birth we have again proved ourselves. We all are very happy," says Rakesh Kumar, Director, Patna Zoo.
http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=163995&cat=India
This is not only irresponsible but an outrage.
CHIANG MAI SAFARI: Rare animals on the menu at zoo
Published on November 17, 2005
Visitors offered daily buffet of lion, tiger, elephant and giraffe meat; conservation groups outraged. Lovers of “wild” cuisine are in for a treat when Chiang Mai’s Night Safari opens next year, project director Plodprasop Suraswadi said yesterday. Visitors to the park’s Vareekunchorn restaurant will have the option of tucking in to an “Exotic Buffet” of tiger, lion, elephant and giraffe, for just Bt4,500 a head.
The park, which had a soft opening yesterday, officially opens on New Year’s Day.
The animal-buffet idea has drawn strong protests from wildlife groups, which have expressed concern that the menu of endangered and protected animals will confuse the public and foreign visitors about the real objective of the zoo, as well as Thailand’s stance on wildlife conservation.
According to Plodprasop, animals for the buffet would be imported daily and legally to the zoo.
Ironically, the prime minister said the park would aim to increase public awareness of natural science and wildlife.
http://nationmultimedia.com/2005/11/17/national/index.php?news=national_19180026.html
Born free, died in a Thai zoo
The decision by the Kenyan government to sell animals to Thailand is regrettable. It is disheartening that these animals will be taken from their natural habitat to be confined in a cage for the rest of their lives.
Animals should remain free and should not be captured and placed in a zoo. Some of them are Cites-listed species. The park where these animals are initially being sent is unlikely to be interested in the breeding or conservation of the animals.
Putting them on display for the public's amusement does not, in my mind, justify their capture and a lifetime of imprisonment. How can we be sure that the animals will remain at this safari park? They could end up on the roofs of departmental stores or restaurants. Kenya has a duty to protect its wildlife heritage.
Jennie O'Connor
Cobble Hill, Canada
http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/Opinion/Opinion1411200512.htm
Dian Fossey's legacy lives on
By Oscar Kimanuka
Dian Fossey, the American zoologist and world authority on gorillas, spent nearly 20 years of her life photographing, observing and writing about the rare mountain gorillas of Rwanda. Her sense of connection and community with "her" gorillas is said to have "placed her self, body, mind and spirit, within the animals' lives."
The residents of Ruhengeri nicknamed her Nyiramachibili, which means, "Old lady who lives in the forest without a man." The areas around the mountains where the gorillas are found are clearly overpopulated, with human encroachment on their habitat evident.
As the gorillas are pushed further up the mountain slopes, they encounter colder climates and different vegetation. These conditions are not ideal for their survival. Poaching has fortunately been contained on the Rwanda side of the border.
http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/Opinion/Opinion141120054.htm
Elephants at the Phoenix Zoo get a new habitat
By Katie McDevitt, Tribune
November 16, 2005
Sheena stretched her long trunk toward the sky, grabbed some hay and shoveled the crunchy mound into her mouth. Nearby, a curious Indu cautiously poked the end of her trunk into a small fountain.
The elephants at the Phoenix Zoo were calm and happy in their habitats Tuesday. But it wasn’t always that way. For three years, the elephants’ aggressive behavior forced zookeepers to house them in solitude.
A new habitat that allows elephants to forage for food, walk around obstacles and scratch themselves as they would in the wild has changed all that.
Even the zoo’s third elephant, Reba, who once killed a circus trainer, is calming down, though she’s not yet able to join the others in the habitat.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=53248
What would it be like to live to 175?
WHO, WHAT, WHY?
The Magazine answers...
A tortoise reputedly collected from the Galapagos islands by Charles Darwin has turned 175. What if humans lived that long?
Harriet the giant tortoise has celebrated her 175th birthday and is now probably the world's oldest living creature. Her longevity has been put down to lifestyle and genes, and her keepers at Australia Zoo in Queensland say she could reach 200.
"She's not under any pressure, she goes at her own steady pace, doesn't burn up any energy and is loved by everybody," says a zoo spokesman.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4442020.stm
A place where elephants could just be elephants
Activists promote the idea of a vast preserve to establish a self-sustaining herd. Some zoo officials are skeptical.
By Julie Stoiber
Inquirer Staff Writer
Watching elephants in the wild is an experience so powerful that wildlife author Douglas H. Chadwick describes it as "a whole different level of being alive."
It's an experience most of us won't have, though, since elephants' natural habitats are far away, in Africa and Asia.
And so we visit zoos, many of which are rethinking exactly how the world's largest land mammals should be shown. Last month, for example, the Philadelphia Zoo announced that it did not have the money to build a new savanna for Petal, Dulary, Bette and Kallie, but said it hoped someday to replace the quarter-acre elephant exhibit and 1,800-square-foot barn.
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/pennsylvania/counties/philadelphia_county/philadelphia/13177417.htm
Three Liger Cubs Born in Russian Zoo
Created: 14.11.2005 12:09 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 12:09 MSK
Three liger cubs have been born in the Novosibirsk Zoo to unusual parents: an African lion and a Bengalese tigress, the zoo’s director Rostislav Shilo told RIA Novosti Monday. The cubs are called ligers, a term derived from their parents’ species, lion and tiger.
The cubs were born as a result of a genuine attachment between the lion and the tigress who have been kept in neighboring cages since childhood. Such a cross would be impossible in a natural environment, since tigers and lions only mate with their kin.
The litter is the couple’s second, the zoo director added. In summer 2004 ligress Zita was born in the zoo. Zita is now one year and four months old.
http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/11/14/ligercubs.shtml
A guide to celebrations of all kinds for children
01:38 PM EST on Sunday, November 13, 2005
Compiled by JANINA FERA
The options for children's birthday parties at home or away continue to grow with each edition of our annual Children's Birthday Party Guide.
Today's 2006 guide features almost 200 party options, divided into two sections. The first is a list of places where you can have a child's party; this year we pulled the bowling parties and swimming pool parties into their own sections at the end of this list. The second is a list of entertainers you can hire and games you can rent for a party at home or other location.
This information was received in response to requests for information about birthday parties in LIFEstyles and in Lifebeat; we also sent letters to those who appeared in last year's guide.
After talking to these party folks, we emphasize that you have to plan ahead: To be safe, contact the company or performer at least four weeks before your target date.
Party on!
http://www.projo.com/yourlife/content/projo_20051113_birthday.2145f71.html
Siberia tigers as gifts to S. Korea
Winny Wang
2005-11-15 Beijing Time
CHINA will send South Korea two Siberia tigers as national gifts on Thursday, Harbin Daily reported today.
The 3- and 4-years-old tigers, whose names are "Yuanyuan" and "Xinji," were shipped from the Siberia Tiger Park in Harbin yesterday to Beijing by trunk. Park employees spent 2 hours to let the strong tigers go into cages because they seemed to be reluctant to leave their hometown.
After a series of check, they will take a plane to South Korea on Thursday afternoon.
They will live in a state-owned zoo near Seoul, the report said. Korean staff said they had purchased foods for them, and the beef they will eat cost 160 yuan (US$19.80) per kilogram.
The wild Siberian tiger, largely indigenous to the Russian Far East, northeastern China and the Korean Peninsula, is listed as one of the world's most endangered wildlife species. No more than 400 are believed alive.
Fewer than 20 wild Siberian tigers are believed to be in China — mainly in the mountains of Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces. The government's Forestry Administration placed all breeds of tigers under "key state protection" in 2001.
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2005/11/15/213671/Siberia_tigers_as_gifts_to_S__Korea.htm
This was January 2005.
Unbearable thaw grips Russian zoo
Leningrad Zoo's brown bear may have a really sore head
Temperatures in north-west Russia are so mild this week that they are disrupting bears' sleep in St Petersburg's zoo, local media say.
A zoo official told Interfax news agency that a black bear had woken from hibernation, while a brown bear had still not gone to sleep for the winter.
Temperatures have reached record highs of seven degrees celsius in some areas.
The unusual warmth, accompanied by heavy winds and rain, has melted river ice and caused flooding in the city.
Storms have been causing havoc across Northern Europe in recent days, and were described as the worst to hit the neighbouring Baltic states in 40 years.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4169565.stm
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