Zoos
Jerusalem's Biblical Zoo most frequented tourist site in 2005
By Irit Rosenblum, Haaretz Correspondent
Jerusalem's Biblical Zoo was Israel's most frequented tourist attraction in 2005, according to the "Dans 100" rankings compiled by Dan and Bradstreet Israel.
According to the list - that includes all fee-charging tourist sites - some 550,000 thousand people visited the zoo last year, constituting a 25 percent increase from the year before.
Many of the zoo's visitors came to see a baby elephant, Gabi, who is the first Asiatic elephant to be conceived in Israel through artificial insemination, and only one of 11 Asiatic elephants worldwide to be born using this method.
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The spa site of Hamat Gader, popular since Roman times, came in second on the list with only a few thousand less. Another ancient site, the Herodian citadel of Masada, where Jewish rebels chose to take their own lives rather than surrender to the besieging Romans, came in third with 495,000 annual visitors.
Ramat Gan's Safari came fourth with 480,595 and Caesarea rounded up the top-five list with 440,068 visitors.
Other popular tourist destinations, such as the Western Wall and the Bahai gardens in Haifa, are free of charge and were therefore not included in the list.
The number of tourists visiting sites with a Jewish appeal, such as the Qumran caves, shot up by over 118.9 percent.
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/691880.html
Volunteers work to capture abundant bunnies from Seattle parks
SEATTLE – Volunteers are racing Mother Nature as they try to round up hoards of domestic rabbits – many pregnant – that have been set free near the city's Woodland Park Zoo and Green Lake Park.
Parks officials hope to remove the frisky animals that have been digging a labyrinth of tunnels under the park, damaging trees and plants.
Efforts that began Feb. 27 have corralled about 40 rabbits that are being temporarily sheltered in cages at Magnuson Park at Sand Point – separated by gender.
“There are 200 to 300 rabbits out there, and every female we are picking up is pregnant,” said Sandi Ackerman, founder of Rabbit Meadows Sanctuary, who is helping Seattle Parks and Recreation capture the animals.
The captured rabbits, some likely abandoned Easter gifts, are to be sterilized and taken to the sanctuary in Redmond, and possibly adopted out.
To capture and sterilize each animal costs about $100. The city of Seattle set aside $20,000 to cover medical costs. Almost $8,000 has come from private contributions.
The roundup was conceived a few years ago as a more humane option for reducing the population after the parks department's practice of gassing geese was frowned upon. In 1999, Redmond businesses and King County pooled $60,000 to capture rabbits in that area.
“Euthanizing the critters wasn't considered,” said Dewey Potter, a spokeswoman with the parks department. “There is a close attachment between humans and small furry woodland creatures.”
Volunteers use cabbage and carrots to lure the rabbits into a 6-foot-square cage that closes them in when sprung.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20060308-1432-wst-rabbitroundup.html
Early Land Animals Could Walk and Run Like Mammals, New Study Find
The tuatara, an ancient animal that today lives only in New Zealand, was one of the first animals to run on land. Photo by: Steve Reilly
Salamanders and the tuatara, a lizard-like animal that has lived on Earth for 225 million years, were the first vertebrates to walk and run on land, according to a recent study by Ohio University researchers.
After studying the creatures at the Toledo Zoo, Stephen Reilly, associate professor of biological sciences, and doctoral student Eric McElroy determined that they use both forms of locomotion, which are energy-saving mechanisms generally believed to be important only in fast-running animals such as mammals and birds.
The research was published in the March 8 issue of the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. Andrew Odum, curator of herpetology at the Toledo Zoo, and Valerie Hornyak, head herpetology keeper, were co-authors of the study.
http://www.physorg.com/news11549.html
New and improved Keiki Zoo opens
Manolo Morales
A new petting zoo opened on Wednesday inside the Honolulu Zoo. And while there have been some concerns with getting sick from petting the animals, the opening still drew quite a crowd.
It's the new and improved Keiki Zoo, a $5 million facility that's nearly three times larger than the old children's zoo. Visitors are welcome to get up close and touch the animals. But parents are aware there are some risks.
"Don't want him to put his hands in his mouth, and put the germs into him and get sick from that," says Gay Shinbara, parent.
It became a serious problem for families who visited a Florida petting zoo last year. Dozens of children got sick from e-coli bacteria after petting the animals. So parents were a bit concerned on Wednesday.
"I'm a little bit reticent to have her just go up and touch the animals, but I'm really careful to just make sure she just washes up afterwards," says Christinne Williams, parent.
"General precautions like wash hands after playing with the animals. That's what I'll do," says Olga Melnikov, parent.
Hand wash stations are just as popular here as the animals. They are placed strategically by the exit, in the middle, and of course there are the bathrooms. Food or drinks are not allowed inside the Keiki Zoo.
"Young kids will eat something then touch their mouth, they'll touch the animal, they'll touch their mouth again and they won't be washing in between, and that would be the main cause of getting sick," says Dwain Uyeda, Keiki Zoo manager.
Some parents came well prepared, with their own bottle of germ fighter.
"I knew she was gonna pet the animals and we try to keep it so that when she does get really dirty, she can just wash her hands real quick," says Jessica Bell, parent.
Zoo officials say the children's zoo has always been a very popular attraction. If parents do their duty, there shouldn't be any problems.
http://khon.com/khon/display.cfm?storyID=11880§ionID=1162
Surprise Birth At The Sacrament Zoo
(CBS 13) SACRAMENTO Zoo keepers at the Sacramento Zoo got a surprise this Valentine's Day. It wasn't a heart-shaped box of chocolates, but it was just as sweet!!
Zoo keepers found a rare baby lemur clinging to its mother on Valentine's Day. To be exact, it's a male Coquerel's sifaka. The Sacramento Zoo is one of only five North American zoos with this particular lemur species. The little guy joins his 15-year-old parents and a sibling born last year.
According to the zoo, sifaka's usually have one baby at a time and they are weaned after about 4-to-5 months. Coquerel's sifakas are from the dry forests of Northwestern Madagascar and are endangered.
This new addition to the zoo will be on display with its family at the 'Lemurs of the Lost World' exhibit.
http://cbs13.com/topstories/local_story_067114914.html
£58m plan to help zoo's giant leap in conservation
DEAN HERBERT
PLANS to introduce some of the world's most endangered species to Scotland are part a £58 million masterplan unveiled yesterday to develop the country's premier zoo.
Edinburgh Zoo wants to bring in orang-utans, giraffes and kangaroos to make the attraction one of the most advanced conservation centres in the world.
A £5.5 million ape-house, an upgraded polar bear enclosure and the introduction of manatees to the zoo will account for a £58 million, 20-year-project.
The zoo will be divided into four "biome" zones, allowing people to experience the wildlife of tropical rainforests, grasslands, woodlands and the oceans.
http://news.scotsman.com/edinburgh.cfm?id=283972006
Officials interview candidates for zoo board
Posted: 3/8/2006 9:42:07 AM
Video
The 4 new board members would be the next step in preparing the zoo to grow and expand.
Officials interviewed 19 people to replace 3 board members who stepped down under controversy and another whose term expired last month.
All 4 of the new board members would serve 3 year terms and help oversee the millions of tax-payer dollars slated for the zoo.
Just last month the zoo hired new Director Lewis Greene.
http://www.cbs47.tv/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=6A4CDCBC-A1B3-4D7C-B68F-5BC0C3A5F4B5
Zoo's female dolphin Rio dies
She is the second dolphin to die there in the past three months
BY NHIA TONGCHAI LEE
Pioneer Press
She was one of the longest-term residents at the zoo, sharing the title with two birds — a flamingo and a greater hornbill.
But on Monday night, Rio, the Minnesota Zoo's eldest female dolphin, died unexpectedly.
A necropsy performed Monday at the University of Minnesota did not immediately determine the 35-year-old dolphin's cause of death. Further tests are pending, said Jim Rasmussen, the zoo's senior veterinarian.
"She was in remarkable health, and her death came out of nowhere," he said.
Rio was behaving normally early Monday. She was playing with the other dolphins and did not show any signs of problems, Rasmussen said. But in the afternoon, she lost her appetite.
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/local/14042689.htm
Big Plans for Columbus Zoo
Reported by Kurt Ludlow
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is embarking upon a project that could wind up making it the largest zoo in North America.
If zoo director emeritus Jack Hanna gets his way, people will soon be able to spend the night at the Columbus Zoo. Not with the animals of course, but in a hotel built on zoo grounds.
That’s just one of the improvements planned for the zoo over the next ten years.
“The African Savannah is going to be phenomenal,” described Hanna.
In that exhibit, visitors will be able to watch giraffes, hippopotami and zebras roam free.
http://www.10tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4606119&nav=LUESMuat
A plan for the elephants
THE PHILADELPHIA Zoo has long been one of our most valued treasures. Home to more than 1,500 animals, many rare and endangered in the wild, the zoo prides itself on conservation and education.
Recently, however, issues concerning the well-being of the zoo's four elephants have surfaced. One is in respect to the amount of space dedicated to the elephants. The other is the incident of the 41-year-old female Asian elephant named Dulary being kept separate from the other elephants since August after an injury to her eye during an altercation with one of the zoo's African elephants.
Both of these concerns are validated by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association's accreditation guide. The AZA insists that zoos should make every effort to maintain elephants in social groupings. The guide also says that Asian and African elephants should not be integrated into the same herd due for health and behavioral reasons.
I have also learned about elephant sanctuaries, in particular the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. I am impressed by the sanctuary's climate, space and specialized care.
As these elephant issues have attracted public attention, the zoo has positioned itself as the victim by being extremely defensive and by mischaracterizing a passionate person's pleas as threats.
It is time for the zoo to recognize that elephant care standards have changed. Wouldn't it be great to give the elephants a retirement party for all of their years serving our city and region? The party could also be a fund-raiser for the zoo, accompanied by penny-drives and corporate donations.
The zoo can transfer the elephants to the Elephant Sanctuary free of charge and maintain AZA accreditation. I'm sure the zoo and sanctuary could even create a partnership to include communication on the elephants' health and well-being.
It would also be great to include an exhibit where Philadelphia Zoo visitors could watch the elephants in the sanctuary on a live telecast.
James F. Kenney
Philadelphia City Councilman
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/opinion/14053954.htm
Don't go looking for conflict over zoo
March 8, 2006
Wait a minute. I get slammed in a Free Press editorial ("Zoo Stew: It's now on track for survival, so cut political divisiveness," March 3) for honestly answering a simple question asked by one of your reporters. I did not call a news conference to "stir up separatist politics" after the City Council voted to pass zoo management over to the Zoological Society. Your reporter called me. He asked how I thought the suburbs would react to a regional tax to support the zoo.
Yes, I honestly said: "I don't think Oakland County taxpayers want to subsidize Detroit assets."
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060308/OPINION04/603080329/1072
Pause for this cause: Save the Detroit Zoo with grant, and income
Friday, March 10, 2006
Save Michigan's grand old zoo.
The Detroit Zoo is in full crisis mode these days, thanks to the dallying of the Detroit City Council.
Paying no mind to a deadline that the state Legislature had set, the council let a $4 million state grant lapse.
The zoo needs that money to keep operating while its supporters find other funding sources.
Without the state help, some in the Detroit mayor's office had said, the popular zoo, which the city can no longer afford, could close.
It wasn't until this month that the City Council finally bothered to approve the transfer of the zoo from the cash-strapped city to the Detroit Zoological Society.
The state money would have tided over the society, which runs the zoo, until it could find some other sources of money.
It was a chore to convince many outstate legislators to approve the original grant. It may be even harder to get them to approve it again, or extend its deadline.
Nevertheless, legislators in Lansing should take the time and trouble to do just that.
The Detroit Zoo is Michigan's zoo.
People come from all over the state to spend a day wandering its manicured grounds and viewing its exhibits.
It's a regular field trip for a lot of students from the Bay area.
Zoo officials say they might seek a regional tax to help pay for the zoo.
Considering its statewide appeal, we'd encourage the Zoological Society to look even farther afield.
Maybe raise money through a voluntary check-off box for donations on state income tax returns.
Until 2000, we did that for years for non-game wildlife here.
Why not for the zoo?
http://www.mlive.com/news/bctimes/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1142007352158840.xml&coll=4
Lincoln Park elephant debate to address future of zoos
February 23, 2006
BY ANDREW HERRMANN Staff Reporter
A City Council committee today is scheduled to hear both sides of a proposed ordinance that would effectively ban elephants at Lincoln Park Zoo.
But the president of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association suggested the ordinance is really part of a larger effort by animal rights activists to get rid of all zoos.
"To be totally candid, I'm not sure it's all about elephants in Chicago. It's part of a much larger campaign,'' Beth Stevens, president of the board of the AZA, said in an interview Wednesday.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-ele23.html
Baby Penguin Is Mini-Celebrity in Britain
By Kevin Sullivan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, March 9, 2006; Page A13
NEWCHURCH, England -- The blinking baby, covered with soft gray fuzz, weighs less than two pounds. Not yet a month old -- too young to even determine its sex -- it is already a mini-celebrity in Britain, an old hand at television appearances, with a London newspaper running a national competition to choose its name.
That's because the baby penguin is the little sibling of Toga, and everybody here remembers what happened to him.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/08/AR2006030802272.html
Celebrity chick stealing hearts
By Kevin Sullivan
The Washington Post
Published March 9, 2006
NEWCHURCH, England -- The blinking baby, covered with soft gray fuzz, weighs less than 2 pounds. Not yet a month old--too young to even determine its sex--it is already a mini-celebrity in Britain, an old hand at television appearances, with a London newspaper running a national competition to choose its name.
That is because the baby penguin is the little sibling of Toga, and everybody here remembers what happened to him.
"It's still a shock," said Kath Bright, manager of Amazon World Zoo Park here on the Isle of Wight, just off England's southern coast, where 18-inch-tall Toga was stolen a week before Christmas.
The theft became a national soap opera in Britain. Television news channels carried live updates from somber reporters at the scene, and news anchors pleaded for the thief to return Toga. His plight generated calls and donations from as far away as Peru and New Zealand, partly, Bright said, because people's interest in penguins was already high due to the popularity of "March of the Penguins," which won the Oscar for best documentary on Sunday.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0603090211mar09,1,3362977.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true
Zoo board adds 4 members
List of candidates is whittled from 19 to seven to four who come from a variety of backgrounds.
By Marc Benjamin / The Fresno Bee
(Updated Thursday, March 9, 2006, 5:43 AM)
The Fresno Chaffee Zoo Corp. board named four new members Wednesday night.
Those named to the board were:
Rogelio Arroyo, a Caltrans electrical engineer.
John Valentino, landscape companies owner.
George Nokes, a retired state wildlife biologist.
Colin Dougherty, retired general manager of KVPT.
The board narrowed its list of candidates interviewed from 19 to seven, and the final seven were whittled down to four after 20 minutes of discussion and polls.
Board members said the final selection was difficult.
http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/11909747p-12678475c.html
New Keiki Zoo gives curious kids a sensational experience
By Rosemarie Bernardo
rbernardo@starbulletin.com
ABOUT 40 kindergartners from Jefferson Elementary School took a short trip to a different world, grinning big as they petted goats and llamas at the new Keiki Zoo.
"They can see what it's like to be at a farm," said Principal Vivian Hee, who noted that most of the children live in apartments in the Waikiki area.
KEIKI ZOO HOURS
The Keiki Zoo at the Honolulu Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Officials plan to extend the hours for the Keiki Zoo once staffing is established.
The Honolulu Zoo is closed on Christmas.
The former Children's Zoo has reopened as a bigger Keiki Zoo at the Honolulu Zoo.
Mayor Mufi Hannemann spoke at the dedication ceremony yesterday: "I'm a big kid at heart. No matter how old I get, I still love the zoo."
Hannemann thanked the Honolulu Zoological Society for contributing more than $1 million to the $5.1 million project. The largest private donor to the zoological society for the project was the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation, which gave $1 million.
Kahu Kordell Kekoa blessed the zoo yesterday before the doors opened to the public.
http://starbulletin.com/2006/03/09/news/story08.html
Bird Flu Found in Stone Marten in Germany
By DAVID McHUGH
The Associated Press
Friday, March 10, 2006; 6:16 AM
BERLIN -- A weasel-like animal called a stone marten was infected with the deadly bird flu virus, marking the disease's spread to another mammal species, a German laboratory said Thursday.
The sickly animal was found on the north German island of Ruegen, where three cats and dozens of wild birds have been infected with the disease, the agriculture ministry of the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/10/AR2006031000348.html
Famous Hawks Try Again to Fill a Familiar Empty Nest
By THOMAS J. LUECK
Published: March 10, 2006
It is becoming a New York rite of spring. Pale Male and Lola are back on the nest.
So it came to pass yesterday, after months of aerial foreplay, that two red-tailed hawks who have captured the imaginations of bird lovers around the world settled into their roost 12 stories above Central Park, on the opulent facade of a Fifth Avenue co-op building.
According to bird-watchers who have tracked the hawks' behavior for years, Lola has almost certainly laid eggs. If so, it will be six weeks, or perhaps until the end of April, before an unlikely wildlife saga reaches its climax and baby red-tailed hawks are hatched.
Or, perhaps, the hawks' reproductive effort will fail, as it did last year.
Coming 11 days before spring formally arrives on March 20, and as New Yorkers were about to be wrapped in a balmy coat of springlike warmth, the sight of Lola sitting proudly on the nest, and of Pale Male swooping down with tasty morsels of rat and pigeon from the park, could not have been more welcome.
"They are as much a sign of spring in New York as the St. Patrick's Day Parade," said Adrian Benepe, the city's parks commissioner.
Pale Male has been cavorting with various female hawks over Central Park, and producing offspring, for more than a decade. He first built a nest on his cornice at 927 Fifth Avenue, at 74th Street, in 1993.
But his return this year with Lola, his current mate, is remarkable because of the battle that erupted over the nest 15 months ago. Members of the co-op, who had tired of having a giant birds' nest on their facade, had it carted away.
The protests that ensued spilled from City Hall to costumed demonstrators on Fifth Avenue to the most affluent living rooms of the Upper East Side. Eventually, the co-op returned the nest, and provided a steel cradle to hold it in place.
Although Lola laid eggs on schedule in early March last year, they never hatched. The reason was difficult to discern, experts said, but it probably had something to do with the newness of the reconstructed nest.
Since last spring, both hawks have worked diligently, carrying twigs and small branches, and building a better nest. Peter Rhoades Mott, a biologist and president of the New York City branch of the Audubon Society, said Pale Male and Lola could be seen in recent months performing aerial feats, like flying in huge circles or dive-bombing the park, that were clearly mating rituals.
And the conflicts that disrupted last year's nesting have been happily resolved, he said.
"People talked to each other, they didn't shout, and we've reached an elegant solution," he said. "This is New York at its best."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/10/nyregion/10hawk.html?ex=1142744400&en=e7343e7c67a75684&ei=5070
In what has become a rite of spring in New York, the hawks known as Pale Male and Lola have settled into their roost on the facade of a building near Central Park. After months of aerial feats that were clearly mating rituals, Lola has laid eggs, birders say.
Crafting Culture: The Orang Asal of Malaysia
contributed by Puah Sze Ning
Flittering like a hummingbird amid a patch of flowers, a little mobile stall shifts locations in Kuala Lumpur packed with the cultural works of sixteen different Orang Asal ethnic groups. Despite the urban setting, these handicrafts have roots throughout the rural landscape of Malaysia and are usually purchased directly from the artisan.
Welcome to the Gerai O.A.
'Orang Asal/Asli' is a Malay term for Original People. Orang Asal represents the indigenous peoples of Peninsular and East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak), while Orang Asli refers specifically to the indigenous minorities of Peninsular Malaysia whom are distinct from the mainstream population in Peninsular Malaysia.
http://www.wildasia.net/main/article.cfm?articleID=267
Dennis Yong: A Naturalists’ Naturalist
contributed by Su Mei Toh
Having worked with some of the brightest natural history thinkers in Asia, Dennis Yong is a national resource for understanding Malaysian biodiversity. According to one naturalist, “What is not documented in the literature may be found in Dennis's head!”
This year is Dennis's Big Bird Year. He is attempting to observe all of Malaysia's birds, all 752 of them.
"He's simply on a whole higher level when it comes to understanding birds and the intricacies of their behaviour,” says John Howes, a fellow naturalist who has known Dennis since 1984.” Dennis's particular gift is bird vocalisations, and he is particularly skilled in summoning up elusive forest species.
Yet birds are not Dennis's only forte. “In the field he seems to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of almost everything,” continues Howes. “But when you realise that most of what he knows is not written in any book, he's learnt it from spending countless hours in the field, it seems all the more remarkable.”
http://www.wildasia.net/main/article.cfm?articleID=268
Coral Reef Discovered Off Thailand Coast
A coral reef spanning several hundred acres and teeming with fish has been discovered off the coast of Thailand and should be given protected status, the World Wide Fund for Nature said Wednesday.
Tipped off by local fishermen, WWF divers in January found what they say is a healthy, 667-acre reef in southern Thailand with over 30 genera of hard corals, and at least 112 species of fish.
Among the fish species identified, the WWF said, was a type of parrot fish first discovered in Sri Lanka and never before seen in Thailand, and a species of the sweet lips fish previously only found in the Similan Islands.
The reef is off the coast of Khao Lak, a popular tourist destination on the Andaman Sea coast of Thailand.
http://www.wildasia.net/main/messages.cfm?messageID=426
Fewer Milky Stork sightings
From over 100 annual sightings in the 1980s to less than four so far this year, the milky stork is yet another species Malaysia is in danger of losing forever. Listed as the most endangered bird species in Malaysia, the milky stork (Mycteria cineria) is found only at the Matang Mangrove Forest near Taiping. It is a large water bird found in certain places in Southeast Asia. Globally, the species has been listed by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as "vulnerable", with an estimated world population of only 5,550 birds.
http://www.wildasia.net/main/messages.cfm?messageID=427
Christmas Island Bird Week: 2-9 Sept 2006
Strap on the binoculars, power-up the camera and explore this extraordinary ornithological Garden of Eden at the first ever Christmas Island Bird Week. Here you can enjoy some of the most spectacular bird watching experiences the world has to offer. But there are no crowds here, just a team of expert scientists as your guides.
Bird Week participants will be invited to:
Assist 3 expert scientists in their research into tropical seabirds and island endemics.
Have the chance to catch the majestic Abbott's Booby high in the rainforest canopy and monitor Brown Boobies on the remote rocky coasts.
Learn first-hand the nesting biology of Christmas Island Frigatebirds and Red-tailed Tropicbirds.
There will also be nightly seminars, seabird identification workshops and opportunities to have a closer look at the island's other extraordinary wildlife, and all on Australia's most spectacular, yet rarely explored tropical island
http://www.wildasia.net/main/messages.cfm?messageID=428
Online Maps
http://www.malaysiagis.com/wildasia/index.asp
Hippo and tortoise: box office gold?
Posted Mar 4th 2006 4:33PM by Martha Fischer
Mixed in with the unending reports of horror and death that filled the media in the wake of the Asian tsunami were periodic feel-good stories, most of them about reunited families, impossible survival, and Anderson Cooper. The best one, however, involved none of the above. Instead, it was the story of the doomed love between a baby hippo and a tortoise, thrown together as a result of the tragedy and doing their best to built a life for themselves. Or, you know, they were just hanging out because there were no other animals left in the sanctuary. Either way, the relationship was documented all over the place (accompanied by outrageously adorable pictures), and Walden Media have decided to turn the animals into movie stars.
Not surprisingly, said movie will be called Tortoise and Hippo. It was written by Roger S.H. Schulman, and will be directed by effects legend John Dykstra, who created "the first computer-operated motion-control camera system" while working on Star Wars in 1977. He's pretty much the man in his field (and has two visual effects Oscars to prove it), but this will be his first effort at direction. Walden is hoping to have the movie ready for release some time next year.
http://www.cinematical.com/2006/03/04/hippo-tortoise-box-office-gold/
Games Top stories
Zoo Tycoons set for summer exploits
'Zoo Tycoon 2: African Adventure' and a series of expansion packs have been confirmed for the PC. Expansion packs include 'Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania' and 'Zoo Tycoon 2: Dino Danger Pack'.
The first 'Zoo Tycoon' won gamers over with its intelligent gameplay and its playability. The new game recreates the intricate world of the Zoo, with an increased focus on caring for every aspect of the animals needs.
New features will allow gamers to adopt and care for 20 new African animals from eight biomes, such as the adorable Meerkat or the endangered Ethiopian wolf.
http://gamesnews.virgin.net/Virgin/Lifestyle/Games/virginGamesNewsDetail/0,13470,1070042_playbetandwin,00.html
Want to pet a stingray? Zoo extends invitation
Thursday, March 09, 2006
By Steven Harmon
The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- Stingrays that don't sting? Stingrays that like a nice back scratch once in a while?
Friendly, touchable stingrays are coming to John Ball Zoo, and they probably will be hungry, too. A new interactive exhibit called Stingray Lagoon will provide visitors a chance to pet and feed the winged marine animals.
The exhibit, to be housed in a 5,000-gallon outdoor aquarium with two species of stingrays and assorted other aquatic animals, will run from May 20 to Sept. 4.
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-28/1141921547244130.xml&coll=6
Oregon Zoo's Gone 'Hog Wild' For Spring Break!
PORTLAND, Oregon - Fort Lauderdale, Palm Springs and Hawaii have nothing on Oregon Zoo as a spring break destination. At the zoo's third annual Zoo's Gone Wild celebration, March 26-31, spring breakers can "go wild" with "punk-rock" warty pigs, and "party hearty" with penguins, pachyderms and polar bears.
"We know Portland won't be as warm as Palm Beach, but we also know that Oregonians have a great imagination," says Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "With Jimmy Buffet and the Beach Boys piped over the PA system, a few hibiscus garlands and a bit of grass skirting here and there, we can all put on our Hawaiian shirts and just pretend."
The event provides a tropical vacation for the animals as well as for zoo visitors, according to Vecchio.
http://www.medfordnews.com/articles/index.cfm?artOID=328379&cp=10997
Cat Comforts Grieving Orangutan in Panama City Beach Zoo
PANAMA CITY BEACH, FL (AP) -- Tondalayo, a 45-year-old Sumatran orangutan, and T-J, a stray tabby cat, became an inseparable duo after a zoo employee introduced them late last year. Zookeepers at the Education Director at Zoo World in Panama City Beach say Tondalayo was depressed since losing her mate two years ago.
Her age prevented her from moving to another zoo or taking another mate. The ducks and turtles swimming in a moat around her island were not enough. When the sweet-natured orange cat wandered into Willard's life, the solution became clear.
Zookeepers named the cat, TK -- short for "Tondalayo's Kitty." They play together, cuddle and sleep together each night. They have been together constantly for more than a month.
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/florida/news-article.aspx?storyid=53460
Beautiful day for Bono
From Sydney Confidential
March 10, 2006
This article from :
IF Sydney can deliver one thing to the world's biggest rock star, it's a beautiful day.
The city has turned on its best for U2 frontman Bono, his wife Alison Stewart and children Jordan, 17, Memphis Eve, 15, Elijah, 7, and John Abraham, 5, since the Irish royal family touched down in Sydney at the weekend.
They have been taking in Sydney Harbour by luxury speedboat, dining in the city's best eateries and for the youngest two, a day at the zoo.
The family are staying at the Point Piper mansion Altona, owned by local publishing giants Deke and Eve Miskin, and rented out just two months ago to Naomi Watts and boyfriend Liev Schreiber.
It has been an action-packed break from Dublin's icy winter since the family flew in by private jet on Sunday - non-stop swimming in Altona's pool and a waterfront tour of prime eastern suburbs real estate including historic Strickland House at Vaucluse.
All four headed out on Tuesday night for pizza at Pizza Mario in Darlinghurst and on Wednesday Bono, Stewart and the young boys headed by water to Taronga Zoo wharf where they were met by a car and taken on a high-security tour of the zoo.
Onlookers said Bono looked relaxed and happily signed autographs for fans.
"He was really good about it all," one Taronga visitor told Confidential.
"I stuck my hand out and he shook my hand and said hello. He was really nice about it."
http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/story/0,20797,18407648-10431,00.html
Metrozoo Doctors Go Ape Over Patient
Doctors Say The Hardest Part Is The Anesthesia
Check-up Including Dental And Hearth Health
(CBS4 News) SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE Doctors at Metrozoo go ape over a patient today. The patient was a 400 pound Silverback Gorilla.
“J.J.” is one of the star attractions at the Southwest Miami-Dade zoo so it only makes sense that zookeepers want to keep him as healthy as possible. So today, the 26 year lowland gorilla underwent his yearly physical exam.
So how do you make a giant ape say “ahhh” for a dental cleaning? Make sure the anesthesia is working very well. That’s what veterinarians did before giving J.J. a dental exam and polishing his pearly whites.
Vets also took some blood and took his blood pressure. Then, a human cardiologist performed a thorough heart exam. This particular examination is part of a long term study designed to better understand ongoing problems that J.J. has had with hypertension and included both an echocardiogram and an electro- cardiogram.
http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_068155728.html
Trappers Catch Wild Alligator In Park
Gator Will Reside In Local Zoo
POSTED: 11:33 am PST March 9, 2006
UPDATED: 12:53 pm PST March 9, 2006
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Trappers were called in Wednesday to catch a wild alligator in West Palm Beach, Fla.
City officials were concerned because people had been feeding the alligator, which was in Dreher Park.
It became apparent that the gator was beginning to lose its fear of humans, officials said.
The animal will now reside at Dreher Park Zoo, where visitors can look at it safely.
http://www.nbc4.tv/irresistible/7853425/detail.html
Man fed rabbit to alligator 'because it was hungry'
(Filed: 09/03/2006)
A man who stole a rabbit from a zoo then fed it to the alligators is facing jail.
Albert ate the rabbit, but will not face prosecution
Damien French, now 20, dropped the large white rabbit into the alligator pond at the Welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay, north Wales.
He laughed hysterically as the animal - which he had pulled from the petting section of the zoo - was eaten by a large male alligator, named Albert.
Llandudno Magistrates Court heard French broke into the zoo in October last year with two friends, aged 14 and 15, by climbing over a wall.
Once inside the alligator house French, unemployed, read a sign explaining that alligators eat small mammals.
He said to his friends "He must be hungry" before entering the petting area, grabbing a rabbit and dropping it into the alligator pond.
It was attacked immediately by Albert, who killed it and kept the body clamped between his jaws.
When a young girl entered the alligator house and asked, "Is that a rabbit?", the three boys replied: "It was - it was running around 10 minutes ago."
After leaving the alligator house, the boys also threw a lit cigarette to a chimpanzee.
French, of Colwyn Bay, denied the charges but was found guilt of animal cruelty, for which the maximum sentence is six months imprisonment.
He will be sentenced on April 5.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/03/09/urabbit.xml&sSheet=/portal/2006/03/09/ixportaltop.html
Zoo Doo fans, it's that time again
P-I STAFF
Woodland Park Zoo has announced dates for its popular "Spring Fecal Fest," in which animal fertilizer is sold to residents whose postcards are picked in a random drawing.
The "Zoo Doo" program features dung from the zoo's elephants, giraffes and other herbivores. Zoo workers carefully turn the doo into compost, a product coveted by gardeners.
Postcards will be accepted from March 25 to April 8, zoo officials say. Pickup dates are April 21-30.
Those interested are asked to send one postcard, maximum, to Zoo Doo, Woodland Park Zoo, 601 N. 59th St., Seattle, WA 98103.
Include your name, day and evening phone numbers, how much doo you'd like to buy, and whether you'd prefer to pick it up on a weekday or a weekend.
Zoo officials will pick as many cards as possible and will notify the winners.
For more information, call 206-625-7667.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/262163_zoodoo08.html
Here's the scoop on this year's Zoo Doo sale
It's Zoo Doo time.
Woodland Park Zoo has announced plans for a drawing for this spring's allotment of what it calls "the richest, highly aromatic, most exotic compost in the Pacific Northwest."
People wanting to buy it must enter a drawing. The zoo will accept entry cards from March 25 to April 8 only. One request per person. No phone orders.
A standard postcard should be sent to Zoo Doo, Woodland Park Zoo, 601 N. 59th St., Seattle, WA 98103. The card should provide your name, day/evening phone numbers, amount wanted (from garbage bag to pickup truck load), weekday or weekend pickup preference.
Pickup dates are April 21 through April 30. You must load the Zoo Doo yourself, although the zoo provides shovels.
Prices: pickup trucks with 8-by-4 bed $60; 6-by-4 bed $45; 6-by-3 bed $35; garbage cans $8-$10; bags $4-$6 depending on size. Limit one full truck per person. Two-gallon and pint buckets are available in the zoo store for $14.95 and $4.95.
For more information, call 206-625-7667 or visit www.zoo.org
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/nwgardens/262184_fecal09.html
CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO BABY GORILLA NAME CONTEST
You Could Name The Baby Boy And Win Other Prizes!
by News 13
3/9/2006
The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is holding a contest to name the baby gorilla born February 18th.
The name should be from an African language in a country where western lowland gorillas are found in the wild. Five potential winners will be invited to the zoo on April 22nd where Rafiki, the father, will pick the winning name. The winner will receive a special behind the scenes tour and a year-long family pass to the zoo. The contest runs now through April 3rd.
For more details, visit the zoo's website at www.cmzoo.org
KRDO 95.1 “The Peak” is a proud sponsor of the contest.
http://www.krdotv.com/DisplayStory.asp?id=10934
Riverbanks Zoo hosts contest to name new penguins
Published Thursday, March 9, 2006
COLUMBIA -- While Riverbanks Zoo and Garden's new Gentoo penguins have never made the 70-mile Antarctic trek documented in last year's "March of the Penguins," they did recently march from the penguin isolation room at Riverbanks' Bird House, where they were under quarantine, to the zoo's popular Penguin Coast exhibit.
Photo: Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia recently obtained 10 new penguins to join its penguin collection. The zoo is holding a contest to let the public name the birds. Special to the Packet
"When the door to the exhibit opened, it was quite something to watch 10 of these spectacular birds waddle down the hall and into their new home," said Martin Vince, assistant curator of birds at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden.
These Gentoos are significant for a number of reasons. They come from Orlando's Sea World Park, an institution that has one of the most notable collections of penguins in the world. There are only a handful of institutions in the United States that keep Gentoo penguins, a bird native to the subantarctic islands. Gentoos are considered to be the fastest underwater swimmer of all birds, reaching speeds of up to 20 miles per hour.
"The fact that SeaWorld felt Riverbanks was the place for these birds to go says a lot about the quality of both our exhibit and our bird keepers," Vince said.
The Gentoos replace Riverbanks' African penguins that were recently dispersed to the Georgia Aquarium, Knoxville Zoo and Tulsa Zoo. The African penguins, native to the coast of Namibia and South Africa, didn't make much geographic sense in the same exhibit as Rockhoppers and King penguins, also birds native to the subantarctic islands.
"These penguins are one of the most exciting additions we have ever made to the bird collection," Vince said. "When they're in the water, there's nothing like them - they're perfect little rockets."
The agreement to move the Gentoos to Riverbanks had been in the works since last year. However, after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in September, finding a refrigerated truck to move the birds North proved challenging.
"We called all over Columbia and Orlando. Every refrigerated truck available for rent was already in New Orleans helping with the relief effort. It forced us to put the transport on hold for quite a few months," Vince said.
When Penske finally stepped forward with a truck in early January, bird keepers outfitted it with rubberized matting and 10 inches of man-made snow, produced at SeaWorld's penguin exhibit. The snow helped keep the birds cool and provided the penguins with good traction for the 8-hour drive to Columbia, keeping them from toppling as the truck drove back to Riverbanks. The air temperature in the back of the truck was maintained at a cool 45 degrees for the duration of the trip from Florida.
The penguins had been in quarantine since they arrived Jan. 6. They recently saw their exhibit for the first time and met their new neighbors -- three King penguins and 13 Rockhoppers.
Wild Gentoo penguins are monogamous breeders and it is hoped that at least some of them will form bonded pairs.
Riverbanks is hosting a contest to name the 10 penguins. Penguin fans can enter their name suggestions online at www.riverbanks.org through Wednesday. Winners will be announced March 20 and will win a behind-the-scenes tour of Riverbanks' penguin exhibit, where they can meet the penguins.
http://www.islandpacket.com/features/story/5573560p-5014143c.html
Zoo events for grown-ups
Staff report
March 10, 2006
Nashville Zoo is starting a series of receptions designed for adults only and held after hours in various areas of the zoo.
The first “Adventure Social” called Cider, Snakes & Stout is a St. Patrick’s Day celebration scheduled for March 16 in the zoo’s Unseen New World area. Isabella, the zoo’s 11-foot albino Burmese python will welcome guests who then can move on to enjoy Irish food and drinks. The event is sponsored by Dan McGuiness Irish Pub and runs from 6:30-8 p.m. Only guests 21 or older are invited and the ticket price is $25 per person for zoo members and $35 for non-members. Discounts are available for guests attending three or more of the total of six events this year.
Space is limited and advance registration required by calling 833-1534, ext. 129 or e-mailing cstitely@nashvillezoo.org. Registration is also possible online at nashvillezoo.org/adventure_socials.htm.
http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cfm?section_id=9&screen=news&news_id=48422
don't miss: central florida zoo
Posted March 10, 2006
WHAT: You'll see prairie dogs like this one and other exotic and native animals at the Central Florida Zoo. In addition to weekend animal-feeding and educational elephant demonstrations, the zoo features exhibits of lizards, an Amur leopard and other creatures.
WHEN: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.
WHERE: Central Florida Zoo, 3755 N. U.S. Highway 17-92, 1 mile east of Interstate 4 and 41/2 miles west of Sanford.
COST: $8.95 adults, $6.95 seniors, $4.95 ages 3-12, free age 2 and younger.
CALL: 407-323-4450
ONLINE: centralfloridazoo.org.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/seminole/orl-spottattrax1006mar10,0,5069583.story?coll=orl-news-headlines-seminole
Wolf injury prompts changes at zoo exhibit
Brookfield workers probe loss of foreleg
By Gerry Doyle
Tribune staff reporter
Published March 10, 2006
Workers at Brookfield Zoo still don't know what snapped off part of a Mexican gray wolf's foreleg inside its exhibit, but they have modified the space and filled in holes along the enclosure's fence line.
The zoo looked closely at areas along the fence where dirt had been removed, exposing the underground "dig-proof" barrier, said Tom Meehan, the zoo's director of veterinary services. But Meehan added there was no sign of the missing limb or what might have caused the injury, which was discovered March 1.
"What we've done is looked over the whole facility," Meehan said. "We basically took any place that looked like it was a possibility [as the cause of the injury] and made modifications to that."
The zoo plans to replace the above-ground fence as well, Meehan said.
The wolf, who, as part of a repopulation program, has only a number, not a name, underwent surgery last week to cleanly amputate most of its left front leg. It is now recovering in a zoo hospital with two others from its group to keep it company, according to a news release from the zoo.
No one saw what happened, zoo officials said.
Meehan said it's unlikely that the wolf got its foot snagged someplace and gnawed through its own limb to escape.
"There weren't any marks on that that looked like toothmarks," he said.
Injuries like the wolf's are not common, but they have "certainly been seen before," Meehan said. Even mundane pieces of their surroundings like landscaping and rocks can be hazardous, he said.
A U.S. Department of Agriculture inspector examined the site after the accident, zoo officials said, and wolf experts are being consulted about the exhibit's construction.
The prospects for the wolf are good, Meehan said. Most four-legged animals can live a normal life despite missing a limb, he said.
Mexican gray wolves are endangered and managed by a species survival plan that dictates which animals are kept where and when they should be released into the wild. The Brookfield wolf's long-term placement will be determined by the needs of the population of Mexican gray wolves in the wild, Meehan said.
In the meantime, the staff is working hard to help the animal heal without allowing it to get acclimated to human contact.
"I'm not sure what our plans are in terms of when he's going to go back with the group," Meehan said. "He's going to be in the hospital for a little while."
----------
gxdoyle@tribune.com
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/nearwest/chi-0603100299mar10,1,1246315.story?coll=chi-newslocalnearwest-hed
Zoo switches up exhibit after wolf lost leg
March 10, 2006
BY ANDREW HERRMANN Staff Reporter
Brookfield Zoo is modifying its wolf exhibit after a canine severely injured its leg there last week, officials say.
The male Mexican gray wolf was discovered missing a piece of its left front leg and, after surgery, is trying to adjust to life with three limbs, officials said.
While examining the exhibit for what may have caused the March 1 injury, keepers discovered a hole in the ground near a fence that separates the injured animal from another group of wolves. The animal may have injured its paw on a below-ground barrier fence.
Zoo workers filled the hole and will add below-ground fencing with smaller openings, Tom Meehan, director of veterinary services, said Thursday.
The missing portion of the leg has not been found. Vets X-rayed the injured animal but did not find any sign of the limb inside the creature. It may have been swallowed by one of the other wolves, said Meehan.
The animal is recuperating in the zoo's hospital and has been joined by its two brothers in what Meehan called an effort to "provide companionship and ease his post-surgical transition.''
The zoo had previously said the animal's right leg was injured.
The Regenstein Wolf Woods exhibit opened in June 2004 at a cost of $2.5 million.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-wolf10.html
Zoo tuataras offer clues to evolution
Ancient reptiles hit the ground running
Val Hornyak, senior herpetology keeper at the Toledo Zoo, examines a tuatara at the reptile's habitat.
( THE BLADE/LORI KING )
By JENNI LAIDMAN
BLADE SCIENCE WRITER
The keeper area in the reptile house at the Toledo Zoo is usually humid. But not on the day Stephen Reilly came to town in 2004. He opened the back door and let in the December weather.
Then, Val Hornyak, the senior herpetology keeper, came in with the freeze babies of the reptile world - a couple of lizard-looking creatures called tuataras. A tuatara will start to wilt when the temperature hits 80, and keel over by the time it hits 90. Ms. Hornyak kept the tuataras comfy in foam coolers until it was time for the race.
Mr. Reilly, a PhD researcher at Ohio University and an expert in animal locomotion, set up a track with a device that can measure movement in all directions - forward and back, side to side, up and down. A tuatara was released on the track. Then they waited.
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060310/NEWS38/603100383/-1/NEWS
District attorney looks at zoo case
An investigation into missing money at the NEW Zoo is in the hands of the Brown County District Attorney's office.
A longtime employee is suspected in the theft and has been suspended, county Executive Carol Kelso said in an interview with WFRV, Channel 5.
Kelso said the missing money is from such operations as refreshments and admissions, not dollars donated to the zoo.
The county's legal department asked the Brown County Sheriff's Department to investigate late last month after an internal audit revealed a discrepancy.
Chief Deputy John Gossage of the sheriff's department said the case was referred to the district attorney for possible charges of felony theft.
Tax dollars are not used at the NEW Zoo. The 2006 budget is $1.38 million, all of which came from donations, admissions, concessions, grants or other fees.
— Press-Gazette; WFRV, Channel 5
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060310/GPG0101/603100506/1207/GPGnews
Brookshire Brothers Workers Spend All Day at the Zoo
by Ramonica R. Jones
Brookshire Brothers hosted its second annual Zoo Day in Lufkin Friday.
This year, employees helped build a fence in the primate area. It was just one of about 20 projects volunteers worked on all day. Maintenance, landscaping, and construction around the zoo were also among Friday's tasks.
Kim McClung, director of public relations for Brookshire Brothers, said, "We're doing some pretty extensive electrical work. We are doing the hippo scales. We are building and fabricating a hippo scale and a rhinoceros scale so that the zoo would be able to weigh these large animals. They've never been able to weigh them before."
More than a hundred Brookshire Brothers employees worked at the zoo. The annual project saves the zoo thousands of dollars in labor costs.
http://www.ktre.com/Global/story.asp?S=4615263&nav=2FH5
Polar Bear Gives Birth To Triplets
Cubs Meet Public For First Time
POSTED: 11:14 am PST March 10, 2006
UPDATED: 11:27 am PST March 10, 2006
RHENEN, Netherlands -- For the first time, a polar bear in a zoo has given birth to triplets.
The Rhenen Zoo in the Netherlands showed the cubs to the public for the first time on Friday.
Usually, half of the polar bear cubs born in captivity do not survive. So the experts at the zoo were elated that all three of the cubs have survived and are healthy.
The mother's name is "Huggies." The cubs haven't been named yet.
http://www.nbc4.tv/irresistible/7883474/detail.html
New York zoo to send two elephants to Ontario
Associated Press
Syracuse, N.Y. — Facing a space crunch, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo has applied for a federal permit to send two of its six Asian elephants to a wildlife park in Ontario.
If approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the zoo would send Targa, 22, and her daughter, Mali, 9, to African Lion Safari near Cambridge, Ont.
Both elephants would be on long-term loan in Canada and continue to participate in an international breeding program for Asian elephants, an endangered species.
Administrators want to make the move this spring, clearing space for a baby carried by Romani, the zoo's other breeding female. Romani is due in late spring or early summer. The zoo had been planning to move some of its elephants since last summer, when both Targa and Romani were pregnant.
Targa gave birth July 31 to a bull, Kedar. But he died Aug. 4, hours after he fell into a swimming pool.
Rosamond Gifford Zoo spokeswoman Sarah Fedele said the zoo decided to move Targa and her daughter to keep the family together. In the wild, female elephants stay as a group in a herd.
African Lion Safari has 11 elephants, the largest collection of Asian elephants at any zoological facility in North America. The wildlife park covers 300 hectares and its 1,000 birds and animals are free to roam in natural reserves of two to 20 hectares.
The move of the Syracuse elephants comes amid a national debate about whether elephants should be kept in zoos and wildlife parks, particularly in colder, northern climates. The Detroit Zoo touched off the controversy in 2004 when its director decided to stop housing elephants. Since then, several prominent zoos have made similar decisions.
Others, including the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, have said they would rather add more space for their elephants. The Syracuse zoo is considering whether to build a $4.5 million US expansion with an indoor sleeping quarters and exercise building.
There are fewer than 52,000 Asian elephants remain in the wild. About 500 live at zoos and wildlife parks in North America, but that population is dying off faster than it can reproduce.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060310.wzoo0310/BNStory/National/home
Zoo euthanizes ailing elephant
By AMY MCRARY, amymcrary@comcast.net
March 10, 2006
The African elephant Mamie, a fixture at the Knoxville Zoo for a quarter of a century, was euthanized Friday evening after 11 months of declining health. She was 45 years old.
The animal known for her full figure and abstract painting endured arthritis and foot problems for at least 15 years, but her health had worsened since April 2005. Over the past several weeks, Mamie had developed neurological problems that worsened in past days.
Mamie died in the elephant barn at the Stokely African Elephant Preserve, attended by zookeepers and medical personnel. University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine staff will conduct a necropsy, which is an animal autopsy, to officially determine the cause of her declining health.
Mamie was a popular animal at the park among both visitors and her zoo staff. Those wishing to express sympathy or caring thoughts toward Mamie's keepers and caregivers are asked to address them to "Thoughts for Mamie, PO Box 6040, Knoxville, TN 37914, or to send e-mail at thoughtsformamie@knoxville-zoo.org.
For more on this story read Saturday's News Sentinel.
Amy McRary may be reached at 864-342-6437.
http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_4532160,00.html
New Exhibit Plans Unveiled For L.A. Zoo Elephants
(CBS) LOS ANGELES Some prime real estate is being planned for L.A.’s pachyderms.
Plans were unveiled Friday detailing a 3.5-acre exhibit that include a lush forest, bathing waterholes and a “behind the scenes” view of elephant quarters. A viewing area is also planned from a variety of distances, from vistas overlooking the enclosure to a barrier-protected area that will provide up-close views.
The project will cost a total of $39 million, funded from private donations, bonds approved under Propositions A and CC, the city’s General Fund and the Municipal Improvement Corp. of Los Angeles.
The new elephant oasis will replace a 2-acre, $19 million elephant exhibit that was previously proposed. The Elephants of Surin habitat had called for providing a spacious, natural and enriching environment for the zoo’s elephants.
The new proposal, however, drew fire from animal rights critics seeking to close the elephant exhibit.
"The Los Angeles Zoo is not on the cutting edge when it comes to the care of elephants in captivity and what they are planning is a woefully inadequate exhibit," said Catherine Doyle of In Defense of Animals.
"I would prefer to see Los Angeles to do some real long-term planning to build a large preserve that will keep the elephants healthy. A three-acre exhibit is nothing but a Band-Aid," Doyle said.
Councilman Tom LaBonge, whose 4th District includes the zoo, defended the new plans and the need for an elephant exhibit in Los Angeles.
"I think there are some people who don't believe in zoos, and I'm sorry they have a difference of opinion, but I know the importance of zoos," said LaBonge, who said he regularly takes his young children to the zoo. "Kids learn so much about animals from zoos, and the educational aspect of the Los Angeles Zoo is outstanding."
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the City Council must give the project a final approval before it can be built.
The well-being of the zoo’s elephants have been an issue since Tara, an African elephant, died at the age of 39 in 2004. Three elephants remain at the zoo, but only Billy, an Asian elephant is on display.
Gita, an Asian elephant suffering from foot injuries, and Ruby, and African elephant, remain in a 6,200-square-foot enclosure, away from the public's view.
To address Gita's foot problems, the proposed exhibit calls for laying a variety of natural walking surfaces.
http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_069220934.html
Maryland Zoo takes over preservation of gorillas
By Gary Emerling
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
March 11, 2006
BALTIMORE -- The Maryland Zoo in the rolling fields of Druid Hill Park is far away from the mountain jungles in Africa, but it has become a surrogate home for a powerful primate species on the brink of extinction.
"We've got this very interesting opportunity to take these very interesting creatures and save them," said Dr. Kim Hammond, a participant in the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project, which has moved its headquarters to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. "The reason Baltimore has [this project] is we know we can get the job done."
The nonprofit program started 20 years ago and was inspired by famous gorilla researcher Dian Fossey. It has since become the heart of efforts to preserve the mountain gorilla population, which has dwindled to an estimated 750.
http://washingtontimes.com/metro/20060310-104851-2300r.htm
Special Safari Shuttle to make trips between downtown, zoo
By GORDON DICKSON
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
Spring break has arrived for many Tarrant County children, and it won't be long before the young 'uns are bouncing off the walls like wild animals.
So burn off some of that energy with a trip to the Fort Worth Zoo -- aboard the Safari Shuttle trolley, no less.
The Fort Worth Transportation Authority, or the T, will operate a special Safari Shuttle from Monday through March 18.
The trolley will make runs every 30 minutes from the downtown train station, better known as the Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center at Ninth and Jones streets, to the Fort Worth Zoo parking lot entrance on Colonial Parkway.
To catch the shuttle, riders may take the Trinity Railway Express to Fort Worth ITC, or drive downtown and park at Santa Fe Warehouse south of the station. There's plenty of free parking in the area, and some commercial spots are also available. The zoo is home to more than 1,200 creatures.
On Monday through Friday, trolleys leave the station at 11 a.m. On Saturday, the first one leaves about 9:40 a.m.
The shuttle is free for those who buy a TRE day pass.
Otherwise, the cost is $2.50 for adults, $1 for seniors over 65 and children 5-18 and free for kids younger than 5.
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/local/14075043.htm
Preventing threat of avian flu
CHICAGO: Zoo surveillance part of larger public health effort
BY MAKIKO KITAMURA
Medill News Service
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Saturday, March 11, 2006 12:55 AM CST
CHICAGO The threat of avian flu has placed Dominic Travis of the Lincoln Park Zoo at the forefront of a nationwide surveillance effort to monitor flu cases in zoos.
"Dr. Travis has been a local and national leader in West Nile surveillance," said William Paul, a deputy commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, who has worked with Travis on the project.
Now, the infrastructure for West Nile virus that Travis helped develop and coordinate is being expanded to tackle the much graver threat of avian flu.
Travis, a veterinary epidemiologist, said that migratory birds, live bird markets, poultry farms and backyard birds would be the chief sources of potential outbreaks in Chicago.
http://nwitimes.com/articles/2006/03/11/news/illiana/3442ecf0d176cd658625712e000c9c54.txt
Fur-wearing zoo staff get mother orangutan to accept her baby
By The Associated Press
[oas:casperstartribune.net/news/regional:Middle1]
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Thanks to a patient zoo staff and a faux-fur vest, Hogle Zoo's baby orangutan, Acara, is now living and learning alongside her mother, Eve.
Eve gave birth to Acara last Mother's Day. The dangerously long labor forced zoo staff to birth the baby by Caesarean section. Because the birth was not natural, 15-year-old Eve did not recognize the baby as hers. Twenty staff members and 12 volunteers have spent the last nine months hand-raising Acara and training the pair to coexist.
"The progress was very slow from the get-go," said Erin Jones, part of Hogle Zoo's animal-care staff. "We had to take very tiny steps. If Eve could even look at Acara, we'd reward her, and even that would take a week. It was hard to take nine months of tiny steps."
Volunteer Pat Meekins took turns with other trainers wearing a faux-fur vest, modeled after Eve, to feed, train and care for Acara. Training involved getting the baby Bornean orangutan to grab the vest's fur, grasp a trainer's arm or crawl around her jungle gym.
"Slowly, our tasks lessened and we were told to back off. She has transferred all her desires to her mother, and we are so excited."
Staff members have cared for Acara 24 hours a day, seven days a week, slowly trying to introduce her to her mother. Although primary care has rested on the shoulders of the staff, introductions between Eve and Acara started on Day One and have increased since then.
The process began with smearing peanut butter on the wall above Acara's head, which allowed the baby to grab onto Eve's fur while mom licked the treat off the wall. Eve would be rewarded for tasks such as looking or touching Acara.
"When she found out she got really big rewards for Acara touching her, she used to pick up Acara's hand and put it on her face," said Bobbi Gordon of the animal-care staff.
But that's not to say uniting mother and baby came without its challenges.
"There were times when we didn't know if we could put them together," said Liz Larsen, animal-care supervisor. "Things would change sometimes daily."
Fortunately, Eve always acted with nervousness toward Acara, not aggression.
Bornean orangutans are highly endangered and tough to breed. But Hogle Zoo was able to breed Eve with 16-year-old Eli, who sits in the pen next to Eve and Acara, sometimes watching them through the window. Orangutan males do not have any part in raising their offspring and are solitary animals.
The two stay together now, in a childproof pen. Staff stopped wearing the monkey vests around December, and Eve and Acara spent their first full night together on Valentine's Day. They are kept in the pen visible to the public, rather than the training enclosure downstairs, and zoo guests can watch mother and daughter bond.
"She's much more careful around the baby," Jones said of Eve's typically playful, wild nature. "She wants to play and she still does ... but she makes sure it's safe."
On the Net:
Hogle Zoo: http://www.hoglezoo.org
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concluding ...
