Zoos
Prime-ate Discovery
©WCS/Tim Davenport
Kipunji monkey high in the trees
WCS researchers knew it was an unusual find, but they had no idea how unusual. Their discovery: a long-haired monkey with a whiskery face, shy temperament, and unique “honk bark” living high in the trees of Tanzania’s Mt. Rungwe. At the time of their discovery, they believed it to be related to the mangabeys, forest-dwelling African primates found near the equator.
http://www.wcs.org/353624/kipunjimonkey
Celebrate World Turtle Day at the Bronx Zoo on May 23
Indian tent turtle
©WCS/Julie Maher
Treasure a Turtle
They are symbols of wisdom and heroes of fables, delicacies at dinner, and villains of fishing holes. People around the world revere turtles and tortoises, but the future of these reptiles on our planet is neither sure nor steady. Habitat loss, illegal hunting and the wildlife trade, and exploitation for traditional medicine has resulted in 42 percent of all chelonians (turtles and tortoises) facing extinction.
Across the globe, in desert, sea, and riverine ecosystems, the Wildlife Conservation Society is working to protect endangered turtles. Our scientists monitor nesting beaches for sea turtles in Nicaragua, track populations of bog turtles in New England, conserve radiated tortoises in the spiny forests of Madagascar, and work to curb the illegal trade in turtles throughout Asia.
World Turtle Day on Tuesday, May 23, comes during a busy month for turtles at the WCS zoos and aquarium. Many species have recently emerged from winter hibernation and are beginning to look for mates and nesting areas. Help us celebrate reptilian rite by visiting the New York Aquarium for a special weekend event, or take a trip to the Bronx Zoo, where you can see Fly River turtles in Jungleworld, Egyptian tortoises in the Reptile House, red-eared sliders in Turtle Pond, and many other species.
Here are a few ways you can join our commitment to care for creatures with carapaces.
Take Action for Turtles
Speak out for sea turtlesUrge Congress to increase support for the Multinational Species Conservation Fund, a federal program that provides funding to help protect imperiled species such as sea turtles. These funds have supported efforts to monitor wildlife populations, train local conservationists, and enforce laws to protect wildlife habitat. Act now!
Choose ocean-friendly seafoodBycatch, or the incidental catch of non-targeted marine life in commercial fishing gear, is a huge threat to species like sharks and sea turtles. According to the Pew Oceans Commission, 60 billion pounds of marine life is discarded every year as bycatch. By choosing sustainably harvested fish from the WCS Go Fish Seafood Wallet card, we can help make healthy choices for the ocean.
Stop the skin tradeOnly a reptile needs a reptile skin. But handbags, shoes, boots, and other accessories made from reptile skins continue to be en vogue—contributing to the loss of tens of millions of wild animals each year, including snakes,lizards, sea turtles, and crocodilians. Visit www.wcs.org/skintrade to learn what you can do to stop this devastating trade.
Choose your pets responsiblyMany species of turtles are exploited for the pet trade, which includes black markets for protected and endangered species. The capture of turtles in their natural habitats disrupts their lifestyle and can have serious environmental consequences. If you must have a turtle or other reptile as a pet, please consider adopting one from a local shelter or rescue group.
http://www.wcs.org/353624/worldturtledaywcs
SC seeks information on care of animals in zoos
MUMBAI: Acting on a petition by the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the Supreme Court has sought responses from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and Union Environment and Forest Ministry to allegations about the improper care of animals in zoos across the country.
Notices were issued by the apex court on May 8 to the CZA, the ministry and 35 others, PETA said in a statement here on Wednesday.
PETA said in its petition that it had conducted investigations into the state of 30 zoos and found adequate care was not taken of animals in most of them.
It said zoo officials were not sufficiently trained to care for the animals and veterinary doctors did not possess the necessary qualifications.
In many zoos, animals are treated like objects and not as living beings, PETA said. The enclosures are small and animals are closely confined. They lacked privacy and the opportunity for mental stimulation and physical exercise, it said.
These conditions resulted in abnormal and self destructive behaviours or "zoochosis", PETA said.
The Bombay High Court had last year ordered improvements at the Mumbai zoo after PETA filed a case in 2004 that cited the zoo's failure to provide even the most basic care for animals.
The high court issued a directive that called for the population of deer and exotic birds to be controlled and the hiring of 10 more security guards to be trained by PETA.
It had also directed that visitors should be restrained from bringing food or plastic into the zoo and teasing the animals.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1524395.cms
Round two in zoo’s fight for car park
Published on 10/05/2006
DALTON zoo is making a fresh bid for permission for its controversial car park.
The retrospective planning application to Barrow Borough Council seeks approval for an existing asphalt parking area at the tourist attraction.
The council’s planning committee refused permission for the same scheme on March 21.
The panel of councillors also agreed to take legal action against zoo boss David Gill because he had already started the work without permission.
Mr Gill vowed to defy a council order which demanded the removal of the offending surface.
And on April 25, dozens of his staff protested against the council’s decision not to allow the car park as councillors made their way into Barrow Town Hall. Zoo workers were also campaigning on election day.
http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=364876
Zoo to host four summer jazz events
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Aaron Beck
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
It’s a tale of beauty among the beasts.
In the summer, the Columbus Jazz Orchestra and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium will team for "JazZoo."
The four-week concert series will begin July 21 in the renovated pavilion of the Water’s Edge Events Park, which opened last year.
The full orchestra will perform with some of its most popular guest stars, including Kelly Crum-Delaveris, Dwight Lenox, Willie Pooch and Jeanette Williams.
"JazZoo" will mark the first concert series since the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts’ long-running Rhythm ’n’ Zoo series ended in 2003.
"It’s a new, world-class venue out there," said Bob Breithaupt, orchestra percussionist and executive director of the group’s parent organization, the Jazz Arts Group.
The capacity in the pavilion is 2,200.
"In my opinion, it’s one of the nicest summer-events spaces in Ohio," said Jerry Borin, executive director of the zoo. "The sunset, the music and maybe some animal sounds — it’s just terrific."
Each Friday evening concert will carry a theme.
"We wanted the themes in the first year to be very accessible," Breithaupt said. "We also want to introduce people to the orchestra and . . . the zoo’s new area there."
The lineup:
• "A Night in New Orleans" (July 21) will honor several Crescent City musicians, with an emphasis on Louis Armstrong.
• "In the Mood" (July 28) will include vocalist Crum-Delaveris and feature dancers moving to the big-band swing of Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman.
• "Hot Nights, Smooth Jazz" (Aug. 4) will star vocalist Lenox and smooth-jazz saxophonist Nelson Rangell.
• "Blues All Day, Blues All Night" (Aug. 11) will pair the orchestra with jazz vocalist Williams and blues singer Pooch.
Concerts will begin at 8 p.m. at the zoo, 9990 Riverside Dr.
Tickets, including zoo admission, cost $24, or $14 for students; series subscriptions cost $79, or $1,000 for tables of eight. For more information, call 614-645-3500.
abeck@dispatch.com
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/features-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/05/10/20060510-B3-01.html
Stone Zoo to feature 'Lord of the Wings: Birds of Prey' show
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Note: The following material was provided by Melissa Grossenbacher, the public relations and publications manager for Zoo New England.
Soaring thousands of feet above the earth, birds are some of the most magnificent and complex creatures in the world. This summer, starting on May 27 and running through September 4, Stone Zoo brings you the return of Lord of the Wings: Birds of Prey, an educational experience aimed at uncovering some of the mysteries surrounding these masters of the sky.
During each of the three shows (see schedule below) running daily at Stone Zoo's amphitheater located next to the Peacock Place Gift Shop, birds from around the world will demonstrate the unique adaptations that make them some of the most formidable avians on the planet. Presented by naturalists from the World Bird Sanctuary, these incredible birds will demonstrate aerial acrobatics just inches over the heads of the audience, as well as foraging and hunting techniques. Interactive audience participation lets guests see first-hand the history and benefits of these magnificent raptors.
Cost for this show is $2 per person (children under 2 are free). School group admission is just $1 per person. Advance ticketing is available at www.zoonewengland.org.
http://www2.townonline.com/stoneham/artsLifestyle/view.bg?articleid=490206
Wachovia exec is Philadelphia Zoo's new CEO
Philadelphia Business Journal - May 10, 2006
by Peter Van Allen
The Philadelphia Zoo said Wednesday it has named a banking executive as its next president and CEO.
Vikram H. Dewan, 51, who heads up Wachovia Bank's Philadelphia and Delaware region, will take over as president and CEO of the zoo on July 6. He is a career banking executive, but also has extensive background in the nonprofit sector.
Dewan replaces Alexander L. "Pete" Hoskins, who announced his retirement nearly a year ago and will stay on until the end of May. Hoskins, who led the zoo for 13 years, oversaw the organization's $80 million capital campaign, including the $20 million Bank of America Big Cat Falls, which will open on May 25.
http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2006/05/08/daily22.html?jst=b_ln_hl
Rhinos bowling at zoo
Updated:5/10/2006 2:47:42 PM
CLEVELAND -- They may not have any hands, but that didn't stop the black rhinos at the Cleveland Zoo from playing their favorite game: Bowling!
The beasts used rhino-sized bowling balls to play this morning. It was to raise awareness for the 16th Annual Bowling for Rhinos fundraiser.
The event will be held Saturday, May 13 at the Cloverleaf Lanes in Independence. The event is from 6:30 p.m. to midnight.
All donations benefit rhino sanctuaries in Kenya and Indonesia.
For more information or to register for the fundraiser, call 216-661-6500.
WKYC-TV
http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=52017
Devilish critters may settle at Rio Grande Zoo
Source: KRQE News 13
ALBUQUERQUE -- You've heard about the million dollar a year Chinese panda that might be coming to the Rio Grande Zoo, but how about the devils?
The zoo is working to permanently adopt about 20 Tasmanian devils from Tasmania, devil expert Rick Janser said. The devils could be here as soon as the fall.
“It's the size of a medium-sized dog,” Janser said. “Their jaw pressure is equal to that of a hyena, so they're very powerful jaws.”
That jaw could explain the devil's ferocious appetite.
“They're one of the 10 most gluttonous animals in the world,” said Julie Cornette, a regular zoo visitor. “They eat until they make themselves sick.
“I think it would be really cool to have a Tasmanian devil here.”
In this country, Tasmanian devils may be best known from the Looney Toons cartoons and their confrontations with Bugs Bunny and his cohorts. The animated devils emerged from a high-speed spin snarling and aggressive.
“They don't spin around that much in the wild,” Cornette said.
Tasmania's weather is slightly cooler than Albuquerque so, if the devils do come here, they'll live in a shaded area also with a pool. But where in the devil beside the island of Tasmania does the name Tasmanian devil come from?
“The early explorers were in their tents,” Janser explained. “They heard these screams and crunching bones. They thought there were devils out beyond their tents.”
If the zoo is able to adopt the devils, it would make Albuquerque a Tasmanian devil hub and the only place in the country to see the animals.
And, if the Rio Grande Zoo also acquires a panda, it would be the only zoo in the country with that exotic combination.
Unlike the panda, the devils would not cost the zoo any money to acquire. The devils' owner wants to send them to the United States to protect the animals from a deadly tumor disease.
http://www.krqe.com/expanded.asp?ID=15077
Zoo's Guppy Gala makes a splash
By COLLETTE CAPRARA
For THE FREE LANCE-STAR
If when you hear "Guppy Gala" you think "small," think again.
The featured guests at tomorrow's annual fundraiser at the National Zoo in Washington include Flumpa--a 6-foot frog. Flumpa is the brainchild and performing partner of songwriter-scientist Wendy Whitten, who's been drawing pictures of and writing stories about tree frogs since she was 7. The duo travels throughout the country, thrilling children with what Whitten describes as a combination of entertainment, science and fitness.
Following the lead of Flumpa, children whirl to the lyrics of such songs as "The Earth in Motion," and go through the gestures of "The Life Cycle of a Frog." As the pace of the action picks up, participants are soon in the midst of full-fledged aerobic activity.
"The educational aspects of these sessions are under the radar," said Whitten. "Kids get education and fitness without knowing it. They are having so much fun that they don't realize they are learning and working out."
The Silly Socks puppet troupe also will treat youngsters to storytelling, laced with plenty of audience interaction.
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2006/052006/05112006/189444
Water world
Wyland's Clean Water Tour opens tomorrow at Buttonwood zoo
By JENNETTE BARNES, Standard-Times staff writer
Wyland's Clean Water Tour, coming to Buttonwood Park Zoo tomorrow, provides lots of interactive opportunities for youngsters to learn about the journey of water from raindrops to the sea.
An interactive exhibit illustrated by marine artist Robert Wyland opens tomorrow at Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford.
By coincidence, the exhibit comes seven months after the artist, known to fans simply as "Wyland," completed a giant whale mural in New Bedford.
Wyland has painted 93 murals of marine life in public spaces all over the world. The latest is visible from Route 18 and covers all four sides of the Maritime International Building.
Shortly after the mural was finished, the Buttonwood Park Zoological Society learned that Wyland had collaborated on an educational exhibit about clean water that was touring zoos and aquariums nationwide.
So with the help of ongoing fundraising and corporate sponsorship, the zoo put together about $15,000 to bring Wyland's Clean Water Tour to New Bedford.
The focal point of the exhibit is a 40 by 40-foot maze-like set of corridors that guide the visitor along a raindrop's journey through the ecosystem.
"It's fun and you learn a good lesson," said David Prentiss, executive director of the zoological society.
In addition to the main exhibit, the Clean Water Tour includes a touch-screen "commitment kiosk" where visitors identify smart choices for clean water and see the positive impact on the environment, an art table where visitors help complete a 16 by 28-foot community mosaic designed by Wyland, and a table for writing letters to public officials about environmental issues.
The Clean Water Tour debuted last year under the name "Wyland Ocean Challenge" on the West Coast. This season, it opened in April at the New York Aquarium and traveled to Texas before heading to New Bedford. In a nod to its inland destinations, the exhibit was renamed include non-coastal waterways.
New York Aquarium spokeswoman Fran Hackett said attendance for the outdoor exhibit was disappointing due to a spell of rainy weather. But those who saw it enjoyed it, she said.
"We loved it," she said. "It was very well thought-out."
Ms. Hackett said the exhibit works best for children ages 7-12.
Its theme of clean water is central to Buttonwood Park Zoo, Mr. Prentiss said.
"The major collection theme of the zoo is 'The Berkshires to the Sea,'" he said, and zoo exhibits trace the path of water from mountain streams to lakes, ponds, salt marshes, and barrier beaches.
"Telling the story of clean water and its importance to humans has been a priority," he said, since the zoo reopened in 2000.
Founded in 1894, the zoo declined in the 1980s and closed in 1996 before reopening with a new focus on conservation and education. The zoo is home to endangered Plymouth Red-Bellied turtles and numerous other aquatic species, including seals, otters, beavers, fish, salamanders, crabs, and lobsters.
The Wyland Clean Water Tour was built by Minotaur Maze Exhibits in cooperation with the Wyland Foundation and American Zoo and Aquarium Association.
Greg Krogen, business development director for Minotaur, said the Wyland Clean Water Tour will travel around the country this summer, then spend five years in longer, three-month stays at science centers and other venues.
Buttonwood Park Zoo, at 425 Hawthorn St., New Bedford, hosts the tour through May 21, and admission to the water exhibit is included with regular zoo prices.
The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (gates close at 4:30 p.m.). Admission costs $5 for adults, $3.75 youth ages 13-18 and seniors 60 and over, $2.50 children 3-12, children under 3 free. There is a $15 family charge (for two adults and their children under 18). Mothers will be admitted free with a paying child on Mother's Day, May 14.
For more information, call (508) 991-4556 or visit bpzoo.org.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/05-06/05-11-06/01coastin.htm
Zoo too hilly for some
Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park is trying to drum up business. Have people forgotten that the elderly and disabled also enjoy seeing what the zoo has?
But the elderly and the disabled can't enjoy the zoo. Why? The long walk up the hill. Can you imagine how much more business it could do if something like a ski lift that they could charge for was installed? Not only would this increase the number of visitors, it would also increase the zoo's dollars. It would pay for itself.
Don't leave these people left out. Help to enjoy their zoo also. The zoo is not just for the young and the healthy, but sadly that is all who can walk that hill.
Karen Strows
Owego
http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060511/OPINION/605110324/1005
Akron Zoo president will get award
Beacon Journal staff report
L. Patricia Simmons, president and CEO of the Akron Zoo, will be honored by the Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau at its fifth annual Zenith Awards luncheon.
Simmons will receive the 2006 Chairman's Award for her contributions to the Summit County hospitality industry.
Seven other awards will be bestowed at the luncheon May 19 at the John S. Knight Center.
For information about the Zenith Awards, contact Jim Mahon at 330-374-8945 or jmahon@visitakron-summit.org.
http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/14553310.htm
Zoo Atlanta is one wild itinerary
BY RACHEL MACNABB
Zoo Atlanta is one wild itinerary
Here you are again on that perennial search for activities that entertain and educate your children. Have you underestimated the Zoo? After all, you visited years ago, and it can’t have changed that much. After all, your children are small and you know of nothing that sustains their attention for more than an hour. Right?
Wrong! Pack up the strollers, buckle down the car seats and accept this challenge: see how much Zoo you can pack into one day. You can either make a quick visit or enjoy this whole itinerary.
9:30 a.m.
Guarantee a prime parking spot and a few hours of cooler morning temperatures by arriving early. Admire your first impression of the Zoo – a flock of Chilean flamingos.
(If your children are tugging you towards plush in the window of the Zoo Atlanta Trading Company, save this for a grand finale.)
9:45 a.m.
Tour the African Plains with its elephants, lions, black rhinos, giraffe, zebra, gazelle, waterbuck and bongo.
10:00 a.m.
The Ford African Rain Forest is home to 23 Western lowland gorillas, including the twins, Kali and Kazi, and Macy Baby, granddaughter of Willie B. Take advantage of a favorite photo opportunity – a life-sized statue of the beloved silverback.
Don’t miss The Living Treehouse. With open-air viewing of African bird life, this aviary also features rock hyraxes, two species of lemurs, mona monkeys and drills.
10:30 a.m.
Time for a continental shift! Find the Komodo dragon, red panda, Asian small-clawed otters and orangutans in the Asian Forest.
11:00 a.m.
The World of Reptiles looms. (If you’re squeamish, consider the lure of air conditioning.) Enjoy a large collection of reptiles and amphibians, from the familiar to the exotic.
11:30 a.m.
If furry is more your style, trek down to see Lun Lun and Yang Yang the giant pandas. Remember that unless you travel to Memphis, San Diego or Washington, D.C., you won’t see these creatures anywhere else in America.
If you have been promising lunch since The Living Treehouse, stop at Wild Planet Café. New venues offer selections that meet not only your health-conscious standards, but your finicky little one’s, too.
Noon
Outback Station spotlights Australian wildlife (including a kangaroo joey). Budget extra time; your children will make beelines for the sheep and goats in the contact yard.
12:30 p.m.
Follow the voice of Yogi Bear beckoning from the ARC. Allow at least half an hour for Wild Like Me.
1:00 p.m.
Admire Aldabra tortoises, search for the Sumatran tigers and clouded leopard, find the alligator in the wetlands or spot the golden lion tamarin babies in the Orkin Children’s Zoo.
1:30 p.m.
Take a seat in the Wildlife Theater and let the whoosh of wings and entertaining demonstrations do the rest.
2:15 p.m.
You haven’t really seen the great apes until you’ve witnessed their daily fruit feedings. Feedings occur in all gorilla yards and orangutan habitats.
3:15 p.m.
Gorilla training session or otter keeper talk? If you’re handy with a stroller, you can make both! Locations throughout the Zoo offer animal Q & As by the experts who know them best.
4:00 p.m.
Whirl on the backs of endangered species on the carousel, skirt the perimeter on a miniature locomotive, or take a load off your feet while your children play on the playground.
4:30 p.m.
Time to make good on that promise of plush! Better yet, time to buy a Membership so you and your family can visit often or come back to enjoy some of Zoo Atlanta’s special events.
Upcoming special events
Saturday, May 20 at 6:30 p.m., Beastly Feast – Zoo Atlanta will once again host the South’s most successful annual black-tie gala, the Beastly Feast. Exciting exhibits, delectable dining, after-dinner dancing and a spectacular silent auction are among the highlights of what has become known as one of the “wildest” galas in the state. Cost: Contact Carolyn Wynens at (404) 624-5820.
Memorial Day Weekend, May 26 & May 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Fisher Price Play Space Event at Zoo Atlanta – Fisher-Price brings its giant play area to Zoo Atlanta! Featuring activities and toys for children six months to five years old, this place will be bursting with fun! Outfitted in a playroom environment, this area is loaded with some of Fisher-Price's newest toys and coolest cars. Kids will have a blast as they test drive Power Wheels© vehicles on a driving course. Cost: Free for Zoo members and children under 3; FREE with general admission.
Rachel MacNabb is Development Coordinator and Managing Editor of Wild Times, Zoo Atlanta’s quarterly publication. She has worked at Zoo Atlanta for a collective five years, during which time she also worked with Zoo Director Emeritus Dr. Terry Maple at the Georgia Tech Center for Conservation and Behavior, where she worked as web copywriter and publications editor. She is a former freelance writer for The Piedmont Review.
http://www.the-stories.com/gbase/Expedite/Content?oid=oid%3A6575
Butterfly Exhibit At The Tulsa Zoo
KOTV - 5/11/2006 10:19 AM - Updated: 5/12/2006 9:38 AM
Butterflies are back at the Tulsa Zoo.
The News on 6 got a sneak preview Thursday at the Wings of Wonder exhibit. It features a 2,300 square foot butterfly garden with flowering plants, stone pathways and water features. The exhibit allows visitors the opportunity to walk through a garden setting and observe more than 20 North American species of butterflies and moths.
The butterflies were brought in from somewhere else, packaged in wax paper envelopes. Tulsa Zoo curator Darell Pickering: "The wings are folded up to allow it to fit in here. That keeps the wings from being damaged during shipment because they are kinda fragile. And then once you get the butterfly you simply open the container up and normally they'll crawl out."
Wings of Wonder opens Friday and will be open through September. It costs $1 to get in, along with the regular Tulsa Zoo admission.
http://www.kotv.com/news/?104109
Hogle Zoo enlists elephant to help raise awareness for endangered species
LAST UPDATE: 5/11/2006 6:27:55 PM
Christie is one of three African elephants housed at Utah's Hogle Zoo. She spends her days sleeping, eating a fresh diet, and bathing in the summers' sun. If placed back into her natural habitat, Christie's life could be in danger.
African elephants are only one of many animals housed at the Hogle Zoo, also found on a list for endangered animals. The Hogle Zoo celebrated National Endangered Species Day today, by teaching visitors about dangers these and other animal species face, living in the wild.
"These animals face tremendous danger in the wild from poaching, habitat loss, human-animal conflict and many other serious problems," said Hogle Zoo PR specialist Stacey Phillips.
Phillips and other zoo officials encouraged all of Thursday's visitors to sign a petition for a National Petition Campaign Drive called "Two Million for $2 Million."
Hogle Zoo and 209 other accredited zoos and aquariums aim to gather two million signatures nationwide requesting that the U.S. government increase federal funding earmarked for the multinational species conservation funds.
"It's very important for the public to recognize that wildlife around the world is in peril. These are dangerous times for wild animals and we all need to work together to help conserve these wonderful animals and the wild places they live in," says Craig Dinsmore, Executive Director of Hogle Zoo.
Dinsmore hopes all Utahns will feel driven to become actively involved in saving the lives of endangered animals and the preservation of their natural habitats.
If you didn't make it to the zoo on Thursday, you can log onto www.hoglezoo.org to sign the petition online or you can read more about the "Two for $2 Million" campaign.
Story by: Clarissa Lassig
news@abc4.tv
http://www.abc4.com/local_news/local_headlines/story.aspx?content_id=AD98C016-598A-4771-BABD-BF79BE84424F
Vadodara zoo gets healthy cubs
Friday, May 12, 2006 (Vadodara):
The Kamati Baug zoo in Vadodara has been blessed with three healthy cubs over a month ago.
Gabbar and Siddhi are the proud parents of the cubs.
The three cubs were kept under observation at the zoo Light House for 24 hours and have been brought out in the open for the first time.
Gabbar was born in the same zoo 14-years-ago and Siddhi was brought to the zoo from Rajkot when she was just two-and-a-half-years old.
“The birth of tigers is a very complicated issue,” zoo curator C D Patel said.
“We kept the cubs under observation before they were released into the open,” he added.
Good news
The birth of the cubs has brought smiles to the faces of tourists and residents of Vadodara.
“I had no clue about the cubs. But when I came here and saw the new born cubs I was very delighted,” said Heena Jamdar.
Fast depleting numbers of tigers has had environmentalists worried, but the birth of three tiger cubs in Vadodara city is good news.
http://www.ndtv.com/environment/Wildlife.asp?id=87853&callid=1
Auckland Zoo's tiger dies
May 12, 2006
Auckland Zoo's only tiger has died.
Auckland Zoo Director, Glen Holland, says staff are shattered by the loss.
"This has been particularly tragic in light of Auckland Zoo's plans to further the captive breeding programme through the import of a long-waited suitable male for Nisha."
Holland says, while Nisha has been unwell for the past month, blood tests and x-rays showed nothing out of the ordinary, and she has been treated with antibiotics for a cough and an eye problem.
Post-mortem examinations reveal that Nisha had a massive stroke and was riddled with small growths throughout her lungs and liver. They are suspected to be cancerous. Test results are expected within the next two weeks.
Nisha was due to meet a mate in September as part of a conservation project.
Eighteen-month-old Oz from Ramat Gan Zoo in Tel Aviv is coming to New Zealand as part of Auckland Zoo's Sumatran tiger captive breeding programme. It was hoped that the pair would breed.
"This is a great example of how zoos collaborate to achieve the best possible outcome for endangered species' captive breeding programmes," says Holland.
There are fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild and less than 200 in captivity. Predictions are that without significant conservation efforts their habitat could be gone by 2020.
Nisha was nine-years-old.
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/713199
Tiger shouldn't have been in zoo says SAFE
13/05/2006 8:28:02
Animals' rights activists are saddened by the death of Auckland Zoo's only Sumatran tiger and believe Nisha should never have been kept captive.
The nine-year-old died of a stroke yesterday. A postmortem examination has revealed she had growths on her lungs and liver, which are believed to have been cancerous. The tiger had been ill for a month, but her death still came as a great shock to Zoo staff.
The group Save Animals from Exploitation, or SAFE, is against all forms of animal capture. Director Hans Kriek says while SAFE is naturally upset to hear of Nisha's passing, she is an example of what should not be happening.
He says while it is good to breed tigers for release back into the wild, the initiatives should occur in the countries the animals naturally inhabit. Mr Kriek believes the stress of being in captivity could have played a part in Nisha's death.
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/newsdetail1.asp?storyID=95586
Program featuring museums, zoo expanding
By Sherry Lucas
Special to The Clarion-Ledger
Rowan student Carla Warden, 12, displays her painting completed in the CYCLE program. It was inspired by the art of Georgia O'Keeffe.
An after-school collaborative of three Jackson attractions serving 20 Rowan Middle School students will add another 20 students next fall to the innovative program that ties hands-on learning to school curriculum.
CYCLE (Changing Your Creative Learning Environment) wrapped its first fully operational year with a student exhibition and high praise from instructors and students this week. In it, a select group of Rowan sixth-graders spent intensive three-week sessions at the Mississippi Museum of Art, the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science and the Jackson Zoo.
The after-school sessions reinforced and enriched the school curriculum already in place. Next fall, those students, as seventh-graders, will build on what they learned and a new crop of sixth-graders will be rotated in.
"Their other teachers can see improvement in their schoolwork" as early as the first semester, said Ivy Alley, who implements the program and works as education director at the art museum.
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060512/FEAT05/605120327
Pick a bat
Baseball or mammal ... they're hanging around
By Christa Ritchie
critchie@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
You can go batty this weekend at the Louisville Zoo and Louisville Slugger Field:
Watch the Louisville Bats take on the Charlotte Knights tonight, tomorrow and Sunday. Slugger Field will also play host to several special events this weekend. At tonight's game, baseball fans will be treated to entertainment by Mad Chad. Watch him juggle everything from knives to running chain saws. He might even show fans how to catch a 15-pound anvil on their heads. Jake the Diamond Dog -- a lovable golden retriever -- will be on hand to pick up bats, deliver water to umpires, catch Frisbees and even sign autographs tomorrow. Sunday is Military Appreciation Day. Members of the military and their families will receive a discount when they purchase tickets at the Bats box office. A pregame tribute on the field will also honor military personnel. Also on Sunday, Rubberboy, dubbed "The Most Flexible Man Alive," will entertain the audience.
If you're still looking for more bat fun, head to the Louisville Zoo, home to a new Vampire Bat Exhibit that opened March 31. These furry flying mammals are calling the Zoo's HerpAquarium home in a setting that re-creates a mine shaft. The zoo has seven bachelor bats on hand; an additional 10 will be flying into the exhibit later this month. Visitors can observe them up close as they fly and drink blood.
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060512/SCENE/605120334/1011
Brookfield Zoo sends wolves packing
A troubled trio of Brookfield Zoo wolves -- one was attacked by fellow canines in a public brawl and another lost its leg in a separate incident -- have been sent packing.
The three Mexican gray wolf brothers were transferred to Arizona this week after Brookfield Zoo experts decided the wolves couldn't be blended with the zoo's larger established pack.
"We asked that they be placed somewhere else. The two packs weren't making the progress we hoped they would," said zoo spokeswoman Sondra Katzen.
The three had a brief but tumultuous stay at Brookfield. In November, only weeks after arriving from Ohio's Columbus Zoo, one of the brothers was on the losing end of a mauling.
Horrified zoo visitors described how some of the wolves were eating meat off a bone when one wolf, likely the established alpha male, ran down a hill and began biting one of the newcomers. The animal was left dazed and bloodied in what Katzen said was likely an effort to put the newcomer "in his place."
Zookeepers separated the younger three from the established pack of five wolves and put the newcomers into a smaller holding area.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-zoo13.html
Rejected wolves moved from Brookfield Zoo to Arizona
May 13, 2006 (BROOKFIELD, Ill.) - Keepers at the Brookfield Zoo have given up on their attempts to introduce three Mexican gray wolves into their existing wolf pack.
The three wolves -- all brothers -- moved to Brookfield from the Columbus Zoo in Ohio last fall, but almost immediately fell afoul of the other wolves in Brookfield's Regenstein Wolf Woods. One of them was mauled by a leader of the wolf pack in November, and another one somehow lost part of a leg in March. Zoo officials soon gave up on the idea of integrating the two groups of wolves.
The three newcomers were moved out of Brookfield earlier this week and have been sent to a facility in Arizona.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=4169244
Zoo's baby monkey gets a name
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Gazette Staff Reports
Her name is Azizi.
Out of 954 votes cast to name Binder Park Zoo's new baby colobus monkey, there were 339 for Azizi, which means precious. The next most popular choice was Kanzi, meaning a treasure, with 291 votes.
Zookeepers also recently discovered that the baby colobus is female. Initially, the baby stayed so close to its mother the gender could not be determined.
``Now that she is getting older, we are beginning to see her venture away from her mother and is socially interacting among her troop,'' said Jenny Barnett, Binder Park Zoo director of wildlife management. ``Monkeys are a very social species, and seeing her interact with other members of her troop is a good sign that she is healthy and happy in her environment.''
This is the first baby colobus monkey born at Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek and is a significant step toward conservation of this species, Barnett said. With this new addition, Binder Park Zoo now has a troop of nine colobus monkeys and an active breeding pair.
In the wild, a troop can consist of 50 monkeys and more. Troops are usually made up of one male, several females and their offspring. The babies are born after five to seven months and are almost completely white.
http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/news-17/1147515651168390.xml&coll=7
SPEAKING OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN. Can they be more progressive in promoting higher education?
40% of students pass on K'zoo Promise
Updated: May 12, 2006 06:06 PM EDT
KALAMAZOO – About 40 percent of the high school graduating classes in Kalamazoo are still undecided about going to college, even though the tuition could be free.
The administrator of the Kalamazoo Promise told 24 Hour News 8 that of the 500 graduating seniors, 300 have applied for the scholarship money. The Promise pays college tuition to any public university in Michigan for students who attended Kalamazoo public schools.
Of the students who are using promise scholarships, 110 are going to Western Michigan University. This year, WMU has offered those students free room and board. Less than 40 students are going to Michigan State, and about 20 students will attend the University of Michigan.
http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4898306&nav=0Rce
ZOO HOSTS SHEEP TO SHAWL DAY
May 13, 2006
The zoo in Idaho Falls took a page out of history today, inviting people to come and experience the old west.
Dozens of families took advantage of Tautphaus Park's "sheep to shawl" day.
People were serenaded by music from the Old Time Fiddlers as they walked around.
Children had the opportunity to make crafts, dip candles and of course learn how to weave.
http://www.kpvi.com/index.cfm?page=nbcheadlines.cfm&ID=33393
Zoo honours two- and four-legged moms
Mari Sasano, Freelance
Published: Friday, May 12, 2006
MOTHER NATURE AT THE VALLEY ZOO
Sunday, noon-4 p.m., info: 496-6912
No matter who you are, we are all born of mothers.
Well, maybe not if you're a worm or a paramecium. Then you'd have two hermaphroditic parents or be the product of a binary fission, respectively. But you'd have a really hard time reading a newspaper, wouldn't you?
You can learn more about animal mothers and conservation and indulge in fun activities like an inflatable slide, songs, crafts, games and a puppet show at the Valley Zoo this Mother's Day. Think about it: Mothers feed us -- from their bodies, even! They protect us. They teach us. They work hard to make sure we're OK. That's what human (and monkey) mothers do. They're amazing! What if your mother was a turtle? Or a lion? Or an owl?
(By the way, the zoo's vintage miniature trains, the Little Western Railway and the Valley Zoo Express, are being taken out of service temporarily this year because of work on a new animal centre.)
© The Edmonton Journal 2006
http://www.canada.com/cityguides/edmonton/story.html?id=e8480847-d234-49d4-a922-f58f1e5ae0b2&k=32417
BTW's Mayfest shines through Saturday morning downpour
By Alvin Benn
Montgomery Advertiser
Musical arrangements for the Booker T. Washington Magnet High School choral group had been made in advance of Saturday's Mayfest, but some of the songs couldn't have been more appropriate -- given the rainy weather.
A line in "I believe" included "every drop of rain that falls," while "just a rainy day" was in another song.
Organizers of the 10th annual Mayfest at the Montgomery Zoo had hoped for perfect weather, but they refused to allow the downpour to dampen their spirits.
Even the lions got into the act. Three of them took refuge under a shelter, and spectators divided their time between the all-girl choral group and the animals. At one point, the large male lion let out a mighty roar as the volume hit an ear-piercing level.
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060514/NEWS01/605140303/1007
Go bats at Belfast zoo
14 May 2006
AN 'ARMY' of Ulster animal lovers will form a 'bat-talion' who aren't afraid of things that may go bump in the night!
For men, women and children will be going batty - at a night time 'bat walk' in the dark, at Belfast Zoo next weekend.
Leading UK 'Bat-man' Phil Richardson will lead his 'troops' around the north Belfast animal park on Saturday - in search of the creatures with the undeservedly spooky image.
Things seem to be looking up for the high-flying little mammal's reputation, with local bat lovers making the upcoming talk and walk a complete sell-out.
Said Phil: "There were 50 places available and they were all snapped up. I used to do bird walks and you would get a reasonable amount of people turning up for them.
"But now, when I put on a bat walk - late at night, in the dark, in a strange area and, in this case, with the lions roaring - you get full numbers and even a waiting list for places!
"It's all sorts of people - from children, to people in their later years - all interested in bats. It has really amazed me, the tremendous impact that bats have on people and the interest that they create."
Phil - Northern Ireland's National Trust Bat Protection Officer - said that it was his lifelong mission to shatter those fantasy Dracula notions surrounding the world's only flying mammal.
Said the science teacher and bat author: "There are all those stories about bats flying into your hair - which they don't; that bats are blind - which they are not; that bats live in belfries - which they don't and, of course, that bats suck your blood - which they don't do either.
"In reality, bats are just tiny little creatures who are now struggling a bit, conservation wise. So, we are doing what we can to make their lot a better one."
People taking part in the walk should see four species of the animal - using hand held electronic bat detectors and spotlights.
http://www.sundaylife.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=690921
Zoo invites kids out of the rain at new indoor playground
05/14/2006
By DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP / Associated Press
This week Western Washington parents get a gift from the Woodland Park Zoo: another place their kids can go run around on rainy days.
Of course, the plan for Zoomazium, a new indoor play and learn space opening on Friday, has loftier goals: infusing a love and respect for nature, giving kids another way to relate to the outdoors and getting them to think about conservation.
But children getting a sneak peek at the 8,500-square-foot center last week were most impressed with its potential as a playground — from the mountain to climb over and under to the giant tree house and slide to explore.
Ella Sandoval-Carlsten, 7, of Seattle, said the tree was the best part.
"It's too fun," she said, anxious to get back to a game this reporter interrupted to gather some impressions of Zoomazium. Ella and her friend Grayson Warren, 7, of Tacoma, an AP photographer's son, said the play area was a good place for tag.
Grayson said he was most impressed by the mountain.
"I liked the big rock with all the movies," he said, mentioning the hidden video screens inside 30-feet of tunnels. The screens show nature scenes including a volcano erupting and a seal swimming that makes you think you're really at the Seattle Aquarium where the film was made.
http://www.kgw.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8HJL3Q00.html
What a Zoo!
May 13, 2006 - International Migratory Bird Day
Every year at this time, millions of birds head north for the summer. Today the Toledo Zoo celebrates International Migratory Bird Day and you can join in on all the fun.
Robert Webster is curator of birds, and he says, "For so many people they are signs of spring, of new growth and of celebration."
It is time to celebrate our feathered friends. International Migratory Bird Day was established in 1993.
"The Smithsonian National Zoo, working with some national wildlife agencies, began this event to really celebrate the return and great travels that some of our most observable wildlife do."
In early and mid May, Northwest Ohio blossoms with bird activity.
"We are in a really great spot for migratory patterns. The birds will stop at the lake before they press on to Canada."
Sure, everyone can bird watch at home, but at the Toledo Zoo, you might be able to win a prize.
"The kids can come in and get banded as either an Oriole or Gross Beak and then they travel through different parts of the zoo and encounter some of the same situations that our birds travel."
If you are not into migrating around the zoo, you can check out the aviary, where the birds in the rescue roost have a permanent home.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=local&id=4169102
ZooMontana hires new director
BILLINGS ZooMontana has a new director.
The zoo's board says it has hired Jackie Worstell of Billings, a regular ZooMontana volunteer and patron since moving to the city in 2003.
She also serves on a number of community committees and volunteer boards.
Worstell says she's ecstatic about the opportunity. She believes the zoo is on a positive path, and says she intends to keep it moving in the right direction.
She replaces interim director Art Westwood, who owns the Rimview Inn.
He resigned at the end of March after taking over in December for former director Mike Carter, who left for a job in Arizona.
http://www.kaj18.com/Global/story.asp?S=4901880
From billionaires to Bongos - London Zoo attracts visitors of a different stripe
The market has peaked. At least the summer party index must have done. Even by the Square Mile's high standards of lavishness, imagination and ingenuity, it seems to have surpassed itself this year.
Fancy succumbing to some devilishly decadent drinks and canapés at the house of magic, admiring the London skyline from a penthouse in Leicester Square, or mixing with advisers to billionaires and bongos (they're a kind of antelope) at London Zoo?
Bongos are a species of antelope
Well, too late if it is the zoo that excites your senses. The Billionaire Adviser Top 100 Club had its do there last Thursday with guests flying in from New York and Geneva to sip champagne in the grounds.
Classic cars including one that once served as Winston Churchill's limousine lined the route to dinner in the Prince Albert Suite where guest speaker Frances Edmonds and a 1920s band called Lady and the Tramps provided entertainment.
There was even an official perfume. Fou d'Absinthe, a men's fragrance launched by L'Artisan Parfumeur, "inspires creativeness and evokes addiction".
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2006/05/15/cclife15.xml
The Zoo and You
Educator brings animals into classrooms via the Web
Monday, May 15, 2006
By John Mariani
Staff writer
Tara Lafferty says one thing stood out when she reviewed the list of finalists for Cable in the Classroom's Leaders in Learning Awards: There weren't many other zoo educators on it.
Actually, there weren't any besides Lafferty, 29, of Liverpool, who's been education director for the Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park's Friends of the Zoo since 2003.
Officials of Cable in the Classroom, the cable television industry's non-profit education foundation, announced on April 11 that Lafferty was one of 41 finalists nationwide for this year's awards. She learned the first week of May that she would not be among the 12 award winners.
http://www.syracuse.com/entertainment/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/1147252207127530.xml&coll=1
Escapee wolf turns Hogle into a zoo
Talk of the Morning: Whiff of Freedom
By Michael N. Westley
The Salt Lake Tribune
Zoo patrons enjoying a sunny Mother's Day among Utah's premier collection of creatures were asked to cut the day short when a 70-pound gray wolf escaped from her pen around 3 p.m.
The 8-year-old female named Maddie apparently scaled an 8-foot-tall wall and made her way through barbed wire strung along the top of the enclosure to win her freedom Sunday at Salt Lake City's Hogle Zoo.
For more than an hour, Maddie darted behind trees and slunk around corners while zoo personnel worked to secure her.
An escape protocol, which is practiced monthly and includes almost every member of the zoo's staff, was enforced immediately, said Assistant Director Kimberly Davidson. Those nearest Maddie were herded inside buildings while those on the opposite side of the 41-acre park were shuffled toward exits.
http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_3824385
Wolf Escape Brings Safety Changes At Hogle Zoo
(KUTV) Some big changes at the Hogle Zoo wolf exhibit after one of the wolves scaled a fence and broke free.
2News has exclusive video of the wolf roaming the zoo grounds. Our pilot was on the phone with staff members to help located the animal so that the eight-year-old Gray Wolf could be tranquilized.
Dan Rascon is following the story and has more.
There are already several changes to the wolf exhibit. They have taken down the barbed wired on top of an eight foot fence and plan to add a cable fence on top.
That fence will actually bend down at an angle. The wolf escape has the zoo re-evaluating all its enclosures.
http://kutv.com/local/local_story_135182143.html
Family Fun: Tour Oshkosh zoo now for free
Our family always enjoys traveling, but the trips are a little sweeter when we know we're getting a good deal.
The Menominee Park Zoo in Oshkosh just has entered that category. We've always liked walking through the little zoo near Lake Winnebago, but since admission fees have been waived it has become an even more desirable destination.
Tom and Penny Harenburg, previous zoo society members, recently made a $65,000 donation to the zoo. It will offset operations and improvement costs usually covered by admission fees.
That means the zoo still will get a new elk exhibit this year, and the public can see it for free.
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060515/APC04/605150501/1890
Oregon Zoo Celebrates 'Winged Wonders' At Grand Reopening
PORTLAND, Oregon -Zoogoers are all aflutter as Winged Wonders, the Oregon Zoo's popular walk-through butterfly exhibit, prepares for its grand reopening. The exhibit, presented by HomeStreet Bank, opened May 20 and continues through Labor Day, with more than 450 Central and South American butterflies on display.
http://www.medfordnews.com/articles/index.cfm?artOID=330632&cp=10997
Denver Zoo To Open Exhibit Memorial Day Weekend
(CBS4) DENVER With summer quickly approaching, the Denver Zoo is getting ready to open a new exhibit that features lorikeets.
The birds are from Australia and are slightly smaller than parrots.
The zoo is trying to be more interactive so visitors will be able to buy nectar and let the birds drink right out of a cup.
The zoo got its first lorikeets in 2003 and currently has 50 birds in their flock.
The exhibit opens Memorial Day weekend.
http://cbs4denver.com/topstories/local_story_135222002.html
Radiant Floor Heating chosen for Perth Zoo
Radiant Floor Heating Pty Ltd has recently supplied and installed in-slab electric floor heating for the Galapagos Tortoise enclosure at Perth Zoo.
The construction involved supplying and installing heating cables to a 16sqm area, prior to a new concrete base being poured.
The design requirement was to achieve an ambient floor temperature of approx 28 degrees Celsius, even in winter, to provide the tortoises with comfortable conditions, similar to those of their native Galapagos Islands.
The use of floor heating cables can be adapted for many applications, both indoor and outdoor, including heating homes, offices, nursing homes, schools, animal enclosures, kennels, concrete moulds, etc. The list is endless!
http://www.infolink.com.au/articles/56/0C040356.aspx
New Babies Born at Potter Zoo
May 16, 2006 06:21 AM EDT
The Potter Park Zoo is showing off some of its new additions. The first is a rare Bactrian Camel born April 29th at the zoo. She weighed 100 pounds at birth and is being raised by her parents. Zoo officials say she's doing very well. She doe not have a name yet.
The zoo also recently welcomed a baby Cotton Topped Tamarin. The Potter Park Zoo is open every day from 9 to 5 if you'd like to see the baby animals in person.
http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=4909432&nav=0RbQ
Big Cat Falls opens next week at the Philadelphia Zoo
By: RUTH ROVNER, Main Line Ticket
05/16/2006
For 18 months, while the new exhibit area was being built, there were no big cats at the zoo. They were sent to other zoos until the facility was completed. Now, finally, visitors can get reacquainted with the big cats they've known and meet some new residents, all of them settled in their brand new home.
"This provides such a wonderful environment for the animals," says Seygal, a docent for nine years.
And for the visitors, the experience will be much more dramatic as they come face to face with the big cats.
"There's a total absence of bars," says Seygal. "Instead, there's glass or mesh. Visitors can go right up to the window and see the animals close-up."
In their former home, the Carnivora House, big cats were indoors and behind bars. But now, they'll be completely outdoors, just as they are in the wild. They tolerate cold weather well, and there are heated rocks to make them comfortable. In five different viewing areas, visitors will see the animals relaxing, exploring their environment or simply being playful.
"The other day, I looked over and saw the lions just lying in the grass," relates Seygal. "And they looked gorgeous!"
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16646371&BRD=1676&PAG=461&dept_id=43790&rfi=6
Zoo breaking ground on $260K hog exhibit
Nashville Business Journal - 2:05 PM CDT Tuesday
On Friday, the Nashville Zoo will break ground on a habitat for red river hogs, a new exhibit.
The habitat project, at an estimated cost of $260,000, will include a 600-square-foot building and an outdoor area with mud wallows, a grassy lawn and two viewing areas for zoo guests. Ray Bell Construction is donating its construction services for the building portion of the project.
The hogs, which can reach five feet in length and 250 pounds, can run up to 30 miles per hour, are excellent swimmers and are native to the Congo Basin of Africa as well as West and East Africa. The zoo has two of the hogs in its collection, but not on public display.
Based in Brentwood, Ray Bell also has offices in Gulf Shores, Ala.
http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2006/05/15/daily14.html
Toledo Zoo back on ballot
May 16, 2006 - 1-million, 10-year capital levy for Toledo Zoo is back on ballot
Amid the exotic sights at the Toledo Zoo, visitors this summer may catch a glimpse of the local taxation ecosystem as the zoo gears up for another levy campaign.
The zoo's board of directors voted unanimously yesterday to return to the ballot in November with a 1-million, 10-year capital improvement levy.
The issue was defeated in the May primary. A 0.85-million dollar operating levy was approved.
Board members say the zoo needs to "pull out all the stops" in this campaign. That means zoo visitors can expect a little tax education.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=local&id=4178691
Zoo Elephants: Space case
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD
Seattle's elephants receive great care, but that's not enough. They deserve more space.
A controversy over the future of one of the zoo's elephants, Bamboo, provides a window into the questions Seattle's political leadership needs to face at Woodland Park Zoo. Amid a host of zoo changes, city government has paid far too little attention to how well the planet's largest land animals may fit there for the long term.
In the 1980s (with help from a Seattle P-I campaign), the zoo built a new elephant home. The one-acre facility was considered a model. But Oakland now has six acres, other cities are expanding and a few zoos are giving up elephants.
Zoos are about conservation, education and experience. It fits for the public to be involved in choices about the most visible exhibits.
Oddly enough for a body that once debated banning circus performances by exotic animals, the Seattle City Council has been complacent about the elephants in its own zoo. And the city administration doesn't appear much more concerned. Until a P-I inquiry, a council committee chairman, David Della, hadn't been told a city-Muckleshoot tribal settlement envisions trading away zoo land near Enumclaw, which could provide space for elephants.
The land loss ought to spur a look for alternatives, such as the city buying closer-in land from or with King County. But the zoo's long-range plan also needs a fresh examination of its lack of additional space for elephants. And Bamboo deserves her own study of where she will be more settled than she has been in recent years, moving between Seattle and Tacoma. Activists suggest a well-regarded, 2,700-acre sanctuary in Tennessee.
Zoo leaders can only do the best they can with the resources they have. Without more public involvement, elephant questions inevitably become a matter of juggling for busy zoos' managers. As has happened in other cities, Seattle is due for an expanded public discussion that leads to more space for its elephants, here or in a sanctuary.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/270429_zooed.asp
Animal Planet Sponsors Auckland Zoo’s Elephants
Wednesday, 17 May 2006, 3:41 pm
Press Release: Sky Television
Wednesday May 17, 2006
Animal Planet Sponsors Auckland Zoo’s Elephants
Auckland, NZ – Leading television network Animal Planet, in conjunction with SKY TV, today announced the sponsorship of the Animal Planet Elephant Clearing at Auckland Zoo, New Zealand.
Home to Asian elephants Kashin and Burma, two of the zoo’s most popular residents, Animal Planet will support the internationally recognised elephant management program at New Zealand’s largest zoo as part of the network’s ongoing commitment to assist ethical zoos across Australia and New Zealand.
“Animal Planet has always supported endangered animals through on-air initiatives and viewer awareness and it is equally important for the network to continue the education process on the ground as well,” said Mandy Pattinson, Vice President, Discovery Networks Australia and New Zealand.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0605/S00051.htm
Bear Mauls Monkey at Zoo., Visitors Watch in Horror
A sloth bear in Amsterdam's Dutch Zoo climbed a tree and killed a macaque monkey as zoo visitors looked on.
Zoo keepers tried unsuccessfully to distract the sloth bear as he tried to shake the monkey from the tree.
After climbing the tree, the bear grabbed the monkey, killed it and brought it back to his den, where he and 2 other bears ate it. The park now plans to move the macaque monkey's to somewhere else in the park.
http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=54367&rubrik1=Science&rubrik2=Natural%20Sciences&rubrik3=Zoology&sort=1&start=1
Zoo exercise program carries a lot of weight
ANCHORAGE -- So far, it's only the trainers at the Alaska Zoo who seem to be breaking a sweat.
By their own admission, the trainers have been making slow progress in trying to coax Maggie, a somewhat cantankerous African elephant, onto the world's first treadmill for a pachyderm.
For two months, Maggie's trainers have used her favourite treats -- watermelon, apples, carrots, peanuts in the shell, banana slices and sweet potatoes -- to entice the 3,600-kg elephant into exercising on the $100,000 US piece of equipment. "She has two feet on the treadmill and has touched a third one on it," zoo director Pat Lampi said.
The treadmill is part of a $1-million program the zoo launched two years ago to improve Maggie's life.
http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/World/2006/05/18/1585836-sun.html
Sales-tax hike urged for zoos, museums
By William Mullen, Tribune staff reporter. Tribune staff reporter Mickey Ciokajlo contributed to this report
Published May 15, 2006
Calling Chicago's museums and zoos a major economic force in the region's economy, a task force organized by the Civic Federation of Chicago is recommending a slight increase in the Cook County sales tax to help shore up disappearing funding to those institutions.
The proposal is coupled with a plan to lower property taxes paid by homeowners in the city and county by a total of $26.6 million a year. The sales tax in Cook County would increase a quarter of 1 percent, meaning shoppers for general merchandise in stores in the city and county would pay 2 1/2 cents more for every $10 purchase.
Crafted from four years of research and discussion by a blue-ribbon panel of city and county civic, business, academic and cultural leaders, the task force's report credits 12 major institutions for having a $1.1 billion economic impact on northeastern Illinois.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0605150190may15,1,7033002.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed
Zoo staff learning `verbal judo'
By Paul Sloth
RACINE - It started with the gum they found in the meerkat's fur.
It wasn't the first time staff at the Racine Zoo had dealt with visitors mistreating the animals.
They've witnessed some, mostly unsupervised minors under the age of 16, throwing rocks and sticks at the animals.
Then there's the vandalism. The zoo finally had to get rid of its prairie dog exhibit because it was too costly to keep replacing whenever it was vandalized.
The zoo staff decided they needed some help after a visitor riding through the zoo on his bicycle became belligerent when asked to walk his bike. It wasn't an easy situation and it's become a problem during the past few years.
So the zoo is looking for some techniques that will help them professionally enforce the zoo's policies and help educate visitors about why they're enforcing them, said Eric Hileman, the zoo's director of conservation, education and animal welfare.
"This is to make sure that our staff is doing everything professionally," Hileman said.
Staff will work with an officer from the Racine Police Department, who will teach them something Hileman called "verbal judo.' It's an effort to help staff learn ways to confront visitors, who need to be reminded of the zoo's rules and at times escorted out of the zoo, without being confrontational.
Hileman, who's worked at the zoo for the past eight years, said he thinks part of the problem has been the fact that the zoo charges no admission, which means at times people come in who aren't necessarily there to enjoy the zoo and learn about the animals.
"The admission thing is a long time coming. This is one of the areas I hope it addresses," Hileman said. "It's really hard to regulate when you can't monitor who is coming in."
Zoo employees also witness visitors feeding inappropriate things to the animals, which can cause them harm.
Fortunately, none of the instances of mistreatment has lead to a serious animal injury.
"It's really kind of disheartening when you see kids acting that way," Hileman said. "I know it's something we have to be vigilant about."
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2006/05/17/local/iq_4046047.txt
Animal rights group sues Indian zoos in Supreme Court
THE ANIMAL rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said it had brought a case before India`s Supreme Court charging 37 zoos across the country with cruelty to animals.
"Although zoos make high-sounding claims, they are guilty of a total failure to treat their captives humanely, educate people or preserve species," Anuradha Sawhney, PETA Indias chief, said in a statement.
"We are better educated by nature documentaries which peek into animals worlds without disturbing them."
The group filed the case after investigating conditions in the zoos in question, the statement said.
PETA said animals, including elephants, were kept chained and shackled, nocturnal animals were kept in bright sunlight and acquatic animals had inadequate water.
Zoo enclosures were often too small for the animals they housed and some animals had been stolen from zoos by their caretakers, it said.
A month ago, a black bear disappeared from the Delhi zoo, Indian media reported, not long after two jaguar cubs died after eating disinfectant that had been left lying around.
The Supreme Court had ordered the zoos named in the case to respond to the charges, the PETA statement said.
http://www.gg2.net/viewnews.asp?nid=4130&tid=breaking_news&catid=Breaking%20News
Pay a visit to zoo's endangered animals
P-I STAFF
Woodland Park Zoo officials are reminding residents to mark Endangered Species Day -- officially today -- by visiting the Sumatran tigers, red-crowned cranes and the 33 other endangered species in the zoo's collection.
Woodland Park Zoo, as an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, is active in worldwide conservation and education efforts.
"Throughout the Pacific Northwest and around the globe, impacts from human-imposed activities threaten wildlife and wild places," said zoo President Deborah Jensen. "We are determined to make a difference and know we can have an impact."
The zoo is at North 50th Street and Fremont Avenue North. More information is available at www.zoo.org.
The zoo is open from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $10.50 for adults and $7.50 for children 3 to 12 years.
For more information about Endangered Species Day, visit www.stopextinction.org.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/269830_animals11.html
EC zoologist can’t rest after working in Iraq and Afghanistan
By ALISON STENT
Research Reporter
BREATHING life back into war-torn zoos in the Middle East wasn’t what zoology graduate Brendan Whittington-Jones had in mind when he left Rhodes University.
It didn’t occur to him all through his honours course in wildlife management at Pretoria University, either.
In fact, it was only several years later, in April 2003, that he and his boss, private Thula Thula Game Reserve owner Lawrence Anthony, had a conversation that changed his life forever.
They were watching a news broadcast about the war in Iraq, and got to worrying about the animals in the zoo there.
A day or two later Anthony made enquiries at the US embassy – and within about a month the two of them found themselves in the middle of the war.
http://www.dispatch.co.za/2006/05/11/Easterncape/adzoo.html
Orphaned monkeys settle in
The 33 young monkeys are distributed among six U.S. zoos. Their parents are bush meat trade victims in west and central Africa.
By KEVIN GRAHAM
Published May 10, 2006
TAMPA - A half-dozen orphaned monkeys that arrived three weeks ago at Lowry Park Zoo have a curiosity and energy reminiscent of human youngsters their age, zookeepers say.
Rescued from the Congo in central Africa, where their parents were slaughtered for sale in the illegal bush meat market, the 1- to 5-year-old primates are fascinated with the movements of a turtle that swims the pond inside their habitat. And the rambunctious group bounces around the trees so much, they've stripped away most of the leaves.
"But we can replace that," said zoo president and chief executive Lex Salisbury.
What can't be replaced are the monkey's parents.
Salisbury said the slaughtering of wildlife for the food trade is a cultural problem that persists in Central and West Africa. The zoo gives money to a task force that supports efforts to stop the bush meat trade in Africa.
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/05/10/Tampabay/Orphaned_monkeys_sett.shtml
EDITORIAL: Our Solomon can handle this baby
09.03.2006
PAUL TAGGART
Shona the dolphin, a Hawke's Bay icon for many years, appears to be close to the end of her life.
Sad though it is, she is long past the age she could have reached in the wild. Which tends to undermine the suggestion that her life has been tragic and unfulfilled. Although those who anthropomorphise sea mammals would probably never agree, whatever the evidence indicates.
However, it again raises the issue of Marineland's future. With one dolphin left apart from Shona - Kelly - the Napier attraction will soon be a single heart-beat away from not being viable.
Attempting to find replacement dolphins has just been too hard in the past, so Marineland has limped on, with its two superannuitants continuing to please the crowds.
However, the sand has just about run through the hourglass and it is finally time for action.
Marineland manager Gary Macdonald blames "political correctness" for preventing the facility from being able to replace its dolphins.
Zoos in New Zealand import animals, yet there appears to be a lot more sensitivity over importing dolphins. What is the difference between bringing a giraffe from Africa and a dolphin from the Philippines? Especially if it has been bred in captivity and knows nothing else but a pool and hand-delivered fresh fish every day?
But there is hope. The Department of Conservation (DOC) said an application to import dolphins would ultimately be decided by the minister.
That is the same minister - Chris Carter - who this week made one of the most bizarre political decisions in many a long year when he vetoed a $10 million marina which had been approved by the Environment Court three months ago after a 14-year battle.
What is the point of having the Environmental Court if its decisions are going to be ignored by a minister with a self-determined desire to save a shellfish bed?
Supporters will now have to go to the expense of seeking a High Court judicial review of the minister's flight of fancy.
However, it could work to Marineland's advantage. With the heat the minister will be feeling for acting so outrageously towards those who planned to develop a new multi-million dollar attraction, surely he won't want to also destroy an existing attraction by refusing an import licence for Marineland?
To avoid a repeat of the fiasco that was the Whangamata marina case, Napier City Council should take its case straight to the minister. There is little point in their wasting time applying to DOC if Mr Carter is possibly going to ignore their advice and rule once again like King Solomon.
Marineland may have taken a pragmatic view that they will not be allowed to import replacement dolphins. But it is worth a shot. With Mr Carter, anything could happen.
http://www.hbtoday.co.nz/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3675586&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection=
Norway Tests Ducks for Bird Flu; Indonesians Treated for Virus
March 9 (Bloomberg) -- Norwegian authorities are testing birds to determine whether they died of avian influenza in what may be the country's first outbreak. At least a dozen people are being treated for the lethal virus in Indonesia.
Two dead and one sick wild duck were found south of the city of Stavanger yesterday, near the remains of another 10 dead birds, the country's veterinary institute said on its Web site today. Two children were hospitalized in Jakarta, taking to at least 12 the number of suspected avian-flu patients in Indonesia.
The rate of H5N1 infections in humans has increased this year as the virus spread to more parts of Asia, and to Africa, Europe and the Middle East. The virus has killed at least 96 of 175 people infected since late 2003. It is reported to have infected an average of three people a week this year, killing an average of two a week. Last year, 23 cases, including 14 fatalities, were reported in the first 10 weeks.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=adoe3lRVV2co&refer=europe
Zoos In the USA
http://www.officialusa.com/stateguides/zoos/index.html
Officials to Check Migrating Birds for Bird Flu
March 9th, 2006 @ 4:31pm
Ed Yeates Reporting
A deadly strain of bird flu could appear in the United States in the next few months as wild birds migrate from infected nations.
That's according to Homeland Security Secretary, Michael Chertoff. But he cautioned against panic, noting that the Agriculture Department has dealt with other strains of bird flu for years.
Utah will be sampling migratory birds this October, just in case an infected H5N1 bird shows up here. The state is within what's called the Pacific Flyway, which migratory birds travel on between Alaska and Canada.
Though it may be difficult to talk about migratory birds coming into to Utah with all this snow still on the ground, they'll be coming here along the Pacific Flyway later this year.
Several federal agencies say it's very possible a bird or birds infected with H5N1, will migrate along the Asian Flyway to Alaska this spring. There, they'll stay for the summer, possibly infecting other birds that will migrate along what is called the Pacific Flyway late summer and early fall.
Michael Marshall, DVM, State Veterinarian: "We certainly worry about the Pacific Flyway. They migrate down the western US to Mexico, and back and forth. And that could be a likely way of getting infected."
Just in case, Leslie McFarlane with State Wildlife Resources says her staff will begin taking throat swabs and fecal samples from 800 hunter harvest birds this October. They'll single out the Tundra Swan, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, and the Green Winged Teal, which could be high risk birds.
Meanwhile, State Veterinarian Michael Marshall says 36-million dollars in additional funding, approved in Washington, will be used to beef up continuing monitoring of all sorts of things, including imports, birds in zoos, and commercialized flocks like chickens and turkeys, to keep them away from wildlife.
Michael Marshall: "Her in Utah, we have 400 veterinarians who are on the alert."
Influenza in birds has been around for a long, long time. But this new strain, H5N1, is a mutated villain, able to pass from bird to human. Fortunately, so far, it hasn't spread from human to human. Everybody hopes it stays that way.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=173955
Pandas get playground at boarding school
Chinese research center will try to breed some cubs, release others to wild
Think of it as a boarding school for pandas: a place where 16 cubs live, eat and play together, all in the name of science and efforts to save the species from extinction.
The school is actually a research center that recently opened in Sichuan province, and China’s Central Television on Friday aired video of the giant panda cubs playing — and even doing face plants — on slides and other playground equipment.
Separated from their mothers soon after birth, the 16 cubs are between five and seven months old, the network reported.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11760083/
continued …
