Zoos
Keep zoo among best in country
I have been following the banter of pros and cons regarding the Toledo Zoo levies. I am aware that residents of Lucas County regard those of us from other counties as non-supporters when it comes to zoo levies. My family has maintained paid membership for years and contributed to various projects, and when visiting the zoo we have added our financial support by purchasing food and mementos.
Remember, too, that residents outside of Lucas County spend a great deal of money in Toledo/Lucas County retail and commercial establishments, which in turn pass on their property tax obligations (including zoo levies) to the consumer. If my family resided in Lucas County, we would not hesitate to vote yes to keep a jewel such as the Toledo Zoo.
Likening the Toledo Zoo to a jewel prompts me to encourage passage of the levies. One only has to visit other famous zoos to realize what a gem our zoo truly is. I recently helped chaperone Northwood High School seniors on a trip to New York City, where several of us opted to visit the Bronx Zoo, well-known and prestigious among zoos.
While the Bronx Zoo is in a beautiful setting and has far more acreage, it does not compare to the number and quality of exhibits we have here. Several students even commented about how they prefer the Toledo Zoo.
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060501/OPINION03/605010306/0/OPINION
Rajasthan zoos go extra mile to beat the heat
Jaipur, May 9: Bears in Rajasthan zoos are being served chilled milk and herbivorous animals treated to water melons and seasonal fruits to help them keep their cool under the hot summer sun.
"We woke up to the plight of the animals after a leopard cub suffering from sun stroke was brought to our zoo a few days ago. His condition is improving day by day but we are leaving no stones unturned to save our animals from the heat," Jaipur Zoological Park Director Manoj Parashar told PTI today.
He said the zoo had installed special coolers padded the cages with 'khas' while in the enclosures of animals kept in the open, sprinklers had been started. "To ensure better cooling is our utmost necessity," Parasher said.
http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&id=56668
Caucus covers panda points
By Wayne Risher
Contact
May 10, 2006
The giant panda haves and have-nots gathered in Memphis Tuesday to caucus about saving the beloved bears in the wild and displaying more of them in zoos.
Members of the Giant Panda Conservation Foundation prepared to send a team to China to check on conservation programs funded by panda loan fees.
The fees have been in the news recently as officials from panda-holding zoos started negotiating with the Chinese government to secure lower prices for future loans.
Finances were on the back burner this week, but not completely out of the picture, said Dave Towne, foundation chairman, and Dr. Chuck Brady, Memphis Zoo president and CEO. The meeting drew officials from four zoos that have pandas and four that want them.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/article/0,2845,MCA_25340_4686596,00.html
Oh deer! Where they go from here?
Wednesday May 10 2006 11:51 IST
BHUBANESWAR: The Supreme Court notice to state governments and Central Zoo Authority (CZA) on unrecognised zoos could land Orissa in a tight spot.
The apex court notice came after a PIL filed by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) seeking a prohibition on running of these zoos. It also requested that all inmates there be taken over by the government.
Going by statistics available with CZA, there are 17 zoos in Orissa of which nine are running without recognition for failing to meet the parameters.
Incidentally all are deer parks - starting from the one at Papadahandi to the one in Cuttack. Most of these parks are running into serious fund and infrastructure crunch.
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEQ20060510013019&Page=Q&Title=ORISSA&Topic=0
Zoo signs big names to perform in Toledo
By ROD LOCKWOOD
BLADE STAFF WRITER
One of pop music's most venerable stars and a newcomer who has reached No. 1 on Billboard's Top 200 with her first two releases will headline this year's Toledo Zoo Summer Concert Series.
Paul Simon, whose new release "Surprise" hits stores today, will play at the zoo Sunday, July 2, while Ashlee Simpson appears at the amphitheater on Tuesday, July 25, with Australian pop stars The Veronicas as her opening act.
The series - which is rounded out by alt-rockers Guster on Aug. 8 and a Pink Floyd laser show on Aug. 11 - represents some of the most significant star power on the Toledo concert scene in recent memory.
This year's zoo series is a departure from previous years because the three acts all are either in their prime or touring behind new releases, compared with previous years that had more of an "oldies" sheen.
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060509/NEWS38/605090349
Low central-city turnout hurt zoo levy
'New' label also a factor, experts say
By JENNI LAIDMAN
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Failure to bring out the central-city vote may have contributed to the defeat of the Toledo Zoo's 1-mill capital improvement levy.
Low voter turnout in minority neighborhoods, where levies generally are favored by a large percentage of the voting public, may have cost the zoo enough votes that would have pushed the issue over the top. Also eroding support was the fact that the 10-year tax issue was on the ballot as a "new" tax.
The capital improvement issue was to pay off debt, build better elephant facilities, and pay for maintenance at the aquarium. A 0.85-mill, five-year operating levy was approved by voters May 2.
"Historically, the minority areas are very supportive of levies," said Stanford Odesky, who runs a market research firm that bears his name and frequently analyzes vote outcomes in Lucas County.
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060509/NEWS09/605090428
Seized white gator expected to bask in limelight at zoo
BY BO PETERSEN
A rare white alligator at Riverbanks Zoo is about to become a crowd fave.
The alligator is a charmer. It's leucistic, or lacking color pigments, although unlike an albino, it has dark eyes and a brown patch on its head. It is one of only a few leucistic American alligators in the world and may be the only one in South Carolina.
The Columbia zoo and gardens, which has kept it for the Natural Resources Department since it was seized in 2003, will put it on exhibit July 1 in a former anaconda snake display, after beginning live-time webcam broadcasts of it on June 1.
The zoo is where the alligator will stay, despite the outcome of charges against the Edisto Island Serpentarium owners who may have saved its life. Meanwhile, they are about to face a judge.
Heyward and Ted Clamp, the owners and brothers, pulled the alligator as a vulnerable hatchling from a Sea Pines plantation lagoon on Hilton Head Island in 2003. Since 1999, the Clamps have run the Edisto Island exhibit that features hundreds of snakes and other reptiles. Lifelong snake collectors, they have worked with state biologists on reptile studies.
They have a preliminary hearing June 7 in Beaufort on the misdemeanor charge of possessing an alligator, which is a federally protected species, after being arrested by the S.C. Department of Natural
Resources. They could be sentenced to as much as 30 days in jail and a $500 fine if convicted.
"Somebody needs to get real and see what these guys were doing is what they have been doing all their lives ? conserving reptiles," said Charles Macloskie, their attorney.
The Clamps and another man pulled the alligator and two other leucistic hatchlings from the lagoon after being alerted they were there. They did it after unsuccessfully asking the Natural Resources Department to do it, Macloskie said. Leucistic animals don't tend to survive. They often have health problems and in the wild their color exposes them to predators. The other hatchlings died in captivity.
As a hatchling, the alligator's head was only twice as long as a cricket. It's now more than 2 feet long and growing.
"It's obviously a unique story. There's been a lot of interest in it," said Satch Krantz, zoo executive director.
"He's really cool looking," said Sean Foley, a zoo herpetologist who takes care of the gator. "He's been fun to take care of. As far as alligators go, he's a little flighty at times. He'll slither away from you."
The case has been delayed by turnover in the 14th Judicial Circuit solicitor's office. The hearing normally gives prosecutors and defendants an opportunity to plea out cases.
Macloskie said the Clamps are happy the alligator has survived, will be kept at the zoo and exhibited. They won't accept any plea bargain.
"Their interest was in saving the alligator and that they did. Their position is they did not do anything wrong," Macloskie said. "Apparently, DNR thought they broke the law."
Reach Bo Petersenat 745-5852 or bpetersen@postandcourier.com.
http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=86225§ion=localnews
Zoo animals beat the heat with chilled milk
May 10 2006 at 02:15AM
New Delhi - Bears in an Indian zoo are being served chilled milk with glucose to help them beat the scorching summer temperatures that have already killed 55 people, officials said on Tuesday.
Authorities at the zoological park in Jaipur, capital of the desert state of Rajasthan, were also serving melons to other animals as the mercury shot up to 48°C over the weekend.
"We woke up to the plight of the animals after a leopard cub suffering from sun stroke was brought to our zoo a few days ago," zoo director Manoj Parashar told the Press Trust of India.
The official said the heat made the animals irritable.
Authorities said the zoo had also installed water sprinklers to keep the outdoor animals cool and padded cages with special khas grass which helped keep them cool.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=143&art_id=qw1147210562354B253
Look Around MS --Jackson Zoo
By Walt Grayson
walt@wlbt.net
There's something new at the zoo. It's the new Wilderness Mississippi Exhibit. It's a new section just opened in April that highlights the animals we have living in the wild in Mississippi. And there are a few of them that are fast becoming favorites at the zoo.
Sometimes it's hard to tell just who's looking at who when you go to the zoo. By the way, I'll try not to make a rhyme out of this story, but there is something new at the zoo, too. I'll strike off in another direction. Which is exactly what the Jackson Zoo has done.
Used to, we'd go to the zoo to see lions, tigers and elephants. Yes, I know lions, tigers and bears is what Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, but the bears come in HERE, now. In the new Mississippi Exhibit at the Zoo.
Chris Mims with the Zoo is proud to show it off. "A lot of these animals are endangered; some of them are just downright elusive. We have a black bear. And there are a few black bear still left in the state, most of them are around the Mississippi River. But chances are most Mississippian this will never see one in the wild. We have 3 Cougars. They used to be indigenous to the state. There hasn't been a confirmed spotting in the wild in a while. So whether or not they still exist in Mississippi is up for debate. And our river otters specifically; I know growing up in the Delta you'd see things and out in the river and not know quite what they were some times. They've were probably river otters and their noses were sticking out of the water and you couldn't quite identify them."
Some of these guys in the snake house, I've seen in the wild. Last rattle snake I saw was running me out of the cemetery at Windsor. I'd rather meet up with them this way. But I, like most visitors to the new area, found myself glued to the beavers and river otters.
Mims says, "They are certainly my favorite. I work at the zoo and everyday I have to come see the river otters swim around. Every single day."
The best of the old mixed in with the latest of the new. That's what you'll find at the Jackson Zoo. It's hard NOT to become a poet, when your proud of the zoo and you just want to show it. Not that you have to be a poet to be proud, but I just came up with that last rhyme and thought I'd throw it in.
http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=4882443&nav=2CSf
Zoo announces rare births
By CHRISTINE S. DIAMOND, The Lufkin Daily News
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Ellen Trout Zoo staffers were all smiles Tuesday morning as they welcomed the three-week-late arrival of three Louisiana pine snakes from their large eggs in the snake house, and watched a young buck who set rare and endangered hooves to earth Monday bond with his exotic mother, also an endangered species.
The Louisiana pine snakes' parents, residents of Lufkin's zoo since 2002, laid the set of four 4-inch eggs on Jan. 6 — each weighing about 75-80 grams. Reptile caretaker Ben Roberts said he expected the baby snakes to emerge April 12. They didn't.
http://www.lufkindailynews.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/05/10/20060510LDNzoo.html
U.S. panda zoos meet to discuss species' fate
Zookeepers pleased with conservation progress in China
The Associated Press (apwire)
Published on 2006-05-10 15:34 (KST)
Representatives of U.S. zoos that either have pandas on display or are seeking them gathered to discuss the species before a trip to discuss loan fees with the Chinese government, according to a media report.
The trip is planned by members of the Giant Panda Conservation Foundation to check on the programs funded by the loan fees zoos pay to display the animals and to try negotiating better terms.
Most American zoos pay at least $1 million (euro790,000) a year to borrow pandas for the display and research. That money pays for projects in the pandas' natural habitat, like wildlife preserves, reforestation and training conservation workers, The Commercial Appeal reported.
The Memphis Zoo is paying $1.1 million (euro870,000) a year for pandas Ya Ya and Le Le on a 10-year conservation and research loanthat began in 2003.
Dave Towne, the foundation's president and retired director of the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, told the paper that during a recent trip to China he observed 16 baby pandas being raised in facilities improved by funding and expertise from American zoos.
''I am impressed with the progress that's been made,'' Towne told the paper. Before the loans began, ''China really had no money for wildlife conservation. The money that came out of U.S. zoos has made a major difference.'' Chuck Brady, Memphis Zoo's president and CEO, said the aim of lowering loan fees is to allow more zoos to help efforts to revive the species.
''The more zoos that have them, the more the word will get out, and the more positive the impact is going to be on giant pandas in the wild,'' Brady said.
Participating zoos with pandas were the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the San Diego Zoo and Zoo Atlanta. Zoos that want pandas were the Oakland (California) Zoo, the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska, the Toronto Zoo and the Albuquerque (New Mexico) Zoo.
http://english.ohmynews.com/ArticleView/article_view.asp?no=291124&rel_no=1
Don't patronize Game Preserve's 'Kangaroo Walkabout'
''The problem with captive wild animals is the stress they feel in their penned situation.''
The private group that has leased the Lehigh Valley Zoo at the Trexler-Lehigh County Game Preserve and gotten $1.9 million of county taxpayer money has announced a new exhibit, the ''Kangaroo Walkabout.'' Zoo members ($150 a year) can walk in the kangaroo habitat twice, and then again if you pay more. (Regular admission is $5.)
The Morning Call published what I call a puff piece on the Walkabout in the May 4 Go Guide. It showed a picture of two kangas eating from a bowl placed next to the rope defining the human walkway. So, the kangas would have to go up to the rope, with four adults and six children hanging over them, to eat. The story said one child ''squealed in delight,'' another child exclaimed, ''They hop!'' A baby kanga ''stuffed'' itself in its mother's pouch, (to escape, I say), and yet another child called out, ''What are you doing, joey?'' while her parents laughed.
Some people who run zoos limit what is done to animals to only what is good for their welfare. But others say animals will adapt to anything and allow anything they can get people to pay for. Of course, this pays for the zoo, or more particularly, for the salaries, benefits and perks of the professional zoo managers. But I believe there is a line limiting what can be done to zoo animals that should not be lowered, and should be defended or raised.
http://www.mcall.com/news/opinion/anotherview/all-quote-c-a-amay09,0,3635867.story?coll=all-newsopinionanotherview-hed
Dallas Zoo Re-Opens Gorilla Exhibit
(CBS 11 News) DALLAS The Dallas Zoo is almost finished with a $2 million renovation.
On Wednesday, for the first time in 2 years, since Jabari the gorilla escaped and attacked several people, visitors were able to look at the gorilla exhibit.
This is the first time the animals have been let loose in 6 months. They had been inside while the renovation project was underway.
“It’s taken us a long time to do it,” said Dallas Zoo director Rich Buickerood. “It’s been under construction for two years.”
“I never thought it was unsafe to begin with. I think it was a freak accident,” said Kim Vance, a zoo visitor.
Regardless, the zoo made changes just to be safe.
“Jabari did an extraordinary thing,” said Chuck Siegel with Dallas Zoo Animal Management. “What we’ve done is to be on the safer side and increase the height of the walls and increase the distance.”
The walls are now all at least 15 feet tall with a wire around the top. The exhibit also features several boulders, what some are calling “gorilla speed bumps.”
said, “It’s also an opportunity for us to cut down on running lanes so young ambitious gorillas can’t get a head of speed and make another phenomenal jump like a couple years ago.”
Even the youngest visitors have noticed the changes. Jessica Skelton, one little girl enjoying the Dallas Zoo on Wednesday, said, “There’s no possible way for them to get out. There’s no way because a bunch of people have been working here and they’ve been working so hard and no animals will get out and everyone can be safe.”
Half of the gorilla exhibit is open to the public now. The other half will open next month.
http://cbs11tv.com/topstories/local_story_123173654.html
Zoo Tycoon 2 Goes on Golden Safari
05/03/06
Microsoft would like you to believe the savannah is heating up, but in reality, it's just their marketing department getting warm for E3 next week, as they announced today that Zoo Tycoon 2: African Adventure has gone gold and will ship to retailers on May 16.
The expansion includes a bunch of new content, including 20 new African animals that range from the striped hyena roaming the desert landscape to the wildebeest roving the savannah, new scenarios, new challenges and the ability to create African habitats and zoo attractions.
http://www.dailygame.net/news/archives/005550.php
Zoo levies: one passed, one didn't
WTVG-- May 3, 2006 - It turned out ot be a bittersweet election day for the Toledo zoo. It had two levies on the ballot and only one was passed, leaving them with the question: "What now?".
Issue 3, the capital improvement levy the zoo said it so needed, got shot down. Zoo officials were going to use that money to make upgrades around the facility. Issue 4, the operating levy for day-to-day operations, passed but zoo director Dr. Anne Baker says they really needed both. She called it "a significant setback. We are about to begin strategic planning. I had hoped to go into that process with a real clear idea of what our funding base was going to be, where now it's sort of limbo again until November."
That's when she says they have to go back to voters, and if it gets turned down again, the public should expect major cuts. "I think we would not just be looking at Louie; we'd be looking at our whole elephant program. We can't run a program without the appropriate space and if we can't do what's right for the animals, then we won't have the animals; they'll have to go elsewhere."
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=local&id=4138680
Detroit Zoo Breeds Rare Panamanian Frogs
The Associated Press
Wednesday, May 3, 2006; 7:55 PM
ROYAL OAK, Mich. -- The Detroit Zoo reports success in breeding the scarce Panamanian golden frog, threatened with extinction in the wild. Five pairs of the frogs, with distinctive black blotches, have mated and produced large numbers of eggs. Some have hatched into tadpoles.
A sixth pair are mating now and also may produce eggs.
The Detroit Zoo for five years has been part of an international plan to save the rare mountain frogs. The amphibians are threatened by habitat destruction, pollution, climate change and a frog-killing fungus.
The Panamanian golden frog is one of thousands of frog species dwindling in number worldwide, Bill Flanagan, associate curator of amphibians, told the Detroit Free Press for a story Wednesday.
"The amphibian decline rate is much greater than anything else we've seen in our time," he said.
The zoo chose the Panamanian golden frog for attention because "they make great zoo animals," Flanagan said. "They're so colorful, and they're active during the day."
The zoo's amphibian exhibit is closed for renovations and is expected to reopen before Memorial Day.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/03/AR2006050302130.html
Problems Put Honolulu Zoo's Accreditation On Hold
Association Gives Zoo 1 Year To Resolve Issues
POSTED: 4:40 pm HST May 3, 2006
UPDATED: 11:33 am HST May 4, 2006
HONOLULU -- A national zoo group has put the accreditation of the Honolulu Zoo on hold because of maintenance deficiencies, a manpower shortage and other problems there.
The American Zoo and Aquarium Association could revoke the zoo's accreditation if the problems do not improve in one year. Accreditation is important to the zoo because it means the zoo meets basic standards and it also allows Honolulu to trade animals with other zoos around the country.
A three-member team from the American Zoo and Aquarium Association toured Honolulu Zoo for three days in January.
"Basically, that's what the accreditation team said, 'Get your house in order,'" city Enterprise Services Director Sidney A. Quintal said.
The team complained that the zoo's overall look, especially behind the scenes, was "unkempt and cluttered." The inspectors said clutter was so bad in the maintenance area that they couldn't inspect some places.
http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/news/9157342/detail.html
State House approves funding to keep open Detroit Zoo
LANSING, Mich. The Michigan House has approved four (m) million dollars in state funding for the Detroit Zoo, but lawmakers still have to negotiate differences in other parts of a supplemental budget bill before the zoo funding is finalized.
The measure includes four (m) million dollars for the nonprofit Detroit Zoological Society, which is taking over operations of the zoo from the city of Detroit.
In February, the Detroit City Council initially rejected a deal to hand over control of the zoo, putting the state's offer of funding in jeopardy. But the council later voted to transfer control to the zoological society.
The next step is to restore the state funding.
http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4856889
No plans for local zoo
By MaltaMedia News
May 4, 2006, 08:09 CET
The Malta Environment Planning Authority (MEPA) has never received any applications for a local zoo. This was stated by Minister George Pullicino during a parliamentary sitting on Wednesday.
In response to Stefan Buontempo’s parliamentary question regarding whether any interested parties had presented an apllication to open a zoo since the setting up of MEPA, Minister Pullicino answered negatively.
The only animals in zoo-like state in Malta are the dolphins at the Mediterreaneo in Bahar ic-Caħaq.
San Anton gardens used to house animals including monkeys and camels between the 1970’s and 80’s, but it is now only host to a number of exhibitions like the Spring Horticulture show.
http://www.maltamedia.com/news/2005/ln/article_9882.shtml
MBA group helps promote insect zoo
Published on Thursday, May 4, 2006
Kerry Fischer
Kansas State Collegian
Three K-State students are in business, in the bug business that is.
The College of Business Administration offers a masters of business administration practicum option to all of its graduate students as a way to gain real world experience.
“It’s the last course in a student’s program of study,” David Vruwink, assistant dean of accounting, said. “Second-year MBA students take it, and it’s their first exposure to real world problems at a management level.”
The students are placed into a team by the graduate program director, said Jeff Katz, professor in management.
“Once they’re assigned to a team, they have to make it work,” Vruwink said.
There are seven projects in the works this semester.
“I like to meet on a weekly basis to get an update on the status of the project, and periodically I check in with the client to see if they’re communicating,” Vruwink said. “I do that with all seven projects.”
Katz said the most important concept he conveys to his MBA group is identifying the nature of the project.
http://kstatecollegian.com/article.php?a=10266
House reinstates $4M zoo grant
Badly-needed funds will keep financiall-troubled facility in operation
LANSING -- Legislation reinstating a badly needed $4 million grant for the Detroit Zoo was approved by the House on Wednesday.
The money is part of a supplemental spending bill for the current fiscal year, containing a host of added state spending items and recommended by Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
The House made changes in the bill, which already had passed the Senate, so it must return there for final approval.
Lawmakers originally had approved the $4 million grant in December, but made their action contingent on an agreement by the Detroit City Council to give control of zoo operations to the Detroit Zoological Society within 60 days.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060504/METRO/605040415
Zoo survives with help from friends
By Ann Keyes
FOR THE NEWS-LEADER
Who: Friends of the Zoo
Mission: FOZ shares the goals of the Springfield-Greene County Park Board property the group supports: Dickerson Park Zoo. The nonprofit FOZ and the zoo seek "to provide meaningful recreation experiences, educate the public about nature, conserve animals and plants and conduct research," says zoo public relations director Melinda Mancuso.
About: Most noted for its Asian elephant, cheetah and wolf-breeding programs, Dickerson Park Zoo houses more than 500 animals representing 170 species. Now highly regarded throughout the country, the property wasn't always a gem. In the late 1970s, the zoo was on the verge of being closed, says the park's Web site.
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060504/LIFE06/605040314/1037
Zoo animals join artistic efforts
AMANDA PIERRE
STATE OF THE ARTS
May 4, 2006
Local artists have painted new murals at the Blank Park Zoo, proving that some people are just wildly artistic. They are the winning participants in a competition held by zoo officials in conjunction with Metro Arts.
The work of Liz Regenold and her son, Alex, will welcome "Tarzans and Janes" to the area where folks truly answer nature's call - the restrooms and drinking fountains of the Discovery Center.
Liz Regenold, who won first place, has adorned the wilderness retreat with an Africa scene, including savannah residents such as lions, giraffes and a zebra. Second place went to Jill Wells, who painted the lower floor of the Discovery Center with an ocean theme. Johnston Middle School eighth-grader Yiming Qin was also selected to add to the zoo's wild decor.
The Blank Park Zoo will host a show of each artist's work for one month during the summer in the Discovery Center's Zoo Safari Snack Shop.
Zoo animals have caught the bug, too. Their art, created by their paws, feet and hooves, will be on display and available in the zoo's gift shop starting Monday.
OPERA LEGEND COMES TO WAUKEE: The Waukee Area Arts Council will present a concert with Simon Estes at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Waukee High School Auditorium. Tickets are $25. Estes will speak to Waukee schoolchildren today as a part of the Character Counts program, and conduct workshops with the sixth- through 12th-grade choirs. Tickets to his show will be available at the Chit-n-Chat Coffee House, 13 Carefree Lane, Waukee, or by phone at (515) 402-7870.
DINOSAURS IN THE EAST VILLAGE: From Our Hands, 400 E. Locust St., Ste. 8, hosts an "Art for the Garden" Show through May 13. On view and sale are the large-scale dinosaur sculptures by Ben Britton of Zearing. For more info, call 282-3496.
IOWA FRINGE FEST SET: Folks are lining up their offerings for the next Iowa Fringe Festival, set for July 20-23. The Drama Workshop and Tramp Theatre Troupe will co-produce "Character Assassination" by playwright Jules Joyce, a Des Moines native. Frisky about the fest? Go to www.iowafringe.com/.
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060504/ENT01/605040360/1047/ENT01
Parade of steel animals begins journey to Midwest zoo
BUFFALO, N.Y. A rolling menagerie of sculptured animals has begun its 800-mile parade from western New York to Saint Louis, Missouri.
Rochester sculptor Albert Paley has created a series of massive figures that will stand at the entrance of the Saint Louis Zoo. When it's reassembled at the zoo, the 200-ton display will be 130 feet long and 36 feet high -- making it the world's largest public zoo sculpture.
Yesterday, a Buffalo-area trucking company began hauling the sculpture to its destination. The steel pieces included a two-ton rhinoceros and an elephant and giraffe chained upright on flatbed trucks. More trucks are scheduled to depart today, with the rest to follow next week.
The dozens of animal figures were fabricated by Klein Steel Services of Rochester and welded by General Welding of Attica.
Paley is a professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology. His works are on display at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art, Boston's Museum of Fine Arts and London's Victoria and Albert Museum.
http://www.wstm.com/Global/story.asp?S=4858533&nav=2aKD
Cincinnati Zoo Expecting Two Baby Gorillas
POSTED: 8:02 am EDT May 4, 2006
UPDATED: 11:17 am EDT May 4, 2006
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CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Zoo's gorilla breeding program is expecting its first babies since 1998.
Muke, 24, a mother of two, is due in August, and Samantha, 36, mother of six and grandmother of 11, is expecting in September, said Ron Evans, primate center team leader. Muke delivered the last gorilla baby here.
The father-to-be is Jomo, a 15-year-old silverback on loan from Toronto.
The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, with 47 gorillas born since 1970, ranks second nationally to the Bronx Zoo, which has had 57 births, said Dan Wharton, North America coordinator for the Gorilla Species Survival Plan.
http://www.channelcincinnati.com/health/9158319/detail.html
L.A. Zoo has baby animalon view
Just in time for Mother's Day, the Los Angeles Zoo invites families to see the zoo's new babies. The proud mothers include a tiger, a kangaroo, a giraffe and a Cape vulture. In all, there are more than 15 baby animals on display at the zoo throughout the month of May during its special "Everybody Loves a Baby" exhibit.
Visitors are invited to take a special self-guided tour and view the zoo's latest arrivals. Located in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, the zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For admission information and directions, call (323) 644-4200 or visit www.lazoo.org.
http://www.toacorn.com/news/2006/0504/On_The_Town/155.html
Working at the Zoo
"My job is to feed the customers – aka 'the animals.' "
Listen to this Commentary!
By Corinne Sampson
I wish there was such a thing as a fast, legal source of money for a high school senior.
I work for the animals who come to see the animals.
I’m a food service cashier for the National Zoo. Basically, I’m the epitome of customer service. My job is to feed the customers – aka “the animals”. Every weekend, I endure rude people – loud children, parents with attitudes, and impatient mongrels who snatch food out of my hand and start stuffing their faces right in front of my register.
People constantly complain about the prices, but the zoo is free. Everything is free, except for the food and souvenirs. What they don’t realize is that all the proceeds – from the pretzels to the t-shirts to the binoculars to the stuffed monkeys – go to animal research.
The poor animals are sick of the customers as well – banging on their glass cages and screaming at them. I don’t blame them. I wouldn’t want anyone staring at me every day as if I was on Broadway. Go home rude people! Watch Animal Planet or National Geographic and stay away from my register
http://www.youthradio.org/jobs/wtop030504_zoo.shtml
Cincinnati Zoo's breeding program makes comeback
Associated Press
CINCINNATI - The Cincinnati Zoo's gorilla breeding program is expecting its first babies since 1998.
Muke, 24, a mother of two, is due in August, and Samantha, 36, mother of six and grandmother of 11, is expecting in September, said Ron Evans, primate center team leader. Muke delivered the last gorilla baby here.
The father-to-be is Jomo, a 15-year-old silverback on loan from Toronto.
The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, with 47 gorillas born since 1970, ranks second nationally to the Bronx Zoo, which has had 57 births, said Dan Wharton, North America coordinator for the Gorilla Species Survival Plan.
Cincinnati's breeding program had been on hiatus since 1999, when Chaka, a silverback on loan from Philadelphia and father of nine babies here, returned home. The zoo's other male, Colossus, never showed any interest in breeding before he died April 11.
About 75,000 endangered lowland gorillas remain in the wild, and they're disappearing at the rate of 1,000 a year, zoo officials said.
For breeding purposes, Evans hopes for girls.
"One male is good for four or five females, which means females are at a premium," he said. "I'd be thrilled with two girls, but mostly I want two healthy, happy babies."
http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/14499862.htm
SB Zoo Faces New Pachyderm Protection Plan
Elephants in the Santa Barbara Zoo may soon have to pack their trunks and move, pending an upcoming decision by the California State Legislature.
On April 25, a California Assembly committee passed the Elephant Protection Act, which will go to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for approval May 10. The bill, CA AB 3027, would require California’s zoos to expand their elephant enclosures to at least five acres and to stop using certain elephant handling tools, or risk losing their elephant exhibits altogether. Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, a Democrat from Van Nuys, authored the bill with backing from the Sacramento-based Animal Protection Institute. The Santa Barbara Zoo currently houses its Asian elephants, Sujatha and Little Mac, in a 13,000-square-foot exhibit, which is less than a third of an acre, Animal Protection Institute Media Relations Officer Zibby Wilder said.
Wilder said the legislation is not meant to close down elephant programs at the zoos, although it could potentially force some zoos to get ride of their animals.
“The intent is to keep elephants in zoos, [but] if you cannot properly care for the animals you should not be allowed to keep them,” Wilder said. “Zoos would have plenty of time - until 2009 - [to meet the requirements].”
http://www.ucsbdailynexus.com/news/2006/11624.html
Watoto's first birthday a success story for zoo
Friday, 5 May 2006
THE success of Monarto Zoological Park's southern white rhinoceros breeding program was heralded with the birthday of the first rhino born in South Australia last week. The male rhino, Watoto, celebrated its first birthday on Friday and rhino keeper Tony Austin (pictured) said the occasion was a big day for everyone.
It's a big deal for us because it's our first one, he said.
Watoto has grown from 40 kilograms to 300kg in 12 months and Mr Austin said he was happy about the success so far.
It's one of the things we have never bred before so you don't know if it's going to work, he said.
As a birthday treat, Watoto was given large bail of lucerne hay.
Monarto zoo has five rhinos and the park plans to continue breeding, aiming to send them back to protected conservation game reserves in Southern Africa.
http://murraybridge.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=local&story_id=478299&category=General%20News&m=5&y=2006
Serious cuteness on display at the zoo
Zoo Babies starts Saturday; you can see why it's so popular
JIM KNIPPENBERG ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Call it the "ooh and aah" factor - little tangles of fur and fluff, waddling around on shaky legs, sometimes clinging to Mom, sometimes just lying there staring at you.
Zoo Babies, the annual month-long show and tell at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, kicks off Saturday, and is expected to draw a crowd of 200,000, up from 150,000 in a typical summer month. That makes the event the zoo's second busiest party of the year, right after the Festival of Lights.
And no wonder. The place always has a goodly sized crop of babies - more than a dozen at the moment - with a gaggle of others expected before the May 28 finale.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060505/ENT09/605050328/1025
Bronx zoo goes ape
BY BOB KAPPSTATTER
DAILY NEWS BRONX BUREAU CHIEF
Fans went bananas at the Bronx Zoo's Congo Gorilla Forest exhibit yesterday as the four latest young additions made their official debuts.
Three male gorillas and a little girlrilla came out with the warm weather, cradled in their nursing moms' arms, piggybacking and even doing some shoulder climbing to explore some tree leaves.
"Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Look at them!" cried an excited 8-year-old Colleen Freyer to her dad, Paul, and friend Michelle Kenny, 8, of Croton-on-Hudson as they entered the exhibit - a wall of thick glass the only thing separating them from the gorillas.
Zookeepers said the youngest - and only female - was born March 21 to first-time mom Halima, while mom Julia's son was born Sept. 8, and is getting coaching in gorilla ways from older brother Pierrepont.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/414991p-350717c.html
3 of 4 gorillas set to return to zoo's renovated outdoor exhibit
By EVA-MARIE AYALA
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
Finger painting and movies are fine, but for gorillas that have been cooped for nearly a year, nothing beats playing in the grass and foraging for food.
Three of the Dallas Zoo gorillas are returning to the outdoor exhibit of the Jake L. Hamon Gorilla Conservation Research Center on Saturday after almost a year living solely in their indoor quarters while the exhibit has been renovated.
Officials recently tested the north portion of the exhibit by letting Jenny, 51, roam by herself for a while.
"She just lay on her back and looked at the sky, ate some vegetation and was as calm as could be," said Chuck Siegel, deputy director for animal management.
http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/state/14507919.htm
Zoo hosts Humane Society adoption
Welcome a cat or dog into the family
May 5, 2006
People heading to the Detroit Zoo this weekend can do more than just gawk at the animals -- they can also bring one home.
OK, so you can't tote back a python or a polar bear, but there will be hundreds of dogs and cats that need homes.
The Detroit Zoo and the Michigan Humane Society will partner with about 25 other local animal welfare organizations on Saturday and Sunday for the 14th annual spring Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo. Parking and admission to the event, which will be held in tents in the lot beneath the zoo's water tower, is free.
Amy Popp, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Humane Society, estimates between 750 and 1,000 puppies, kittens, dogs and cats will be at the event, hoping for new families.
She added that those who can't find a dog or cat they mesh with on Saturday should come back Sunday for a whole new group of animals.
Those who want puppies, however, must come early on either day. Because of the demand, the first 25 people at the event who say they wish to adopt puppies will be given a "puppy pass." The pass allows them to enter the tents 15 minutes before the event officially begins at 10 a.m.
In order to adopt, you must be at least 18 years old and have a proof of identification. The animals are up to date on their immunizations.
Organizers ask that attendees leave current pets at home.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060505/FEATURES01/605050365/1026
Sedated lionesses enter NEW Zoo like lambs
Pair expected to attract visitors, join captive-breeding program
By Paul Brinkmann
pbrinkma@greenbaypressgazette.com
SUAMICO — A long-awaited pair of young lionesses arrived Thursday afternoon at Brown County's NEW Zoo from the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison.
The new lionesses are the latest step in an expansion at the NEW Zoo. Besides helping to attract visitors, the lionesses will be part of an exchange captive-breeding program for the rare African lion. The American Zoological Society approved of the transfer through its Species Survival Plan. In another two years, they may be producing lion cubs.
Officially, their names are Etana and Ajia, which are Swahili, respectively, for "strong one" and "quick". But they were better known in Madison by their nicknames, Piggy and Bones, for their opposite eating habits.
The Columbus Zoo in Ohio accepted one of the NEW Zoo's longtime favorites, an aging female lion named Raja. The new pair is taking over her former den. It's near the home of new young giraffes that arrived in the winter.
"It's going to be a tremendous new addition. With the giraffes and the new lions, this should be a great year," said Neil Anderson, zoo director.
The lions were anesthetized for loading in their trailer in Madison and again upon arrival in Suamico.
The two females were part of a five-cub litter born a year ago that made headlines and drew a steady stream of visitors in Madison. The other three were males, and one of them has been shipped to the zoo in Racine.
"Their genetics are known and recorded. There's probably only about 80 of them in the United States," said James Hubing, director at the Henry Vilas Zoo.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060505/GPG0101/605050589/1207/GPGnews
Electric train becomes permanent zoo inhabitant
Steam train moves over for newer model, which has been on a yearlong tryout.
The Orange County Register
SANTA ANA – The Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park bought a new Zoofari Express train after a yearlong test drive.
A new electric train has replaced the 1860s-style steam train at the Santa Ana Zoo. Several contributors made the purchase of the environmentally friendly engine and train possible: Ludwick Foundation, Bud Hurlbut, the manufacturer, and William Sommerville, a Santa Ana developer and longtime advocate; Friends of Santa Ana Zoo Board of Directors; and members of the Platinum 1036 Train Club.
Supporters welcome the new train 10 a.m. Saturday at the zoo with a check presentation.
The Zoofari Express has trekked through the park since spring 1999 after serving a 43-year run at Santa's Village in Skyforest. The zoo began test driving the electric train, a prototype for the manufacturer, last year, but only recently committed to its purchase. With the new train running, the zoo will now replace the steam engine of the old train with an electric one. Later, two trains will make runs.
The train travels throughout the Crean Family Farm, the Children's Zoo, and into the northern part of the zoo for a 6 ½-minute ride. The locomotive pulls six cars: a tender, four passenger cars and a caboose.
The Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park is at 1801 E. Chestnut Ave. The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for seniors and children ages 3 to 12. Children 2 years old and younger, people with disabilities and members of the zoo are admitted free. Elephant rides are $5 and train rides are $3. Information: Cathi Decker at (714) 953-8555, Ext. 11.
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1131160.php
'AnimaLuau' at the Minnesota Zoo
APPLE VALLEY
Dogs and their human companions are invited to a day of demonstrations and contests during "AnimaLuau" from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. May 13 at the Minnesota Zoo. The event is held by the Minnesota Zoo chapter of the American Association of Zookeepers in partnership with the Minnesota Valley Humane Society's "Woofer and Hoofer" Pet Festival. A portion of money raised will benefit animals at the humane society. At the Puma Pavilion, dogs can compete in several categories, including "best trick" and "cutest puppy." The top three dogs in each category win ribbons and prizes. The event is free, but it costs $5 to enter your dog in a contest, plus $1 for each additional entry. Tropical attire is encouraged to enhance the luau theme. All dogs must have current vaccinations and be leashed. Registration forms, which should be filled out and brought to the event, are available at www.MVHSpets.org. For details, call the zoo at 952-431-9500 or visit www.mnzoo.org.
hastings
Annual raptor release: Watch as raptors are returned to the wild from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center, 12805 St. Croix Trail. Learn the real-life stories of the Raptor Center's eagles, hawks, owls and falcons. Participants also can meet the birds, visit the interpretive center or hike. Hands-on activities for children, educational shows and entertainment also are planned. At 1 p.m., at least two raptors will be released. For details, call 651-437-4359.
Inver Grove heights
Concert: The Inver Hills Community Band presents "Best of Band Classics," the sixth annual spring band concert, at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the Fine Arts Auditorium of Inver Hills Community College. The performance will include Rimsky-Korsakov's "Procession of the Nobles," Richard Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries," Bizet's "Suite from Carmen" and other classics. The college is at 2500 80th Street E. Admission is free. For more information, go to www.ihcb.org.
West St. PAul
Pancake breakfast: The West St. Paul queen candidates are holding a pancake breakfast from 8 to 10:30 a.m. today at Applebee's, 1753 S. Robert St. Breakfast will include pancakes, sausages, scrambled eggs and a beverage. Tickets are available at the door for $5. All proceeds benefit the Celebrate West St. Paul Days program and royalty scholarships. E-mail weststpaulroyalty@email.com for more information.
events elsewhere
Spring tea: The Maplewood Area Historical Society will sponsor a springtime tea May 13 at Bruentrup Heritage Farm, 2170 E. County Road D, Maplewood. Seatings are at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Cost is $25 or $15 for those younger than 15. For information, call Char at 651-776-7183 or Carolyn at 651-748-9009.
Compiled by Andy Rathbun. Send your Dakota County events to news@pioneerpress.com or fax to 651-228-2179.
http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/14514351.htm
Zoo to celebrate wildflowers on Sunday
PORTLAND, Ore. - Oregon Zoo showcases Oregon wildflowers and their vital role in the web of life during Celebrating Wildflowers, Sunday, May 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event, sponsored by the Bureau of Land Management, highlights the interdependence of Oregon plants and wildlife through fun, family-friendly activities, and is free with zoo admission.
"Wildflowers and other native plants are critical to a healthy ecosystem," says Tony Vecchio, Oregon Zoo director. "Their vital role is often taken for granted. This event, while involving people with conservation programs, highlights the importance of wildflowers in ways that are fun and exciting for both children and adults."
http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=85229
Zoo opens its gates for season
Admission fees waived
By Doug Zellmer
of The Northwestern
The Menominee Park Zoo is dawning on a new era when it opens for the season at 9 a.m. today.
Gone is the zoo entrance fee thanks to a donation by Tom and Penny Harenburg, while a new elk exhibit is taking shape, although it's not expected to open for a couple of months.
"We're looking forward to a good season," said Menominee Park zoo specialist Carrie Hill. "Each year, we try to improve the experience inside the zoo for the animals and the visitors."
The Harnburgs worked with the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation to set up an annual $65,000 fund that will eliminate the city zoo's entrance fees and cover a portion of zoo upkeep and improvement costs.
Tom Stephany, parks director for the city of Oshkosh, said the goal is to open the elk exhibit July 1. Parks department workers began construction of the exhibit last fall.
"It's going to be a very nice exhibit; very naturalistic," Stephany said.
When the elk exhibit is completed, visitors to the zoo will have unobstructed viewing of the elk from an observation deck and log cabin.
Stephany said they'd like to get three young elk for the exhibit — a bull calf and two young heifers.
"The goal is that when these animals are of breeding age they will be reproductive," Stephany said.
The elk exhibit is next to where three wolves — Saleen, Caleb and Rutger — have called their permanent home after arriving at the zoo in mid-August 2002.
The wolves were donated to the zoo for educational purposes by the Wildlife Science Center in Forest Lake, Minn.
The wolves live in a nearly one-acre area that includes a limestone cliff, boulders, vine plantings and prairie grasses.
Hill said new additions to the zoo this year include white crowned mangabeys, which are considered one of the world's most endangered primates.
Also on exhibit at the zoo this season are brown lemurs and a pair of coati, which are like a South American raccoon.
Doug Zellmer: (920) 426-6667 or dzellmer@thenorthwestern.com.
http://www.thenorthwestern.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060506/OSH0101/605060328/1128/OSHnews
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