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Family cat unlikely to give babies asthma
Wednesday June 14, 2006
NEW YORK - Exposure during infancy to pets or airborne allergens, such as house dust mites, does not seem to increase the likelihood a child will develop asthma.
United States researchers have studied airway hyperresponsiveness, a hallmark of asthma in which the lungs overreact to pollen and dust or other airborne particles by closing up tiny airways.
Dr Elizabeth C. TePas and colleagues from the Channing Laboratory, Brigham, and Women's Hospital in Boston report their findings in the medical journal Chest.
The investigators looked for ties between early life factors and airway hyperresponsiveness in 131 children with at least one parent with a history of asthma or allergies.
They followed the children's health and early life exposures to allergens until they were 7, when they had allergy and lung tests.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10386428
Last Update: Monday, April 10, 2006. 9:00pm (AEST)
Baby meerkat stolen from Adelaide zoo
Zoo officials in Adelaide are baffled by the apparent theft of a three-month-old meerkat.
They say the small African mammal will not survive more than a few days without its mother.
An anonymous phone call tipped-off zoo staff this morning.
The caller said they had heard third-hand that someone had climbed an exhibit barrier and placed the baby meerkat in a backpack on Sunday afternoon.
A head count revealed one of the animals was missing.
Zoo director Kevin Evans is at a loss to explain why the female meerkat would be stolen.
"I don't think there was any financial benefit to be gained from removing this animal. It was more likely to have been a dare," he said.
Mr Evans warns the animal will bite, which could leave an unfortunate thief open to serious infection.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200604/s1613110.htm
Last Update: Tuesday, April 11, 2006. 7:24am (AEST)
Stolen meerkat returned to zoo
South Australian police say they will continue to investigate the theft of a meerkat from the Adelaide Zoo, despite the animal being found alive and well.
The three-month-old mammal is back in the hands of keepers after it was discovered last night in Hackam West.
A man walking his dog in parkland came across the meerkat in a cardboard box.
An anonymous caller had earlier alerted authorities to the theft, claiming a man had climbed into the zoo's enclosure on Sunday and put it in a backpack.
Zoo keepers had feared the meerkat would not survive long without its mother.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200604/s1613207.htm
Royal birthday gift: Tasmanian devils
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=dd55457b-a6ef-45b1-bcb7-2152730ef870&k=73561
Zoo works hard to save the rhino
It might have been a fun day in the sun for visitors, but the aim of the Johannesburg Zoo's Save the Rhino campaign was serious. It raised funds for selected rhino conservation projects in Africa and Asia.
April 10, 2006
By Thabang Mokoka
THE Johannesburg Zoo and its visitors went all out to save the rhino on Saturday, 8 April.
The zoo chose the day as its Rhino Day after Eaza, the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, in conjunction with Save the Rhino International, SRI, invited international participation in its Save the Rhino campaign.
It was the first zoo in Africa to join the initiative. It may have started slowly, but soon the day became an experience of note for both children and parents.
http://www.joburg.org.za/2006/apr/apr10_rhino.stm
Royal welcome for devilish new Danes
11apr06
CROWN Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik giggled and tried to copy the sounds of four Tasmanian devils when they arrived at Copenhagen Zoo as a christening gift to the couple's baby son yesterday.
The royal couple tried to emulate the loud growls of the small carnivorous animals, which were given to the zoo by the State Government.
The four devils -- two males and two females -- will be kept in a specially built facility in a section of the zoo that has other animals from Australia, including kangaroos and emus.
Frederik, Denmark's future king, kneeled as he tried to get the animals' attention through a thick window.
http://www.themercury.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,18779040%5E3462,00.html
Rare king
By ALISON REHN
April 11, 2006
THERE are only 20 of his kind in the world – and this impressive king cheetah could soon be spending the night with you.
The owners of Canberra Zoo yesterday unveiled the animal as their latest addition and announced plans to build a safari park.
Canberra's National Zoo and Aquarium director Richard Tindale hopes his dream for a multi-million dollar African safari park will be approved next month.
The open range zoo, which will feature lions, tigers, zebras, antelope and giraffe, is being planned for 60ha of land adjoining the zoo, burnt out in the Christmas 2001 bushfires.
The cost of the safari park is expected to run into tens of millions of dollars and take about 10 years to build. To pay for it, Mr Tindale said the zoo would build an African-style village, with huts, within the park.
For about $600 a night, a family could be treated to tours, breakfast, dinner with the animals, and then be able to sleep in one of the 15 to 20 rooms in the village.
The 10-month-old king cheetah cub is believed to be only one of 20 in the world, and is the first of its kind in Australasia.
Born in South Africa, the king cheetah came to Australia with his half-sister, a standard cheetah.
Both cats are still unnamed and the zoo is seeking suggestions from the general public.
Zoo vet Dr Stephen Van Mil said the zoo would breed the king cheetah with a standard cheetah in the hope of boosting the world population of the endangered species.
"The zoo wanted to get one because they're so rare and wonderful," he said.
http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,20281,18777764-5001022,00.html
Television Show Helps Alabama Zoo's Attendance, Donations Swell
GULF SHORES, Ala. -- The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is living up to the title of its Animal Planet television show, "The Little Zoo That Could."
The nonprofit zoo has broken attendance records and seen a deluge of donations as the hit show tracks the zoo's struggle to reopen following its 2004 evacuation as Hurricane Ivan approached.
On March 22nd, the zoo had its best day in 16 years with 491 paying guests. Two days later, it the record with 692 visitors.
General Manager Kate Raymond said their spring T-shirt order, which usually keeps the zoo stocked with souvenir shirts through the summer, sold out in five days.
The 17-acre zoo became the subject of a television show as Hurricane Ivan approached in September 2004. It was the first full-scale evacuation of a U.S. zoo. The storm put the zoo under several feet of water.
Organic Entertainment, a production company, pitched the story to Animal Planet. The network agreed to run 13 one-hour episodes following the evacuation and reopening.
Now, "The Little Zoo That Could" sits in prime time two nights a week on the network. Each episode premieres at 8 p.m. Wednesdays while the series is rerun at 9 p.m. Thursdays.
http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=4750908&nav=0RdE
Graduate Pandas Enjoy New Home At Zoo
Animals Come From Breeding Center
POSTED: 1:05 pm PDT April 10, 2006
UPDATED: 1:08 pm PDT April 10, 2006
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SHANGHAI, China -- Three young pandas who graduated from a Chinese breeding center are getting used to their new living quarters.
"Rongrong," "Honghong" and "Yaya" are all 1 year old.
They were recently moved from a private enclosure at China's Wolong Panda Breeding Center to a more public home at a Shanghai zoo.
Their new home includes an indoor area that maintains a comfortable temperature and an outdoor area equipped with swings and shelves for them to play with.
Zoo staff said the trio have adapted well to their new home and are definitely enjoying all the attention from zoo visitors.
Only about 1,000 pandas are believed to live in the wild in the mountains of southwest China. More than 100 live in captivity throughout the world.
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February 20, 2006: Pandas Meant For Taiwan Enjoy Winter Wonderland
January 25, 2006: U.S. Official Visits Chinese Pandas
January 6, 2006: China Offers Pandas As Gifts To Taiwan
December 9, 2005: National Zoo Panda Cub Meets The Public
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http://www.nbc4.tv/news/8600705/detail.html
$39M Elephant Exhibit To Be Built At L.A. Zoo
(CBS) LOS ANGELES A 3.7-acre, $39 million elephant exhibit is one step closer to being built at the Greater Los Angeles Zoo, under a plan approved Monday by two City Council committees.
Dozens of people spoke both for and against the proposed exhibit during a joint meeting of the council's Budget and Finance and Arts, Parks, Health and Aging committees.
The full City Council is scheduled to consider the matter on April 19. "I'm going to push for this (3.7) acres to be even bigger," according to Councilman Tom LaBonge, whose 4th District includes the zoo. "I want to do this for the children of Los Angeles who visit our zoo, and all the people who come to study our animals. I'm proud of this zoo, and in particular, this exhibit."
The exhibit would have a lush forest and bathing waterholes. An additional two acres would be set aside to provide visitor viewing of the pachyderms from a variety of distances, from vistas overlooking the enclosure to a barrier-protected area that would provide up-close views.
http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_100194450.html
Zoo vet award
By Kath Gannaway
11th April 2006 08:38:40 AM
HEALESVILLE Sanctuary’s Australian Wildlife Health Centre (AWHC) and its Vet for a Day program have been recognised as outstanding innovations in the zoo industry.
The AWHC was named best large-scale exhibit out of more than 60 zoos, aquaria and wildlife parks across Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Oceania, while the Sanctuary’s Department of Discovery and Learning received the ARAZPA Education Award for an outstanding achievement to educational program design.
The awards were announced last week at the Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria (ARAZPA) Conference in Perth.
Vet for a Day is a careers program which brings students from all around Victoria to the sanctuary to experience first-hand the day-to-day tasks of a wildlife vet.
“The students who take part are very committed,” education officer Hilary Tabrett said.
“This program helps them to make choices about working as a vet or with animals in the future.”
Sanctuary veterinarian, Dr Rupert Baker, said receiving the best exhibit award was recognition that the AWHC, which opened in December, is a unique concept which incorporates not only the work of the veterinary department and the display aspect of the centre, but which provides an opportunity for education of the public.
The Sanctuary’s director, Matt Vincent, said winning the awards demonstrated Healesville Sanctuary’s leadership and innovation in the industry.
“The AWHC and the Vet for a Day program are excellent examples of our commitment to providing experiences that connect people with wildlife to enhance their understanding of the delicate world in which we live,” Mr Vincent said.
http://www.starnewsgroup.com.au/story/12699
Biology comes alive on trips to the zoo
By JOHN LINDENBERGER, The North Platte Telegraph
04/10/2006
Students in Bob McFarland’s honors biology class look over animal skulls as they prepare for a trip to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha April 27. Shown, clockwise from bottom left, are Allie Bean, Ryan Norman, McFarland, Jill Hassel and Jenna Mroczek.
How do you make biology fun and exciting for high school students?
How about a trip to the zoo?
On April 27, a dozen North Platte High School students will travel to Omaha to visit the Henry Doorly Zoo. The trip is an annual event organized by high school biology teacher Bob McFarland.
"It's one thing to talk about something, it's another to actually see it or touch it," McFarland said.
That's why the veteran teacher takes the students in his honors biology class to what he considers one of the best zoos in the nation. "At least one of the top three," he added.
In prior years, McFarland funded the trip out of his own pocket, paying for admission to the zoo and one meal for each student. This year, the North Platte Public Schools Foundation will pay for the trip.
This education project was one of several programs funded by the foundation this year. McFarland said he is very appreciative of the grant, which will help him to continue his yearly project.
http://www.nptelegraph.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16460288&BRD=377&PAG=461&dept_id=531813&rfi=6
Attendance surges at Gulf zoo
GULF SHORES -- The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is living up to the title of its Animal Planet television show, "The Little Zoo That Could."
The nonprofit zoo has broken attendance records and seen a deluge of donations as the hit show tracks the nonprofit zoo's struggle to reopen following its 2004 evacuation as Hurricane Ivan approached.
"The attendance has just been incredible," said Steve Jones, a zoo board member who is also a Gulf Shores city councilman.
On March 22, the zoo had its best day in 16 years with 491 paying guests.
Two days later, it trounced that mark with 692 visitors.
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060411/NEWS02/604110335/1009
Zoo clueless about missing bear
From correspondents in New Delhi
April 11, 2006
IT'S big, black and dangerous and could be roaming about the Indian capital.
New Delhi zoo would like to hear urgently from anyone who spots a Himalayan bear missing since February.
The story is embarrassing zoo authorities who today declined to comment officially.
But one official, who asked not to be named, scoffed at explanations offered so far to the Indian media that the female bear may have tried to tunnel her way to freedom.
The zoo official said the bear may have been poached or died from carelessness.
http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,20281,18789804-5001028,00.html
Cloned wildcat, cubs at zoo due to Katrina
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
PATRICK HICKERSON
News staff writer
Caty looks like a domestic cat, especially when she's playing, but she's an African wildcat.
She's also a celebrity clone.
The Birmingham Zoo is taking care of Caty and her three offspring for the Audubon Nature Institute Center for Research of Endangered Species in New Orleans as it recoups from Hurricane Katrina.
http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1144747368227200.xml&coll=2
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