Zoos
Keeping Zoo Animals Cool in the Heat
You're certainly aware when the sweltering temperatures begin take a toll on your body, yet people aren't the only one's dealing with nature's thermostat. Just take a quick trip to the Knoxville Zoo.
With plus ninety degree temps, Julie Molchan has a good reason for trying to keep it cool.
"I like the camels. She likes the camels because she got to ride it," Molchan said.
Human beings certainly got the right idea.
"We picked a really warm day to come," zoo visitor Kim Trivette said.
They're enjoying the chance to take in a world spanning array of humble characters. Traits and characteristics of people and those who reign in the wild kingdom are obviously quite different. But then again....
"They treat the heat the same way we do," zoo worker Chad Fifer said.
A shady spot becomes a hot commodity. Just ask these camels. Water is nature's hydration for man and beast alike.
"When you walk through the zoo you'll notice right away that for the most part on a day like this they're not very active. Most of them are asleep, most of them are laying in the shade, and that's pretty much how it is," Fifer said.
That might mean less of a chance to see your favorite zoo creature in action, but keeping the heat under control is a visual task unto itself.
"We want them to have natural ways to keep themselves cool, but we do what we can to help out that without interfering with their normal lives," Fifer said.
And upon learning these lessons of animal instinct versus our version of natural air conditioning. A cool connection can becomes a reality.
"I guess they're all drinking a lot of water. They keep stopping and drinking," Molchan said.
"They seem to enjoy playing in it to get out of the heat just like we do," Trivette said.
Many of the zoo's animals, of course, were born for the hot deserts or jungles, but past residents, such as polar bears, just couldn't deal with it.
http://www.volunteertv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5157478
White Lion Makes Public Debut At Argentina Zoo ( Play video at link)
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina A rare white lion made his public debut at a zoo in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Friday.
The lion, named Siam, was brought over from South Africa and will be staying for three months in Argentina, during the school winter holidays.
The adult male weighs 440 pounds and is one of only 200 white lions in the world, most of which reside in Africa.
It is not an albino lion – his fur is nearly white but not quite – due to a recessive gene. Head veterinarian Miguel Rivolta explained that the "white tea color" was due to genetic mutations.
African folklore tells of a white lion appearing from the heavens. Stories of its magical powers to do good have been passed through generations through oral story telling and cave paintings.
Animal lovers gathered outside the lion's enclosure for a chance to see the rare carnivore as part of an initiative to encourage children to acquaint themselves with rare species.
http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_197175941.html
Video Library
http://www.kutv.com/video/?id=17447@kutv.dayport.com
Hot days are cool for zoo's polar bears
By Whitney Boyd
Contact
July 17, 2006
In the 97-degree heat, two-year-old Peyton submerged his fury body into the swimming pool.
His tank, which he shares with Haley, 3, and Cranbeary, 4, looks nothing like his native Arctic habitat.
Instead of solid ice, tan boulders surround the 130-gallon pool. Instead of white snow, eight beige triangular tarps hover over the polar bear display, keeping out the sun.
Peyton pushed his 900-pound body out of the 62-degree water and stared at the curious onlookers through his clear tank.
Sunday afternoon, spectators crowded inside the air-conditioned polar bear exhibit at the Memphis Zoo, fascinated and perplexed.
How will three polar bears survive the hottest week of the year-- with temperatures expected to hit 100 degrees by Tuesday?
"It's that water," guessed spectator Chuck Milliman. "That's got to be how they're staying cool."
Matt Thompson, Memphis Zoo curator of mammals, said the tank is designed to be polar-bear friendly. Opened in March, the exhibit is located in the Northwest passage and is the newest addition to the Memphis Zoo.
"They're moving around and remaining active," Thompson said. "This is a good sign. When the polar bears start staying still, that's how we know that they are dehydrated."
Tarps over the outdoor tank block the sun and create a constant wind passage above the bears. The pool remains at 62 degrees year round. Special water pumps run inside the surrounding boulders to maintain cool resting spots for the bears.
At night, the bears are transferred to a cooler cage that remains 67 degrees.
When it gets too hot, the bears have an option to stay outside on display, or indoors in the cooler.
"Just because an animal can survive harsh conditions doesn't mean that they want to," said Thompson. "We take care of the animals here. They are healthy and happy."
-- Whitney Boyd: 529-5867
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/article/0,2845,MCA_25340_4849120,00.html
Students get experience as zoo volunteers
BY KEVIN GARCIA
The Brownsville Herald
In the college world, getting a prime internship at a major company is highly competitive, but in Brownsville, landing a job cleaning up after animals can be almost as difficult.
Middle and high school students compete every year for a job many people would never want, but cleaning up after zoo animals is all part of the fun.
“You get to touch animals,” said Gabby Zamora, 15, a member of the Summer Teen Volunteer Program at Gladys Porter Zoo. “You get to interact with them.”
Working in the zoo’s aquarium, Zamora learned new ways to care for her fish at home while volunteering at the aquarium. More importantly, she has learned more about becoming a veterinarian, the job she wants as an adult.
“The Student Teen Volunteer Program is treated basically like an internship,” said Sergio Garcia, education curator. “It’s very competitive. They write a short essay as to why they are interested and they get letters of recommendation.”
Once in, the students from seventh grade to high school juniors, work as teacher aides, clean exhibits and feed the animals.
“There’s a lot of cleaning, but at the same time, they’re learning something about the animals they take care of,” Garcia said.
Currently, 49 students are working in the zoo’s summer program, but more want to sign up next year. Applications won’t be accepted until April 1, but the teens say the effort is well worth it.
“You get to see the animals in their environments,” said 15-year-old Fabian Ircheta, volunteering in the Australian exhibit.
In order to clean the bat exhibit and feed the flying rodents, Ircheta has to walk right among the fruit bats.
“When you turn on the light the bats scatter,” he said. “In the movies they attack people, but they don’t (in real life).”
Ircheta and other student volunteers say working at the zoo is an experience they wouldn’t trade for anything.
For more information call (956) 548-WILD.
kgarcia@brownsvilleherald.com
http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/ts_comments.php?id=71709_0_10_0_C
Field trip to Washington state may inspire zoo panel
Planning - Oregon Zoo Future Vision will look at three facilities that share similar challenges
Monday, July 17, 2006
WADE NKRUMAH
A committee exploring the Oregon Zoo's future will look to Washington state, hoping to assess common challenges and shared visions of three other zoos.
In late summer or early fall, Oregon Zoo Future Vision Committee plans to make a long weekend visit of Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville.
Brian Newman, a Metro councilor and committee co-chairman with Penny Serrurier, said the visits will give the board a flavor of the institutions, the challenges they face and the projects they're working on.
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/portland_news/115310320043580.xml&coll=7
Bowling for Rhinos
Annual zoo fundraiser makes a fashion statement
By LANA BERKOWITZ
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
The Houston Zoo's Bowling for Rhinos 2006 T-shirt features a forward-facing rhino with a bowling-pin nose on a red background.
Josh Young, a keeper who works with lions, tigers, bears and small cats, designed the logo for the T-shirt. On the back — below the listing of sponsors— it says: "Dedicated to 'Marci' 1967-2006."
Marci was one of the Houston Zoo's Southern white rhinos. She died in March leaving her pen pal, Bu, alone.
How to get a T-shirt
• Enter the Houston Zoo chapter of American Association of Zookeepers 16th Annual Bowling for Rhinos. The conservation fundraiser will be held 6-9 p.m. Saturday at Diamond Lanes, 6327 Spencer Highway in Pasadena.
For $25, BFR participants get a free T-shirt, three hours of bowling including free shoe and ball rental and unlimited soft drinks.
Space is limited. Make reservations at www.houstonzoo.org/BFR/Index.aqf
• If you don't bowl, you can still get a T-shirt by donating $10. See details at the Web site.
lana.berkowitz@chron.com
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/4050629.html
Expansion projects at zoo, museum aim to lure visitors
Expansion projects at zoo, natural history museum aim to lure more visitors
By Tracy Carbasho
Pittsburgh Business Times
Updated: 8:00 p.m. ET July 16, 2006
Animal magnetism continues to lure tourists into the local area as people of all ages migrate to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, as well as the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
Major expansion projects currently taking place at both the zoo and the museum are expected to further enhance their appeal to visitors from near and far.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13898366/
Tiger attack victim recovers
By Brendan McDaid
17 July 2006
The Ulster woman savaged by a tiger at Dublin Zoo after she tried to pat it was today making a good recovery in Dublin.
Six days after her ordeal, Roisin Brolly, a psychology student with the University of Ulster, was this morning in a comfortable condition at James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown, outside Dublin.
Ms Brolly had her arm ripped to shreds when she climbed over two fences to try to stroke one of the zoo's Siberian tigers last Tuesday.
Two of the rare big cats were resting in the enclosure and one lunged at her, grabbing her arm and trying to pull her through.
Ms Brolly underwent surgery in Dublin last week to try to save the damaged limb.
It had been thought that Ms Brolly was due to be transferred to Altnagelvin Hospital at some stage today.
A spokeswoman for the Dublin hospital said today Ms Brolly was making good progress.
"She is currently in the James Connolly Memorial Hopsital," she said.
"Her condition is comfortable and there is no mention of her being transferred at this stage."
Ms Brolly works part-time at Brendan's takeaway in her home town of Claudy, where staff have described her as as a bubbly and much-loved girl.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=698901
Don't blame tigers for attack on Ulster girl
Coleraine man who was also mauled defends big cats
By Lisa Smyth
18 July 2006
An Ulsterman severely injured in a ferocious big cat attack nine years ago has today defended the tiger which mauled a Co Londonderry woman at Dublin Zoo.
There were fears that 19-year-old Roisin Brolly would lose one of her arms when she was attacked last Tuesday after climbing over two fences to try and stroke one of the zoo's rare Amur Siberian tigers.
Stephen Bradley (36) suffered similar injuries when he was set upon by four tigers he helped to care for when he worked for a circus in mainland Europe.
However, he maintained that the animals involved in both attacks were not to blame and blasted suggestions that the tiger at Dublin Zoo should be destroyed after it attacked the University of Ulster student.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=699023
Sunset Zoo boasts oldest grizzly in captivity, multi-species exhibits
Meet Brownie. Brownie is just one of about 300 animals at the Sunset Zoo in Manhattan.
"Brownie used to be a circus bear," said Dianne Paukstelis, Sunset Zoo marketing and development director.
Brownie has arthritis and moves a little slow, but he has good reason. Brownie is about 150 years old, in human years.
"We believe he's in his early 50s. Now for a grizzly bear that's really, really, really old," Dianne said. "We believe that he's the oldest bear in captivity. We haven't found any other bear who's the same age as Brownie."
If you would like more information about Manhattan's Sunset Zoo, you can find it on the Zoo's Web site. The site also provides driving directions to the zoo or information on zoo hours.
The Sunset Zoo has 26 developed acres, small in comparison to some other zoos. But it's filled with diverse wildlife.
Dianne says a new concept at the zoo is the unique multi-species exhibit.
The maned wolf and anteater co-exist in the wild, so Sunset decided to try it here.
"Sunset Zoo was the third zoo in the world to try exhibiting these two animals, these two species in the same exhibit together," she said. "It's worked out very well."
And the Zoo recently had to sex an egg to determine its gender.
"They cut the top of the egg off, opened it up and extracted a little bit of blood from a vein and then just glued the top of the egg back on," Dianne said.
The egg was from a Red Crowned Crane, which is highly endangered. The baby came out healthy.
The Zoo also has endangered sloth bears. When the male and female bears, Jack and Thelma, were brought together, Jack was not interested. But Thelma got his attention.
"She got really irritated, ran out into the exhibit, reared up on her hind legs, smacked him across the face. He went tumbling head over heals. And they started breeding that afternoon," Dianne said.
The zoo has gorgeous snow leopards, whose cubs were born about two months ago.
And these cheetahs - stealth and agile - you will only find them at Sunset. The Zoo has the only cheetah exhibit in Kansas.
With conservation being very important to the zoo, Sunset is working on future generations with their Junior Zookeepers program. Curtis Vogts is a participant.
"We get to work with the animals - get to do, like little programs once in a while and take 'em out and show people. That's the fun part," she said.
Dianne says the Zoo is special because a lot of people grew up with it, visiting, and checking out the animals.
"They love the Zoo because it reminds them of their childhood," she said.
http://www.49abcnews.com/news/2006/jul/17/sunset_zoo_boasts_oldest_grizzly_captivity_multisp/
2nd white rhino Roscoe welcomed at Zoo
Victoria E. Freile
Staff writer
(July 17, 2006) — A second white rhinoceros made his official Seneca Park Zoo debut today.
Monroe County and zoo officials gathered this afternoon to formally welcome Roscoe, a two-year-old white rhino from Tennessee, to his summer home.
Roscoe arrived late last week to join Satchmo — a white rhinoceros from New Orleans — at the zoo, said zoo spokeswoman Shaunta Collier-Santos. Satchmo came to the zoo in May.
Both animals are in Rochester as part of the zoo's Visiting Animal campaign.
Roscoe was expected to be sent from the Knoxville Zoo in Tennessee to join Satchmo by mid-June, but his arrival was delayed in part because renovations to the rhinos' habitat, and coordinating Roscoe's transportation between zoos took longer than expected.
Since Roscoe's arrival, the 3,000-pound white rhino already has strutted his stuff for zoo patrons over the weekend.
The two rhinos are adjusting and getting to know each other. They will remain separated within their habitat for approximately one more week, Collier-Santos said.
The zoo's Visiting Animal campaign was launched in 1998 as an effort to exhibit animals that the zoo cannot permanently house.
The rhinos are expected to stay until the fall.
VFREILE@DemocratandChronicle.com
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060717/NEWS01/607180308/1032/LIVING
White Rhinos Take Up Residence at Seneca Park Zoo
Bud Lowell
Roscoe the rhino checks out his new home at Seneca Park Zoo. WXXI photo
ROCHESTER, NY (2006-07-17) The second of a pair of rare white rhinos entered his temporary home at the Seneca Park Zoo Monday afternoon.
Roscoe the rhinoceros comes from the Knoxville Zoo in Tennessee. He's two years old and three thousand pounds.
Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks introduced Roscoe, helped by children who were visiting the zoo and by Rex, the mascot of the Rochester Rhinos Soccer Team.
This is the 13th year that rare animal species have been brought to the Seneca Park Zoo through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and its Species Survival Plan.
The first white rhino -- named Satchmo -- arrived in May from a Zoo in New Orleans. Both animals will be at the zoo until fall, weather permitting.
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wxxi/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=942571§ionID=1
Western New York zoo gets a second white rhino
ROCHESTER, N.Y. A Rochester zoo has another white rhino.
The rhinoceros made its official debut yesterday at Rochester's Seneca Park Zoo.
Monroe County and zoo officials gathered to welcome 2-year-old Roscoe from Tennessee, to his summer home. Roscoe joins Satchmo, a white rhino from New Orleans, at the zoo.
Satchmo came to the zoo in May. Both animals are in Rochester as part of the zoo's Visiting Animal campaign.
Since Roscoe's arrival, the 3-thousand-pound white rhino already has strutted his stuff for zoo patrons over the weekend. The two rhinos are adjusting and getting to know each other.
They will remain separated within their habitat for another week.
The Visiting Animal campaign was launched in 1998 as an effort to exhibit animals that the zoo cannot permanently house. The rhinos are expected to stay until the fall.
http://www.wstm.com/Global/story.asp?S=5162895&nav=2aKD
Audubon Zoo makes storm preparations
07/17/2006
The Audubon Zoo is taking the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina and applying them to storm preparations this year.
Katrina was far kinder to the Audubon Zoo than its sister facility, the Aquarium of the Americas, where power outages killed nearly all of its 6,000-animal collection. Damage at the zoo was largely confined to downed trees.
A staff of 14 animal handlers stayed at the zoo through the storm, said general curator Dan Maloney. This year, plans call for 20 staff members to stay behind if a serious storm threatens the city. A second group of employees will evacuate to Alexandria’s zoo and assist in recovery operations once conditions allow them to return to the city.
“It’s a real fine line because you want to expose your employees to the least amount of danger, but you also want them back to respond as soon as possible,” Maloney said last week on WLAE’s “Road to Recovery.”
Maloney said the zoo has enough food and water stored “to survive two weeks of isolation.”
The Audubon Nature Institute Inc. employed about 700 before Hurricane Katrina. Maloney said staffing levels are now at 365.
http://www.neworleanscitybusiness.com/viewStory.cfm?recID=16171
Elephant Ellie overdue - but doing well, Zoo reports
By Diane Toroian Keaggy
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
07/18/2006
Asian elephant Ellie still is waiting for the stork to visit the St. Louis Zoo: Two weeks after her due date, Ellie shows no signs that labor is imminent. Still, Zoo officials say mother and calf appear healthy.
"No worries," said Martha Fischer, curator of mammals and ungulates. "She's doing great and is well within the normal range of gestation."
Easy for Fischer to say. She's not carrying a 250-pound calf in this sweltering heat.
Based on Ellie's first birth, zookeepers had expected her to deliver on July 5 - 661 days after she conceived. Most Asian elephants give birth between 630 and 660 days, though Fischer said gestation can last as long as 699 days.
Keepers are on 24-hour watch and conduct ultrasounds twice a week. They have observed regular fetal movement and test daily for a drop in the mother's progesterone levels, the tell-tale sign that labor is near.
Fischer said the Zoo does not plan to induce labor with oxytocin, the drug used to help many women speed up their deliveries. Oxytocin only is an option if the cervix is dilated; Ellie's cervix is not.
"We believe that Mother Nature knows best," said Fischer.
Ellie continues to play in the elephant yard with the female herd, including her pregnant daughter Rani. Both Ellie and Rani are carrying female calves; Raja, the Zoo's sole bull, sired both babies.
"Her routine is the same as before, though she's probably wondering why we're staring at her all of the time," said Fischer.
Meanwhile, elephant Sri continues to carry a dead fetus. She was expected to deliver a female calf last November. Her progesterone levels did drop, but labor never started.
Zoo officials are unsure what went wrong, but they suspect the calf was positioned incorrectly. They still hope Sri will expel the dead fetus within the next few months.
dkeaggy@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8343
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/metroeast/story/3B93F796A884FB29862571AF000ADD8D?OpenDocument
Zoo welcomes striped newborn
Bernard, a white rhinoceros also new to the zoo.
ALBUQUERQUE -- It’s a girl for the Rio Grande Zoo where Zyla the Zebra was born Saturday on a schedule only her parents knew.
“We just checked her first thing in the morning, and there was a baby,” Assistant Curator Lynn Tupa said.
“She looks like a toddler,” one young visitor said.
That would be an 80-lb. toddler who’s already beginning to draw crowds.
“Everybody wants to see a baby,” Tupa added.
Her proud parents Brownie and Pacer are two of the six zebras at the zoo.
Like any baby, Zyla spends her day eating and napping.
But, even just watching her sleep kept today’s visitors entertained.
By the end the summer, though, things will liven up in her desert playpen when Zyla will get a playmate. Candie, another zebra, is a mom-to-be due at anytime.
Keepers don't know exactly when zebras will give birth. It's hard to track how far along the mothers are since they try to hide that they are pregnant.
“If they were in the wild, they wouldn't want a predator to know they are getting ready to give birth,” Tupa said.
http://www.krqe.com/expanded.asp?RECORD_KEY%5BNews%5D=ID&ID%5BNews%5D=16280
Zoo vote: County task force says yes; hopefully first of many
A proposal to have all Ingham County taxpayers support the Potter Park Zoo took a step toward the November ballot last week - and could take more quite soon.
Voters should get their crack at this idea, for two big reasons:
• Potter Park Zoo can't thrive without a funding source that goes beyond the city of Lansing.
• The voters and leadership of Ingham County have shown the most interest in helping out.
Last week, a county task force endorsed a county millage for the zoo, sending the matter to a committee of the Ingham County Board of Commissioners. Though plenty of details remain to be worked out, the previously stated goal is to have a decision on a countywide vote by Aug. 22.
A county vote, under the plan, would come this November.
That's the process, here's the heart of the matter:
Potter Park Zoo either will improve or decay. Its existing finances rest on funds from the city, from fees and from private donors. Zoo leaders say it's not enough, though.
And the city is struggling just to keep up its $1 million-plus end of the current bargain. The warning from City Hall is, expect no more from us and probably less.
The obvious solution, of course, is a broader and equitable funding source for what is a tri-county area asset. After all, 70 percent of zoo visitors come from outside the city of Lansing.
Ingham County hardly represents the entire region, but Ingham leaders have shown admirable focus on this issue. As progress is made, maybe the folks out in Clinton and Eaton counties will see that example and wish to emulate it, to the benefit of the zoo and all who patronize it.
For now, though, the action is with Ingham County. And since the help Potter Park Zoo needs comes in the form of dollars, that means the voters need to have their say.
The path to a vote is clear. Let's get to it.
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060718/OPINION01/607180313/1086/opinion
Exclusive: Zoo Could Add .46 Mills to Tax Bills
Tony Tagliavia
The animals at Lansing's Potter Park Zoo could have new masters come this fall -- new masters at the county, rather than at city hall.
A new draft document obtained by News 10 shows the Ingham County Board is considering putting a millage of up to .46 mills on November's ballot. That would mean as much as an extra $46 for someone with a $100,000 home.
The money, up to $3.1 million in the first year according to the draft, would go toward operations at the zoo, which the county would manage through a lease from the city. But before the county goes forward, it wants the city council's support, according to the document.
"The zoo is really utilized by far more people than live in the city. So it makes sense to have a broader tax base to support it," Councilwoman Kathie Dunbar said Monday night.
Dunbar says she's behind the general idea of the millage. Councilwoman Sandy Allen, Councilwoman Joan Bauer and Councilman Tim Kaltenbach say the same.
But the plan needs five votes on the council to move forward -- and some on the council have reservations.
"I don't believe I'm close enough to a decision based on the information that's before us," Councilwoman Carol Wood said.
Councilmen Brian Jeffries and Randy Williams agree: There are too many questions left unanswered at this point.
And Council President Harold Leeman says he doesn't like the plan put forward by the county, because, he says, the city needs to retain more control of the zoo.
But Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, a longtime supporter of a regional zoo tax, says it's time for the idea to go forward.
"We're talking about maintaining the gem that [the zoo] is but maybe changing the insignia. The sign -- might put a county seal on it. I see no problem with that," Bernero said.
The county could decide to ask voters if they want to see the county seal on the zoo as early as next week.
Under the rules outlined in the draft document, if the county goes ahead with the proposal, the idea would have to go on city council for approval before voters would see it on the November ballot.
http://www.wilx.com/news/headlines/3370201.html
The Zoo Has Questions to Answer
Tuesday, July 18, 2006; Page A18
The deaths of two rare, young adult male lowland gorillas at the National Zoo within three days are a disgrace [Metro, July 4]. Their deaths follow the deaths of several valuable and rare specimens, including an orangutan, an elephant and a giraffe, as well as members of smaller species. There can be no excuses from zoo officials and veterinarians about how heart disease, without their knowing about it, took the lives of these gorillas, which normally would have a life span close to that of humans.
I'm horrified that zoo officials are already searching nationwide to secure yet another adult male lowland gorilla to bring here. At the least, the zoo should be the subject of rigorous scientific and congressional investigations as to what happened to these helpless animals and who is to blame.
Is the Economy Helping or Hurting You?
The Post's Close to Home page wants to know what Washington area readers think about the economy and how it is affecting their pocketbooks. Please email us 150 words or less.
JAMES BAUMGARNER
Rockville
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/17/AR2006071701295.html
Baby elephant arrives at Chennai Zoo
NDTV Correspondent
Tuesday, July 18, 2006 (Chennai):
Left to the mercy of fate after the untimely death of his mother, a six-month-old baby elephant is now the much-loved inmate of a zoo in Chennai.
The calf was recently rescued from the dense forests of the Tamil Nadu's Hosur division by villagers and handed over to the state Forest Department.
The baby elephant was initially fed a simple diet of fodder and water on its arrival, though zoo officials have elaborate plans of gradually catering to his elephantine palate and appetite with bananas and summer fruits.
http://www.ndtv.com/environment/Wildlife.asp?id=90319&callid=1
Getting the zoo all ready for prime time
By NEIL WHITE
ntwhite@thestate.com
If you follow television at all, you know the hottest show going is “Meerkat Manor,” Animal Planet’s breakout hit. The show details the lives of a meerkat family called the Whiskers, who live in Africa’s Kalahari Desert.
While piling up rave reviews, the show, which airs Fridays at 8 p.m., has been called a cross between “Wild Kingdom” and “Dynasty” as well as a “soap opera with fur.”
Heck, we’d call it a mix of “Survivor” and “The Osbournes” since it focuses on the things the meerkats eat, their struggles against rival clans, their family bickering, how they look out for one another and even their sexual hookups.
At any rate, it has us thinking about the possibilities for Riverbanks Zoo, especially given that the zoo already has a couple of Web cams detailing animal activity. For a few years, the focus was on the koalas, but, apparently, their ratings hit the skids — sort of like those of “Joey” (the “Friends” character, not the kangaroo). So the zoo decided to put the spotlight on other animals that didn’t sleep all day, starting with the penguins.
Zoo director Satch “Palmer” Krantz conceded the koala cam was “like watching paint dry,” although a few dedicated koala watchers howled in protest when the koala cam was canceled.
The penguins, however, have been such a huge hit that they have their own Web cam devoted to them, with another camera now in place to showcase the other animals on a rotating basis for one month at a time.
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/living/15059475.htm
Ranchi zoo loses fourth big cat in 10 days
RANCHI: A white tiger at a Ranchi zoo died of babesiosis, a fatal disease transmitted by the bite of an infected tick, raising the death toll of big cats here to four in the past 10 days.
The white tiger, which was ailing for 10 days, died late on Monday at the Birsa Munda Zoological Park here.
The first tiger died on July 9 and a leopard died the very next day. Another tiger succumbed to the disease on July 13.
The white tiger was the first of the four animals to fall ill. Doctors said the tiger died of renal failure after battling the disease for 10 days.
"It seems that the white tiger was badly affected before the disease was diagnosed by the vets. We are hopeful that we will not lose more tigers in the zoo," said A K Singh, principal chief conservator of forests.
The state government constituted a seven-member medical team and round-the clock vigil was conducted, but the tigers could not be saved. The seven-member team included Abhijit Biswas and G L Ghosh.
The zoo authorities claim that the condition of the other ill wild animals are improving.
There were a total of 19 big cats in the zoo. Four of them have died and five are suffering from babesiosis. The sick animals are being administered glucose, dextrose, liver tonic and energy boosters.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1769723.cms
Zoo Asking City for More Money for Improvements
Jul 18, 06:11 AM
By David Tewes, Victoria Advocate, Texas
Jul. 18--Texas Zoo is seeking a $45,000-a-year increase in its base funding from the city of Victoria to continue building on the improvements it has been making at the Riverside Park facility for more than a year.
Zoo officials are expected to make their pitch to the city council during a budget workshop today, asking the city to increase the yearly base allocation from $115,000 to $160,000. That represents a 39-percent increase.
The workshop, which is open to the public, will be in the Council Chamber at 107 W. Juan Linn St. immediately following the 5 p.m. regular session.
Eddie Overbay Jr. with the zoo did not return a call to the Advocate on Monday. But Jamie Brown, president of the zoo board, said the money would go toward expanding the zoo campus at the current location.
While he referred questions about specific projects to Overbay, Brown said the money would be used for such things as a playground, new exhibits and general sprucing up of the existing facilities.
http://feed.insnews.org/v-cgi/feeds.cgi?feedid=145&story_id=1995396
Nashville Zoo's 3rd Annual Animal Art Auction
This is a great time of year to visit the Nashville Zoo.
Nashville Zoo’s chapter of the American Association of Zookeepers (AAZK) will hold their third annual animal art auction, Wild Impressions, on July 27 at The Cannery Ballroom at Mercy Lounge located in historic Cannery Row on 8th Avenue South.
The animal art auction will raise money for the Protected Areas Conservation Trust in Belize. The event runs from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on July 27th.
The unique art available for auction includes paw prints from cougars, red pandas, and Bengal tigers and foot prints from guenon monkeys, meerkats, and macaws. New this year, the event will offer painted, hollow, ostrich eggs for auction. There will also be several of the popular paintings from Nashville Zoo’s African elephants.
Admission to Wild Impressions is $10 per person if purchased before July 26. After July 26, tickets are $15 per person. Admission includes appetizers, two drink tickets, musical entertainment, and a chance to win door prizes. Art will be sold by silent auction with bidding beginning at 6:30 p.m. For more information on Wild Impressions or to purchase tickets, visit www.nashvilleaazk.org.
http://nashville.about.com/b/a/255190.htm
Alabama petting zoo off list of potential terrorist targets
Associated Press
WOODVILLE, Ala. - Sherry Lewis was baffled to learn that her Old MacDonald's Petting Zoo was on a federal list of potential terrorist targets and thankful it's no longer listed that way.
"We've never had a bomb threat or anything that would possibly come close to terrorism," Lewis told The Huntsville Times for a story Thursday.
She has owned the zoo in Jackson County with her husband, Jim, for 11 years. Children visit to feed the goats and llamas.
It hardly seemed worthy of a terrorist's interest, but the petting zoo was included on a Department of Homeland Security list of possible terrorist targets at the state's recommendation in 2004.
The zoo was included in an initial needs assessment list submitted by county Emergency Management Agency managers to DHS about the state's key infrastructure and resources.
More than 700 sites were on Alabama's list two years ago during the first stages of compiling the National Asset Database.
But Tracey Ayres, a spokeswoman for the Alabama Department of Homeland Security, said the list has since been reduced to 28 sites.
She said each county in the United States submitted its asset list directly to DHS. When the lists began arriving, Ayres said DHS realized that it hadn't provided enough guidance concerning what needed to be put on the list and what didn't.
For instance, some counties included ice cream shops and Wal-Marts and flea markets. In Tennessee, the annual Mule Days festival in Columbia made the list.
Ayres said states were given more exact criteria in 2005 for what to include on their lists, and then the sites were verified. Just 14 percent of the sites on the states' initial lists rose to the level of "significant" for the National Asset Database.
Out of 710 Alabama sites proposed, Ayres said only 28 are now on the federally approved critical infrastructure list. Ayres said the identity of those 28 places is classified. But the petting zoo didn't qualify for listing.
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/local/15030571.htm
Zoo Finishes Accreditation Inspection
Officials at the Little Rock Zoo are cautiously optimistic after a visit by an accreditation team. The accreditation team assessed whether the zoo still meets guidelines set by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Zoo director Mike Blakely says the park will not hear anything more from the AZA on accreditation until Sept. 24. But, Blakely says but he didn't see anything of overwhelming concern in this week's report.
The zoo won accreditation in 2001 after losing it three years earlier because of animal deaths, escapes and old exhibits.
This year, the AZA complimented the zoo for its enrichment plan, staff morale, facility improvements, use of older facilities and general appearance.
The AZA's top concerns relate mostly to staffing needs. The AZA recommended the zoo's staff include a full-time veterinarian and registrar as the number of animals increase.
http://www.todaysthv.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=31258
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