Zoos
Zoo's last howl, last splash
A few animals remain; train's fate unknown
By Vanessa McCray
vmccray@record-eagle.com
and Patrick Sullivan
psullivan@record-eagle.com
Record-Eagle/Douglas Tesner
A cougar rests in his cage at the Clinch Park Zoo Saturday. The zoo will close its doors permanently Sunday.
TRAVERSE CITY — Cheryl Milliron snapped photographs of an empty otter cage.
"I'm taking pictures to remember some of the stuff," said Milliron, who made a visit to the zoo Saturday from her Nessen City home with her 9-year-old son, Ethan. "We enjoy coming here, we usually come two or three times during the summer."
The city's Clinch Park Zoo opens today for the last time. Admission is free, and the hours are from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The otters and others have been moved away, but the bears, cougars, foxes, gray wolves and some other animals remained Saturday.
Vince Luna, of Flint, was at the zoo with his 7-year-old daughter Julia Nichole.
"I was walking around and I said to my daughter, 'Where are all the animals?'" Luna said upon learning the zoo was to close for good. He said he likes to bring his daughter to the zoo, just as he was brought here when he was a child.
"This is a small zoo, but when I used to come here as a kid, this place was huge to me," Luna said.
City commissioners decided in November 2005 to close the zoo, citing a number of reasons including its yearly $380,000 cost to taxpayers.
http://www.record-eagle.com/2006/sep/10zoo.htm
Pioneering conservationist dies in Zimbabwe
Harare, Zimbabwe
08 September 2006 09:41
One of Southern Africa's most noted conservationists, Clem Coetzee, died after suffering a heart attack at his farm in southern Zimbabwe, family members and friends said on Thursday. He was 67.
Coetzee, an internationally renowned veteran game ranger who pioneered techniques to relocate elephants and a wide range of wild animals from habitats affected by drought and environmental degradation, collapsed on Sunday after an early-morning tour of his farm and its wildlife research and breeding pens in the Triangle district, about 400km south-east of Harare.
"His death is a great loss to wildlife conservation not only in Zimbabwe, but [also] elsewhere in Africa," said Justice for Agriculture, a farmers' support group, in a tribute on Thursday.
Coetzee developed methods to move elephants in family groups by darting them with sedatives from a helicopter and lifting them via heavy-duty rubber conveyor belts into truck containers or freight train cars, where they were revived and fed and given water for journeys of hundreds of kilometres.
In the Gonarezhou nature preserve in southern Zimbabwe during a drought in 1992, he moved at least 40 elephants to new habitats in neighbouring South Africa in the first operation of its kind in which electronic tracking microchips were implanted beneath the animals' skin.
Subsequent groundbreaking research showed the elephants suffered no ill effects of being moved -- as long as the family unit of bulls, cows and young was left mostly intact.
The technique was later used to relocate game animals in Kenya and several other African countries.
He was also responsible for spearheading a campaign to sedate and saw off the horn of the endangered African rhinoceros as a means of combating rhino poaching.
Rhino horn is prized in the Middle East and Asia for traditional dagger handles and as a medicine in its ground form.
Coetzee is survived by his wife, Em; his daughter, Beth; his son, Vicus; and three grandchildren. A funeral service is planned in the garden of his farm in southern Zimbabwe on Saturday. -- Sapa-AP
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__africa/&articleid=283507
Panda Accidentally Crushes Cub in China
Updated 2:07 PM ET September 8, 2006
BEIJING (AP) - A new panda mother who gave birth to twins this week accidentally crushed one of her newborns in her sleep, state media said Friday.
Ya Ya, who lives in the south China's Chongqing Zoo, delivered the twin cubs about an hour apart on Tuesday. One was taken to the Wolong Giant Panda Protection and Research Center, also in Sichuan province, while the other cub stayed with Ya Ya.
After falling asleep late Thursday for the first time since her labor, Ya Ya apparently crushed her newborn while it was nursing, the official Xinhua News Agency said on its Web site.
A zoo handler noticed the cub, which weighed only about three ounces, had fallen away motionless from her mother's nipple, it said. Zoo staff took the cub away while Ya Ya was still asleep and an autopsy showed that its heart, liver and other organs had been crushed.
The report said that Ya Ya searched around for her cub after waking up, then appeared depressed, laying listlessly in her zoo enclosure.
The report did not say if zoo staff would try to reunite the mother with her other cub.
Ya Ya was mated with 11-year-old Ling Ling from Wolong in April. The pandas watched a mating video before breeding.
Last month, the government announced the birth of four sets of panda twins. China has more than 180 pandas living in captivity, according to the government.
A 2002 government census found there were just 1,596 pandas left in the wild. But state media has said a new study by Chinese and British scientists has found there might be as many as 3,000.
http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pri&dt=060908&cat=news&st=newsd8k0r2q81&src=ap
S.Korean park features talking pachyderm
AP Photo/KIM IN-CHUL
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- He's no Dumbo the Flying Elephant but with his ability to "speak," perhaps as close to the Disney cartoon character as a real life elephant can get.
The Everland amusement park said Friday its 16-year-old male Asian elephant, named Kosik, can make sounds imitating up to eight Korean words, including "sit," "no," "yes," and "lie down."
The pachyderm produces humanlike sounds by putting his trunk in his mouth and shaking it while exhaling - similar to how people whistle with their fingers. But the park said it's unclear if Kosik knows the meaning of the sounds he makes.
Kim Jong-gap, who has been Kosik's keeper for 10 years, said he first heard the elephant speak two years ago.
"It was hard to believe myself at first," Kim said in a statement. "As I watched Kosik say something after that, I realized he was mimicking my words."
There have been studies that suggest elephants can mimic sounds, but the park claims that Kosik displays the ability to imitate a human voice.
Spectrograms show Kosik's voice frequency when he makes human sounds are similar to his keeper's, Everland said.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TALKING_ELEPHANT?SITE=NJASB&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Tenn. city to pull 'goats working' signs
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) -- City workers planned to remove signs in a neighborhood warning drivers to slow down for kudzu-eating goats in the area, after the public works department said they were posted illegally.
The goats were released recently in part of the Missionary Ridge area to hellp control rampant kudzu growth.
But orange signs reading "goats working" and warning of a $250 "goats fine" were not posted by the city, said Lee Norris, deputy administrator of public works.
"It's coming down," Norris said. "It's just somebody's idea of a joke."
The signs were good enough to fool some residents, said Bob Graham, vice president of the Missionary Ridge Neighborhood Association.
"Some people took it seriously and thought it was something Public Works had put up there," he said. "Someone went to a lot of trouble for it."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/K/KUDZU_EATING_GOATS?SITE=NJASB&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Terri pays tribute to zoo's staff
September 07, 2006
THE widow of Steve Irwin has thanked staff at the family's wildlife park for their support in the aftermath of his death.
Terri Irwin has remained with the couple's young children, Bindi and Bob, in the family home at Australia Zoo on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, keeping a low profile since the shock death of her husband on Monday.
Terri made a heartfelt announcement to staff at Australia Zoo as flowers and other mementos from thousands of mourners continued to be added to the makeshift shrine at the complex's entrance.
"Terri just made an announcement on the internal radio system across the zoo to say how grateful she was for support from the staff and that was about it," said Michael Hornby, executive manager of Wildlife Warriors, the conservation charity set up by Irwin.
"Obviously, she was very distraught when she made that message.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20367351-601,00.html
No state funeral for Steve: Dad
Neale Maynard and AAP
September 06, 2006 01:45pm
THE father of Steve Irwin has said the family will decline an offer of a state funeral because his internationally-famous son was ''just an ordinary bloke."
Bob Irwin told a packed press conference the funeral offer would be declined because Steve was "an ordinary guy, an ordinary bloke, and he wants to be remembered as an ordinary bloke''.
At an emotional press conference at Australia Zoo today, Steve's father Bob told a packed media conference that he and Steve _ who died on Monday when a stingray barb went through his heart _ were not like father and son.
"We were mates", Mr Irwin said, adding that they had always been mates.
He said Steve's wife Terri was holding up well and her concern was for her children, Bob and Bindi.
Mr Irwin also said he needed to recover from the pain of losing his son "because Steve would want his work carried on and I might be able to fill in until Bindi and Robert are old enough.''
Mr Irwin recalled what he was doing this week when he heard he had been killed.
"This may sound really, really weird but the moment I heard the news I was about to bury a cow that had died calving," he said.
"I'm a lucky, lucky guy I've had the opportunity to have a son like Steve."
"Over the years, Steve and I have had a lot of adventures together and there's been many occasions when anything could have gone wrong," Mr Irwin said.
"Steve knew the risks involved with the type of work he was doing and he wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
"There's never been anybody else that I know of that had the personality Steve had and the strength and the conviction of what he believed in and his message was conservation.
"He was such a strong person that people all over the world believed in him."
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,20363553-952,00.html
'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin Remembered At Oregon Zoo
PORTLAND, Oregon - The Oregon Zoo offers the public a place to pay its respects to the late Steve Irwin, the Australian naturalist best known for his television show "The Crocodile Hunter," who died tragically Sunday after being struck in the chest by a stingray barb. The public can leave their remembrances at the zoo's entry plaza through Sunday, Sept.10.
http://www.medfordnews.com/articles/index.cfm?artOID=332400&cp=10996
Irwin's body returns to Australia Zoo
Steve Irwin's body has been taken from a morgue on Queensland's Sunshine Coast to the Irwin family's Australia Zoo at Beerwah.
Relatives have declined the offer of a state funeral but are believed to be planning a private ceremony this weekend.
The "Crocodile Hunter" died on Monday after a stingray barb pierced his heart while he was shooting a documentary off Port Douglas in far north Queensland.
Michael Hornby, who runs a nature charity founded by Irwin, says there has been no let-up in the public outpouring of grief at the zoo.
"[There have been] huge numbers of people through Australia Zoo today, there's been thousands upon thousands of people looking at the shrine to Steve Irwin, the floral tributes and so forth," he said.
"The wall that has got all the memorabilia on it has been expanded, it's now having temporary fencing put up to try and cope with the numbers."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200609/s1737143.htm
Irwin buried at zoo following private funeral
8.00am Monday September 11, 2006
SYDNEY - A private funeral service was held for Australian TV naturalist Steve Irwin on Saturday and he will be buried at his family's zoo in the northern state of Queensland, local media reported.
Irwin's father, Bob Irwin, had declined a government offer for a state funeral for his son.
Irwin, known as the "Crocodile Hunter" after his popular TV documentaries which aired around the world, was killed six days ago by a stingray barb to the chest while diving on Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
After the funeral service his body was taken to his family's Australia Zoo wildlife park, where he is expected to be buried, local media reported on Sunday.
Irwin, 44, had flirted with death many times in his "Crocodile Hunter" documentaries, seen by 200 million people, wrestling with some of the world's most dangerous creatures.
News of Irwin's death clogged internet news sites and drew tributes from around the world. Prime Minister John Howard interrupted parliament to pay tribute to him, saying he was distressed by the loss of a remarkable Australian.
A public memorial service that is likely to draw thousands of mourners was expected to take place later this month.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10400733
Life 'getting back to normal' at Irwin zoo
By Rachael Langford and Peter Mitchell
September 09, 2006 12:00
A FILM crew secretly returned to the scene of Steve Irwin's death a day after the tragedy to complete the documentary he had been making, the Crocodile Hunter's manager John Stainton said today.
Mr Irwin died last Monday while filming in the Great Barrier Reef when a stingray barb pierced his chest.
But the crew that unwittingly filmed the tragedy returned to the Queensland reef to complete Mr Irwin's final documentary, Ocean's Deadliest.
Mr Stainton told US TV host Larry King he asked the crew the morning after Mr Irwin's death if they would like to complete the documentary.
They slipped out to Batt Reef, where Irwin was killed, to film for “three or four days”.
“We had to do such a covert operation to get back on the reef and shoot the scenes we needed, but these guys pulled it off,” Mr Stainton said.
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,20381968-5001028,00.html
Spare stingrays for Steve
September 12, 2006 12:00
A FRIEND of Steve Irwin has begged grieving fans not to slaughter stingrays in misguided attempts to avenge the star's death.
A spate of stingray killings has alarmed wildlife experts following the death of the much-loved Crocodile Hunter, who was fatally stabbed by a bull ray's barb in a freak accident last week.
Michael Hornby, CEO of Irwin's environmental foundation, said such behaviour went against the dedicated conservationist's life mission.
“We just want to make it very clear that we will not accept and not stand for anyone who's taken a form of retribution. That's the last thing Steve would want,” he said.
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,20398867-5001021,00.html
No second panda cub expected at Zoo Atlanta
The Associated Press - ATLANTA
Nearly two full days after the arrival of the first giant panda cub born at Zoo Atlanta, officials say they have effectively ruled out the possibility that a second cub is on its way.
"We've pretty much called it at this point," zoo spokeswoman Susan Elliott said Friday afternoon. "We're almost 48 hours past; that would be very, very remote."
Veterinarians had been watching Lun Lun, a 9-year-old giant panda, in case she gave birth to another cub. Lun Lun gave birth Wednesday and there was a 50 percent chance that she'd give birth to its twin within a day.
http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfullstory.asp?ID=80106
Baby Panda Crushed by Mother in China Zoo
Brian Handwerk
for National Geographic News
September 8, 2006
A rare panda cub met a not-so-rare panda fate yesterday.
The animal's mother—which hadn't slept in two days—fell asleep and crushed the tiny two-day-old cub as it nursed, China's state media reported.
Ya Ya, a resident of China's Chongqing Zoo, had given birth to twins on Tuesday.
One sibling was transferred to the Wolong Giant Panda Research Center, because panda mothers are typically unable to raise twins. The second cub remained with her mother.
Newborn giant panda cubs weigh just 1/900 of their mother's weight (3 to 5 ounces, or 85 to 142 grams) and resemble a pale pink stick of butter.
When she rolled onto her cub, 16-year-old Ya Ya fatally damaged the newborn's heart, liver, and other internal organs.
Handlers were alerted to the tragedy when the cub fell motionless from her mother's nipple.
Not Uncommon
Carmi Penny, curator of mammals at the San Diego Zoo, explained that tragedies like Ya Ya's are not uncommon among pandas or other species—including domestic dogs.
"The size differential between [panda] mother and cub is really extreme. The only smaller baby-to-mother [comparison] would be a marsupial," such as a kangaroo, Penny said.
"There's a level of risk in the early hours and early days after a birth. And with a first-time or inexperienced mother, the risk is much higher."
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/09/060908-panda-cub.html
Beluga Whale Dies In Tacoma Zoo
September 8, 2006
By Associated Press
TACOMA - A 13-year-old beluga whale died Thursday at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma.
Zoo officials say the whale, named Turner, was being treated for an infection of unknown origin. He had not eaten since Saturday, and died suddenly as zookeepers were doing some procedures to keep him hydrated.
Turner came to Tacoma from the San Antonio Sea World in 1998. He had a chronic kidney condition, but zoo officials say they don't know whether that contributed to his death. A necropsy is planned to learn more about the cause of death.
Belugas are toothed whales found in arctic and sub-arctic waters. Adults are white with no dorsal fin and a blunt head. They are among the smaller whales, between 10 and 15 feet long.
http://www.komotv.com/stories/45362.htm
Malacca Zoo appeals for donations
MALACCA: Cash contributions for the Malacca Zoo’s adoption scheme has reduced by more than 50% compared to last year and the total contribution of RM123,660 this year is insufficient to cover even a month’s supply of food for all its animals.
The amount was 55% less compared with the RM280,000 collected last year.
Malacca Zoo director Mohd Nawayai Yasak said this year had one of the lowest collections since the zoo started the programme in 1989, although the number of contributors has increased by eight to 55.
“The economy may be the main factor why some of the sponsors have reduced the amount of contribution and others quit contributing to the adoption programme,” he said after the animal adoption scheme cheque presentation ceremony held at the zoo in Ayer Keroh here recently.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/9/9/southneast/15368641&sec=southneast
Subaru Presents Wild Ride at Indianapolis Zoo
Thursday September 7, 10:28 am ET
-- Cycling event supports Indianapolis Zoo conservation efforts --
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Subaru will be the presenting sponsor of the Indianapolis Zoo Wild Ride this Saturday, September 9, when more than one thousand bicycle riders cycle to support wildlife conservation and research.
"We are pleased to sponsor the Indianapolis Zoo Wild Ride benefiting wildlife conservation," said Mike Hafertepe, Regional Vice President, Subaru Great Lakes Region, Subaru of America, Inc. "The race is a good fit for Subaru, as we have a long history of supporting the organizations and efforts that are important to our customers."
The Indianapolis Zoo Wild Ride is in affiliation with the Central Indiana Bicycling Association and is also sponsored by RATIO Architects. With four routes ranging from a family-friendly 15-mile Fun Ride to a challenging 100-mile Rhino Ride for experienced riders; everyone can participate. Other routes include the 40-mile Eagle's Crest Ride and the 62-mile Meerkat Century Ride. All routes begin and end at the Indianapolis Zoo and include a lap around the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060907/phth022a.html?.v=1
Zoo auctions tiger poo
By David Rankin
An innocent-looking tiger can produce one pound of manure every day.
It smells awful and may even frighten your pet moggy, but Chessington World of Adventures is already attracting interest by auctioning off a year's supply of tiger poo.
Excrement from the zoo's two tigers is on sale on the ebay internet auction site with a starting bid of £240. In what some may take as proof you can sell anything on the internet, the auction had attracted a bid of £241 by Friday evening.
The park believes it will scare off cats and foxes if placed in people's gardens.
Research carried out earlier this year found tiger dung is capable of warding off smaller cats, which scientists presume is a genetic trigger warning of larger predators in the area.
The initial research came from Australia, where scientists found that a formula of the big cat's droppings warded off wild goats for three days and, as such, could be used as a dual fertiliser and repellent by farmers.
Dr Peter Murray from the University of Queensland said: "You might want to put it around the perimeter or under each tree so it would cause all those herbivorous animals to say "it's too scary, there's something here that might bite me"."
Shamans and witch doctors have also been known to prescribe tiger dung to cure various ailments, although bidders would be well advised to consult their doctors before self-medicating.
Chessington's mess will come from its two Sumatran tigers Ratna and Batu, who arrived in 2004 as part of the Endangered Species Breeding Programme.
A tiger produces roughly one pound of manure every day, meaning over the course of a year the successful bidder could get over 700lb of the stuff.
Anyone interested in making a poo purchase will have to pick up the dung themselves and there is a strict no returns policy.
Go to ebay.co.uk and search for tiger poo to find the item. Bidding ends at 5.30pm BST on Saturday, September 9. All proceeds will go to the NSPCC.
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/topstories/display.var.914877.0.zoo_auctions_tiger_poo.php
Labor Day free-for-all crowds zoo
By SALATHEIA BRYANT
Houston-area residents looking for a Labor Day break turned out in surprisingly high numbers Monday to take advantage of the Houston Zoo's offer of free admission.
The free day brought a record-breaking 80,000 clicks on the hand-counters at the facility, surpassing the previous record of 51,000 visits set on Memorial Day 2004. Zoo officials specify that the count shows the number of visits, not people, because some visitors may leave and come back, thus being counted twice.
The no-charge day saved $8.50 on adult tickets and $4 for children's admission.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4173952.html
USDA won’t cite Niabi Zoo for wolf escape
Comment on this article More story comments
By Kurt Allemeier
2006 Schedule
The United States Department of Agriculture didn't cite Niabi Zoo for the escape of two gray wolves in August that ended with the death of one of the animals about a mile from the zoo, Niabi director Tom Stalf told a Rock Island County committee Friday.
The USDA inspection was performed Aug. 29, three days after the female of the wolf pair was shot and killed near Coal Valley. The male wolf was captured the day after they escaped, Aug. 24.
Mr. Stalf told the county's forest preserve committee the USDA inspector noted in his report that repairs to the damaged fence where the wolves escaped have been made and that the captured wolf is now being kept in a different enclosure. Inspections of the zoo's outer perimeter fence couldn't determine how the female, Onya, got outside the zoo grounds.
http://qconline.com/archives/qco/sections.cgi?prcss=display&id=304976
Stray elephant calf brought to Vandalur zoo
P. Oppili
45-day-old rejected by its herd rescued in Sathyamangalam
IN SAFE HANDS : The 45-day-old elephant calf rescued by forest department officials being escorted to the veterinary hospital by staff at Vandalur zoo on Friday. — PHOTO: A. MURALITHRAN
CHENNAI: A 45-day-old elephant calf rejected by its herd and later rescued by forest department officials in Sathyamangalam has a new home.
It was brought on Friday to the Arignar Anna Zoological Park (AAZP), Vandalur, on Friday.
The zoo veterinarians said that after the calf was abandoned by its mother and the herd, it strayed and was rescued from the Andhiyur range. They tried to reunite the calf with its mother or herd, but did not succeed.
A senior Forest officer said they then left the calf inside the forest. But, even after a day, it was found roaming alone. They picked up the calf, and kept it in their custody for a couple of days, before deciding to send it to Vandalur, where it would get better care.
The animal was transported in a mini-lorry from Andhiyur to the zoo and is now housed in a room in the veterinary hospital.
The vets said the health of the calf could be assessed only after a week's time. It had injuries on its left hind limb and lacerations on the back. Initially, they will feed the calf Lactogen I mixed in milk, besides a diet designed prepared by vets.
The Vandalur zoo already has another slightly older calf, which too was abandoned by its herd in the same Sathyamangalam area, about four months ago. That elephant too is convalescing at the veterinary hospital, the officials said.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/09/stories/2006090918370500.htm
Tiger Cubs Bringing Smiles to Visitors at Hattiesburg Zoo
Hattiesburg Zoo officials are hoping some special, four-legged guests will generate new interest in future big-cat exhibits in the Hub City.
Two 4-month-old white, Bengal tiger cubs can be seen by the public this weekend at the Hattiesburg Zoo.
They're on loan from a zoo in Alexandria, Louisiana, where they were born.
It's hoped the cubs will increase public support for new Asian and lion exhibits, which will be constructed soon.
"That's what this weekend is all about, to start spreading the word and bringing awareness to the community, the citizens and see if we can get some donors to offer some extra money to build this exhibit for us," said Lori Banchero, Zoo Administrator for the Hattiesburg Zoo.
"One of the things that we felt we could do is do our part as a good neighbor and bring the animals over and let people see what they are and hopefully, if y'all can go ahead and get together and build a new exhibit, then we'll give y'all a pair of white tigers," said Leslie Witt, Director of the Alexandria Zoo.
You can only see the cubs for one more day, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. tomorrow.
Admission for the zoo is $2 for adults and $1 for senior citizens and children ages 4 to 12.
http://www.wdam.com/Global/story.asp?S=5386893
No creature left behind: Company petting zoo
By Guy Leshem
In addition to hanging out at the pub or around the pool table, a few logistics division employees found time for additional cultural activities. One of the more original was a petting zoo. Heaven forfend this should be some modest little petting zoo: It is a real zoo with five large cages, set up by company employees at the Gan Sorek secondary power station, near Rishon Letzion.
About four years ago, workers built the petting zoo in memorial for a deceased coworker, with management approval. At first there was just one cage, but eventually four more were built at an IEC workshop for the Southern District and installed at Gan Sorek by company employees.
The cages now house more than 100 birds, including rare parrots, peacocks, ducks and a variety of fowl. IEC allocated three workers to care for the animals. The three come every day, feed the birds and clean the cages.
Advertisement
Checking with the regional planning board revealed IEC never asked for building permits for the cages, which essentially constitute illegal construction at a company facility. The company also never reported the petting zoo and its inhabitants to regional veterinary services.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/760593.html
Tasmanian tiger trapper's hut on display
An old trapper's hut where the last tasmanian tiger caught in the wild was captured has been rediscovered.
The hut is open to the public at a threatened species field day in the upper Florentine Forest near Maydena in remote southern Tasmania.
The trapper's hut was built in the early 1920s by Elias Churchill.
Mr Churchill caught the last wild tasmanian tiger in 1933 and took it Beaumeuris Zoo in Hobart.
The hut was rediscovered a month ago and now tiger historian Col Bailey wants to restore it.
He has applied for National Trust funding and is pushing for a 50-metre logging exclusion zone around the area to be increased.
Hundreds of people are visiting the hut today and wildlife experts are giving talks on the tiger, wedgetail eagle and tasmanian devil.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200609/s1737405.htm
Zoos Targets for Exotic Animal Thieves
By SUE LEEMAN
The Associated Press
Sunday, September 10, 2006; 1:29 PM
LONDON -- Missing marmosets, abducted alligators, purloined penguins: Thieves are targeting Europe's zoos and safari parks to supply animal collectors who want to own ever more exotic species.
Conservationists say the practice is harming animals, threatening vital breeding programs, and adding to an already flourishing illegal trade in exotic birds and animals.
This is an undated image released by Amazon World Zoo Park, July 5, 2006 showing Toga a baby jackass penguin who was stolen from Amazon World Zoo Park on the Isle of Wight off the coast of southern Britain, Dec. 18, 2005. Toga was never found and is believed to be the victim of thieves who are targeting small zoos and safari parks to meet a growing demand among animal collectors wanting to own ever more exotic species officials said. (AP Photo/HO Amazon World Zoo Park) (AP)
"We live in a designer world and people are not satisfied any more with a budgie or a canary _ they want something more exotic," said John Hayward, a former police officer who runs Britain's National Theft Register, the only national database of animal thefts in Europe.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/10/AR2006091000189.html
Visitors treated to a visual feast during Toledo Zoo's 'Big Feed'
Animals get some pampering
By ERICA BLAKE
BLADE STAFF WRITER
With her faced pressed to the glass that separated her from the Toledo Zoo's seal habitat, Megan Olkowski watched happily as the creatures swam lazily in their pool.
Moments after the crowd that had gathered to watch zoo staff train the seals had broken up, Megan, 4, who along with dad, Jerry, came from Romulus, Mich., was still excited by what she saw - great big beasts rolling over for a belly rub and a fish.
Yesterday was the zoo's second annual Big Feed. And while many visitors didn't know about the event before they arrived, the attraction caught the attention of many enjoying the sunny day.
"We planned on coming today and were surprised there was something going on," Mr. Olkowski said yesterday as he scanned a list of events. "This is great."
For most of the day throughout the zoo, visitors witnessed some of their favorite animals feasting on their dinners as zoo staff described the action. Tigers were fed hunks of calf meat; horse shank was on the menu for the Komodo dragon.
The public feed demonstrations included tigers, sharks, penguins, turtles, vultures, and various fish and reptiles.
The Big Feed also included several early-morning private feeding sessions during which patrons did the feeding for an extra charge.
Those were for the herbivores, such as the giraffes, explained Cyndi Condit, the zoo's marketing and public relations coordinator.
Throughout the demonstrations, zoo staff described what the animals eat, how the zoo cares for the animals, and even offered some advice on conservation. "We have a lot of people who come out because these are more natural events that people don't often get to see," Ms. Condit said.
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060910/NEWS38/609100360
Teaching Zoo animals to take part in their care is good medicine
By Sandy Bauers
The Philadelphia Inquirer
(MCT)
PHILADELPHIA - When Ubi, a primate at the Philadelphia Zoo, got a skin rash, he faced an ordeal that could have been unpleasant for his keeper, the veterinarian, and especially himself.
Typically, the little spectacled langur might have been restrained or sedated so he could get the medication he needed.
But thanks to red grapes and a new type of zoo husbandry that involves training animals to do things vital to their health, Ubi achieved what was probably a milestone for his species.
He simply stood still and allowed Mandy Mathews, his keeper, to dab salve on the rash.
Then he went back to his usual monkey business.
Throughout the zoo, animals with a formidable array of fangs, claws, muscle and sheer bulk are submitting to procedures once thought impossible.
In the last decade, zoos have followed the lead of circuses and sea worlds, albeit for a different reason. While keepers cringe at the notion of a zoo animal performing "tricks," as if it were some kind of pet, shaping its behavior for its own welfare makes sense to them.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/15486564.htm
National Zoo's Asia Trail to Debut Next Month
Sep 10th - 8:09am
WASHINGTON - The National Zoo is pushing back the opening of its Asia Trail exhibit and giant panda habitat.
Officials now say the trail and habitat will be ready for the public October 17th.
They had been scheduled to open next week.
The zoo says more time is needed for the animals to adjust and for staff to be satisfied that the habitats are workable and safe.
The trail will be home for the giant pandas, red pandas, sloth bears, fishing cats and other Asian animals.
Construction on the $34 million project began in 2004.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
WASHINGTON - The National Zoo is pushing back the opening of its Asia Trail exhibit and giant panda habitat.
Officials now say the trail and habitat will be ready for the public October 17th.
They had been scheduled to open next week.
The zoo says more time is needed for the animals to adjust and for staff to be satisfied that the habitats are workable and safe.
The trail will be home for the giant pandas, red pandas, sloth bears, fishing cats and other Asian animals.
Construction on the $34 million project began in 2004.
http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=596&sid=907692
New enclosure benefits Werribee's hippos, visitors
A new $6.5 million hippopotamus enclosure has been officially opened at the Werribee Open Range Zoo outside Melbourne.
The three-hectare exhibit will be home to four African hippos.
Visitors will be able to view the animals from a 120-metre boardwalk.
The state Environment Minister, John Thwaites, says Victoria's zoos are a major tourist attraction.
"This is a world-first to have a large, naturally-filtered wetland, some 8,000 square metres for the hippos," he said.
"It's a much better environment for the hippos but also of course for the people that come see them."
Mr Thwaites says the project is part of the State Government's $52 million commitment to upgrading Victoria's zoos.
"People can bring their kids here, they can learn about the hippos, they can see them swimming, they can see them lolling around on the beach and it's all in an African environment, a natural environment."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200609/s1737393.htm
No more animals from the Arctic: S'pore Zoo
By Sheralyn Tay, Channel NewsAsia Posted: 07 September 2006 0950 hrs
SINGAPORE: The Singapore Zoo will no longer import animals from the Arctic, following concerns raised by an animal welfare group about the zoo's resident polar bears, Sheba and her son Inuku.
In a media statement on Wednesday, the Animal Research and Education Society (Acres) said it has raised "serious welfare concerns" over the two bears after a four-month undercover operation. The findings were presented to the zoo in June.
In the investigation, Acres found that the bears exhibited severe signs of heat stress, were highly inactive and displayed "abnormal stereotypic" manners in their swimming or pacing during their active periods.
The last two behaviours are psychological indicators that the bears are not coping well with their environment, it said. "There is no doubt that polar bears are poor candidates for captivity. They are extremely wide-ranging, highly intelligent, cold weather carnivores, so they are extremely problematic when housed in captivity," said Acres.
In response to queries, the Singapore Zoo confirmed that it will not bring in anymore Arctic animals. This is because it aims to be a "rainforest zoo", focusing on tropical rainforest animals. It also reiterated that the bears are housed in good conditions, citing the birth of Inuka - the first polar bear born in the tropics - as evidence.
However, as part of an "animal exchange programme", the 16-year-old Inuka will soon be heading for cooler climates.
Then, the zoo's executive director Fanny Lai said that this animal exchange was part of efforts to "contribute to the worldwide captive gene pool and help propagate the species". - TODAY
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/229011/1/.html
Snow Leopard Cubs To Make Debut At LA Zoo (Video)
(CBS) LOS ANGELES The first snow leopard cubs to be born at the Los Angeles Zoo in 22 years will make their debut at the Griffith Park facility.
The two cubs, both male, were born May 25. They are the offspring of the zoo's leopards - 12-year-old T'ung Ling and 8-year-old Gail.
The cubs have already been named, courtesy of Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association donors Gail and Jerry Oppenheimer. The couple "paid in advance for the right to name the first litter of snow leopards.
The cubs are named Jerry - after Oppenheimer - and Tom, in honor of GLAZA board chairman Tom Mankiewicz.
Snow leopards are an endangered species, with an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 remaining in the wild. They are considered extremely rare and difficult to observe because of the remoteness of their habitat in the mountains of Asia. Snow leopards are solitary animals that come together only to mate.
According to zoo officials, there are 170 snow leopards living in 61 zoos that participate in the Snow Leopard Species Survival Program, which makes husbandry and breeding recommendations.
http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_250015108.html
Baird's Tapir On Display At Milwaukee County Zoo
POSTED: 10:08 pm CDT September 7, 2006
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MILWAUKEE -- A summer arrival made his public debut Thursday at the Milwaukee County Zoo.
A Baird's Tapir was born July 21 to Harley and Eve. Tapirs are related to horses and rhinos and are native to South America.
Zookeepers have named the newborn Javier and say he is expected to gain a pound per day. He weighed 24 pounds at birth and should eventually tip the scales near 700 pounds. He still has the white markings of a newborn.
Javier is the third birth for Harley and Eve. He will remain at the zoo for about a year before being transferred to another zoo.
Like other Tapirs, Javier has a flexible snout and has the abillity to move his nose in every direction.
On the Internet:
Milwaukee County Zoo
http://www.themilwaukeechannel.com/entertainment/9807498/detail.html
Zoo slammed on care issues
Fri, September 8, 2006
By RANDY RICHMOND, FREE PRESS REPORTER
Another Canadian wildlife protection agency has condemned a London zoo for its treatment of animals.
Zoocheck Canada called on the province to protect both native and exotic animals after inspecting Lickety Split Ranch and Zoo.
"It is a failing grade right across the line," Rob Laidlaw, Zoocheck's executive director, said yesterday.
Most animal enclosures "lack appropriate amounts of space, stimulation and proper social environments," the Zoocheck report concluded.
Other problems include "no pools or water areas for the animals, including waterfowl, to mitigate the effects of summer heat . . . extensive flooding of some exhibits and inappropriate, extremely low (about 2.4 metres) fencing in the Siberian tiger exhibit."
A male kangaroo and a coatimundi seemed to have medical problems, the report said.
Lickety Split owner Shirley McElroy could not be reached for comment. But earlier this week, in response to complaints from the World Society for the Protection of Animals, she said Lickety Split takes care of its animals.
The society took issue this week with Natural Resources Ministry inspectors who cleared Lickety Split and other area zoos of any concerns over animal welfare.
Exotic animals have no legal protection, Laidlaw said yesterday. Because there's no legislation, no ministry will take responsibility for these animals, Laidlaw said.
http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/CityandRegion/2006/09/08/1813824-sun.html
Wallaby appointed head of kiwi zoo
Monday, 21 August 2006, 9:51 am
21 August 2006
Wallaby appointed head of kiwi zoo
Wellington Zoo Trust has appointed former Director of Discovery and Learning at Zoos Victoria Karen Fifield as its new Chief Executive, Chairperson Neale Pitches announced today.
"Karen Fifield is an inspirational and experienced leader in the Australasian zoo network and we're delighted she's agreed to lead Wellington Zoo," Mr Pitches said. "Karen is already well known to the zoos in the region and to us at Wellington Zoo. She has been on the Board of our regional zoos association and has recently acted as a consultant to Wellington Zoo in the development of innovative visitor experience as part of the Zoo's capital development programme,"
Karen has most recently been Operations Manager at Quest for Life Centre and Foundation in Sydney. Karen will take up the position in late September 2006. "In its centenary year, Wellington Zoo Trust is in the process of transforming Wellington Zoo and Karen is an ideal complement to the strong team already in place at the Zoo,"
Karen has spent 15 years in various roles within zoos, culminating in the role of Acting CEO of Zoos Victoria. She has also been a consultant to a number of Australasian zoos in recent times. Karen began her career in zoos as an Education Officer at Taronga Zoo in Sydney. She holds a Teaching Diploma from Alexander Mackie College of Advanced Education. Karen replaces Alison Lash as Chief Executive. Alison left the Zoo in April this year.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0608/S00042.htm
PetaDishoom sponsors Rahul Khanna-autographed book giveaway
Actor Rahul Khanna has already grabbed attention with the shoot of his compelling ad decrying the chaining and confinement of elephants in zoos, due to be released in the coming months. However, he wanted to do something more to raise awareness about the plight of jailed elephants. So Rahul has teamed up with his pals at petaDishoom – PETA India's fast-growing youth-program for a giveaway of the book Elephants – A Portrait of the Animal World at petaDishoom.com autographed by Rahul, himself. All that visitors on the site have to do is register before September 15, to win.
Known for films like 1947 Earth and Bollywood Hollywood, he spoke about the issue. "Elephants remind me of humans in the way they nurture each other's children and mourn for their dead. These sensitive creatures should not be chained away from natural habitat and fellow species." Rahul also had some poignant advice for India's youth: "Don't wear blinders", he says. "Acknowledge animal abuse and spread the word in order to cause change."
Elephants in Indian zoos live in appalling conditions. Some are chained year-round, and many suffer from malnutrition. Kept in tiny, barren enclosures that could never simulate their natural habitat, elephants in zoos frequently suffer from zoochosis, a form of mental anguish caused by the impoverished environment. In captivity, elephants often die before age 40 from foot disorders and arthritis. In the wild, elephants can live to be 70. PETA advocates that zoos must begin phasing out their elephant exhibits by ending any future attempts to breed them or capture more elephants from the wild.
http://www.indiafm.com/news/2006/08/21/7642/
Oregon Zoo lets seniors in free
September 8, 2006
People ages 65 and older are invited to enjoy a free day at the zoo on Sept. 19.
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Providence Health Plan will sponsor the no-charge Senior Safari for seniors and one companion each.
The day will begin with free coffee and doughnuts, free train rides, lectures, animal feedings, a petting zoo and bird displays.
The Winged Wonders butterfly exhibit will reopen for the day.
Providence Home and Community Services is providing wheelchairs free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis; the wheelchairs are limited,
The zoo is at 4001 SW Canyon Road, Portland.
For more information, call (503) 226-1561 or go to www.oregonzoo.org
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060908/LIFE/609080304/1059
Petting zoo, story time at Brown Library
Fall schedule promises something for everyone
By Kevin Scott Cutler, Daily News Correspondent
“Old MacDonald had a farm, but did you know he’s bringing it to Brown Library?” asked Rose Ann Fennell with a chuckle.
On Monday, the library will host a petting zoo featuring a yard filled with gentle animals provided by Jim Preston of Bath Farms, according to Fennell, who serves as the library’s program assistant. The petting zoo kicks off the fall schedule of story time at the library, held the second and fourth Mondays of each month beginning at 11 a.m. That schedule will be in effect through April.
Story time is a big drawing card for younger library patrons from 18 months to 3 years of age, said Fennell.
“During the fall and winter we have 15 various day-care centers come every month for our half-hour story time,” she said. The event incorporates stories, songs, puppets and other activities designed to entertain children and introduce them to the fascinating world of books.
http://www.wdnweb.com/articles/2006/09/08/news/news04.txt
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