Phar Lap death mystery solved
Tuesday October 24, 2006
By Greg Ansley
Australian scientists have proved that legendary Timaru-bred racehorse Phar Lap was poisoned - but the big gelding's death remains one of racing's great whodunnits.
Tests on hair samples using a huge American particle accelerator have established Phar Lap was given a fatal dose of arsenic about 35 hours before his death in California in 1932.
But although arsenic has been identified, there is still no evidence of how it was administered or by whom, let alone whether the Mafia was involved, as conspiracy theories have long postulated.
"All the material we have can only indicate he has ingested arsenic," Dr Ivan Kempson, of the Australian Synchrotron Research Programme, told ABC radio. "We can't actually identify where it has come from."
Even so, their conclusion that the great chestnut racehorse took the poison in one big dose adds to speculation that his death was deliberate.
The earliest autopsies speculated that Phar Lap - considered by many to be the greatest racehorse New Zealand and Australia have produced - died of acute gastric enteritis caused by a toxic substance.
Why do I believe it's far, far more than instinct?
Zoos
Oregon Zoo Hosts Howling Good Time
PORTLAND, Oregon - Families can trick-or-treat and learn more about wildlife during "Howloween" at the Oregon Zoo. Howloween, presented by Sterling Savings Bank, is scheduled for Oct. 28 and 29, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
http://www.medfordnews.com/articles/index.cfm?artOID=332899&cp=10997
This is just for fun
Metallica tribute band return to the Zoo
Getting ready to rock the foundations of Kilkenny’s Zoo Club are Metallitia, Ireland’s ultimate Metallica tribute show. These guys are definitely a band not to miss.
This will be their third Kilkenny performance as the band packed out The Venue night club and The Zoo club last year. They now return to the Marble City by huge popular demand.
Those of you who have already heard of the band know exactly what they are all about. For those who don't and all who'd like to have a closer peek, here is an introduction to the ‘Masters of tribute’, Metallitia.
http://www.kilkennyadvertiser.ie/index.php?aid=3182
ZOO STUDY: Kids have 'fascination' with animals
By Dean Wong
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
A typical visit to the Woodland Park Zoo offers the public an opportunity to see bears, zebras and elephants in natural settings while learning about the value of conservation and protecting the environment.
According to a new study "Why Zoos and Aquariums Matter: Visitor Impact Study," going to an accredited zoo in North America has a measurable impact on the conservation attitudes and understanding of adults.
The findings were the result of a three-year research project by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
"Through our own research at Woodland Park Zoo, we are seeing a steady increase in the impact on knowledge and attitudes that our exhibits have on our visitors," says Deborah Jensen, Woodland Park president and CEO.
For instance, the zoo's Butterflies and Blooms exhibit, which closed for the winter last week, helps people understand the role of the colorful insects in their backyards.
"This study clearly shows that visitors believe that accredited zoos and aquariums are deeply committed to animal care and education and that we play an important role in species conservation. These findings enhanced our goal to build America's largest wildlife conservation movement," says Jim Maddy, president of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
http://www.ballardnewstribune.com/articles/2006/10/17/news/local_news/news02.txt
Sticking his neck out ... new giraffe calf
Baby is neck-st big thing at zoo
By ONLINE REPORTER
October 17, 2006
ZOOKEEPERS at Whipsnade say they are delighted with their newest addition - a baby that is nearly 6ft tall.
Savannah the giraffe gave birth to her first calf 11 days ago, after a 15-month pregnancy.
The youngster, who already measures 5ft 7ins, is still trying to find his feet around the paddock at the zoo in Bedfordshire.
The calf, which has not yet been named, is the eighth to be born at Whipsnade.
Zoological director David Field said: "The calf will be a great new member of the herd here."
Savannah was also born at Whipsnade, in August 2001.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006480266,00.html
Potter Park Zoo could face downsizing if millage doesn't pass
By TREY SCROGGINZookeeper Jackie Broder scrubs the inside of the snow leopard exhibit Tuesday at Potter Park Zoo, 1301 S. Pennsylvania Ave. in Lansing. The Zoo Yes! program will be on the Nov. 7 election ballot for voters to decide if they want to approve a new tax that will help raise additional money for the zoo to meet the operational costs.
A proposal on the Ingham County ballot to increase funding for the Potter Park Zoo in Lansing might make the difference in the zoo's survival.
And that, supporters say, is important enough to impose a $46 annual tax increase, at most, on property owners in the county.
"Basically, Lansing has built a pretty nice zoo but then couldn't afford to keep it up," said Ingham County Commissioner Mark Grebner. "The zoo is almost a frill at this point."
The city of Lansing no longer has the funds to keep the zoo operating at current levels, Grebner said, because Lansing has a limited tax base and property values aren't rising.
But because a declining manufacturing sector and stagnated economy have hurt Ingham County residents, the proposed millage might face a tough passage.
If the millage doesn't pass, the zoo could experience downsizing, said Dr. Tara Harrison, a veterinarian and curator at the zoo.
"(We're) not completely in dire straits, but pretty close," Harrison said.
The zoo educates more than 40,000 students and children per year through a variety of structured programs, Harrison said.
http://www.statenews.com/article.phtml?pk=38224
Pandas Get New Home At National Zoo
New Exhibit Part Of $53 Million Asia Trail
WASHINGTON -- The panda bears at Washington's National Zoo have a new home.
The 1-acre playground includes shade trees and a water-cooled cave for the three bears.
Some people braved rainy conditions Tuesday to see the animals in their new habitat.
The new home for the zoo's star attractions is part of a $53 million Asia Trail exhibit that also includes red pandas.
The panda bears have drawn 10 million visitors to the zoo since December 2000. They are on a 10-year loan from China.
The pandas include the father, Tian Tian; the mother, Mei Xiang; and a male cub, Tai Shan. Tai Shan was born in July 2005.
http://www.wesh.com/news/10102392/detail.html
Utica Zoo deems telethon a success
Wednesday, Oct 18, 2006
By Jessica Ryen DoyleObserver-Dispatch
jryen@utica.gannett.com
UTICA – The Utica Zoo announced this morning they raised more than $40,000 through a telethon that aired Oct. 5 on television station WKTV.
“The community really pulled through, and it shows,” said Nicole White, public relations and special events coordinator for the zoo. “And the checks are still coming in.”
Over the past two years, the facility has publicly affirmed its financial troubles. Zoo officials asked the Oneida County Board of Legislators in August to increase annual funding or to take it on as a county-run facility.
The zoo also closed for one month in February 2005 and temporarily laid off six employees to save about $10,000. In June of that year, zoo officials asked county legislators for a $50,000 funding advance to pay general operating costs.
The Utica Zoo is located in Roscoe-Conkling Park, just off Memorial Parkway. It was established in 1914. Its present-day collection boasts more than 200 animals from around the world.
The zoo will host its 20th annual Halloween Spooktacular from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Admission is $3 per person, and no one under the age of 18 will be admitted without an adult.
The Spooktacular includes 13 treat stations, as well as the Haunted Hall and Forest of Fear Hayride. The latter attractions cost an additional $3.
Copyright ©2006 uticaOD.com All rights reserved.
http://www.uticaod.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061018/NEWS/61018006
Blind people 'see' animals at new exhibition
Pretoria, South Africa
18 October 2006 03:14
Blind people will for the first time be able to "see" animals at the National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria, thanks to a new exhibition that opened on Wednesday.
The exhibition allows visually handicapped people to touch animal trophies while a guide explains the animals' features and habitat. The visitors are also able to hear the sound that the animal makes.
"When friends tell me how big an animal is or what colour it is, it does not mean much for me, but now I have felt the giraffe's eye lashes or the teeth of the baboon. It is just wonderful," explained Andre Manders of the South African National Council for the blind.
The exhibition, which was the brainchild of the Friends of the Zoo, has over 200 examples of 68 different kinds of animal.
Hennie Pauley, chairperson of the Friends of the Zoo, said private collectors from all over South Africa donated the trophies. It includes mounted trophies of animals, but also full-sized animals.
"I hope the visitors could form their own picture of the size and the look of the animal," said Pauley.
Visitors also received Braille pamphlets with further information on the animals.
Although the exhibition will run only for two weeks, zoo director Willie Labuschagne on Tuesday announced that a grant of R1-million has been received to build a permanent exhibition.
Over 600 000 people visit the zoo each year and Labuschagne said he hoped the new exhibition would make it a worthwhile visit for the blind. -- Sapa
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__national/&articleid=287077
Zoo gets the tallest baby
Tim Walsh
AT 5FT 7in tall, Whipsnade Zoo's newest arrival is hardly a babe in arms.
The 11-day-old male giraffe is still trying to find its feet around its paddock at the zoo, in Bedfordshire, but keepers are said to be pleased with its progress.
The calf, which has not yet been named, is the eighth to be born at Whipsnade.
For the youngster's mother, Savannah, who was born at the zoo in 2001, the big bundle of joy was her first calf after a 15-month pregnancy.
A zoo spokesman said: "We are delighted with our new arrival.
"He will be a great new member of the herd here and a valuable addition to the European Endangered Species breeding programme."
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http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/225/225907_zoo_gets_the_tallest_baby.html
The Gorillas in Our Midst
By MICHAEL WINERIPPublished: October 21, 2006
IF I ask my 16-year-old twin sons to do something with me, like go to a movie or take a bike ride, they think it’s hilarious.
Enl“Yeah, right, Dad,” says Sam.
“Come on, Dad,” says Adam.
Only Annie, my 12-year-old, is still willing to be seen with me in public, and I know it won’t last, so I seize the moment. One day not long ago, the two of us headed to the Bronx Zoo, and because I refuse to be ground down, I invited the boys along, too.
“The zoo, Dad?”
“Very funny, Dad!”
It was a grand day. Annie and I saw most everything, but nothing was as satisfying as the gorillas. Living behind glass, on a woodsy acre, they move in and out of sight, sometimes as close as a few feet away. There’s been a population boom — five babies in a year — and when we watched a 200-pound gorilla mom stick out her big gray hand, take her baby’s tiny fingers and lead him away from all us humans squeezed against the glass, well, parenting never looked sweeter.
At one point, our eyes were glued on a mother who would let her baby wander off a few feet, then as the infant crossed some line only the mom could see, pull him right back. Suddenly, two adolescent males raced by in the background. They circled and cuffed each other on the head, rolled around, streaked up to mother and baby, popped the mother and ran away. Without saying a word, Annie and I knew exactly what we were seeing: Sam and Adam!
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/21/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/22Rparent.html
Catskill zoo's animals up for auction
Game farm's rhinos, monkeys, yaks and more go on the block during second day of bidding
CATSKILL -- About 1,000 animals, ranging from yaks and Vervet monkeys to the popular Rhinos ``Jack'' and ``Boom Boom'', went on the auction block today as the Catskill Game Farm moved into the final day before closing its doors.
About 300 buyers from all over the country attended the event to bid on animals that had long been the primary attraction of the farm. The auction is scheduled to wrap up sometime later this afternoon. Wednesday marked the second day of auction sales. Equipment from the game farm was sold on Tuesday.
The Catskill Game Farm closed its doors Oct. 8 after 73 years in business. The attraction's owners said changing tastes in family entertainment had eroded their clientele over the years, until it was just too expensive to keep going.
Game Farm owner Kathie Schultz called the selling off of the animals a bittersweet but necessary move, given the changing business climate in which the farm had tried to survive.
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=526676&category=SPORTS&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=10/18/2006
Happy Trails to Zoo
If you're a child of the District, it's a distinct possibility that dozens of trips to the National Zoo over the years formed very strong memories for you. There's the good old reptile house; the good old elephant house; and of course the good old pandas. Even a dozen or so years after my childhood, return trips offered up the same sort of feeling: not much is ever different at the zoo. Which is oddly comforting, but also kind of oddly sad when you keep seeing the animals in their same old enclosures that look like they haven't changed since the 1930s — which is because they probably haven't.
As you must have heard by now, the zoo is set to change that. As part of a 10-year expansion plan, they opened the new Asia Trail to the public on Tuesday, revealing a six-acre spread that does animal-lovers proud, as well as seamlessly incorporates some slick new interactive features for kids and a bit of gorgeous landscaping. And best of all: plenty of angles from which to view the animals and even get some close-up shots of their pretty, pretty faces. Except for the giant salamander. He wasn't pretty. Check out our take on the rest of the Asia Trail (and the zoo's plans to update the elephant house) after the jump.
Photo by Flickr user clarissa~, who has a whole set here. Used with permission.
http://www.dcist.com/archives/2006/10/18/happy_trails_to.php
Akron Zoo seeking renewal levy
By Mike D’Agruma
SUMMIT COUNTY — On Nov. 7, Summit County voters will see Issue No. 20, a .8-mill renewal levy for the Akron Zoo that would cost the owner of a $100,000 home approximately $2 a month if approved.
The renewal is not a tax increase and would allow the zoo to continue along the same lines of expansion as it has in the past five years, said L. Patricia Simmons, zoo president and chief executive officer.
“Like all zoos and regional attractions, the Akron Zoo must refresh and add exhibits over time to provide up-to-date education and maintain visitorship,” she said. “Continued funding will allow the Akron Zoo to add between six and 10 new exhibits.”
In March 2000, voters passed a seven-year, .8-mill property tax levy. The renewal, if passed, would begin collecting in 2008 and run until 2014. According to officials, the zoo has provided or expanded the following areas since passage of the initial levy:
• Animals: In the past five years, the zoo has added 130 percent more animals, 37 percent of which are endangered and vulnerable species. It has more than 700 animals from around the world and is only one of 215 facilities accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.
http://www.akron.com/20061019/wzl38.ASPconcluding …
