Tuesday, December 12, 2006
New Zealand Police Dogs
Police dog Diesel finds a new job he can enjoy
Friday December 8, 2006
Diesel, the British police dog who pined so much when his former handler emigrated to New Zealand that he lost his job, may yet see his offspring working for the police.
Sergeant John Gallagher, of Wellington, paid $5832 to bring Diesel out from Britain.
Diesel, a 4-year-old german shepherd, is now his family's pet, but is still serving law enforcement, in a manner of speaking.
He has been standing at stud in New Zealand to bitches whose genetic lines have produced good police dogs.
"In the near future there will be some Diesel pups around," said Mr Gallagher.
"We're hoping his offspring will be suitable for police work - Diesel's line is very popular in Europe."
New Zealand police have brought a bitch from Holland and are considering another from Canada to introduce the right mix to their breeding lines for police dogs.
When Mr Gallagher, 42, moved to New Zealand two years ago to train police dogs and their handlers at Trentham, British police kept Diesel as he was doing a good job in East Lancashire.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10414326
Friday December 8, 2006
Diesel, the British police dog who pined so much when his former handler emigrated to New Zealand that he lost his job, may yet see his offspring working for the police.
Sergeant John Gallagher, of Wellington, paid $5832 to bring Diesel out from Britain.
Diesel, a 4-year-old german shepherd, is now his family's pet, but is still serving law enforcement, in a manner of speaking.
He has been standing at stud in New Zealand to bitches whose genetic lines have produced good police dogs.
"In the near future there will be some Diesel pups around," said Mr Gallagher.
"We're hoping his offspring will be suitable for police work - Diesel's line is very popular in Europe."
New Zealand police have brought a bitch from Holland and are considering another from Canada to introduce the right mix to their breeding lines for police dogs.
When Mr Gallagher, 42, moved to New Zealand two years ago to train police dogs and their handlers at Trentham, British police kept Diesel as he was doing a good job in East Lancashire.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10414326
ADI Submits Evidence to USDA in Case Against Elephants in Captivity
AZA: Zoo Elephants Thriving; New Data Filed with Federal Government Thwarts Anti-Zoo Extremists
12/12/2006 9:30:00 AM
To: National Desk
Contact: Steve Feldman, 301-562-0777, ext. 252
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Comments filed yesterday by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reveal new data that demonstrates elephants in accredited zoos are in very good health.
"Anti-zoo extremists should call off their orchestrated attacks against zoos. The facts are indisputable - elephants in accredited zoos are thriving," said AZA Executive Director Kristin Vehrs. "AZA-accredited zoos care for more than 280 elephants across North America. We have compelling data to show that AZA's mandatory 'Standards for Elephant Care and Management' are working. The elephant population in AZA-accredited zoos is healthy."
AZA comments to USDA state:
American Tortoise Rescue (click on)
December 10, 2006
Englewood, Florida
Photographer states :: This was taken at Lemon Bay Park in Englewood, Florida. This park is just crawling with these slow creatures.
Morning Papers - concluding
Zoos
All but Ageless, Turtles Face Their Biggest Threat: Humans
This was no euphemistic brushoff, no reptilian version of “Sorry, I’ll be busy that night washing my hair.” Paddling around in a tropically appointed pool at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the husky female Gibba turtle from South America made all too palpable her disdain for the petite male Gibba that pursued her. He crawled onto the parqueted hump of her bark-brown shell. She shrugged and wriggled until he slipped off. He looped around to show her his best courtship maneuvers, bobbing his head, quivering his neck. She kicked him aside like a clot of algae and kept swimming.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/12/science/12turt.html?_r=1&8dpc&oref=slogin
PETA's only concern was for animals at Primarily Primates
Kathy Guillermo / Guest Column
A recent opinion piece by Friends of Animals' Lee Hall (“The struggle to save a sanctuary and a movement,” Nov. 21) attempted to portray Primarily Primates Inc. in San Antonio as a victim of greedy people who are attacking the facility for self-serving reasons. But all one has to do is look at the information released by the Texas Attorney General's office to see that this simply isn't true.
On Oct. 13, in response to the attorney general's 32-page complaint, a Travis County judge issued a temporary restraining order and law enforcement officials converged on Primarily Primates Inc., seizing control of the facility. The attorney general's complaint alleged financial mismanagement, misappropriation of charitable assets, neglect and mistreatment of animals, cruel confinement, failure to provide for the animals' psychological needs, hoarding and human safety concerns. The court appointed a temporary receiver to marshal PPI's assets and to take responsibility for animal care and financial operations.
http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061206/OPINION02/612060321
Flag Acres Zoo plans to shut down
Owners say next season is their last, citing increasing regulation and costs
HOOSICK -- When big Bud the black bear was a cub, he loved to ride in the passenger seat of Harry "Butch" Vonhaggin's pickup truck on errands down to the village.
“As he got bigger we had to stop that because people were so surprised when they saw him, it could have caused an accident," Vonhaggin said as he poked his hand through the cage wire and rubbed Bud, now a very old 20, on the head.
"We been buddies a long time, huh Bud ol' boy," the zookeeper said as he pushed some fresh green grass through heavy wires of the large farm corn hopper that served as a cage.
The Capital Region will soon lose Bud and all the 200 plus animals at the Flag Acres Zoo. Vonhaggin and his wife Lynne said the increasing rules and regulations governing small operations like theirs and escalating expenses will force them to close in the fall of 2007, the end of their next season.
The zoo has been open to school groups and the public each year between May 10 and Sept. 10 since 1989.
They plan to set up shop on a property outside Knoxville, Tenn., for the 2008 season.
"All the regulations are just getting crazy," Vonhaggin said.
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=541976&category=RENSSELAER&BCCode=&newsdate=12/6/2006
Ashley students take oyster report to D.C.
A delegation of Ashley High School students will deliver a presentation about oyster restoration in Washington, D.C., from Dec. 5-8. (From left) students Matt Albee, Mary Greer, Josh Jenners, Peter Nemmers, N.C. Aquarium educator Stefanie Misner and Ashley science teacher Bryan Bishop. A schedule of events appears at the end of the release.
Kure Beach – Four science students from Ashley High School will deliver a presentation about oyster restoration at the National Student Summit on Oceans and Coasts in Washington, D.C., during the week of Dec. 5-8.
Ashley juniors Matt Albee, Josh Jenners and Peter Nemmers, and senior Mary Greer have spent the past several weeks preparing their 20-minute audio-visual report, which details the economic and environmental importance of oysters and recommends steps for restoring oyster populations depleted over the past century. The four will be accompanied by their biology teacher, Bryan Bishop, and by Stefanie Misner, an educator from the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. Bishop and Misner advised the students during preparation of the report.
http://www.topsail-island.info/wordpress/index.php/ashley-students-take-oyster-report-to-dc/
Rock wallaby return
Wednesday, 6 December 2006
Reporter: (online) Terri-Anne Kingsley
Presenter: Fiona Parker
The critically endangered brush-tailed rock wallaby is returning to the Grampians, with the official opening of a re-introduction facility on the edge of the National Park.
Tony Corrigan is a Parks Victoria ranger, and he says the re-introduction facility will help increase the success rate of introducing zoo-raised rock wallabies into the wild."It's a two-hectare paddock. We're bringing animals that have been bred in zoos into this paddock so they can get used to the climate in the Grampians and get used to being outside a pen, in a more open environment."The pen is fox-proof, the fox being the main threat to rock wallabies and other small native animals, but there are other causes that contributed to brush-tailed rock wallaby's decline.
http://www.abc.net.au/westernvic/stories/s1805678.htm?backyard
Genders of zoo's baby penguins a mystery
By Jody CallahanContact December 7, 2006
They call the little guy "Samson," but the zookeepers know that might have to change.
That's because no one knows whether the Memphis Zoo's penguin chick, hatched just a little over a month ago, is a boy or a girl.
Penguins, you see, have no external reproductive organs, so the only way you can tell if it's a "Mr." or a "Ms." is to do a blood test -- or wait for an egg.
So for now, the three baby penguins at the zoo -- Samson is joined by Dee Dee, 18 days old, and Liam, 14 days -- will keep their given names.
But what happens if Samson decides to lay an egg one day?
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/article/0,2845,MCA_25340_5195569,00.html
Ontario MPP demands zoo regulations with teeth
RECENT NEWS
A Liberal MPP has introduced new legislation to address the deplorable conditions animals are kept in at Ontario’s roadside zoos. If passed, Bill 154, “‘The Regulation of Zoos Act’ would require all Ontario zoos to comply with professional animal welfare and public safety standards. The proposed legislation would ensure every zoo animal receives appropriate care and housing and that zoo visitors, staff and surrounding communities are safe.
We’re calling on all Ontario residents to support this bill.
Click here to help us improve the lives of zoo animals.
Bill 154 has the support of the three leading animal welfare organizations in Ontario: the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Ontario SPCA), and Zoocheck Canada. MoreView First Reading of Bill 154, "The Regulation of Zoos Act" here
Ontario stands out as the worst jurisdiction in Canada when it comes to ensuring the proper care of captive wildlife.
http://www.ontariozoos.ca/
Study: Ebola killed gorillas too
WASHINGTON - Recent outbreaks of ebola among people in Africa also killed thousands of gorillas, animals already threatened by hunting, a new study reports.
Outbreaks in Congo and Gabon in 2002 and 2003 killed as many as 5,500 gorillas and an uncounted number of chimpanzees, a research team led by Magdalena Bermejo of the University of Barcelona in Spain reports in Friday's issue of the journal Science.
While conservationists had raised concern about gorilla mortality previously, Bermejo's study provides an estimate of how many died in the epidemic.
"Add commercial hunting to the mix, and we have a recipe for rapid ecological extinction," the researchers wrote. "Ape species that were abundant and widely distributed a decade ago are rapidly being reduced to a tiny remnant population.
Ebola hemorrhagic fever is marked by fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, sore throat and weakness, followed by diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain — and many suffer internal and external bleeding.
The researchers began studying gorillas in the region in 1995 and by 2001 were focusing on 143 animals who had become accustomed to having people around.
In 2002, ebola flared in among people in the region, killing dozens, and 130 of the gorillas in the study also perished. The researchers turned their attention to another group of 95 gorillas, but a 2003 ebola outbreak killed 91 of those animals.
That prompted the team to analyze the regional pattern of gorilla deaths and they concluded the disease spread primarily from gorilla to gorilla starting in the north and moving southward through the region. They concluded that at least 3,500 gorillas died in the outbreaks and possibly as many as 5,500.
They also found evidence of a large number of chimpanzee deaths but said they didn't have enough evidence to make an estimate of the total.
The research was funded by Energy Africa Oil Company, the
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061207/ap_on_he_me/ebola_gorillas
Tas devils arrive on mainland
Twelve wild tasmanian devils have arrived at Victoria's Healesville Sanctuary as part of a nationwide effort to ensure the survival of the species.
The population of tasmanian devils seriously declined after the emergence of devil facial tumour disease in the mid 1990s.
Forty-seven devils are being sent to zoos around Australia as part of a captive breeding program.
Dr Graeme Gillespie from Zoos Victoria says it is hoped the program will lead to the long-term security of wild populations.
"The plan is to bring over a colony of animals to the mainland and these animals will be distributed amongst a number of zoological institutions in various states, including Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria," he said.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200612/s1809587.htm
ADI Submits Evidence to USDA in Case Against Elephants in Captivity
Monday December 11, 6:25 pm ET
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the USDA concludes its consultation reviewing living conditions for captive elephants in the US. With evidence mounting of the difficulties of adequately caring for these animals in captivity, Animal Defenders International (ADI) has presented the USDA with a substantial dossier of scientific research which highlighting that many captive elephants in the U.S. are being held in conditions which seriously compromise their welfare.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061211/sfm209.html?.v=1
27 Maharashtra zoos may shut down soon
NAGPUR: Zoological parks in Maharashtra may soon be passé, as the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), a statutory body under union ministry of forest and environment, has asked as many as 27 small zoos across the state to shut down for violating rules.
The apex body has also written to the state government some time back saying barring Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park in Pune, no other zoo follows the standards prescribed under the National Zoo Policy, 1988.
Some of the popular Sunday stops that are facing the closure are the Maharajbagh zoo of Nagpur and the Jeejmata Udyan of Mumbai.
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1068576
Fight the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act
The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) (S.3880) defines as "terrorism" causing any business classified as an "animal enterprise" (e.g., factory farms, fur farms, vivisection labs, rodeos, zoos and circuses) to suffer a profit loss and is punishable by a long prison sentence -- even if the company's financial decline is caused by peaceful protests, boycotts, media campaigns or leafleting. Defining non-violent activist tactics that cause exploitive corporations to lose profit but don't physically hurt anyone as "terrorism" is both a deceptive misapplication of a serious termand a completely unacceptable violation of our Constitutionally-granted First Amendment rights to freedom of speech. Industry groups pushed the AETA through Congress quickly and with little public scrutiny.The AETA was unanimously passed in the Senate on September 29th and on November 13th it was passed in the House with only 5 Representatives voting. President Bush signed the AETA into law on November 27th.
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=41079128&blogID=203687891
Wildlife Park Workers on Strike, Leaving Animals Unfed
Friday, December 08, 2006
Hundreds of workers at a state-owned wildlife park in south China's Guangdong Province are on strike in protest against pay levels, leaving the animals unfed.
Shenzhen Wildlife Park closed to visitors on Thursday morning, saying it was unsafe as no staff were working, the Nanfang Daily reported on Friday. Only foreign tourists in a package tour were admitted, but found few animals on view. They said they saw monkeys eating weeds from lake. More than 100 park keepers gathered in front of an office building beside the entrance gate, holding a banner asking to be justly paid for "10 years of toil." A man surnamed Xie, who worked in the park's transport department, said all 400 park workers were on strike the whole of Thursday.
http://www.keralanext.com/news/?id=915802
Fight the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act
The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) (S.3880) defines as "terrorism" causing any business classified as an "animal enterprise" (e.g., factory farms, fur farms, vivisection labs, rodeos, zoos and circuses) to suffer a profit loss and is punishable by a long prison sentence -- even if the company's financial decline is caused by peaceful protests, boycotts, media campaigns or leafleting. Defining non-violent activist tactics that cause exploitive corporations to lose profit but don't physically hurt anyone as "terrorism" is both a deceptive misapplication of a serious termand a completely unacceptable violation of our Constitutionally-granted First Amendment rights to freedom of speech. Industry groups pushed the AETA through Congress quickly and with little public scrutiny.The AETA was unanimously passed in the Senate on September 29th and on November 13th it was passed in the House with only 5 Representatives voting. President Bush signed the AETA into law on November 27th.Read the full text of the bill
http://www.disinfo.com/site/displayarticle17969.html
One Hundred Ninth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the third day of January, two thousand and six
An Act To provide the Department of Justice the necessary authority to apprehend, prosecute, and convict individuals committing animal enterprise terror.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act'.
SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF ECONOMIC DAMAGE TO ANIMAL ENTERPRISES AND THREATS OF DEATH AND SERIOUS BODILY INJURY TO ASSOCIATED PERSONS.
http://noaeta.org/S3880ENR.pdf
Ol' black eyes is back
Once the world's most prominent endangered species, the panda population is booming with hands-on help from Chinese scientists. But are the results a triumph - or an ethical minefield? Jonathan Watts reports Saturday December 9, 2006The Guardian
Viagra, pornography, partner-swapping, artificial tongues and electrified rectal probes. No, they are not the ingredients for a new series of Sex And The City; they are the hard-core husbandry techniques behind the biggest boom ever seen in the captive giant panda population.
The world's most famous endangered species is making a comeback. After a record 31 births in zoos and research centres this year, Chinese scientists say they have developed a near-100% success rate for breeding the animals. The population in the wild has stabilised at just over 1,500 and their habitat - one of the most important centres of biodiversity in the world - has been given a new and expanded guarantee of protection by the government. But the story is not nearly as black and white as the animals, as a visit to the Wolong Nature Reserve, deep in the forested mountains of Sichuan Province, suggests.
http://environment.guardian.co.uk/conservation/story/0,,1966664,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=1
ANNUAL FLU PANDEMIC WARNING FOR HAJ PILGRIMAGE GENERATES CALLS FOR MASS VACCINATIONSEXPERTS SAY BIRD FLU VIRUS IS STILL "SMOULDERING"It's time once again for the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, so that means the now standard annual warning of a possible flu pandemic breaking out amongst the millions of Muslim worshippers is being sounded.The difference this year is the rising call for worshippers to be vaccinated before they arrive in Saudi Arabia. Not only is the call being promoted as a necessity, but some experts are demanding the vaccinations become mandatory.
http://birdflublog.blogspot.com/2006/12/annual-flu-pandemic-warning-for-haj.html
Mayor to help Krasnoyarsk zoo buy giraffe and Tibetan Yak
Krasnoyarsk, Dec. 7 (Newslab) - Krasnoyarsk Mayor Petr Pimashkov discussed cooperation prospects with directors of two Czech zoos. The parties touched upon exchange of animals between Krasnoyarsk flora and fauna park "Royev Ruchey" and Brno and Vyskov zoos, Czechia, at the meeting.
In particular, they discussed an opportunity to buy a giraffe and a unique Tibetan yak for "Royev Ruchey", Krasnoyarsk mayor's office reported.
The Czech zoo directors assessed the development rate of Krasnoyarsk zoological garden highly and said they wanted to buy musk-oxen, Siberian deer and gluttons in Krasnoyarsk.
"I am pleased with cooperation with the Czech zoos. It will be a great event for "Royev Ruchey" to buy a giraffe, and we are going to contribute to this by all means."
http://english.newslab.ru/news/208018
Maryland Zoo Losses Heading Higher
BALTIMORE -- The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is struggling with red ink.
Zoo Director Billie Grieb told the Board of Public Works that the zoo lost $3 million in the last fiscal year and will likely have bigger losses this year.
Grieb said expenses are going up but zoo funding hasn't changed. However, she said she is optimistic.
"We have been chronically under-funded for many years, and we're now trying to address that with the state, which is our principal funder," she said.
Grieb said she knows the prices at the zoo are too high.
"We would like to lower admission prices, because we think we have priced ourselves above where most people are comfortable paying. We'd like to get visitorship up where we think it should be," she said.
The budget is made up of two parts -- the operating budget and the capital budget. The capital budget covers set costs, including new construction.
"We have received very generous state support on the capital side. Also, it's easier to raise capital money, because donors like to put their names on buildings and exhibits and things like that," Grieb said.
The operating budget, like food for the animals, is what falls short each year. To make up for the shortfall, prices would have to jump higher without additional state help.
"We would have to charge another $10 per visitor … that's really a lot," Grieb said.
Grieb and officials from other Baltimore attractions spoke about different ideas for marketing their attractions to draw more tourists.
Three years ago, the zoo almost had to close due to financial problems.
http://www.thewbalchannel.com/news/10481233/detail.html
Zoo bird flu vaccinations considered success
Researchers say a trial of preventive avian flu vaccinations for birds at a number of Swiss zoos last year was reasonably successful.
The tests, authorised by the Federal Veterinary Office, showed that most of the animals had supported the treatment well and many of them had built up resistance to the influenza virus.
The vaccination campaign was launched after the deadly HN51 virus made it to the shores of the Black Sea in autumn 2005. The zoos in Basel, Zurich, Bern and Goldau put in a request to immunise their birds.
http://www.nzz.ch/2006/12/07/eng/article7328309.html
"(AP) Memphis Zoo must wait to learn gender of 3 penguin chicks"
The Memphis Zoo celebrated the births of three African black-footed penguin chicks this year, but it may be a long time before zookeepers know whether they are females or males.
Samson hatched a little over a month ago and is waiting in the zoo's hatchery to be joined by Dee Dee, who is 18 days old, and Liam, who is 14 days old.
Zookeeper Meeghan Bell says the names of the three chicks are arbitrary because penguins have no external reproductive organs.
The only way for the zoo to learn their gender is a blood test _ or just wait for an egg.
"We do have one female over there named Rupert," Bell...
http://www.wkrn.com/nashville/news/ap-memphis-zoo-must-wait-to-learn-gender-of-penguin-chicks/64131.htm
A Trip To The Zoo And Look Real Reindeers!
http://skyeblue2u.blogspot.com/
Siberian tiger cub dies at Peoria zoo
Associated Press
PEORIA, Ill. - A Siberian tiger was found dead in his holding area at the Glen Oak Zoo in Peoria over the weekend.
An examination showed that Danya, a 1-year-old cub, died Saturday from suffocation after suffering a crushed windpipe.
Zoo officials said the injury was most likely caused by another tiger, and they hadn't ruled out the possibility that it was an accident from aggressive tiger cub play.
Danya, a 150-pound male who arrived at the zoo in October from a Colorado zoo, shared an enclosure with two female tiger sisters, Nika and Kyra.
Staff had slowly started introducing the tigers so they could eventually share the same exhibit space.
The tigers were expected to be a major attraction at Glen Oak. Saturday was their sixth day together.
Experts said the circumstances of Danya's death were rare and that zoo staff handled the situation appropriately.
"There's nothing they should have done differently," said Ron Tilson, director of conservation at the Minnesota Zoo and coordinator of the Tiger Species Survival Plan.
Zoo staff in Peoria were shaken by Danya's death.
"The news was shocking," said Yvonne Strode, the zoo's director. "We're still in shock."
http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/state/16219719.htm
N.C. Zoo's lion cubs go on exhibit
ASHEBORO — Three African lion cubs born in October went on public view for the first time Monday at the N.C. Zoo. Taking advantage of unseasonably warm weather and a delay in plans for renovations to their holding facilities, the three cubs followed their mother, Sala, into the outdoor lion exhibit about 11 a.m. The public may be able to see the cubs again during the next month, depending on weather conditions. Skies must be sunny and temperatures at least 50 degrees to give the cubs "access" to the outdoor habitat, according to keepers.A renovation project slated for the lion holding area has been postponed until mid-January, but may keep the cubs indoors for two months after construction begins.For now, the male and two females cubs will be exhibited only with their mother. Visitors can see the adult male lion on days the cubs are not on display.Born Oct. 23, the triplets marked only the second lion-cub birthing at the N.C. Zoo since 1983 and the first since two female cubs were born in July 2004.
For keeper reports and interim updates on the cubs’ progress, the public can visit a special "Cubs Corner" section of the zoo’s Web site at www.nczoo.org.
Read more in Tuesday's News & Record or visit us again online.
PEORIA: One of endangered tigers found dead at zoo
PEORIA - Danya, one of four Siberian tigers expected to be major attractions at the expanding Glen Oak Zoo, was found dead in his enclosure Saturday morning.
The 1-year-old tiger cub died from suffocation caused by a crushed windpipe, an examination showed. The injury was likely inflicted by another tiger.
"The news was shocking," said Yvonne Strode, the zoo's director. "We're still in shock."
Danya, a 150-pound male, who came to Peoria Oct. 13 from a Colorado zoo, died away from human view in an enclosure with two female tiger cubs. Zoo officials had recently begun taking small steps introducing the tigers so that one day they could share the same exhibit space.
http://www.pjstar.com/stories/121106/PM__BBPJL7PL.045.shtml
Raja's 14th birthday party will include a workout, zoo says
News-Democrat News-Democrat
The St. Louis Zoo's male Asian elephant, Raja, will celebrate his 14th birthday in a party at 11 a.m. Dec. 27 at River's Edge, zoo officials announced Monday.
Weather permitting, Raja will show off his daily exercise routine, in which zoo keepers ask him to raise his legs, sit up, bend his knees and raise his trunk.
"These exercises are tailored to strengthen his core muscles, which are important for a breeding bull elephant," the zoo said in a press release. "For a successful workout, Raja will be rewarded with healthy snacks of hay, bananas, apples, melons and leafy browse.
"Some of the female elephants will also open “presents” in yards on either side of him."
Visitors are invited to sing “Happy Birthday” and cheer Raja as he works out. Visitors can sign a giant birthday card and take part in activities at Lakeside Cafe. Birthday cakes and hot chocolate will be available for purchase.
http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/breaking_news/16216284.htm
Zoo visitors mourn the loss of Ruby
By Dawn Jefferies / WSLS Newschannel 10
Dec 11, 2006
Gone, but not forgotten. "They're very enamored and everybody knows Ruby. Ruby is part of the community," Dawn Roberts said about her children.
Mill Mountain's siberian tiger was part of Dawn's son Luke and daughter Sara Beth's young lives as well. "They wanted to know if they could bring flowers," she said.
So much so, they skipped a plan to meet Santa to pay their respects. "They didn't want to do that. They'd rather do this today instead so that's what we decided to do. They kinda understand, they know she's in heaven."
http://www.wsls.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSLS%2FMGArticle%2FSLS_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149192128783&path=!news!localnews
White Buffalo born at Pa. zoo
FARMINGTON, Pa., Dec. 11 (UPI) -- The Woodland Zoo in Farmington, Pa., has announced the birth of a rare white buffalo -- a one in 10 million occurrence.
A naming ceremony for the calf, which was born Nov. 12, has been scheduled for Dec. 23 at the zoo, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Monday.
White buffalo hold a special significance for American Indians, many of whom believe the birth of such a creature is a sign of the return of a prophetess.
"The appearance of the white buffalo signifies the return of the White Buffalo Calf Woman," said Wynne Brown, one of the organizers of the naming ceremony who said she is part Cherokee. Many tribes believe the prophetess will teach people to communicate with the creator.
The buffalo's birth "is a unique opportunity across the nation for healing to occur," Brown said. "The name of the buffalo must reflect that."
She said a name would be chosen from submitted ideas by zoo owners Sonny and Jill Herring.
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20061211-125828-7534r
Racine Zoo to start charging admission soon
RACINE — In January the Racine Zoo will leave the dwindling ranks of free zoos around the country. The new ticket booth at the Main Street entrance marks a new chapter in the facility’s history, said Jay R. Christie, Zoo President and CEO.It was announced in May that the institution would start charging admission on Jan. 1, 2007. Christie said to help reduce the growing financial deficit in the zoo’s operating budget, they will be implementing a defined fee schedule for admission every day but Monday starting Jan. 1.Zoo members will enjoy free admission every day along with an array of other special benefits. For Racine county residents, admission on Mondays will continue to be by voluntary donation.Admission fees from April 1 to Oct. 31, when the animals are most active, will be $4 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and $2 for children ages 3-15. Fees will be reduced by 50 percent during the winter months, when animals such as the rhino and the giraffe are not on display. Children under age three get in free year-round. Zoo members will also be admitted for free.
http://www.journaltimes.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=9579
Wildlife artist gives zoo talk
A WILDLIFE artist is to give a talk at Edinburgh Zoo on her experiences of being a volunteer with the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia.
Carol Barrett spent a month with the wildlife group in September. The talk takes place at the zoo education centre on February 15 from 7.30pm.
http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=951&id=1839442006
Zoo gets new eagle
The David Traylor Zoo of Emporia’s newest member seems happy with her new surroundings.
Dottie, a female bald eagle now joins the zoo’s other eagle, a male, who doesn’t yet have a name. Dottie sat perched on the top branch of the eagle exhibit while the other eagle sat below.
“She wanted the top perch from the beginning and he gave it to her,” said Steve Trebilcock, the zoo’s director.
Dottie arrived to Emporia’s zoo in October, but had to be in quarantine for a period of time before she could join her new mate. Dottie was found with a dislocated shoulder in Alaska. The shoulder couldn’t be repaired enough for Dottie to be released back into the wild. Dottie is flighted a little bit, but not enough.
“She can’t hunt on her own,” Trebilcock said.
Trebilcock said the transition has been smooth for Dottie and the other eagle. They both sat quietly in the eagle exhibit watching their surroundings.
“What you see now is pretty much like it was (when they were first introduced),” Trebilcock said.
Representatives from Emporia State Bank were on hand to view the birds Monday morning. Jim Wayman, president, and Karen Sommers, vice-president of marketing were there to view the birds.
Emporia State Bank donated the money to build the exhibit and they donated the $250 is took to get Dottie to Emporia.
“It’s fun to see her looking (so) natural,” Wayman said as he looked at the birds. “It’s magnificent.”
Trebilcock said he is happy to see the birds in the exhibit together.
“We’re really happy to see them,” he said. “There’s not any aggression.”
Zoo camels heading to Alberta to meet groom
The Assiniboine Park Zoo's three female Bactrian Camels are scheduled to be shipped to a zoo at Innisfail, Alberta, where Kleaver, the groom, is waiting anxiously for their arrival.
This species is uncommon in Canada, so it is important that the Zoo's females reproduce. Highly endangered in the wild, there are only 850 wild Bactrian Camels surviving in the cold deserts and high plateaus of Mongolia and south western China. Along with the Dromedary or One-humped Camel, it was brought into domestication about 6,000 years ago. Camels originated in North America and spread to other continents via the Bering and Panamanian land bridges as early as 2.5 million years ago. Manitoba's native species of camels became extinct just 8,200 years ago.
The Zoo has maintained Bactrian Camels since 1961, during which time two other males, Buddy and Ringo, sired 18 offspring. The Assiniboine Park Zoo is the only zoo in North America, and one of the few in the world, to display all six members of the camel family. Well-adapted to the cold, all six species are on display everyday throughout the winter.
http://winnipegsun.com/News/Winnipeg/2006/12/11/2736877.html
Los Angeles Zoo
Md. Zoo names new CFO, asks state for more funds
BALTIMORE - The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is taking a hard look its finances and is turning to a new chief financial officer for direction.
“Reality is that the biggest challenge [faced by the Zoo] is funding. We need to deal with that right up front,” said Thomas M. Berger, who took the post of chief financial officer last week. Previous CFO Follin E. Cullen resigned this past summer.
Berger said the Zoo is asking for $4 million in supplemental funding from the state, above the $4.1 million is currently receives. Of that amount, $3.1 million is used for operating expenses and about $1 million is paid by the state Department of Education to allow Maryland school students to visit the Zoo at no charge. That figure fluctuates based on the number of students in the state, Berger said.
The Zoo’s total operating budget is $12 million.
http://www.examiner.com/a-448949~Md__Zoo_names_new_CFO__asks_state_for_more_funds.html
NaplesNews.com - Naples Daily News - Naples, Florida
Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2006 Updated at 6:10 a.m.
Commissioners OK refinancing, cutting Naples Zoo loan by $3M
By Laura Layden
Monday, December 11, 2006
While the Naples Zoo is growing, the loan that saved it is shrinking.
About a year ago, Collier County borrowed $35.9 million to purchase the land under and around the landmark zoo to keep it out of the hands of developers.
On Nov. 28, Collier County commissioners unanimously agreed without discussion to refinance the loan and to cut it by $3 million.
The zoo is now leasing its land from the county. With its survival no longer threatened, it is investing in new exhibits, new signs and new animals.
The county refinanced the zoo loan Tuesday so it could avoid making a balloon payment that was due then. The loan was structured that way because the county expected to be able to pay down the debt with taxpayer money and other contributions collected over the past year.
As it turns out, only taxpayer money is available to shrink the debt. Private contributions never came through and neither did money from other government agencies.
Collier County has qualified to receive as much as $9.9 million from the state's Florida Forever program to create a 79-acre park next to the zoo, and $1.5 million of that grant would go toward repaying the loan for the land purchase. But that money isn't expected to come until next year.
Last December the county bought 130 acres, including the roughly 40 acres under the zoo, for $41.5 million. Other land was sold off to reduce the county's cost, and the county used more than $5 million in taxpayer money to reduce the loan amount up-front.
Two years ago, voters agreed in a referendum to pay $40 million for the land and to tax themselves annually as much as $1.50 for every $1,000 of taxable property for 10 years to rescue the zoo. The county began collecting the money in fiscal 2006.
"The intent at this point is to levy the 0.15 mil and retire this as quickly as the cash is collected," said County Budget Director Mike Smykowski.
Based on an 8 percent growth rate in the county's taxable value the loan could be paid off by 2010, using the maximum tax rate, he said. That does not take into consideration the money that would come from the state grant.
A slowdown in the local real estate market could mean it will take longer to pay off the loan, Smykowski said.
"Everything was built around the assumption of 8 percent," he said. "Whether we will have 8 percent growth is anyone's guess. We won't know that until next July when we get a certified taxable value from the property appraiser."
The county has a $2 million surplus available from the tax levy last year and another $1 million from early tax collections this year to reduce the loan amount.
Last year, the county collected nearly $8.9 million from taxpayers for the land purchase. This year, the tax will generate nearly $11.6 million and most of that money is expected to come to the county later this month, Smykowski said.
The new loan is for five years. But it's a commercial paper loan, which gives the county the flexibility to pay it off sooner and to make principal reductions at any time.
At one time, the Big Cypress Basin, a water management agency, talked about kicking in $5 million toward the land purchase. But the board never voted to contribute the money because "the county never asked us for assistance," said Clarence Tears, the basin's executive director.
"I think they found all the funding needed to pay for the parcels," he said. "So at this point, where I see we can provide support is probably in the construction phase."
There's still a lot of work to be done before a check can be cut by the state through the Florida Forever program.
It may be another 10 months before the county gets the money. A project plan must be approved and an award agreement has to be executed, said Amanda Townsend, operations analyst with Collier's Parks and Recreation Department.
While the county expects to get $9.9 million through the program, how much it actually receives will depend on the results of land appraisals.
The county has quotes from three firms to do the appraisals, Townsend said. Two appraisals are required and they would be averaged to come up with a value for the land.
"We are working to get surveys now for appraisers," Townsend said.
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2006/dec/11/commissioners_ok_refinancing_cutting_naples_zoo_lo/?local_news
Zoo showcases reindeer
BLOOMINGTON -- A band of families touring Miller Park Zoo on Sunday bundled up in hats, mittens and scarves to stay warm.But zoo resident Ealu -- the star attraction of the day -- stood happily in the snow near the zoo’s carousel, her nose buried deep and searching for a taste of grass.“Sometimes I hear people say ‘Oh those poor reindeer, out there in the cold’,” said zookeeper Carol Pagluica.“But I explain they don’t need to worry about staying warm: They like the snow,” she said, loosely holding Ealu’s leash.The Bloomington zoo owns two female reindeer, Ealu and her littermate Rikka. The pair were born in 2003 at the Cincinnati Zoo, and transported as youngsters to Illinois.Of the sisters, Ealu, tends to work better with crowds, said Pagluica. So, this afternoon Rikka got to rest in her stable, while Ealu posed for family pictures and let children and adults pet her back.Her good behavior was rewarded with extra nibbles at a cup of reindeer chow — a mix of crushed Aspen leaves, vitamins and minerals. “She loves this stuff,” said the zookeeper.
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2006/12/10/news/doc457cd61b7c072754008222.txt
Tears flow for deer
Christina Straby quickly ate her toast yesterday so she could be on time to leave with her husband.
She didn't want to miss the daily visit to Bam-Bam, the deer they raised at the farm of their friends, the Livingstons.
Yesterday, the Greely couple had farther to travel. Bam-Bam was seized Tuesday by the Ministry of Natural Resources and moved to the Papanack Park Zoo in Wendover, about 50 km east of Ottawa.
"On the way over we thought maybe it would be better for Bam-Bam to be with other deer," Bruce Straby, 72, said.
After seeing their beloved deer, that opinion quickly changed. Tears streamed down 69-year-old Christina's face as she scanned the zoo.
http://www.ottawasun.com/News/OttawaAndRegion/2006/12/11/2735801-sun.html
New York City has been looking at other retirement ranches in upstate New York and New Hampshire. Some horses have already been adopted by individuals.
"This settlement permits the city and the NYPD to ensure the level of care that the retired horses deserve, secured by long term contracts with qualified stables that will provide excellent conditions for both the current and future retired horses," John Low-Beer, a lawyer with the New York City Law Department, said in a prepared statement.
Breonics president Ernest Green said the settlement was good because it frees the company to sell the land and stops the city from continuing the legal fight. "It stops them from just carrying this on and on," he said.
Zoo celebrates tortoise arrivals
Staff at Chester Zoo are celebrating the arrival of three tiny additions which are set to continue their work to save a species from extinction.
Three Egyptian tortoises, each smaller than a raspberry, were hatched at the zoo in the last few days.
Kevin Buley, head of lower vertebrates and invertebrates, said the survival of the species depended on breeding programmes at zoos across the world.
The Egyptian Tortoise is critically endangered in the wild.
Habitat destruction
"Our tortoises might well be tiny at the moment but what they currently lack in size, they make up for in importance," said Mr Buley.
"It is only through the continued successful breeding of this species in zoos in the coming years, that there can be any hope of one day seeing these animals returned to the wild."
The Egyptian Tortoise is found in the wild in Mediterranean coastal deserts of Egypt, Eastern Libya and western Negev in Israel.
Its numbers have rapidly declined since the 1960s because of the exotic pet trade and destruction of its habitat through development.
National Wildlife Federation Officially Recognizes Oregon Zoo For Butterfly Exhibit
PORTLAND, Oregon - The National Wildlife Federation officially recognizes the Oregon Zoo's butterfly garden Winged Wonders as a certified wildlife habitat. This site demonstrates conscientious planning, landscaping and sustainable gardening while providing wildlife with the four basic elements -- food, water, cover and places to raise their young.
http://www.medfordnews.com/articles/index.cfm?artOID=330837&cp=10997
Paramedics to the horse's rescue
It was a bizarre animal incident at a children's play farm - paramedics were called in to help save a miniature horse because no vets were available.Early on Saturday at the Kinderplaas Zoo in Rietfontein, a pig got into "Chokkie" the horse's enclosure. It took a bite at the horse, leaving a gaping wound in his leg. The owner of the play farm, Suzette du Plooy, said: "I was quite worried as Chokkie was bleeding badly. "I first tried to phone for a vet to come - and I couldn't get hold of one in the entire Moot area."When Du Plooy called ER24, the service immediately sent someone out to help. "When the paramedic arrived, he warned me he normally only works with humans, but he would try his best," said du Plooy.Chokkie was doing fine after being bandaged up. The pig, whose name Du Plooy would not disclose, is still in the dog box. - Staff Reporter
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=29&art_id=vn20060522044437469C921405
For the seals' next trick … a new home
FIVE fur seals in the Melbourne Zoo will get a new $20 million home as part of next week's state budget.
After 80 years of wear and tear — and the occasional leak — the zoo's popular seal pool will be replaced with a bigger and deeper one.
Environment Minister John Thwaites said that once the upgrade was complete, the exhibition would have state-of-the-art filtration systems, an underwater viewing window, and a separate "show pool" with an amphitheatre for visitors and keepers.
"The Australian fur seals are one of the most popular animals at the zoo, and this new home will see them become an even bigger attraction," Mr Thwaites said.
The existing seal display was built in 1938, but was originally designed as a monkey enclosure called Monkey Island. Fifteen years later it was filled with water and converted into a seal pool.
Replacement Erie Zoo Gorilla Dies En Route
Photo in the News: Elephant Shuns Jumbo Treadmill
May 19, 2006—You can lead an elephant to a treadmill, but you can't make her walk.
That's the lesson zookeepers are learning in Anchorage, Alaska, where they have been struggling to get the zoo's resident elephant to exercise.
Maggie, a 23-year-old African elephant (pictured here on May 16), is the only pachyderm at the Alaska Zoo, where she is kept indoors much of the time to protect her from the cold.
Critics have charged that Maggie should be moved to a zoo in a warmer climate, where she can enjoy the outdoors and the company of other elephants.
But rather than give her up, Alaska Zoo officials decided to build Maggie the world's first elephant treadmill.
The 25-foot-long (7.6-meter-long) apparatus was custom-made by an Idaho firm that constructs conveyor belts. But building it turned out to be the easy part.
Since the treadmill arrived at the zoo last September, Maggie has refused to use it, despite all kinds of tasty enticements from her handlers.
Zookeepers have used apples, carrots, birch-tree branches—and, yes, peanuts—to try to coax her onto the contraption. But so far she's gotten just three of her feet on the belt before backing off.
Still, Maggie's keepers are confident that she will come around in time.
"We have to be patient. Nobody has ever done this before," trainer Beth Foglesong told the Anchorage Daily News.
"The instructional video didn't come with [the treadmill]."
The number of bears in New Jersey has skyrocketed and the group wants homeowners to keep their property safe.
http://www.wesh.com/news/9239988/detail.html
RAPID CITY - The mountain lion siblings that were captured in Rapid City this week have been split up.
concluding …
All but Ageless, Turtles Face Their Biggest Threat: Humans
This was no euphemistic brushoff, no reptilian version of “Sorry, I’ll be busy that night washing my hair.” Paddling around in a tropically appointed pool at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the husky female Gibba turtle from South America made all too palpable her disdain for the petite male Gibba that pursued her. He crawled onto the parqueted hump of her bark-brown shell. She shrugged and wriggled until he slipped off. He looped around to show her his best courtship maneuvers, bobbing his head, quivering his neck. She kicked him aside like a clot of algae and kept swimming.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/12/science/12turt.html?_r=1&8dpc&oref=slogin
PETA's only concern was for animals at Primarily Primates
Kathy Guillermo / Guest Column
A recent opinion piece by Friends of Animals' Lee Hall (“The struggle to save a sanctuary and a movement,” Nov. 21) attempted to portray Primarily Primates Inc. in San Antonio as a victim of greedy people who are attacking the facility for self-serving reasons. But all one has to do is look at the information released by the Texas Attorney General's office to see that this simply isn't true.
On Oct. 13, in response to the attorney general's 32-page complaint, a Travis County judge issued a temporary restraining order and law enforcement officials converged on Primarily Primates Inc., seizing control of the facility. The attorney general's complaint alleged financial mismanagement, misappropriation of charitable assets, neglect and mistreatment of animals, cruel confinement, failure to provide for the animals' psychological needs, hoarding and human safety concerns. The court appointed a temporary receiver to marshal PPI's assets and to take responsibility for animal care and financial operations.
http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061206/OPINION02/612060321
Flag Acres Zoo plans to shut down
Owners say next season is their last, citing increasing regulation and costs
HOOSICK -- When big Bud the black bear was a cub, he loved to ride in the passenger seat of Harry "Butch" Vonhaggin's pickup truck on errands down to the village.
“As he got bigger we had to stop that because people were so surprised when they saw him, it could have caused an accident," Vonhaggin said as he poked his hand through the cage wire and rubbed Bud, now a very old 20, on the head.
"We been buddies a long time, huh Bud ol' boy," the zookeeper said as he pushed some fresh green grass through heavy wires of the large farm corn hopper that served as a cage.
The Capital Region will soon lose Bud and all the 200 plus animals at the Flag Acres Zoo. Vonhaggin and his wife Lynne said the increasing rules and regulations governing small operations like theirs and escalating expenses will force them to close in the fall of 2007, the end of their next season.
The zoo has been open to school groups and the public each year between May 10 and Sept. 10 since 1989.
They plan to set up shop on a property outside Knoxville, Tenn., for the 2008 season.
"All the regulations are just getting crazy," Vonhaggin said.
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=541976&category=RENSSELAER&BCCode=&newsdate=12/6/2006
Ashley students take oyster report to D.C.
A delegation of Ashley High School students will deliver a presentation about oyster restoration in Washington, D.C., from Dec. 5-8. (From left) students Matt Albee, Mary Greer, Josh Jenners, Peter Nemmers, N.C. Aquarium educator Stefanie Misner and Ashley science teacher Bryan Bishop. A schedule of events appears at the end of the release.
Kure Beach – Four science students from Ashley High School will deliver a presentation about oyster restoration at the National Student Summit on Oceans and Coasts in Washington, D.C., during the week of Dec. 5-8.
Ashley juniors Matt Albee, Josh Jenners and Peter Nemmers, and senior Mary Greer have spent the past several weeks preparing their 20-minute audio-visual report, which details the economic and environmental importance of oysters and recommends steps for restoring oyster populations depleted over the past century. The four will be accompanied by their biology teacher, Bryan Bishop, and by Stefanie Misner, an educator from the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. Bishop and Misner advised the students during preparation of the report.
http://www.topsail-island.info/wordpress/index.php/ashley-students-take-oyster-report-to-dc/
Rock wallaby return
Wednesday, 6 December 2006
Reporter: (online) Terri-Anne Kingsley
Presenter: Fiona Parker
The critically endangered brush-tailed rock wallaby is returning to the Grampians, with the official opening of a re-introduction facility on the edge of the National Park.
Tony Corrigan is a Parks Victoria ranger, and he says the re-introduction facility will help increase the success rate of introducing zoo-raised rock wallabies into the wild."It's a two-hectare paddock. We're bringing animals that have been bred in zoos into this paddock so they can get used to the climate in the Grampians and get used to being outside a pen, in a more open environment."The pen is fox-proof, the fox being the main threat to rock wallabies and other small native animals, but there are other causes that contributed to brush-tailed rock wallaby's decline.
http://www.abc.net.au/westernvic/stories/s1805678.htm?backyard
Genders of zoo's baby penguins a mystery
By Jody CallahanContact December 7, 2006
They call the little guy "Samson," but the zookeepers know that might have to change.
That's because no one knows whether the Memphis Zoo's penguin chick, hatched just a little over a month ago, is a boy or a girl.
Penguins, you see, have no external reproductive organs, so the only way you can tell if it's a "Mr." or a "Ms." is to do a blood test -- or wait for an egg.
So for now, the three baby penguins at the zoo -- Samson is joined by Dee Dee, 18 days old, and Liam, 14 days -- will keep their given names.
But what happens if Samson decides to lay an egg one day?
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/article/0,2845,MCA_25340_5195569,00.html
Ontario MPP demands zoo regulations with teeth
RECENT NEWS
A Liberal MPP has introduced new legislation to address the deplorable conditions animals are kept in at Ontario’s roadside zoos. If passed, Bill 154, “‘The Regulation of Zoos Act’ would require all Ontario zoos to comply with professional animal welfare and public safety standards. The proposed legislation would ensure every zoo animal receives appropriate care and housing and that zoo visitors, staff and surrounding communities are safe.
We’re calling on all Ontario residents to support this bill.
Click here to help us improve the lives of zoo animals.
Bill 154 has the support of the three leading animal welfare organizations in Ontario: the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Ontario SPCA), and Zoocheck Canada. MoreView First Reading of Bill 154, "The Regulation of Zoos Act" here
Ontario stands out as the worst jurisdiction in Canada when it comes to ensuring the proper care of captive wildlife.
http://www.ontariozoos.ca/
Study: Ebola killed gorillas too
WASHINGTON - Recent outbreaks of ebola among people in Africa also killed thousands of gorillas, animals already threatened by hunting, a new study reports.
Outbreaks in Congo and Gabon in 2002 and 2003 killed as many as 5,500 gorillas and an uncounted number of chimpanzees, a research team led by Magdalena Bermejo of the University of Barcelona in Spain reports in Friday's issue of the journal Science.
While conservationists had raised concern about gorilla mortality previously, Bermejo's study provides an estimate of how many died in the epidemic.
"Add commercial hunting to the mix, and we have a recipe for rapid ecological extinction," the researchers wrote. "Ape species that were abundant and widely distributed a decade ago are rapidly being reduced to a tiny remnant population.
Ebola hemorrhagic fever is marked by fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, sore throat and weakness, followed by diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain — and many suffer internal and external bleeding.
The researchers began studying gorillas in the region in 1995 and by 2001 were focusing on 143 animals who had become accustomed to having people around.
In 2002, ebola flared in among people in the region, killing dozens, and 130 of the gorillas in the study also perished. The researchers turned their attention to another group of 95 gorillas, but a 2003 ebola outbreak killed 91 of those animals.
That prompted the team to analyze the regional pattern of gorilla deaths and they concluded the disease spread primarily from gorilla to gorilla starting in the north and moving southward through the region. They concluded that at least 3,500 gorillas died in the outbreaks and possibly as many as 5,500.
They also found evidence of a large number of chimpanzee deaths but said they didn't have enough evidence to make an estimate of the total.
The research was funded by Energy Africa Oil Company, the
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061207/ap_on_he_me/ebola_gorillas
Tas devils arrive on mainland
Twelve wild tasmanian devils have arrived at Victoria's Healesville Sanctuary as part of a nationwide effort to ensure the survival of the species.
The population of tasmanian devils seriously declined after the emergence of devil facial tumour disease in the mid 1990s.
Forty-seven devils are being sent to zoos around Australia as part of a captive breeding program.
Dr Graeme Gillespie from Zoos Victoria says it is hoped the program will lead to the long-term security of wild populations.
"The plan is to bring over a colony of animals to the mainland and these animals will be distributed amongst a number of zoological institutions in various states, including Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria," he said.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200612/s1809587.htm
ADI Submits Evidence to USDA in Case Against Elephants in Captivity
Monday December 11, 6:25 pm ET
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the USDA concludes its consultation reviewing living conditions for captive elephants in the US. With evidence mounting of the difficulties of adequately caring for these animals in captivity, Animal Defenders International (ADI) has presented the USDA with a substantial dossier of scientific research which highlighting that many captive elephants in the U.S. are being held in conditions which seriously compromise their welfare.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061211/sfm209.html?.v=1
27 Maharashtra zoos may shut down soon
NAGPUR: Zoological parks in Maharashtra may soon be passé, as the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), a statutory body under union ministry of forest and environment, has asked as many as 27 small zoos across the state to shut down for violating rules.
The apex body has also written to the state government some time back saying barring Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park in Pune, no other zoo follows the standards prescribed under the National Zoo Policy, 1988.
Some of the popular Sunday stops that are facing the closure are the Maharajbagh zoo of Nagpur and the Jeejmata Udyan of Mumbai.
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1068576
Fight the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act
The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) (S.3880) defines as "terrorism" causing any business classified as an "animal enterprise" (e.g., factory farms, fur farms, vivisection labs, rodeos, zoos and circuses) to suffer a profit loss and is punishable by a long prison sentence -- even if the company's financial decline is caused by peaceful protests, boycotts, media campaigns or leafleting. Defining non-violent activist tactics that cause exploitive corporations to lose profit but don't physically hurt anyone as "terrorism" is both a deceptive misapplication of a serious termand a completely unacceptable violation of our Constitutionally-granted First Amendment rights to freedom of speech. Industry groups pushed the AETA through Congress quickly and with little public scrutiny.The AETA was unanimously passed in the Senate on September 29th and on November 13th it was passed in the House with only 5 Representatives voting. President Bush signed the AETA into law on November 27th.
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=41079128&blogID=203687891
Wildlife Park Workers on Strike, Leaving Animals Unfed
Friday, December 08, 2006
Hundreds of workers at a state-owned wildlife park in south China's Guangdong Province are on strike in protest against pay levels, leaving the animals unfed.
Shenzhen Wildlife Park closed to visitors on Thursday morning, saying it was unsafe as no staff were working, the Nanfang Daily reported on Friday. Only foreign tourists in a package tour were admitted, but found few animals on view. They said they saw monkeys eating weeds from lake. More than 100 park keepers gathered in front of an office building beside the entrance gate, holding a banner asking to be justly paid for "10 years of toil." A man surnamed Xie, who worked in the park's transport department, said all 400 park workers were on strike the whole of Thursday.
http://www.keralanext.com/news/?id=915802
Fight the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act
The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) (S.3880) defines as "terrorism" causing any business classified as an "animal enterprise" (e.g., factory farms, fur farms, vivisection labs, rodeos, zoos and circuses) to suffer a profit loss and is punishable by a long prison sentence -- even if the company's financial decline is caused by peaceful protests, boycotts, media campaigns or leafleting. Defining non-violent activist tactics that cause exploitive corporations to lose profit but don't physically hurt anyone as "terrorism" is both a deceptive misapplication of a serious termand a completely unacceptable violation of our Constitutionally-granted First Amendment rights to freedom of speech. Industry groups pushed the AETA through Congress quickly and with little public scrutiny.The AETA was unanimously passed in the Senate on September 29th and on November 13th it was passed in the House with only 5 Representatives voting. President Bush signed the AETA into law on November 27th.Read the full text of the bill
http://www.disinfo.com/site/displayarticle17969.html
One Hundred Ninth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the third day of January, two thousand and six
An Act To provide the Department of Justice the necessary authority to apprehend, prosecute, and convict individuals committing animal enterprise terror.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act'.
SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF ECONOMIC DAMAGE TO ANIMAL ENTERPRISES AND THREATS OF DEATH AND SERIOUS BODILY INJURY TO ASSOCIATED PERSONS.
http://noaeta.org/S3880ENR.pdf
Ol' black eyes is back
Once the world's most prominent endangered species, the panda population is booming with hands-on help from Chinese scientists. But are the results a triumph - or an ethical minefield? Jonathan Watts reports Saturday December 9, 2006The Guardian
Viagra, pornography, partner-swapping, artificial tongues and electrified rectal probes. No, they are not the ingredients for a new series of Sex And The City; they are the hard-core husbandry techniques behind the biggest boom ever seen in the captive giant panda population.
The world's most famous endangered species is making a comeback. After a record 31 births in zoos and research centres this year, Chinese scientists say they have developed a near-100% success rate for breeding the animals. The population in the wild has stabilised at just over 1,500 and their habitat - one of the most important centres of biodiversity in the world - has been given a new and expanded guarantee of protection by the government. But the story is not nearly as black and white as the animals, as a visit to the Wolong Nature Reserve, deep in the forested mountains of Sichuan Province, suggests.
http://environment.guardian.co.uk/conservation/story/0,,1966664,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=1
ANNUAL FLU PANDEMIC WARNING FOR HAJ PILGRIMAGE GENERATES CALLS FOR MASS VACCINATIONSEXPERTS SAY BIRD FLU VIRUS IS STILL "SMOULDERING"It's time once again for the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, so that means the now standard annual warning of a possible flu pandemic breaking out amongst the millions of Muslim worshippers is being sounded.The difference this year is the rising call for worshippers to be vaccinated before they arrive in Saudi Arabia. Not only is the call being promoted as a necessity, but some experts are demanding the vaccinations become mandatory.
http://birdflublog.blogspot.com/2006/12/annual-flu-pandemic-warning-for-haj.html
Mayor to help Krasnoyarsk zoo buy giraffe and Tibetan Yak
Krasnoyarsk, Dec. 7 (Newslab) - Krasnoyarsk Mayor Petr Pimashkov discussed cooperation prospects with directors of two Czech zoos. The parties touched upon exchange of animals between Krasnoyarsk flora and fauna park "Royev Ruchey" and Brno and Vyskov zoos, Czechia, at the meeting.
In particular, they discussed an opportunity to buy a giraffe and a unique Tibetan yak for "Royev Ruchey", Krasnoyarsk mayor's office reported.
The Czech zoo directors assessed the development rate of Krasnoyarsk zoological garden highly and said they wanted to buy musk-oxen, Siberian deer and gluttons in Krasnoyarsk.
"I am pleased with cooperation with the Czech zoos. It will be a great event for "Royev Ruchey" to buy a giraffe, and we are going to contribute to this by all means."
http://english.newslab.ru/news/208018
Maryland Zoo Losses Heading Higher
BALTIMORE -- The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is struggling with red ink.
Zoo Director Billie Grieb told the Board of Public Works that the zoo lost $3 million in the last fiscal year and will likely have bigger losses this year.
Grieb said expenses are going up but zoo funding hasn't changed. However, she said she is optimistic.
"We have been chronically under-funded for many years, and we're now trying to address that with the state, which is our principal funder," she said.
Grieb said she knows the prices at the zoo are too high.
"We would like to lower admission prices, because we think we have priced ourselves above where most people are comfortable paying. We'd like to get visitorship up where we think it should be," she said.
The budget is made up of two parts -- the operating budget and the capital budget. The capital budget covers set costs, including new construction.
"We have received very generous state support on the capital side. Also, it's easier to raise capital money, because donors like to put their names on buildings and exhibits and things like that," Grieb said.
The operating budget, like food for the animals, is what falls short each year. To make up for the shortfall, prices would have to jump higher without additional state help.
"We would have to charge another $10 per visitor … that's really a lot," Grieb said.
Grieb and officials from other Baltimore attractions spoke about different ideas for marketing their attractions to draw more tourists.
Three years ago, the zoo almost had to close due to financial problems.
http://www.thewbalchannel.com/news/10481233/detail.html
Zoo bird flu vaccinations considered success
Researchers say a trial of preventive avian flu vaccinations for birds at a number of Swiss zoos last year was reasonably successful.
The tests, authorised by the Federal Veterinary Office, showed that most of the animals had supported the treatment well and many of them had built up resistance to the influenza virus.
The vaccination campaign was launched after the deadly HN51 virus made it to the shores of the Black Sea in autumn 2005. The zoos in Basel, Zurich, Bern and Goldau put in a request to immunise their birds.
http://www.nzz.ch/2006/12/07/eng/article7328309.html
"(AP) Memphis Zoo must wait to learn gender of 3 penguin chicks"
The Memphis Zoo celebrated the births of three African black-footed penguin chicks this year, but it may be a long time before zookeepers know whether they are females or males.
Samson hatched a little over a month ago and is waiting in the zoo's hatchery to be joined by Dee Dee, who is 18 days old, and Liam, who is 14 days old.
Zookeeper Meeghan Bell says the names of the three chicks are arbitrary because penguins have no external reproductive organs.
The only way for the zoo to learn their gender is a blood test _ or just wait for an egg.
"We do have one female over there named Rupert," Bell...
http://www.wkrn.com/nashville/news/ap-memphis-zoo-must-wait-to-learn-gender-of-penguin-chicks/64131.htm
A Trip To The Zoo And Look Real Reindeers!
http://skyeblue2u.blogspot.com/
Siberian tiger cub dies at Peoria zoo
Associated Press
PEORIA, Ill. - A Siberian tiger was found dead in his holding area at the Glen Oak Zoo in Peoria over the weekend.
An examination showed that Danya, a 1-year-old cub, died Saturday from suffocation after suffering a crushed windpipe.
Zoo officials said the injury was most likely caused by another tiger, and they hadn't ruled out the possibility that it was an accident from aggressive tiger cub play.
Danya, a 150-pound male who arrived at the zoo in October from a Colorado zoo, shared an enclosure with two female tiger sisters, Nika and Kyra.
Staff had slowly started introducing the tigers so they could eventually share the same exhibit space.
The tigers were expected to be a major attraction at Glen Oak. Saturday was their sixth day together.
Experts said the circumstances of Danya's death were rare and that zoo staff handled the situation appropriately.
"There's nothing they should have done differently," said Ron Tilson, director of conservation at the Minnesota Zoo and coordinator of the Tiger Species Survival Plan.
Zoo staff in Peoria were shaken by Danya's death.
"The news was shocking," said Yvonne Strode, the zoo's director. "We're still in shock."
http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/state/16219719.htm
N.C. Zoo's lion cubs go on exhibit
ASHEBORO — Three African lion cubs born in October went on public view for the first time Monday at the N.C. Zoo. Taking advantage of unseasonably warm weather and a delay in plans for renovations to their holding facilities, the three cubs followed their mother, Sala, into the outdoor lion exhibit about 11 a.m. The public may be able to see the cubs again during the next month, depending on weather conditions. Skies must be sunny and temperatures at least 50 degrees to give the cubs "access" to the outdoor habitat, according to keepers.A renovation project slated for the lion holding area has been postponed until mid-January, but may keep the cubs indoors for two months after construction begins.For now, the male and two females cubs will be exhibited only with their mother. Visitors can see the adult male lion on days the cubs are not on display.Born Oct. 23, the triplets marked only the second lion-cub birthing at the N.C. Zoo since 1983 and the first since two female cubs were born in July 2004.
For keeper reports and interim updates on the cubs’ progress, the public can visit a special "Cubs Corner" section of the zoo’s Web site at www.nczoo.org.
Read more in Tuesday's News & Record or visit us again online.
PEORIA: One of endangered tigers found dead at zoo
PEORIA - Danya, one of four Siberian tigers expected to be major attractions at the expanding Glen Oak Zoo, was found dead in his enclosure Saturday morning.
The 1-year-old tiger cub died from suffocation caused by a crushed windpipe, an examination showed. The injury was likely inflicted by another tiger.
"The news was shocking," said Yvonne Strode, the zoo's director. "We're still in shock."
Danya, a 150-pound male, who came to Peoria Oct. 13 from a Colorado zoo, died away from human view in an enclosure with two female tiger cubs. Zoo officials had recently begun taking small steps introducing the tigers so that one day they could share the same exhibit space.
http://www.pjstar.com/stories/121106/PM__BBPJL7PL.045.shtml
Raja's 14th birthday party will include a workout, zoo says
News-Democrat News-Democrat
The St. Louis Zoo's male Asian elephant, Raja, will celebrate his 14th birthday in a party at 11 a.m. Dec. 27 at River's Edge, zoo officials announced Monday.
Weather permitting, Raja will show off his daily exercise routine, in which zoo keepers ask him to raise his legs, sit up, bend his knees and raise his trunk.
"These exercises are tailored to strengthen his core muscles, which are important for a breeding bull elephant," the zoo said in a press release. "For a successful workout, Raja will be rewarded with healthy snacks of hay, bananas, apples, melons and leafy browse.
"Some of the female elephants will also open “presents” in yards on either side of him."
Visitors are invited to sing “Happy Birthday” and cheer Raja as he works out. Visitors can sign a giant birthday card and take part in activities at Lakeside Cafe. Birthday cakes and hot chocolate will be available for purchase.
http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/breaking_news/16216284.htm
Zoo visitors mourn the loss of Ruby
By Dawn Jefferies / WSLS Newschannel 10
Dec 11, 2006
Gone, but not forgotten. "They're very enamored and everybody knows Ruby. Ruby is part of the community," Dawn Roberts said about her children.
Mill Mountain's siberian tiger was part of Dawn's son Luke and daughter Sara Beth's young lives as well. "They wanted to know if they could bring flowers," she said.
So much so, they skipped a plan to meet Santa to pay their respects. "They didn't want to do that. They'd rather do this today instead so that's what we decided to do. They kinda understand, they know she's in heaven."
http://www.wsls.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSLS%2FMGArticle%2FSLS_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149192128783&path=!news!localnews
White Buffalo born at Pa. zoo
FARMINGTON, Pa., Dec. 11 (UPI) -- The Woodland Zoo in Farmington, Pa., has announced the birth of a rare white buffalo -- a one in 10 million occurrence.
A naming ceremony for the calf, which was born Nov. 12, has been scheduled for Dec. 23 at the zoo, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Monday.
White buffalo hold a special significance for American Indians, many of whom believe the birth of such a creature is a sign of the return of a prophetess.
"The appearance of the white buffalo signifies the return of the White Buffalo Calf Woman," said Wynne Brown, one of the organizers of the naming ceremony who said she is part Cherokee. Many tribes believe the prophetess will teach people to communicate with the creator.
The buffalo's birth "is a unique opportunity across the nation for healing to occur," Brown said. "The name of the buffalo must reflect that."
She said a name would be chosen from submitted ideas by zoo owners Sonny and Jill Herring.
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20061211-125828-7534r
Racine Zoo to start charging admission soon
RACINE — In January the Racine Zoo will leave the dwindling ranks of free zoos around the country. The new ticket booth at the Main Street entrance marks a new chapter in the facility’s history, said Jay R. Christie, Zoo President and CEO.It was announced in May that the institution would start charging admission on Jan. 1, 2007. Christie said to help reduce the growing financial deficit in the zoo’s operating budget, they will be implementing a defined fee schedule for admission every day but Monday starting Jan. 1.Zoo members will enjoy free admission every day along with an array of other special benefits. For Racine county residents, admission on Mondays will continue to be by voluntary donation.Admission fees from April 1 to Oct. 31, when the animals are most active, will be $4 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and $2 for children ages 3-15. Fees will be reduced by 50 percent during the winter months, when animals such as the rhino and the giraffe are not on display. Children under age three get in free year-round. Zoo members will also be admitted for free.
http://www.journaltimes.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=9579
Wildlife artist gives zoo talk
A WILDLIFE artist is to give a talk at Edinburgh Zoo on her experiences of being a volunteer with the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia.
Carol Barrett spent a month with the wildlife group in September. The talk takes place at the zoo education centre on February 15 from 7.30pm.
http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=951&id=1839442006
Zoo gets new eagle
The David Traylor Zoo of Emporia’s newest member seems happy with her new surroundings.
Dottie, a female bald eagle now joins the zoo’s other eagle, a male, who doesn’t yet have a name. Dottie sat perched on the top branch of the eagle exhibit while the other eagle sat below.
“She wanted the top perch from the beginning and he gave it to her,” said Steve Trebilcock, the zoo’s director.
Dottie arrived to Emporia’s zoo in October, but had to be in quarantine for a period of time before she could join her new mate. Dottie was found with a dislocated shoulder in Alaska. The shoulder couldn’t be repaired enough for Dottie to be released back into the wild. Dottie is flighted a little bit, but not enough.
“She can’t hunt on her own,” Trebilcock said.
Trebilcock said the transition has been smooth for Dottie and the other eagle. They both sat quietly in the eagle exhibit watching their surroundings.
“What you see now is pretty much like it was (when they were first introduced),” Trebilcock said.
Representatives from Emporia State Bank were on hand to view the birds Monday morning. Jim Wayman, president, and Karen Sommers, vice-president of marketing were there to view the birds.
Emporia State Bank donated the money to build the exhibit and they donated the $250 is took to get Dottie to Emporia.
“It’s fun to see her looking (so) natural,” Wayman said as he looked at the birds. “It’s magnificent.”
Trebilcock said he is happy to see the birds in the exhibit together.
“We’re really happy to see them,” he said. “There’s not any aggression.”
Zoo camels heading to Alberta to meet groom
The Assiniboine Park Zoo's three female Bactrian Camels are scheduled to be shipped to a zoo at Innisfail, Alberta, where Kleaver, the groom, is waiting anxiously for their arrival.
This species is uncommon in Canada, so it is important that the Zoo's females reproduce. Highly endangered in the wild, there are only 850 wild Bactrian Camels surviving in the cold deserts and high plateaus of Mongolia and south western China. Along with the Dromedary or One-humped Camel, it was brought into domestication about 6,000 years ago. Camels originated in North America and spread to other continents via the Bering and Panamanian land bridges as early as 2.5 million years ago. Manitoba's native species of camels became extinct just 8,200 years ago.
The Zoo has maintained Bactrian Camels since 1961, during which time two other males, Buddy and Ringo, sired 18 offspring. The Assiniboine Park Zoo is the only zoo in North America, and one of the few in the world, to display all six members of the camel family. Well-adapted to the cold, all six species are on display everyday throughout the winter.
http://winnipegsun.com/News/Winnipeg/2006/12/11/2736877.html
Los Angeles Zoo
Md. Zoo names new CFO, asks state for more funds
BALTIMORE - The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is taking a hard look its finances and is turning to a new chief financial officer for direction.
“Reality is that the biggest challenge [faced by the Zoo] is funding. We need to deal with that right up front,” said Thomas M. Berger, who took the post of chief financial officer last week. Previous CFO Follin E. Cullen resigned this past summer.
Berger said the Zoo is asking for $4 million in supplemental funding from the state, above the $4.1 million is currently receives. Of that amount, $3.1 million is used for operating expenses and about $1 million is paid by the state Department of Education to allow Maryland school students to visit the Zoo at no charge. That figure fluctuates based on the number of students in the state, Berger said.
The Zoo’s total operating budget is $12 million.
http://www.examiner.com/a-448949~Md__Zoo_names_new_CFO__asks_state_for_more_funds.html
NaplesNews.com - Naples Daily News - Naples, Florida
Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2006 Updated at 6:10 a.m.
Commissioners OK refinancing, cutting Naples Zoo loan by $3M
By Laura Layden
Monday, December 11, 2006
While the Naples Zoo is growing, the loan that saved it is shrinking.
About a year ago, Collier County borrowed $35.9 million to purchase the land under and around the landmark zoo to keep it out of the hands of developers.
On Nov. 28, Collier County commissioners unanimously agreed without discussion to refinance the loan and to cut it by $3 million.
The zoo is now leasing its land from the county. With its survival no longer threatened, it is investing in new exhibits, new signs and new animals.
The county refinanced the zoo loan Tuesday so it could avoid making a balloon payment that was due then. The loan was structured that way because the county expected to be able to pay down the debt with taxpayer money and other contributions collected over the past year.
As it turns out, only taxpayer money is available to shrink the debt. Private contributions never came through and neither did money from other government agencies.
Collier County has qualified to receive as much as $9.9 million from the state's Florida Forever program to create a 79-acre park next to the zoo, and $1.5 million of that grant would go toward repaying the loan for the land purchase. But that money isn't expected to come until next year.
Last December the county bought 130 acres, including the roughly 40 acres under the zoo, for $41.5 million. Other land was sold off to reduce the county's cost, and the county used more than $5 million in taxpayer money to reduce the loan amount up-front.
Two years ago, voters agreed in a referendum to pay $40 million for the land and to tax themselves annually as much as $1.50 for every $1,000 of taxable property for 10 years to rescue the zoo. The county began collecting the money in fiscal 2006.
"The intent at this point is to levy the 0.15 mil and retire this as quickly as the cash is collected," said County Budget Director Mike Smykowski.
Based on an 8 percent growth rate in the county's taxable value the loan could be paid off by 2010, using the maximum tax rate, he said. That does not take into consideration the money that would come from the state grant.
A slowdown in the local real estate market could mean it will take longer to pay off the loan, Smykowski said.
"Everything was built around the assumption of 8 percent," he said. "Whether we will have 8 percent growth is anyone's guess. We won't know that until next July when we get a certified taxable value from the property appraiser."
The county has a $2 million surplus available from the tax levy last year and another $1 million from early tax collections this year to reduce the loan amount.
Last year, the county collected nearly $8.9 million from taxpayers for the land purchase. This year, the tax will generate nearly $11.6 million and most of that money is expected to come to the county later this month, Smykowski said.
The new loan is for five years. But it's a commercial paper loan, which gives the county the flexibility to pay it off sooner and to make principal reductions at any time.
At one time, the Big Cypress Basin, a water management agency, talked about kicking in $5 million toward the land purchase. But the board never voted to contribute the money because "the county never asked us for assistance," said Clarence Tears, the basin's executive director.
"I think they found all the funding needed to pay for the parcels," he said. "So at this point, where I see we can provide support is probably in the construction phase."
There's still a lot of work to be done before a check can be cut by the state through the Florida Forever program.
It may be another 10 months before the county gets the money. A project plan must be approved and an award agreement has to be executed, said Amanda Townsend, operations analyst with Collier's Parks and Recreation Department.
While the county expects to get $9.9 million through the program, how much it actually receives will depend on the results of land appraisals.
The county has quotes from three firms to do the appraisals, Townsend said. Two appraisals are required and they would be averaged to come up with a value for the land.
"We are working to get surveys now for appraisers," Townsend said.
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2006/dec/11/commissioners_ok_refinancing_cutting_naples_zoo_lo/?local_news
Zoo showcases reindeer
BLOOMINGTON -- A band of families touring Miller Park Zoo on Sunday bundled up in hats, mittens and scarves to stay warm.But zoo resident Ealu -- the star attraction of the day -- stood happily in the snow near the zoo’s carousel, her nose buried deep and searching for a taste of grass.“Sometimes I hear people say ‘Oh those poor reindeer, out there in the cold’,” said zookeeper Carol Pagluica.“But I explain they don’t need to worry about staying warm: They like the snow,” she said, loosely holding Ealu’s leash.The Bloomington zoo owns two female reindeer, Ealu and her littermate Rikka. The pair were born in 2003 at the Cincinnati Zoo, and transported as youngsters to Illinois.Of the sisters, Ealu, tends to work better with crowds, said Pagluica. So, this afternoon Rikka got to rest in her stable, while Ealu posed for family pictures and let children and adults pet her back.Her good behavior was rewarded with extra nibbles at a cup of reindeer chow — a mix of crushed Aspen leaves, vitamins and minerals. “She loves this stuff,” said the zookeeper.
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2006/12/10/news/doc457cd61b7c072754008222.txt
Tears flow for deer
Christina Straby quickly ate her toast yesterday so she could be on time to leave with her husband.
She didn't want to miss the daily visit to Bam-Bam, the deer they raised at the farm of their friends, the Livingstons.
Yesterday, the Greely couple had farther to travel. Bam-Bam was seized Tuesday by the Ministry of Natural Resources and moved to the Papanack Park Zoo in Wendover, about 50 km east of Ottawa.
"On the way over we thought maybe it would be better for Bam-Bam to be with other deer," Bruce Straby, 72, said.
After seeing their beloved deer, that opinion quickly changed. Tears streamed down 69-year-old Christina's face as she scanned the zoo.
http://www.ottawasun.com/News/OttawaAndRegion/2006/12/11/2735801-sun.html
New Year’s Eve Jungle Party at Auckland Zoo
AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL 11 December 2006 New Year’s Eve Jungle Party at Auckland Zoo
Come along to Auckland Zoo on 31 December for the best family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration in town – the Buzz! Junior Jungle Party.
As party-goers come through the main gates at 6pm, they’ll be magically transported into “Tiger Time”. Tiger Time is three hours into the future, so everyone can cheer in the New Year at the earlier time of 9pm at the Band Rotunda with live band, The Zoolus, and other fabulous guests and entertainers.
There will be plenty to keep the family entertained throughout the evening, including roving characters, an inflatable wave slide, bouncy castle, interactive games and spot prizes and giveaways. For kids looking for adventure, there’s even a Buzz! Junior trail to follow that will take them to the new Playstation 2 game, Buzz! Junior Jungle Party, so that they can find out what all the buzz is about.
The zoo party hasn’t forgotten about the grown-ups, who can kick up their heels and dance away the last few hours of 2006 to great music, courtesy of The Zoolus, at the New Year's Eve Party Zone (Band Rotunda). The zoo's licensed cafe, Darwin's, will be open, and catering for all ages, and there's also the opportunity to join the kids and take a walk through the zoo grounds to check out what the animals are doing on New Year’s Eve.
“New Year’s Eve can be a tricky night for families- you want to do something special, but know midnight is a stretch for littlies. Our Buzz! Junior Jungle Party solves that problem by having midnight at 9pm, and it’s a fabulous way for all the family to welcome in 2007,” says Jackie Sanders, Auckland Zoo events and sponsorship coordinator.
“We also want to encourage families to think globally about their New Year’s Eve resolutions, and make some that will help the planet, and future generations. Small achievable achievable actions like reducing their plastic bag use, recycling organic waste to make compost to fertilise their gardens, or being less reliant on cars by using public transport more, will all help,” says Ms Sanders.
Auckland Zoo’s Buzz! Junior Jungle Party event is brought to you by Buzz!
Junior Jungle Party in association with Playstation
2. Supported by 91Zm and Flava 96.1.
Buzz! Junior Jungle Party – New Year’s Eve:
- Sunday, 31 December, 6pm – 9.30pm the Zoo will be cleared at 5.30pm and reopened at 6pm.
- tickets available from Auckland Zoo –
or phone 360 3805 and from Ticketek –
or phone 370 5000
- prices – adults $22.00, children (4-15 years) $15.00, under 4 years free.
Family passes and concessions available.
FOTZ members receive a 20per cent discount.
Horses need help this winter
THURMONT -- Horses at Tranquility Farm Equestrian Center are the cast-offs of a society which does not provide for animals that no longer can provide for society.
There's Ima, who can't be ridden because of a slipped hock, there's Cinnamon, who has bad knees but a loving attitude, and there's Um'lette, who outlived her usefulness on the racetrack.
Sarah Transeau, 31, has tried to provide for these horses while running a not-for-profit riding school that caters to disabled as well as able-bodied people. But she's running out of feed and money for veterinary care. She's hoping people will remember the horses in need when making holiday donations.
On the Web:
Maleah Stringer: Horses are still waiting for help
About seven years ago there were several of us in the community who tried to get help for some horses on Indiana 236 going toward Middletown.
For those of you who travel this road you know the ones I mean. More often than not, this little piece of paradise is flooded. The horses had been known to stand in mud up to their chests. Often, there was no food and the water trough was empty. People brought hay and water.
At last count there were over 75 calls into various agencies trying to get something done. Former State Representative Scott Mellinger got involved and was able to persuade the state veterinarian to visit the site. Unfortunately, the veterinarian’s comments were disappointing. To sum it up, yes, the horses were suffering from neglect and probably should be removed but he’d seen worse, and they did have food and water. Legally, according to Indiana animal abuse laws, they could not be removed. Huh.
Retired New York Police Department horses will be relocated to new pastures
OTISVILLE, New York: About 30 retired New York Police Department horses will be relocated to other pastures under a deal that ends a legal fight between the city and the owner of an Orange County ranch.
Old police horses had been coming to this pasture two hours north of Manhattan for decades under a lease covenant signed in 1983, when New York City sold the land. But the city last year accused the biotech company that owns the ranch of improperly caring for roughly 30 Mounted Unit horses. Lawyers for Breonics Inc. denied the charge and claimed instead the city was shirking its responsibility.
A state judge this summer ruled the lease covenant no longer applied, but left it to Breonics and the city to agree on how to continue caring for the animals.
Under the deal announced by the city late Wednesday, the horses will be relocated within 120 days and the city will continue to pay for care and upkeep. The city will relinquish its claim that Breonics is required to care for the horses on the Orange County property and Breonics will sell the pasture and pay the city $175,000 (€131,835) from the proceeds.
New York City has been looking at other retirement ranches in upstate New York and New Hampshire. Some horses have already been adopted by individuals.
"This settlement permits the city and the NYPD to ensure the level of care that the retired horses deserve, secured by long term contracts with qualified stables that will provide excellent conditions for both the current and future retired horses," John Low-Beer, a lawyer with the New York City Law Department, said in a prepared statement.
Breonics president Ernest Green said the settlement was good because it frees the company to sell the land and stops the city from continuing the legal fight. "It stops them from just carrying this on and on," he said.
New Surface Aims To Make Arlington Park Safer For Horses
Officials Say Synthetic Surface Safer
CHICAGO -- Officials at Arlington Park racetrack announced on Thursday that they would replace the main track's surface with a new surface that they said would reduce the risk of injury.
Last season, 21 horses died after running the track.
"We have to go ahead and do it," said Track President Col. Roy Arnold. "It's simply the right thing to do -- that's really the bottom line."
The cost for replacing the existing surface at the 80-year-old racecourse is approximately $10 million. Although repeated investigations failed to pinpoint a cause for the typically fatal injuries, NBC5's Charlie Wojciechowski reported that track officials said the track was safe. They said the synthetic surface, which is made of recycled rubber, wax and sand, is safer.
"It’s a fantastic drainage system," said Kevin Greely, vice president of racing at Arlington Park. "It completely removes weather from the equation."
Only Arlington Park's main dirt track would be replaced. The grass track and the practice track would remain unchanged.
A number of European tracks use synthetic surfaces, Wojciechowski reported, but in the United States, the Keeneland Track in Kentucky was among the first to convert to a synthetic surface.
"The main thing we found in a synthetic track is it is a lot safer" said trainer Carl Nafzger.
Arlington Park officials said they don't think the winter weather will have much impact on their project, and said they hope to have the project completed by next April. Construction begins on Monday.
"We aren't going to be left behind," said Arlington Park Chairman Richard Duchossois. "We are going to be a leader."
Assateague Horse Population Runs Wild
Assateague Island park officials say that the population of wild horses is too large and wants to reduce the herd in order to prevent overgrazing.The 138 horses dine on salt marsh grasses that block harmful nutrients from seeping into the water. The grasses also provide a nursery for species of fish and shellfish. The options include contraception or removing some of the horses, or both. The park service will take written public comments until December 15th.The National Park Service held a public meeting on the issue yesterday attended by more than 30 people.
Police horses plan clears another hurdle
ANOTHER fence has been cleared in the race to return police horses to the streets of Essex.Plans to reinstate a mounted section to the county's force after a seven-year absence have been endorsed by Essex Police Authority.However the decision, taken at the meeting of the full authority at County Hall in Chelmsford this week, still needs rubberstamping by the finance and audit committee in the New Year.Essex Police disbanded its mounted section in 1999 in a cost-cutting exercise because of lower-than-expected budget settlements from the Government.Robert Chambers, authority chairman, said he was delighted Essex Police were looking to bring back the horses.
Roundup of sick horses ends in Md.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SHARPSBURG, Md. -- A roundup of dozens of sick and underfed horses is complete, five days after animal control authorities seized a farm, the Humane Society said.
Authorities seized Windrinker Farm on Saturday, after they found dozens of horses dead or in various stages of poor health.
No charges had been filed against the farm owner, Barbara K. Reinken, who has denied mistreating the animals.
The Humane Society of Washington County said workers and volunteers had removed 52 of the 74 live horses found on the 33-acre farm by late Tuesday.
Investigators found 10 dead horses, and one died before it could receive care. Some carcasses were in a field, others had been buried and five were mostly skeletal remains.
The remains of at least four horses were sent to a lab for necropsies, Humane Society spokeswoman Katherine Cooker said.
A report on the investigation will be sent to the office of the state's attorney, according to the Humane Society.
Daredevil horse stunt clip goes international
HE became the talk of the town when he pulled off the heart-stopping stunt astride Malibu the horse to light the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006 cauldron at the Opening Ceremony on Friday. And barely two days since, Sheikh Mohamed bin Hamad al-Thani’s name has crossed the boundaries of the Gulf, with the nearly five-minute long video clip of the daring stunt circulating via MMS and e-mail not just in Qatar but in faraway countries as well.
Horse in dramatic stunt at Asian Games opening ceremony
December 4, 2006
A horse took centre stage at the Opening Ceremony of the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006. For the first time in the history of the Games, a horse was involved in the act of lighting the cauldron. Final torchbearer Sheik Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani cantered up a steep ramp the height of the stadium to light the flame.
The horse, with specially adapted shoes for extra grip, slowed momentarily halfway up the ramp, but continued on to complete the stunt.
The horse may have been temporarily blinded by the hundreds of camera flashes from the spellbound spectators.
Al Thani is the coach of the Qatar Endurance team. The purebred brown Arabian horse he chose for his well documented ride was trained in Australia by Steven Jeffery, who starred as the Lone Rider at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
Three horses were trained in Australia for the stunt over an eight-month period, and the sheik chose his mount only a day before the opening ceremony.
Horses play a vital part in Arabian traditions and that was beautifully demonstrated in front of 50,000 spectators and millions of TV viewers all around the globe in a choreography called "Tribute to the Desert Horsemen". Riders in white traditional vestments and 64 horses did their freestyle.
Growing Asian interest in equestrian is evident in Doha where the number of participating teams in Dressage and Jumping has nearly doubled from previous events. With Endurance included for the first time, medals will now be decided in four disciplines. Eventing, the oldest discipline at the Asian Games, started in 1982, but Doha is the first Arabian location to host a cross country competition.
National Zoo Ready to Show New Sloth Bear
WASHINGTON - One of the newest additions to the National Zoo is ready for its first public appearance.
A four-and-a-half month old sloth bear has spent most of its time indoors, but the Zoo is ready to send the cub outdoors.
The cub won't have long to adapt to his new surroundings -- all three of the Zoo's sloth bears are scheduled to move into a new exhibit in September.
As for the cub's new name? The Zoo hasn't come up with one yet.
Zoo celebrates tortoise arrivals
Staff at Chester Zoo are celebrating the arrival of three tiny additions which are set to continue their work to save a species from extinction.
Three Egyptian tortoises, each smaller than a raspberry, were hatched at the zoo in the last few days.
Kevin Buley, head of lower vertebrates and invertebrates, said the survival of the species depended on breeding programmes at zoos across the world.
The Egyptian Tortoise is critically endangered in the wild.
Habitat destruction
"Our tortoises might well be tiny at the moment but what they currently lack in size, they make up for in importance," said Mr Buley.
"It is only through the continued successful breeding of this species in zoos in the coming years, that there can be any hope of one day seeing these animals returned to the wild."
The Egyptian Tortoise is found in the wild in Mediterranean coastal deserts of Egypt, Eastern Libya and western Negev in Israel.
Its numbers have rapidly declined since the 1960s because of the exotic pet trade and destruction of its habitat through development.
National Wildlife Federation Officially Recognizes Oregon Zoo For Butterfly Exhibit
PORTLAND, Oregon - The National Wildlife Federation officially recognizes the Oregon Zoo's butterfly garden Winged Wonders as a certified wildlife habitat. This site demonstrates conscientious planning, landscaping and sustainable gardening while providing wildlife with the four basic elements -- food, water, cover and places to raise their young.
http://www.medfordnews.com/articles/index.cfm?artOID=330837&cp=10997
Paramedics to the horse's rescue
It was a bizarre animal incident at a children's play farm - paramedics were called in to help save a miniature horse because no vets were available.Early on Saturday at the Kinderplaas Zoo in Rietfontein, a pig got into "Chokkie" the horse's enclosure. It took a bite at the horse, leaving a gaping wound in his leg. The owner of the play farm, Suzette du Plooy, said: "I was quite worried as Chokkie was bleeding badly. "I first tried to phone for a vet to come - and I couldn't get hold of one in the entire Moot area."When Du Plooy called ER24, the service immediately sent someone out to help. "When the paramedic arrived, he warned me he normally only works with humans, but he would try his best," said du Plooy.Chokkie was doing fine after being bandaged up. The pig, whose name Du Plooy would not disclose, is still in the dog box. - Staff Reporter
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=29&art_id=vn20060522044437469C921405
For the seals' next trick … a new home
FIVE fur seals in the Melbourne Zoo will get a new $20 million home as part of next week's state budget.
After 80 years of wear and tear — and the occasional leak — the zoo's popular seal pool will be replaced with a bigger and deeper one.
Environment Minister John Thwaites said that once the upgrade was complete, the exhibition would have state-of-the-art filtration systems, an underwater viewing window, and a separate "show pool" with an amphitheatre for visitors and keepers.
"The Australian fur seals are one of the most popular animals at the zoo, and this new home will see them become an even bigger attraction," Mr Thwaites said.
The existing seal display was built in 1938, but was originally designed as a monkey enclosure called Monkey Island. Fifteen years later it was filled with water and converted into a seal pool.
Replacement Erie Zoo Gorilla Dies En Route
Tumai, the 21 year old lowland gorilla enroute to the Erie Zoo, on Thursday, May 18th, has died. The gorilla was being delivered from a zoo in Memphis, Tennessee, when zoo officials say his heart simply "stopped beating." He was onboard an airplane scheduled to land in Cleveland when he died. This is the second time a gorilla expected to arrive at the Erie Zoo has died. In November 2005, Kuba, a 16 year old gorilla from Topeka, Kansas died of a heart attack, just prior to his arrival. Both Tumai and Kuba were to be mated with Samantha, Erie's female gorilla. Erie Zoo spokesman Scott Mitchell said in a phone conference with Newswatch that the zoo is devistated by the loss, and it's too early to tell what the zoo's next step will be. A necropcy will be performed to determined Tumai's exact cause of death.
http://www.35wsee.com/news2a.cfm?more=8748&category=1&news=fullstory
Denver Zoo To Open New Lorikeet Exhibit
New Exhibit Offers Up-Close Interaction with Lorikeets
(CBS4) DENVER Denver Zoo will open its newest exhibit, a new open-air aviary designed for public interaction with Lorikeet parrots on May 27. The new Lorikeet Adventure exhibit will provide visitors an up-close and personal experience with some fine-feathered friends.“Denver Zoo visitors have enjoyed close interaction with lorikeets since Lorikeet Adventure opened in 2002,” Denver Zoo VP for Planning & Capitol Projects, George Pond said. “The new aviary will provide an even better experience for our visitors.” The $1.9 million exhibit includes a 3,500 square-foot mesh walkthrough aviary designed to allow visitors to hand feed these brightly-colored parrots nectar throughout the year weather-permitting. The new exhibit will provide guests with easier entry, wider pathways for navigation and a rolling brook that winds through the exhibit and seating areas. The structure, just west of Primate Panorama will also provide more room for bird housing.
Photo in the News: Elephant Shuns Jumbo Treadmill
May 19, 2006—You can lead an elephant to a treadmill, but you can't make her walk.
That's the lesson zookeepers are learning in Anchorage, Alaska, where they have been struggling to get the zoo's resident elephant to exercise.
Maggie, a 23-year-old African elephant (pictured here on May 16), is the only pachyderm at the Alaska Zoo, where she is kept indoors much of the time to protect her from the cold.
Critics have charged that Maggie should be moved to a zoo in a warmer climate, where she can enjoy the outdoors and the company of other elephants.
But rather than give her up, Alaska Zoo officials decided to build Maggie the world's first elephant treadmill.
The 25-foot-long (7.6-meter-long) apparatus was custom-made by an Idaho firm that constructs conveyor belts. But building it turned out to be the easy part.
Since the treadmill arrived at the zoo last September, Maggie has refused to use it, despite all kinds of tasty enticements from her handlers.
Zookeepers have used apples, carrots, birch-tree branches—and, yes, peanuts—to try to coax her onto the contraption. But so far she's gotten just three of her feet on the belt before backing off.
Still, Maggie's keepers are confident that she will come around in time.
"We have to be patient. Nobody has ever done this before," trainer Beth Foglesong told the Anchorage Daily News.
"The instructional video didn't come with [the treadmill]."
Zoo Bears Test 'Bear-Proof' Trash Cans
LACEY TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- If you want to make sure your trash can is bear-proof, give it to some bears to test.
That's what the Bear Education and Resource Group did recently at a zoo in Lacey Township, N.J.
Four bears went after trash cans the group bear-proofed and filled with snacks.
They bears barely made a dent in the
The number of bears in New Jersey has skyrocketed and the group wants homeowners to keep their property safe.
http://www.wesh.com/news/9239988/detail.html
RAPID CITY - The mountain lion siblings that were captured in Rapid City this week have been split up.
The female lion was shipped to a zoo in Portland, Ore., this morning; the male was released back into the wild later in the day.
The eight-month-old lions were orphaned when their mother was tracked, treed and killed Tuesday morning. The 40-pound female kitten was darted and captured Sunday; the 60-pound male kitten was trapped and darted Wednesday morning.The local lion adventure started Sunday when a local resident spotted the female kitten in a tree. He alerted authorities, who darted and captured the young female cougar.Game, Fish & Parks big-game biologist John Kanta then spotted a mule deer carcass nearby that was being watched by the mother lion. It ran off when efforts were made to capture or kill it.The lion, which had a radio collar on it, was pursued and finally treed by hounds Tuesday morning. It was killed with several shots from a pistol.The adult lion was deemed to be a hazard to public safety, GF&P officials said.Traps were set for the last of the lions and the young male was found in a trap Wednesday morning. The lion was darted and moved to the Rapid City GF&P building, where both kittens were kept.GF&P Assistant Director George Vandel said the female left for Portland on a 5 a.m. flight Thursday."We actually had a very unique situation here," said Tony Leif, game program manager. "The placement of an animal that young is not easy."But the Oregon Zoo had another lion of a similar age and was willing to adopt the female, Leif said. The two lions will have a calming effect on each other, he said.The male lion was much more aggressive, so much so that it had to be tranquilized every time it was handled by GF&P staffers, Vandel said."It's a very wild animal," Leif said. "It's 60 pounds of muscle, claws and teeth."It's been placed "as far away from communities as we can get it," he said. The sub-adult male was taken into the wilds at 11 a.m. Thursday and dropped off.The lions were orphaned after a decision was made to kill the mother. Vandel said putting down a lion is never an easy decision. But in this case, it was the right one, he said."We have basically zero tolerance for lions that move in or live in communities," Vandel said. "It's just not a safe situation. These are large predators and they are capable of unpredictable behavior."GF&P Secretary John Cooper made the call to kill the mother lion and was consulted on the decision to relocate the kittens."It's unfortunate we have to take out individual lions," Vandel said. "Nobody likes doing it."He said everything that was done was in keeping with an established GF&P policy.Public safety must override concerns for wildlife, Vandel said. There has never been a fatal lion attack in state history, but there have recently been several close encounters in which the lion backed off, he said.He is concerned that people are coming too close to lions and don't realize they are dealing with a wild and dangerous animal. "If you encounter a mountain lion, keep your distance," Vandel said.The state mountain lion plan is available at
http://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/MountainLions/MtLionPlan.pdf
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16660335&BRD=1300&PAG=461&dept_id=156925&rfi=6
Healthy Kids: It's at the zoo
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD
Something new is happening at the zoo. It could mean a lot for children, their knowledge of the wild and even their health.
Woodland Park Zoo today opens an exhibit that introduces children to animals and environments in an active way. Zoomazium is pretty amazing.
Children of various ages will be able to walk and climb through a series of realistic mountain, forest and grassland exhibits. They can participate in plays and puppet shows or use interactive exhibits.
For a generation raised on TV, iPod and computer games, this is a healthy move. As Richard Louv, author of "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder," told a P-I reporter during a zoo visit this year, "They really understand that it is very, very important within the zoo to offer a hands-on experience beyond a petting zoo."
As Louv has observed, today's children get relatively few opportunities for any kind of physical activity, especially in nature. (Zoomazium is indoors; the past week's weather notwithstanding, this is still Seattle.) Despite the mania for cramming children full of facts, their mental development is harmed by lopsided experiences.
Other groups are trying to help. Seattle Audubon has a number of efforts to connect kids with nature. The National PTA has launched a campaign to save recess, which is most shortchanged in poorer neighborhoods.
The trends are stacked against active kids. Zoomazium is a promisingly countercultural institution.
concluding …
One white cap after another. This storm would simply toss anything in the water around like a toy.
December 8, 2006
Llanes, Asturias, Spain
Photographer states :: Too much strength. No surfer in the water.
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