ZoosHungary Zoo Boasts 1st Tube Baby RhinoThe world's first test tube rhinoceros has been born in Budapest, Hungary.
The 128-pound bundle of joy was born Tuesday to Lulu, an endangered southern white rhino, after five years of research into artificial insemination, Germany's der Spiegel reported Thursday.
Scientists started working on alternative plans to impregnate Lulu after she and her mate, Easyboy, had settled into a friendly relationship and showed no sexual interest in each other.
A special technique was eventually devised using Easyboy's sperm, Berliner Zeitung reported.
Scientists now plan to use a similar technique on a northern white rhino, a close relative of the southern white rhino.
There are currently only nine known northern whites worldwide, including four in the wild and five in zoos.
Zoo cruelty charges dropped Construction of hippo enclosure at Aldergrove facility satisfactory to CrownCharges of animal cruelty have been dropped against the Greater Vancouver Zoo, and the B.C. SPCA isn’t happy about it.
The criminal justice branch of the provincial Ministry of the Attorney General stayed the two counts of cruelty to Hazina the hippo, arguing that it’s no longer in the public’s interest to pursue a trial since the large animal’s outdoor enclosure has been built.
Hazina spent 19 months inside a temporary pen with access to a small wading pool. She took on celebrity status when she was featured in a popular Christmas Telus commercial.
“By staying the charges, this says to the zoo that as long as they eventually provide proper care for their animals, they won’t be charged,” said B.C. SPCA Marcie Moriarty, general manager of cruelty investigations.
http://www.langleytimes.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=47&cat=23&id=819266&more=
Zebra Breaks Neck at Seattle ZooA zebra was found dead at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle with a broken neck.
The zoo says the animal ran into a fence in a holding area yesterday and died on impact.
The 4-year-old female was one of two zebras that arrived in Seattle in November from the Lion country Safari in West Palm Beach, Fla.
The Seattle zoo is in the process of expanding its zebra and giraffe herds for summer display.
Mr President, we need an elephant for our zooKarachi: It has been almost six months since the death of “Anarkali,” who passed away on July17, 2006, and the Karachi Zoo still remains without an elephant, which is considered as a major source of attraction at any zoo. Anarkali the elephant was the heart of the zoo and there has, to-date, been no replacement after her death.
After Anarkali, efforts have also increased in this regard. According to Mansoor Qazi, the Sri Lankan government is interested in donating a baby elephant to the Karachi Zoo. However, this agreement is followed by a list of formalities. To get a baby elephant for the zoo, the Head of the State is required to forward the requisition in this regard to the Sri Lankan government for an approval from its parliament.
Anarkali the elephant was the heart of the zoo and there has, to-date, been no replacement after her death. Though conditions at Karachi Zoo might not be satisfactory for many, a majority of people believed that Anarkali was the only source of entertainment and attraction for visitors, especially children. The reason that the zoo was able to generate a handsome annual income was mainly because of Anarkali and the rides taken on her by children.
Since the life span of an elephant is 65 years, therefore, efforts to get another elephant for the zoo had started when Anarkali was about to reach the age of 65. The Consulate Generals of Thailand and Nepal were invited to visit the zoo for this purpose.
Most of the elephants in different zoos and safaris around the world are of Asiatic origin. This is so because they are more easily trained, and have had a long history of being tamed and trained by Rajas and Maharajas of the Asian subcontinent. These include countries like India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, etc. African elephants are the wildest species and are rarely found in zoos and safaris around the world.
Karachi zoo is also looking for an Asiatic elephant and efforts are being made in this regard. Zoo Director Mansoor Qazi said that they plan to bring a baby elephant from Sri Lanka as Pakistan shares good mutual relations with it. Moreover, Sri Lanka has the most tamed elephants in the subcontinent.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=40629
Electrosonic provides Exhibits for latest attraction at National ZooDisclaimer: InfoComm International® has republished this press release with the original grammar and spelling intact. InfoComm International reserves the right to modify the release for language or claims that may be offensive to competing companies. Sources may contact news@infocomm.org regarding editing decisions.
SOURCE: Electrosonic Systems, Inc. • POSTED: 01/29/07
MINNEAPOLIS -- Electrosonic Systems, Inc. put its mark on the National Zoo’s much-awaited new Asia Trail providing multimedia and interactive technology elements for exhibits for six of the seven Asian species showcased. As subcontractors to Hadley Exhibits, Buffalo, N.Y., Electrosonic supplied and installed interactive kiosks, touchscreens and plasma screens which inform and entertain visitors to this new section of the Washington, D.C.-based zoo.
http://www.infocomm.org/cps/rde/xchg/SID-3F57FAC3-89F7CD60/infocomm/hs.xsl/avindustry_2688.htm
Jungle dining at Singapore ZooBy Lau Joon-Nie, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 27 January 2007 1053 hrs
SINGAPORE: Singapore - known as the Lion City - is commonly associated not just with tall buildings and a clean and green environment but also great shopping and dining.
Those with a taste for adventure can even dine on the "wild" side, just a short hop from the city's urban jungle.
At the Singapore Zoo, what started out as "Breakfast with Ah Meng" the orang utan 25 years ago, has now evolved into Jungle Breakfast.
Besides the chance to meet a friendly ape, visitors can get up close with a snake, a mischievous otter and playful elephants.
Close to 100 visitors turn up daily for the morning tropical buffet where they also learn about wildlife conservation.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/255046/1/.html
A Visit to the Buffalo Zoo: Elephants like Easy Rock A great place to visit any time of year, the Buffalo Zoological Gardens (Buffalo Zoo) in New York State is an ideal choice for a March Break destination. Parking is free until mid-April.
One of the major attractions of the zoo is the elephants. The building resembles an oversized stone mausoleum. But it houses three Asian elephants Surapa, Jothi and Buki. These big girls each eat about 100 pounds of hay, 2 cups of bran, and 7 pounds of grain a day. As they munch away, music in the background plays from an easy rock radio station. Perhaps it helps aid their digestion?
The zoo features indoor and outdoor displays of animals and birds on 23.5 acres. Obtain a free Zoo Map and learn the zoo's exhibit signs are colour coded to explain where these animals normally live. Blue represents the Americas; green represents Australia/Asia and orange represents Africa.
However, on a very cold day you'll see only a limited number of animals outside. Mary Rudewicz, Public Relations co-ordinator for the zoo explained, "Animals are like most of us, we just hate the cold and stay inside." There was one exception - the Polar Bears.
http://www.offbeattravel.com/buffalo-zoo.html
Zoo springs forward with expanded exhibit plansMill Mountain Zoo will add an old-fashioned barnyard, children's playground and pygmy goats.
By Marques G. Harper
777-6494
An old-fashioned barnyard, a children's playground and pygmy goats will be new additions to the Mill Mountain Zoo this spring as it looks to expand its exhibits.
The barnyard area will be located near the zoo's entrance and a wilderness/animal-themed playground will be near the prairie dog exhibit, said Sean Greene, the zoo's director.
"We're really gearing up for this summer," Greene said. "Zoos are constantly reinventing themselves and adding new things for guests. These are things we can do right now at a minimal cost. All of these projects we're doing will really pay big dividends in the end for people to come up here and really enjoy the zoo."
Exact costs for the projects haven't been determined, but the zoo will look for donations and volunteers to complete the work.
The barnyard will be constructed with help from area businesses Rockydale Quarries and Allegheny Construction Co. and the temporary field office of Minnesota-based T.E. Ibberson Co., all of whom will donate time, money or materials in the coming weeks.
http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/101892
Zoo Is in Talks to Arrange Longer Stay for Baby PandaBy Martin Weil
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, January 27, 2007; Page B10
The National Zoo said yesterday that it is negotiating with China to keep its popular baby panda beyond the expected two years.
The zoo said on its Web site that Tai Shan was supposed to be sent to China sometime after he turns 2.
However, the zoo said, "we expect that the cub will, at a minimum, be here throughout the summer and early fall."
In addition, the zoo said, "whether he stays longer is a subject of current negotiations between China and the zoo."
The statement on the Web site appeared to be the first public indication of talks to extend Tai Shan's stay in the United States. He was born July 9, 2005.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/26/AR2007012602060.html
Washington zoo wants longer panda stayWASHINGTON, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- Washington's National Zoo is negotiating with China in an attempt to extend the U.S. stay of its popular baby panda, Tai Shan.
While the original agreement between the Washington facility and the Asian nation called for the panda to be sent to China when it turns 2, National Zoo officials began negotiations Friday for a longer stay, The Washington Post reported.
The baby panda was born back on July 9, 2005, and zoo officials said they expect it to remain in Washington until early fall unless negotiations progress.
Paired up with its parents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, Tai Shan quickly became one of the National Zoo's top exhibits.
Thousands of people even showed up last year at the Washington zoo to help celebrate Tai Shan's first birthday.
While Tai Shan may ultimately have to be returned this year to China, its parents will remain at the National Zoo as part of a 10-year-loan from the China Wildlife Conservation Association.
The newspaper said that loan began back in December 2000.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
More Zoo Pics The following photos were taken during the same trip to the San Diego Zoo that generated the pictures I posted a few weeks ago; I just haven't gotten around to post these until now (as before, click the pictures for a larger copy):
http://someotherguy86.blogspot.com/2007/01/more-zoo-pics.html
Auckland ZooThe Auckland Zoo has been going through a gradual redevelopment, creating zones where animals are kept in more natural surroundings instead of the small concrete and wire cages that were standard when the zoo first opened. This has created open habitats that are interconnect by trails and walkways for the animals of the human variety.
The major focus is now conservation, education and captive breeding programs rather than caging animals for the entertainment of people. The flamingo habitat, part of which is shown in this photo is one of the beautiful environments.
http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Oceania/New_Zealand/photo564952.htm
Zoo in Negotiations to Keep Panda Cub Beyond Two YearsThe popular panda cub may be able to stay at the National Zoo longer than expected.
The zoo says it is in negotiations with China to keep Tai Shan longer than the two years they originally agreed. Zoo officials say they expect the cub will stay in Washington at least throughout the summer and early fall.
Tai Shan turns two years old on July ninth. The arrangement with China that brought pandas back to Washington states that any cub would be returned after two years to help with breeding efforts there.
But Tai Shan is still about three years from breeding age, so China may not need him immediately.
The China Wildlife Conservation Association loaned Tai Shan's parents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, to the zoo for ten years. They arrived in December 2000.
Kids paint tiles to help Detroit Zoo animalsROYAL OAK -- Katherine Perlman believes the Detroit Zoo needs elephants and on Saturday she did her part to bring back pachyderms by drawing and painting a picture of an elephant on a ceramic tile.
"I was very upset when the elephants left," the 9-year-old West Bloomfield youth said, referring to the elephants that left the zoo for a bigger home at a California sanctuary in 2004. "I like elephants. They are big."
Katherine was among the 150 Metro Detroit youths who painted animals on tiles that will be installed on the floor of the children's clothing area at the new Nordstrom store in Twelve Oaks mall in Novi.
Parents paid $50 per child for them to participate. Nordstrom donated the $7,500 raised to the zoo. Each child painted two tiles. Nordstrom will hold the second tile, in case the first one a child painted is damaged during installation.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070127/UPDATE/701270431
Zoo Loses White Rhino(Rochester, N.Y.) - Satchmo, one of the two white rhinos at Rochester's Seneca Park Zoo has died.
Dr. Jeff Wyatt, the zoo's director of animal health and conservation, chose to euthanize Satchmo after consulting with veterinarians and other zoo professionals. Blood tests revealed the animal had a rapidly-spreading, acute illness signaling imminent death.
Staff knew the three-year-old was seriously ill when he was not able to stand up on Wednesday.
A necropsy is being done to learn more about the illness.
The rhino's death marks the fourth death of an animal at the zoo in a year. In December, a 15-year-old sea lion died. In February, African elephant Genny C's calf died during labor. Less than one week later, Lowell, a 21-year-old male Bornean orangutan, died suddenly.
Satchmo arrived at Seneca Park Zoo last May from the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. He was joined by Roscoe, from Knoxville Zoo.
http://www.13wham.com/mostpopular/story.aspx?content_id=f8dab60f-923b-4656-bee6-1853597328bf
Singapore Zoo undergoing change into a Rainforest ZooBy David Teo, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 28 January 2007 1656 hrs
SINGAPORE: Change is in the wind for the Singapore Zoo.
It is currently undergoing a major makeover to get a lush rainforest look.
The Singapore Zoo, recognised as one of the finest in Asia, is home to more than 3,000 animals from 290 different species, ranging from gibbons and otters to tapirs and polar bears.
Since its official opening in 1973, it has been evolving - from an open viewing zoo, to a learning zoo providing an interactive and educational experience to its visitors.
Now, it wants to be the most beautiful rainforest zoo in the world.
"We're in the process of making ourselves the most beautiful rainforest zoo of the world. This entails three main elements including improving our education and training materials, our research and conservation materials and as well as providing an exceptional wildlife experience for our customers," said Fanny Lai, Executive Director, Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/255209/1/.html
Equine Week a Major Fundraiser for Mass. Zoo"(Equine Week at the Zoo) has become a big promotional event for the Zoo, and a kick-start to our season opening," says The Zoo in Forest Park education director Alison Summers. The event will celebrate its fourth anniversary April 14-22, 2007, at the Zoo in Forest Park, in Springfield, Mass.
"This is an exhibition, as well as an educational event," Summers said.
The event is presented in collaboration with Massachusetts Horse magazine. The magazine has worked with the zoo to present Equine Week since 2004.
"The idea, in keeping with the mission of the Zoo, is to exhibit the wide variety in equines, and display the abilities and specialties of each breed using periodic demonstrations throughout the day," said L.A. Pomeroy of Massachusetts Horse. "We appreciate the opportunity such an event presents its horse community to showcase their breeds and educate zoo visitors, many of whom may be experiencing horses for the first time."
Equine Week at The Zoo in Forest Park promotes public awareness and appreciation for animals of all kinds, including a variety of horse and pony breeds and their distinguishing qualities. Among this year's featured breeds are Mammoth Jackstock and Norwegian Fjords, and the Zoo debut of a new zebra colt. Daily demonstrations will include children's crafts and face painting, riding and driving performances, and grooming, show braiding, and hoof trimming.
The event is also a powerful fundraiser for the nonprofit zoo, contributing more than $30,000 to the annual budget to care for its many animals, from leopards and mountain lions, to lemurs and a new pair of young wolves. For more information on participation or sponsorship of Equine Week at The Zoo in Forest Park, click
Japan's second oldest elephant in captivity dies after falling over at zooSAPPORO -- A 60-year-old elephant at Sapporo Maruyama Zoo, the second oldest kept in captivity in Japan, died on Sunday, officials said.
Hanako had been healthy until Saturday but suddenly died when she lost her balance and fell over, apparently squashing her internal organs.
Hanako had been popular with visitors to the zoo since her arrival in July 1953. In 1999, Hanako briefly refused to eat following the death of an elephant at the zoo. But she eventually recovered and was the sole elephant at the zoo.
"I expected her to live for several more years," a keeper said. "It's regrettable that the zoo lost its last elephant." (Mainichi)
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20070129p2a00m0na001000c.html
Female vulture flees the coop at Dallas ZooDALLAS — A large African white-backed vulture is on the lam from the Dallas Zoo after escaping its cage over the weekend.
According to a report on Fox, the bird was last seen flying south of the zoo.
Zoo officials assure that the bird is not dangerous to humans or pets, as it is a scavenger and not a bird of prey.
A curator at the zoo suggested that the bird will perch on a high tree or power line, and to keep on the look-out for a gray bird with white feathers on the neck and a big black beak. Got that: white feathers on the neck, big black beak.
http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2007/jan/28/female-vulture-flees-coop-dallas-zoo/
Night goggles and 24-hour pools:This is no zoo field trip
By EILEEN OGINTZ
Tribune Media Services
It's nearly midnight and the kids aren't even thinking about going to bed. I'm not making them, either.
What's vacation for, anyway, if we can't bend the rules a little (or a lot). We're in the huge pool at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom Lodge, along with at least 50 other laughing, shrieking kids and their parents.
Welcome to the best part (at least from the kids' perspective) of staying at a Walt Disney World hotel: pools that are open 24/7, though the lifeguards leave after 10 p.m.
I have to agree with my young traveling companions from Connecticut - my cousin's son, 10-year-old Max Weinberg, and his buddy, Jackson Solis, also 10. They're convinced there's no better way than jumping in the pool (again and again) to end a long day touring the theme parks - in our case, the nearby Animal Kingdom.
Open since 1998, Animal Kingdom isn't usually kids' first pick when they get to Mouseville. After all, they can see a lot of animals in a zoo at home, they say.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/travel/4505670.html
Sequoia Park Zoo reaches centennialby Laura Provolt, 1/29/2007
The Sequoia Park Zoo will be celebrating 100 years of operation throughout this year.
Zoo curator and supervisor Gretchen Ziegler said that while very few official records have been kept throughout the years of the zoo’s operation, zoo employees believe the zoo was established in 1907, though it is unknown who founded the zoo or how large it was.
Throughout 2007, Ziegler said, the Sequoia Park Zoo staff will be conducting research and is asking members of the community to contribute any pictures, documentation or memories of the zoo’s history. She said the zoo foundation is asking for volunteers to come forward who would be interested in helping the zoo staff complete the research.
http://www.eurekareporter.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ArticleID=19910
Zoo enlists wines for wild timeBY JIM KNIPPENBERG | JKNIPPENBERG@ENQUIRER.COM
It just makes sense: If you're going to go wild about wine, it might as well be somewhere that you'll be surrounded by wildlife, Right?
Right, says Allison Chandler, stewardship director at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. Right now, she's busy chilling bottles and lining up corkscrews for Wild About Wine, a series of four tastings the zoo inaugurated last year and continues this year, starting Feb. 15.
Set in a variety of locations around the grounds, Wild is a fundraiser for the Lindner Center for Conservation & Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) and generally features four reds and four whites, munchies, animal encounters, tours and silent auctions, and a bit of a wine education.
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070129/LIFE01/701290303/-1/CINCI
Tijuana Zoo will spread its wingsBy Anna Cearley
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
January 29, 2007
TIJUANA – This city's zoo in Morelos Park has come a long way since its start as a repository for exotic animals confiscated by border authorities.
Tijuana Mayor Jorge Hank Rhon inaugurated the zoo's new black bear exhibit last week, an outdoor space with a waterfall and a cavelike design meant to replicate the animal's natural habitat.
It's the first phase of the zoo's $180,000 improvement plan, which is expected to be completed this summer. The plan will include specially designed areas to showcase animals indigenous to Mexico.
Support for the zoo comes from the top. The mayor – who has his own private zoo on the grounds of the Caliente racetrack – is donating animals for the new exhibits.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/tijuana/20070129-9999-1m29zoo.html
Pregnant elephant at zooCELEBRATIONS have been in order at Colchester Zoo after one of the elephants has fallen pregnant.
It was on January 17 that Colchester Zopo discovered Zola was pregnant after tests were carried out by the German Primate Research Centre in Gottingen.
A zoo spokeswoman said: “Keepers at Colchester Zoo were confident that she was indeed pregnant as she had not been in oestrus for some months.
“A birth date is not yet known, however from several observed matings keepers at Colchester Zoo expect it to be around February or March 2008.”
Near to the expected date, blood samples will be submitted to a UK lab in order to check Zola's progesterone levels and this information will narrow down the birth date to within a few days.
Keepers will closely monitor Zola as this is her second pregnancy. Unfortunately, although reaching full term with her previous calf, Zola shut her birthing process down and retained the calf so it could not be born alive. Although this is not common it is something that elephants are able to do.
http://www.eveningstar.co.uk/content/eveningstar/news/story.aspx?brand=ESTOnline&category=News&tBrand=ESTOnline&tCategory=News&itemid=IPED29%20Jan%202007%2014%3A18%3A05%3A747
Talent Zoo is looking for an office manager to help take Talent Zoo to the next level. Our office manager would be responsible for the following tasks:
• Ordering and upkeep of all office supplies
• Managing phone system
• Assisting Marketing Department with various projects
• Assisting Sales teams with research and other projects as needed
• Managing multiple vendor relations
• Assisting CEO and Executive Assistant with various tasks and planning activities
• Delivery, pick up and distribution of all mail, newspapers, magazines, etc
• Document Inventory
• Maintaining office cleanliness and organization
• Greeting and welcoming all Talent Zoo visitors (minimal)
• Other duties as assigned
About Talent Zoo
With 10 years providing hiring solutions to the nation's most successful advertising and communications companies, Talent Zoo is at the top of its game, winning many awards including Forbes Magazine's "Best of the Web."
Talent Zoo has grown from a one-man, one-room recruiting operation to a multi-media, multi-million dollar hiring solutions maverick.
With a casual dress code, XM radio throughout, and a pet-friendly office as well as a solid traditional benefits package, Talent Zoo provides a fun and challenging environment for its employees. For more information on our departments and corporate culture, as well as to learn why the Atlanta Business Chronicle recently named us one of the “Top 10 Places to Work in Atlanta”, visit our site.
http://www.talentzoo.com/spots/59229/3f2db85d6a954080b58523e502a2d51d.aspx
Bembo’s Zoohttp://www.bemboszoo.com/Bembo.swf
AND
http://www.poissonrouge.com/abc/index.htmI found these two above links very entertaining and a truly wonderful place for young internet users to learn all kinds of basic skills. The creator is extremely talented and makes wonderful use of the technology. Try it, it's fun and then sit the kids at the computer while you observe their delight in playing with concepts that teach in very entertaining ways. Man held for trying to bribe zoo official Web posted at: 1/30/2007 1:12:50
Source ::: The Peninsula
doha • A supplier of food for the animals at Doha Zoo was arrested by police after he was caught trying to bribe a zoo official.
The contract between the supplier and the zoo called for the former to provide 1,500 kg of food per day for the animals but he was providing far less than the agreed amount.
When the zoo official, the in-charge of charge of food supplies, caught the supplier out, he was offered a bribe which was turned down.
Undeterred, the supplier came back a second time and offered a larger amount to ensure the zoo official's silence. The supplier was turned down again.
The official then spoke to his colleagues who suggested he talk to the zoo management and the police in order to catch the supplier in the act, an Arabic daily said.
When the supplier came around a third time and handed over a bundle of bank notes to the official, police swooped and hauled him off to jail.
The case has been referred to the Public Prosecution who have already taken statements from witnesses.
Zoo expects crowded house for Tim Finn concertTuesday, 30 January 2007, 12:05 pm
Press Release: Auckland City Council
30 January 2007
Zoo expects crowded house for Tim Finn concert
Auckland Zoo invites Finn fans to enter Tim Finn's own Imaginary Kingdom when he takes to the stage for an expected sell-out concert at Wild Bean Cafe ZooMusic on Saturday, 10 February (6pm - 9pm).
Tim Finn is one of New Zealand's most well-known and respected musical talents. A member of both Split Enz and Crowded House, he has also enjoyed a very successful solo career, as well as joining forces with brother Neil for strong collaborative efforts like 2004's Everyone is Here album.
Creator of "I Hope I Never" (Split Enz), and co-writer of 'Weather with You' and "Four Seasons in One Day" (Crowded House), as a solo artist, he is also well known for "Fraction Too Much Friction" and "Couldn't Be Done" from his latest solo album, Imaginary Kingdom. Tim Finn will perform songs from this latest offering, along with classic tunes. He will be supported by up-and-coming talent Chris Sanders with Rikki Morris, and the award-winning Sarah Brown.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0701/S00187.htm
RARE BIRD LEAVING RIVERSIDE ZOO1/25/2007 - 02:31:17 PM
SHYLOCK IS ONE OF ONLY 47 CINEREOUS VULTURES IN CAPTIVITY IN NORTH AMERICA AND ONLY ONE OF ABOUT 42–HUNDRED BELIEVED TO EXIST ON THE PLANET. THE 38– YEAR–OLD BIRD LEFT RIVERSIDE ZOO IN SCOTTSBLUFF WEDNESDAY BOUND FOR A ZOO IN MANHATTAN, KANSAS FOR WHAT MAY BE HIS LAST CHANCE AT MATING.
OFFICIALS SAY BREEDING PROGRAMS FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO ALL ZOOS. "THEY TRY AND MANAGE THE ANIMALS SO THEY CAN SEE THAT THEY'LL HAVE ANIMALS IN 100 YEARS," SAYS ZOO SPECIALIST JOE CLAWSON. " SO IT'S IMPORTANT THEY GET ANIMALS LIKE THIS BREEDING. THEN AGAIN, IF THE NEED OR THE CHANCE ARISES, ZOOS WILL RETURN ANIMALS TO THE WILD."
SHYLOCK SUCESSFULLY RAISED A CHICK IN 1998 AFTER HIS MATE BECAME CONFUSED AND ATTEMPTED TO KILL THEIR OFFSPRING. TWO YOUNG FEMALE VULTURES HAVE BEEN SENT TO RIVERSIDE ZOO AS REPLACEMENTS FOR SHYLOCK… AFTER FIVE YEARS OF SOCIALIZATION THEY, TOO, WILL ENTER THE BREEDING PROGRAM.
ZILCH FOR ZOO?If zoo doesn't get $12M in state aid, it faces cutbacks and more fundraising
Maureen Feighan / The Detroit News
ROYAL OAK -- Detroit Zoo officials are looking for $12 million from the cash-strapped state, warning that they would have to consider raising prices, cutting back hours or going into debt if the money isn't forthcoming.
The zoo's request is $8 million more than it received from the state last year, and the state is facing its own financial troubles: an $800 million budget shortfall. Some state lawmakers say the money's just not there, no matter how beloved the zoo is.
"Who's got $12 million?" asked Rep. Chuck Moss, R-Birmingham. "I love the zoo, but we don't have $12 million of our own. We're $800 million in the hole. Who else gets cut? Do we cut money to schools? Or health care? Or corrections?"
The zoo also is sounding out officials on a proposal for a regional zoo tax that would go before the voters in 2008.
Leo Price of Livonia thinks lawmakers often squander money. Subsidizing the zoo would be a worthwhile expense, he said.
"I would want to see some assistance to the zoo," said Price, 81, an amateur photographer who visited last week to take some shots of the Siberian tigers and snow monkeys. "More people enjoy that than some of the other things they pinch pennies on."
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070130/METRO/701300369/1009/METRO02
Barbaro’s Desperate Fight for Life Gripped a Nation in AnguishBy HARVEY ARATON
We fretted over this horse as if we all had a piece of him. The news media covered him like a saddle, from the moments after he shattered his right hind leg last spring in the Preakness Stakes. The country seemed to pause for reflection, and in many cases for prayer, with every bulletin from Kennett Square, Pa., where Barbaro was nursed for the past eight months and was finally euthanized yesterday in a medical surrender to the harsh realities of thoroughbred racing.
Through it all, there has been this little voice in the back of my head wanting to know why.
Why this national obsession — and, forgive me, but I don’t quite know any other way to put it — with a horse?
Granted, not just any horse. Barbaro was an unbeaten champion, runaway winner of the Kentucky Derby on that sacred first Saturday of May.
It takes two minutes for the Derby to do what “American Idol” needs an entire television season for: to anoint an unknown. As always, there were more than a few contenders at Churchill Downs last spring, horses bred for greatness, unwittingly attached to tales of human frailty.
Like Barbaro’s trainer, Michael Matz, who had survived a plane crash and rescued three children in the process, Dan Hendricks was a compelling story. After a motocross accident in July 2004 that left him with a crushed vertebra, paralyzed below the waist, believing his career was over, Hendricks had made it to the Derby for the first time, training one of the favorites, Brother Derek.
With his three sons and a few reporters crowded around his wheelchair, Hendricks watched the race take shape on a small television in the tunnel connecting the paddock and the track. Naturally, Hendricks, the professional, recognized greatness first. He knew before the rest of us when the race was unofficially over.
“He’s running lights out,” he said when the leader, Barbaro, the horse Brother Derek had shared a barn with, the opponent Hendricks had said he most feared, emerged.
But what if Brother Derek or another horse had won, if Barbaro had broken down in the Preakness after finishing tied for fourth in the Derby, as did Brother Derek? Would our hearts have gone out to an also-ran? If the answer is no, should we be proud of the fact that we worship and worry about winners more and especially those who have risen to the most venerated of occasions?
We cast them as special and then indulge ourselves in ascribing qualities to them that we wish for the gifted and talented to have. Thus, the often-reported mantra these past few months that Barbaro was staging a brave battle to live, outrunning the prohibitive odds against survival.
Did we really know that? Or was it more a case of the owners, Roy and Gretchen Jackson, needing to believe it so they could continue investing — emotionally and financially — in this animal that had given them so much?
“We just reached a point where it was going to be difficult for him to go on without pain,” Roy Jackson said yesterday after the announcement. “It was the right decision, it was the right thing to do.”
We didn’t need a pet, much less a terminally ill one, to ache for the Jacksons, in the way we would for a pedestrian run over a few feet ahead of us in the street. Millions tuned in to watch Barbaro go for the second leg of the Triple Crown, and instead we were forced to ponder the illusory notion of control or, worse, the random fragility of life.
It’s been a while — not counting Seabiscuit’s popular comeback in print and film — since a racehorse galloped its way deep into the American psyche. If Seabiscuit was the proletariat’s four-legged champion of the Great Depression, Barbaro’s tragedy on the racetrack and months of struggle might have been steeped in symbolism as well.
Maybe Barbaro, as the fallen champion, was reminiscent of a country that was seriously wounded on 9/11 and has been wobbly ever since. Maybe the horse’s medical roller coaster struck a chord at a time when a great American city, ravaged by nature and neglect, still can’t stand up. Maybe only in such context can we rationalize such widespread passion for the health of a horse that has exceeded that for any single American soldier killed or wounded in Iraq.
If you asked yourself any of these questions even as you read every twist and turn to the Barbaro story, you weren’t alone. Why did we care, or care that much? Was it an example of sports at its best, serving as a metaphor for life? Hard to say for sure, only to acknowledge that until the news broke yesterday that Barbaro was free of his burden, there was this inescapable feeling that — to borrow from Roy Jackson — it was the right thing to do.
E-mail: hjaraton@nytimes.com
http://select.nytimes.com/2007/01/30/sports/othersports/30araton.html?_r=1&oref=login
Dog is feeding tiger cubs at the zoo of Rio De JaneiroThere has appeared surrogate mother to the tiger cubs at the zoo of Rio De Janeiro. They were taken to the dog to feed them after tigress showed aggression towards the cubs.
According to the statement of veterinarians, the dog takes care of the tiger cubs and feeds them as well as her own puppies.
Administration of the zoo states, that this has been the first case when the quantity of visitors has increased because of this event.
http://www.imedinews.ge/en/news_read/18149
Jaguar Babies Born in Rostock ZooThe Rostock Zoo on Germany's Baltic coast has three new additions to its collection -- tiny jaguar triplets.
Rostock Zoo on Germany's Baltic Sea coast is celebrating its first jaguar offspring in six years. The cute triplets, which were born on the evening of Dec. 16 and the following morning, are six weeks old and are now on show to the public, according to the zoo's Web site.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,463161,00.html
Mini-horse a special helper for blind womanBy ASSOCIATED PRESS
January 28, 2007
BETHLEHEM, New York (AP) - Panda is everything you would want in a pet and guide animal for the blind _ protective, alert, house-trained, plus she loves to play fetch. And at 29 inches (74 centimeters) tall and 120 pounds (54 kilograms), she's a darn small horse.
Panda, named for her black-and-white coat, is a miniature guide horse that has helped 58-year-old Ann Edie navigate the world of city streets and country lanes since 2003.
"Panda loves her work," said Edie, a special education teacher. "She knows what she's supposed to do. When I pick up the harness, I get the feeling from her of, 'I'm ready for anything. Let's go have fun.'"
When Edie's chocolate Labrador helper Bailey died after 10 years on the job, she tried out two other dogs before learning about guide horses in 2000.
Although she appreciates the attributes that dogs bring to guide work, Edie said she is sold on the mini-horses.
http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/56054.html
Hungary: World's first rhino born by artificial insemination at Budapest ZooBUDAPEST, Hungary: The world's first rhino conceived by artificial insemination has been born at Budapest Zoo, officials said in a statement on Wednesday.
The female baby rhino, born at 5:55 p.m. (1655GMT) on Tuesday, weighed in at 58 kilograms (128 lbs).
"The little one seemed active and vital. An hour after being born it stood up on its own legs," the statement said.
The baby rhino has yet to be named, said zoo spokesman Zoltan Hanga, who added the zoo hoped to find a sponsor for her.
The mother, 26-year-old Lulu, had failed to conceive naturally, even when put with a male rhino named Easyboy. A group of international veterinarians from Germany, Austria and Hungary started in-vitro fertilization and she finally became pregnant in 2005.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/24/europe/EU-GEN-Hungary-Baby-Rhino.php
Russian zoo animals mate early in steamy winter heatMOSCOW (Reuters) - Animals at a Russian zoo have started mating early this year because of steamy temperatures in the warmest Russian winter for a generation, zoo officials said on Wednesday.
Temperatures have recently fallen to more arctic norms, but the unusual heat allowed pumas and camels to shrug off the winter blues and start frolicking early.
"Some animals have started their mating season early this year because of the warm winter," Maxim Kozlov, the curator at Ivanovo Zoo, northeast of Moscow, told Reuters by telephone.
Russia's spectacular winters came to an end this year in European Russia with little snow and temperatures so warm that animals -- and many Russians -- were left wondering what to do.
"We are awaiting offspring from the lynxes and camels. Pumas can breed all year but usually in winter they slow down -- this year because of the warm weather we will see Puma 'kittens' two months early," Kozlov said.
European parts of Russia have seen the warmest winter since records began in 1879 though temperatures have recently fallen to minus 8 degrees Celsius in Moscow.
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?storyid=2007-01-24T153147Z_01_L24909275_RTRIDST_0_OUKOE-UK-RUSSIA-WEATHER-ZOO.XML&type=oddlyEnoughNews&WTmodLoc=Oddly+Enough-C3-More-2
Charges against Greater Vancouver Zoo droppedJanuary 24, 2007 - 10:24 am
By: Nicole McCormick
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - The Greater Vancouver Zoo will apparently escape prosecution on animal cruelty charges. The BC Criminal Justice Branch has decided to stay charges over the zoo's treatment of Hazina the hippo. The Crown says it's no longer in the public interest because the hippo is now in a new enclosure that complies with SPCA requirements. The SPCA says it is bitterly disappointed by the decision, noting Hazina had been kept in substandard conditions for 19 months.
http://www.news1130.com/news/local/article.jsp?content=20070124_080031_4924
Brantley Lake, Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Parks Closed Due to Winter StormCARLSBAD, NM - New Mexico State Parks has temporarily closed both Brantley Lake State Park and nearby Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park - both located in Carlsbad (Eddy County) — until further notice due to hazardous road conditions resulting from a blast of winter weather.
“This is one of the first times we’ve had to close these parks simultaneously because of heavy snow conditions in Carlsbad,” said Dave Simon, State Parks Director. “But, as with all our parks, the safety of our visitors and staff come first.”
On Tuesday, January 23, the National Weather Service issued a heavy snow warning for Eddy County until 2:00 p.m. due to snowfall measuring at least four inches. Travel is discouraged, as road conditions are treacherous. The city of Carlsbad typically averages less than two inches of snowfall in the month of January.
Both parks will be closed as conditions persist. Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park is on the northwest edge of Carlsbad off US 285. Brantley Lake State Park is located 12 miles north of Carlsbad via US 285, then 4.5 miles northeast on Eddy County Road 30.
For more information, call (505) 660-7017 log onto www.nmparks.com.
Zoo auctioning five slots for Zoo Run Run 5K trek on eBaySUZANNE NORMAND BLACKWOOD
The Zoo Run Run, a 5K trek through the Nashville Zoo created to help raise funds for zoo operations, is sold out.
But anyone interested in running still has a chance to participate. Five Zoo Run Run registrations are now available for auction on eBay.
http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070124/COUNTY0104/70124023
Infection kills 4 kangaroos at zoo; 8 bouncing back BY FRANKLIN HAYES Gulf Breeze News franklin@gulfbreezenews.com
ZOO officials are starting 2007 without four of their Australian marsupials. Three kangaroos died within 48 hours in late December from a nasty bacterial infection. A fourth was eventually put to sleep after its immune system failed to respond positively to antibiotics.
"Along with the happy stories, life-science education must also embrace real-world events including injury, disease and death which we all face," The ZOO's marketing director Natalie Akin wrote in a press release. "As with dogs, cats and other domestic animals, wild animals can get sick too. Sometimes disease hits fast and hard!"
The ZOO's Veterinarian, Gus Mueller DVM, said the responsible pathogenic bacterium was of the genus Pseudomonas. Mueller said the bacteria is fairly common and that species from the Australian continent often develop weaker immune systems as a result of their isolated environment.
http://www.gulfbreezenews.com/news/2007/0125/Front_Page/002.html
$4 million bond means lower interest rates for next big exhibitBy DEEDEE CORRELL
THE GAZETTE
FOUNTAIN - Moose, grizzly bears and lynx don’t come cheap.
The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s next major exhibit on Rocky Mountain wildlife will cost $8.2 million — a bill the city of Fountain will make a little easier to pay.
City leaders agreed this week to issue a $4 million bond on behalf of the zoo, a move that won’t obligate the city financially but will allow the nonprofit zoo to secure the bonds at lower interest rates available to municipalities.
“It’s our way of showing support for a regional asset,” acting City Manager Dave Smedsrud said. “If it helps the zoo grow and become more successful, then it’s
a worthwhile effort.”
The city bears no responsibility if the zoo defaults on its payments, said Fred Marienthal, a bond attorney for the city.
The zoo would pay all associated costs and give the city a “nominal” fee, the amount of which has yet to be determined.
http://www.gazette.com/display.php?id=1329216&secid=1
Coins Pose Risk For Denver Zoo Penguins(CBS4) DENVER It seems to be all about penguins at the Denver Zoo these days. In addition to keeping an eye on baby African penguin, vets have also had to spend some time removing coins from a Humboldt penguin's stomach.
Zoo officials say sometimes visitors mistake the two penguin pools and other animal pools for wishing wells and throw coins into the water.
"This is a common problem for penguins at the Denver Zoo," said associate veterinarian Dr. Felicia Knightly in a written release. "Penguins cannot tell the difference between the shiny, metallic coins at the bottom of the pool and fish."
That means the penguins frequently swallow coins thinking they are actually food.
http://cbs4denver.com/pets/local_story_025164848.html
Kiwi The Stars Of Zoo’s Waitangi Day CelebrationsFriday, 26 January 2007, 11:43 am
Press Release: Auckland City Council
Kiwi The Stars Of Zoo’s Waitangi Day Celebrations
New Zealand’s national bird will share the limelight with visitors at Auckland Zoo’s Kiwi and Kids event on Tuesday, 6 February (10am to 2pm) to celebrate Waitangi Day.
The zoo is inviting visitors to mark New Zealand’s national day by learning about how they can personally make a difference towards helping save the kiwi, along with celebrating its uniqueness, and taking part in some fun activities. The iconic flightless kiwi, which the vast majority of "Kiwi" homo sapiens have never seen in the wild or captivity, once roamed New Zealand in millions, but is today an endangered species. Just five per cent of chicks hatched in the wild survive to adulthood - mainly due to introduced predators such as stoats and dogs.
A special raffle to raise funds for the Bank of New Zealand's Save the Kiwi's Operation Nest Egg programme will see one lucky family win the exclusive opportunity to go behind the scenes to see kiwi chicks being reared at the zoo's New Zealand Fauna Conservation Centre. Second prize will see a family win tickets to the Anika Moa Wild Bean Café ZooMusic concert on 24 February (also helping to raise awareness and funds for the kiwi) and Bank of New Zealand "Kiwi chicks rock" t-shirts.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0701/S00156.htm
All Weather Amphitheatre for Wellington ZooFriday, 26 January 2007, 3:55 pm
Press Release: Wellington Zoo
All Weather Amphitheatre for Wellington Zoo
Construction on Wellington Zoo’s new all-weather amphitheatre, which will replace the Zoo’s iconic large concrete steps, begins Monday 29 January, Zoo CEO Karen Fifield announced today.
“The amphitheatre will be situated in the middle of the Zoo, and will take up the space where the large steps and the old enclosures opposite – which were historically used to house big cats – are now. It is the first project of the Zoo’s 10 year capital development plan, supported by Wellington City Council.”
“We’re really excited about the amphitheatre and the opportunity it gives us to present our visitors with the chance to get up close to, and interact with, a variety of animals,” said Karen.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0701/S00165.htm
HICCUP MONKEY ABANDONEDA BABY monkey in a zoo has been rejected by her mother - because of her chronic hiccups.
Zoo staff have even named the tiny colobus monkey Sokojoo which means hiccup in the Gambian language Mandinka.
The three-week-old African monkey has been hiccuping after every milk feed since birth.
The noise was so bad her mother Sierra refused to feed her and began sitting on top of her - a sign of rejection. Nine-inch long Sokojoo was removed from her enclosure at Newquay Zoo in Cornwall and is now being bottle-fed by keepers.
The tot is still hiccuping but it is hoped this will stop after weaning. Staff plan to reintroduce her to the other black and white colobus monkeys in three months.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_headline=hiccup-monkey-abandoned-&method=full&objectid=18532912&siteid=66633-name_page.html
SeaWorld killer whale stunt injures trainerA killer whale injured a trainer when he grabbed the man and pinned him to the bottom of an exhibition tank during a show at San Diego's SeaWorld Adventure Park.
San Diego paramedics said they took the 33-year-old trainer to hospital with unspecified injuries after the incident yesterday.
It was witnessed by about 200 spectators at the daily Shamu show which features captive whales performing acrobatic stunts with trainers riding on their noses and backs.
One member of the audience told reporters the trainer was conscious but pale when he finally surfaced from the bottom of the exhibition tank and the legs of his wetsuit were torn.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/12/01/1164777754710.html
SeaWorld to investigate whale attackThe probe will examine the animal's behavior before it injured a longtime trainer.
By Tony Perry, Times Staff Writer
December 1, 2006
SAN DIEGO — Officials at SeaWorld Adventure Park ordered a "complete" investigation Thursday into why a 5,000-pound killer whale injured a veteran trainer and dragged him to the bottom of a 36-foot-deep pool at Shamu Stadium.
Even as he was being held underwater Wednesday, the trainer, Ken Peters, 39, persuaded Kasatka to free his foot from her mouth by stroking her back.
As several hundred horrified patrons watched, Peters swam to the top of the pool. He was taken to UC San Diego Medical Center, where he is being treated for a broken left foot.
The show, "Believe," resumed Thursday, but no trainers approached Kasatka or any of the other killer whales.
Kasatka has been at SeaWorld for 25 years. Two of her offspring are among the park's seven killer whales.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-seaworld1dec01,0,3902295.story
