Zoos
The only Zoo and Aquarium in the Northwest
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
http://www.pdza.org/
Aardvark antics
Kikuyu, the oldest aardvark on record, enjoyed a cake of insectivore chow, avocado, fruit and meal worms on Jan. 7, her 30th birthday. She was joined on stage at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater by her companion, 2-year-old Tilli, as Zoo visitors serenaded her and wished her well. The national Association of Zoos & Aquariums, which maintains animal records, has confirmed that Kikuyu has lived longer than any aardvark on record. The previous title holder was Somali, who lived to be almost 30. Somali also lived at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. The reason for their longevity? Keepers say, "It must be the water!"
WW2 bomb found in camel pen at Hanover Zoo
BERLIN (Reuters) - Around 500 people and more than 2,000 animals were evacuated on Friday after a 500-pound (227 kilogram) World War Two bomb was unearthed in the camel enclosure at Hanover Zoo.
"The bomb was located during construction work because the cage is being remodelled," zoo spokeswoman Simone Hagenmeier told Reuters, adding that the device was about two metres (six feet) under the ground.
The camels were not at home, having already been moved to other zoos last month.
The bomb was made safe by disposal experts, police said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070105/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_germany_bomb_1
Mild winter triggers spring fever in zoo
SOFIA: An unusually warm winter has sown confusion among animals at a zoo on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, causing two bears to miss their usual hibernation period and peacocks to lay eggs months early.
"The animals are confused. They are acting more like it is spring than the dead of winter," said Todor Hristov, zoo director in the port city of Varna.
Temperatures have risen to as high as 13degC over the last few days in Varna, far warmer than usual.
Hristov said the two 35-year-old bears may go to sleep once temperatures fall to around -3degC for at least 10 consecutive days, while the peacocks usually laid eggs in May or June, not January.
Many put the unusually warm weather around Europe down to global warming which scientists say is disrupting weather patterns, melting glaciers and causing other environmental anomalies around the world.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/3919649a4560.html
Penguins let off steam during Tokyo zoo walks
TOKYO, Jan 5 (Reuters Life!) - Tokyo's zoo hopes to create "Happy Feet" every time it lets its penguins out for a walk.
Zoo officials lets the King Penguins waddle around once a week in a bid to ease homesickness and the stress of being in captivity.
In the wild, penguins walk long distances on ice and one official said the zoo was trying to "make their living environment closer to the one they had."
During their 30-minute walk, the penguins walk about 300 metres inside the zoo enclosure, to the delight of visitors.
"This was not the first time I saw penguins but watching them march like this was certainly new to me," said nine-year-old Chin Isseki.
The penguins, too, seem to enjoy their excursion -- officials say the birds appear less stressed after their walks.
King Penguins are the second largest species of penguin. They are about 90 cm (3 feet) tall and weigh up to 15 kg (33 lb).
The birds' popularity has soared since the box-office smash "Happy Feet", an animated film about dancing and singing penguins, hit cinema screens worldwide.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP157489.htm
14-Foot Anaconda Wrestled Onto Scales (Video)
121-Pound Snake Moving To Another Aquarium
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Keepers had to do some snake wrestling this week to get an 14-foot anaconda on a scale for a weigh-in.
It was moving day for the snake. It has been on display at the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston, S.C., but is moving back to an exhibit at the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, S.C.
In order to move the 121-pound animal, it had to be warmed up with a grappling hook before the keepers wrestled it under control.
Experts said the key is to get the anaconda's head under control.
The snake packed on 7 pounds and 7 inches during his two-year stay in Charleston.
http://www.nbc11.com/news/10679310/detail.html
Oregon Zoo pleased with proposed polar bear listing
Thursday, January 04, 2007
PORTLAND - Word that the Bush administration had proposed listing polar bears as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act, was welcome news to staff at the Oregon Zoo.
The zoo has spoken out on the plight of polar bears and the need for federal protection for several years, most recently in an October press release.
"Listing polar bears under the Endangered Species Act would be very significant," said David Shepherdson, zoo conservation scientist. "It would be the first time that a United States animal was officially recognized as being in danger of extinction because of global warming."
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/argus/index.ssf?/base/news/1168017692216280.xml&coll=6
Bindi wows zoo crowds
Mum Terri certainly was, whistling and cheering as their daughter Bindi took centre stage at the family's Australia Zoo at Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast yesterday for the first time since her famous father's death.
It was a milestone for the Irwins four months after the Crocodile Hunter died after his heart was pierced by a stingray barb while filming in the waters off Port Douglas.
They had endured the shock of his death, put on brave faces during an outpouring of grief and fended off criticism that Bindi, at age 8, should not try to follow in her father's footsteps.
But a natural performer, Bindi silenced the critics yesterday with a high-energy performance of her Bindi and The Crocmen show before a crowd of more than 5000.
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21017591-952,00.html
Giraffe born at Toledo Zoo
Friday, January 05, 2007
TOLEDO (AP) — The newest youngster at the Toledo Zoo is 6 feet tall.
A Masai giraffe gave birth to a female on Christmas Day, the zoo announced yesterday. The "little" giraffe named Akila weighed 140 pounds at birth.
Workers at the zoo have been hand-rearing the calf because its mother did not allow the calf to nurse.
Akila will remain off exhibit until she is reintroduced to the other female giraffes, the zoo said.
Masai giraffes are the tallest animals in the world and stand 16 to 18 feet tall when fully grown.
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2007/01/05/20070105-D3-03.html
Zoo meeting Wednesday postponed
January 5, 2007
A meeting scheduled for Wednesday to discuss Blank Park Zoo's expansion ideas has been delayed.The meeting, set for Jan . 10 , will be rescheduled within the next month, said Pat Boddy, director of the Polk County Cconservation Department. Zoo officials have said they need roughly half of the 112-acre Fort Des Moines Park for expansion. If the zoo doesn't obtain the land, officials have said it's possible that the zoo will relocate to another area outside of Polk County.Some residents and environmentalists oppose the expansion, saying the idea jeopardizes trees, other natural habitat and free public recreation at the park.Park board members asked zoo officials for more detailed information before they officially request the land, Boddy said. "Our board just really needs more information right now," Boddy said, adding that the timing was "just a little too fast and furious."
Pelican twins born in zoo after 12 yrs
LUCKNOW: Duck pond in Lucknow zoo has now got tiny pelican tots to splash its water. It is a lovely sight to watch all elderly pelicans huddled around the "two for joy". A pelican gave birth to twins a month back and it is a reason to rejoice not only for the birds but also for the zoo which has not seen a Pelican birth for more than a decade now. "Pelicans have been in the zoo for more than 12 years and these are the first offsprings in this long period. So, it is a big achievement for us," says zoo director Eva Sharma. There were 16 pelicans in zoo. Eight were in a pond and the other eight were kept in a separate enclosure. However, when the enclosure went under construction all were moved in the pond. "We realised then that birds had formed groups. Meanwhile, one of the pelicans laid eggs and started hatching them. The newly-borns arrived soon. We decided to wait for the twins to grow up a little.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Lucknow/Pelican_twins_born_in_zoo_after_12_yrs/articleshow/1068201.cms
African Sea Lions, Alligator Garr New Attractions At Zoo Negara
By Nur Syuhada Shamsuddin KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 (Bernama) -- Three South African sea lions and a rare fresh water fish, Alligator Garr weighing 12 kg found at Sungai Klang one month ago, will be among the new attractions at Zoo Negara, Hulu Klang near here. Malaysian Zoological Society Chairman Datuk Ismail Hutson said the sea lions or its scienfific name, Cape Furseal joined the zoo two weeks ago while the Alligator Garr (atractosteus spatula) from a garr family was kept at the zoo's aquarium one month ago. "The three seals are quarantined before they can be viewed in one month's time and show their skills to the audience between five to six months later," he said, adding that they were the new inclusions to the zoo besides a 22 kg rhinoceros baby born on Dec 15. The baby belongs to the rhinoceros pair, Duke dan Kibu.
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=239946
Wayward manatee headed to Florida zoo (Video)
CORPUS CHRISTI - The manatee that made his way into the ship channel last week is getting ready to travel to a Florida zoo.
Officials with the Texas State Aquarium said Saturday the blood work came back positive for the manatee. The gentle giant is no small mammal measuring in at nine feet and one inch long and weighs 820 pounds!
The aquarium is still working out the details, but expect to say their goodbyes Sunday when the manatee will begin its trip to the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Florida.
http://www.kristv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5901609
Featherdale Wildlife Park; Sydney, Australia
http://www.waymarking.com/wm/details.aspx?f=1&guid=45331768-36af-4e32-8608-d14f53cdd4f3
Zoos get teeth into Chistmas tree leftovers
Germans have found a novel way of recycling thousands of used and unsold Christmas trees: give them to the local zoo to feed to the animals. "Elephants around the country will enjoy a delicious lunch today consisting of about five Christmas trees each," Berlin Zoo spokesman Ragnar Kuehne said. Camels, deer and sheep would also be dining on the leftover trees, which could aid digestion because of the essential oils they contained, he added. reuters
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C01%5C05%5Cstory_5-1-2007_pg9_3
Giving away an elephant is as tough as it seems
By Jeff LongTribune staff reporterPublished January 5, 2007
A year after mistreatment allegations prompted a great elephant exodus from McHenry County, two of the pachyderms, Nicholas and Gypsy, remain at a controversial circus training farm without good prospects for a new home. They were left behind when eight other Asian elephants were moved last January and February from a farm near Richmond to an elephant sanctuary in the rolling hills of Tennessee. It was a 650-mile journey that began after federal investigators accused Hawthorn Corp., the farm's owner, of mistreating the animals.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0701050176jan05,1,2248859.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true
Lemur project gets praise
Conservation work to save rare lemurs by staff at Linton Zoo has led to the gardens being presented with an industry award.At the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) awards in Dublin, the zoo won a commendation in the Best New Zoo Enclosure category.Zookeeper Kim Simmons said she was delighted to receive the award and to have had all of the hard work she and her colleagues had put in rewarded. She said: "The lemur enclosure has been a four-year project that has cost in the region of £65,000."It's been a lot of hard work, and we've had to take it stage by stage, but it's very rewarding to receive this award in recognition of that."
http://www.yod2007.org/en/Start_page/index.html
Campaign: Zoo animals facing slaughter...thanks to the EU
Pacing the perimeter of his small enclosure for hours on end, the bedraggled tiger barely notices the taunts of zoo visitors trying to make him snarl.
Nearby a lion peers out of a dark, dank hut in his pen to catch a brief glimpse of the winter sun that reaches his enclosure for a few short hours every day.
And, in cages measuring 5ft by 14ft, three bears lumber aimlessly in seemingly endless circles around putrid pools of their own excrement.
These are the wretched conditions endured by residents of the Zoological Gardens of Bucharest in Romania .
And the only escape for these animals from their miserable existence - and for hundreds of others in the 35 other zoos scattered across Romania - will be in death.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23380697-details/Campaign:%20Zoo%20animals%20facing%20slaughter...thanks%20to%20the%20EU/article.do
Romania 's zoo animals in trouble
BUCHAREST, Romania (UPI) -- Romania, which recently joined the European Union, may have to close the 36 zoos across the country due to deplorable conditions and lack of finances. The Daily Mail reported on conditions at the Zoological Gardens of Bucharest, where many animals -- including the tiger and the bears -- appear bored, listless and malnourished. Romania's zoos reportedly do not meet the animal welfare standards of the EU, which include larger enclosures for animals. The zoos have no money to do that, the newspaper said. If the zoos are closed, many worry the animals will be put to death, a practice that has been carried out at other zoos, the newspaper said.
http://www.arcamax.com/newsheadlines/s-150821-122979?source=1930
Tea merchant gets conservation award
By Chris Alder
PORLOCK-based tea and coffee merchant D J Miles has won a major industry award for promoting conservation work at a West Country zoo.
Miles printed special tokens on its tea packs last summer to give thousands of people free admission to Paignton Zoo, which concentrates on educating visitors about animals' natural environment and runs breeding programmes to return endangered species to the wild.
Now, the promotion has been named best marketing project by the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Each special pack sold also triggered a 5p donation to zoo funds by Miles, and the £3,800 raised is now being used to buy a set of special scales to weigh the zoo's elephants so their health can be regularly monitored.
http://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/display.var.1108838.0.tea_merchant_gets_conservation_award.php
It's a wild life at Potawatomi
New director to focus on conservation.AN APPRECIATION FOR NATUREJAMIE LOOTribune Staff WriterSOUTH BEND -- Terry DeRosa said zoos aren't just about seeing animals but having fun while developing an appreciation and awareness of nature. "We want people to go home with a conservation-minded attitude," he said.DeRosa is the new director at Potawatomi Zoo and just started last week. Although he is still settling in, DeRosa has already been busy learning about the zoo's operations last year and preparing for the spring.
http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070108/News01/701080331
English zoos to vaccinate birds against avian flu
04/01/2007 11:00:00 FWi
DEFRA announced in December that zoos in England would be allowed to vaccinate birds against avian flu subject to meeting the eligibility criteria.
But Scotland and Wales have decided to not vaccinate birds in their zoos as the current risk level is low.
DEFRA argued that English zoos, when they have gained permission to vaccinate their birds, will be aiding global conservation.
A DEFRA spokesperson said: "DEFRA's position on vaccination for birds outside zoos remains unchanged. We do not intend to permit the vaccination of birds outside zoos in advance of a disease outbreak or as an immediate disease control response."
http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2007/01/04/100481/english-zoos-to-vaccinate-birds-against-avian-flu.html
Captive-bred panda missing after fight with wild rival
The only giant panda to be bred in captivity and released into the wild has gone missing after being badly beaten by a rival for territory, food or a mate, it was reported today.
In a major setback for China's efforts to replenish the endangered species with animals reared in zoos, Xiang Xiang has broken at least one bone and could be in danger, a leading Chinese zoologist said.
"Xiang Xiang has been badly hurt in a competition with other pandas," Zhang Hemin, the director of the Research and Conservation Centre for the Giant Panda, said.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,1982660,00.html
Zoos get teeth into Chistmas tree leftovers
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germans have found a novel way of recycling thousands of used and unsold Christmas trees: give them to the local zoo to feed to the animals.
"Elephants around the country will enjoy a delicious lunch today consisting of about five Christmas trees each," Berlin Zoo spokesman Ragnar Kuehne told Reuters on Thursday.
Camels, deer and sheep would also be dining on the leftover trees, which could aid digestion because of the essential oils they contained, he added.
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=18922007
Zoos get teeth into Chistmas tree leftovers
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germans have found a novel way of recycling thousands of used and unsold Christmas trees: give them to the local zoo to feed to the animals.
"Elephants around the country will enjoy a delicious lunch today consisting of about five Christmas trees each," Berlin Zoo spokesman Ragnar Kuehne told Reuters on Thursday.
Camels, deer and sheep would also be dining on the leftover trees, which could aid digestion because of the essential oils they contained, he added.
http://www.zapptor.com/index.php?topic_id=40469
Serval cats replacing retiring leopard in Brownsville
BROWNSVILLE, Texas A pair of 1-year-old Serval cats stepped out in public for the first time at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville today.
The cats, among eight captive-born Servals brought to the United States from South Africa several months ago, are taking the place of a leopard the zoo recently retired. The other six were sent to other zoos across the country.
The cats are indigenous to Morocco, Algeria and much of sub-Saharan Africa and are about the size of bobcats.
http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5027568&nav=1TjD
Service planned for zoo elephant
LOS ANGELES
A Hindu priest will preside over a memorial service today for Gita the elephant in front of the L-A Zoo's main entrance.
The 38-year-old Asian elephant died Saturday morning, reigniting a dispute over whether elephants should be kept in zoos.
Activists say Gita's death was a result of her captivity. They're repeating calls for the mayor and city council members to abandon plans for a three-and-a-half acre elephant exhibit at the zoo.
Animal-rights activist Catherine Doyle says the Hindu priest's presence will help memorialize Gita "not as a zoo specimen, but as an individual with a history, a family and a homeland."
http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=5028794&nav=9qrx
Stop Horse Massacre in National Wildlife Refuge
Tell U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to protect horses, not slaughter them Displaying a gross misuse of power and a fundamental failure to fulfill their conservation mandate, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has gone ahead with their plan to remove as many as 1,200 wild horses living in Nevada's Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge. FWS has done this without allowing the public to comment on their plan even though the horses were removed from federally-owned land at taxpayers' expense. Many of these horses are being "adopted" in groups by horse brokers who will then send them to slaughterhouses. FWS claims the horses' removal is necessary to preserve the water supply for antelope and sage grouse -- two species that happen to bring revenue to the state from fees for special hunting permits. Their intent is to increase the populations of these animals so that hunters will have more animals to shoot. However, FWS based their plan on an outdated environmental study done in 1978, and has so far refused to conduct a legally-required Environmental Assessment to scientifically justify the horses' removal. A more recent study done by FWS determined that wild horses can live sustainably with antelope and sage grouse in the refuge.
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/06/21/18281818.php
Animal magic: The original environmentalist
Sir David Attenborough called him a 'one-man pressure group'. As Penguin celebrates the 50th anniversary of 'My Family and Other Animals', Louise Jury looks at the story of Gerald Durrell
Published: 11 August 2006
It was a magical story of one child's love of nature, with scorpions on the lunch table and snakes in the bath on the idyllic island of Corfu. My Family and other Animals was a self-portrait that propelled the grown-up Gerald Durrell - and the family he described - to national fame. The book became a classic that sold more than a million copies and has been never out of print.
Now, 50 years after it was first published, the book is being presented afresh with a new Puffin edition for children and a Penguin edition of the trilogy Durrell wrote about his time on Corfu for adults.
Although the author died in 1995, his widow, Dr Lee Durrell, herself a zoologist, hopes to introduce a new generation to his writings - and, more importantly, to the conservation work he began on Jersey in 1959, where he turned his youthful passion into a lifelong mission.
Well before the world at large had woken up to the dangers of environmental degradation and the impact on the planet's bio-diversity, Durrell, a self-taught zoologist with no academic qualifications, espoused the conservation message. He founded the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust with the aim of preserving species at risk of dying out in the wild. It now has 100 staff on Jersey and 30 more in 50 projects across 18 countries, in a programme which costs £5m a year to run.
http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article1218436.ece
"North America's Oldest Cheetah Dies At Nashville Zoo"
It is a sad start to the New Year for the Nashville Zoo. What was believed to be the oldest born captive female cheetah in North America has died. Last week, zoo officials were forced to euthanize Louise the cheetah because she was in kidney failure. On Monday, News 2 spoke with zoo officials about how much Louise meant to them. Louise died at the zoo on January 2, but her significance in the cheetah world went beyond Nashville. "She was the oldest female cheetah in North America," said Zoo Spokesperson Jim Bartoo. When the exhibit first opened in 1999, there were four cheetahs Nashville Zoo and one by one,...
http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=60541
concluding …
