Lions Fed Live Donkeys In Baghdad Zoo
http://13gb.com/media.php?media_id=2431
Graphic Video
Cincinnati Zoo’s rock star dies
Popular, prolific Komodo dragon Naga, age 24, sired 32 children
Naga, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden's 24-year-old Komodo dragon, died Sunday of an abdominal infection very much like peritonitis in humans. He was the oldest, largest (9 feet, 160 pounds at death; 200 pounds in his prime) and most prolific Komodo in the Western Hemisphere.
Naga was a gift of the Indonesian government to the first President Bush, who donated him to Cincinnati, where a custom-designed enclosure, complete with heated rocks for lizard lounging, was waiting in 1990. Cincinnati was the second U.S. zoo to exhibit a Komodo and the second outside Indonesia to successfully breed them. (Washington's National Zoo was first on both counts).
Komodo dragons, native to only six Indonesian islands, are an endangered species with 2,000 to 5,000 left in the wild.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070206/LIFE/702060312/1086
Ideas mixed on zoo growing into park
'Don't let Blank Park Zoo take over our most natural setting,' a boy, 12, pleads.
By JASON CLAYWORTH
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
More than three dozen people spoke publicly Monday about a plan that would allow Blank Park Zoo to expand into Fort Des Moines Park.
The opinions sent mixed messages to Polk County Conservation board members, who will vote on the proposal Feb. 15.
Some people were flatly opposed and some were highly in favor, while others admitted they didn't know where to stand on the plan and, instead, encouraged public officials to conduct further study.
Bob Burnett, a zoo foundation board member, advocated for the plan, but he called opponents' concerns "heartfelt and completely valid."
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070206/NEWS05/702060386/-1/ENT05
A zoo worth visiting
The Mill Mountain Zoo isn't monkeying around. It has a short time to improve or else lose accreditation through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
If the zoo wishes to become a vibrant Roanoke attraction, it needs to find a way to entice visitors to return. It seems the zoo has figured that out with the announcement of plans to build an old-fashioned barnyard and a children's playground.
Interactive exhibits that allow children to pet animals or to play alongside them could lure families more often to the mountaintop zoo.
There hasn't been much of an incentive for visitors to return. After paying admission, walking past a few exhibits and straining to see too few animals (such as a prairie dog pit with a lone prairie dog), families can pay another $2 a head to ride the ZooChoo two laps around the park. Then what?
Come spring, that will change with an animal barn exhibit that will allow children near potbellied pigs, a llama, pygmy goats, chickens and sheep. This along with a planned playground could give families an experience worth the price of admission, and it could boost membership.
These improvements and others to follow take money -- a commodity that's been in short supply at the zoo. But the Junior League of Roanoke Valley deserves thanks for leading the fund-raising efforts. Its members, along with the individuals and businesses who are contributing, should draw pleasure from creating something children can treasure.
http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/wb/102881
State may ban lead for big game
Deer, pig hunters would have to switch bullets to protect condors
By KEVIN HOWE
Herald Staff Writer
Citing the diminishing condor population, the state Fish and Game Commission decided Friday to consider banning or limiting lead bullets for big game hunting in California when it meets March 2 in Arcata.
The commission, meeting in Monterey on Friday, unanimously voted in favor of serving notice of its intent to amend hunting regulations for 2007-2010 with an aim to eliminating lead bullets in the California Condor range.
Department of Fish and Game officials offered the commission three alternatives related to regulating leaded bullets: ban the ammunition in specific deer-hunting areas, ban it statewide, or offer hunters incentives to voluntarily use nonleaded ammunition while hunting deer, elk, wild pigs and other large animals.
The specific hunting areas include most of those west of the Sierra Nevada -- areas A, D9, D10 and D11 on Fish and Game maps.
Those are areas whose boundaries are already well-known to deer hunters, said Eric Loft, chief wildlife biologist for DFG, and bullet restrictions within them would apply to all big-game hunting.
http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/16614684.htm
OK, Little Joe, let's see you get out of this
The steel-enforced gorilla habitat is designed to keep the most rambunctious apes from breaking free
By Kathleen Burge, Globe Staff | February 4, 2007
For more than three years, the most famous gorilla in Boston has kept a low profile, spending his days away from the public eye, painting, watching "Nova" documentaries, and learning to help his trainers care for him.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/02/04/ok_little_joe_lets_see_you_get_out_of_this/
Legislation: Torturing animals could become felony
By Matt Canham
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 02/03/2007 01:38:09 AM MST
SB190 Would make animal torture a felony.
Next step: The bill goes before the full Senate.
Henry the dog lost his eye after Marc Vincent chased him with a leaf blower.
The black Chihuahua mix had his toes fused together and his body seriously burned when Vincent threw him in the oven for five minutes.
And for his crimes Vincent was convicted of a misdemeanor count of animal cruelty in November in Salt Lake County.
That's not enough, say animal rights activists who rallied behind Henry as they urged a Senate committee Friday to back a bill making animal torture a felony.
"He is the perfect example of why the law should be changed," said Rhonda Kamper, Henry's owner.
The committee narrowly approved the measure on a 4-to-3 vote, once again showing the strong concerns of mostly rural legislators who fear the bill could be used to convict farmers or ranchers.
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5150323http://
Geriatric Animals Pose Challenges at St. Louis Zoo
They work out every day and never skip a checkup. They eat a balanced diet and enjoy an active social life. And, of course, they don't smoke.
The healthy lifestyle of today's zoo animals means they are living longer. That's a point of pride at the St. Louis Zoo. But it's also a challenge. Like elderly humans, the old-timers at the Zoo grapple with a variety of age-related ailments ranging from renal failure to hearing loss. Among the Zoo's senior citizens are a lemur with a bad liver, a Cotswold sheep with cataracts and three arthritic black bears.
"The geriatric problems at zoos are just like the ones we see in our pets and in our families," said Jack Grisham, the Zoo's director of animal collections. "As we get older, it's harder to exercise. Same for them, so we'll put food higher so they have to climb to get it. We're giving them softer environments and areas to hide — places where they can get away from each other. Just like you and I have bad days, animals do, too. We have dentists who take care of their teeth and veterinarians who give them health care. And because of all that, animals are living longer than they ever have."
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/entertainment/stories.nsf/visitstlouis/story/4621B29ECC04B01B862572770022A0B8?OpenDocument
Inside the Animal Mind by George Page
I recently saw a 25th anniversary episode for the PBS program Nature. As I watched I kept waiting to hear the voice of the late George Page, who was the host and frequent narrator for many years. It was surprising deep in the program before one of his episodes was highlighted and he was acknowledged. The segment showed Page talking about canine/human interactions, which reminded me about his book Inside the Animal Mind.
http://t249.bgtoyou.com/Inside-the-Animal-Mind-by-George-Page/
Inside the animal mind
http://worldcatlibraries.org/wcpa/isbn/038549291X
Just hatched
Zoo's new tortoise a small but special reptile
By AMY MCRARY, amymcrary@comcast.net
February 5, 2007
This young Knoxville Zoo tortoise might weigh only 18 grams and measure no longer than an inch, but it's a pretty important creature.
The Northern spider tortoise hatched Dec. 23 from an egg incubated in the zoo's herpetology department. It's the first of its subspecies to hatch at the Knoxville Zoo or at another North American zoo.
http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/science/article/0,1406,KNS_9116_5328577,00.html
To save species, Roger Williams tries to give nature an assist
PROVIDENCE — Hope for the future of African elephants arrived by air freight on Saturday afternoon at the Roger Williams Park Zoo.
Marked “Rush — Fragile,” “Biological Material” and “Do Not X-Ray,” the blue cooler contained three packages of perishable semen, collected just hours earlier from a bull elephant in Pittsburgh.
The hope rests in some small part with Alice, a nearly 4-ton pachyderm with eyes the size of billiard balls and giant flaps for ears. At age 20 or thereabouts, Alice is of prime breeding age and currently the best candidate of the zoo’s three elephants for reproduction.
Dr. Dennis Schmitt — a world expert on elephants who flew here from Missouri — examined several drops of milky fluid under a microscope at the zoo’s veterinary hospital. The sperm’s viability diminishes by the hour, and Schmitt was not elated by what he saw.
“It’s not great. But it’s acceptable,” said Schmitt, noting that the sample has enough motility to give Alice a chance at conception.
And as any biology student could tell you, all it takes is one strong swimmer to fertilize an egg.
http://www.projo.com/news/content/ELEPHANT_ZOO_02-06-07_0R49JDU.1b17e79.html
Whos Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf
The Russian composer Sergei Prokoviev once wrote a musical story called Peter and the Wolf. The different instruments of the orchestra represent the different characters in the story – Peter, the cat, the bird, Peter’s grandfather and so on. Here is part of the music which represents the wolf.
Wolves are the fiercest animals in Europe – but nowdays there are very few wolves left in the wild. Wolves were hunted to extinction in England in the Middle Ages, and the last wolf in Scotland was probably killed about 250 years ago. You can still see wolves in zoos of course, and wolves live on as the villains in many popular children’s stories. But surely it is a good thing that there are no longer wolves living in the wild in this country?
http://carterandrigby.mypodcasts.net/index.php?id=241
Rhinos in limbo
Though big in size, rhinos are succumbing to pressures inflicted by a much smaller creature – man.
Stories by TAN CHENG LI
chengli@thestar.com.my
HE was Sabah’s last hope to boost the dwindling numbers of Sumatran rhinos. But in a tragic event, Tanjung, the only remaining captive male rhino in the state, was killed last August by a falling tree branch. A storm the previous day had inflicted much damage to the Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre in Sepilok, Sandakan, where the breeding centre is located.
With the death of 15-year-old Tanjung, only the 25-year-old female Gelugob remains. The captive breeding programme in Sabah appears doomed, much like the one at Sungai Dusun, Selangor, which ended abruptly in late 2003 when its whole population of five rhinos was wiped out over a span of 18 days. The cause of death remains disputed between bacterial and parasitic infections.
What will happen to the Sepilok breeding centre and Gelugob is uncertain. Until press time, Sabah Wildlife Department could not be reached for clarification. But trapping another wild male to restock the centre is unlikely to get much public or even scientific support, going by the poor track record of rhinos in captivity.
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?
file=/2007/2/6/lifefocus/16759102&sec=lifefocus
Cincinnati zoo's Komodo dragon dies of abdominal infection
Associated Press
CINCINNATI - A 24-year-old Komodo dragon given to the first President Bush as a gift from the Indonesian government has died of an abdominal infection at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.
Naga, who sired 32 offspring, died Sunday.
"He had been ill for about three weeks. He quit eating and got real sluggish in January. We took X-rays and did some blood work, but in the end, we couldn't help him," zoo veterinarian Mark Campbell said.
Bush donated Naga to Cincinnati, where he had lived in a custom-designed enclosure at the zoo since 1990.
The zoo considered him a star attraction, estimating that 1 million of 1.3 million annual guests visited Naga's enclosure. When the Komodo visited 10 zoos in 1995 as a conservation ambassador, T-shirts were printed with a list of tour stops on the back.
With mate Sabat, a female on loan from Washington's National Zoo, Naga fathered Komodos that were loaned to other zoos.
Zoo officials planned to discuss whether to try to replace Naga, Campbell said.
Komodos, renowned for their intelligence, are native to Indonesia. They are the world's largest lizards and have no natural predators.
ON THE NET
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden: http://www.cincyzoo.org/
Lovelorn orang-utan's lonely hearts ad
Keepers at a British zoo have sent a lonely hearts advert to animal parks worldwide in a bid to find a mate for their lovelorn orang-utan.
Chinta is feeling gloomy after the latest deal to bring her a partner fell through at the last minute.
She has been without a mate for more than a year after her previous partner, Nakal, was taken to a Spanish zoo to breed with another female.
Staff at Paignton Zoo in Devon are now scouring the world looking for a replacement to keep the 16-year-old ape company on her island enclosure.
But numerous deals have fallen through, leaving the 6ft 5in orang-utan distinctly forlorn and broody.
Her frustration appeared to be at an end this week when officials brokered a deal to bring a male from Germany - but talks broke down at the last minute.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/05/nlonelyheart105.xml
New homes for cubs
KEEPERS at Cricket St Thomas near Chard are desperately looking for new homes for two of their Amur Leopard cubs.
The cubs are just over two years old and were bred at the park as part of their conservation programme.
They were meant be re-located as soon as they were old enough, but their new homes never materialised.
Andy Holden, education officer at Cricket St Thomas, said: "We have been looking to re-home them for a while.
"We had to wait for them to be weaned and thought something would turn up but no homes came through.
http://www.chardandilminsternews.co.uk/news/cinewschard/display.var.1171876.0.new_homes_for_cubs.php
RSPCA at odds with zoo over elephant's care
A row has broken out between the RSPCA and Sydney's Taronga Zoo over the care of one of its Asian elephants.
Six-year-old elephant 'Gung' arrived from Thailand as part of a group three months ago.
The RSPCA fought a court case to try and stop the elephants coming to Australia in the first place.
Now its spokeswoman, Jane Speechley, says they believe Gung has been separated from the others.
"It's been reported to the RSPCA last night that Gung has been moved into isolation due to his behaviour becoming difficult to handle," she said.
But elephant keeper Gary Miller says visitors can see that has not happened.
"That's a bunch of nonsense, he's out there now trying to breed and sparring with the matriarch," Mr Miller said.
The RSPCA insists it has serious concerns that Gung will be separated.
The zoo says that will not happen until a special enclosure is created in around two years' time.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Welcomes New Baby Gorilla
The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo welcomes a new baby. Asha the zoo's 13-year-old lowland gorilla gave birth Wednesday morning in the gorilla exhibit.
Zoo officials said she and the baby are doing great but they have not gotten close enough just yet to determine if it is a boy or girl. Asha is being very protective and keeping the baby close to her. For now the gorilla exhibit will be closed until zoo keepers can adjust to the new addition.
This latest gorilla baby comes nearly one year after the birth of Umande. He was hand raised by the staff after his mother could not care for him and later sent to the Columbus Zoo in October.
Updated by Kelly Brown
http://fox21news.com/Global/story.asp?S=6019767
Animal rights group names Topeka Zoo bad for elephants
When temperatures drop on the outside, elephants Tembo and Sunda stay inside where it's warm and cozy. But a spokesperson for In Defense of Animals organization says having elephants cooped up all day is bad for their health.
"When you don't have enough space, it affects their heath and at Topeka Zoo, there's obviously not enough space," says IDA Campaign Director Katherine Doyle.
Topeka Zoo Director Mike Coker says the zoo exceeds the minimum requirement for space. Currently there is more than 32,000 feet outside and construction is underway to add 5,000 square feet inside.
http://www.49abcnews.com/news/2007/jan/31/animal_rights_group_names_zoo_bad_elephants/
El Paso Zoo Elephants, Stay or Go?
Just two weeks on the job, El Paso Zoo Director Steve Marshal is facing one of the most heated controversies facing the zoo.
Marshall said, "Answering the elephant question for El Paso."
More than a year and a half ago an animal rights group demanded city lawmakers move El Paso's two Asian elephants to an elephant sanctuary in Tennessee.
The El Paso Zoo fought it. City council postponed it until now.
Marshall said, "The city council has asked me to come forward with a outline process by which to make this decision."
The argument to remove the elephants is the animal's health and not enough space. In the end it could come down to economics.
Eddie Holguin, city representative, said, “We've spent so much money on the El Paso Zoo. We approved bonds to be spent to upgrade the facility at the zoo. So I can't see why they would want to get rid of the elephants.”
Beto O’Rourke, city representative, said, “We know it would cost us millions of dollars, upwards of $25 to $20 million to build enough space for the elephants, and the city budget just does not have enough money to do it.”
If city council had to vote right now, four want the elephants to stay. One is for the elephant sanctuary. Three remain undecided.
Marshall said, "We are going to come up with a recommendation later. I think the process is going to take about two months."
http://www.kdbc.com/news/local/5435636.html
Zoo program to join eagle fest
Even Woodland Park Zoo is getting into the Balde Eagle Festival act.
Two zoo naturalists will be on hand when the sixth annual Balde Eagle Festival rolls around, Feb. 16-18. They will present a Wild Wise experience, an interactive program of video, sounds and photography.
The program will provide what the zoo calls "virtual visits to Washington habitats - forests, coastal, shrub steppe, wetlands, mountain and urban."
The program is geared to support the state's effort to improve science education in the schools.
While the program is geared for fourth- and seventh-grade students, it will be interesting for all ages and last from 45 minutes to an hour.
The schedule for the program will be determined and announced before the festival.
Zoo's elephant is pregnant
AN ELEPHANT at Colchester Zoo has become pregnant, it has been announced.
Confirmation of Zola the African elephant's pregnancy was established by hormone analysis carried out by the German Primate Research Centre in Gottingen.
Keepers at Colchester Zoo had believed she was pregnant as she had not been ovulating for some months.
The baby is likely to be born around February or March 2008 as African elephants have a gestation of 22 months, the longest of any land mammal, after which a single calf is born.
African elephants are the largest land mammal and females way up to 2.7 tonnes.
http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/news/story.aspx?
brand=EADOnline&category=News&tBrand=EADOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=IPED31%20Jan%202007%2019%3A39%3A11%3A117
Babe in arms at zoo
This time, gorilla takes to her offspring
By BILL RADFORD THE GAZETTE
It’s a boy! Or a girl! Asha, a 13-year-old Western lowland gorilla at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, gave birth at 3:57 a.m. Wednesday.
Little is known about her baby, though. Not wanting to disturb the first-time mom or the father, Rafiki, zoo staff did not attempt to inspect the newborn up close.
The gorilla birth comes nearly a year after the birth of Umande, a boy born to Kwisha on Feb. 18, 2006. Zoo staff hand-reared Umande after Kwisha failed to care for him. In October, Umande was sent to the Columbus Zoo in Ohio, where Lulu, a member of that zoo’s gorilla troop, has adopted him.
http://www.gazette.com/display.php?id=1329473&secid=1
strong>Kids ages 2-12 can get in Detroit Zoo for free
ROYAL OAK -- The Detroit Zoo is offering free admission to children ages 2-12 on Mondays and Tuesdays during February.
The offer applies to one child accompanied by an adult, and it's only available to families who present a printable coupon found on the zoo's Web site at www.detroitzoo.org.
Zoo officials say that while many zoo animals seek shelter during winter, others feel right at home, including Japanese macaques, or snow monkeys, Amur tigers, wolverines, red pandas, Asian wild horses, elk and bison.
Indoor attractions are also open. Those include the Arctic Ring of Life, featuring the 70-foot Polar Passage; the Butterfly Garden, where the temperature is always a balmy 75 degrees; the National Amphibian Conservation Center; the Penguinarium; and the Holden Museum of Living Reptiles.
Zoo admission is $11 for adults, $9 for seniors and $7 for children.
Brookfield Zoo plans big redo
Up to $100 mil. in renovations on drawing board
February 1, 2007
BY ANDREW HERRMANN Staff Reporter
In what would be the largest renovation in its 73-year history, the Brookfield Zoo is working on developing a "major" redo, costing perhaps as much as $100 million over 15 years.
Zoo director Stuart Strahl said some of the current buildings are outdated and that the configuration of the site needs to be redesigned because visitors "don't always know where the animals are."
Wednesday, Strahl cautioned that the ideas are in the "conceptual stage" and that the funds still need to be raised. He described the plan as a "dream house."
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/238930,CST-NWS-zoo01.article
Zoo, conservation officials say land deal in the works
DES MOINES, Iowa In an effort to make a 50-(M)-million-dollar expansion to the Blank Park Zoo, officials plan to pay five-(M)-million-dollars for part of a Polk County park.
The deal involving the Fort Des Moines Park will be discussed at a public meeting Monday.
That's according to a copyright story in today's (Saturday's) edition of The Des Moines Register.
If approved later this month, Polk County conservation director Pat Boddy says conservation officials would use proceeds from the sale to protect environmentally sensitive land.
http://www.kwwl.com/Global/story.asp?S=6034092&nav=2Ifu
Zoo closure: Fate of 80 animals uncertain
Tribune News Service
Riwalsar, February 5
Fate of over 80 animals including 16 birds is uncertain as the Central Zoo Authority of India has ordered the closure of the Riwalsar zoo here, citing “poor management of the zoo as reasons” for its closure. But the forest department has yet to find suitable place for these animals or release them into wild habitats.
The visitors are a disappointed lot over the move as the pilgrimage centre will lose this extra tourist attraction.
The zoo presents a picture of neglect and mismanagement as wild animals are kept in the CG sheet shelters which heat up in summer and are cold in winter making the shelter inhospitable for bears, ‘sambar’, spotted deer, ‘ghoral’, and birds like geese and ‘kaleej’ pheasants kept in the zoo.
Wildlife lovers and tourists who visit this pilgrimage centre known for Guru Padamsambhav monastery, Lord Shiva temple, Lomas Rishi caves and Guru Teg Bahadur gurdwara here every day are a disappointed to see poor management of the wildlife Department.
Animals raise dust whenever those run across as zoo area has been eroded. Animals though look healthy, yet skin of ‘sambar’ has been withering as they sleep on the “wet or dirty surface”, revealed inquiries.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070206/himachal.htm#8
Marwell Zoo founder quits after rows
By Andrew Napier
THE man who set up one of Hampshire's most popular tourist attractions has quit the organisation after nearly 40 years because of a series of rows over its running.
John Knowles, who founded Marwell Zoo out of a passion to save endangered wildlife, has severed his ties with the establishment, the Daily Echo can reveal.
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/latest/display.var.1167388.0.marwell_zoo_founder_quits_are_rows.php
Zoo would pay $5 million for land
Expansion would take half of Fort Des Moines Park
By JASON CLAYWORTH
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
February 3, 2007
2007, DES MOINES REGISTER AND TRIBUNE COMPANY
Blank Park Zoo officials would pay $5 million for part of a Polk County park they say is needed for a $50 million expansion, sources on both sides of the proposal have confirmed.
The land deal will be discussed at a public meeting Monday. If approved later this month, conservation officials would use proceeds from the sale for a major effort to protect environmentally sensitive land in the county.
"We're trying to use this moment as a catalyst," Polk County
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070203/NEWS05/702030323/-1/ENT05
Sightings of escaped zoo bird continue
By ANNA M. TINSLEY
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
Mildred Bryant has a hunch about the big bird that has perched in trees near her home for two days this week.
“It’s a pretty good size, has a funny-looking breast and funny-looking beak,” said Bryant, 85, who lives by Lake Bridgeport in Wise County. “I think it’s the missing one.”
Bryant is among hundreds of people who have called and e-mailed the Dallas Zoo this week, reporting possible sightings of the female African white-backed vulture that escaped last weekend.
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/16612020.htm
Denver Zoo Offers 'Purr-fect' Valentines Cards
(CBS4) DENVER The perfect Valentine for your sweetie may be just a mouse click away on the Denver Zoo's Web site.
The zoo has used its animals as models for Valentine cards which you can print out at home or just email to that special someone.
Among the animals featured on the cards are the new African penguin chick, giraffe calves and a baby red-capped mangabey.
The zoo is even reaching out to the folks who do not count Valentine's Day among their favorite holidays, with a few cards for folks who think Valentine's Day is "un-bear-able" (of course, featuring a zoo bear).
There are 16 different cards available, including pages of four which are good for children who Valentine's cards for their classes.
Additional Resources
READ IT: Zoo Animals Brave Cold
WITI-TV, MILWAUKEE -- The cold weather presents some especially big problems for the zookeepers at the Milwaukee County Zoo.
While animals from cold climates, like polar bears and Siberian or Amur Tigers handle our winters with ease, animals from africa and south america need special care.
Diets for all animals change in late autumn so they can develop the fat layers and fur coats to hold up to frost. All animals move indoors overnight, and always have access to shelter from cold winds.
The new Big Cat Country exhibit even has some special outdoor rocks that are actually hydronically heated, giving even cold weather animals a chance to warm their feet.
Zookeepers say that early planning for winter pays off big dividends, since with the proper care the zoo can remain open to visitors year around.
Oregon hedgehog predicts more winter
Posted: 3:12 PM, Feb. 2, 2007
Last Updated: 3:13 PM, Feb. 2, 2007
By Antonia Giedwoyn, kgw.com Staff
Photo courtesy of Rob Aldridge
Horace the hedgehog
Well-known prognosticating groundhog Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania handed the public a “yes” when the critter failed to see his shadow Friday morning.
Local sources, however, seem to disagree.
The Oregon Zoo’s resident forecaster, Ke the hedgehog, saw her shadow, thereby declaring six more weeks of winter.
And another Oregon hedgehog agrees with Ke.
“Horace the hedgehog definitely saw his shadow on Cape Foulweather this morning, as it dawned a bright and sunny day on the coast,” said Rob Aldridge in Depoe Bay, Horace’s owner.
For centuries it was the hibernating hedgehog, not the groundhog, that predicted an extended winter or early spring. Historically, the hedgehog was used in the European tradition, but immigrants to North America found there were no hedgehogs in their new land.
“But,” Aldridge added, “he doesn’t know that.”
http://www.ktvz.com/story.cfm?nav=oregon&storyID=18329
Owl chick gets warm bed at Birmingham Zoo as winter hits
2/2/2007, 2:07 p.m. CT
By WALTER BRYANT
The Associated Press
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Mild weather in early winter fooled a pair of tropical owls into thinking it was mating season and hatching a baby.
A shift back to more wintry weather has caused bird keepers at the Birmingham Zoo to bring the chick indoors for its own protection. The chick was discovered by the zoo staff on Saturday.
Zookeepers suspect the egg was laid about Christmas. The down-covered infant, with its eyes still shut, can be observed through a window at the bird building. A heat lamp keeps the chick toasty, regardless of how frigid the weather gets.
http://www.al.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-27/1170447249270680.xml&storylist=alabamanews
Zoo Animals Cope With Winter Weather
(KDKA) PITTSBURGH Many of the animals at the Pittsburgh Zoo aren’t used to the cold temperatures – especially the extreme single digit temps our area is expecting.
You’d think it would pose a problem for zoo keepers, but that’s not necessarily the case.
The African Wild Dogs are indigenous to a hot, dry climate, but Karen Vacco, lead primate keeper at the zoo, says they dogs don’t bark about the cold.
"[It’s] probably their first snow ever I would assume. So we weren't real sure how they would handle it,” Vacco said.
She says even in the chilly temperatures, the African Wild Dogs are out playing in the yard.
Vacco says they even grew thicker coats to adapt.
If the dogs get too cold, their building door is always open where they have heated floors and plenty of bedding.
The extreme cold temps over the weekend, according to Vacco, will likely keep them holed up there.
The cheetah, their neighbor, has the same set up.
Over in the lion’s exhibit, they have a rock on which they rest that’s heated to about 90 degrees.
http://kdka.com/pets/local_story_033190210.html
Take broadest view for using zoo, park site
Work out deal to allow zoo expansion.
Four years ago, the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines was uninspired, uninspiring and running a nearly half-million-dollar deficit. In 2003, the city turned the operation over to the private Zoo Foundation, whose dynamic CEO came up with endless creative ideas for boosting attendance.
Last year, the zoo attracted nearly 167,000 unique visitors and turned a slight profit on operations. Now the Zoo Foundation has its sights on transforming the modest facility into a world-class zoo.
A zoo expansion is worth considering, but any development plan should include a long-range vision for preserving what remains of the old Fort Des Moines surrounding it as a regional historic and educational destination. (See an essay on the op-ed page about the fort's historical significance.)
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070202/OPINION03/702020336/1035/RSS03
SF ZOO OFFERS ADULTS-ONLY VALENTINES EVENT
02/02/07 1:55 PST
The San Francisco Zoo will offer an enlightening look at the birds and the bees - and perhaps some monkey business - at its annual adults-only Valentines Day event.
Woo at the Zoo, formerly called the Sex Tour, begins Saturday at 6 p.m., and will be held again Feb. 10 at 6 p.m.; Feb. 11 at noon; and Feb. 13 and 14 at 6 p.m. The 21-and-over event is held in the zoo's Osher Great Hall.
Woo at the Zoo aims to entertain and educate guests with the sexual and mating behavior of animals. Animal care professional and former penguin Keeper Jane Tollini will lead the event, which features a multi-media presentation, up-close encounters with the animals, and a scientific look at animal reproduction, choosing mates and raising families.
Guests will also enjoy champagne, sushi and a risotto bar. Tickets are $70 and may be purchased by calling (415) 753-7236 or online at http://www.sfzoo.org
Woodland Park Zoo Delights Pre-Schoolers in Winter
Seattle has had a string of glorious clear, sunny, days lately. Freezing, yes, these are the kind of days that cause the residents to go a little delerious with energy to get out into the parks and people spaces that many have avoided with the storms, snow and rain. These are the kind of days we invent excuses to be away from work. It was 22 month old Henry’s second visit to the zoo this year. He knew where he was the second we drove into the convenient parking lot at opening time. Grandpa was happy to bring along the stroller. Surprisingly, many other stroller toters had the same idea. I’ve been told that these cold winter days really stir up the zoo’s residents much like the rest of us. While Henry studies each of the animal exhibits, I’m looking more at the plant life that helps make this world class zoo an adventure filled with beauty, mystery and surprise. We see a many zoo employees and volunteers. Everyone acknowledges us with a good morning and a smile.
http://www.hotelsbycity.net/blog/usa/washington/seattle/index.php/attractions/woodland-park-zoo-delights-pre-schoolers-in-winter/
Zoo and DoC look forward to kiwi chick milestone
Posted at 10:22pm on 02 Feb 2007
Auckland Zoo and the Department of Conservation are marking two milestones in a joint project to save kiwi chicks.
Operation Nest Egg takes kiwi eggs from the wild, hatches the chicks at Auckland Zoo and other facilities, and raises the chicks until they are big enough to fend off predators.
Head of the zoo's native fauna unit, Andrew Nelson, says the zoo has now been involved for 10 years, and two eggs retrieved from a Northland nest this week have special significance.
He says that if the eggs hatch successfully, they will take the number of chicks released by the zoo past 150.
Mr Nelson says 700 kiwi have been released into the wild through the programme since 1994.
