Zoos

New at the Zoo's Oceans exhibit
Please touch the sharks
Petting zoos typically are a matter of goats and sheep, but the Indianapolis Zoo has something else in mind for its Oceans exhibit: shark touching.
The "touch pond" is the cornerstone of the zoo's Oceans exhibit, which, after a $9.5 million remodeling, re-opens May 26.
The building today is all dust and new drywall, but the pond is well along toward completion. It is vaguely rectangular, surrounded by a knee-high wall. It's no bigger than a backyard swimming pool and shallower, only 3 feet deep.
It will be home to a couple of dozen dog sharks at any one time. One of them is nearly 6 feet long, and the rest soon will be as large.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070403/LOCAL18/704030405/-1/LOCAL17


National Zoo Hopes for Elephant Baby
Associated Press
Apr 1, 2007 : 9:18 pm ET
WASHINGTON -- Scientists at the Smithsonian's National Zoo are hoping that the zoo's Asian elephant is pregnant. Scientists from the zoo and from Germany performed two artificial inseminations over the weekend on 31-year-old Shanthi, and will have to wait four months before they can confirm whether she has conceived, zoo spokesman John Gibbons said. Shanthi is the mother of Kandula, the zoo's 5-year-old male elephant that was conceived by an artificial insemination in 2000. "Of course there's no guarantees, but the scientists were cautiously optimistic," Gibbons said of the new attempts. "So now it's a matter of time. Fingers crossed." If she has conceived, the calf would be born in 22 months. The pregnancy attempts are part of the National Zoo's two decades of elephant conservation efforts.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Smithsonian_Elephant.html


Smithsonian Zoo scientists artificially inseminate Asian elephant
Tucson, Arizona Published: 04.02.2007
WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists at the Smithsonian's National Zoo are hoping that the zoo's Asian elephant is pregnant.
Scientists from the zoo and from Germany performed two artificial inseminations over the weekend on 31-year-old Shanthi, and will have to wait four months before they can confirm whether she has conceived, zoo spokesman John Gibbons said.
Shanthi is the mother of Kandula, the zoo's 5-year-old male elephant that was conceived by an artificial insemination in 2000.

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/176374


Zoo opens; officials optimistic
Updated: 4/2/2007 5:04 AM
Utica Zoo officials said they've been averaging a debt of around $100,000 for the past four years.
Utica Zoo Public Relations Coordinator Nicole White said, "It actually got to that point where we were near closing, and I mean we're not out of the woods yet, not totally on our feet. It's going to take some more work."
Part of the reason for some of their money woes is because of the high cost to run the zoo.

http://www.news10now.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=100493\



Zoo planning new exhibit for Komodo Dragons
By HINA ALAM
The Lufkin Daily News
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Nine-year-old Rajah sat still on his platform. Rajah means "king" in Hindi, so the platform was befitting.
His betrothed, Jasmine, was more feisty. The 13-year-old moved around, her claws making a sort of clack-clack-clack on the concrete floor. She flicked her forked tongue. The metal cage with its diagonal mesh rattled as she tried climbing it.

http://www.lufkindailynews.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/04/2/dragons.html


Second surgery at Oregon Zoo clears out Tusko's tusk
Posted by Katy Muldoon
April 01, 2007 16:37PM
Categories: Breaking News, Portland
The veterinarian drilled. The dentist chiseled. They both pried and pulled. Finally, after more than 3½ hours of surgery today on a beloved Oregon Zoo elephant, the two men rose to their feet and slapped their right hands in a bloody high five.
They'd just removed the final piece of a difficult puzzle: a 10-inch-long chunk of rock-hard tusk and dentin from high inside the pachyderm's skull. At last, Tusko was tusk-free.
Today's surgery was the second in six weeks for the 13,500-pound Asian elephant, who had suffered for years from an untreatable infection in his left tusk. Concerned that the infection could lead to heart, liver or kidney trouble, zoo veterinarian Mitch Finnegan decided the tusk had to go.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2007/04/second_surgery_clears_out_tusk.html


Zoo animals deserve better
By ELIZABETH PEARSE Bloomington, Ind.
I no longer live in La Crosse, so the March 21 letter regarding the Myrick Park monkeys was the first time I’d heard of the eco-park proposal. How wonderful that the town is taking more steps toward positive ecological impact.However, the letter made me think about the zoo conditions, and rather than swaying me in favor of keeping the monkey “tradition,” I now hope more folks will realize what an awful thing it is to continue allowing these monkeys to live in their concrete habitat.Yes, many children have laughed and perhaps even experienced this “joy” described by the writer at seeing the monkeys. This doesn’t make a necessarily positive attribute. I’ve seen very young children point and laugh gleefully at an adult who has fallen down a flight of stairs. Does that mean that pushing someone down the stairs is a good way of entertaining children?

http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2007/04/02/opinion/letters/01letter02.txt


Zoo releases 150th kiwi for Operation Nest Egg
Monday, 2 April 2007, 10:19 amPress Release: Auckland Zoo
AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL
MEDIA RELEASE
2 April 2007
Zoo releases 150th kiwi for Operation Nest Egg
Three-week old Auckland Zoo-born kiwi Taepaepaetanga oterangi travels to a new home on Motuora Island today, becoming the 150th kiwi chick to be incubated, hatched, reared and released by the zoo.
While the “overseas trip” to the kiwi creche north of Auckland is a major milestone for this little 430g chick, today marks an even bigger accomplishment for Auckland Zoo. The zoo has been contributing to the Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi's Operation Nest Egg programme with partner, the Department of Conservation (DOC), since late 1996, and today achieves a 93 per cent success rate with incubation to final release of kiwi.
Taepaepaetanga oterangi (Taepapepae), whose name refers to the "place where the horizon meets the sky", and "a pinnacle of achievement", is the off-spring of male kiwi Rainbow, who was one of the first eggs received by the zoo in December 1996.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0704/S00006.htm


Yesterday I visited The Singapore Zoo

http://jennybeanjourneys.blogspot.com/2007/04/singapore-zoo.html


At the Wild Animal Park
New program for 2007!
Here's a unique opportunity for photo buffs to take pictures at the Wild Animal Park with a Zoological Society of San Diego award-winning staff photographer.
Enjoy a Photo Sleepover adventure for adults and teens ages 16 and older that features close-up animal encounters, a unique nighttime experience at Lion Camp, and other behind the scenes opportunities at the Wild Animal Park! The evening includes a talk by our staff photographer, who will share some of the secrets of his craft and give a practical demonstration. You will visit several major areas of the Park, where photographers will have the opportunity to take pictures in a relaxed, non-crowded environment. Dinner and next day breakfast included. Spacious tents are provided in our campground near the Park’s East Africa field exhibit.

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/calendar/wap_photo_sleepover.html



Thai zoo's panda pornography fails to arouse frigid bears
Bangkok - Thailand's Chiang Mai Zoo on Monday resorted to artificially inseminating a female panda after failing to stimulate a natural liaison between two pandas on loan from China with some bear pornography.
'We have to admit that the panda pornography failed,' said Sopol Damnui, director of Thailand's Zoological Park Organization.

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/asiapacific/news/article_1285793.php/Thai_zoos_panda_pornography_fails_to_arouse_frigid_bears



Zoo's cranes deserving of their crowns
By TOM GALUSHASPECIAL TO THE CHIEFTAIN
“Korongo" is the Swahili word for "crane." According to the Pueblo Zoo's Mary Tucey, who lived in Tanzania, it is also a nickname for a tall, lean person.
This is far from a disparaging term, Tucey stresses. Uganda honors the gray crowned crane as its national bird, featuring it on its flag. This esteemed locust hunter shares the Ugandan coat of arms with an antelope.
And, no wonder. All cranes are striking, but these long-legged birds, with gray-blue and white feathers, wings extending like long tails, black velvet caps, white cheek patches, inflatable red gular sacs (wattles), and a prominent orange crest that bristles 3-4 inches from their heads are outstanding - as visitors to the Pueblo Zoo's African Savanna area can see.



At the Zoo
The polar bear worked the crowd like a trouper. He dived to the bottom of the pool, blowing bubbles as he skirted the bottom, exploding to the surface just inches away from the thick plate-glass window where children and parents watched, their picturephones and digital cameras poised.
Shaking the water from the thick fur plastered to his enormous skull, he rolled over on his back, planted his hind paws on the surface of the glass, and propelled himself back across the pool. The power of his backward thrust churned an impressive wake, yet he appeared languid, lazy and very pleased with himself. Reaching the other side of the pool, he again dived for the bottom with the ease of an Olympic swimmer, heading this time for the crowd standing at the second observation window.
He worked the two windows in turn, giving equal delight to the viewers crowding each window. Back and forth he swam with power and grace, sometimes pausing to toy with a dented plastic drum, sometimes pushing a large black ball with his head, but always careful to give each window of zoo visitors an equal show.
It's time for the summer vacationers to return to the zoo, and the polar bears are ready.

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173350527771&path=!localnews!education!&s=1037645509111



Bear cub craze thrills Berlin Zoo

Knut, a polar bear cub at the centre of an animal rights row, has been introduced to the public at Berlin Zoo.

Berlin Zoo is bracing for a record attendance over Easter weekend as its star attraction - the polar bear cub Knut - pulls in the crowds.
The media frenzy over Knut boosted visitor numbers to 200,000 in March - double the zoo's normal figure.
The German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung says Knut's popularity has pushed the zoo's shares up 67% since mid-January.
Knut, born last December, ignited a heated debate about hand-rearing after his mother rejected him.
Knut was brought up and bottle-fed by his keeper, Thomas Doerflein.
An animal rights activist said Knut should be killed rather than treated like a domestic pet - a suggestion that triggered a nationwide surge of affection for the cub.
Germans have been eagerly following his progress on television and the internet.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6519763.stm



Berlin Zoo stock rises 94% on appeal of polar bear cub
FRANKFURT: Shares of the operator of the Berlin Zoo climbed 94 percent this week as investors bet that "Knut," the name of a baby polar bear rejected by his mother, would become a brand name like Paddington Bear or Winnie the Pooh.
Knut, born at the zoo Dec. 5, has captivated Germany. Television news channels have documented the fluffy white cub's every move: quaffing milk from a bottle, snoozing in a hammock, snuffling up to his handlers and scampering around outdoors.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/03/europe/bear.php



Berlin Zoo Stock Jumps on `Knut' Polar Cub Brand Bets (Update1)
By Andreas Hippin
April 3 (Bloomberg) -- The German baby polar bear rejected by his mother has sent shares of the operator of the Berlin Zoo up 94 percent this week as investors bet ``Knut'' will become a brand name like Paddington Bear or Winnie the Pooh.
Knut, born on Dec. 5, has captivated Germany. Television news channels have documented the fluffy white cub's every move: quaffing milk from a bottle, snoozing in a hammock, snuffling up to his handler and scampering around outdoors.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601100&sid=adjAaVeZ5wRU&refer=germany



Zoo impala dies after it's anesthetized and crated
A 21-month-old impala that had been loaded into a crate Monday afternoon at the Toledo Zoo for transport to Wisconsin was found dead Tuesday morning of what zoo officials said were complications from an old neck injury.
The death marked the second time in a year that a Toledo Zoo impala had died during a transport to another zoo, although the scenario zoo officials described this time differed markedly from when an impala broke its back during trailer loading last April 20.
According to a zoo statement, the impala was anesthetized for loading into the crate Monday. During a check at 12:35 a.m. Tuesday, it appeared to be in good condition except for "a slow recovery from the anesthesia."

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070405/NEWS38/704050364/-1/NEWS



Zoo's frisky new addition makes his debut Crowd welcomes 'darling' 285-pound baby
By Sheldon S. Shafersshafer@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
When the 285-pound elephant calf breaks into a trot, his four legs look like they are going in four different directions.
"He's still trying to figure out how to use all his parts, including his trunk," said Dave Campbell, the Louisville Zoo's elephant area supervisor.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070405/NEWS01/704050428



EARAZA News
The annual 2006 Conference of the Eurasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums was held at the Moscow Zoo on March 22 and 23.

It was attended by representatives of 25 zoos. The open session, where research issues were discussed and reports on the current research projects were heard, was attended by about 50 participants.
The report by the EARAZA Presidium and the Executive Office for 2005, and the program and the proposed budget for 2006 were discussed at the closed session.
Further on the Presidium proposed for discussion the guidelines for monitoring the status of animal husbandry at EARAZA zoos and aquariums. After an animated discussion, the guidelines were approved. The conference adopted a decision on establishing a group of experts from the professional staff of EARAZA zoos and on the monitoring procedure, and developed the travel guidelines for members of the group visiting institutions in situ.
Due to the discussion of the above-mentioned issues, the question of admission of new members was postponed until the next conference.

http://www.zoo.ru/newse.htm


'N Korean communists ate my giant rabbits'
By Martin Beckford
Last Updated: 9:56am BST 05/04/2007

A rabbit breeder who sold 12 of his animals to North Korea so the communist country could start its own breeding programme fears they have been eaten by officials.

Karl Szmolinsky sent the huge rabbits, which can grow as big as dogs and produce 15lb (7kg) of meat, to North Korea last year so they could be bred and used to ease desperate food shortages.
He thought they were being kept at a zoo in the capital Pyongyang and was planning to travel to the country after Easter to give advice on setting up a breeding facility.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/04/05/wrabbit105.xml



Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Delivers Live, Interactive Zoo Experience to Remote Schools Using Cisco Wireless Network
Cisco Wireless Mesh Helps Zoo Broadcast Real-Time Videoconferencing Programs From Its Animal Exhibit Areas
LAS VEGAS, NV -- (MARKET WIRE) -- April 05, 2007 -- CISCO PARTNER SUMMIT 2007 -- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is making a trip to the zoo an entirely new experience for school kids around the country.
The zoo is now providing video learning programs from many of its animal exhibits throughout the 168-acre park using Cisco® (NASDAQ: CSCO) wireless mesh technology provided by Total Systems Integration, Inc. TSI is a Cisco Premier Certified Partner, Advanced Wireless, and Wireless Mesh Authorized Technology Provider (ATP).
Prior to the implementation of wireless technology, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo would broadcast animal education programs from within the walls of its two media centers. This meant that program presenters had to show animals in their zoo exhibits through the use of pictures and videos. Today, a program about orangutans, for example, can be broadcast from the actual viewing area where the primates reside.

http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=235420



Kinkajou flees zoo, bites bus passenger
A kinkajou, also known as a honey bear that escaped from a Mexico City zoo boarded a bus and attacked a passenger, officials said Tuesday. The kinkajou, which is about the size of a small dog, got on the bus at about 11 p.m. Monday after escaping from the San Juan de Aragon Zoo.
The animal sat next to the bus driver for almost an hour as he drove through the city, and scratched and bit a 20-year-old female passenger when she tried to hold it, the Mexican news agency Notimex said.

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=bizarre&id=5184380



Rare Baby Takin Makes Minnesota Zoo Debut
(CBS) A very rare baby animal is making its debut at the Minnesota Zoo. A Sichuan Takin calf was born on March 14 and is now in an exhibit with her mother, father and two other Takin. It has yet to be named and only weighs about 48 pounds. Once full grown, she will weigh between 500 to 700 pounds.Takin are rare in North American zoos -- only 50 are found in 12 zoos in North America. The animal is considered a national treasure by the Chinese.

http://wbztv.com/watercooler/watercooler_story_095003906.html


"Coming out" party planned for Woodland Park Zoo's tiger cub
"Coming out" party
She's been an online video star for several weeks. So, it's time for her public debut.
Woodland Park Zoo's new Sumatran tiger cub, born at the zoo on Dec. 12, will have her first day on public display on Monday in the zoo's Adaptations Building. The zoo has planned a celebration at 11:30 a.m. to mark the debut and announce the female cub's new name.
Some staffers have been calling her Diva, but the zoo's been conducting a naming poll. A list of suggested names, picked by staff members, is posted on the zoo's Web site — www.zoo.org — and voting is open until midnight Sunday. The poll is open to all ages. The suggested names — all Malay/Indonesian names — reflect the endangered Sumatran tiger's native habitat, the island of Sumatra.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003652249_here05m.html



Endangered Sumatran tiger gives birth

http://www.zoo.org/spotlight/ss.htm


Big baby steals the show at zoo

When a 285-pound elephant calf breaks into a trot, his four legs look like they are going in four different directions.“He’s still trying to figure out how to use all his parts, including his trunk,” said Dave Campbell, the Louisville Zoo’s elephant area supervisor.“He tries to mimic his mother and throw sand on himself, but it doesn’t really work. He throws hay around but eats very little. And he sticks his head in a bucket and gets wet but we don’t think he swallows.”

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770404044



Rare Tassie Devil zoo birth
A family of Tasmanian devils have welcomed a new addition in a rare birth at a Gold Coast animal park.
Tasmanian devils Midnight and Adam are the proud parents of at least one baby, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary curator Matt Hingley said on Thursday.
He said staff had just discovered the baby, about 17 days old, during a quick peek inside Midnight's pouch.
Tasmanian Devils give birth to a maximum of four young.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Rare-Tassie-Devil-zoo-birth/2007/04/05/1175366401048.html



Male elephant mauls his mate at Israeli zoo

JERUSALEM, April 4 (Reuters) - A male elephant has mauled one of his mates to death at an Israeli zoo in front of crowds visiting during the Jewish Passover holiday.
Yossi, a 33-year-old male African elephant and herd leader chased Atari, a 46-year-old female, and smashed her against a stone wall several times, crushing her, a video of the incident released on Wednesday showed.
Some of the thousands of visitors to the Safari Zoo, outside Tel Aviv, could be heard shouting "Oh my goodness!" as she collapsed.
At close to seven tonnes, Israeli zookeepers say Yossi is the largest elephant in captivity anywhere. Atari was about half his weight.
"She didn't stand a chance," zookeeper Vicka Minkowitz said.
Zookeepers said they had quarantined Yossi in his pen since Sunday's incident, which they are investigating with international experts.
Some experts suspect the elephant, born in captivity in Israel, had a fit of rage typical of the mating season, though he had not displayed such behaviour in the past.
He had previously mated peacefully with Atari, who has given birth to some of his 20 offspring, Minkowitz told Reuters.
"It's the first time he has showed such a temper," she said.



Zoo hatches slithering Easter surpriseIt's traditionally the time for fluffy chicks to emerge but a Norfolk zoo is hatching a real Easter surprise - a clutch of Indonesian pythons.
Staff at Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens were astonished when the first baby short python emerged because they had not realised that the mother had been tightly curled round 12 eggs. Ken Sims, director of the zoo at Thrigby, near Yarmouth, said: "The mother python stays with the eggs and assists with the incubation by wrapping herself round them and twitching to raise her body temperature. "She had secreted the eggs in deep litter in the enclosure."

http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED03%20Apr%202007%2016%3A55%3A55%3A960



Chicks And Ducklings May Be Source Of Salmonella Infection
Salmonella and Easter
Parents bringing chicks or ducklings home as gifts this Easter could expose their children to harmful bacteria.
State health officials advise against chicks and ducklings as gifts.
Chicks and ducklings can carry Salmonella bacteria. Handling these young birds can lead to spread of the bacteria - which can cause diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and may cause death in small children and the elderly.Last spring, six people developed Salmonella infections in our state from exposure to chicks that came from three different hatcheries. Three of those who became ill were children under five.

http://www.emaxhealth.com/75/10765.html


Oregon Zoo ready to 'Party for the Planet'
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
PORTLAND - The Association of Zoos and Aquariums is throwing a party: 141 parties in 42 states and two countries, to be exact. The Portland version of the AZA's "Party for the Planet" takes place at the Oregon Zoo from noon to 4 p.m. during its Earth Day celebration Sunday, April 22.
"At the 'Party for the Planet,' our members will showcase their animals and educate visitors about how actions we take in our own neighborhoods affect the environment where these animals make their homes," said Dot Siegfried, marketing manager for the AZA.
The Oregon Zoo's party promises fun for everyone. "We're excited to participate in this event," said Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "We want to show people that helping the Earth is fun."

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/argus/index.ssf?/base/news/117562642726250.xml&coll=6



Rare Red Bird of Paradise hatches at zoo
There really is a Red Bird of Paradise -- and, now, three of them live at Brookfield Zoo.
A Red Bird of Paradise chick hatched last week at Brookfield Zoo -- thanks to some zookeeper match-makers.
The perching birdhouse at Brookfield Zoo is chirping with excitement these days. And that's because Mr. Red Bird of Paradise, the one with the reddish feathers, and Mrs. Red Bird of Paradise are the proud parents of a very rare little chick born just this past Thursday. It's been a long wait.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=5180260



Brookfield Zoo's 'tunnel of love' is real love nest
After 2 unsuccessful tries, exotic and rare red birds of paradise welcome first chickBy John BiemerTribune staff reporterPublished April 4, 2007
The tunnel of love led to a successful coupling for a pair of red birds of paradise that has had trouble mating at Brookfield Zoo -- and last week the stork arrived, bringing the zoo's first hatchling of the rare and colorful bird.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0704030600apr04,1,7706727.story?coll=chi-newslocalchicago-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true



A Stroll Around Merida’s Zoo
Almost a hundred years ago, February 1910 to be exact, the city fathers (and mothers?) of Merida decided to designate a large area of land to the trees. They sectioned off a part of the Centro Historico that was across from the O’Horan Hospital (the oldest hospital in Merida), the City Jail (now a government building) and the Parque de la Paz (Peace Park). They planted the whole area with all the different trees from the region: flamboyanes, lluvias de oro, zapote, mango, guayaba, mamey, ciruela, palms, pech, and many others. Each tree apparently had a plaque identifying it’s botanical name and so the Parque del Centenario, established in the year of Mexico’s Centennial celebration, became a Botanical Garden. It was surrounded by a low stone wall and it was a cool, well-shaded place for la gente (the people) to stroll and relax.

Five years later, the city decided to put animals in the park. They started with local birds, including faisan (pheasant), quails and pavos de patio (backyard turkeys). Gradually, more and more animals were added, and the park gradually became a zoo. Between 1929 and 1942, there was very little money for frivolous things (this being after the Mexican Revolution), and the park went for many years without improvements. Then in 1942, they added large steel cages and some larger animals (hippos, and lions and zebras, oh my!).

http://www.yucatanliving.com/destinations/merida-zoo.htm


San Francisco Zoo Honors Bay Area's First Grizzly Bear
With an Exclusive Ty Beanie Baby(R)
Pre-Sale of Zoo's Ty Beanie Baby(R) Collector Series Begins April 6 SAN FRANCISCO, April 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the San Francisco Zoo and Ty Inc. (Ty) have announced the launch of an exclusive edition Ty Beanie Baby(R) of the Bay Area's first-ever captive California grizzly bear -- Monarch. The Zoo's inaugural Ty Beanie Baby(R) celebrates the male grizzly bear who served as the foundation for the San Francisco Zoo in the early 1900s, despite never setting a paw in the Zoo's current location. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070404/SFW041 )Monarch Beanie Babies, which go on pre-sale beginning April 6, can be purchased only through the San Francisco Zoo's Web site at http://www.sfzoo.org for $7.99 (does not include sales tax or shipping and handling). The famous Ty Beanie Baby(R) hang tag will feature Monarch's birth date, a replica of the California state flag and the San Francisco Zoo's logo, as well as the signature Beanie Baby poem. Monarch Beanie Babies will be available for purchase at the Zoo's Wildlife Connection gift shop in May.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-04-2007/0004559591&EDATE=


San Francisco Zoo

http://www.sfzoo.org/


Penguin mourned at Maryland Zoo
Maryland Zoo in Baltimore workers are mourning the bird they called 10-63.
Veterinarians called in a specialist to try to correct a congenital spine defect that plagued the 6-month-old male penguin. He had been recovering until Friday, when workers found 10-63 lying in a corner of his enclosure at the zoo’s hospital.
“We are really saddened by his death, but we learned a lot from the surgery and from his after-care,” zoo veterinarian Carol Bradford said.
Zoo staff are awaiting a detailed necropsy, an animal autopsy, from Johns Hopkins University before determining a cause of death, but Bradford said, “preliminary reports indicate he may have had a respiratory condition, possibly due to being hospitalized and the operation.”

http://www.examiner.com/a-655463~Penguin_mourned_at_Maryland_Zoo.html



Central Park Zoo Welcomes New Addition
The Central Park Zoo is showing off its newest addition – a Colobus monkey born just two weeks ago. The little bundle of joy doesn't have a name yet, because zoo officials don't know it's a boy or a girl. The baby’s mother - Tana - is a longtime resident of the zoo, and officials are waiting for her permission to inspect the newborn. So far, the new mom has been very protective. Colobus monkeys are native to Central Africa and are recognized by their black coat and white stripes. Zoo officials say the baby will start growing its long black coat in the new few months.

http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=68330


Upstate Zoo Working to Re-Gain Accreditation
(Binghamton, N.Y.) AP -- An upstate zoo that lost its accreditation by a national organization in 2005 is making progress toward regaining the recognition. The Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park--the nation's fifth oldest zoo--was dealt one blow when the American Zoo and Aquarium Association pulled its accreditation. That was followed by major damage caused by a flash flood last November. Zoo director Michael Janis says the facility could be ready to seek re-accreditation next year. Janis--who has been overseeing the zoo for just over a year--has been working to bring financial stability to the operation. While the zoo director is hopeful accreditation could be restored in 2008, he says the zoo won't apply for it until he's certain everything's in order. Janis says he wants to be sure the zoo's not "turned down again."

http://www.13wham.com/news/state/story.aspx?content_id=240e156f-911a-4f29-8c1f-f6a5d21f0a70


California Condor Lays Egg In Mexico
San Diego -- A California condor has laid an egg in Mexico for the first time since at least the 1930s, biologists at the Zoological Society of San Diego announced Monday. If the chick hatches and survives, scientists hope it will herald the return of a breeding condor population to Mexico, decades after the iconic giant of the skies was wiped out there."This is a momentous occasion," said Dr. Mike Wallace, a field scientist who observed and measured the egg in its nest. "We're all excited."Wallace and colleagues found the egg March 24 in an abandoned eagle nest on a cliff in the Sierra San Pedro de Martir National Park, located in the arid interior of the Baja California peninsula more than 100 miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border.

http://www.todaysthv.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=43884



Cincinnati Zoo conducts largest tulips display in Midwest
By Juliann Wetz
Contributing Writer
Monday, April 02, 2007
The Cincinnati Zoo's "Zoo Blooms" is the largest tulip display in the Midwest, and features over 80,000 tulips in a variety of dazzling spring colors. Though the event is commonly described as "Tulip Mania," daffodils, hyacinths and flowering trees are also on display.
During the month, special shows and concerts will highlight the floral beauty of springtime. Garden tours will be offered at 11 a.m. April 14, 21 and 28. This Saturday and Sunday, the annual Daffodil Show, hosted by the Southwest Ohio Daffodil Society will feature daffodils in a variety of shades and sizes.

http://www.journal-news.com/hp/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/04/02/pjm040507loop1.html



Layla the rhino calf wows crowds at Budapest zoo
By Gergely Szakacs
BUDAPEST (Reuters) - The world's first rhino calf born through artificial insemination thrilled scores of children and journalists in her press debut at Budapest Zoo on Thursday.
Layla, a two-and-a-half-month old Southern White Rhino who is Hungary's answer to celebrity German polar bear cub Knut, at first appeared intimidated by the crowd at her naming ceremony, but later sniffed happily around her paddock.
"Every new life is a miracle and we have had the fortune of being part of an even more special kind when this vigorous and playful calf came to light," Budapest Zoo Director Ilma Bogsch told journalists.

http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSL0517488520070405


Bird ‘flu follows trade, not migration routes
29-03-2007
A comprehensive critical review of recent scientific literature on the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N, published in the British Ornithologists Union journal Ibis[1], concludes that poultry trade, rather than bird migration, is the main mechanism of global dispersal of the virus.
The review finds that migratory birds have been widely and repeatedly blamed for outbreaks that have subsequently been found to originate in the movement of live poultry and products such as poultry meat. The authors, French ecologists Michel Gauthier-Clerc, Camille Lebarbenchon and Frederic Thomas of Station Biologique de la Tour du Valat (a research centre for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands) and GEMI (Génétique et Evolution des Maladies Infectieuses –the Laboratory of Genetics and Evolution of Infectious Diseases), warn that a misdirected emphasis on contacts between wild birds and outdoor poultry may lead to a reversion to intensive indoor poultry rearing, which actually increases the risk of outbreaks.

http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2007/03/avian_flu_report.html


PETA ASKS ARKANSAS STATE REP. TO INCLUDE BAN ON BULLHOOKS, CHAINS, AND OTHER CRUEL DEVICES WITH $250,000 GRANT TO ELEPHANT FACILITY
Vilonia, Ark. -- Today, PETA sent an urgent letter to Arkansas State Rep. Eddie Hawkins urging him to include certain animal care standards in a bill that he introduced—House Bill 2045—which would appropriate $250,000 for an elephant compound in Faulkner County. Specifically, PETA is asking Hawkins to stipulate that bullhooks, electric prods, chains, and other cruel devices will not be used on the elephants; that the animals will have access to the entire property and not be warehoused in barns, as they often are at zoos and pseudo-sanctuaries; and that dangerous practices such as elephant rides will be prohibited.

http://www.peta.org/mc/NewsItem.asp?id=9676


Court to rule if chimp has human rights
Kate Connolly in BerlinSunday April 1, 2007
He recognises himself in the mirror, plays hide-and-seek and breaks into fits of giggles when tickled. He is also our closest evolutionary cousin.
A group of world leading primatologists argue that this is proof enough that Hiasl, a 26-year-old chimpanzee, deserves to be treated like a human. In a test case in Austria, campaigners are seeking to ditch the 'species barrier' and have taken Hiasl's case to court. If Hiasl is granted human status - and the rights that go with it - it will signal a victory for other primate species and unleash a wave of similar cases.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,2047459,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=12


The Animal Welfare Act
The new Animal Welfare Act is coming into force in England as of Friday. Basically, owners of animals are now legally required to ensure their basic welfare. It's amazing to think that up until now there was no obligation in law to care for one's pets, but congratulations to the government for doing the right thing.The government now needs to take steps to heavily reform or ban battery farming (and to work with the EU to ensure there is a consistent policy on this so cheap battery-farmed eggs from other EU countries can't flood our markets), and make sure regulations on circuses and zoos are putting the welfare of the animal before the entertainment of the crowds.

http://mytaleofme.blogspot.com/2007/04/animal-welfare-act_05.html



Pet welfare act coming into force

People will be legally liable for the basic welfare of their pets under new laws coming into force in England.
The Animal Welfare Act, which became law in Wales last week, includes harsher fines of up to £20,000 and jail terms of up to a year for cruelty.
The RSPCA is raising awareness of the act, which has been dubbed a bill of rights for pets, ahead of its official introduction on Friday.
The government says existing laws are outdated and too inflexible.
The Act, which raises penalties for cruelty from the previous maximum of six months in prison or a £5,000 fine, is the most significant new law on animal welfare for 94 years.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6521765.stm



Lawmakers vote to ban exotic pets
Richard RoeslerStaff writerApril 3, 2007
OLYMPIA – Farewell, my rhinoceros.
A divided state Senate on Tuesday voted to ban most private ownership of a long list of “potentially dangerous wild animals,” including crocodiles, jaguars, gaboon vipers and all primates, even small monkeys.
House Bill 1418 now goes back to the House, which is expected to concur. If it becomes law this summer, people who already own such animals could keep them but couldn’t add any more, even through breeding.
State lawmakers have debated such a ban for seven years, but the issue took on new life this year when Lewis County officials were faced with four homeless Siberian tigers after their owner was evicted from property in Lewis County, south of Olympia.

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=9384



Life as a skull cleaner is a messy job
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - When most people think of a family business a butcher store, flower shop or restaurant comes to mind. But Jay Villemarette's company is not your normal neighborhood firm.
He owns and operates Skulls Unlimited International, a company that cleans, sells and stores skulls. Business is so busy he can hardly keep up with demand.
"We get deliveries from UPS and FedEx everyday that consist of anything from bears to deer to cougars to buffalo to dogs and cats. You name it, it comes in," said Villemarette, owner and founder of the Oklahoma City firm.

http://www.reuters.com/article/gc08/idUSL2729433120070403


Dated

SF Zoo Exhibit Has Birds At Your Fingertips

SAN FRANCISCO -- A new exhibit at the San Francisco Zoo has visitors getting up close with exotic birds.
Visitors, armed with a feed stick, can pay a $2 admission fee to entry to the Binnowee Landing of Australia exhibit.

http://www.nbc11.com/news/9349111/detail.html


Parakeets At SF Zoo Test Positive For Disease

One week ago, the San Francisco Zoo opened a brand new bird exhibit. Now, zoo officials have a public relations nightmare on their hands. Five parakeets in the exhibit have tested positive for a disease that could threaten all the birds.
Bird lovers are still enthusiastic about the 600 small birds on exhibit at the San Francisco zoo. Reports of five of them testing positive for a potentially contagious condition called bird and feather disease did not worry this couple.
Alex Ramirez, bird owner: "That's what the guy over there said, he said if you have birds at home to sanitize your hands and take your clothes off before you handle them."
The disease severely damages a bird's beak. Birds also begin to lose their feathers. It doesn't affect humans but can kill other birds.
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=local&id=4278576


Zoo insists elephant breeding program will continue
Updated: 6/17/2006 9:17 AMBy: Megan Driscoll
Zoo officials said we will see more of the elephant breeding program for some time to come. Despite recent hardships, zoo representatives said the program will go on.
"I think it kind of started out as a little bit of a rumor that the elephant program was suspended at the zoo for a year, which is completely inaccurate. The program is still strong as ever," said zoo spokesperson Sarah Fedele.

http://news10now.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=69817


Zoo Plans Birthday Celebration For Tai Shan
POSTED: 3:41 pm EDT June 16, 2006
UPDATED: 4:21 pm EDT June 16, 2006
WASHINGTON -- Tai Shan's first birthday is just a few weeks away, and the National Zoo is planning a big celebration for the giant panda cub.

http://www.nbc4.com/news/9383881/detail.html


Mill Mountain Zoo introduces new cougar
The Mill Mountain Zoo will debut its newest resident this weekend. Eight month old Nina the cougar will be making Mill Mountain her permanent home after coming from the Columbus Zoo.
Nina has also traveled with Jack Hanna on educational programs and appeared on network TV shows.
Nina's new home will be right next to Ruby, Mill Mountain's well-known Tiger.
All fathers can see Nina free of charge on Sunday with a paid child's admission.

http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=5040763&nav=S6aK


Zoo sticks its neck out for new herd
16 June 2006 07:00
A Norfolk zoo is hoping to get the go-ahead for a £500,000 project which would see giraffes roaming the county's countryside.Banham Zoo, near Attleborough, has submitted plans to Breckland Council to build a giraffe house as part of a major scheme that would also see the construction of a new house for its existing zebra herd. Its sister site, Africa Alive at Kessingland, near Lowestoft, has kept giraffes for a number of years and zoo director Martin Goymour said the idea to introduce them at Banham had been three years in the planning.“This is something we've have been considering for some length of time and giraffes are a particular favourite of mine. We keep them at our sister park and have kept them very successfully for 12 years.

http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED15%20Jun%202006%2018%3A01%3A02%3A720



Zoo's budget is a bearClosure would end sacred ceremonies for some
By Natasha Kaye JohnsonDiné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — Generally, zoos are a place to view animals up close and personal. For Native people who go to the Navajo Nation Zoo, it is a place to give offerings to sacred animals and conduct traditional ceremonies. But with a possibility of the zoo closing, people will no longer have direct access to some of those sacred animals. The zoo needs about $200,000 a year to operate. Last year, the zoo, which has been under the Navajo Parks and Recreation since it opened 1977, barely made budget. With the entire Navajo Nation budget in a financial crunch, the zoo faces the possibility of closure once again this fiscal year.

http://www.gallupindependent.com/2006/jun/061406zoosbdgt.html


Navajo Nation Zoo and Botanical Park

Thousands of acres in the corner of northeast Arizona stand virtually untouched by man. This land is sacred to the Navajo people, serving as a testament to their survival and a living reminder of their heritage. Nine acres of Window Rock are dedicated to the display and preservation of plants and animals that are native to the reservation and of cultural importance to the Navajo. The carefully maintained walking trails lead you on a tour of native plants traditionally used for food, medicine and weaving. Stop along the way and visit the hogan, the traditional Navajo house. The animals on display are as likely to run across the trail or swoop past you in the sky as they are to be exhibited in an enclosure. Guided tours are available, but should be arranged before you arrive. Use caution as you walk, watching for snakes and other animals that are not part of the displays.

http://search.cityguide.aol.com/phoenix/entertainment/navajo-nation-zoo-and-botanical-park/v-127884


All creatures great and small
SALLY RAIKES
COMING round from the anaesthetic, Steveo the parakeet is looking a little groggy after an operation on his broken wing. Outside in the corridor, a greyhound draped in a blanket is being led back from radiotherapy, and a few doors down the cat ward is filling up with blinking and slightly bewildered felines. In the waiting-room, a labrador, a golden retriever and a terrier eye each other warily as they await their call.
It's a typical day at the University of Edinburgh vet school, where animals from all over the country are referred for treatment by their local vets. Owners have been known to bring pets from as far afield as Leeds, Shetland, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland for access to the school's state-of-the-art facilities.

http://living.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=853962006

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