Zoos
Meet the Zoo's Baby Humbolt Penguins! (video)
June 22, 2007 - Noah, Gilligan, and Pancake are the newest arrivals at the Philadelphia Zoo. They're baby Humbolt penguins!
The chicks hatched about a month ago.
Thursday night, a few lucky visitors got to pet them during a special sneak preview.
You'll get to see them when they go on display later this summer... After they grow a full set of feathers.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=animals_oddities&id=5411765
Topeka Zoo Loses Lion Cub
There have been 1 comments posted
Posted: 8:58 AM Jun 27, 2007
Last Updated: 8:58 AM Jun 27, 2007
When Asante, a lion at the the Topeka Zoological Park, gave birth to a her first litter early in June, the four cubs were the first born at the Zoo's Lion's Pride facility in eighteen years. Unfortunately, two cubs did not survive the birth and Tuesday the Zoo was saddened to announce the death of one more cub.
Right now, Zoo officials say they were surprised when the 17-day old cub died; it had been reportedly active and nursing. A gross necropsy initially revealed abnormal kidneys. The zoo says it will provide more information when a complee histopathology is completed.
The lone surviving cub and its mother are still living in an off exhibit Lion's Pride holding facility and will be reintroduced at a later time.
Asante came to the Topeka Zoo from the Ft. Worth Zoo along with another female lion, Zuri, two years ago. The cub's father, Avus, joined the pride last year from Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, Wisconsin.
http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/8203027.html
Endangered Gharials jostling for space in Orissa zoo
Shortage of space for them has forced the zoo authorities to cry for help. Gharial breeding in Nandankanan is one of the success stories of zoo management ...
http://www.kalingatimes.com/orissa_news/news/20070627_Gharials_jostling_for_space_in_Orissa_zoo.htm
Tiny tots in zoo toddle for charity
Published on 27/06/2007
TWELVE tiny tots, along with their mums from St Aidan’s Mother and Toddler group, Barrow, toddled for charity on Friday.
The toddlers completed a half-mile walk, starting at Dalton Zoo.
The event was preceded by a teddy bear’s picnic.
Everyone enjoyed the day, and each child received a medal, certificate and sweets at the end of the walk.
The tots then got a chance to look around the zoo and feed some of the animals.
So far they have managed to raise a total of £201 for Barnardo’s, with more sponsorship money still to come in.
http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=514288
June 25, 2007
Zooloretto
Zooloretto is a family-friendly board game title from Rio Grande Games where players compete to expand zoos and their respective collection of colorful animals for each of their parks. The game is approachable, easy to pickup, while also remaining strong in the gameplay department. Zooloretoo strikes a balance of being fun for broad spectrum of gamers, from youngins who love fluffy zoo animals, to more serious gamers who'll find enough substance here to massage their brain between sessions of more complex board game titles.
http://www.criticalgamers.com/archives/board-games/zooloretto.php
Elephant's death puts zoos in spotlight
As Seattle mourns, the loss adds fuel to animal groups' contention that illness is linked to lack of space and other conditions.
By Lynn Marshall, Times Staff Writer
June 25, 2007
SEATTLE — The death of Hansa the elephant remains a mystery. Last week, preliminary necropsy results only ruled out a host of illnesses in the sudden demise of the 6-year-old star of Woodland Park Zoo.
Hansa's death set off public mourning in the city, and again raised questions about the advisability of keeping elephants in urban zoos.
Seattleites have left many flowers and the occasional bouquet of carrots at the zoo entrance. The park's memorial Web page for Hansa (www.zoo.org/hansa_memorial/index.html) rapidly filled with comments, some from as far away as Europe and Australia, but most from her hometown.
"Hansa brought such light and joy to our city!" reads one entry.
National animal rights groups, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and In Defense of Animals of San Rafael, Calif., point to zoo conditions — the lack of space and the inappropriate terrain — as likely factors in the deaths of Hansa; of two other elephants who were euthanized this month, one in San Diego and one in Birmingham, Ala.; and of Gita at the Los Angeles Zoo last year.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-elephants25jun25,1,7880782.story?coll=la-headlines-nation&ctrack=2&cset=true
Owner of roadside zoo hit with summons
Mon, June 25, 2007
Lickety-Split has been a target for animal-rights activists
By RANDY RICHMOND, SUN MEDIA
The province of Ontario is taking a controversial roadside zoo to court.
But not for the reasons animal-rights activists want.
Lickety-Split Ranch and Zoo owner Shirley McElroy has received a summons to appear in Provincial Offences Court in London July 23 to answer a charge the zoo has failed to renew its $100 yearly licence to care for wildlife.
If convicted under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, she could be fined up to $25,000, said David Critchlow, regional enforcement supervisor for the ministry of natural resources.
http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2007/06/25/4289515.html
Why no Darwinian Zoo…?
To the best of my knowledge there is no animal collection in the world that takes the idea of evolution as its overall theme, although we do have a creationist zoo here in the UK, and I am pretty sure several in the USA ( to be clear, I am with Voltaire in defending the right of others, including creationists, to express ideas I disagree with, whilst marking creationism as entirely dependent on resolute ignorance).
Given how pivotal the concept of evolution is to our view of the world, this seems conspicous by its absence. From a funding point of view, I am convinced that the first institution that used the Darwinian theme ( perhaps allied to genetics and therefore the biosciences) would win the immediate interest of regional and national economic funders. ( in fact, consider that idea copywright!)
http://zoofunding.wordpress.com/2007/06/25/why-no-darwinian-zoo/
What are the best options for transformational funding to develop a zoo site..?
In terms of external funding, and leaving aside commercial borrowing, where should a zoo organisation prioritise its attention if it wants to radically raise its game, or even establish a completely new operation?
A few quick thoughts and in very rough order of priority…
1. Those authorities responsible for the socio economic development of your nation, region, city or locality. How can your plan meet their aims? Such agencies may well be willing to put major funds into organisations if they see economic benefits for the relevant area. See this document: zoos-and-economic-development5.doc
http://zoofunding.wordpress.com/2007/06/26/what-are-the-best-options-for-transformational-funding-to-develop-a-zoo-site/
Houston Zoo Launches New Interactive Web Site With Schipul
HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwire - June 26, 2007) - Animal lovers throughout Southeast Texas have a new and naturally wild place to visit online at the redesigned Houston Zoo Web site. The new site, www.houstonzoo.org, was designed by Houston-based Schipul - The Web Marketing Company (www.schipul.com) in coordination with the Zoo's Marketing Department. The redesigned Houston Zoo site is powered by the Tendenci® (www.tendenci.com) Web marketing application, which is developed and marketed by Schipul.
Attracting 1.5 million visitors each year and home to more than 4,500 animals in over 200 exhibits, the Houston Zoo encourages appreciation, knowledge, and care for the natural world. The new Web site brings that world to life online through subtle animation that has a three-dimensional quality and creates a lush look and feel. The new site incorporates interactive tools, such as podcasts, really simple syndication (RSS) feeds, online event registration and online membership sign-up, renewal and upgrade.
"Our goal has been to extend the Zoo experience with more opportunities to interact with Web users and really make a lasting connection with them," said Debra Ford, vice president of marketing with the Houston Zoo. "We are happy to have the guidance and support of the experts at Schipul because they are able to help us leverage the latest technologies and trends to accomplish our mission and strengthen our brand."
In response to feedback from recent surveys, the site has a section devoted to helping plan a visit. It also features a multimedia interactive map offering more than 20 downloadable podcasts about the exhibits.
http://www.marketwirecanada.com/2.0/release.do?id=745934
Houston Zoo
http://www.houstonzoo.org/
Mail snapper's display is the cat's whiskers
A STRIKING exhibition of big cats has opened at an art gallery.
Tigers' features over 180 full colour photographs – including more than 140 photographs shown on a large plasma screen – capturing the magic of tigers and other big cats and wildlife.
The collection which is on display at Hartlepool Art Gallery is the work of Mail photographer Frank Reid who, in his leisure time, has spent a number of years travelling around Britain to photograph tigers and other animals in wildlife sanctuaries and zoos.
"My interest in tigers came as a result of photographing Bengal tigers for the Mail at a circus that was being held on Mayfield Park, the home of Hartlepool Rugby Club," says Frank.
"From that moment on I fell in love with them. They are the most beautiful of all the big cats. They have strength yet gentleness, power yet grace, and they have held me spellbound ever since. For me, photographing them is like
stepping into their world."
http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/people?articleid=2981119
Cheating with the Cheetah
You know...zoos and their schedule don't work well with many animals, including cats. Most cats are nocturnal hunters and wish to nap the day away, so it's difficult to get a good shot of a cat during the day time hours.
One interesting thing with this cheetah and this day, was a canadian goose flew into the enclosure. The cat had to look, but apparently didn't care much...he went back to sleep.
Ecological note: Cheetahs are apparently VERY threatened, with numbers less than 15,000 in nature and most zoo cats being too old to produce viable embryos. Will our children (or for some of you, our grandchildren) ever see a cheetah ?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dbarronoss/629679570/
NIGHTTIME ZOO: San Diego Zoo unveils brand-new after-dark festivities running through Sept. 3
Friday, June 22, 2007
By The San Diego Zoo
Su Lin, a giant panda cub, plays in a tree at the zoo. The San Diego Zoo has the largest number of giant pandas in the United States.
Photo provided by the Zoological Society of San Diego
The San Diego Zoo revealed all-new Nighttime Zoo festivities June 23 with an exciting new theme and entertainment line-up. "Fiesta De Las Caras" is a celebration of the Americas bringing the sights, sounds and tastes of California and Latin America's past and present to the Zoo each evening through Sept. 3.
From live music filling the Zoo with the sounds of South and Central America to visually stunning theatrical productions, performance artwork and fun festive children's shows, this summer's Nighttime Zoo promises to be an exciting cultural immersion.
Every afternoon at 4 p.m. the festivities begin. Authentic master artisans from Latin America have traveled to the Zoo to showcase their skills like gourd carving (an art that dates back 3,500 years), to basket weaving, ancient pottery techniques and cultural retablos artwork. Guests can witness the artisans perfecting their crafts, and can even purchase a one-of-a-kind piece to take home with them.
In the Zoo's front plaza visitors are sure to be impressed with the fun, high-energy artwork of Splash! - Faces of the Wild. The artist creates his masterpieces by splashing, brushing and finger painting while dancing, jumping and performing to choreographed music. Within mere minutes a tiger, gorilla or other spectacular wild face reveals itself in the artwork for a stunning display of entertaining artistry.
http://www.navycompass.com/news/newsview.asp?c=217756
Oh, Boy!...and Boy and Boy!
Philadelphia, PA - June 26, 2007 - On May 25th, the Philadelphia Zoo proudly announced the birth of three rare Amur (AH-moor) tiger cubs in Bank of America Big Cat Falls.
Our keepers have determined that Kira is the proud mother of three male cubs! You can check out tiger keeper Tara Brody's new blog today at www.philadelphiazoo.blogspot.com. Visit Kira's Homepage.
Kira and her cubs are living in an area that her keepers created to give her a quiet and comfortable space where she can care for her cubs in privacy. Female tigers in the wild keep their cubs hidden after they're born, and our tiger family will remain off exhibit in the "Lauren Albert" cubbing den for about two more months. Then, she and her cubs will make their public debut!
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=animals_oddities&id=5422752
Zoos have wild ways to keep their inhabitants happy
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
By Cathy Bayer
of the Journal Star
PEORIA - Fish juice ice, mud wallows and a close shave. Domestic pets aren't the only ones that need extra attention in the summer.
Animals at the Peoria Zoo at Glen Oak Park and Wildlife Prairie State Park in Edwards also have some extra help keeping cool.
Some zoo animals are given ice blocks with lemon in it to lick or rub up against to cool down.
The tigers get ice blocks made of fish juice, or even frozen fish. They also get a larger pool of water in their habitat. On extra hot days, the tigers will go for a swim, exposing only their heads in the pool.
http://www.pjstar.com/stories/062707/TRI_BDK7LAJ4.008.php
Zoo Hospital brings more animal care to the DS
by Fraser MacInnes
Visiting sick animals at a zoo hospital must be a nightmare; who knows how many Wine Gums, flowers and Lucozade you'd have to bring a poorly Rhino. The zoo medical staff have it even worse, with the threat of being trampled or mauled an everyday occupational hazard (and not just from asking an elephant if you can take its temperature in the usual animal fashion...)
Still it is into the shoes of the latter, a zoo vet, that you'll step in the DS's next animal themed title, Zoo Hospital.
Published by Majesco, Zoo Hospital puts you in charge of caring for endangered beasts as well as under-the-weather animals. Beginning with ten different species, ranging from pandas (nature's hypochondriac) to jaguars, it's your job to use the stylus to diagnose, treat and calm your various patients.
http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/DS/Zoo+Hospital/news.asp?c=3406
State agency faults San Francisco Zoo for tiger attack
Friday, June 22, 2007
(06-22) 09:05 PDT San Francisco (AP) --
The San Francisco Zoo is at fault for a tiger mauling that left a keeper severely injured, according to a report by the state's workplace safety agency.
In December, a 350-pound Siberian tiger swiped at keeper Lori Komejan, 46, during a regular afternoon feeding, using its claws to pull her closer to its cage, eventually biting her right hand and leaving deep gashes in both her arms, as terrified visitors looked on.
"The flesh was torn from her right arm," said Dean Fryer, spokesman for California's Division of Occupation Safety and Health. "It was peeled off, similar to peeling off a glove."
Komejan screamed, and four people, including an emergency medical technician visiting the Lion House, came to her help. One of them hit the tiger, called Tatiana, in the face with a squeegee until the 3 1/2-year-old Siberian let go of her.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/06/22/state/n090315D87.DTL
Cal-OSHA faults zoo for attack
Patricia Yollin, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, June 22, 2007
The San Francisco Zoo is at fault for last December's gruesome tiger attack on a keeper, according to a probe by the state's workplace safety agency.
"It was obvious that any of the cats could reach through or under the bars and that a potential hazard zone extended approximately 18 inches from the cage face," concluded the report by California's Division of Occupation Safety and Health.
Lori Komejan was mauled by Tatiana, a 350-pound Siberian tiger, on the afternoon of Dec. 22 -- exactly six months ago -- as dozens of horrified visitors watched. The incident occurred inside the Lion House after a routine public feeding of the big cats.
"The flesh was torn from her right arm," said Cal-OSHA spokesman Dean Fryer in a phone interview Thursday. "It was peeled off, similar to peeling off a glove."
The investigation said zoo officials were aware that hazardous conditions existed at the Lion House, closed since Komejan was injured. Cal-OSHA ordered changes -- which already have been made -- in the setup of the cages and wants to impose an $18,000 penalty, which the zoo can appeal.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/06/22/BAG14QK0UK1.DTL
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore holds Zoomerang 2007
Baltimore Times - Baltimore,MD,USA
by Ursula V. Battle Hundreds partied with the animals under the stars as The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore held Zoomerang 2007. ...
http://www.btimes.com/News/article/article.asp?NewsID=79879&sID=4
SFA students helping to get gorilla for zoo
By MICHELLE McBRIDE
The Lufkin Daily News
Friday, June 22, 2007
LUFKIN — Monkey see, monkey do. Students watch.
Lufkin's Ellen Trout Zoo primate exhibit was crowded with Stephen F. Austin State University students Thursday from Dr. Karol Chandler-Ezell's anthropology class. The class members were observing the primates — as well as the people walking by.
The anthropology class is a project in which SFA partners with Ellen Trout Zoo. The zoo lets the students come in and observe the primates as well as interact with them.
"The lemurs were like cats with opposable thumbs," said student Katie Revell as she observed Marylou, Fidget and Kizee, a trio of lemurs that reside at the zoo.
http://www.news-journal.com/news/content/region/ETtoday/stories/2007/06/22/zoo_and_sfa.html
Grizzly heads to Colorado zoo
By The Associated Press
HELENA - A grizzly bear, captured after bluff-charging a man and killing a goat near Eureka, is headed to a Colorado zoo.
The 2-year-old, 300-pound bruin arrived at the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks shelter in Helena last August and faced euthanasia if center manger Patti Sowka couldn't find a zoo with an opening for a grizzly.
"The decision was made to euthanize him or place him into captivity," Sowka said. "It took me until December to find him a home. I was afraid we'd have to put him down."
Luckily, she was able to place the bear with the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, where a new Rocky Mountain wildlife exhibit is under construction.
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/06/22/news/state/40-bear.txt
Zoo ups conservation efforts, admission price
02:53 PM EDT on Friday, June 22, 2007
Louisville Zoo press release
The Louisville Zoo is committed to bettering the bond between the people and our planet, and starting July 1, $.15 of every admission to the Zoo will go straight to supporting conservation efforts.
“We have always been a strong supporter of conservation, but there has never been a more critical global need than there is today, so we are increasing our financial commitment,” Zoo Director John Walczak said.
The $.15 per admission acquired will support conservation programs at the Louisville Zoo both ex-situ (caring for species outside of their natural habitats) and in-situ (caring for species in their natural habitats). Efforts include: Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Polar Bear International, Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program, International Elephant Foundation, American Chestnut Tree Conservation, Cuban Crocodile Project, Butterfly Initiative, Kentucky’s Blanton Forest, Micronesia Archipelago Recovery and more.
http://www.whas11.com/news/local/stories/062207whasrtLocalZooPrices.3c906f8.html
Calgary Zoo Opens New Elephant Crossing
Jun, 22 2007 - 12:20 PM
CALGARY/AM770CHQR - The grand opening of a new home for the Calgary's elephants was celebrated at the Calgary Zoo Friday.
The Elephant Crossing is a project four years in the making.
The enclosure includes an indoor and outdoor amphitheater, a bigger swimming pool for the elephants - much appreciated in Friday's heat - state-of-the-art technology, and enhanced educational facilities.
The four elephants housed in the Zoo now have triple the space to roam.
The opening ceremony which included plenty of entertainment was attended by Alberta's Lieutenant-Governor, the Minister of Tourism, and the president of the Calgary Zoo.
The new facility was largely funded by the provincial government.
http://www.770chqr.com/news/news_local.cfm?cat=7428218912&rem=68378&red=80121823aPBIny&wids=410&gi=1&gm=news_local.cfm
Zoo's 'king' giraffe euthanized
THE GAZETTE
June 23, 2007 - 3:18PM
The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s bull giraffe was euthanized Wednesday evening, the zoo announced today.
The end for Laikipia, leader of the zoo’s world-renowned herd of reticulated giraffes, came hours after zoo staff welcomed a newborn giraffe.
It was the ninth offspring for 17-year-old mother Uhura — and the 35th sired by Laikipia, the zoo’s head giraffe bull. His 36th is due to be born to 26-year-old Becky within a few weeks.
The zoo is home to the most prolific giraffe breeding program in the world.
Laikipia (la-KEEP-e-uh) was born in Kenya in 1981 and came to the zoo in December 1982. The decision to euthanize came after walking became painful for Laikipia, who was plagued by degenerative disease. He died in the African Rift Valley giraffe yard that he had called home since moving from the old giraffe building to the new exhibit in 2003.
http://www.gazette.com/articles/zoo_23954___article.html/giraffe_laikipia.html
Zoo Tycoon Cheats Codes FAQs and Hints for PC
From Jason Rybka,
Your Guide to Video Game Strategies.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!
File edits, hints, cheats, and codes for Zoo Tycoon on the PC.
Cheat Method via File Edits
1. Open config.ztd with winzip or another compression tool.
2. Open Economy.cfg with notepad or wordpad.
3. Search for cZooDooRecyclingAmount and change the number to whatever you want. This will be the profit for every recycle you do. Normally you recycle around 8-12 times per month.
4. Also, look for cKeeperCost which should be 800. This is the salary you pay your zoo keepers. Change it to something lower and your expenses will decrease dramatically.
5. If you want more money at start of the game, edit zoo.ini with notepad or wordpad and find a line called MSMaxCash. Change that to whatever you want and you can start out with a couple of million.
Note on changing exhibit names: Let the game auto name your exhibit, then change it, otherwise you may lock up the game.
http://vgstrategies.about.com/od/pccheatsxyz/a/zootycooncheats.htm
2-year-old grizzly relocated to Colo. zoo
June 23, 2007, 00:56 AM
COLORADO SPRINGS, June 22 (UPI) — A 2-year-old grizzly bear that would have been euthanized has found a home in Colorado Springs, Colo., at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
The bear had been relocated to the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Wildlife rehabilitation center last August after bluff-charging a man and killing a goat near Eureka, Mont., The Helena (Mont) Independent Record reported.
The bear would have been euthanized if the center's manager, Patti Sowka, hadn't found him a home at the new Rocky Mountain wildlife exhibit in the Colorado zoo.
http://www.imedinews.ge/en/news_read/47465
Zoo's elephants stampede into new enclosure
UPDATED: 2007-06-22 15:40:05 MST
By SHANNON WOODWARD, SUN MEDIA
The Calgary Zoo’s most prominent — and largest — residents were introduced to their brand new enclosure today.
To the cheering and clapping of hundreds of happy onlookers, Ganesha, Kamala, Swarna and Maharani, the zoo’s four Asian elephants, stepped out of the great doors and into the sand-filled outdoor space that will become their playground for many years to come.
Elephant Crossing, part of the $35 million Project Discovery plan to rejuvenate the zoo, has expanded the elephant’s outdoor living space by more than three times and more than doubled the indoor space.
http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2007/06/22/4282655.html
Registration opens for annual Zoo Camp
Saturday, June 23rd 2007
The Guyana Zoological Park said it is once again inviting children to participate in the Zoo Camp which is being hosted at the Nature School.
In a press release the Park said the Camp is designed for children between the ages of 6-9 years and 10-12 years and consists of four one-week sessions. The Camp would be held weekdays from 8.30 am to 3 pm and the cost for each one-week programme is $3,500 per child. The programme would be conducted by the Nature School Educator and the Guyana Zoo Education Volunteers whose duties would include full time supervision of the campers. A trainee nurse will also be on site.
The Camp said it is celebrating six years of educational opportunities and fun activities focused on wildlife and environmental issues. Some of the activities offered in the programme include educational tours in the Zoo, guest speakers on wildlife topics, field trips, nature-related stories and videos, arts and craft, fishing and birding. The release said the Zoo has, for many years, nurtured the minds of children by informing them about nature and its unique creatures in the hope of developing an understanding and appreciation for it.
Registration can be done and information sheets about the programme uplifted from the Zoo. The closing date for registration is July 6.
http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article_general_news?id=56523050
Death, new life for zoo’s giraffe herd
Head male euthanized hours after 35th offspring is born
By BILL RADFORD
THE GAZETTE
June 23, 2007 - 3:12PM
It was a day first for smiles, then tears.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo staff welcomed a newborn giraffe Wednesday, but hours later had to euthanize Laikipia, head male in the zoo’s world-renowned herd of reticulated giraffes.
It was the ninth offspring for mother Uhura and the 35th sired by Laikipia. His 36th is due to be born to Becky in a few weeks.
The zoo is home to the most prolific giraffe-breeding program in the world, according to the zoo. Wednesday’s birth was the 186th since 1954, when the zoo welcomed its first giraffes: wild-born Stretch, Susie and Pet.
http://www.gazette.com/articles/zoo_23983___article.html/giraffe_laikipia.html
Alligator has a zoo home
By Peter Mucha
Inquirer Staff Writer
Where the alligator came from, no one knows. But yesterday, after an overnight rest stop, the 41/2-foot reptile was already on view at Norristown's Elmwood Park Zoo.
The gator was discovered Thursday afternoon, sunbathing on a rocky bank of Pennypack Creek in Bryn Athyn.
"Obviously a pet gone wrong," said Shawn Tarman, an Upper Moreland animal control officer at the scene.
Tarman's counterpart from Warminster, Craig Claycomb, netted his brownish-black prey. Then he carried it "like a baby" - after its snout was secured with medics' tape - and put it into a large dog carrier, Tarman said.
The alligator spent the night, unsedated, behind a Little Mermaid shower curtain in the bathtub of Buddy Mullen, Warminster's public-works director.
"He's pretty friendly," Mullen said yesterday morning. "If you rub him underneath his neck a little bit, he likes that."
http://www.philly.com/philly/health_and_science/8144752.html
Beijing Zoo throws birthday bash for baby elephant
Beijing, June 25: Migara, a baby elephant gifted by Sri Lanka to China this year to celebrate their growing friendship, celebrated his sixth birthday at the Beijing Zoo, reports said on Sunday.
With a red ribbon on head, the male elephant received birthday wishes from both Chinese and Sri Lankan children, as well as delicious bananas from its raiser at a party organised on Saturday. Some 50 students from a Beijing-based China-Sri Lanka friendship school gave performances at the party. They also sang birthday songs to Migara both in English and Chinese.
Migara also relished a piece of a three-layer birthday cake.
Sri Lankan Ambassador to China Karunatilaka Amunugama called Migara a symbol of friendship between the two countries, representing the love from Sri Lanka to Chinese.
“Migara has been very popular among children since his public debut in March,” said Wu Zhaozheng, head of the Beijing Zoo, Wu Zhaozheng said, adding that Migara has got accustomed to the life in China, gaining some weight now.
PTI
http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=46551
A New Microbiological Zoo
Here's a very interesting article that says that RNA is much more important than we used to think, with profound implications for medicine, biotech and even evolutionary theory.
Posted by Rand Simberg at June 24, 2007 08:49 AM
http://www.transterrestrial.com/archives/009253.html
Really New Advances
Jun 14th 2007
From The Economist print edition
Molecular biology is undergoing its biggest shake-up in 50 years, as a hitherto little-regarded chemical called RNA acquires an unsuspected significance
IT IS beginning to dawn on biologists that they may have got it wrong. Not completely wrong, but wrong enough to be embarrassing. For half a century their subject had been built around the relation between two sorts of chemical. Proteins, in the form of enzymes, hormones and so on, made things happen. DNA, in the form of genes, contained the instructions for making proteins. Other molecules were involved, of course. Sugars and fats were abundant (too abundant, in some people). And various vitamins and minerals made an appearance, as well. Oh, and there was also a curious chemical called RNA, which looked a bit like DNA but wasn't. It obediently carried genetic information from DNA in the nucleus to the places in the cell where proteins are made, rounded up the amino-acid units out of which those proteins are constructed, and was found in the protein factories themselves.
All that was worked out decades ago. Since then, RNA has been more or less neglected as a humble carrier of messages and fetcher of building materials. This account of the cell was so satisfying to biologists that few bothered to look beyond it. But they are looking now. For, suddenly, cells seem to be full of RNA doing who-knows-what.
http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9333471
No obvious cause of death for elephant at Seattle zoo
Jun 22, 5:18 PM EDT
SEATTLE (AP) -- There was no obvious cause of death for a six-year-old elephant at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.
The zoo says preliminary post-mortem findings are inconclusive. More tests are being run.
So far, the zoo has ruled out gastric obstructions, genetic or nutritional diseases, cancer and salmonella. There's no evidence of a bacterial infection.
Tissue and blood samples have been sent to labs and other zoos around the country for tests that will take several weeks.
Hansa (HAHN'-suh) died June eight after only showing mild symptoms of inactivity and loss of appetite. Three other elephants remain at the Seattle zoo.
© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
http://www.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP06222007news157159.cfm
Australia Zoo names boat after Steve Irwin
Article from: AAP
June 23, 2007 05:34pm
WHALE conservation and the memory of crocodile hunter Steve Irwin became intertwined today when Australia Zoo launched its latest venture.
Despite bitterly cold conditions, Terri Irwin launched the zoo's whale watching boat dubbed Steve's Whale One, in memory of her late husband.
The vessel, named by the couple's children Bindi and Bob, will take guests in search of whales migrating up the east coast of Australia.
Departing from Mooloolaba Wharf on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, the 130-man boat will offer 360-degree views from large observation decks.
Guests can also listen to the whale songs using an underwater hydrophone, while a biologist will be on board to explain and discuss the gentle giants.
"We hope the trip will make people fall in love with the whales so much that they become a fully fledged supporter of whale conservation," said Australia Zoo spokeswoman Natalie Hodgskin.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21957028-5005961,00.html
Atascadero zoo tiger killed by exhibit mate
ASSOCIATED PRESS
6:45 a.m. June 26, 2007
ATASCADERO – A zoo tiger was killed by his longtime exhibit mate.
Hoshi, an Indochinese tiger who joined the Charles Paddock Zoo in fall 2000, was found dead in his den Sunday.
Zoo director Alan Baker said the tiger died from asphyxiation caused by exhibit mate Sala. Laboratory tests are incomplete and details about the death weren't known.
Hoshi was born in February 2000 at the Cincinnati Zoo and joined the Atascadero zoo later that year, Baker said.
Sala will stay on display at the zoo, which was established in 1955 by San Luis Obispo County park ranger Charles Paddock, who nursed wild animals back to health.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20070626-0645-ca-brf-cencoast-tigerkilled.html
Dwarf hippo baby attracts attention at Paris zoo
The Associated Press
Published: June 26, 2007
PARIS: Aldo looks, eats and lazes like a hippopotamus — but he's only about as big as a human baby, at 53 centimeters (21 inches).
The pygmy hippo, born this month at the Paris Zoo, is one of only a few dozen in Europe, bred in a special program to boost the rare species.
There are no more than 3,000 around the world, mostly concentrated in west African countries such as Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau or Liberia, said Juliane Villenain, a biologist at the zoo in the Bois de Vincennes, a park on Paris' eastern edge. According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, pygmy hippos have already disappeared from Nigeria.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/06/26/europe/EU-GEN-France-Dwarf-Hippo.php
Monkey music at zoo night - Video
Primates will be treated to live music at Whipsnade zoo on Friday night.
Lemurs will lead the dancing when a steel band strikes up as part of a special late opening on June 29 at the animal park.
The Zoo Nights event offers visitors a chance to explore the zoo after dark, with live music and entertainment from stilt-walkers and jugglers.
From 6.30pm to around 10pm, animal lovers can see sea lions, birds of prey, elephants and more.
There will also be talks on insects and spiders by experts and licensed bars and barbecues.
Tickets and information are available on the door and at www.zsl.org
Last Updated: 26 June 2007 4:45 PM
http://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/news?articleid=2983345
Bali Zoo needs your help
e-Travel Blackboard (press release) - Sydney,NSW,Australia
Bali Zoo, situated in the village of Singapadu (near Ubud), has known better days. Since the tragic terrorist attacks of 2002 and 2005, a downturn in ...
http://www.etravelblackboard.com/index.asp?id=66172&nav=48
Grant award will help 'bring back the roar' to Oregon Zoo
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
PORTLAND - The Oregon Zoo said goodbye to African lions nearly 10 years ago, and today it is working hard to " bring back the roar." Thanks to a $50,000 grant from the Spirit Mountain Community Fund - a charitable foundation of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde - the roar is getting a little bit louder.
The grant brings the campaign total to more than $1.7 million of the $5 million needed to build a major new exhibit titled Predators of the Serengeti.
"As a Tribal foundation, we are honored to work with the Oregon Zoo to promote ongoing efforts to maintain our natural environment, as well as the animals that inhabit it," said Director Shelley Hanson. "We're proud supporters of this newest conservation and education exhibit at the zoo."
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/argus/index.ssf?/base/news/1182884051316570.xml&coll=6
SPCA to recommend charges against Cariboo tiger owner
By Paul Carlucci
Black Press
Jun 21 2007
Kim Carlton wants his day in court.
In about three weeks, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is going to recommend he have it.
Marcie Moriarty, SPCA’s general manager of cruelty investigations, said the organization is poised to recommend charges under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Carlton owns two tigers, a lion and a primate under the auspices of Siberian Magic, an exotic animal farm.
Recently, a third tiger was put down after his fiancee lost her life in a mauling incident.
The SPCA said the completion of its investigation and the death of Tanya Dumstrey-Soos are unrelated.
After the charges are recommended, it’s up to the Crown to press them.
The investigation against Carlton has been developing since November 2005, when the group became aware of the man’s presence in 100 Mile House.
http://www.wltribune.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=37&cat=23&id=1010902&more=0
Johannesburg Zoo, JHB, South Africa (waymark gallery)
S 26° 10.133 E 028° 02.228
35J E 603648 N 7105199
Quick Description: Come explore the Johannesburg Zoo with 2070 Animals, 365 Species in over 54 hectares!
Location: Gauteng, South Africa
http://www.waymarking.com/wm/details.aspx?f=1&guid=950a0f76-8e74-4653-bded-25bd20b07abf
Virginia Zoo welcomes its newest and rarest new member.
The dozens of kids and grownups gathered at one exhibit just by the main entrance of the Virginia Zoo have a serious case of animal anticipation. Sarah Stanford, an eight-year-old from Smithsburg, MD, says "I'm not leaving this spot until I see my panda bear."
Stanford and the other spectators are here to see the red panda inside an air-conditioned hut. It's not the kind with the big black eyes. This is a red panda which is also rare. Greg Bockheim is the Zoo's Executive Director. He says "It's an amazingly special for us to receive such a critically endangered animal. A lot of zoos do want red pandas. There's about 120 in zoos across the country but less than 25-hundred in the wild." Red pandas live in bamboo forests from the Himalayas to South China. And like giant pandas they have an extra 'thumb,' zoo officials say, which is simply an enlarged bone.
http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=6694102&nav=23ii
new york zoos
http://gridskipper.com/travel/new-york/nyc-zoos-269974.php
Tauber gift takes zoo visitors for a ride on the wild side
$750,000 donation will pay for railroad renovations
By Mary Beth Almond
C & G Staff Writer
BLOOMFIELD HILLS — When patrons sit down for a ride on the Detroit Zoo’s train this summer, they can thank the Tauber family of Bloomfield Hills for making it possible.
Joel and Shelly Tauber recently donated $750,000 to the zoo to preserve the train — a symbol of the zoo’s rich heritage.
The Detroit News donated the first train — a replica steam locomotive with passenger cars — in 1931 to help the zoo survive hard times during the Great Depression. The train carried 10 million passengers before becoming obsolete in 1948.
http://www.candgnews.com/Homepage-Articles/2007/6-27-07/BF-RAILROAD.asp
Zoo upgrades feasts for beasts
By Amy Maxmen
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
06/28/2007
Kristen Frizzell prepares fish for penguins at the St. Louis Zoo.
(Sarah Conard/P-D)
As the sun rises this morning, a handful of chefs will fix chow for 22,805 beastly mouths in a kitchen big enough to park a yacht in.
A new animal nutrition center is opening at the St. Louis Zoo.
It has a refrigerator bigger than a two-car garage, a freezer the size of half a basketball court, and three 4.5-ton, two-story silos full of high-fiber pellets.
Beyond the top-notch climate-controlled pantry space, the new center includes lab space for nutritional research, and outdoor educational exhibits.
Advertisement
The Orthwein Animal Nutrition Center, which cost $5.3 million, is named after contributors William R. Orthwein, Jr., and Laura Rand Orthwein.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/31784E631479456F862573080010D801?OpenDocument
Eagles spark interest; zoo thankful for support
Advertisement
The last two months have been very exciting for the Miller Park Zoo. The eagle experience has been a very positive event.
Even though no eaglet was hatched, the interest in the Beauty/Mathata story was very gratifying.
Not only did attendance at the zoo increase, but we believe the interest in wildlife in our community has increased because of the eagles.
We here at the zoo sincerely appreciate all of the positive comments, media support and interest in the eagles this event has generated. We thank our community for the continued support of the Miller Park Zoo and of wildlife in our region.
John Tobias
Bloomington
The writer is superintendent, Miller Park Zoo.
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007/06/28/opinion/letters/126633.txt
Plan for double zoo size in future
Board gets its first look at how animal park could grow with Measure Z funding.
By Marc Benjamin / The Fresno Bee
06/28/07 04:54:00
– All Job Categories – Accounting Admin & Clerical Automotive1 Banking1 Biotech1 Broadcast - Journalism1 Business Development Construction Consultant Customer Service Design Distribution - Shipping Education Engineering Entry Level Executive Facilities Finance General Business General Labor Government Health Care Hotel - Hospitality Human Resources Information Technology Insurance Inventory Legal Legal Admin Management Manufacturing Marketing Nurse Other Pharmaceutical Professional Services Purchasing - Procurement QA - Quality Control Research Restaurant - Food Service Retail - Grocery Sales Science Skilled Labor - Trades Strategy - Planning Supply Chain Telecommunications Training Transportation Warehouse
The Fresno Chaffee Zoo board took its first glimpse into the zoo's future Wednesday night and visited new grasslands filled with predators and other exotic creatures.
The zoo's new master plan could include the return of two popular species that have been absent -- lions and hippos.
During a special meeting, board members discussed master plan renderings of new and expanded exhibits to be built with funding from Measure Z, the countywide sales tax approved by voters in 2004 to pay for zoo improvements.
The master plan lays out how that money could be spent to expand the zoo. But the plan also opens a 20-year window for showing how the zoo could eventually double in size.
http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/71656.html
Zoo's 'rainforest' opens
Bertie Ahern
Elephants will make their first appearance at Dublin Zoo for almost two years when a spectacular rainforest enclosure is opened.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is to unveil the sprawling Kaziranga Forest Trail habitat, which includes water pools and dense vegetation.
It will be home to the zoo's two new adult Asian elephants, Bernhardine and Yasmin, which have been in quarantine since arriving from Germany earlier this year. A two-month-old baby elephant born at the zoo in May has yet to be named.
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2007, All Rights Reserved.
Last Updated: 28 June 2007 2:55 PM
http://www.tyronetimes.co.uk/latest-irish-news?articleid=2989459
Elephants unpack trunks in new enclosure
The elephants explore their new enclosure at Dublin Zoo
Elephants today made their first public appearance at Dublin Zoo for almost two years in their new specially designed rainforest enclosure.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern unveiled the Kaziranga Forest Trail habitat, which includes water pools and dense vegetation.
It will be home to the zoo's two new adult Asian elephants, Bernhardine and Yasmin, who have been in quarantine since arriving from Germany earlier this year.
A two-month-old baby born at the Zoo in May has yet to be named.
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0628/breaking32.htm
Scenes from Lincoln Park: Lincoln Park Zoo
Posted 6/28/2007 by Sheila Burt
Monkey alert! This little guy kept staring at us when we visited the Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N Clark St, earlier this week.
The zoo is home to 1,200 animals representing 230 species, according to its Web site. It's been around since 1868 when two swans were donated from New York's Central Park, according to the Encyclopedia of Chicago (though the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce's Web site says the zoo started in 1874 with the $10 purchase of a bear cub) .
http://yochicago.com/today/environment/scenes-from-lincoln-park-lincoln-park-zoo_5339/
Virginia Zoo welcomes its newest and rarest new member.
The dozens of kids and grownups gathered at one exhibit just by the main entrance of the Virginia Zoo have a serious case of animal anticipation. Sarah Stanford, an eight-year-old from Smithsburg, MD, says "I'm not leaving this spot until I see my panda bear."
Stanford and the other spectators are here to see the red panda inside an air-conditioned hut. It's not the kind with the big black eyes. This is a red panda which is also rare. Greg Bockheim is the Zoo's Executive Director. He says "It's an amazingly special for us to receive such a critically endangered animal. A lot of zoos do want red pandas. There's about 120 in zoos across the country but less than 25-hundred in the wild." Red pandas live in bamboo forests from the Himalayas to South China. And like giant pandas they have an extra 'thumb,' zoo officials say, which is simply an enlarged bone.
At 11:04 a-m -- the gate opens for Yin-- the panda's name. And the first thing the crowd learns about the one year old is she's shy. Stanford asks, "Why is she hiding from us?" Her keeper, Martha Hamilton, explains, "This is her first time you know being in front of a crowd of people."
http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=6694102&nav=23ii
What is a Wild Horse?
June 22nd, 2007 by shenron
The wild horse is the original design of the horse, descended from undomesticated animals who have lived on earth for millions of years. Today they are extinct in much of the world, and only exist naturally in Asia. There are only two subspecies of wild horses that survived to modern times due to direct human involvement. The first is the Tarpan, or Eurasian Wild Horse, and the other is the Mongolian Wild Horse. The Mongolian Wild Horse was at one point listed as extinct in the wild, but since has been found again and through careful conservation has been brought back from the brink of total obliteration with 1500 in zoos providing the basis of a breeding program for reintroduction into the wild. As of now there are just over 250 Wild Mongolian Horses in the wild, and the numbers are hopefully going to increase and bring that species of wild horse back to sustainable levels that will insure the species survival. Wild Horses used to be in nearly every continent, including North America, but were either starved out with climate change - or hunted to extinction. The Tarpan went extinct completely in 1875.
http://www.themules.net/what-is-a-wild-horse
Group: Close Birmingham elephant pen after Mona's death
6/22/2007, 12:31 p.m. CDT
By JAY REEVES
The Associated Press
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — An animal protection group said Friday the Birmingham Zoo should shut down the pen where an elderly Asian elephant named Mona lived alone before being euthanized due to deteriorating health.
Believed to be the oldest elephant in captivity at an accredited U.S. zoo, Mona was put to sleep by a lethal injection on Thursday. She was unable to stand without the help of a crane on Monday.
A group that previously criticized the animal's treatment said her death was the perfect time to permanently close the pen where she lived.
http://www.al.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-29/118253394413050.xml&storylist=alabamanews
Animals living in dire conditions in Johor zoos
I VISITED the Saleng zoo in Kulai, Johor, last month and found the animals there in a miserable state.
The enclosures were small, dirty, hardly maintained and stank. I doubt very much that the animals are sufficiently fed.
I can sense the hopelessness among the big animals such as tigers and lions.
Many monkeys were chained and lost their fur.
When I related told this to a Malaysian friend, he replied that the condition in the zoo in Johor Baru is worse.
Why does the Malaysian government allow such deplorable conditions? We destroy animal habitat, eat them or, in this case, turn them into exhibits in such inhumane condition.
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST+Forum/Online+Story/STIStory_131874.html
European zoos celebrate Madagascar National Day
June 23, 2007
On 26 June Madagascar celebrates its National Day. The Living Rainforest will be among the zoos and aquaria all over Europe joining this celebration and organising Malagasy activities.
The activities on 26 June are part of the 2006/7 Madagascar campaign organised by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). During the campaign year, The Living Rainforest and other EAZA members will tell their visitors about the wonderful flora and fauna of the island and raise funds for conservation projects.
EAZA member institutions will organise various activities, showing the magnificent Malagasy animals and plants and explaining the threats to their survival. Madagascar National Day is an extra reason to bring this message to the visitors and invite them to join the celebrations and help conserve the island.
http://www.livingrainforest.org/news/item?id=59
The elephants as we know them
By: JOHN VAN DOORN - Staff Writer
When wild animals and people get together, for any reason at all, it's not an easy association.
For every Tarzan in the world ---- he grew up in Africa swinging through the trees with ape friends, charging across the veldt astride his favorite elephant ---- there are millions of the rest of us who don't know what our relationship with wild animals should be, or if there should be any at all.
Cautious, we tend to leave these great animals to the zoos, where in nervous safety behind the barriers we look at them and wonder who they are, or what, and when they got here, and how, and why they often do not look happy. Tarzan's animals did.
These are age-old questions that often include another on the metaphysical side, which is how to decide who is actually "behind" the barriers where such alien animals pace and glare.
One thing to be agreed upon: We humans want to assure ourselves that whatever sort of life the animals have around here, it is at least life.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/06/24/perspective/vandoorn/21_17_446_22_07.txt
Zoo on the path to national accreditation
By ANDREA THOMAS
athomas@journalandcourier.com
Of the more than 2,500 United States institutions that are licensed animal exhibitors, only 208 -- or less than 10 percent -- are accredited members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The Columbian Park Zoo hopes to someday be in that company.
If it succeeds, it would join the ranks of four other Indiana animal exhibitors that are AZA members -- the Indianapolis Zoo, Mesker Park Zoo in Evansville, Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend and Fort Wayne Children's Zoo.
Johanna Zalkin, a West Lafayette resident, says she is an animal rights activist in her "own quiet way," and she's looking forward to the changes.
http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070624/NEWS/706240352/1152
A week's worth of science news
Jun 24, 2007 04:30 AM
Peter Calamai
Science Reporter
DANCING FEET
You can see penguins in Sudbury this summer, as part of a special exhibition at the innovative Science North museum to mark International Polar Year.
But those are cardboard cut-outs, not real ones like the Humboldt penguins reported in rare sightings off the B.C. and Alaska coasts since the mid-1970s. As recently as July 2002, a fisherman photographed a Humboldt among salmon netted off southeast Alaska.
What are penguins that normally live along the coasts of Peru and Chile doing that far north?
A study in the current issue of The Wilson Journal of Ornithology concludes these particular birds most likely travelled north as pets aboard long-distance fishing boats from the southern oceans, which are home to the 17 species of penguins.
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/228768
The B. Bryan Preserve In Point Arena Granted AZA Certification
June 24, 2007 at 12:34 pm
A zoo in Point Arena?
Not exactly, but Dr. Frank and Judy Mello have won acreditation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) for their private animal preserve, the B Bryan Preserve in Point Arena, which is home to Sable, Roan and Greater Kudu Antelope as well as rare and endangered Grevy’s Zebra and Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra
“Only the very best zoos and aquariums can meet tough Association of Zoos and Aquariums standards,” said AZA President and CEO Jim Maddy, in a press release provided to MendocinoFun.com. “The leadership and staff of the B Bryan Preserve are to be congratulated for the hard work and commitment that they put into the process to become certified.”
http://www.mendocinofun.com/2007/06/24/the-b-bryan-preserve-in-point-arena-granted-aza-certification/
Nashville and three other cites to share $3 million for zoo improvements
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) -- Four Tennessee cities will share $3 million in state funding to make improvements to their zoos.
Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville will each receive $750,000 approved by the recent General Assembly for improvements to animal attractions. Chattanooga will use $525,000 for its zoo, and the rest will go toward its Tennessee Aquarium exhibit.
State Sen. Ward Crutchfield said he has been a fan of the Chattanooga zoo for years and has done some fundraising on his own, but he realized for the zoo to get the money it needed for its long-term plans the state needed to help.
"The aquarium had a lot of backers, but the zoo needed more," said the Chattanooga Democrat.
Officials said the money will be used for a new front entrance for the Chattanooga Zoo and upgrades to the aquarium's exhibits.
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070624/NEWS01/70624007/1006
Border fence may stop ocelot
11:55 PM CDT on Sunday, June 24, 2007
By KATIE MENZER / The Dallas Morning News
kmenzer@dallasnews.com
A 700-mile fence proposed along the Texas-Mexico border might do more than curb illegal immigration.
It also might cut in two the habitat of many native animals – such as the endangered ocelot – and possibly isolate northern animals from their southern brethren.
Without more details on what the fence – which Congress approved last year – will look like, scientists said they can't predict how the barrier will affect wildlife, but they know the impact will be felt.
"The fence is going to interrupt the environment for a lot of species," said Ken Kaemmerer, curator of mammals for the Dallas Zoo and leader of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums' Species Survival Plan for ocelots.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/062507dnmetocelotsider.37f7ccc.html
Dated
Polar bears in Berlin's zoo enjoy ice with a difference
Berlin, July 25: The polar bear has a layer of fat that can be as much as four inches thick. This helps it survive in the freezing temperatures of its natural habitat, but doesn't help much in a zoo as the German polar bear Lars discovered.
Lars and his mate live in Berlin Zoo, where the temperature on Friday (July 21) was above 30 degrees celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) again. But Lars has been able to have a refreshing break thanks to his sponsors.
"The company 'Eis Vogel' sponsors the polar bear Lars, and they thought they would bring a bit of diversity into his life and if it is too hot then we shall donate some ice, and that is what they have for a change," Zookeeper Markus Robke said.
'Eis Vogel' donated ice which they usually use for decorations at events, so while wild polar bears are digging out shallow "summer dens" in order to escape the heat, Lars is able to play with the ice footballs or demolish ice on Brandenburg Gate.
Polar bears can survive even when the temperature drops to minus 70 degrees because its fat keeps its body heat trapped inside.
The hairs on a polar bear are hollow and can channel ultraviolet light from the sun down to the bear's black skin, which absorbs it. This means that the bear's body is somewhat like a greenhouse, trapping solar energy and then storing it in the from of heat.
http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=311445&ssid=26&sid=ENV
Plight of animals at Haifa Zoo
By Raffi Berg
BBC News, Haifa
Buba is confined to her concrete sleeping quarters
Buba the bear is not well. She has been locked inside for most of the past nine days and the effects are beginning to show.
"She has developed an abscess on her leg and I am worried about her," said Dr Etty Ararat, the director of Haifa Zoo.
Like all the mammals at the zoo, Buba, an eight-year-old Brown Syrian bear, has been confined to her concrete sleeping quarters for her own safety as the city is bombarded by missiles from Lebanon.
"The bears are not stressed by the air raid sirens but they don't understand why they have to be inside all the time," said Dr Ararat.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5213602.stm
Fuel Cell Power Plant Under Way at the L.A. Zoo
Los Angeles, California [RenewableEnergyAccess.com]
The new Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) Zoo Fuel Cell Power Plant, recently dedicated at the Los Angeles Zoo produces 200 kilowatts (kW) of highly efficient and clean hydrogen-fueled electricity -- enough to power 250 homes -- and marks the fourth fuel cell in LADWP's award-winning Fuel Cell Demonstration Program.
"By generating power near the load, DG also helps save money by reducing pressure on our infrastructure while providing for increased reliability."
-- Ron Deaton, LADWP General Manager
Fuel cells and other types of distributed generation (DG) help to relieve the daily strain on the system and to maintain the quality of power when the grid is loaded down. Thus, along with demand side energy and energy efficiency programs, they are a key part of LADWP's long-term plans to meet the City's energy needs, helping to achieve 20 percent of retail energy sales through renewable energy by 2010, said David Nahai, vice president of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners.
"By generating power near the load, DG also helps save money by reducing pressure on our infrastructure while providing for increased reliability," said LADWP General Manager Ron Deaton.
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=45535
Authorities find drugs, guns at private N.C. zoo
Date created: 7/26/2006 2:54:46 PM
Last updated: 7/26/2006 2:54:56 PM
A raid at a private zoo near Salisbury turned up more than four-legged animals.
Authorities say they found drugs, guns and illegal video poker machines at Metrolina Wildlife Park, formerly known as Charlotte Metro Zoo.
Sergeant Tony Sharum of the state Wildlife Resources Division says park owner Steve Macaluso faces misdemeanor charges related to the number of animals he kept and how he kept them.
Officials say officers seized numerous animals along with drugs, guns and eight to ten video poker machines. State law says a permit is required to store more than five video poker machines.
http://www.wbir.com/news/national/story.aspx?storyid=36398
Zoo may be final destination for Scott man's lion cub Simba
Published 07/27/2006 By KEVIN CASTLE
GATE CITY - A Snowflake community property owner plans to go ahead with a zoo project following a court decision involving his pet lion cub on Thursday.
Scott County General District Court Judge Larry Lewis accepted an Alford plea from Marc Bradley of Gate City on one misdemeanor count of importation and possession of an undesirable and predatory animal, a charge lodged against him in March by a Virginia game warden following a search of his and his father's home.
At that time, that official found a 7½-month-old lion cub named "Simba" confined in a sturdy holding cage following an anonymous call from one of Bradley's neighbors out of concern for the animal's welfare.
http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=3659832
Then & Now: Evolution of the zoo
Web Posted: 07/30/2006 01:19 AM CDT
Scott Huddleston
Express-News Staff Writer
The San Antonio Zoo began with little more than a herd of bison in Brackenridge Park, but it has become one of the top local attractions for visitors.
Now with more than 3,500 animals representing 750 species, the zoo has focused more over the years on education, conservation, species preservation and sensory stimulation for young children. It typically draws at least 800,000 visitors annually and often is listed among the world's leading zoos.
San Antonio's first zoo dates at least to the 1870s. U.S. poet Sidney Lanier wrote about an aviary, a Mexican lion, two bears, a wolf and other animals displayed in San Pedro Park.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA073006.02B.Then_Now_zoo.18c7d86.html
Zoo Tycoon 2 Adds Dino Park
No word yet on whether or not the new addition will feature a petting zoo.
by IGN Staff
July 28, 2006 - It's hard to believe there was a time when gigantic lizards roamed these hills. Now, the only place you can find dinosaurs is in a zoo. Today Microsoft Game Studios announced a Dino Danger Pack is available online for Zoo Tycoon 2, allowing users to throw a few prehistoric beasts into their zoo and see what happens.
Dino Danger Pack adds four dinosaurs to the mix: Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, Carnotaurus, and Styracosaurus. New dino-themed buildings and objects are available, too, such as the all-important electric fence to keep your Rex out of the funnel cakes. Prehistoric challenges will test your abilities to keep these beasts in captivity, impress visiting researchers, and take good photos.
Zoo Tycoon 2 Dino Danger Pack is only available from the game's website for $4.99.
Zoo Tycoon 2: Dino Danger Pack
Also known as:
Zoo Tycoon II: Dino Danger Pack
http://zootycoon.com/
Thai elephants to face pressure to breed
An Australian zoo official feeds two of the elephants in Thailand.
Photo: AP
Andrew Darby
August 1, 2006
THE first attempt at artificial insemination of an Asian elephant in Australia has failed, putting pressure on Sydney and Melbourne zoos to use the technique with their Thai elephants.
Zoos say that rather than being used to attract customers, which would be a breach of international wildlife trade law, the eight Thai elephants will form the nucleus of a breeding herd for conservation.
But no Asian elephant has yet been successfully bred in Australia.
The difficult technique was tried with a bull, Putramas, and a cow, Permai, both aged 16, at the Perth Zoo, it was learned yesterday.
However, the procedure had failed to achieve a pregnancy, a Perth Zoo spokeswoman said.
"AI with elephants is a very invasive procedure that can require very heavy-handed tactics," said the RSPCA's Jane Speechley.
"The lack of success in Perth shows that the procedure is in its infancy, and these elephants should not be subjected to these kind of experiments."
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/thai-elephants-to-face-pressure-to-breed/2006/07/31/1154198074605.html
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