Zoos

65M zoo bond moves closer to ballot
By Jeremiah Stettler
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 07/19/2007 06:25:56 PM MDT
Posted: 6:29 PM- Hogle Zoo is about as risky to taxpayers as a stroll through its east-side park, financial analysts say.
That's the conclusion of Salt Lake County's Debt Review Committee, which determined Thursday that the zoo is a safe financial investment if voters decide to feed $65 million into it for remodeling and expansion.
Zoo officials now need the County Council's nod to put its tax request - which will pay for the largest makeover in Hogle history - on the November ballot.
If approved, property taxes would rise about $10 a year on a $250,000 home over the next two decades.
"It is clear to me that it is a viable plan," said Jon Bronson, a committee member and manager of public finance at Zions Bank. "The zoo's past performance is a good indication of future performance."
Hogle Zoo plans to transform its 41-acre park at the mouth of Emigration Canyon, trading concrete enclosures for

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_6415696


Zoo board OKs master plan
Chaffee Zoo proposes expansions, new exhibits.
By Marc Benjamin / The Fresno Bee
07/24/07 04:34:19
Fresno Chaffee Zoo board members unanimously voted Monday to approve the zoo's new master plan, which will incorporate $80 million in improvements by 2014.
The plan will be forwarded Wednesday to the Fresno County Zoo Authority for approval.
Before construction can begin, the zoo must prepare an environmental impact report to look at the effects the project will have on Roeding Park and nearby neighborhoods. The document is expected to be done next year, and its approval is subject to community input.
Although some audience members at a meeting last week said they were concerned about how the zoo's expansion would affect Roeding Park, there was no public opposition to the plan Monday night.
For 2008 and 2009, the zoo will open a temporary attraction similar to this year's Stingray Bay.

http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/93779.html



Baby joins zoo's expanding giraffe herd
A better job awaits
2007 is the year of the giraffe at the Indianapolis Zoo.
Taji, the Indianapolis Zoo's newest reticulated giraffe, was born Sunday.
Steve Schanez / The Star
The zoo's second reticulated giraffe calf of the year was born Sunday.
Keepers have named the male Taji, (TAH'-GEE) an African name that means "crown," the zoo said in a news release. He is about 6 feet 2 inches and weighs in at 158 pounds.
Taji was born to mother Takasa (TA-KAH'-SA). The sire is the zoo's adult male giraffe, Eddie.
Later this week, the new calf should be visible to the public in the small giraffe transition yard, which is next to the tracks used for the zoo train ride. If all introductions go as planned, mother and baby should be on exhibit with the rest of the giraffe herd by the end of July.
The new calf joins, Elon, who was born on April 23 to Elena, who is also Takasa's mother.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070718/LOCAL/707180505



Newborn giraffe at Indianapolis Zoo
INDIANAPOLIS, July 19 (UPI) -- The most recent giraffe born at the Indianapolis Zoo made his public debut this week at the age of 4 days.
The newborn was named Taji, or Crown, by his keepers after his birth Sunday, The Indianapolis Star reported. He was the second giraffe born at the zoo this year.
Taji was a super-sized newborn, weighing 158 pounds and measuring 6 feet, 2 inches, from hooves to head. He is expected to be 17 feet tall when he is full-grown.
Reporters, photographers and camera crews were allowed a glimpse of Taji Wednesday. He may be visible to the public this weekend in the giraffe transition area.
Takasa, Taji's mother, has given birth twice before. Her first calf died within a few days but the second, named Jakobi, is 2 years old and living in the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, Iowa.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Quirks/2007/07/19/newborn_giraffe_at_indianapolis_zoo/7796/



Baby giraffe for Auckland Zoo
Jul 25, 2007
Keepers at Auckland Zoo arrived at work on Wednesday morning to find a new addition - a baby giraffe.
The calf is the first female giraffe born at the zoo in 15 years and is the third off-spring of 21-year-old mum Kay and nine-year-old dad Zabulu.
Auckland Zoo Pridelands team leader, Michael Batty, says it was a wonderful surprise to get to work and find the healthy baby.
"We knew the birth was imminent and had been monitoring Kay carefully," Batty says. "As with all her other deliveries, she took it all in her stride. She is a great mum, bonding really well with her calf, and doing all the right things."

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411365/1254235



Woodland Park Zoo's endangered Malayan tapir gives birth
07/18/2007
SEATTLE - A watermelon on four legs was born just before the Fourth of July at Woodland Park. The 26-pound, female, Malayan tapir calf marks the fourth birth for her 12-year-old parents. The unnamed calf will remain off exhibit, in the tapir barn, for the time being, while staff closely monitor her and her mother. Thanks to a "tapir cam," zoo-goers may view the baby tapir real time on a closed-circuit monitor at the tapir shelter in the Trail of Vines exhibit. Images will soon be available on the zoo's Web site www.zoo.org.
"The birth of this tapir is significant because they are endangered and her genetic line is underrepresented in the North American population," said zoo general curator Dr. Nancy Hawkes. She noted that there weren't any other Malayan tapir births in North American zoos in the last year. Woodland Park's birth brings the total number of Malayan tapirs to 54 in North America; an estimated 900 to 3,000 remain in the wild.

http://www.pacificpublishingcompany.com/site/tab3.cfm?newsid=18601720&BRD=855&PAG=461&dept_id=515262&rfi=6



Woodland Park Zoo's endangered Malayan tapir gives birth
07/18/2007
SEATTLE - A watermelon on four legs was born just before the Fourth of July at Woodland Park. The 26-pound, female, Malayan tapir calf marks the fourth birth for her 12-year-old parents. The unnamed calf will remain off exhibit, in the tapir barn, for the time being, while staff closely monitor her and her mother. Thanks to a "tapir cam," zoo-goers may view the baby tapir real time on a closed-circuit monitor at the tapir shelter in the Trail of Vines exhibit. Images will soon be available on the zoo's Web site www.zoo.org.

http://www.pacificpublishingcompany.com/site/tab3.cfm?newsid=18601720&BRD=855&PAG=461&dept_id=515262&rfi=6



Haven of hidden treasures needs a well-kept zoo
Shareen Han
BRUNEI-MUARA
19-Jul-07
A PROPER zoo should be set up in Brunei as an alternative tourist attraction, but relevant authorities must consider the aspect of long-term maintenance to avoid mismanagement of funds and facilities, said animal lovers.
The Brunei Times spoke to some Bruneians, who said that a zoo is a feasible idea to lure tourists and would bring educational benefits to students, in terms of enriching their learning experiences by observing animals.
"I went to the zoo in Temburong but found out that most of the animals were dead," Hjh Fatimah Ali said.
The mother of three said that the establishment of a zoo in the Brunei-Muara district would be useful for her children, because they are curious to know how animals interact, rather than depending on television channels alone.
"In general, children like animals and if (we) were to visit a country, the zoo would always be included in my itinerary," she said.
She said that proper planning as well as animal experts such as veterinarians are needed before a zoo is opened to the public.

http://www.bruneitimes.com.bn/details.php?shape_ID=36975



Zoo Will Move Ahead With Fundraising
Funds Go Toward Expansion Plan
POSTED: 4:38 pm CDT July 18, 2007
UPDATED: 4:55 pm CDT July 18, 2007
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Blank Park Zoo plans to move forward with its fundraising plans for expansion, its foundation board announced Wednesday.
The Blank Park Zoo needs to raise $25 million in order to expand into the lake area of the Fort Des Moines Park.
Under the plan, the zoo will take over about half of the Fort Des Moines Park, including the lake area.
In exchange, the zoo would spend $5 million to buy a wooded area just south of Southridge Mall and make it a new park. It would also pay to connect it across Southeast Fifth Street with a tunnel to the remaining area of the Fort Des Moines Park.
On July 10, a referendum called Project Destiny that was aimed at providing tax relief and funds for local attractions such as the zoo was overwhelmingly struck down by voters.
"The zoo's popularity is at an all-time high with what appears to be the biggest summer attendance in its history,” said Jim Hourigan, the zoo foundation’s chairman in a statement. "Our board has unanimously endorsed the pledge to move forward with earlier plans to grow with or without Project Destiny."

http://www.kcci.com/news/13708004/detail.html



THIS IS THE SECOND TIME !!! WHAT GOES ON WITH OPEN DOORWAYS?

Gates not closed before tiger attack at San Antonio Zoo
Associated Press
SAN ANTONIO - A zookeeper attacked by a tiger at the San Antonio Zoo had forgotten to close and lock a series of gates behind him before releasing the large cat into the exhibit yard, a zoo official said Wednesday.
The 244-pound tiger named Berani knocked down Jeff Tierney, bit him in the head several times and dragged him into a service hallway Saturday, said Steve McCusker, the zoo's executive director.
When the Sumatran tiger released Tierney, he was able to grab pepper spray to corral the 5-year-old tiger.
Tierney, 28, was hospitalized in stable condition.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4979884.html


Tiger feared on the loose in France
New 1:30PM Friday July 20, 2007
BORDEAUX, France - Police in southwestern France are searching for a big cat, possibly a young tiger, that has been spotted prowling in a village near the city of Bordeaux, the village's mayor said.
Officials from the National Hunting Office have also laid traps for the animal after a woman and her daughter saw it repeatedly in their garden.
"At first they didn't believe it, but the third time the animal was 10 metres away from them," Pierre Soubabere, mayor of Saint-Louis-de-Montferrand, told Reuters.
Another resident has seen the cat roaming the countryside, and its tracks suggest it is a young tiger, though it could be a jaguar or a leopard.
Soubabere said no such animal had been reported missing in the area, not even by circuses that spend part of the year in a neighbouring town.
- REUTERS

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10452779


Thiruvananthapuram zoo reopens post-FMD outbreak
From our ANI Correspondent
Thiruvananthapuram, July 24: A zoo here reopened on Tuesday after 16 days of quarantine, following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) among animals.
The city zoo was closed on July 8 for the visitors after it lost its entire stock of Indian Gaur (Bos Gaurus or a look alike of Indian bison) and 12 blackbucks in a week to the killer disease.
The zoo confirmed that FMD virus of strain 'O' had caused the deaths.
Although officials claim that everything is normal, the zoo is taking precautions against the highly contagious disease by restricting visitors inside the zoo.

http://www.dailyindia.com/show/159929.php/Thiruvananthapuram-zoo-reopens-post-FMD-outbreak



Zoo's siamang gets playmate
Third Asian ape also on the way
By Justin Hesser
The Courier-Journal
Zoli, a baby siamang at the Louisville Zoo who was orphaned after his parents unexpectedly died in April, is getting to know a new playmate and has another on the way.
Training supervisor Jane Anne Franklin said it's important to give Zoli a companion so he can grow up understanding what it's like to be a siamang, a tree-dwelling ape native to Southeast Asia.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070724/NEWS01/707240447/1008/NEWS01



D.M. zoo finances move out of the red
Special events have helped the facility attract more visitors, officials say.
By MELISSA WALKER
July 24, 2007
Officials at Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines say they have seen finances move out of the red behind a multimillion-dollar land gift, donations and special events designed to boost attendance.
Director Terry Rich said the zoo "could not be in a better position financially" since the nonprofit foundation took over management from the city in 2003. Revenue for the 16-month period that ended Oct. 31, 2006, was $7.4 million, according to financial statements made public Monday. Expenses totaled $6.15 million.
The foundation's assets totaled $11.8 million, which includes an endowment, investments, and land worth $2 million, a gift from developer William Knapp.

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070724/NEWS05/707240387/1007



Boo at the Zoo Tickets on Sale Starting August 6
Halloween may seem a ways off, but those friendly little ghosts and goblins will be back before you know it. So Cleveland Metroparks Zoo will start selling discounted tickets for its hugely popular Boo at the Zoo event on Monday, August 6.
Tickets will be $6 per person through September 30. (Price is $7 per person starting October 1.) Kids under 2 get into Boo at the Zoo for free, and Cleveland Zoo members get a $1 discount for anyone covered by their membership.
Boo at the Zoo tickets will be available at the Zoo Box Office and at clemetzoo.com.
This year's Boo at the Zoo, promising eight nights of not-too-scary fun, is scheduled to run from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. October 18 to 21 and 25 to 28. The family-friendly Halloween celebration is the biggest in Cleveland, with most nights selling out in 2006. This year's Boo will offer nightly Creepy Crawly Critter Shows, Get Close Animal Encounters, children's crafts, costumed characters, clowns, magic shows and, of course, plenty of candy.
Celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2007, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with hours extended to 7 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Admission is $10 per person, $5 for kids ages 2 to 11 and free for children under 2 and Zoo members. Parking is free. Located at 3900 Wildlife Way, the Zoo is easily accessible from Interstates 71, 77, 90 and 480. To learn more, visit clemetzoo.com or call (216) 661-6500.

http://www.clemetzoo.com/pressroom/index.asp?action=details&pressrelease_id=1256



Zoo's panda Mei Sheng heads for China in October
By Jeanette Steele
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
11:34 a.m. July 24, 2007
SAN DIEGO – Mei Sheng, the San Diego Zoo's second American-born panda, will be headed to China in October.
Born in 2003 in San Diego, the male panda's name means “Born in the USA” or “Beautiful Life,” according to the zoo.
“We have watched Mei Sheng grow up at the San Diego Zoo, gaining important knowledge about giant panda biology, but it is time for him to take the next step into adulthood and join a breeding population of pandas,' said Carmi Penny, curator of mammals and co-head of the zoo's Giant Panda Conservation Unit.
“Mei Sheng is a valuable addition to the giant panda breeding program because he is the first offspring of a male giant panda not yet genetically represented in the Chinese panda population,” Penny said. Mei Sheng's mother, Bai Yun, gave birth to her first cub, Hua Mei, in 1999 at the San Diego Zoo, creating a national sensation as the first surviving panda born in the United States. Hua Mei went to China in 2004 and since has given birth to three sets of twins.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070724-1134-bn24panda.html



Cincinnati Zoo Expecting a World's First
July 23, 2007 12:13 PM EDT
(CINCINNATI) -- The Cincinnati Zoo is expecting after the worlds first successful artificial insemination procedure in an Indian Rhino. The zoo says that the achievement is important for the captive population of Indian rhinos and the scientific achievement is represents.
Fifteen-year-old Nikki is one of only 60 Indian Rhinos in captivity in North America. There are approximately 2,000 remaining in the wild. They once ranged over large parts of Africa, the Middle East and southern Asia. Of the five rhino species alive today, the Indian rhino is the second largest, weighing in at about 6,000 pounds. Its current habitat is the floodplain grasslands of northern India and southern Nepal.
Nikki is currently at month 11 of a 16 month gestation period.

http://www.fox19.com/Global/story.asp?S=6826261&nav=0zHF



Officials approve $80 million to give Fresno zoo a facelift
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
(07-24) 10:58 PDT Fresno, Calif. (AP) --
Chaffee Zoo officials have approved $80 million to upgrade Fresno's zoo by 2014.
The master plan the board approved Monday — which includes new grasslands, a sea lion exhibit and habitat space for lions and hippos — was designed by the same planning firm that remodeled the Denver Zoo.
New highlights will include a climate-controlled animal building, a predators exhibit that could feature lions and hyenas and a new restaurant overlooking the grasslands project.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/07/24/state/n105848D07.DTL&type=politics



Dairy Farmers sponsor 'Moo at the Zoo' Aug. 18
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
PORTLAND - How many glasses of milk can a cow produce in one day? Find out the answer at Moo at the Zoo. Come to the Oregon Zoo's Trillium Creek Family Farm from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, to learn all about life on a farm.
Sponsored by the Dairy Farmers of Oregon, Moo at the Zoo is an entertaining and educational event for the whole family. Visitors discover a host of fun facts through interactive exhibits, puppet shows and displays.
Oregon dairy farmers are on hand to describe the life of their cows and the daily workings of a dairy farm. Visitors may test their dairy knowledge, win prizes during random drawings and have their milk-mustache pictures taken with the Oregon Dairy Princess. Guests can also view pygora goats and Shetland sheep in the zoo's hands-on area.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/argus/index.ssf?/base/news/118529597228800.xml&coll=6



Zoo not ready for Maggie's send-off
OPTIONS: Destinations narrowing; vets to decide if the elephant can travel.
By LESLIE ANNE JONES
ljones@adn.com
Published: July 24, 2007
Last Modified: July 24, 2007 at 12:24 PM
Alaska Zoo officials say they continue to narrow down possible new homes for Maggie. They won't name the contenders, but one sanctuary run by the PAWS foundation and known to be under consideration has offered to foot the shipping bill for the zoo's only elephant.

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/anchorage/story/9158738p-9075316c.html



Fourth Highest Attendance in 33 Year History at Riverbanks Zoo
(Columbia) - Over 900,000 visitors walked through the gates of Riverbanks Zoo and Garden this fiscal year, making 2006-2007 the fourth highest attended year in the zoo's history.
In addition, 30,000 individuals attended wedding receptions, corporate events and after-hours business functions at the Zoo and Garden.
"Riverbanks attributes the record breaking attendance this year to a high quality guest experience along with rising gas prices, good weather and an aggressive marketing and public relations approach," said Satch Krantz, executive director for Riverbanks.

http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=51826



Zoo gift shop needs volunteers
Volunteers are needed to work the “zoovenier” shop at the Charles Paddock Zoo in Atascadero.
Volunteers should have some cashiering experience, have an extra few hours per week and like working with children, zoo officials said.
The zoo is located at Atascadero Lake Park, and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. The gift shop opens a half-hour later and closes a half-hour earlier.
Proceeds from the non-profit zoo, which has been open since 1963, go to the Zoological Society of San Luis Obispo County.
For more information on the position, call gift shop manager Kirby Price at 461-7602.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/breakingnews/story/100088.html



Hepatitis E
Posted at 11:21 am July 24, 2007 by Bethan Morgan
The Central Africa Program in Cameroon recently welcomed Jennifer Glavis, a Master’s student in Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis. Jennifer will be with us until the end of August and is investigating the incidence of Hepatitis E in the primates of the Ebo forest. (Jennifer is pictured here with Ekwoge Abwe as they head off into the Ebo forest.)
Hepatitis E is a relatively little-known virus and was not recognized as a distinct human disease until 1980. Although the disease appears to be present globally, it may be endemic in many parts of northern and subSaharan Africa, including Cameroon. The primary “host” for Hepatitis E (the species with whom the virus has evolved to rely on for its survival) is currently considered to be humans, although antibodies to the virus (showing us that the individual has been exposed to the virus) have been found in a variety of animals, including rodents and pigs.

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/hepatitis-e/



Bindi becomes zookeeper
What do you give a child for her ninth birthday who already has the run of a zoo?
If you're Bindi Irwin's mum, you make her a keeper at the family's world-famous Australia Zoo.
Bindi celebrated her ninth birthday today in rock star-style at the wildlife park on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.
Bindi's favourite singers and "best friends in the whole world" The Veronicas helped celebrate the big event, rocking out at the Crocoseum with thousands of pint-sized fans.
Terri Irwin said she had given her daughter a hand-held walkie talkie for her birthday, making the youngster an official Australia Zoo staff member.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/people/bindi-the-zookeeper/2007/07/25/1185043153584.html



Cleveland zoo facing loss of elephants
Posted : Tue, 24 Jul 2007 20:50:53 GMT
Author : General News Editor
CLEVELAND, July 24 Three female elephants at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo will soon be living elsewhere due to a planned renovation of the pachyderm facility.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer said Tuesday elephants Martika, Moshi and Jo must be moved by early 2008 at the latest.
The relocation of the massive beasts could potentially be a permanent move.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/86304.html



RFID Helped Monkey Zoo Ease Crowding
To help determine where, when and why pedestrian traffic jams occurred, the Netherlands' Apenheul Primate Park gave tagged "monkey bags" to a percentage of its visitors.
By Mary Catherine O'Connor
July 24, 2007—The Apenheul Primate Park offers visitors a unique, intimate experience.Located in the Netherlands, the 32-acre park houses 35 species of monkeys, apes and lemurs, many of which roam the grounds freely and often come into close contact with visitors.
This new zoo concept proved extremely successful following the park's opening in 1971, but by the time it reached its 30th birthday, the zoo had become a little too popular. "We were having 'traffic jams' in the park," says Bert Smit, the park's head of marketing and education, explaining that throughout the day, clusters of visitors often formed at various areas inside the park, making it difficult for people to pass.

http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/3503/1/1/



Red panda joins feline pals at zoo
LINCOLN PARK Cute and furry, he's in upgraded exhibit with pumas, leopards
July 25, 2007
BY CYNDI LOZA Staff Reporter/cloza@suntimes.com
To the Lincoln Park Zoo, the raccoon-like red panda has the heart of a lion.
The fury creature joined its feline friends Tuesday in a $1.75 million upgraded exhibit at the Kovler Lion House.
"I think that they're really cute," 7-year-old Hadley McCarthy said, admiring the panda and his new roommates: two puma cubs, a trio of long-haired Pallas' cats, a baronial snow leopard and an Afghan leopard.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/482467,CST-NWS-zoo25.article



Stefani and son visit the zoo
Jul 25, 2007
There was more than one surprise arrival at Auckland Zoo on Wednesday.
Gwen Stefani was spotted at the zoo with her son Kingston just hours after the birth of a female giraffe.
The pop star is in Auckland for a concert on Thursday at Vector Arena.
Stefani is married to British rocker Gavin Rossdale.
The couple met in 1995 when Stefani's band No Doubt opened for Rossdale's former band, Bush. The couple married in September 2002 in ceremonies in London and Los Angeles and their son was born last May.

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411319/1254320



Plastics, styrofoam ban at Zoo
Kota Kinabalu: Plastics and styrofoam food packets will be banned from the Sabah Zoo in future, State Culture, Tourism and Environment Minister, Datuk Masidi Manjun (pic), told Daily Express.
"I have instructed Sabah Zoo to take immediate steps to ban plastics and styrofoam food containers after receiving complaints from an Australian tourist who saw a tiger chewing plastics thrown into its arena by some unknown visitors," Masid said.
" I think we should tell the people that plastics can kill animals and that plastics are going to endanger the tigers and all other animals as well," said Masidi.
He received the complaint through the SMS from an Australian tourist who noted that the Sabah Zoo was, otherwise, on par with Australian zoo standards.

http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=51582



Children learn about caring for animals through Zoo Crew program
By HUEY FREEMAN - H&R Staff Writer
DECATUR - After food hidden in a plastic container was placed into Larry the Lemur's cage, the young students gathered outside the cage were asked why zookeepers would want to make it tough on the animals.
"Because in the wild he'd have to dig for his food," said Evan Slunder, 11, a sixth-grader at Mount Zion Intermediate School.
In the middle of a two-week Zoo Crew session, all the fifth- and sixth-graders seem deeply engaged in the various activities, which include feeding animals, cleaning their living spaces and learning about their daily lives.
"It is an education program with a curriculum," said Sarah Reining, the zoo's education coordinator. "They are learning about habitats and ecosystems."

http://www.herald-review.com/articles/2007/07/25/news/local_news/1025193.txt



Simple Mistake Caused Tiger Attack At Zoo
Last Update: Jul 20, 2007 10:59 AM
Posted By: Vickie Jean Summers
The San Antonio Zoo held a press conference Wednesday to discuss how a tiger was able to maul one of its zookeepers.
The zookeeper, 27-year-old keeper Jeff Tierney, was attacked Saturday by Berani, a 250-pound Sumatran tiger. Tierney managed to free himself from the Tiger, but was seriously injured.
"He didn't close those doors," said Zoo Director Steve McCusker.
It was a gate Tierney forgot to close. By the time he realized what he'd done, it was too late.

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=1015a2f5-1e97-40aa-af2c-1049b1ad7080



Zoo loses Sammy the giraffe
Sean Dugas
sdugas@pnj.com
Less than two weeks after the death of Niles, a baby hippopotamus, The Zoo Northwest Florida near Gulf Breeze has lost another major attraction.
Sammy, The Zoo's 10-year-old giraffe, was found dead Tuesday about 8 a.m. in the exhibit where he had lived for eight years.
Zoo officials said Sammy appeared healthy when he was last seen alive about 9:30 p.m. Monday.
The Zoo's veterinarian, Dr. Gus Mueller, performed a necropsy on the giraffe Tuesday and found evidence of trauma to the upper neck. Mueller said the neck was not broken.

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070719/NEWS01/707190324/1006



Flora focus of new zoo exhibit
By DINAH VOYLES PULVER
Environment Writer
SANFORD -- Steve DeCresie barely noticed a difference when he switched from taking care of birds at the Central Florida Zoo to taking care of plants.
"They still need food, water and tender loving care," says DeCresie, the zoo's horticulturist.
Zoo visitors, however, have seen a big difference in the four years since he became the zoo's first horticulturist.
Lush gardens frame animal enclosures. Hundreds of colorful bromeliads flank the entrance gates. Edible plants that keepers can snip for tasty animal treats, like hibiscus flowers, roses and green bamboo shoots, are popping up everywhere.

http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD03071907.htm



Awesome Avilon Zoo in Montalban
I went to Avilon Zoo in Montalban. It’s awesome! I felt so at home with my animal relatives, I didn’t want to go back to the city!
I can compare Avilon Zoo to Sydney Aquarium and Featherdale Wildlife Park in Australia, compare it to Underwater World in Singapore. I can say Avilon Zoo is a world-class zoo and the best in the Philippines! (if you know of a better one in the Philippines, do share!)
Avilon is a 7.5 hectare zoo that hosts hundreds of exotic animals in a clean environment that kids and adults will enjoy.

http://www.pinoytravelblog.com/travel-destinations/622/awesome-avilon-zoo-in-montalban



Zoo unveils vision for expansion, improvement
By Marc Benjamin / The Fresno Bee
07/19/07 04:24:10
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
Fresno Chaffee Zoo's expansion went under the microscope Wednesday night at Fresno High School.
The zoo's master plan, which is part of a larger plan for Roeding Park and Storyland & Playland, was viewed by about 50 residents.
Lewis Greene, the zoo's director, outlined the plan for the audience, pointing out new exhibits to be undertaken during the next six years and beyond.

http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/89650.html



Lion Cubs Form New Pride
Posted at 7:58 am July 19, 2007 by Marcia Redding
It’s high time for a “pride progress report” from Lion Camp. There have been some important changes in the last few months, beginning with Oshana and Izu’s cubs, Abena and Bakari. The girls celebrated their first birthday on May 17 and are becoming very independent young ladies. They have grown quite a bit, too: as of July 7, Abena weighed 88.4 kilograms (194.5 pounds), and Bakari weighed in at 74.8 kilograms (164.5 pounds).

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/lion-cubs-form-new-pride/




German Zoo Embroiled in Scandal Over Illegal Meat
It all started when an eagle-eyed employee noticed declining animal stocks at Erfurt Zoo. It ended with a scandal, sackings and a criminal investigation into an illegal meat operation.
Some zoos aren't as lucky as the one in Berlin. Most don't have superstar polar bear cubs and the potential to exploit cuteness through marketing deals and promotions which would make even David Beckham seem like a media-shy hermit with no business sense.
There are no tie-ins, no plush toys flying off the shelves, no hordes of expectant children and insatiable paparazzi stampeding through the turnstiles.
For those zoos lacking star-quality, life is bleak. The future is under-funded and the staff and animals suffer accordingly.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2697999,00.html



Baby Jag Born At Brevard Zoo (video)
Thursday, July 19, 2007 11:12:48 AM
The Brevard County Zoo has welcomed a new bundle of joy -- a bouncing baby jaguar.
The jaguar was born to firs- time mother Masaya, and is also the first jaguar cub to be born at the Brevard Zoo.
The zoo said the cub is doing well, but they don't know the sex of the baby yet.
Experts said it is best to let the cub bond with the mother for the first two weeks before making human contact.
The cub could make its first debut to the public sometime in September.

http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2007/7/19/baby_jag_born_at_brevard_zoo.html

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