Zoos
4-year study examines cell phone towers’ toll on birds
BY DEBRA HALE-SHELTON
Posted on Monday, October 1, 2007
CONWAY — Leo Koch wades among tall grass, thorny cacti and shrubs, not to mention chiggers, ticks and fire ants. He climbs along a rugged hill and takes care not to step on any snakes.
It’s barely sunrise, and Koch’s eyes focus on the ground. His job is to scour the rugged field surrounding a cell-phone tower just northeast of Conway for bird carcasses, all in the name of science.
The tower is one of 15 in Arkansas where searchers are hunting for the carcasses of Neotropical migratory songbirds such as warblers and sparrows. It seems millions of these birds, which migrate at night, are crashing into some of the nation’s more than 85, 000 communications towers, at least 2, 000 of which are in Arkansas. Neotropical migratory birds breed in North America and spend their winters in warmer climates such as Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean.
The American Bird Conservancy noted last year that the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service has estimated 5 million to 50 million birds are killed in tower collisions in this country each year. Most are songbirds whose navigation systems seem to be confused by tower lights, especially in bad weather, the Virginia-based conservancy said.
On a recent cool morning after more than two hours in the wet field, Koch had found just three feathers but not a single bird killed the night before.
“It looks like we’ve had some lucky birds,” he said, smiling.
Koch, 25, of Conway is participating in the third year of a four-year study aimed at assessing the extent of the problem in Arkansas and determining what types of towers — tall ones, short ones; towers with red lights, towers with white ones; towers with guy wires, towers without them — are more likely to have bird strikes.
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/203054/
Help the zoo name baby panda
October 1, 2007
SAN DIEGO – Step right up and name the baby panda. The San Diego Zoo is asking visitors to suggest names for the female panda born Aug. 3.
Starting Sunday, Oct. 5, zoo guests have 10 days to submit names for the newborn. Suggestions should be in Chinese (using the English alphabet, not Chinese characters), have an English translation and be symbolic in meaning.
The zoo's panda team will choose several names from those suggested and the semi-finalists will be reviewed by the Chinese Wildlife Conservation Association.
The approved finalists will be posted later this month on the zoo's Web site, www.sandiegozoo.org, for a final vote by the public, zoo officials said.
This is a new twist on naming pandas. In 1999, China named the zoo's first cub Hua Mei, or “China USA.” San Diego zoo officials named the second cub, born in 2003, Mei Sheng or “Born in the USA.” In 2005, five names were posted on the Internet for public voting. Su Lin, or “A little bit of something very cute,” was the winning name.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20071001-1648-bn01panda.html
Monkeys Treated With Accupuncture At N.C. Zoo
Asheboro, N.C. - The North Carolina Zoo is using some age-old medicine to help treat some of their elderly patients.
Veterinarians are using acupuncture to treat osteoarthritis in some aging Patas monkeys.
Dr. Christine Eckermann-Ross, an avian and exotic animal vet from Raleigh performed the treatment on the anesthetized monkey this morning. This is the first time the procedure has been used on any animal at the North Carolina Zoo.
Veterinarians at the zoo are hoping the treatment helps to alleviate the pain caused by the monkey's arthritic condition.
WFMY News 2 /
http://www.todaysthv.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=53832
Work on zoo master plan finally begins today
Zoo director says Rs 50m project work will take two years to complete
By Hina Farooq
LAHORE: Work on a master plan to restructure the Lahore Zoo will start today (Tuesday) after a delay of more than three years. Some zoo officials said the plan’s implementation had been delayed because of the “laziness of senior officials, lack of funds and lack of manpower”.
Zoo director Yousaf Pal told Daily Times on Monday that some flaws in the initial design and space problems had caused the delay. He said the initial plan had suggested a double-storey Reptile Building, but it was redesigned as a single-storey building because of a space shortage and because the two-storey building would have ‘looked weird’.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C10%5C02%5Cstory_2-10-2007_pg13_7
Stingrays on exhibit die, but Fresno zoo calls it a success
The Associated Press
Article Launched: 10/01/2007 02:23:30 PM PDT
FRESNO, Calif.—More than half of the stingrays on temporary display at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo died, but officials still qualified the zoo's first new exhibit since 2001 a success.
Membership increased overall since the stingrays' arrival and attendance numbers jumped nearly 30 percent over last year, said Lewis Greene, the zoo's director.
"People were waiting for something new," Greene said. "Given the response we have had, we may have a stingray exhibit in the future."
Zoo officials paid about $500,000 to bring in the delicate fish for the Stingray Bay exhibit.
Seventeen of the 19 original fish died after a filter malfunctioned and power outage allowed pool temperatures to soar, officials said. An 18th died after getting trapped in a skimmer in September, leaving just 10 stingrays in the final exhibit, which closed Saturday.
In July, the board approved an $80 million master plan to upgrade the zoo by 2014. Additional temporary exhibits will be funded by Measure Z, a Fresno County sales tax measure approved by voters in 2004 to pay for zoo improvements, Greene said.
Information from: The Fresno Bee, http://www.fresnobee.com
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7053964?nclick_check=1
Anger after escaped chimp shot dead at zoo
ANGUS HOWARTH
AN ANIMAL-welfare campaign group criticised zoo bosses yesterday for shooting dead a chimpanzee that escaped from its enclosure.
Two chimps - Jonnie and Coco - broke free from their enclosure at Whipsnade Zoo, Bedfordshire, over the weekend.
Coco was quickly recaptured, but Jonnie was killed. The Zoological Society of London (ZSL), which runs the attraction, said it was in the interests of public safety.
Tim Phillips, campaigns director with Animal Defenders International, criticised ZSL and said holding chimps in captivity should be reconsidered.
He said: "It will be said that Jonnie was shot because he was dangerous, but this just further raises the question: how suitable are these animals as a source of entertainment? The sad fate of Jonnie reminds us that we urgently need to re-evaluate the way that we treat these, our closest relatives in the animal kingdom."
http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1571802007
Prize Pachyderm Pregnant At Oregon Zoo
PORTLAND - The zoo's "Love Connection" paid off; prize pachyderm "Rose-Tu" is 10 months pregnant.
Tusko, a 13,500-pound, 36-year-old elephant, is the father.
Both Rose-Tu and Tusko are Asian elephants. Zookeepers introduced them in the fall of 2006, in hopes the two would create that "Love Connection". Apparently, it worked. With a gestation period of 20 to 22 months, Rose-Tu will likely give birth in September or October of 2008.
"We were confident that when we introduced Tusko to the girls, sparks would fly," said zoo Deputy Director Mike Keele. "From what we saw that day, Tusko was a true gentleman, a real 'lady's elephant' - a true Casonova."
http://www.koin.com/Global/story.asp?S=7153812
Brookfield tiger cubs maimed in attack
Two 4-month-old Amur tiger cubs made their debut on September 13, 2007 at Brookfield Zoo. The cubs, a male and a female, spent their first months in an off-exhibit area. (Tribune photo by José M. Osorio / September 13, 2007)
By William Mullen Tribune staff reporter
10:29 PM CDT, October 1, 2007
A federal zoo inspector visited Brookfield Zoo Monday to investigate a bloody incident in an animal holding area last week in which a 4-month-old tiger cub lost his right foreleg and both he and a twin sister lost much of their tails.
Though nobody witnessed the incident Thursday morning, zoo officials said the male cub's father apparently bit off the leg when the cub extended his right front paw between the bars of a gate separating the two. The cubs' frantic mother then apparently chomped on the tails of both cubs to try to drag them out of reach of the gate, biting off large sections.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-tigers_weboct02,0,898094.story?coll=chi-navrailnews-nav
Zoo not a player in ballpark move
BY C. DAVID KOTOK
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Shamu the killer whale splashing in a pool in place of Rosenblatt Stadium's outfield. A pair of pandas munching bamboo where the ping of aluminum bats once sounded.
Henry Doorly Zoo officials have heard it all the past four months. The whale theory is among the most original, said Dr. Lee Simmons, the zoo's longtime director.
Interesting ideas, Simmons said Monday, but the zoo has no plans — and no money — for the Rosenblatt property if a new home for the College World Series is built downtown.
"Whether the stadium stays here or goes north of downtown," he said, "we are staying very neutral."
Simmons and members of the zoo's board are "absolutely not" behind the effort to move the stadium downtown, he told The World-Herald.
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10147444
Honolulu Zoo Meerkat Missing For A Week (Video)
Officials Say It Is Unlikely Someone Stole Animal
POSTED: 7:58 pm HST October 1, 2007
UPDATED: 9:49 am HST October 2, 2007
HONOLULU -- One of the Honolulu Zoo's African meerkat named Hulu has disappeared.
For about a week now, Kapa the meerkat has been missing his only partner. Kapa seemed overcome by the loss, zoo officials said.
The meerkat exhibit is popular at the zoo, especially after a meerkat starred in The Lion King, which opened on stage in Honolulu just about the time Hulu disappeared. Meerkats are also featured in one of cable television's popular shows "Meerkat Manor."
http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/news/14248989/detail.html
St. Louis Zoo works to preserve endangered zebras
Julie Bierach, KWMU
ST. LOUIS (2007-10-02) The St. Louis Zoo is working with communities in Africa to try to preserve the Grevy's zebra. Unlike plains zebras, which are plentiful, the Grevy's zebras are endangered.
Martha Fischer is the curator of mammals at the St. Louis Zoo; she also manages the Species Survival Plan for the animal. KWMU's science reporter Julie Bierach spoke with her about her recent trip to Africa where the zebras are facing numerous challenges.
© Copyright 2007, KWMU
http://publicbroadcasting.net/kwmu/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1157999§ionID=1
Zoo to open 4-D theater
Business Courier of Cincinnati
The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden will be the first zoo in the country to open a 4-D Special FX Theater, the zoo said Tuesday.
The theater, being developed by Toronto-based SimEx-Iwerks, will open in October. It will offer 3-D visual effects and other in-seat effects, including wind and scents.
The zoo will offer a daily double feature in October: "Dino 4-D" and "Funhouse 4-D." That will coincide with its HallZOOween celebration, which runs on Saturdays and Sundays from Oct. 13-28.
"The Polar Express 4-D Attraction" will be shown during the 25th Anniversary PNC Festival of Lights, which begins Nov. 16, the zoo said in a news release.
http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/10/01/daily22.html
Zoo Animals to Feast on Seized Undersized Crabs
Undersized crabs seized recently from Crisfield seafood wholesalers will be fed to zoo animals Wenesday at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.
The crabs were donated to the zoo by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Maryland Natural Resources Police. Zoo staff will feed the crabs to their two North American river otters. The first of three companies involved in the federal investigation, MeTompkin Bay Oyster Company, pleaded guilty last month to federal charges to purchasing and selling undersized crabs.
MeTompkin was fined $50,000 and forfeited more than 3,200 dozen undersized crabs.
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1007/460250.html
Baltimore Zoo Otters Get Crisfield Treat
By KEIRA BENSON -- WMDT 10/2/2007
Some zoo otters in Baltimore got a special treat Tuesday compliments of Crisfield waters. Maryland Natural Resource Police say they donated thousands of crabs to the zoo for a feeding that happened Tuesday morning.
They say the crabs were undersized and were seized from Crisfield Seafood Wholesalers. In Maryland, it's illegal to take undersized crabs.
http://www.wmdt.com/topstory/displaystory.asp?id=6660
Undersized Crabs Fed To Maryland Zoo Animals (Video)
Ron Matz
Reporting
(WJZ) BALTIMORE How would you like some soft shell crabs? Well, the otters at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore enjoyed some Wednesday.
Ron Matz reports on the feeding frenzy, which began with an investigation on Maryland waterways.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Maryland Natural Resources Police donated the crabs to the zoo's North American otters.
"It's actually the first time we think they've had soft shells. They usually eat fish and a prepared meat diet," said Rebecca Gullott, mammal collection manager.
http://wjz.com/seenon/local_story_275101426.html
Head-sized pumpkins can earn chance in zoo drawing
People donating pumpkins bigger than their heads for Dickerson Park Zoo�s Spooktacular will be eligible to register for a drawing for three prizes.
Donations between Monday and Oct. 18 will be eligible for a one-year zoo membership, a behind-the-scenes tour or a chance to see pumpkin activities with the zoo�s Asian elephants.
People who leave pumpkins at the zoo admission gate also receive recognition on the �pumpkin board� and a coupon for a free hot drink during Spooktacular.
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071002/BREAKING07/71002033/-1/rss
Horse latitudes
Outsourcing horse slaughter makes cruelty worse.
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
Attuned to humans, a horse in this country heading for slaughter can't guess what awaits it. In recent years, state laws have banned horsemeat production in the United States. The result in 2007 has been 30,000 horses jammed into low-ceilinged box cars and taken to Mexico. There, in unregulated factories, workers stab the horses' spines until the animals are paralyzed.
What happens next, according to Sunday's story by Chronicle Austin Bureau reporter Lisa Sandberg, is worse. Because state laws recently outlawed horse slaughter at the three U.S. plants that did it, the number of horses sent to Mexico has skyrocketed: 369 percent since this time last year. The answer is not restoring horse slaughter in the United States, but to ban its export.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/5176847.html
Settling Into Life on the Tundra
Posted at 7:27 pm October 2, 2007 by Ronit Abramson
Ronit is the San Diego Zoo’s 2007 Arctic Ambassador. She and other teens from around the world are in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, to partipate in Polar Bears International’s Polar Bear Leadership Camp. Read her previous blog, Hey! There’s a Caribou! And a Polar Bear! And More Polar Bears!
This morning we commenced with our “buggy chores.” Today my group was assigned “cooking crew” and considering all I can confidently make are grilled cheese sandwiches, it was an adventure making pancakes and sausages for breakfast. But guess what we had for lunch?! (Hint: it goes well with tomato soup.)
It began to rain early this morning, waking me up with a pitter-patter on my window. We decided not to go out on the Tundra Buggy today because of the rainy weather; the bears and other wildlife tend to hunker down behind rocks and seek refuge from the cold rain and wind. Instead, we started working on practice presentations on various topics suggested in our required reading, Impacts of a Warming Arctic. We chose an audience in addition to our presentation topic. My team focused our presentation about the observations, consequences of, and responses to a warming arctic to engage a civic group of businesspeople. Other groups focused their talks to engage elementary school kids, senior citizens, and corporate leaders.
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/settling-into-life-on-the-tundra/
The Great Zoo Boo is new and improved
Submitted by Binder Park Zoo
Crisp autumn air, crunchy leaves under foot, hot apple cider, and walks through decorated trick-or-treat trails are just some of the many ways to describe Binder Park Zoo's ALL NEW Great ZooBoo. Fun for all ages, the Great ZooBoo offers an abundance of reasons to make this an annual must visit event, with some new twists this season. This year's ALL NEW Great ZooBoo begins October 12th and runs through October 30th.
This year will mark the 21st season of The Great ZooBoo for Binder Park Zoo and bringing with it are some significant changes. Remaining the same, is the Merry-Not-Scary charm that the Zoo has been steadfast in providing to the community. The newness, however, can be found in the ALL NEW dedicated trick-or-treat trail, more animals on exhibit, nightly entertainment venues like magicians, storytellers, and pirate shows and rides such as the Binda Conservation Carousel. All this adds up to tons of fun for the entire family!
http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071003/LIFESTYLE08/710030303
Pittsburgh Zoo to get 250K from state
By Allison M. Heinrichs
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium announced this morning that it will receive $250,000 from the state on Thursday to support its new Water's Edge exhibit and new Animal Health Center.
According to the zoo, state Sen. John Pippy, R-Moon, secured the money through the Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program, which funds programs throughout Pennsylvania that create jobs and spur economic development.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_530725.html
Montgomery Zoo Rhinocerous Gives Birth
Wednesday, Oct 03, 2007 - 08:45 AM
By Associated Press
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The stork dropped by the Montgomery Zoo today.
Jetta, the zoo's seven-year-old rhinoceros, gave birth to a new Indian Rhino calf. The mother and calf are doing well and are bonding. No name has been chosen yet for the calf.
The calf wasn't weighed right away, but Indian Rhino calves generally weigh about 150 pounds when they are born.
Jetta was already pregnant when she arrived from the San Diego Wild Animal Park.
Zoo officials say visitors should watch for an announcement soon on when they can see the mother and baby.
http://www.nbc13.com/gulfcoastwest/vtm/news.apx.-content-articles-VTM-2007-10-03-0005.html
Check Out Our Live Zoo Cam!
LIVE ZOO CAM:
Start Watching Our New Zoo Cam Now! (Powered by Nauticom Internet Services)
Watch the polar bears by day (until 4:30pm) and the tigers by night (after 4:30pm)!
(KDKA) PITTSBURGH The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is showing off its two Amur Tigers and the polar bears at the Water's Edge Exhibit -- and you can get a live look inside their habitat to see what they do for fun!
Mara and Petya, two Amur Tigers, were born on August 8, 2006 – and they've literally grown up before our eyes!
Meanwhile, Marty the polar bear moved to Pittsburgh on September 28th -- and will share his new digs with “Koda Rogers” and “Nuka McFeely.”
Marty came to the Water’s Edge from the Toledo Zoological Gardens, where three cubs born over the past year have put the zoo over its polar bear capacity.
Now, visitors to the zoo can now get up close and personal with the Amur Tigers and the polar bears; but you may be able to see what they're up to right now -- with a live look inside their habitat thanks to KDKA's exclusive live webcam!
The Zoo Cam will display the polar bears by day (until 4:30 pm) and the tigers by night (starting at 4:30pm).
LIVE ZOO CAM:
Watch Our New Zoo Cam Now! (Powered by Nauticom Internet Services)
Learn more about Amur (Siberian) Tigers at
PittsburghZoo.com.
Learn more about Polar Bears at
PittsburghZoo.com.
http://kdka.com/local/local_story_307114439.html
knut @ berlin zoo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8PdpGhXtJQ&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fvinnysa1store%2Eblogspot%2Ecom%2F2007%2F10%2Fknut%2Dbear%2Dat%2Dberlin%2Dzoo%2Dvideo%2Ehtml
Wednesday, October 3, 2007 - 2:37 PM CDT
Envision donates sculpture to zoo
Wichita Business Journal - by Wichita Business Journal
Envision dedicated a sculpture of a Humboldt penguin to the Sedgwick County Zoo Wednesday
The ceremony took place in front of the Cessna Penguin Cove, which opened in the spring. Present were zoo Executive Director Mark C. Reed, Great Plains Venture Executive Director Susayn Brandes and Envision CEO and President Linda Merrill.
For the past 15 years, Envision has regularly donated a sculpture to the zoo's touchable art exhibit. These sculptures allow individuals who are blind or have low vision the joy of seeing an animal that is on display at the zoo, by using the sense of touch to see and learn about an animal.
An accompanying plaque in both print and Braille educates all visitors about the animal. Great Plains Ventures funded the 2007 sculpture.
Envision is a Wichita-based not-for-profit agency that provides employment, job training and vision rehabilitation services to individuals who are blind or low vision.
http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/stories/2007/10/01/daily13.html
Lincoln Park Zoo welcomes dwarf crocs (Video)
October 3, 2007 - It took a long while for R-1 and Maggie to have five little crocs.
The dwarf crocodiles hatched successfully at Lincoln Park Zoo last month. The babies don't have names yet, so they're numbers 21,982 to 21,986.
"They look fabulous. They're growing very well. They have all gained in length and they have all gained in weight and we're getting ready to put them on exhibit now," said Diane Mulkerin, curator, Small Mammal and Reptile House.
The little critters are now swimming around in a guppy filled pool. While they're pretty cute, the real star of the show here is their father, R-1, who lives in the zoo's African Journey. R-1 arrived at the zoo in 1940. That's right- 67-years ago. And, these hatchlings are his first offspring.
In 1999, ABC7 shot video of R-1 being introduced to a young Maggie, the hatchling's mother. But, at that time, it didn't work with her- or any other girlfriends.
"He was shy and laid back and not aggressive enough," said Mulkerin.
But, Maggie is not. The result- five babies. And, one proud papa.
"He could live to be a hundred," said Mulkerin.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=5688912
Honey prodcution down across country
09/11/2007 08:32 PM
By: Jennifer Moxley
Honey production is down and prices are up across the country as honey farmers fight a mysterious problem that is making their bees disappear.
STATESVILLE, N.C. -- Honey production is down and prices are up across the country as honey farmers fight a mysterious problem that is making their bees disappear.
North Carolina is one of 25 states in the country to experience what's called Colony Collapse Disorder. It's where the honey bees leave the hive, become disoriented, and never return.
“It's estimated that 75 percent of your produce department would be removed from a supermarket if all honey bees were lost. That’s how important they are to the food chain,” explained honeybee farmer Tommy Woodfin.
Bees are so important to the food chain, red flags raise when honeybee farmers across the country say they are losing their bees.
A disease is killing the country's honey bee population.
“What happens in this CCD is that the bees disappear. It’s sometimes called the Disappear Disease, by the way,” Woodfin said.
Honey farmers like Woodfin are paying attention to reports of the CCD problem.
“The bees for some reason, they go out and they become disoriented and they can't find their way back and the end result is that you end up with maybe a handful of bees where there should be 10-12 pounds of bees,” he said.
North Carolina is one of the 25 states reporting cases of CCD. Incidents here aren't high, but bee farmers here have other problems, like the spring freeze that killed a lot of the honeybee flowers.
Because of the spring freeze, Woodfin Farms only got about 60 percent of their honey crop this year. Woodfin held back raising prices.
“We just didn't think the market would bear another price increase so we held the line,” he explained. He says he’s holding onto his bees while scientists try to find out why the bees are leaving the comb.
North Carolina is said to be the state with the most hobbyist honey beekeepers. September is National Honey Month. This is the time of year when most of the honey harvesting has wrapped up and the fresh honey hits the stands.
For more information about the honey industry, recipes, or to find a local farmer, log onto ');
http://news14.com/content/headlines/587091/honey-prodcution-down-across-country/Default.aspx
Exec Pays Up with Smelly Bet
CHICAGO, IL -- A Chicago zoo executive is making good on a Super Bowl bet.
Lincoln Park Zoo CEO Kevin Bell spent Friday shoveling manure at the Indianapolis Zoo.
The hard day's work was part of a bet that officials at the two zoos made before last year's Super Bowl.
"I thought this was a sure bet for Chicago at the time," Bell said. "The Bears were playing well and I though 'Okay, we'll take this, no problem,' and the Bears let me down."
Bell added that the great weather and beauty of the Indianapolis zoo made paying off the debt a pleasure.
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/strange/news-article.aspx?storyid=92365
Among tools for zookeepers: prudent use of contraception
By DIANE COCHRAN
Of The Gazette Staff
Breeding programs in zoos help maintain genetic diversity in animal populations and can even keep some species from becoming extinct, an expert in animal contraception said Friday.
Black-footed ferrets, Channel Island foxes, Mexican wolves and Mongolian wild horses all exist in the wild today at least in part because of captive breeding programs, said Dr. Cheryl Asa, director of the AZA Wildlife Contraception Center at the St. Louis Zoo.
"Zoos are holding these animals," said Asa, who was visiting the Science and Conservation Center at ZooMontana. "These animals wouldn't exist if zoos hadn't done captive breeding to make them available again."
Contraception is an important tool used by breeding programs, Asa said. Zoos rely on it to protect the genetic diversity of species and to maintain manageable numbers of animals.
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/09/29/news/local/35-lionabstinence.txt
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