Zoos
Kow Keow Zoo announces Global Warming Campaign.
At the Koe Keow Zoo located 40kms outside of Pattaya, the grand opening of a 4 day event took place led by Khun Sureeya, the Director of the Zoo. A Global Warming Campaign supported by Esso is currently taking place which aims to educate students from Chonburi Province and around the Eastern Seaboard about the problems the world is currently encountering in relation to Global Warming and how the students can help to prevent global warming on a local level.
http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_24_10_50_3.htm
Monkeytown
http://www.monkeys.co.za/about.htm
Want to shadow a zookeeper for a morning?
Shadows study, feed, clean up after animals
By KATHY MULADY
P-I REPORTER
Pat Owen starts his day at Woodland Park Zoo with a rake in hand, cleaning up after the elk. For a good hour he scoops and scrapes.
"They eat a lot and they defecate a lot, it's a big exhibit," he says.
Then it's on to the bears. He lures them into their holding rooms with breakfast while their exhibits are scrubbed.
"They know they have to go into certain rooms to get their foods," Owen said. "They have lived at the zoo for years and have the routines down pretty well."
And finally he feeds the snow leopard, Nadia, who might soon be getting a mate thanks to some Internet matchmaking for zoo animals.
"She's a great cat," said Owen, a zookeeper for 14 years.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/336956_zoo26.html
They’ll eat anything!
Wordless Wednesday
Can you imagine!
I’ve never had anything quite like this happen to me before - and I’m glad of it!, but I have had a few interesting encounters with animals in zoos and animal sanctuaries.
I remember once when I was a little kid my family took a road trip to the States. I’m not sure where we were exactly, but we went to a zoo or something that allowed people to walk in the very large enclosure that held deer, llamas and I’m certain there was a buffalo in there too.
Well you know at places like that there are food stations that people can buy pellets or in my case a cracker type of food to feed the animals. When I got my food to give to the animals they totally mobbed me! I was maybe 3.5 feet tall at the time and I was surrounded by I’m sure 20 deer. I’m pretty sure I was terrified and screaming. It certainly is a vivid memory!
http://www.feverishthoughts.com/2007/10/24/theyll-eat-anything/
Eklin Technology Expands in Growing Number of Zoos and Marine Mammal Facilities
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Eklin Medical Systems, a leading provider of digital radiography (DR) and image management for the veterinary care market, announced it is installing the Eklin Digital Practice(TM) at four new zoo and marine facilities. The Brookfield Zoo, Columbus Zoo, Georgia Aquarium and Kansas City Zoo join a growing list of exotic animal veterinary care providers in bringing state-of-the-art DR imaging, archiving and review capabilities to their patients. The company is showcasing the Eklin Digital Practice at the annual American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV) meeting being held October 23-25, 2007 in Knoxville, Tennessee.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,206096.shtml
Noah's Ark option may save Tasmanian devil
By Nick Squires in Sydney
Last Updated: 12:01pm BST 24/10/2007
A mysterious cancer has wiped out half the wild population of Tasmanian devils and threatens the unique carnivorous marsupial with extinction.Fierce and black-furred, Tasmanian devils earned their name from early British settlers for their steel trap jaws and blood-curdling nocturnal screeches.Tasmanian devil could become extinct, like the Tasmanian tigerThe size of a small dog, they live only in Tasmania and were immortalized by Warners Bros as the snarling, half-crazed Loony Tunes cartoon character Taz.For all their famed ferocity, the species has proved to be vulnerable to a highly infectious facial cancer which emerged about a decade ago.Up to 50,000 animals are believed to have died from the illness. The disease, which is spread by fighting over carrion and during boisterous mating, causes hideous facial tumours which eventually prevent the animals from eating.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/10/24/eatas124.xml
Zoos host fur-raising events this weekend
Thursday, October 25, 2007 1:00 AM CDT
Their vampires are bats. Their black cats are panthers. And their tricks are fun. Lincoln Park and Brookfield zoos are celebrating Halloween this weekend with a variety of special events.
Brookfield Zoo's Boo! at the Zoo begins at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. It includes trick-or-treating opportunities, haunted hayrides, pumpkin carving demonstrations and more.
Zoo Chats will also add some not-so-scary fun to the weekend. At 11 a.m. visitors can meet Tex, a great horned owl in the Children’s Zoo. Afterward, they can visit the Australia House at 11:45 a.m. to meet and learn about the Rodrigues fruit bats. And to wrap up the Zoo Chats, visitors can visit Hamill Family Play Zoo for the chance to touch a snake at 12:30 p.m.
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, visit the Nature Stage and get jack-o-lantern tips from professional pumpkin carvers.
http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/10/25/community/rop/doc84fab5fc813e4c158625737e006c36a6.txt
Frog study takes leaf out of nature's book
25 Oct 2007
A brightly coloured tropical frog under threat of extinction is the focus of a new research project hoping to better understand how environment and diet influence its development and behaviour.
Biologists from The University of Manchester have teamed up with experts at Chester Zoo in the hope that their findings will not only help save the splendid leaf frog Cruziohyla calcarifer from extinction in the wild but provide clues as to how it can be better catered for in zoos and aquariums.
Loss of habitat in its native Costa Rican rainforest, combined with global declines in amphibian populations generally through a combination of environmental change and disease, have all contributed to the splendid leaf frog's precarious situation.
"This research aims to contribute to our understanding of the basic factors that influence the development and survival of these frogs," said Dr Richard Preziosi, a lecturer in the University's Faculty of Life Sciences, who is supervising the project.
"For instance, with the exception of certain mammals, we know surprisingly little about what animals should be eating. And yet the diet of splendid leaf frogs affects their colouration which, in turn, determines their mating behaviour.
"The global decline in amphibian populations means research such as this, carried out ex situ, is therefore critical for both conservation projects in the wild and for maintaining and successfully breeding the frogs in zoos and aquariums."
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/display/?id=126450
Como Zoo
1225 Estabrook Drive (in Como Park), St. Paul, MN. 651-487-8200. www.comozooconservatory.org/
Free (but donation of $2 adult/$1 child suggested). Free parking. Stroller accessible. Restrooms available, family restroom in main building. Cafe on-site, concessions available.
We’ve been to a few zoos in the past few years, and we’ve noticed that there are two types: big ones, where you walk for miles to see animals in their “natural” habitats, and smaller zoos where the animals each have their own little area. St. Paul’s Como Zoo is of the latter type, making it fun for kids without being exhausting for stroller pushers.
One of the nice things about Como Zoo is that you can see all of the typical “zoo” animals–lions and tigers and (polar) bears, plus zebras and giraffes. We’ve been to zoos where we walked and walked looking for the lions, only to learn that they didn’t have any. Something else nice is that if you get lost, or if your kids want to dart from one exhibit area to another, it’s all in close proximity, so you really can let the kids lead you if that’s what you choose to do. All of the buildings are stroller-accessible, but a few have stairs on one side and a ramp on the other, so you can’t just file in one door and out the other.
http://minnemom.wordpress.com/2007/10/25/como-zoo/
McKinney company's dinosaurs in high demand
09:23 AM CDT on Friday, October 26, 2007
By JAKE BATSELL / The Dallas Morning News
McKINNEY – Don't tell Sandra Billings that dinosaurs are extinct. She has a warehouse full of them.
ERIC KAYNE/DMN
About a dozen workers, including Juan Diego (right), at Billings Productions are trying to keep up with the demand for the company's dinosaurs. Museums and zoos across the country use them for exhibits to draw more visitors.
Her four-year-old company, Billings Productions, makes life-size, animatronic dinosaurs from scratch and ships them to zoos, theme parks and museums all over the country.
Ms. Billings oversees a constant blur of flying sparks and whirring power tools at the McKinney warehouse where about a dozen employees hustle to bring dinosaurs to life.
And despite the hectic pace, she says, she's barely able to keep up with demand. Most of her 80 dinosaurs already are booked for outdoor exhibits from Florida to Oregon to McKinney's Heard Museum.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/102607dnmetdinofactory.2c5b346.html
Erie Zoo's wait for polar bear longer than expected
BY KARA RHODES
kara.rhodes@timesnews.com
Scott Mitchell knew matchmaking is difficult.
But the chief executive of the Erie Zoo said finding a mate for Mizar has proven particularly challenging.
Zoo officials are waiting to hear whether the male polar bear will get a female companion this fall.
"There's still a chance this could all fall apart. It's not a done deal by any stretch. But we're still very hopeful," Mitchell said Thursday. "Things are just proceeding slower than we had hoped."
The zoo said in September it wanted to get a female polar bear this fall. Mizar has been alone since his brother, Alcor, died in August 2006 after undergoing surgery to repair a broken leg.
Pasted from <http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071026/NEWS02/710260380/-1/NEWS>
Are Benny's nails too long? Help me trim, I'm scared!!
I've attached pics of Benny's nails. My mom is wondering if they're too long. I don't know. They're not sharp at all, quite dull, but do I need to trim them?
http://www.tailfeathersnetwork.com/community/showthread.php?t=47431
Zoo Tuesday: Fruit Bats
It sure is hard to get a good shot of a bat. Most of the time when I walk by their exhibit they're all wrapped up asleep so they just look like withered fruit hanging from the ceiling. Today they were quite lively, squabbling over melons and bananas; but most of the enclosure is glass, and all I got was a lot of reflections and blurred bat action. Finally I stuck my camera up to the wire mesh on the side of the cage and got a few shots that way, but you don't want to use your flash, so most of what I got was bat silhouettes. The kicker was that they were all hanging around posing for me!
Oh well. I'll try again. Those bats haven't beaten me yet.
http://7deadlysinners.typepad.com/foureyedbat/2007/10/zoo-tuesday-fru.html
Panda attacks boy in Beijing zoo
By Duncan Hooper and agencies
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 23/10/2007
A panda previously attacked by a drunken tourist has taken revenge on another interloper in his enclosure, savaging a teenager who leapt over the fence during feeding time.Eight-year-old Gu Gu and another bear were being fed at Beijing Zoo when a 15-year-old boy crossed the 1.4-meter (4-foot-7) barrier surrounding his outdoor exercise area. The 240-pound (110 kilgram) bear turned on the visitor and began ripping chunks out his legs, according to the director of the zoo management office, identified only by his surname, Zhang.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/10/23/eabear123.xml
Female gorilla born at zoo
By Brian Alexander
Seattle Times staff reporter
RYAN HAWK / WOODLAND PARK ZOO
The baby girl is the twelfth successful gorilla birth for the zoo and the third offspring between 37-year-old Amanda and the father, 28-year-old Vip.
The Woodland Park Zoo is celebrating the birth of a female western lowland gorilla — the third offspring of its parents and the 12th successful birth of the endangered species at the zoo.
The gorilla was born about 3:30 a.m. Saturday. It is indoors off public exhibit while it remains under 24-hour observation.
The first 72 hours of a gorilla's life are the most critical, according to Dr. John Ochsenreiter, interim associate veterinarian of animal health.
The new gorilla, which does not yet have a name, seems to be well; her mother, Amanda, is showing "excellent maternal care," according to a news release.
The baby is particularly important because of its genetic diversity, according to the release. Its mother was born in the wild and its father, Vip, has only two other relatives outside of Woodland Park Zoo.
Public viewing of the baby and her mother will be dependent on outdoor temperatures, according to the zoo. A video of the newborn has been made available on the Web at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE4zFSYDDkU.
Brian Alexander: 206-464-2026 or balexander@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003968037_webgorilla22m.html
Animals of San Diego Zoo Staying Put
Written by Ayesha Thomas, Multimedia Producer
While firefighters rush to evacuate residents throughout San Diego, there is concern over about some furrier creatures at San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park.
Zoo officials say they spent most of the night moving critically endangered animals to the park's veterinary hospital.
According to the zoo's website: "The Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center has been chosen as the safe zone for the condors and animals not located in field enclosures. The area is free of brush and other fuels, is located near the highway, and is a state-of-the-art facility equipped with sprinkler systems and medical equipment."
http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=34242
Zoo's new president wants to bring back polar bears for display
CanWest News Service
Published: Tuesday, October 23, 2007
CALGARY -- Polar bears are coming, and beluga whales haven't been ruled out for the Calgary Zoo by its new president, who officially started work on Monday.
Clement Lanthier said the zoo will proceed with plans to acquire polar bears, and suggested the controversial move to bring in belugas remains on the back burner until more money can be found.
That could be several years away, he said.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=6b896cc8-12e9-4349-b33f-4584a83a8290
Zoo erupts with joy over baby jag's name
Top vote getter at floridatoday.com was Nindiri
BY CHRIS KRIDLER
FLORIDA TODAY
The Brevard Zoo's baby jaguar is now known as Nindiri, an appropriate name considering she's a "spitfire."
That's how Michelle Smurl, director of animal programs, describes the 4-month-old cat.
"We like to think of it as the daughter of Masaya," Smurl said Monday, when the name was announced at the conclusion of a floridatoday.com poll. "Masaya in Nicaragua is a volcanic area, and Nindiri is one of the eruptions on Masaya."
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071023/LIFE/710230316/1005
Zoo's new president wants to bring back polar bears for display
CanWest News Service
Published: Tuesday, October 23, 2007
CALGARY -- Polar bears are coming, and beluga whales haven't been ruled out for the Calgary Zoo by its new president, who officially started work on Monday.
Clement Lanthier said the zoo will proceed with plans to acquire polar bears, and suggested the controversial move to bring in belugas remains on the back burner until more money can be found.
That could be several years away, he said.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=6b896cc8-12e9-4349-b33f-4584a83a8290
Flamingos Killed in German Zoo Attack
3 days ago
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Intruders decapitated three flamingos and strangled a fourth in a grisly attack at Frankfurt's zoo, officials said Tuesday.
Police said the birds were killed inside their enclosure by intruders who sneaked into the zoo between Monday night and Tuesday morning.
The zoo said three of the birds killed were more than 30 years old. The fourth was a Chilean flamingo, a species native to the South American country.
The zoo counts several flamingos among its menagerie of animals that includes rhinoceros, hippos lions, giraffes and scores of different birds, insects and reptiles.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h-SHTE_uvNUHXTtIvpXBchPr6baw
Zoo welcomes newborn gorilla
By CASEY MCNERTHNEY
P-I REPORTER
A western lowland gorilla was born Saturday morning at Woodland Park Zoo. The female is the 12th gorilla born there and third offspring of the 37-year-old mother and the 28-year-old father.
The infant and mother are under round-the-clock observation and can't be viewed by the public, and staff said future viewing depends on outdoor temperatures. Meanwhile, staff members plan to post images and video on the zoo's Web site, zoo.org, and on YouTube.
"The first 72 hours are the most critical for a newborn gorilla," said the zoo's interim associate veterinarian of animal health, Dr. John Ochsenreiter.
"We need to ensure that mom and her infant are bonding, the infant is nursing properly and she is receiving adequate milk."
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/336439_gorilla23.html?source=mypi
The Maryland Zoo In Balt. Gets New President (Video)
(WJZ) BALTIMORE The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is about to get a new leader.
The zoo has weathered recent financial troubles, but Ron Matz reports they are looking toward the future.
It's home to more than 1,500 animals and now the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is preparing for a new leader.
Former Baltimore County Executive and civic leader Don Hutchinson will take over as interim zoo president. He'll evaluate all funding and operations. His first day will be Jan. 2, 2008.
http://wjz.com/local/local_story_296122017.html
Zoo Welcomes Two Baby Animals
Keepers Welcome Baby Potto, Bongo
POSTED: 11:36 am EDT October 23, 2007
UPDATED: 11:50 am EDT October 23, 2007
BOSTON -- There are two new adorable additions at the Franklin Park Zoo. A potto, a small primate, was born on Sept. 9, and a bongo, a type of antelope, on Sept. 28, zoo officials announced Tuesday.
The birth of the potto gave a boost to the tiny North American captive population, which only numbers 12 animals. Franklin Park Zoo is one of three zoos in the country to exhibit them, and one of the only zoos that has been consistently adding to the captive population.
This baby potto, not yet named, is the offspring of Tallensi (mother) and Rendille (father), and is being cared for by zoo staff off-exhibit, marking the third time a potto has been successfully hand-raised at Franklin Park Zoo. Zoo New England's animal care and veterinary staff prefer to have baby animals raised by their mothers, as they would be in the wild. However, Tallensi has never shown an interest in caring for her young so zoo staff had to step in to help ensure the baby potto’s survival.
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/14402992/detail.html
Fire Update from the Panda Station
Posted at 11:38 am October 23, 2007 by Pamela Crowe
As you are all aware, numerous fires are sweeping through the San Diego area. I know many of our devoted panda fans are worried about the safety of our animal collections and staff, and especially our pandas.
The fires are burning both to the north and south of the San Diego Zoo. They are still quite a good distance away, and are not posing any threats at this time. Though the air quality is quite poor in many parts of the county, here at the Zoo it’s not too bad. We are all so grateful that, at this point, the Zoo and our animal collections are safe. However, we are closely keeping an eye on our sister facility, San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park, which has been impacted by the fire. We are a family and will assist the Park as needed. Thankfully, the Park’s animals are okay.
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/fire-update-from-the-panda-station/
Image: Chimpanzee born at Wellington Zoo
Wednesday, 24 October 2007, 9:45 am
Press Release: Wellington Zoo
Media release
Chimpanzee born at Wellington Zoo
A chimpanzee was born at Wellington Zoo early on 22 October, Husbandry Manager, Suzette Nicholson announced today.
‘Our chimpanzee keeper Cassandra Butler came in to work on Monday morning and found that Sally had given birth at around 6am, a week early than expected. Both mother and baby appear to be doing well.’
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0710/S00246.htm
Money to Help L.V. Zoo Expand, Add Exhibits
The Lehigh Valley Zoo is seeing green. And it has nothing to do with a new frog exhibit coming next year. The zoo captured close to $100.000 in corporate donations today. WFMZ's Bo Koltnow has more. >> Reporter: A snap shot not easy to capture at the Arctic Wolf exhibit. But that's one reason why visitor Rick Carbonell likes the zoo. >> Rick: This zoo you can look at all the vistas and driving into the woods. It's part of the whole experience it's nice. >> Reporter: The zoo expects $100,000 people to get similar feelings this year. To draw more visitors inside extensive renovations, new exhibits, and expanded educational programs are planned.
http://wfmz.com/view/?id=167483
LA Zoo Video
http://cdn.dayport.com/wfmzimg/htm/DayPortWFMZPlayer.html?limit=10&articleID=167483&isSpanish=false&adInsertionInterval=2&bannerAdConDefID=8&defaultPreviewImage=http%3A//wfmzimg.dayport.com/img/icons/PlayerThumbnail.jpg&domain=wfmz.dayport.com&imageDomain=cdn.dayport.com/wfmzimg&limit_default=10&conDefID=2&videoAdObjectID=4&logoAdObjDefID=5&siteName=WFMZ%20TV&callLetters=WFMZ&version=20070627
Brand new BABY GORILLA!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE4zFSYDDkU&eurl=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/336439_gorilla23.html?source=mypi
Farewell, Our Silly, Sweet Boy
Posted at 9:41 am October 26, 2007 by Angie Fiore
It is with a heavy heart that I write this. For four years we have had the pleasure of caring for Mei Sheng, watching him grow from a tiny cub to the beautiful bear he is today. For me, Mei Sheng was the first bear to throw his back against the mesh for a much-anticipated back scratch, and from that moment on I was hooked. He continued to win my heart through his silly and sweet forays at the Giant Panda Research Station: wrestling with his favorite enrichment items, welcoming me each morning with bleats, anointing himself with the scents we spread around his exhibit. And then there was the particular scent that was not supposed to be enrichment: the alcohol used for his blood draw training. On his first session of cleaning his arm with the alcohol, Mei Sheng took one whiff, removed his arm from the sleeve, and proceeded to have a great roll around the crate while rubbing the scent all over his body, paying particular attention to his head! Of course, he was supposed to be in a “serious” training session, but we all had a great laugh and gladly waited for him to finish.
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/farewell-our-silly-sweet-boy/
Zoo elephants show support for Bengals
A photo of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger became part of Thursday's Pumpkin Pandemonium at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.
As part of its annual HallZOOween tradition, the zoo presents an animal version of trick-or-treating, which includes Gorilla Pumpkin Hunts, Snow Monkey Pumpkin Hide & Seeks, Polar Bear Pumpkin Bobs, and Elephant Pumpkin Smashes.
When Asian elephants My-Thai, Jati and Princess Schottzie, did the "Monster Mash," they always attract a crowd.
At Thursday's gathering, My-Thai's pumpkin featured a photo of Roethlisberger, and MyThai was pleased to crush it. The Bengals play the Steelers this weekend.
After crushing the pumpkins, the elephants get to eat the tasty treat.
Hall
ZOOween wraps up from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071026/NEWS01/710260375
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