Zoos
Out of the jungle and into the zoo
Anna is set to buy a Pembrokeshire pad
After spending 16 days in the Australian jungle, Anna Ryder Richardson is set to move into her own zoo in St Florence, Tenby.
The I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! star is reported to be buying The Manor House wild animal park, which is home to a range of exotic animals and a historic 18th century house.
The 45-acre zoo is one of the oldest tourist attractions in the county, and was run by Jo and Clive Williams for 26 years.
Following the death of her husband two years ago, Jo decided to retire from the business.
Great-grandmother Jo said: "I will be sad to leave, and I will miss all the animals. It will be a big change, it's been my life for the past 26 years."
"I have nine grandchildren who all adored it there, and Clive and I were there every day."
http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/latest/display.var.1890232.0.out_of_the_jungle_and_into_the_zoo.php
FOR LEOPARD LOVERS New York business can be a jungle. Now one of its denizens, the billionaire developer Leonard N. Stern, is helping to create a real animal habitat in the heart of Manhattan.
Mr. Stern, the chairman and chief executive of the Hartz Group, a company with roots in the pet food industry, and his wife have ponied up $7 million to the Wildlife Conservation Society. Some of the gift will go toward a $10.8 million snow leopard exhibit at the Central Park Zoo, which is operated by the conservation society. The exhibit, expected to open in 2009, will showcase the endangered cats and the role of the conservation society in protecting them from extinction.
Mr. Stern's wife, Allison Maher Stern, is a longtime trustee of the Wildlife Conservation Society and is its vice chairman. When it came time to name the exhibit, Mr. Stern, whose name has already been used on the business school at New York University, decided that this was an occasion to honor his cat-loving wife.
''I've never had anything named after me, so yea,'' Mrs. Stern said at a groundbreaking ceremony late last month for the Allison Maher Stern Snow Leopard Exhibit.LOUISE KRAMER
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D03EFDC1E30F937A35752C1A9619C8B63
3 baby flamingos get tender loving care at Detroit Zoo
Toys and piped-in chirps to help chicks survive
December 9, 2007
BY FRANK WITSIL
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Twice before, Bonnie Van Dam has hoped that flamingo hatchings would save the Detroit Zoo's aging -- and thinning -- flock.
This time, the third, may just work.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071209/NEWS05/712090603/1039/ENT04
Breakfast at zoo offers Santa, snakes
By Peter Harriman
pharrima@argusleader.com
PUBLISHED: December 9, 2007
Nothing said Christmas like a Burmese python and Mrs. South Dakota doing reindeer crafts - at the Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum of Natural History, at any rate.
The snake and Jill TenHaken were popular attractions at the zoo's annual Breakfast with Santa, rivaled only by Santa Claus himself.
By midmorning Saturday, more than 400 people had taken advantage of the chance to have breakfast in the museum's Great Room, to listen to strolling Victorian carolers, to pet hands-on zoo exhibits such as the snake, do crafts, visit Santa, tour the museum and brave single-digit cold for a wagon ride around the zoo grounds.
Most of the zoo animals waited out the morning cold in their quarters, although a pronghorn antelope stood stolidly in its enclosure, looking like it was trying to organize its thoughts in the frigid weather, and badly in need of a hot cup of coffee.
Jennifer Dolan, the zoo's special events coordinator, and Trevor Guthmiller, marketing director, were presiding over their first Breakfast with Santa. So while the number of visitors impressed them, they had nothing to compare it to.
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071209/NEWS/712090332/1001
Electrical problem starts fire at Nay Aug Park zoo
ERIN NISSLEY
STAFF WRITER
12/09/2007
Scranton firefighters responded to the Genesis Wildlife Center at Nay Aug Park Saturday afternoon and put out a small fire caused by an electrical problem, according to Acting Assistant Fire Chief Larry Mulrine.
Electrical wires near a utility pole caught fire just above the roof of the zoo’s building at about 4:50 p.m., Assistant Chief Mulrine said. PPL Electric had been working on the lines Friday in an attempt to correct an unknown problem in the same spot.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze using dry chemicals. There was no damage to the building and none of the animals were harmed, Assistant Chief Mulrine said.
Contact the writer: enissley@timesshamrock.com
http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19098956&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=415898&rfi=6
San Diego Zoo Coordinates Antelope Repatriation
Written by Imperial Valley News
Saturday, 08 December 2007
San Diego, California - Two of Africa's largest antelope species, the addax and the scimitar-horned oryx, face a silent extinction as catastrophic declines due to unsustainable hunting, habitat loss and competition with livestock have wiped out these North African species, but a coalition of zoos is fighting back. This week the San Diego Zoo and European zoos moved 22 zoo-born animals for repatriation in Tunisia, arriving safely Friday (Dec. 7).
With approximately 1,400 scimitar horned oryx and more than 600 addax in zoological institutions globally, the Saharan Conservation Fund, formed by a group of international zoos and conservation-minded organizations, joined forces with the Tunisian government to reestablish the scimitar-horned oryx and the addax to a portion of their former home range.
"North Africa has been badly ignored from a conservation stand point for some time," said Carmi Penny, San Diego Zoo curator of mammals. "Wildlife has quietly and steadily deteriorated towards extinction. This effort closes the circle from when animals were brought to zoos in order to educate the public about conservation to the present when animals need our help in restoring them to their native lands."
Nine scimitar-horned oryx, five males and four females, will be sent to the Dghoumes National Park while 13 addax, four males and nine females, from U.S. and European zoos will be sent to the Djebil National Park. In 2006, the animals were moved to the San Diego Zoo as a staging location for United States wildlife parks including the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, St. Louis Zoo, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, The Living Desert, Iron Mountain Ranch Reserve, The Wilds, the Kansas City Zoo, Bamberger Ranch Reserve and the Smithsonian National Zoological Park Conservation and Research Center.
http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=451&Itemid=1
Camel Deaths Alarm Yanbu Livestock Owners
Muhammad Al-Homaid, Arab News
Nearly 20 camels have perished in Yanbu after eating contaminated fodder. (AN photo)
YANBU, 9 December 2007 — Over 20 camels have died in Yanbu recently after eating contaminated fodder, said livestock owners. They complained that the Ministry of Agriculture has failed to deploy vets to deal with the problem.
“Five of my camels died after eating fodder I purchased last Sunday from the Yanbu fodder market. The fodder was sold at a comparatively low price,” said Nayer Al-Refaie, a livestock owner.
He added that 20 of his camels were fed with the contaminated fodder and that after their health worsened, he began feeding them other stuff. “However, it didn’t make a difference. The camels’ health worsened,” he said.
“So I went to the Ministry of Agriculture and tried to get a vet to check on my herd. However, I was told that there was no veterinary doctor,” he added.
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=104434&d=9&m=12&y=2007
Zoo runs wild with expansion plans
By Zachary K. Johnson
Record Staff Writer
November 26, 2007 6:00 AM
LODI - Families have gawked at the wild and unfamiliar at Micke Grove Zoo for more than 50 years.
The decades took their toll on the zoo's older facilities, but officials say existing plans are moving forward and even more plans are on the way to map out the future as the zoo grows to five times its current size.
The map for the zoo's long-term future is about to be drawn. Last month, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors approved a $150,000 contract with WDM Architects, based in Wichita, Kan., to manage the project.
Currently on 2.5 acres, the zoo is planned to grow to 15 acres, said Ken Nieland, the zoo's director. The long-term plan will determine what is going to fill that new space, based on what the community wants and what it can support, he said.
"We want to have lots and lots of public input," he said. The first meeting to set the process to create the plan will be in December.
By March, the zoo's general plan should be complete, Nieland said.
Much is about to happen on the existing 2.5 acres, too, he said.
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071126/A_NEWS/711260315&emailAFriend=1
Oil spill in Yellow Sea
8:31AM Sunday December 09, 2007
A tanker holed by a barge has spilled more than 10,000 tonnes of crude oil into the Yellow Sea in what officials say is South Korea's worst oil spill.
Authorities are battling to contain the oil inside a boom eight kilometres long, to prevent it damaging the coastline, as a fleet of 28 ships scatters dispersant chemicals. Officials are worried about a huge ecological disaster.
The Hong Kong registered tanker, carrying about 15,000 tonnes of oil, was berthed off the coast near Seoul when it was pierced in three places.
- NEWSTALK ZB
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10481287
Asses at a premium
5:00AM Sunday December 09, 2007
Prices for working donkeys in Gaza have risen by up to 60 per cent to as much as 600 dinars since Israel closed off the enclave after Hamas's enforced takeover of the strip almost six months ago.
Donkey feed has also gone up, from five to 15 shekels ($5), a day since June.
Saber Dabour is among those who intend to sell their cars and buy a donkey instead. He intends to use a donkey and cart to sell cucumbers, onions and other vegetables door to door.
"There are no jobs here, so I am going to create my own work," he said. Pointing out that vehicle spare parts have dried up since the closure, Dabour added: "A donkey doesn't need tyres, it doesn't need spare parts, and it doesn't need petrol."
A reduction in fuel supplies from Israel into Gaza - declared a "hostile entity" by the Israeli cabinet in September in response to continued Qassam rocket fire - has quickened demand for donkeys, as has the closure of petrol stations for several days.
- Independent
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10481234
Two teenagers arrested over police dog stabbing
December 9, 2007 - 3:13PM
Carts, a police dog named after a constable who was killed in an off-duty attack, has been stabbed to death following a break-in at a NSW Surf Club.
Two 18-year-old men have been charged with aggravated break and enter and theft following a break-in at the Corrimal Surf Club about 3am today, and one of them is being questioned about the death of Carts.
When police were called to the club because of intruders they saw two men with a surf club motorcycle. The men ran when they were spotted, police said.
One offender stopped after police called out and the police dog, Carts, chased the second man into nearby bushes. The dog was stabbed with a sharp implement, police said.
He died from his wounds in a veterinary hospital.
The German Shepherd dog, was named Carts after police officer David Carty.
The 25-year-old constable was bashed and stabbed to death in an off-duty incident in Sydney's southwest in 1997.
Today one of teenagers charged over the surf club break-in was granted conditional bail and will appear in Wollongong Local Court on January 16.
The second man remains in custody and is being interviewed in connection to the death of Carts.
AAP
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/two-teenagers-arrested-over-police-dog-stabbing/2007/12/09/1197135270551.html
Dated:
Wgtn Zoo defends cheetah experience
Oct 26, 2006 3:27 PM
Wellington Zoo officials are dismissing claims their programme allowing cheetahs out to attend public functions is dangerous.
For $2,500 people can have the zoo's two adult cheetahs, with trainers, at their function for around 40 minutes.
The zoo's copped criticism from animal rights groups, and now two Dutch zoos have condemned the programme, calling it dangerous and uneducational.
Wellington Zoo's acting CEO Mauritz Basson says cheetahs are timid animals, posing little threat to humans.
He says several other top zoos around the world allow their cheetahs out, including San Diego, Taronga Zoo in Sydney and Melbourne Zoo.
Basson says getting people involved with the animals first-hand is the best way to teach them about conservation.
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488120/871003
Bill to Better Regulate "Roadside" Zoos
Oct, 23 2006 - 7:40 PM
A Ontario Liberal backbencher wants the province's small zoos to be better regulated and is introducing a private member's bill to make that a reality.
Toronto MPP David Zimmer is introducing the bill to bring in minimum standards for the estimated 50 small ``roadside' zoos in Ontario.
Melissa Tkachyk of the World Society for the Protection of Animals, says investigations have found animals living in filthy conditions in Ontario's zoos.
While some groups say regulation is long overdue, some small zoo owners say the legislation is unnecessary and fuelled by fear-mongering animal-rights activists.
- AM 640 Toronto 24 Hour Newscentre
http://www.640toronto.com/news/metro.cfm?cat=7428109912&rem=50493&red=80110923aPBIny&wids=410&gi=1&gm=metro.cfm
Thu, 26 Oct 2006
Edinburgh on a low (carbon) budget
We had another trip up to the Scottish capital to visit my sister this month. We chose to go by train because it's not too expensive, quick and not too stressful. It's also the greenest option. You have to know what you are doing when buying tickets as there are various options. Having a Family Railcard saves a lot for us. We used the GNER Mallard service. The new trains are comfortable and have mains power plus wifi. I didn't use either of those this time. Our audio players managed on battery and I still don't have wifi capability. Even if I did I would really have to need it. Considering that you have to pay a fair bit just to be sitting on the train I would think they could make the wifi cheaper. You have to pay a minimum of �3 for a half hour. Of course, first class passengers get it 'free'.
For most of our stay in Edinburgh we used the buses. It cost around �6 for a day ticket for 2 adults and a child, but we only made a couple of trips each time. It can be confusing to work out what tickets to get and which routes to use, but that applies in most cities. We were lucky to have someone with local knowledge.
We visited the zoo. It's generally a good one, but some of the larger animals, e.g. polar bear and tiger, could do with a lot more space. The tiger was pacing at the back of it's cage, others were just sleeping. I have mixed feelings about zoos, but most of the big ones are pretty active in breeding programmes. We can hope that seeing the animals will encourage people to think more about what we are doing to the planet, but I expect some just go to see something new. They had some good activities to keep the kids amused.
http://www.bagofspoons.net/cgi-bin/pyblosxom.cgi/Travel/20061026edinburgh.html
Friday, October 27, 2006
Ocelot born at Oregon Zoo
Oregon Zoo - The "darling little guy" is healthy, and mom, though she killed her first offspring, is "doing a great job"
RICHARD L. HILL
The Oregonian
Friday, October 27, 2006
An ocelot couple named Ralph and Alice apparently felt right at home after arriving at the Oregon Zoo last April. Within weeks, Alice was pregnant.
On Thursday, officials announced that Alice had delivered the zoo's first ocelot kitten six weeks ago.
They only had glimpses of the baby, a male, and didn't want to announce the birth until they could determine it was healthy. The protective mother kept the baby partially hidden in her den until last week, when veterinarians were able to do an exam.
After a series of vaccinations, the kitten, now two pounds and healthy, will make his first public appearance in January.
http://bigcatnews.blogspot.com/2006/10/ocelot-born-at-oregon-zoo.html
Chiquita reaches banana deal with Panama producers
Saturday, December 08 2007 @ 05:13 PM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 18
PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Chiquita Brands International Inc has reached a deal with Panamanian farmers after a protracted dispute that will ensure banana supply until 2008, Panama said on Thursday. The agriculture ministry said Panama's main banana producing cooperative, Coosemupar, had agreed to sell Chiquita a 19.2 kg box for $6.50, a one dollar increase on the current contract. Chiquita sold Puerto Armuelles Fruit Co to Coosemupar in 2003 and since then has had tempestuous relations with the cooperative. The bananas Chiquita buys from Panama account for about 5 percent of its total in Latin America. (more).
Coosemupar had suspended deliveries to the company during the negotiations and in November gave away about 20,000 bananas in Panama City in protest against the price Chiquita was offering.
Panama produced 440,000 tonnes of bananas in 2006, according to United Nations figures. (Reporting by Andrew Beatty; Editing by Toni Reinhold)
http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20071208171334993
Saturday, October 28, 2006
The yellowing of cottonwood, willows, and salt cedar along the Rio Grande signals the advance of fall here on the Armendaris ranch. We have recently been joined by Michelle Schireman, the AZA (American Association of Zoos and Aquariums) puma population manager and full time zoo keeper at the Oregon Zoo. Michelle and I co-authored a successful grant proposal to the Oregon Zoo Future for Wildlife Fund. The resulting funding has purchased a GPS collar for the project as well as provided time for Michelle to assist in the work here on the Armendaris. In the photo above Michelle is looking for one of our radio collared ewes. A link to the Oregon Zoo has been added to the sidebar.
http://furmancougar.blogspot.com/2006/10/yellowing-of-cottonwood-willows-and_28.html
Halloween Hoot more about learning
By LORI INGHAM
Staff Writer
lingham@citizen.com
Article Date: Monday, October 30, 2006
Kevin Sperl/Staff Photo THE SQUAM LAKES Science Center held its annual Halloween Hoot 'N Howl event over the weekend, promising an 'eerily entertaining and educational evening'.
HOLDERNESS — At the Squam Lakes Science Center annual Hoot 'N Howl, the bumps in the night were more likely to be those of the surrounding animals than of ghosts and goblins. But the goal wasn't to scare, but to educate those who came through about nature in an entertaining way.
In its 40th year, the center has recently been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, of which there are only 200 in the U.S. to have the credentials, according to marketing manager Tiffany Teaford.
http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061030/CITIZEN_01/110300126/-1/CITIZEN
Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act
Back from vacation and just as outraged as before. The IFAW sent this email, emphasis mine:
Your First Amendment rights to speak out to protect animals are under attack. When the House of Representatives returns to Washington in two weeks they will be debating an extremely dangerous bill that will give jail time and fines for any action that can be linked to a loss of profit to any company classified as an "animal enterprise". This includes anyone who produces or distributes animals or products from animals, animal entertainment (including rodeos, circuses, zoos or aquariums), research facilities, pet stores and even animal fighting.
Under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA), legal activities such as peaceful protests, consumer boycotts, media campaigns, legislative proposals, or even telling the public what happens in puppy mills, factory farms, or canned hunting facilities, could be classified as acts of terrorism.
http://bigfatliberal.blogspot.com/2006/10/animal-enterprise-terrorism-act.html
October 31, 2006
A trip to Salzburg's zoo
On Saturday we made our way to Hellbrun to visit Salzburg's zoo. It is around a 3km walk from Neideralm to the zoo, and annoyingly enough for us as soon as we set out the light drizzle turned into a pretty persistent rain. That meant we arrived pretty bedraggled.
The zoo is huddled under a rocky outcrop, and our first impression from the outside was that it wasn't very big. We piad €8 each to get in, and then rushed straight past the animals to get to the restaurant so we could dry off a bit and have a cup of coffee. Fortunately the rain eased off a bit after a while, and so we then ventured out.
The first animals to really catch our eye were some ridiculous llama type creatures. They had these long fringes that looked like they had been cut to imitate a 60s Beatles bowl cut, which seemed to completely obscure their vision. They also had incredibly bucked teeth. The overall impression made them look really stupid, and we watched them, laughing, for ages.
http://lemontree.typepad.com/a_lemon_tree_of_our_own/2006/10/a_trip_to_salzb.html
Animal Planet Wants You To ROAR
Written by Joan Hunt
Published October 31, 2006
I caught the new Animal Planet commercial the other night. You know, the one asking viewers to ROAR — "Reach Out. Act. Respond."
Stars from many of the channel's hit shows pitch the difference one person can make when it comes to helping animals and saving habitat.
Almost two months after the death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, the man who launched Animal Planet to unimagined heights, it's as if his words, his mission are now part of a massive campaign to improve the lives of animals and, ultimately, ourselves. Were he still with us, he'd have led the pack on the commercial.
Animal Planet is partnering with leading animal organizations to inspire people like you to make the world a better place for animals. Together, we have the power to improve the lives of animals in our communities and in the wild. Simple things like volunteering at a local shelter, spreading the word about conservation, supporting a favorite animal cause or walking an elderly person's dog can make a difference. Even the smallest act has an impact. Join us in our passion to help animals.
While this new endeavor may well have been in the works long before Irwin's death, the actual commercial seems to echo his philosophy with stunning clarity. Not that this is a bad thing, mind you. Efforts to protect our natural world benefit us as much as they do the animals.
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/10/31/135041.php
Aquarium Admissions Are Free on Veterans Day
Raleigh – The North Carolina Aquariums will waive their usual admission fees for all visitors on Veterans Day, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2006.
Veterans Day is one of two days reserved each year for the public to visit the aquariums without an admission charge. The other "free day" is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The no-charge tradition began in 1994.
"Setting these days aside as free days guarantees that everyone, regardless of financial ability, can enjoy the aquariums," said David Griffin, director of the North Carolina Aquariums Division. "We include Veterans Day to show appreciation for the contributions of our military service veterans."
Usual admission fees at the aquariums are $8 for adults, $7 seniors (62 and over); $6 for ages 6-17. Admission is free to children under six and to all North Carolina schoolchildren who visit in pre-registered groups.
http://www.topsail-island.info/wordpress/index.php/aquarium-admissions-are-free-on-veterans-day/
Elephants go on show at Taronga Zoo
November 2, 2006 - 5:44PM
Four Asian elephants will go on show at Sydney's Taronga Zoo for the first time on Friday after a two-year battle with animal rights activists.
Campaigners launched a series of protests and legal challenges in a bid to stop the elephants coming from Thailand to Australia, arguing it was cruel to keep them in zoos.
But, after months of delays, the four female elephants were flown into Sydney Airport on Thursday morning from Cocos Islands, in the Indian Ocean, where they had been quarantined.
The zoo's director, Guy Cooper, said the animals had coped with their 14-hour flight and road trip extremely well and already were settling in.
Another four elephants - a male also destined for Taronga and three females bound for Melbourne Zoo - will arrive in Australia this weekend.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Elephants-go-on-show-at-Taronga-Zoo/2006/11/02/1162339978470.html
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