Wash hands at petting zoos

Natalie Smith and her brother, William Smith wash their hands as they leave a petting zoo in in Green Cove Springs, Fla., in 2005. File The Associated Press

Along with lambs, ducks and rabbits, petting zoos may also feature/sE. coli, salmonella and other disease-causing microorganisms. But according to a new study, few zoos consistently enforce hygienic practices that would keep these germs from spreading to humans.
Researchers made unannounced inspections of 36 Canadian petting zoos. Their report appears in the July 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.
While all but two of the zoos had hand-washing facilities, only about a quarter of visitors used them. At more than 80 percent of the zoos, people carried food into the animal areas. About a third permitted children younger than 6 to have unsupervised contact with the animals, and 65 percent allowed feeding animals by hand.... (click title above, thank you)




Petting Zoo Tips

Free Handwashing Posters for Community Petting Zoos (click here)

Handwashing reduces the risk of contracting diseases that animals can sometimes carry,such as E. coli, Salmonella and a number of other infections.
Health officials suggest these tips on how to enjoy petting zoos without getting sick:

Don’t kiss the animals and limit your contact with them and the surroundings, such asfencing, stalls and gates, because manure may be present on their body and in their environment.

Supervise young children and advise them to keep their hands out of their mouths.Don’t take food or drink into the animal area.

Wash your hands as soon as you exit the animal area, and help young children washtheir hands properly.

Washing with soap and warm water is best; use antibacterialtowelettes or lotion if handwashing facilities are not available.

Clean your shoes when you return home and after doing so wash your hands.

Call your doctor if you or your children get sick with stomach cramps, vomiting or diarrhea within a week of visiting a petting zoo. Tell the doctor you were around farm animals.

http://www.achd.net/infect/pettinginfo.htm



Allegheny County health agency offers hand-washing signs (click here)
By The Tribune-ReviewFriday, June 29, 2007
The Allegheny County Health Department is offering free hand-washing signs to operators of petting zoos and farm animal exhibits.
Children and adults should wash their hands after leaving such exhibits, the department said. The risk of contracting diseases that animals can sometimes carry, such as e. coli and salmonella, can be reduced by hand washing.
Events with petting zoos can obtain the free signs by calling the health department at 412-687-2243 or by downloading them from the department's Web site.


Link to the FREE Poster !

http://www.achd.net/food/pubs/pdf/pettingzooposter.pdf



Zoonoses—Animals Can Make You Sick

Zoonoses Fact Sheet

Diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans are referred to as zoonotic diseases or zoonoses. Symptoms are frequently similar to other types of illnesses. While there are many zoonotic diseases, this fact sheet addresses those where there is some potential for infection in Allegheny County.

Steps to minimize the risk of contracting a zoonotic disease include wearing gloves for certain activities, a well-managed vaccination program, and good sanitation and personal hygiene.

http://www.achd.net/factsheet/zoo.html

Elephants unpack trunks in new enclosure

Elephants today made their first public appearance at Dublin Zoo for almost two years in their new specially designed rainforest enclosure.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern unveiled the Kaziranga Forest Trail habitat, which includes water pools and dense vegetation.
It will be home to the zoo's two new adult Asian elephants, Bernhardine and Yasmin, who have been in quarantine since arriving from Germany earlier this year.
A two-month-old baby born at the Zoo in May has yet to be named....

A Cat Fight? Sort of, Only Louder and Uglier

Diana Cooper believes that her cat, Fortune, was hurt in a fight with a fisher, sometimes called a fisher cat. (click on title to entry, thank you)

Another article 'of interest.'

Why the cat was 'tamed' --but stayed aloof
By Robert Mitchum
Tribune staff reporter
Published June 29, 2007
Inside the cells of every pet cat lies a history book, a story detailing the journey from the wilds of Asia to the comforts of a windowsill perch.
Combining the fields of genetics and archeology, scientists have cracked open the book to find that cat domestication occurred near the beginning of human civilization, long before many previous archeological estimates. The circumstances of this early association between man and cat may explain the friendly but tenuous truce between felines and humans.
Published Friday in the journal Science, the research used DNA from modern house cats to trace the origin of domestic cats back to a specific time and region that coincided with the settlement of humans in the Middle East region known as the Fertile Crescent.
Geneticists studied cats as a domestic pet unique in its persistent similarity to its wild ancestors. Modern cats were traced to a common ancestor: a particular species of wildcat that still lives in the same region.
"Our study was able to localize it down to one subspecies whose range included the Near East," said Oxford University zoologist Carlos Driscoll. "Within the Near East was the Fertile Crescent, which is the most likely spot for domestication to have occurred."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/services/newspaper/premium/printedition/Friday/chi-catsjun29,1,6855169.story

Morning Papers - continued ...

Zoos

STATE SCHOOLS CHIEF JACK O'CONNELL ENCOURAGES PARENTS
June 28
STATE SCHOOLS CHIEF JACK O'CONNELL'S TOP 10 LIST FOR SUMMER LEARNING
...5. HAVE FUN WITH SCIENCE. Work with your child on projects such as making bird feeders, caring for pets, setting up a home weather station, observing the night sky and preparing a family vegetable or flower garden. Talk with your child's science teacher and get useful tips to help you reinforce your child's formal science training. Summer is an ideal time to visit museums and zoos in your community. Many of these are free or low cost for young children. For a list of zoos and museums, please visit http://www.cde.ca.gov/86299….

http://www.sjcoe.org/newsDetails.aspx?ID=608


This is a great video out of the Denver Zoo. A great video. A must see.

http://www.9news.com/video/player.aspx?aid=36838&bw=

KYLE'S KRITTERS: Monkey business at the Denver Zoo

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=72874


This is a fascinating reality of veterinary medicine with Zoo residents

Please Touch the Animals: Environmental Enrichment at Zoos
latitude 37.753392, longitude -122.150312
From body work and acupuncture for giraffes, to pachyderm pedicures, come see how the Oakland Zoo is using alternative treatments to guarantee the well-being of its residents.

http://www.kqed.org/quest/television/view/398


TV to Spotlight Experts on 21st Century Zoos, Breeding Bees, Trash to Energy and Campus Attractions
July 2, 2007
Three UC Davis professors and their work, as well as the campus itself, will be the focus of several PBS television shows airing throughout the month of July.
Dr. Murray Fowler, a professor emeritus at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, will be featured in an upcoming episode of "Quest," a science program produced by KQED in San Francisco (channel 9 and KQED HD on Comcast 709). The show premieres Tuesday, July 3, at 7:30 p.m., and Fowler will be included in a segment entitled, "Please Touch the Animals: Environmental Enrichment at Zoos."
Earlier Tuesday, the program will be posted on the "Quest" Web site (http://www.kqed.org/quest) in its entirety.

http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=8235


A Dangerous Trend introduced by the Bush Administration. "Shifting Conservative Baselines"

Bald Eagles: Sometimes a Bad Baseline Gets Better
Posted on: June 28, 2007 1:34 PM, by Jennifer L. Jacquet
Stephen Colbert loves this: bald eagles were removed today from the U.S. Endangered Species List. What Stephen won't like is that the delisting serves as a testament to government regulations and the hard work of environmentalists (such as Rachel Carson and her denouncement of the egg-ruining pesticide DDT in Silent Spring; see booklists).
The bald eagle was declared an endangered species in 1967 when there were a measly 417 nesting pairs. After the government banned DDT and zoos began sponsoring captive breeding programs, eagle populations began to rebound. Today there are more than 10,000 nesting pairs across the nation, one-fifth of which are in the states of Florida and Minnesota. Granted, 10,000 pairs of eagles is a long way from the 417 nesting pairs only 40 years ago. However, in a news release in 1999, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said, "When America adopted the bird as its national symbol in 1782, as many as 100,000 nesting bald eagles lived in the continental United States, excluding Alaska."
Our baseline should be 100,000 eagles, but because no one remembers what it was like in 1782 and because eagle populations were on the brink of extinction, we are now happy to achieve a comeback of 20,000 birds. The bad baseline (417 nesting pairs) has indeed gotten better, but also the baseline has indeed shifted.

http://scienceblogs.com/shiftingbaselines/2007/06/bald_eagles_sometimes_a_bad_ba.php


National Conservation Week at the Ecomuseum: An Opportunity to Learn About Wildlife Conservation
STE-ANNE-DE-BELLEVUE, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - June 30, 2007) - Canadians will have an opportunity to learn more about wildlife conservation and what they can do to support species survival during National Conservation Week July 1-7 at Canada's 24 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA).
CAZA members participate in close to 800 ex-situ conservation programs and are directly involved in 20 field projects, most linked directly to reintroduction programs. The Ecomuseum, a zoo located on the island of Montreal and proud CAZA member, is involved in several conservation initiatives and programs locally and provincially in Quebec. On July 2nd, special presentations on these programs will be held at the Ecomuseum for the visiting public. People will have a chance to speak with our experts, to see some of the equipment used in research, and even to see some of the animals that we work with!
It's a great way to learn about how the Ecomuseum and other accredited zoos are working for conservation and education, and how you can help too. Presentations will be held at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in English, and at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. in French.
"Our ability to ensure the long-term survival of all animals is a crucial issue for humanity" said Rob Purdy, President of the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) in announcing National Conservation Week. "As we become an increasingly urbanized society, zoos and aquariums are irreplaceable links to the realities of the natural world, its habitat and wildlife populations. I urge all Canadians to visit their accredited zoo or aquarium the first week of July and hear from the experts what is being done to preserve wildlife and how they can help".

http://www.marketwirecanada.com/2.0/release.do?id=747650


Breaking: New Mystery Cat Photo
Posted by: Loren Coleman on June 29th, 2007
Lewiston, Maine’s Sun Journal’s morning edition for Friday, June 29th, will be breaking the story of a new sighting and photograph of the following Mystery Cat.
This new photograph was taken near Sidney, Maine, in the central part of the state. Game wardens feel it shows proof of a mountain lion. Others at the newspaper are expressing some skepticism.
The cat photograph is clearly not a domestic cat, and does show the typical nose pattern, chest white hair, and overall structure of a mountain lion (puma, cougar, painter, panther, and other names).
This species is not accepted as existing in Maine, although sightings have occurred within the state for years.
What do you think it shows?
[Check back later for more details, and the article, when it is published. Details and photo courtesy of Mark LaFlamme.
Please click here for the morning update on this photograph.

http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/sidney-cat/


Sound and fury over wildlife welfare
Benn Bryant
June 30, 2007
Contemporary zoos exist to pursue a conservation agenda. This is articulated in the World Zoo Conservation Strategy, which states that modern zoos must actively and effectively pursue conservation to justify their existence.
With the maintenance of wildlife in zoos for the pursuit of conservation goals comes a moral obligation to ensure that the physical and psychological wellbeing of wildlife in zoos is optimised. This imperative informs the daily work of the zoo veterinarians and zoo keepers at Western Plains and Taronga zoos.
Zoological medicine is one of the most rapidly expanding fields in veterinary science. Over the past 30 years enormous advances have been made in our understanding of wildlife disease, nutrition and preventive medicine. These have been paralleled by advances in standards of captive wildlife husbandry.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/sound-and-fury-over-wildlife-welfare/2007/06/29/1182624168789.html



Oman's Arabian Oryx Sanctuary : first site ever to be deleted from UNESCO's World Heritage List
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Christchurch, New Zealand, 28 June - The World Heritage Committee on Thursday took the unprecedented decision of removing a site from UNESCO's World Heritage List. The Arabian Oryx Sanctuary (Oman), home to the rare antelope, today became the first site to be deleted since UNESCO's 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage entered into force.
The World Heritage Committee deleted the property because of Oman's decision to reduce the size of the protected area by 90%, in contravention of the Operational Guidelines of the Convention. This was seen by the Committee as destroying the outstanding universal value of the site which was inscribed in 1994.
In 1996, the population of the Arabian Oryx in the site, was at 450 but it has since dwindled to 65 with only about four breeding pairs making its future viability uncertain. This decline is due to poaching and habitat degradation.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/362



Published June 30, 2007 12:00 am
ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP
Peacocks and peahens start new families at zoos across the country, but the folks at Lake Shore Park believe their new little peachicks are the prettiest.
The park's bevy of peacocks ...
Lake Shore Park home to five new peachicks
SHELLEY TERRY
Star Beacon
ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP - - Peacocks and peahens start new families at zoos across the country, but the folks at Lake Shore Park believe their new little peachicks are the prettiest.

http://www.starbeacon.com/local/local_story_181172320



Critics still wary of exotic animal rules
By Jim Nesbitt, Staff Writer
Supporters of a proposed statewide ban on inherently dangerous animals unveiled a major concession today to critics who say the bill would put small, privately-owned zoos out of business.
The new legislative language, revealed during a Senate hearing, would exempt any exhibitor holding the most stringent license offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Aimed at quelling some of the bill’s fiercest critics, the revision would allow zoos and other exhibitors holding a USDA license to keep banned animals — including lions, tigers, bears, wolves, elephants, monkeys and apes — and replace aging or ailing animals.
But the new provision would also require a $2 million liability insurance policy small zoos say would be tough to meet. It would also only apply to exhibits at a fixed location that are open to the public at regular hours. It wouldn’t apply to traveling animal education programs for schools and churches.
“I’m not a zoo — I’m an outreach program; I bring the animals to you,” said Dan Breeding, an exotic animal trainer and wildlife educator who keeps an alligator, apes and other exotic animals on a 25-acre compound near Wake Forest. “The way this bill is written, I’m out of a job, and that doesn’t sound very American.”

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/625668.html



CONCESSION FOLLOWS CRITICISM
N.C. bill to ban dangerous animals altered
Change would allow exhibits of species not OK for private owners
JIM NESBITT
(Raleigh) News & Observer
Supporters of a proposed statewide ban on dangerous animals unveiled a major concession Tuesday to critics who say the bill would put small, privately owned zoos out of business.
The new legislative language, revealed during a Senate hearing, would exempt any exhibitor holding the most stringent license offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
State Sen. Fletcher Hartsell Jr., chairman of the Senate committee considering the bill sponsored by state Sen. Ed Jones, said the "majority of the committee" thinks the bill is too broad. He has appointed a four-member subcommittee to work on the legislation and said he hopes to hold another hearing next week.

http://www.charlotte.com/local/story/184288.html



NORTH CAROLINA
Pythons, boas dropped from proposed exotic animal ban
Supporters of a proposed exotic animal ban dropped pythons and boas from the bill after intense lobbying from reptile collectors across the state.
The revised bill would ban the private ownership of wolves, lions, tigers, bears, apes, monkeys and five other animals deemed "inherently dangerous."
Exemptions would include circuses, university research labs and zoos accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.
The central aims of the bill remain intact -- eliminating the threat of "backyard" tigers and preventing North Carolina from becoming a haven for exotic pet owners fleeing states that already ban or regulate such animals. .
Critics of the bill say it goes too far. "This bill needs to be gone," said Dora Turner, owner of Noah's Landing, a small, nonprofit zoo in Harnett County. "All we need to control is big cats and bears."

http://www.charlotte.com/local/story/178335.html>



Illegal Zoo Raid
Seven exotic animals are in protective custody after Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency officials raided what they called an illegal zoo.
"Lions and tigers and bears, oh my," said Dan Hicks, spokesman for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
"Actually, if they had escaped, that's the situation we'd be looking at."
Hicks said the U.S. Department of Agriculture let state officials know last week that a group of exotic animals might have been transported to Campbell's Wildlife Canyon in Crossville, and that the owner didn't have a permit.
On Friday, TWRA officials got a search warrant and, along with animal experts, confiscated three tigers, a brown bear, a black leopard, an African lion and a cougar.

http://www.wrcbtv.com/news/index.cfm?sid=9450


Louisville Zoo welcomes fast new speciespatas monkeys
2007-07-03 21:49:39 - First Zoo in North America to house patas monkeys and gorillas
They are fast. Real fastrunning at speeds of up to 35 miles an hour, and able to go from 0 to 33 miles per hour in three seconds! Patas
monkeys are the fastest of all primates, and they have made a new home at the Louisville Zoo.
Three patas monkeys arrived at the Louisville Zoo Feb. 23 from North Carolina Zoological Park. They include Cassie (21) and daughters, Ripley (3) and Acacia (2), and are housed in the award-winning Gorilla Forest.
'This species is new for our Zoo, and placing the patas monkeys with our gorillas is on the forefront of Zoo exhibits,- said Gorilla Forest Supervisor Roby Elsner.

http://www.pr-inside.com/louisville-zoo-welcomes-fast-new-speciespatas-r164447.htm


Caged "Chimpanzee" to Protest Cruel Confinement of Primate at Las Vegas Zoo
PETA Wants Lonely Animal to Have an Independence Day Too
For Immediate Release:
July 3, 2007
Contact:
Lisa Wathne 757-622-7382
Las Vegas -- Crouched in a cage and wearing a prison costume and a chimpanzee mask, a PETA member will protest the solitary confinement of Terry the chimpanzee outside the Southern Nevada Zoological and Botanical Park in Las Vegas to mark Independence Day. Other activists will pass out leaflets and hold a banner that reads, "Give Animals in Zoos Their Independence."

http://www.peta.org/mc/NewsItem.asp?id=9985



Image meets reality at Henry Vilas Zoo
The sign shows an image of the proud King of Beasts. The real lion looks old and tired and a bit sad, although happy just to catch a bit of sun in his small fenced-in area. Does he really need to be there?
I know the large zoos with lots of acreage play an important role in species preservation -- and they have room to let the animals roam a bit. But I hope that smaller zoos like Madison's eventually are able to relinquish the role of exhibiting big cats and other large wild animals. The facilities of the Henry Vilas Zoo have improved impressively over the years, and the zoo's dedicated staff does the best they can. But little kids would be just as happy if the cats were replaced by farm animals and an expanded petting zoo. The rest of us, or at least many of us, could breathe a sigh of relief.

http://letterfromhere.blogspot.com/2007/07/image-meets-reality-at-henry-vilas-zoo.html



tiger cubs heed call of the wild at melbourne zoo
Their star status is spruiked by towering temples and showcased on sunny man-made Queensland islands surrounded by adoring tourists who pay to stroke their young bodies. The late Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo and Gold Coast theme park Dreamworld display their hand-reared Sumatran tigers during human "interactions" or "presentations".
But not in Melbourne. Yesterday at chilly Melbourne Zoo, three eight-month-old mother-reared Sumatran cubs rejoiced in a damp rainforest exhibit regarded as one of the world's finest. Nakal, Satu and their sister Isha tore into a hessian bag laced with gorilla odour, while their protective mother Binjai stood alongside, ears back, green eyes burning into the school holiday crowd who gathered on Tiger Bridge.

http://semaphorejunction.blogspot.com/2007/07/tiger-cubs-heed-call-of-wild-at.html


Tiger cubs heed call of the wild at Melbourne Zoo
Steve Butcher
July 5, 2007
THEIR star status is spruiked by towering temples and showcased on sunny man-made Queensland islands surrounded by adoring tourists who pay to stroke their young bodies. The late Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo and Gold Coast theme park Dreamworld display their hand-reared Sumatran tigers during human "interactions" or "presentations".
But not in Melbourne. Yesterday at chilly Melbourne Zoo, three eight-month-old mother-reared Sumatran cubs rejoiced in a damp rainforest exhibit regarded as one of the world's finest. Nakal, Satu and their sister Isha tore into a hessian bag laced with gorilla odour, while their protective mother Binjai stood alongside, ears back, green eyes burning into the school holiday crowd who gathered on Tiger Bridge.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/tiger-cubs-heed-call-of-the-wild-at-melbourne-zoo/2007/07/04/1183351291930.html


Zoo's beloved blind rhino loses battle
3:38PM Tuesday July 03, 2007
Auckland Zoo's rhino team leader Michael Batty with Mandhla last month. Photo / New Zealand Herald
Auckland Zoo's much loved rhino, Mandhla, who suffered neurological failure causing him to go blind last November, was put down today following a dramatic deterioration in his condition.
The 28-year-old rhino suffered a prolapsed penis yesterday, meaning he was no longer able to urinate.
Veterinary staff at the zoo were able to insert a catheter under anaesthetic last night but Mandhla's condition had not improved by this morning and zoo vet Dr John Potter said his condition was irreversible.
A post-mortem is to be carried out this afternoon.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10449369


Detroit Zoo director: 'I do feel badly about what happened '
July 3, 2007
By JOHN WISELY
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Detroit Zoo Director Ron Kagan said today that he’s grateful for the chance to continue to lead the zoo after two weeks of turmoil over his resume.
The Detroit Zoological Society Board voted Monday to dock Kagan a month’s pay, give him a written reprimand and have him publicly apologize after he acknowledged that he never finalized the doctoral degree that has appeared on his resume for years.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070703/NEWS03/70703023/1001/NEWS



OKC Zoo sets attendance record
Associated Press - July 3, 2007 9:15 AM ET
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Oklahoma City Zoo sets an attendance record for the fiscal year that ended on Saturday.
Zoo officials say 800,374 people visited from July 1st, 2006 through last Saturday.
That's short of the 850,000 that officials had hoped for after the opening of the zoo's $10.3 million Oklahoma Trails exhibit but more than 12,000 more than the previous record, set during the 2004-05 fiscal year.
The Oklahoma Trails exhibit features animals that are native to the state. Zoo officials now are planning a $7 million children's zoo that is scheduled to open in 2009 and a $16 million Asian exhibit that will showcase elephants and should open in 2011.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.kten.com/Global/story.asp?S=6741843



Cleveland Zoo a happening place
By SCOTT SUTTELL
10:49 am, July 3, 2007
Northeast Ohioans are wild these days for the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.
The zoo announced its June attendance was 200,948, up 14% from June 2006 attendance of 176,122. Spokesman Tom O’Konowitz said last month marked the best June attendance since 2003, when the zoo attracted about 224,000 visitors upon the debut of the popular Dinosaurs! exhibit.
Dinosaurs! is still at the zoo and, along with Touch! Amazing Rays & Sharks, is drawing good crowds, Mr. O’Konowitz said. Since May, nearly 100,000 people have visited Touch!, the interactive exhibit that allows people to reach into an 11,000-gallon saltwater tank and feel the smooth skin of stingrays and sharks. Nearly 80,000 people have visited Dinosaurs!, which features 15 life-size animatronic dinosaurs.
Mr. O’Konowitz said a relatively warm June with little rain was a significant factor in boosting attendance.
Yesterday, July 2, was the zoo’s busiest day so far this year, drawing more than 18,000 people.
Attendance for the year through July 2 stands at 570,294, putting the zoo about 8% ahead of last year's attendance of 528,236 at the same time.
The zoo last year attracted just more than 1.2 million people. The record attendance is 1.44 million in 1993, the year the zoo opened its Rainforest.

http://www.crainscleveland.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070703/FREE/70703003/1096&Profile=1096



Bald eagles star in new Zoo exhibit
PROVIDENCE – The new bald eagle habitat at Roger Williams Park Zoo opened yesterday, just in time for the Fourth of July.
The new exhibit – created in the former polar bear habitat – is home to Spirit and Glory. This pair of bald eagles (the birds mate for life) had lived in an exhibit near the zoo’s main entrance since 2004, while the new exhibit’s planning and construction were underway.

http://www.pbn.com/stories/26240.html


Reports: Shanghai zoo feeds garlic to penguins to ward of disease in rainy season
The Associated Press
Published: July 4, 2007
SHANGHAI, China: As if fish-breath wasn't bad enough.
Keepers at Shanghai's zoo are feeding the penguins garlic to help ward off respiratory problems and other illnesses during the Chinese financial center's long, humid, summer rainy season, local media reported Wednesday.
Penguins are highly sensitive to a mold that grows in their enclosure, and in past rainy seasons some have become weak and sick after ingesting it.
Garlic helps fortify their respiratory systems, as well as protect their intestines and stomach, the Shanghai Morning Post said.
Getting them to eat it isn't easy, however, since garlic isn't part of their natural diet and penguins tend to be picky about their food.
Zoo keepers have to stuff three to four cloves of garlic per bird in the fish they regularly feed on, the reports said.
Keepers have also arranged two sun baths per day to keep the rainy day blues at bay, they said.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/04/asia/AS-ODD-China-Penguin-Garlic.php


Gorilla Baby Treated at German Hospital
Associated Press 07.03.07, 1:44 PM ET
A baby gorilla from a German zoo was treated at a children's clinic after her mother's neglect left her dangerously dehydrated, zoo officials said.
Six-week-old Mary Two, who also was suffering from hypothermia, was admitted to the intensive care unit at the University of Muenster's clinic on Saturday and discharged a day later.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/03/ap3881937.html



Flag Acres Zoo in danger of closing
Updated: 7/3/2007 10:48 PM
By: Web Staff
The small non-for-profit zoo is nestled far back in rural West Hoosick Falls, 30 miles from Troy. It's a home to more than 200 animals representing 30 different species, though maybe not for much longer.
"Our school groups are down, probably because of school budgets and cost of living, who knows, but without our group tours, without increased attendance or more lectures, the zoo will end up having to close," said Bernadette Hoffman, an animal caretaker.
Despite its struggles, the zoo is still a destination for many school programs and summer camps. Teachers like Lee Leonesio said this trip is something the children look forward to every year.

http://www.capitalnews9.com/content/your_news/capital_region/default.asp?ArID=215461


Zoo a foal's paradise for rare horse breed
Solstice is the newest Przewalski's horse at the Toronto Zoo, with another due any day now
Jul 04, 2007 04:30 AM
Daniel Girard
Staff Reporter
Befitting a rare species, Solstice has already proven to be a survivor.
Born on the first full day of summer, the Przewalski's horse had a dark and stormy first night, a violent thunderstorm leaving her hypothermic and unable to stand.
But Toronto Zoo staff carried her to a bed of dry straw, warming her with heat lamps and an electric blanket. Within a few hours, she was on her feet, getting stronger.
"She's great now, running around, feeling her oats," said Oliver Claffey, the animal care supervisor who was among those who helped get Solstice well in those early hours.

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/232212



Fantasy comes to life at Naples Zoo appearance
By Sandra Silva
07/04/2007
Cindy Hall, left, and Megan Benesch carry a two-toed sloth during the show.
Naples Zoo visitors received a pleasant surprise on June 26 when a live actor portraying Nickelodeon's character Diego, of Go Diego Go! made a special appearance during the Planet Predator show.
Amid cheers and applauses, Diego greeted the audience and, following his TV show's tradition, he announced the day's adventure: To rescue a jaguar! For such mission, it was necessary to find and question other Zoo animals with the help of the Zoo's staff.
The macaw, sloth, owl, hedgehog and wildcat were only a few of Diego's collaborators.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18547310&BRD=2605&PAG=461&dept_id=523946&rfi=6



Gorilla mom focuses on social life, neglects baby
July 4, 2007
BERLIN -- A baby gorilla from a German zoo was treated at a children's clinic after her mother's neglect left her dangerously dehydrated.
The mom of 6-week-old Mary Two had been interested in rejoining other gorillas ''and then she started to neglect her child a bit," the zoo director said.
After the baby was discharged, the director fed her with milk from a bottle.
AP

http://www.suntimes.com/news/world/455339,CST-NWS-gor04.article



Rare dove in journey from zoo to Mexico
IT may not have managed to flap its wings yet, but Edinburgh Zoo's newest chick has a long journey ahead of it - to Mexico.
The rare Socorro dove chick is just a few weeks old and was born as part of the zoo's successful bird breeding programme.
The Socorro dove has been extinct in the wild for 35 years, having last been sighted on the Socorro Islands off the west coast of Mexico in 1972. But the breed will soon be reintroduced to its native habitat.
How the Socorro chick will look when it is fully grown
Gavin Harrison, senior bird keeper at Edinburgh Zoo, said: "There are just over 100 birds in captivity across Europe and we have got one of the biggest populations of Socorro doves. They will be flown out to Socorro and kept in aviaries that have been specially built."

http://news.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=1040472007



Two inmates of Thiruvananthapuram zoo die
Thiruvananthapuram, July 4: A 15-year-old blackbuck rpt blackbuck and a ten-year-old mithan have died in the Thiruvananthapuram zoo in the last two days, sources said.
These two might have died of some fever as they had shown signs of uneasiness for some days, the zoo officials said.
The cause of the death had not been diagnosed and the autopsy had been conducted by Pathologists from the Veterinary Centre in Palode, near here, they added.
All the other inmates had been kept under close watch.
--- UNI

http://www.tvmonnet.com/html/thiruvananthapuram_zoo.htm


Zoo Garage Permit Appealed!
On Monday, the Phinney Ridge Community Council, Save Our Zoo, Seattle Community Council Federation, and eleven individual appellants filed an appeal challenging the decision by the Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD) to allow the Zoo garage. We've posted the appeal documents at www.phinneyecovillage.net/saveourzoo. We've also posted a press release and a drawing of the zoo garage from the Zoo's final Design Commission meeting in January.

http://saveourzoo.blogspot.com/2007/07/zoo-garage-permit-appealed.html



Wild Bat Found At Maryland Zoo Has Rabies (Video Plea to Public)
(WJZ) BALTIMORE The Maryland Zoo asking for the public's help in locating any guests who may have come in contact with a bat.
The State of Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Laboratories Administration in Baltimore confirmed that a wild baby bat found at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore tested positive for rabies virus.
Jessica Kartalija reports the Zoo is asking for the public's help in making sure that anyone who visited the Zoo July 2 and may have come into contact with the bat should call their local public health department or their health care provider to determine whether any treatment is needed.

http://wjz.com/local/local_story_185101456.html



Patriotism soars during zoo's eagle exhibit dedication
By ANDREA THOMAS
athomas@journalandcourier.com
When the Columbian Park Zoo opened its doors in the early 1900s, Lafayette Aerie 347 sponsored the zoo's first bald eagle exhibit.
Today, about a century later, the same organization was present at the dedication of the zoo's refurbished eagle habitat.
In the past four years, the group has raised about $30,000 to provide a more natural environment for the exhibit's resident, an unnamed male bird that comes all the way from Alaska. The new space includes a wigwam to offer eagles shelter and shade, a small pond with a waterfall where eagles can hunt live fish and a replica of an eagle's nest where children can play.
It's especially fitting, said Lafayette resident Randy Bell, that the exhibit should be dedicated on the day America celebrates its independence. Bell showed up to the ceremony dressed head to toe in red, white and blue to show his patriotism.
"It's fantastic that we have our nation's symbol right here in Lafayette. There's a sense of pride you feel when you see it flying in the sky," Bell said. "I'm proud of this country and I'm proud of our symbol - it represents our freedom and the things we fought for."
For more on this story, read Thursday's Journal & Courier.

http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070704/NEWS/70704009/-1/rss



Preparing for Potential Pandas
Posted at 9:47 am June 28, 2007 by Suzanne Hall
As we get ready to flip the page on the calendar to a new month, we find that not much has changed with Bai Yun (pictured).
She is still behaving normally and doing just fine. Behind-the-scenes at the panda facility at the San Diego Zoo, she goes out
into her off-exhibit classroom enclosure daily for a little fresh air and sunshine. She is eating heartily. She participates in regular ultrasounds as the veterinarians reacquaint her with the process. This regular routine will pay dividends later, when her hormones make her more cranky and lethargic; establishing a routine of such exams now will make it easier to coax her into ultrasounds as late as the last week of her pregnancy.

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/preparing-for-potential-pandas/



Rare lemur triplets born at Palm Beach Zoo
By Tim O'Meilia
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 28, 2007
WEST PALM BEACH — The list of critically endangered red ruffed lemurs has increased by three.
A set of triplet lemurs was born May 21 to mama Moon and papa Rusty at the Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park.
Only about 1,000 of the species remain in the wild, and only in the tropical forests of the island of Madagascar, off the African coast.
The triplets are the second litter born to Moon and Rusty. Mena and Meso were born in May 2006.
The lemurs are named for the ruff of reddish fur around the head. They have a black head with a fox-like mouth and a soft, thick orange-red coat. Infant lemurs spend their first few weeks hidden away in a nest, unlike most primates that immediately cling to their parents.
The triplets will be named after zookeepers determine their sex. They eat fruit, leaves, flowers and seeds and can live up to 20 years in the wild.
Palm Beach Zoo
One of three newborn lemurs yawns at the Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2007/06/28/0628lemurs.html


New nutrition center soups up how zoo feeds animals
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Right now, the pickiest eaters at the St. Louis Zoo just might be the cheetahs.
Change their meat supplier, or even wash their food dishes with a new detergent, and they can become downright finicky, turning up their noses at mealtime.
With 18,000 mouths to feed every day -that's including about 11,000 insects on exhibit - one of the nation's top zoos says a new nutrition center that opened Thursday will keep mealtimes from becoming, well, a real zoo.
The St. Louis Zoo already had orderly procedures in place for feeding its animals, but it now has a $5.3 million, state-of-the-art center focused on animal nutrition.
Visitors can watch food being prepared at the Orthwein Animal Nutrition Center through large glass windows, though the center itself isn't open to the public.
A staff with four full-time and two part-time workers begins its days around 5 a.m., zoo nutritionist Ellen Dierenfeld said.
They prepare about 3,000 pounds of food each day in a kitchen.

http://www.nbcactionnews.com/news/state/story.aspx?content_id=fc11695c-2815-462c-99a8-a83214f2c231&rss=766



Zoo of Acadiana offers an interative education
June 29, 2007
By Judy Bastien
Gannett News Service
LAFAYETTE — A day at the zoo is fun for any child. A week at the zoo is even better.
About 30 children are spending a week at a time at the Zoo of Acadiana during its Jungle Camp sessions.
The weeklong sessions are open to children between the ages of 5 and 12 and include tours of the zoo, arts and crafts educational sessions and some hands-on contact with some of the tamer animals.
"We do animal interaction," said Lea Colletti, spokeswoman for the zoo. "We introduce alligators, snakes, birds or tortoises to the children, and they get a little education about the animal. If they want to touch it and ask questions, they can."

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070629/NEWS01/706290324/1060/NEWS01


BAY AREA
Nature's comeback kids
On a clear day, you just might see American bald eagle in East Bay
Friday, June 29, 2007
While her mother and brother spent Thursday watching their fishing poles at San Pablo Reservoir, 11-year-old Alyssa Bedessie kept her eye on the sky for more than six hours -- hoping to catch another glance of a bald eagle.
"It was awesome -- I saw one just right over there, way high up and across the lake," said Alyssa, who lives in Martinez. "He was huge -- totally different than a hawk or vulture."
Bald eagle sightings in the Bay Area remain far from routine. But the fact that Alyssa was able to see one eagle of a pair now nesting at the reservoir in the hills east of Berkeley is symbolic of the resurgence of the species.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/06/29/BAGC8QO88D1.DTL



Bronx Zoo boasts many attractions
Friday, June 29, 2007
By JOE KIRBY
STAFF WRITER
The California sea lion is one of the many attractions at the Bronx Zoo.
Like many West Coast types in the public eye, Indy, Cleo, Adrienne and Kiani know how to work a crowd.
It's a full 15 minutes before their 3 p.m. feeding time -- a daily ritual that draws visitors from all corners of the Bronx Zoo's sprawling 265-acre campus -- but this comely contingent of California sea lions is already creating a buzz around their pool.
Indy darts through the water like a torpedo, then shoots through the air before coming back down in a tidy splash. Cleo pirouettes several times in the water, then pops her whiskered face over the pool's ledge, within feet of surprised spectators. Adrienne bobs up and down expectantly, while Kiani uses his flippers to leap on and off nearby rocks before letting out a loud bark.

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2MzImZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcxNTk0MDUmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3



New arrival at Belfast Zoo
By lesley walsh
BELFAST Zoo has added to its new generation with the birth of a sea lion pup, Snickers.
Born on June 10, weighing a whopping 13 lbs, Snickers is the third offspring of Ariel but keepers at the zoo still don't know what sex it is.
A Califorian sea lion, Snickers has brought delight to both staff and visitors at the zoo, and is on his way to learning the tricks of the trade the breed is famous for.
Curator, Andrew Hope, said the latest birth is testament to
the zoo's success.

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news?articleid=2994084



National Zoo Weighs a Sea Change
Broad Updates Could Include an Aerial Tram, New Exhibits
By Michael E. Ruane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, June 30, 2007; Page B01
The National Zoo has begun forming a new master plan -- its first in 20 years -- that could lead to extensive renovations, including a ski-lift-style aerial tram, parking garages and major additions to the animal exhibition space.
The ideas, explained in detail for the first time at an open house Thursday night, are part of what Director John Berry said is a 10-year push to make the zoo the best in the world by 2016. Zoo officials stressed that none of the upgrades under consideration has been adopted and that all are being presented for the public to review.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/29/AR2007062901158.html



Rare red pandas born at Edmonton Zoo
Last Updated: Friday, June 29, 2007 12:18 PM MT
CBC News
Zookeepers across the continent are celebrating the birth of two extremely rare red pandas at Edmonton's Valley Zoo.
The cubs, which were born at 3:26 a.m. Tuesday, are part of a very small population of red pandas in the world. It's estimated that there are fewer than 2,500 red pandas alive in the wild because the animals' natural habitat in China, India and Nepal is being destroyed.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2007/06/29/red-pandas.html



Zoo prepares for historic reopening
By Lyndsey Warner
Publication Date: 06/29/07
The Columbian Park Zoo's historic totem pole, donated in the early 1900's, sits in front of the new bald eagle exhibit as a tribute to the park's past.
But on Saturday at 10 a.m. the park's grand opening will reveal a redesigned zoo, complete with new animals, exhibits and landscaping. The zoo, however, is far from complete.
"This is a three-phase project," said Annie Bell, who is part of Lafayette Parks and Recreation's marketing team.
The zoo is in phase 2, and community members can look forward to new exhibits including an Africa and Australia area. The zoo's summer hours will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and admission is free.

http://www.purdueexponent.org/index.php/module/Section/section_id/10?module=article&story_id=6323


Shanghai: The Zoo (Lots of pictures)
The Shanghai Zoo is no San Diego Zoo, but it does have a lovely park feel:


No Asian park I've been to gets by without a swan or two:

Here's a comfy peacock. What I found interesting was that at this zoo, you could also see the female, completely white-colored peacocks, but sadly for you, I didn't take any photos of them. Your imagination will have to suffice.

There are a lot of monkeys of different types. Most them are very good catches. Nobody seemed to mind the signs saying "Please don't feed the animals". So everyone enjoyed tossing random food to them.


This assertive young leopard came over to introduce himself:

These are the non-Giant pandas, that look very racoon-like. Note the loner in the back.

A solitary zebra:

An elephantian mother and daughter moment:

There were other interesting exhibits. The reptile house had a lovely, lively king cobra that spread its hood (something I've never seen up close in a zoo). Giant sturgeon fish. Giraffes. Hippoes. Seagulls. (Hmm??) Yep, bizarre for me since they are too common here in California, but not native to China. It's like when I went to the London Zoo as a child, hoping to see a hedgehog. They're like pigeons over there. Had to go to the Philadelphia Zoo to see one.

http://www.lifeformz.com/weblog/2007/06/shanghai-zoo.html


Zoo's whale exhibit on endangered list
UPDATED: 2007-06-29 16:06:00 MST
By SHAWN LOGAN, SUN MEDIA
Wild cost escalation from the city’s heated economy has sunk plans to include a beluga whale exhibit at the Calgary Zoo, a report coming to a city committee next week says.
The report coming before the community and protective services committee Wednesday outlines a scaled-back zoo expansion plan after costs spiraled to almost twice the original $120-million estimate.
The revised project will now ring in at $133 million, with the city still only being asked to kick in $30 million already agreed to in principle, despite the new price tag.

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2007/06/29/4301230.html



Zoo scales back Arctic exhibit
Budget cuts mean no room for belugas
Kim Guttormson, Calgary Herald
Published: Saturday, June 30, 2007
There will be no beluga whales at the Calgary Zoo in the foreseeable future, after the mammals were removed from expansion plans as a cost-cutting measure.
In an effort to bring its projects in closer to the original $120-million price tag, the zoo has put plans to build a beluga exhibit, restaurant and banquet facilities on hold indefinitely.
"We said we would not bring beluga whales if we couldn't do it to world-class standards," said Grahame Newton, the zoo's director of education and corporate services. "And with the budget the way it currently sits, we just couldn't do that. It's just not an affordable proposition for us now."

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/story.html?id=2a2b339a-0442-430b-8ad9-800da46d303e&k=57095>


Rare crocodile moves into zoo's new pavilion
By NICOLE SERVICE
Staff Writer
SANFORD -- Three-year-old Jonathan Himes pressed his head against the glass, searching the murky waters.
"I see!" he burst out, grinning as he spotted the newest resident of the Central Florida Zoo -- a rare female Black Caiman -- believed to be one of only three in zoos throughout the United States.
The other two are at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm, which provided this crocodile to the zoo on indefinite loan. The species is endangered because the animals are often prized for their skin and meat.
"We are just honored to have her," said Fred Antonio, the zoo's director of operations. "She is very rare."
A $45,000 donation from Pro-Tech Air Conditioning and Heating Service Inc. helped build her home, designed to resemble her natural environment in Brazil, along with a new alligator and crocodile viewing pavilion.

http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD07063007.htm



Zoo answers call of the wild
Officials decide to charge fee instead of reduce the number of animals
By HEATHER ASIYANBI
Special to the Journal Sentinel
Posted: June 30, 2007
Racine - Racine Zoo visitors soon can expect to see zebras, another ostrich and a walk-through exhibit of Australian marsupials, such as kangaroos and wallabies - in part because the zoo now charges admission.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=626274



Bear Mountain Zoo marks 80 years
By DIANA A. AYDIN
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: July 1, 2007)
Even as a young child from Garnerville, Norman Brahm enjoyed coming to the Bear Mountain Zoo.
He looked forward to seeing the animals, such as eagles and bears, as well as the American Indian artifacts.
At age 62, Brahm remains a presence at the zoo, now as a volunteer. He and the other volunteers organized yesterday's 80th anniversary celebration of the Trailside Museums and Wildlife Center at the Bear Mountain State Park.

http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070701/NEWS03/707010361/-1/RSS01



An opposable thumbs-up
At the Franklin Park Zoo, animals can be artists, too
By Ric Kahn, Globe Staff July 1, 2007
For a moment, the artiste is stuck in his timid, temperamental phase, and who can blame him?
He's a child prodigy used to painting in private, where he creates swirling color masterpieces known to fetch thousands when offered to the art world.
And now, for the media, he's being asked to produce on cue, like some animal in the zoo.
The long-haired phenom responds with the actions of a defiant doyen: He grabs the canvas, and starts to lick the paint off.
"Okie, can I have it back, please?" Brandi Moores says to the 13-year-old western lowland gorilla -- more formally known as Okpara .

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/07/01/an_opposable_thumbs_up/



Petting zoo, crafts among attractions for Northwood's second annual summer fest
By AARON SANBORN
Staff Writer
Josh Gibney/Citizen photo Burke Bulger, 3, of Northwood, enjoys the "Bounce House" Saturday at Northwood's Summer Fest.
NORTHWOOD — It may not be the biggest or longest-running summer event in the area, but the town's Summer Fest seems to be a hit with local residents.
Blue skies, food, craft tents and a petting zoo greeted the crowd that came to the Coe-Brown Northwood Academy Athletic Fields on Saturday for the second annual festival.
"It's a town-oriented event, which is really cool. We try to incorporate the community into it more," said Mandy Hodgdon, town recreation director.
This year's event kicked off on Friday night with a party featuring food and music. Vendors and craft tents finished setting up on Saturday.
Northwood resident Patty Hoogeveen and her 7-year-old daughter, Samantha, came to the event after Samantha finished playing baseball on a nearby field.

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070701/FOSTERS01/107010320/-1/NEWS05



Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s Green Gardening Calendar
It’s July! July’s Green Gardening tips from Habitat Hollow on the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s website include :
“Plant a butterfly garden
Here are some Ohio Native plants that attract butterflies:
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
White Heath Aster (Aster ericoides)
Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Hollow Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium fistulosum)
Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)
Creeping Phlox (Phlox stolinifera)
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)”
Visit the Columbus Zoo’s site for more green gardening tips. A lot of the Juy tips seem to be about inviting wildlife into your yard, birds, butterflies, small animals.

http://columbusbestblog.com/places/columbus-zoo-and-aquariums-green-gardening-calendar/



Detroit Zoo aims to help restore endangered butterfly population
Associated Press - July 1, 2007 11:14 AM ET
ROYAL OAK, Mich. (AP) - The endangered Karner blue butterfly is making a comeback at a Detroit Zoo greenhouse as part of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services recovery program.
Laura Palombi is associate curator of invertebrates. She plans to release dozens of butterflies produced at the zoo at restored habitats at Kitty Todd Preserve near Toledo (Ohio) in the coming weeks.
Palombi already has taken 16 adults to a release site at the preserve.
She also took more to the Petersburg State Game Area in Monroe County, where a new grassland habitat was created.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=6733878&nav=0RbQ


Away We Go:
Cool happenings this summer at The Maryland Zoo
By MARGARET HORTON EDSALL, For The Capital
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore has the distinction of being America's third oldest zoo, Philadelphia's and Cincinnati's facilities being three and two years respectively its senior.
In 1876, the Maryland General Assembly passed an act calling for a "zoological collection" to be developed within "Charm City's" Druid Hill Park - the sprawling 745-acre Victorian-era-inspired verdant space, mirroring European-style public gardens. This is where the menagerie would reside, peacefully co-existing with strolling families, horseback riders, picnickers and ball players; where numerous water features such as natural springs, streams and a lake - considered today to be the largest earthen dammed lake in the United States - were enhancing the landscape.

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/07_01-08/LIF


Restaurants, wineries, breweries at Oregon Zoo fundraising gala
Associated Press - July 1, 2007 3:35 PM ET
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Nearly 35 Portland-area restaurants, bakeries, wineries and breweries will be at the Oregon Zoo Foundation's eighth annual fundraising gala, "Zoolala: The Mane Event," presented by Spirit Mountain Casino later this month.
Zoolala is the zoo's most successful fundraiser each year.
Zoolala 2007 tickets can be purchased at http://www.oregonzoo.org up to a week before the event. Admission is $135 for Oregon Zoo members and $150 general admission, and a portion of the cost is tax deductible. Proceeds from Zoolala 2007 will go towards the 'Predators of the Serengeti' exhibit, which is set to open in 2009.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=6734304



Naming of zoo exhibits
Jump to Comments
For some time I have wondered if we get the maximum benefit of the naming of individual exhibits and animal accomodations at our zoos and aquariums.
Coming from a marketing background, I cannot help but see each exhibit as (amongst many other things) a product offered to the consumer in competition with others. From this perspective a huge amount of thought might look to ‘add value’ and to beneficially ‘package’ the contents. What are some of the different ways in which this can happen? I am going to take these from zoos I know best, so excuse the biais.
“The Lions” ( more or less any zoo): well, you get what is says on the tin!

http://zoofunding.wordpress.com/2007/06/29/naming-of-zoo-exhibits/



THE ZOO HEATS UP WITH SUMMER FUN!
June 27, July 5, 11, 18, 25 and August 5
Sunset Zoofari
Sponsored by Tri City National Bank
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Enjoy a twilight summer evening at the Zoo! Each Wednesday night, the Zoo will be filled with the popular sounds of local musicians, amidst the backdrop of our exotic animal collection.
The ’07 concerts include:
June 27 – Jim Liban Band Join Milwaukee’s own “Harmonica Specialist” and his award-winning blues band.
July 5 – Our House Enjoy FUN under the sun with this band when they perform renditions from Frank Sinatra to the Grateful Dead.
July 11 – The Breakfast Klub Dance to your heart’s content as this popular group showcases 80s-style retro hits.
July 18 – The New Revue Calling all 50s and 60s fans! Enjoy the sounds of Elvis, Tommy James, the Beatles and more!
July 25 – Bobby Way & The Wayouts Summer sizzles as this band performs beach music including the ever-popular Jimmy Buffet.
August 1 – 5 Card Studs Enjoy “Vegas Meets the American Band” as chart-topping hits from the 60s and 70s are highlighted.
Held rain or shine; reduced admission rates apply.
Adults: $5.25
Children (3 to 12): $3.75
Children (2 and under): FREE
Carload: $16

http://milwaukeezoo.org/



Elephant left to die as Romania's zoos struggle
By Carmiola Ionescu in Bucharest, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 2:00am BST 02/07/2007
Europe's oldest elephant died after Romanian police set their dogs on it when it refused to enter its winter quarters, a new report has revealed.
Bucharest zoo staff originally claimed that Gaya, 48, had died of old age. But a report commissioned by the city council, which owns the zoo, found that keepers had asked local police to set their dogs on the elephant to force it to move from its pen.
The scandal emerged six months after Romania's entry into the EU turned the spotlight on the fate of animals in the country's 29 zoos.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/01/wzoo101.xml



Bama Bayou marine park taking shape
Jason Jovaag has built public aquariums for cities all over the world and said he’s never had any fishy casualties.
He expects no leaks in the 180,000-gallon aquarium under construction at Bama Bayou in Orange Beach or in the four pools built for the marine park’s main attraction - dolphins.
“The most difficult thing is the planning and designing to make the project flawless,” said Jovaag, vice president of ATM Commercial Exhibits and ATM Acrylic Tank Manufacturing based in Las Vegas.
ATM designs and builds large aquariums, zoos and museums for clients such as Six Flags Marine World, Vallejo, Calif.; the Houston Zoo; the Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas; Long Beach Aquarium, Long Beach, Calif.; Gulf World Marine Park, Panama City, Fla.; and Bass Pro Shops.
The 80-foot-long aquarium is one of several water exhibits to be built in Gulf World Marine Park, which should open in summer 2008, according to Rebecca Wilson, marketing coordinator for Bama Bayou.
Bama Bayou, a $300 million resort project under construction on the Intracoastal Waterway, will also include condominiums, a water park, a 68,000-square-foot convention center, shops and restaurants. The developers are Joe Raley Builders of Orange Beach and The Mitchell Company based in Mobile.

http://mediaroom.bamabayou.com/?p=112




Please Touch the Animals: Environmental Enrichment at Zoos
latitude 37.753392, longitude -122.150312
From body work and acupuncture for giraffes, to pachyderm pedicures, come see how the Oakland Zoo is using alternative treatments to guarantee the well-being of its residents.

http://www.kqed.org/quest/television/view/398


Elephant sired by Springfield bull dies of unknown virus
The Associated Press
Seattle � A previously unknown elephant herpes virus killed the Woodland Park Zoo�s youngest Asian elephant, zoo officials said Monday.
Six-year-old Hansa, who died last month, was one of 12 elephants fathered by a bull at a zoo in Missouri. Three of the others exhibited herpes symptoms in the past decade. Two of them died, while the third, Chandra, was successfully treated in 1997.
Bruce Bohmke, deputy director of the Woodland Park Zoo, said he was not sure if zoo officials knew about Chandra�s herpes treatment before the meeting between the bull and Hansa�s mother at the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, Mo., that led to Hansa�s conception.

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070703/BREAKING01/70703004/-1/RSS



Profile America : Going to the Zoo
Posted by Jason Saine
Profile America — Tuesday, July 3rd. The first zoo in the U.S. opened its doors this week in 1874 in Philadelphia. More than 3,000 people traveled on foot, by horse and carriage and even by steamboat to visit the new attraction on its first day.
Once inside, the crowd was treated to the view of more than 1,000 animals from all over the world, many of which had never been seen before by the American public. A day at the zoo to see the monkeys, giraffes and more exotic animals such as panda bears remains a popular way to spend leisure time. More than 25 million people visit zoos at least once a year. In the U.S., there are more than 550 zoos, just over one-third of them run as commercial enterprises.

http://www.lincolntribune.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=6453



Idaho Bighorn Euthanized After Contacting Domestic Goats
July 2nd, 2007 — Ralph Maughan
By Tom Keegan, Idaho Department of Fish and Game
A one-year-old bighorn sheep ram that mingled with domestic goats was euthanized Monday, June 25, to prevent the sheep from potentially carrying disease back to the wild herd.
Tom Keegan, Salmon regional wildlife manager for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, euthanized the year-old ram Monday after capturing the animal Friday evening. The bighorn sheep was removed from a pasture containing several hundred domestic goats south of Salmon airport.
Because bighorn sheep are susceptible to diseases that can be carried by domestic sheep and goats, Idaho Fish and Game policy is to remove bighorns when they come in contact with domestic herds. Attempts to find a research or zoo facility that would accept the young ram were unsuccessful.

http://wolves.wordpress.com/2007/07/02/idaho-bighorn-euthanized-after-contacting-domestic-goats/



A challenge for urban zoos: Put the animals first
An expert gives his advice on how to reform zoos by doing the right thing for animals — beginning with a policy about elephants that many would oppose.
By David Hancocks
First, a confession: I don't like zoos. For more than 30 years, I've been directing and planning them; thinking, researching, and writing about them; pleading for them to try to meet their vast potential. It's often been like pushing water up a rope.
Nonetheless, I believe we need zoos, but not the typical zoos we have today. As modern life is increasingly separated from contact with the natural world, our need for good zoos becomes more urgent. We need zoos that can create a greater sense of compassion in the community, a stronger commitment to care, an awareness of stewardship and personal conservation actions for local wildlife, and a fuller understanding of our place in nature.

http://www.crosscut.com/seattle/4605/A+challenge+for+urban+zoos:+Put+the+animals+first/


How to Save Money When You Travel This Summer
Updated: 7/2/2007 12:05:49 PM
(ARA) - The high price of gas has a lot of people rethinking their travel plans this summer, but $3 per gallon of gasoline doesn't mean you have to deny yourself a good time. There are things you can do to save money, not only on the gas you'll need to get where you're going, but on hotel stays and visits to your favorite attractions.
Here are some creative ways to make your travel dollars go further:
Gas: Realizing people are in need of a break, many gas stations are now offering discount coupons to their regular customers. You won't necessarily find them in the newspaper or mailers though. You may need to ask the cashier inside for a special card, or sign up for the company's gas card to get them.

http://www.dentalplans.com/articles/20797/



Coming soon … Neanderthal Park with live Neanderthals!
Scott C. Lemon
Monday, July 2nd, 2007
We’re getting closer … it’s just a matter of time. It appears that European researchers have now gotten closer to reconstructing a complete genome of ancient Neanderthals. So if we follow the story line of Jurassic Park, we’ll be able to recreate some actual Neanderthals, and maybe create a park for them to live someplace.
This might sound far fetched, however I could see some company - or country - seeing the lucrative market for this and actually begin to exploit this genetic research to do exactly that. As we continue to make these breakthroughs in genetics, it’s only a matter of time before we start to see some pretty wild uses of the research for commercial reasons. I’m afraid that besides the medical and knowledge purposes, there are going to be some massive commercial business models that emerge.

http://the.inevitable.org/anism/2007/07/02/3734/



Wash out
Heavy rain continues to fall continuously here which is putting a stop at the moment to any photography efforts. So I thought I would put together another compliation of some captive birds shots taken in various zoos. For this post I have collated some of my captive owl shots taken during last year.

http://wildlifephotographic.blogspot.com/2007/07/wash-out-heavy-rain-continues-to-fall.html


Zoo staff laughing about surprise hyena birth
In SA, a spotted hyena has given birth to the surprise of zoo staff (file photo). (BBC)
Staff at Monarto open range zoo, south-east of Adelaide, are dealing with a surprise arrival.
An imported spotted hyena has unexpectedly given birth.
Sabi is the latest addition to Monarto's hyena population and one of only nine in Australia.
Zoo keeper Travis Messner says its mother had accidentally been put in quarantine with a male on the way from Singapore zoo.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/05/1970465.htm



Published: July 05, 2007, 08:49
New Home For Dubai Zoo Unveiled
By Mohammed N. Al Khan, Staff reporter
In 1992, Dubai Municipality agreed that Dubai needed a new zoo in a larger location. Fifteen years later, plans have been approved and finalised.
Sources working on the project informed XPRESS that the last few details are being cleared and the project details should be unveiled in a few days.
A 250-hectare plot in Dubailand, more than 30km from Dubai centre, has been cleared for the zoo.
We do the best we can to give these animals the best possible habitat. Dr Reza Khan, Head of Dubai Zoo

http://www.xpress4me.com/news/uae/dubai/20001894.html


A crisis in making at city zoo?
Thursday July 5 2007 13:50 IST
T’PURAM: Intensive cleaning and disinfecting activities were carried out at the city zoo on Wednesday after two mithuns died of a viral disease, suspected to be foot and mouth disease (FMD), in the last two days.
The remaining five animals in the herd have also been diagnosed with viral infection, with one of them seriously infected. The samples from the body of the dead animals have been taken for tests to the Chief Disease Investigating Office, Palode.
“The postmortem reports were suggestive of foot and mouth disease. However, we cannot say if the deaths occurred due to FMD or if there were any superimposed infections. This can be confirmed after the viral typing tests,” said former dean of Kerala Agriculture University, Vellanikkara, Dr Krishnan Nair who was part of the team that investigated the deaths.

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEO20070705032916&Page=O&Title=Thiruvananthapuram&Topic=0


The stars are the cubs with stripes
Duluth News Tribune
Published Thursday, July 05, 2007
The refrain of “Why can’t we keep one?” was heard Wednesday from the tiger tent at the Mighty Thomas Carnival in Duluth, where dozens showed up to ooh and ah over four newborn cubs.
One male and three female royal white Bengal tigers were born Tuesday between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to proud parents Gita and Splash, according to Zoo Dynamic zoo handler Steve Lopez. The cubs were born in a hay-lined, 10-by-10-foot cage in the carnival’s tiger tent.
There are only about 400 white tigers in the world, said Zoo Dynamic senior zoologist Marcus Cook, more than 200 of them living in confinement in the United States.

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=45459&section=homepage&freebie_check&CFID=42000828&CFTOKEN=88771712&jsessionid=8830fd75adf9174e5f69


Dated:

Polar attraction departs for Alaskan date
A polar bear that has been living at a theme park on the Gold Coast is today heading for an Arctic rendezvous.
Five-year-old male bear Lyutyik from Sea World is heading to the Alaska Zoo to join an eight-year-old female bear.
It is hoped the animals will be able to produce a new genetic line to contribute to the world's captive population.
Sea World's director of marine sciences Trevor Long says it will be a long trip for Lyutyik, but he is prepared.
"We'll be starting very soon putting Lyutyik in his crate. He's been desensitised to the crate so he won't need sedation which is a wonderful thing," he said.
"Then we'll head off up to Brisbane this afternoon and then we'll depart on a flight to Sydney via Shanghai over to Anchorage.
"The zoo's not very far from the airport and then we'll get him into the new exhibit over there in Anchorage which a wonderful exhibit."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200608/s1715063.htm



Possible bird flu strain detected in Dutch zoo: report
The deadly H5N1 bird flu strain is feared to be behind the death of two owls in a Dutch zoo, Radio Netherlands reported Monday.
Tests are being carried out after two young hawk owls died last week in a Rotterdam's Blijdorp zoo. Two other owls were destroyed by the zoo.
If the tests prove the existence of the H5N1 virus, it would be the first case of H5N1 in the Netherlands.
The four hawk owls were born in May, just after all the birds in the zoo were vaccinated against bird flu, said Radio Netherlands.
As a precaution, all the birds at Blijdorp are being kept indoors and the staff have taken virus inhibitors.
Source: Xinhua

http://english.people.com.cn/200608/15/eng20060815_293157.html



Baby manatee is recovering at Lowry Zoo
Tampa, Florida - Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo, the only nonprofit manatee hospital in the world, has received an orphaned newborn male manatee calf from the Grand Cayman Islands.
The calf washed ashore in the surf on the shores of Grand Cayman Islands approximately two weeks ago and is nursing on pediatric formula. Grand Cayman is not usually known to have manatees.

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=37508



Committee to coordinate relocation of Accra zoo inaugurated
NEW. Watch live television from Ghana plus the latest Ghanaian movies.
Accra, Aug. 14, GNA - A 10-member committee with a mandate to coordinate all activities necessary for the transiting of the animals in the Accra Zoo to the Kumasi Zoological Gardens was on Monday inaugurated by the Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines (MLFM), Professor Dominic Fobih.
The committee with Mr Adjei Yeboah, Deputy Minister of the Ministry, as chairman, is also to facilitate the preparation of the design and the construction of a new zoo befitting the national capital at the Achimota Forest

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/entertainment/artikel.php?ID=108999



Badal The Panda Escapes From Hamilton Zoo
5:49 pm, 15 Aug 2006
A red panda has escaped from Hamilton Zoo and is still on the run.
Hamilton Zoo staff say Badal escaped from his enclosure on Monday and remains un-located after having been at the zoo only three days.
Badal together with his brother Chito relocated to Hamilton Zoo from Auckland Zoo.
Hamilton Zoo staff found Badal missing from his enclosure on Monday morning and subsequently alerted MAF and ERMA as per the regulatory requirements upon zoos in the event of an animal escaping.
Badal’s brother Chito remains in his Hamilton Zoo enclosure.
Hamilton Zoo director Stephen Standley says zoo staff were reasonably confident that Badal would be recovered within 24 hours on zoo property, however, search efforts to date have been unsuccessful.

http://www.newswire.co.nz/main/viewstory.aspx?storyid=331623&catid=32



Krasnoyarsk zoo to celebrate its birthday today
Krasnoyarsk zoo "Royev Ruchey" celebrates its sixth birthday on August, 15. The festive program includes a flower beauty contest, various competitions and quizzes, as well as opening of the only exposition in Krasnoyarsk "The invertebrates", where exotic snails, cockroaches (Gromphadorrhina portentosa and Nauphoeta cinerea) and other insects. Entrance to the zoo will be free for all the children today.
The celebration will start with a concert at 1.00 p. m. The flower beauty contest will last for six days from August, 15 to 20. The zoo visitors will choose the plant they like, and solemn summary of the results will take place on August, 20, when the Flower King and the Queen of "Royev Ruchey" will be chosen.
It is worth mentioning that all the park visitors who participate in the contest will become participants of a lottery. One is to come to the zoo on the festival opening day and fill in a special card. The winners will receive unusual prizes.
The only exposition in Krasnoyarsk "The invertebrates" will open in "Royev Ruchey" on its birthday too. The exposition is located in the room "The amphibia and the reptiles".

http://english.newslab.ru/news/198654



Cincinnati Zoo Welcomes 48th Newborn Gorilla
POSTED: 11:21 am EDT August 15, 2006
CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden is celebrating its first gorilla birth since 1998.
The zoo said Muke, a 24-year-old western lowland gorilla, gave birth to a healthy baby late Sunday. Currently, the zoo is unsure of the gender of the baby gorilla.
Jomo, a 15-year-old silverback on loan from the Toronto Zoo, fathered the baby.

http://www.wlwt.com/news/9681662/detail.html


Israeli Zoo Animals Stressed, But Back in Fresh Air
Aug. 16, 2006 — The baboons got stressed, the lions got fat and zoo officials worry the antelopes might have heart attacks. After 34 days in indoor shelters, many of the animals at the Haifa Zoo got a breath of outdoor air — if not a taste of freedom — for the first time this week.
Zoo officials moved all the carnivores, bears and monkeys indoors at the start of the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, both to protect them from rocket strikes and to keep an errant missile on a retaining wall from setting them loose into Israel's third-largest city.
"The lions gained weight, but they look basically OK," said zoo manager Etty Ararat as he released them outdoors on Tuesday. Hours before, the lions roared and flashed their teeth at reporters who visited them at the 3 by 2-yard indoor cages where they were confined for more than a month.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2006/08/16/israelizoo_ani.html?category=animals


Israeli Zoo Animals Show Signs of Stress
By DELPINE MATHIEUSSENT
The Associated Press
Tuesday, August 15, 2006; 8:16 PM
HAIFA, Israel -- The baboons got stressed, the lions got fat and zoo officials worry the antelopes might have heart attacks. After 34 days in indoor shelters, many of the animals at the Haifa Zoo got a breath of outdoor air _ if not a taste of freedom _ for the first time on Tuesday.
Zoo officials moved all the carnivores, bears and monkeys indoors at the start of the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, both to protect them from rocket strikes and to keep an errant missile on a retaining wall from setting them loose into Israel's third-largest city.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/15/AR2006081500453.html


Tiger cubs thriving at zoo
16 August 2006 07:11
Two bright shining stars in an otherwise dark potential future for tigers are the Amur (Siberian) cubs born at Linton Zoological Gardens on April 19
OVER the past century, one of the world's most majestic animals has spiralled dangerously close to becoming extinct.
Despite international protection, tigers continue to be hunted by humans, with their numbers falling from as many as 100,000 to less than 6,000 today.
But now, the future of the species has started to look brighter thanks to the arrival of two beautiful cubs at Linton Zoological Gardens, near Haverhill.

http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/news/story.aspx?brand=EADOnline&category=News&tBrand=EADOnline&tCategory=znews&itemid=IPED15%20Aug%202006%2019%3A34%3A44%3A863



Zoo Animals Traumatized During War
By DELPINE MATHIEUSSENT
Associated Press
August 16, 2006
HAIFA, Israel — The baboons got stressed, the lions got fat, and zoo officials worry that the antelopes might have heart attacks.
After 34 days in indoor shelters, many of the animals at the Haifa Zoo got a breath of outdoor air, if not a taste of freedom, for the first time yesterday.
Zoo officials moved all the carnivores, bears, and monkeys indoors at the start of the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, both to protect them from rocket strikes and to keep an errant missile on a retaining wall from setting them loose into Israel's third-largest city.
"The lions gained weight, but they look basically okay," the zoo's manager, Etty Ararat, said as he released them outdoors yesterday. Hours before, the lions roared and flashed their teeth at reporters who visited them at the 3-meter by 2-meter indoor cages where they were confined for more than a month.
"Baboons suffered from stress," Mr. Ararat said.

http://www.nysun.com/article/37985


Dutch zoo to use Web for ape dating
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- A Dutch zoo wants to set up a Web cam to create a sort of dating service between its orangutans and a group of apes in Indonesia.
The Indonesian orangutans are kept in small cages at a rescue center in Borneo, with some 30 new orangutans arriving each day, the BBC reported.
In an effort to keep the animals entertained, a zookeeper attached mirrors to the many small cages -- allowing the apes to communicate among themselves.
Anouk Ballot, spokeswoman for the Dutch ape park in Apenheul, said the mirrors will be replaced with computer screens so the Borneo apes can meet and interact with the Dutch apes.
"If they particularly like each other, I am sure they will also point that out to their keepers," Ballot told the BBC.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Quirks/2006/08/16/dutch_zoo_to_use_web_for_ape_dating/8047/


City approves plans, contract for zoo building
By Tom Saul Thursday, August 17, 2006
The Davenport City Council gave its nod to construction of a new education building at the entrance to the Fejervary Zoo on Wednesday night by voting to approve plans and a contract for the $400,000 structure.
The 3,000-square-foot building will also bring order to the zoo entrance where there are now a collection of fences and gates, add handicapped-accessible restrooms and create the year-round education center for children.

http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2006/08/17/news/local/doc44e4075b02d08833432670.txt



Cub is mane attraction as Redknapps visit zoo
YOUNG lion Zuri proved his star potential - despite being surrounded by celebrities.
The lion cub was the main attraction in a bid to promote an African Wildlife Appeal, although he was joined by some famous faces for the photoshoot.
Former England footballer Jamie Redknapp and his pop star wife Louise visited Linton Zoo, as well as former world champion boxer Steve Collins, to meet Zuri and pose for pictures.
The photograph will be published in celebrity and society magazine OK, to promote the work of the Bill Jordan Trust, which has just two weeks to raise the remaining £300,000 needed to extend the SanWild reserve in South Africa.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/city/2006/08/18/805f9472-c194-4ec4-9b8b-5029ce2c3363.lpf



US, UK firms keen to join BMC’s zoo project
Smita Deshmukh & Sanjay Sawant
Saturday, August 19, 2006 00:16 IST
But Byculla Zoo gets a year’s recognition from the Central Zoo Authority.
The civic administration’s move to modernise the Jijamata Udyan got a shot in arm with four leading consultants showing an interest to be a part of the project. Convinced of its efforts to upgrade the zoo, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has given a one-year recognition to the Byculla zoo, which would be up for review next year.
As of now, London Society of Zoo, Bernard Harrison & Friends Ltd, along with a company based in the US and one in Haryana have shown an interest to be partners with BMC in upgrading the zoo.
“The funding will be completely done by us. As per the McKinsey report, we will appoint a trust under the chairmanship of the mayor, along with wildlife experts and members from the consultants, to undertake the project and maintain it,” said RA Rajeev, additional municipal commissioner.

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1048079

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