National Zookeepers Week - Are our zoos as endangered as the species they protect and foster?

Rare newborn albino pygmy marmoset monkeys perch on a zookeeper's fingers at Froso Zoo in Ostersund, Sweden.

Noted in the following volume of articles is a movement away from zoos and toward building amusement parks. Quite frankly, why bother?

Everything wholesome in the USA has been turned into a profit margin and so have zoos. While the public has pursued the morality of keeping animals in controlled living conditions among human populations in facilities called zoos, some have exploited the popularity of this institution to commercialize the facilities including attaching them to 'theme amusement parks.'

Like what gives? The one wholesome place a parent has to take their children that didn't promote exploitation of home budgets, was the zoo. Now, the zoo is being attached to amusement parks and they will become unaffordable. The 'theme parks' such as Disney are astronomical in cost and are not conducive to engaging the public on a regular basis or a realistic option for 'class trips.' The entire focus is exploitive and in the long run will destroy zoos.

The argument for such affiliations is that an amusement park will provide higher incomes to the zoo and therefore be a benefit for the zoo. That won't happen. Amusement parks are viewed as long term investments that will provide an income over time. Depreciation of manmade structures and all that mess. During that time the cost of supporting the zoo where 'live animals' demand food, water, veterinary costs, fiscal support for research and fostering endangered species where moral venues such as Global Warming is embraced will become a 'burden' to the cost of operations of the amusement park. The commerical interest of the amusement park will never benefit the zoo, it will close it down.

Capital investments, as a commercial amusement park, will continue to return an income so long as people continue to come. In the long view, the cost of maintaining an amusement park is far less than that of a zoo and eventually the 'cost effectiveness' of the amusement park for 'investment on the dollar' will cause decisions to close out zoos. After all in compensation to sacrificing the zoo, there can be new automated virtual tours that will keep 'the theme' viable long after the animals are gone. That's America. Remember what I say here because in five years from now capitalism will have proven to destroy what Americans were flocking to in love of the animals and the mission.

Ameicans need to decide whether they want zoos or not, but, don't bother building amusement parks to distract from that moral decision. The amusement parks will remove the decision and place it on a 'cost balance' sheet.

I ask myself one question: Why build an amusement park when those millions and billions of dollars can be used to improve zoos and place them in fiscal stability for decades to come?

Why was an amusement park viewed as beneficial to a zoo at all when it is nothing but noisy and stupid where 'thrill seekers' gather to be exploited in summer heat while corporate interests only provide more danger to lives rather than quality.

Zoos need investment to bring many up to speed in supporting the animals, the research and providing comfortable and safe facilities to the public. It's a hideous idea. If the public doesn't want zoos then close them, but, why waste the money on stupid 'theme amusement parks?' Makes no sense.

Zoos

Conservation Snapshots
Lake Victoria Cichlid
(Haplochromis spp.)
The Lake Victoria Basin is the most important freshwater fishery in Africa, home to a tremendous number of unique species of cichlids. Due to pressures from pollution, the build-up of algae, and an introduced fish called the Nile perch, the cichlids are going extinct faster than all the species can be described.
A major goal of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan® (SSP) for Lake Victoria cichlids is to develop captive breeding programs at AZA zoos and aquariums to preserve many of these species for the future. AZA's 2006 Conservation Endowment Fund grant to the Toronto Zoo and New England Aquarium has also provided over $15,000 to support the Lake Victoria Cichlid SSP's conservation education work with the local National Museums of Kenya and Fisheries Resources and Research Institute in Uganda.

http://www.aza.org/Snapshots/Snapshot_Cichlid/



Caring for Hoofed Stock
Posted at 2:41 pm July 17, 2007 by Adam Ruble
July 15-21 is National Zoo Keeper Week. This is one in a series of blogs written by our keepers sharing a “typical” day. Check back often for new postings!
To begin the day, I checked our red book (log) to find out what has happened the previous days in my assigned area, called a “string,” which contains five exhibits and two holding pens. I then went and checked every animal: nine Cuvier’s gazelle, three red-flanked duikers, one southeast crowned duiker, three steenbok, one secretary bird, six scimitar-horned oryx; three Javan banteng (a banteng is pictured above), two European wild boars, and seven Bactrian wapiti, as well as one Siberian musk deer and two lowland anoas in holding.
I have a pregnant Cuvier’s gazelle that is ready to give birth any day now; one of the flanked duikers has lameness and she holds up her right front leg when she runs; and one of the European wild boars went to the hospital yesterday for a dental and hoof trim, so I wanted to make sure he was doing okay after the anesthesia.

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/caring-for-hoofed-stock/



Giant Squid Appears in Australia
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: July 11, 2007
Filed at 7:49 a.m. ET
HOBART, Australia (AP) -- A squid as long as a bus and weighing 550 pounds washed up on an Australian beach, officials said Wednesday.
''It is a whopper,'' said Genefor Walker-Smith, a zoologist who studies invertebrates at the Tasmanian Museum.
Giant squid live in waters off southern Australia and New Zealand -- where a half-ton colossus, believed to be the world's largest, was caught in February. They attract the sperm whales that feed on them.
The dead squid, measuring 3 feet across at its widest point and 26 feet from the tip of its body to the end of its tentacles, was found early Wednesday by a beachcomber at Ocean Beach on the island state of Tasmania's west coast, the museum said.
The squid was expected to be taken to the museum, where DNA and other scientific tests would be carried out before it is preserved and possibly put on public display.
For anyone thinking of a calamari feast, Walker-Smith said giant squid contain high levels of ammonia in their bodies as a buoyancy aid.
''It would not taste very nice at all,'' she said.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Australia-Big-Squid.html?_r=1&oref=slogin


Lion needs the vet after catfight
New 5:00AM Saturday July 14, 2007
A lion at a Rotorua wildlife park needed veterinary treatment after apparently being caught in a fight between jealous lionesses in his enclosure.
Vets examining the sedated Zack at Paradise Valley Springs found he had scratches on his shoulder that had probably caused a general infection.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10451506



Home of flamingos at risk from pollution
5:00AM Saturday July 14, 2007
By Michael McCarthy
Seventy-five per cent of the world's breeding population of lesser flamingos nest at Tanzania's Lake Natron. Photo/ Photolibrary
One of the world's great wildlife spectacles, the colossal gathering of flamingos in East Africa, is now directly threatened by industrial development, conservationists are warning.
Lake Natron in Tanzania, home to half a million bright-pink, long-legged and long-necked lesser flamingos, faces the prospect of a huge soda ash plant being built on its hitherto-unspoiled shores, which is likely to destroy the birds' breeding habitat.
The development is being pushed by Lake Natron Resources, part of Indian company Tata Chemicals.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10451403



Zoo office to get further study
City to decide whether to raze admin building
By Vanessa McCray
vmccray@record-eagle.com
TRAVERSE CITY — City commissioners want more data before they decide if there's something worth saving in a bulbous, boulder-clad building near the bayfront.
They've ordered up an architectural assessment to help figure out if the former zoo administration office should be spared from demolition.
The structure, located on the waterfront side of the former Clinch Park Zoo site, is covered in cartoonish rocks meant for animals to climb. Some leaders fear the faux stone will encourage unsafe scaling and increase liability and should be removed if the building is preserved.
The city is engaged in a years-long effort to create a plan for its two-mile stretch of bayfront, which includes the abandoned zoo site. The National Cherry Festival requested short-term use of the facility as its headquarters.
City commissioners toured the facility Monday and later agreed to have an architect assess its value and roof, walls, energy efficiency, needed code upgrades and plumbing. The city will ask those who bid on a contract to demolish other buildings in the zoo area to include a price for razing the old office building. The city also will ask bidders to figure out what it would cost to remove the fake boulders from the facade but leave the building behind it intact.
Commissioner Ralph Soffredine said those numbers are needed to determine if the structure is "worth saving.”
This year's budget includes $100,000 to pay for demolition at the zoo site, work that could start this fall, said city Manager Richard Lewis. That schedule means the zoo site would be converted largely to open space by next summer. Lewis said the city plans to keep the historic Con Foster building and the concession stand, which includes public restrooms. What to do with the zoo's aquatic building and a barn remains to be determined.
The administration building features a kitchen area where food was prepared for the animals, an infirmary for the creatures, office space and some strong odors dating back to its former use.
It's worth considering ways to remodel the structure, while reminding visitors of its original zoo use, said Mayor Linda Smyka.
"It has a lot of creative possibilities,” she said. "It's a zoo building. It's kind of cool.”

http://www.record-eagle.com/2007/jul/11zoo.htm


Common Florida birds are in decline
It is not your imagination: There really are fewer birds.
The National Audubon Society reports that our ''common birds'' are losing ground. And, in Florida's case, they're losing it literally.
Audubon combined 40 years of Christmas bird counts with the U.S. Geological Society's breeding bird survey data to discover that such birds as the eastern meadowlark, the loggerhead shrike and the greater scaup are losing numbers slowly but steadily across the country.
While the losses have not yet produced a silent spring, the findings point to ecosystem declines and dysfunction. Loss of native grasslands and wetlands, urban sprawl and even acid rain are among the causes of bird declines, in Florida and nationwide, says John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, N.Y.

http://www.miamiherald.com/884/story/169245.html



Missing macaw found 80 miles from home
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLIFFSIDE PARK, N.J. -- A pet macaw that flew away from its owners and went missing last weekend turned up alive and well in a most unlikely place - 80 miles away at the Jersey shore.
Robert Daly, 25, said he was driving near his home Thursday night when he spotted the large blue and gold bird sitting quietly by the side of the road.
He called police, who captured the bird and put it into a box. Officers who had seen news reports about the bird's disappearance notified the owner, Rosalie O'Hara, and the two were reunited Friday.
"I knew it was Sophie," O'Hara told The Record of Bergen County. "She did some little shakes and gestures, and I knew it was her."
Sophia had vanished last Saturday after O'Hara's husband lost his grip on the bird while the couple were out for a walk.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1120AP_ODD_Missing_Macaw.html?source=mypi



Jen and Violet Hit The Zoo In Style
Fri, 07/13/2007 - 2:05pm by PopSugar
It looks like Manjoyment Friday has been put on hold in favor of Celebrity Baby Friday this week - first we had adorable Suri and now we have cute Jen and Violet at the zoo! Both of Ben's ladies were looking sweet in their fashionable summer dresses, even though we wish Jen would ditch her trusty backpack. It looks like Jen got caught in an unfortunate gust of wind - immediately inducing pregnancy rumors of course - but we know Jen's been toning up, not to mention making no attempts to hide her belly. Guess pregnancy rumors are the price some have to pay to look trendy.

http://popsugar.com/393988



Stick your neck out for close encounter
METRO RICHMOND ZOO GET UP CLOSE, PERSONAL
By KIM BAER
A month ago, neither my husband nor I had heard of the Metro Richmond Zoo.
We visited and found it to be well worth a trip.
The zoo is in Chesterfield County, about 20 minutes outside of Richmond's city limits. The drive to Chesterfield was traffic-jam free.
Don't visit with National Zoo expectations.
Richmond's zoo is smaller with a more rustic feel. The River City's zoo lacks Washington polish. But it does offer an easy day trip for families with young children.
We petted and fed giraffes, and admired the zoo's lions and tigers and bears from afar. The zoo's more docile animals are separated from zoo-goers by split rail fences.
No elbowing for viewing room was required: We easily got close-up views of camels, prairie dogs and dozens of other animals.

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2007/072007/07142007/298837



Pygmies housed in Congo zoo
Posted Sat Jul 14, 2007 7:25pm AEST
Human rights activists in the Congo Republic have accused organisers of a Pan-African music festival of mistreating a group of pygmy musicians by housing them in tents at the city zoo instead of in hotels.
While other invited African artists to the July 8-14 FESPAM event have been given accommodation in hotels in the riverside capital, Brazzaville, the group of around 20 Congolese pygmy performers have been put up in tents inside the enclosure of Brazzaville zoo.
The executive-director of the Congolese Observatory of Human Rights, Roger Bouka Owoko, says the pygmies, from Congo's north-east Likouala forest region, have been gathering wood daily in the zoo to prepare fires to cook their food.
"It's not normal for human beings to be treated like this..." he said.

http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/14/1978710.htm?section=world



Outrage As Pygmy Musicians Kept In Zoo
Updated: 05:31, Sunday July 15, 2007
A group of pygmy musicians visiting the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo for a festival were housed not in hotels - but in a zoo.
The move prompted outrage from human rights organisations and a flurry of newspaper and radio stories.
Pygmy children in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Authorities have now moved the musicians to a Brazzaville school dormitory, where they are being housed with musicians from elsewhere in the DRC.
Their presence in a tent on the zoo grounds had attracted tourists, who had come to stare and take pictures, the Congolese Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1275259,00.html?f=rss



Pygmies move from zoo after outcry
Posted Sun Jul 15, 2007 0:32am AEST
Congo authorities say a troupe of pygmy musicians made to live at the zoo while performing at a music festival in the country's capital have been given accommodation in a local school.
The plight of the 22 pygmies, whose tents became an attraction for curious Brazzaville zoo visitors, provoked outrage among civil rights groups in Congo.
All the other musicians playing at the July 8-14 pan-African FESPAM festival were provided with hotel rooms.
The pygmies, from Congo's north-east Likouala forest region, had been gathering wood daily in the zoo to prepare fires to cook their food, often with tourists snapping photos of them.
The Congo Government says it ordered the relocation of the pygmies late on Friday.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/15/1978766.htm



Zoo to remain closed for another week
Staff Reporter
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city zoo will remain closed for another week to enable authorities to ensure that the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) that claimed the lives of 19 animals has been brought fully under control.
The technical committee set up by the Government to help the zoo manage the FMD situation will meet again on July 20 to discuss the reopening of the facility to the public. These were among the main decisions taken at a meeting of the committee here on Friday.
“The committee felt that undue haste should not be shown in trying to reopen the zoo. If the zoo is reopened and there is another outbreak of FMD, it might prove to be uncontrollable,” zoo director Elcy George said.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/14/stories/2007071462790300.htm



PETA activists stage protest
Staff Reporter
Against alleged laxity of city zoo in following Central Zoo Authority guidelines
— Photo: S. Mahinsha
For Better treatment: Activists of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals staging a protest in front of the city zoo on Wednesday against the recent death of animals there.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Activists of the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) held an hour-long protest in front of the city zoo on Wednesday against the death of animals there as a result of the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
While one activist, dressed up as a blackbuck, stood inside a ‘coffin’ with a wreath in his hands, two others were dressed up in ‘bio-hazard’ suits and held placards that read ‘Zoos are Deathtraps’ and ‘Zoos are Hazardous for Animals.’

http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/12/stories/2007071258490300.htm



County cash boosts creature comforts at Potter Park Zoo
From penquin pool to police patrols, changes are afoot
Christine Rook
Lansing State Journal
With fewer than two weeks before an inspection that could determine Potter Park Zoo's ability to keep big-draw animals such as its tigers and rhino, the zoo's new manager is in a spending mood.
Ingham County plans to pay out nearly $2 million over six months. That's more than one and a half times what the previous owner - the city of Lansing - spent in a year.
The zoo transferred management to the county on July 1, giving it access to about $3.1 million in tax money. Voters in November approved a new county zoo millage that amounts to about $15.5 million over five years.

http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070714/NEWS01/707140338/1001/news



Panda poop sells like hot cakes at Thai zoo
Jul 14, 2007, 4:03 GMT
Bangkok - Thailand's Chiang Mai Zoo has been has been raking in the profits over the last three years since China loaned it two giant pandas, which have proven so popular among visitors that even their faeces is selling like hot cakes, media reports said Saturday.
As a good will gesture to the kingdom, pandas Lin Hui and Xuang Xuang were loaned in October, 2003 to the state-owned Chiang Mai Zoo, 600 kilometres north of Bangkok.

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/asiapacific/news/article_1329903.php/Panda_poop_sells_like_hot_cakes_at_Thai_zoo



Zoo horticulturist pairs plants with animal habitats
Saturday, July 14, 2007
By Susan Banks, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Frank Pizzi is used to being upstaged by elephants, lions and tigers. Let's face it, you don't go to Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium to see plants.
But don't be fooled -- what the curator of horticulture and grounds and his staff do has a profound effect on how visitors view the zoo.
Gone are the days when the animals were stuffed behind iron bars in antiquated buildings. Now the goal is to present the animals in outdoor habitats that closely mimic where they originate, be it an African savannah, an Asian forest or an Alaskan seacoast. And plants play a prime part in that scenario.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07195/801536-47.stm



New exhibit lets visitors spot leopards up close
By Jennifer Sutcliffe
Originally published — 7:45 a.m., July 14, 2007
Updated — 2:49 p.m., July 14, 2007
Summer Ertel looked the fierce black leopard straight in the eyes. She giggled.
“Rawr! Rawr!” the 6-year-old growled.
She turned to her mother, who was also just a step away from the animal.
“I can see his teeth!”
Summer pressed her face against the glass separating her from the leopard. From a distance, it appeared that she could reach out and touch it.
At the premiere of the Naples Zoo’s new Leopard Rock exhibit today, members lined up to get the first up-close encounters with the big cats.
The exhibit is unique in that the layer of glass that cages the animals runs all the way to the concrete floor.
It creates the illusion that there is no separation between you and the leopard.
“Safe danger,” the park calls it.
Nearly 600 people came for the inaugural vine-cutting at 8:30 a.m., said Tim Tetzlaff, director of conservation and communications at the Naples Zoo off Goodlette-Frank Road in Naples.
“We hoped folks would want to get up on a Saturday morning for this,” Tetzlaff said. “Looks like they do.”

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/jul/14/naples_zoo_set_open_new_leopard_exhibit_today/



Toddler Dies from Head Injury at Greenville Zoo
Saturday, Jul 14, 2007 - 07:11 AM
Updated: 10:01 AM
The little girl injured when a tree branch fell on her at the Greenville Zoo has died.
A spokesperson for Greenville Hospital System tells us 3-year-old Mackenzie Van Dorn died late friday night. Doctors say her brain was severely injured in the accident a little over a week ago.
Mackenzie and her family were looking at the lemurs when they heard a crack. Her aunt tried to pull the little girl out of the way but didn't make it on time.
The family issued a statement saying they 'thank the community for their prayers and extraordinary support during a very difficult time.

http://www.wspa.com/midatlantic/spa/news.apx.-content-articles-SPA-2007-07-14-0001.html



San Diego, Long Beach & Los Angeles zoo sleepover programs
By Hugo Martín, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 14, 2007
SLEEPOVER PROGRAMS
San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park's Roar & Snore, 15500 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido; (760) 747-8702, http://www.sandiegozoo.org/calendar/wap_roar_and_snore.html . $89 to $209 per person per night, depending on age, tent choice and time of year. Also, "Serengeti Sleepover: A Night With the Maasai" on Wednesdays now through Aug. 15; $109 to $199 per person per night, depending on age and tent.
San Diego Zoo's Safari Sleepover, 2920 Zoo Drive, San Diego; (619) 718-3000, http://www.sandiegozoo.org/calendar/zoo_safari_sleepover.html . $89 for children, $109 for adults, per person per night.
Los Angeles Zoo's Zoopendous Family Overnights, 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles; (323) 644-4200, http://www.lazoo.org . $45 for members, $55 non-members per person per night.
Aquarium of the Pacific's Family Sleepover, 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach; (562) 590-3100, http://www.aquariumofpacific.org . $50 for members, $60 for non-members, per person per night.
San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum's Family Overnight Program, 910 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego; (619) 398-8247, http://www.midway.org . $100 for members, $125 for non-members per person per night. Only three programs this summer, with space available for Aug. 18.
Family Sleepover on Board the Star of India, 1492 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego; (619) 234-9153, Ext. 124, http://www.sdmaritime.com . $45 for members, $65 nonmembers per person, per night. Only the Sept. 15 program has space available.
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County's Group Overnight Adventures (minimum of 10 people), 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles; (213) 763-3466, http://www.nhm.org/calendar/goa_sleepover.html . Price: $43, per person per night.

http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-trw-roarandsnorebox15jul15



Another tiger dies at zoo
LAHORE: A tigress that was suffering from trypanosomiasis and was 15 years of age, died at the Lahore Zoo on Saturday.
Similarly, another Bengal tigress of age 14 died a day before on Thursday at the Lahore Zoo because of the same disease. This tigress had given the zoo 19 cubs.
Trypanosomiasis is a blood parasite transmitted from infected individuals by vectors like mosquitos, fleas and ticks. The parasite attacks the nervous system through blood causing drowsiness, sleepiness, fever, weight loss and ultimately death. The incubation period of disease ranges between one to four weeks.
The Bengal Tiger or Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is a subspecies of tiger primarily found in Bangladesh and India and also in Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and in southern Tibet.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C07%5C15%5Cstory_15-7-2007_pg13_8



UPDATE: Incident shuts San Antonio Zoo
Web Posted: 07/14/2007 07:57 PM CDT
Vianna Davila
Express-News Staff Writer
The San Antonio Zoo was closed Saturday after a zookeeper was critically injured in an incident involving a Sumatran Tiger.
The 28-year-old male employee, identified as Jeff Tierney, was taken to University Hospital in an Air Life helicopter following the incident about 2:25 p.m., zoo officials and a hospital spokeswoman said. He was taken into surgery late this evening, said University Hospital spokeswoman Leni Kirkman.
The zookeeper sustained traumatic injuries near the exhibit area, officials said, but details were not immediately available. Tierney's family asked that details of his injuries remain private, Kirkman said.
Visitors were then asked to leave the zoo.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA071407.zookeeper.EN.7557e28b.html



Big-eared African fox keeps zoo on its toes
Tiny 'Todd' adapting after being confiscated from Edmonton home
The Edmonton Journal
Published: Sunday, July 15
EDMONTON - A native of North African deserts that combines tiny stature with enormous ears has taken up residence at the Valley Zoo.
But while Todd, the fennec fox, has an exotic lineage, his personal history is decidedly domestic.
He was delivered to the zoo about two months ago, after fish and wildlife officers confiscated him from an Edmonton household, where he was being kept as a pet.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=b1df9b9c-37dc-4b1c-82e9-0e7e0f5ec77b&k=49999



Valley Zoo keeper Jesse Popowicz holds Todd, an African desert fox, on Saturday.
Wildlife officers removed him from a local house months ago.
Ed Kaiser, the Journal
The smallest of the fox family, an adult fennec weighs a slight 1.5 kilograms, stretches a mere 40 centimetres from its little black nose to the end of its fluffy tail and stands just 20 centimetres at its sand-coloured shoulder.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/story.html?id=b1df9b9c-37dc-4b1c-82e9-0e7e0f5ec77b&k=49999



Coming this fall: Zoo expansion plans
Sunday, July 15, 2007
STAN DIEL and WALTER BRYANT
News staff writers
Mona, the elephant beloved by her fans but pitied by animal rights activists before her death last month, will not be the Birmingham Zoo's last elephant.
An ambitious zoo expansion plan to be unveiled in the fall will include a "much bigger" elephant exhibit, said Dr. Bill Foster, the zoo's chief executive officer.
Foster declined to disclose specifics about the greater plan, but in broad strokes painted a picture of a zoo that puts animals in larger, more realistic habitats and focuses more on conservation and education.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/118448795870490.xml&coll=2



The Virginia Zoo's new red panda escapes - again
"She's just testing every limit that might be in the exhibit," said zoo director Greg Bockheim of Yin, seen here (on a good day) in her exhibit. THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT FILE PHOTO
By DIANA D'ABRUZZO, The Virginian-Pilot
© July 15, 2007
NORFOLK
She did it again.
Yin, the Virginia Zoo's new red panda, was discovered missing from her exhibit Saturday morning - the second time she's escaped since her debut less than a month ago.
"She's a character," said Alison Till, the zoo's director of development, echoing an opinion shared by other zoo staff, who reacted to the furry fugitive's latest disappearance with sly grins and references to their "escape artist."
"She's just testing every limit that might be in the exhibit," said zoo director Greg Bockheim, who found himself literally up a tree Saturday to coax little Yin home.

http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=128479&ran=159169



Oakland Zoo animals eat their fill at fancy feast
Families bring fresh produce for annual event
By Angela Hill, STAFF WRITER
Article Launched: 07/15/2007 02:46:43 AM PDT
OAKLAND
IF WE learned anything from the Feast for the Beasts event at the Oakland Zoo Saturday, it was that elephants aren't pigs.
(Sorry, pigs, but c'mon. Look in the mirror.)
You see, elephants are much more tidy and methodical in their dining habits than some other creatures, including some humans, who have been known to cram 66 hot dogs down their gullets at one sitting. Yikes.
But pachyderms are proud, their great trunks probing deftly around rocks and boulders Saturday morning in their hilly 6-acre enclosure to discover special treats left on the ground. A fresh apple here. Some celery there. Carrots. Lettuce. Watermelons.
One might have thought a salad bar exploded. Instead, this was the once-a-year opportunity for regular animal-loving people to come to the zoo bearing fresh fruits and veggies and actually enter the elephant habitat, leave the food, then clear out before the hungry herd came stomping out for breakfast.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/trivalleyherald/ci_6381351



Biptah on US zoo management course
Sunday, July 15 2007
In preparation for its development through reconstruction, the Zoological Society of Trinidad and Tobago is pursuing overseas training for its staff at The National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Nirmal Biptah, acting curator of the Emperor Valley Zoo and Society member Laura Tardieu are both at the National Aquarium pursuing internships in the fields of zoo management and animal husbandry.
Biptah is a curatorial intern in the Australian Exhibits Department on a one-month training programme focusing on zoo management, exhibitry and safety. Tardieu is on a three- month internship pursuing animal husbandry.

http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,60619.html



Funk, jazz and soul come to the Portland Zoo
Associated Press - July 15, 2007 12:15 PM ET
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - For one night, the horns of Tower of Power and David Sanborn eclipse those of the Oregon Zoo's mighty rhino, Pete.
When the first clear notes drift from the amphitheater stage to the rhino enclosure just behind it, even Pete will agree that these men know something about horns.
Tower of Power and David Sanborn perform August 12th at 7 pm as part of the Wells Fargo Summer Concert Series presented by Fred Meyer.
Tower of Power is a band that has been around for nearly four decades. Emilio Castillo and Stephen "Doc" Kupka formed the band in 1968 with Mic Gillette, who has since left the group. Castillo still leads the band and is the primary songwriting force along with Kupka.

http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=6790900



Galaxy Zoo!
Risa at 2:24 am, July 12th, 2007
So, I’ve been in the throes of grant proposal writing, which as far as I can tell is the worst part of becoming a professor. As such, I’ve been ignoring as much of my email as humanly possible for the past week. Until I got an email from David Weinberg this afternoon, announcing to the SDSS (Sloan Digital Sky Survey) mailing list the arrival of a new web-based galaxy classification project, Galaxy Zoo. The project was started by some scientists with SDSS, including Alex Szalay and Bob Nichol, and others. They had a press release today, and it’s already been covered by the BBC and was picked up by AP, so I think the website has gotten a bit hammered in the first day.
The basic idea here is to harness the collective eyes and brains of the internet to visually classify galaxies by morphology. It turns out that galaxy mophologies are in some ways a lot easier to classify by eye than by computer, just like faces and other complex images. This is one reason that now that surveys include millions of galaxies, morphology studies have not been as popular as other classification schemes based on colors or spectral types. Apparently, galaxy zoo to the rescue!
Here’s the first thing I learned: looking at pictures of galaxies is a lot more fun than writing proposals to the NSF to get funding to think about galaxies.

http://cosmicvariance.com/2007/07/12/galaxy-zoo/



Republic of Congo government apologizes for putting pygmies in zoo
The Associated Press
Published: July 15, 2007
BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo: The Republic of Congo's government formally apologized Sunday for housing a group of visiting Pygmy musicians at a zoo while fellow festival performers were housed in schools and hotels.
Authorities had said they were trying to provide familiar surroundings to the indigenous musicians — used to living in thick, remote forests. But local papers and a human rights group denounced the zoo set-up as discriminatory — noting that tourists were gathering around the pygmies' tents on the zoo grounds to stare and take pictures.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/15/africa/AF-GEN-Republic-of-Congo-Pygmies-in-Zoo.php



Des Moines zoo keepers raise motherless wallaby
DES MOINES (AP) — There’s no place for an infant wallaby quite like its mother’s pouch.
Or in the case of Sheila — an 8-month-old joey at Des Moines’ Blank Park Zoo — a small, hand-crafted bag.
The zoo’s animal keepers use the bag to simulate the natural nook Sheila lost a little more than a month ago. Her mother had a host of dental problems that left both wallabies malnourished.
Zoo officials decided to remove the joey from her mother’s pouch in an effort to save both of their lives. The mother briefly rebounded, then got worse.
The mother wallaby was euthanized to end her suffering, said Kevin Drees, the zoo’s animal care director.

http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2007/07/15/latest_news/doc46999c00e04ca540867719.txt



Horror of the terrified bears forced to box in Chinese zoo
Last updated at 22:12pm on 15th July 2007
Tethered at the muzzle and paraded in front of a jeering crowd of visitors, two terrified bear cubs are forced to box each other.
Dressed in garish capes, shorts and boxing gloves, their heads are yanked back by their handlers to make them stand on their hind legs. As parents with young children cheer them on, the bears are encouraged to land punch after punch on each other.
The sickening spectacle is played out at a zoo in North West China's Shaanxi province.
Scroll down for more...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=468654&in_page_id=1811



Baby panther adopted by dog in Belgrade zoo
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) - Man's best friend helped save a tiny cat.
A 15-day-old female panther named Milica has been adopted by a Rhodesian Ridgeback after the cat's mother refused to feed her and tried to kill her in the Belgrade zoo.
"The mother panther has killed all her cubs since 1999," zookeeper Dragan Jovanovic said.
"We believe she has been traumatized by the sound of NATO bombs" during air strikes in the Serbian capital that year, he said.
Now Milica fights with several newborn puppies over milk from her adopted mother. She also appears to enjoy every bit of attention she gets from her new family.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2007/07/15/4342642-ap.html



Detroit Zoo director's retention stirs fight
Leader's integrity gone
The Detroit Zoo director did not make a "mistake." He out and out lied about his credentials ("Zoo board will keep Kagan," July 2). Doesn't anyone have any integrity nowadays? Sure, Ron Kagan has done a great job at the Detroit Zoo, but he is supposed to be in a leadership position.
Julie Kennedy Carpenter
Rockwood
Lying pays
So Ron Kagan gets to keep his six-figure Detroit Zoo director's job, though he lied about having a doctorate degree on his resume. Smells and sounds like fraud. I guess I've been wrong all these years. Lying does pay and very well at that.
Joshua Burton
Livonia

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070716/OPINION01/707160316/1008



Fatal fall from festival ride under investigation
Police and federal investigators tried Sunday to determine why a teen fell from a festival ride and died.
Elizabeth K. Mohl, 16, of Neenah, was killed Saturday after falling 40 to 50 feet from a ride called Air Glory.
Winnebago County Deputy Coroner Chuck Hable said the ride hoists people in a sling, then at the top someone inside pulls a ripcord. That drops the riders, who swing back and forth.
Witness Brian Childers of Kenosha said two people went up in the ride, and that when the release was pulled he heard a snapping sound. One person fell, and the other remained swinging, he told the Oshkosh Northwestern.
Mohl died in surgery several hours later, Hable said. She was attending Lifest, a Christian music festival that features rides and sports. Workers shut down the ride after the afternoon accident.
A prayer service was held before the festival resumed about 7:30 p.m.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003791127_ndig16.html



Body found near zoo; no foul play suspected
UNION-TRIBUNE
July 16, 2007
The body of man believed to be a transient was found yesterday in an area near Park Boulevard and the San Diego Zoo.
Police said the man appeared to have been dead of natural causes for about two days. Neither police nor the Medical Examiner's Office would give any information about the man's age or other details.
– L.S.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070716-9999-1m16body.html



Chinese zoo condemned over boxing bears
By Martin Beckford
Last Updated: 2:58am BST 17/07/2007
Animal rights campaigners have condemned a Chinese zoo at which bear cubs are forced to fight each other for the entertainment of laughing visitors.
The Captive Animals’ Protection Society said the spectacle was “horrific” and urged holidaymakers to boycott the shows as well as lobbying the Chinese Government to outlaw them.
Pictures taken at the zoo in Xi’an, in the Shaanxi province of north west China, show two bear cubs being encouraged to box each other while a crowd of parents and children look on and laugh.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/16/wbear116.xml



A 'Great Year' For Zoo
Blue skies, new creatures attract Syracuse Zoo goers
Monday, July 16, 2007
By Meghan Rubado
Staff writer
"Yay! Elephant," squealed Sky Colon, 2, as she leaned in to touch the big gray backside of an elephant at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo Sunday.
Sky and her mother, Anya Colon, 25, of Rome, came to Syracuse to visit the zoo at Burnet Park for the first time.
They were among about 200 people watching the 2 p.m. elephant demonstration, and among thousands more who toured the zoo's exhibits and trails.

http://www.syracuse.com/articles/news/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1184578648125490.xml&coll=1



Animal petting zoo will be featured at FdL County Fair
For The Reporter
Animal Specialties Petting Zoo will be part of the 156th Fond du Lac County Fair that runs July 17 through 22 at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds.
Animal Specialties, represented by Bunky and Connie Boger, will be bringing a petting farm, pony rides, a giant pig and hands-on educational displays. A dairy cow exhibit will feature a milking cow where fairgoers can milk a cow. Baby chick hatching will also be taking place.
The petting zoo will include several types of sheep, goats and a variety of other farm animals. Children will be able to pet and feed all the animals.

http://www.fdlreporter.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070716/FON0101/707160346/1985/frontpage



Not Your Grandma's Petting Zoo
Sometimes kids can be so frustrating that parents might want to throw them to the sharks. Well, on July 29th and 30th they'll get the chance to do just that. In celebration of Shark Week, the Adventure Aquarium is hosting a unique event at its Delaware Waterfront location.
Breakfast With the Sharks serves up a hot buffet breakfast from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM, followed by a scavenger hunt, a 'meet and greet' with aquarium mascot Chum (not to be confused with the mixture of fish parts and blood that is used to attract, well, sharks, and goes by the same name) and the main event: a hands-on visit with all sorts of sharks.
Also, we're not entirely certain what a 40-foot shark tunnel entails (we have fond memories of 1999's Deep Blue Sea) but it sounds really cool. And if that's not enough for you, how about over half a million gallons of shark-infested aquarium water? Phillyist thinks the game show they'll be producing for the children, "Fish Factor," is a bit over the top, considering it will be hosted by (and we quote) "Bob Sharker and Briny Seacrest."

http://phillyist.com/2007/07/18/not_your_grandm.php



Zoo's new arrival
18 July 2007 15:27
Michelle with her baby
COLCHESTER Zoo is today celebrating the birth of a new baby.
The Cherry-Crowned Manngabey, who has not been named yet, was born on Monday.
He is the third baby that his mum, Michelle, has given birth to since she came to the zoo in April 2004.
A spokeswoman for the zoo said: “Keepers and curators are amazed at the size and strength of the baby who seems to be very strong and healthy and is already doing very well.
“Michelle is a very experienced parent, as is Sputnik, the father, and they are both very calm and relaxed with the baby.”

http://www.eveningstar.co.uk/content/eveningstar/news/story.aspx?brand=ESTOnline&category=News&tBrand=ESTOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=IPED18%20Jul%202007%2015%3A27%3A29%3A860



Leopards rock at zoo's newest exhibit
By: Carla Meekins
07/18/2007
Eight-year-old Katlyn Reynolds gets up close for a personal encounter with a spotted African leopard in the Naples Zoo’s newest exhibit, Leopard Rock.
The leopards were leaping in their new, enclosed playground at the Naples Zoo on Saturday, July 14.
It was an early-morning, grand opening celebration of Leopard Rock, the zoo's newest exhibit where visitors encounter the big cats on equal footing, separated only by one-inch thick heavy-duty glass.
After a ceremonial "vine-cutting," nearly six hundred zoo members crowded around the glass partition for a turn to view the cats in a naturalistic setting that took 15 months of planning and construction.
Neapolitan Nancy Neumeyer has been visiting the park since 1969. She said, "We used to see the leopards from a distance, walking back and forth. But this is wonderful, to see them in their own place."

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18595581&BRD=2605&PAG=461&dept_id=523946&rfi=6



Sam the giraffe dies at zoo
Michael Stewart
mstewart@pnj.com
More sad news for The Zoo Northwest Florida.
Sammy, The Zoo�s 10-year-old giraffe was found dead Tuesday morning in his exhibit where he had been a major attraction for the past eight years.
The news comes less than a week after Zoo officials announced the death of Niles, a baby hippopotamus killed by his father, Kiboko.
Zoo officials said a necropsy performed by The Zoo�s veterinarian, Dr. Gus Mueller, revealed evidence of trauma to the upper neck of the giraffe and believe he may have bolted into a post with enough force to causing bruising and possible collapse.

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070718/NEWS01/70718008/1006



Smelly flower to bloom in days at Cleveland zoo
Associated Press
CLEVELAND - The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has a new exhibit with a smell that may rival elephant dung.
Sometime between Thursday and Sunday the zoo's rainforest exhibit is expecting its first-ever bloom of a 13-year-old plant from Indonesia.
Fewer than 50 have ever bloomed in zoos or botanical gardens. When the flower opens up, it only stays that way for a day or two.
It gives off an unpleasant smell described as something like rotting flesh. The plant is sometimes called the corpse flower.
Officially the plant is known as the titan arum (or Amorphophallus titanum).

http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/17509669.htm




Zoo light: animals watching over you
I'm the first to admit that this light doesn't exactly conform to my usual taste, but there's just something about it that has stuck in my mind. Is it the fluid lines? The almost abstract quality of that giraffe's neck, rising up from the base? The silhouettes it would throw on the wall? I don't know, but maybe it has actually changed my taste.

http://www.babygadget.net/2007/07/zoo_light_animals_watching_ove.php



Zoo's focus on 'living heritage' helps land award
EDINBURGH Zoo has claimed a prestigious award for educating visitors about the natural world.
The attraction has become only the second zoo in the UK to receive the Sandford Award for the quality of its educational programmes.
The accolade is usually reserved for historic and heritage properties.
However, judges decided that Edinburgh Zoo's focus on "living heritage" meant it should receive the recognition.

http://news.scotsman.com/edinburgh.cfm?id=1119952007



'Zoo Hospital' (NDS) - Facts & FeaturesAunt Lucy, a veterinarian at a world-famous zoo, invites you to intern for the summer. With her help, you’ll treat a variety of exotic animals from around the world as you learn how to read body language, soothe animals, perform thorough examinations and treat them so they can return to their zoo habitats healthy!

http://www.worthplaying.com/e3_2007.php?op=viewarticle&artid=1798



Cat fight occurs outside the zoo
ST. PAUL, Minn., July 17 (UPI) -- Two women got into a physical fight over a parking space in a crowded lot at a Minnesota zoo.
The problem started Sunday afternoon when a 22-year-old Scandia woman and her friend spied a spot someone was leaving at the Como Zoo in St. Paul. Although a minivan was queued up to take the spot, the woman got out and stood in the space to reserve it until her friend could park there.
While the woman was standing there, the minivan driver moved closer, threatening to run her down, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Tuesday. When she stood her ground, a woman passenger allegedly got out of the minivan and attacked the woman, allegedly shoving, punching and scratching her, as well as ripping her shirt.
The minivan driver separated the two and they took off, police said.
Tom Walsh, a spokesman for St. Paul police, said both women have important lessons to learn, like waiting your turn and not behaving badly because someone else has. As it turned out, the first woman's provocative behavior was for nothing, since her friend found another space while she was standing there.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Quirks/2007/07/17/cat_fight_occurs_outside_the_zoo/7714/



Calgary Zoo scales back expansion plans
Suzanne Zwarun
correspondent
Calgary
Construction costs, not controversy, have put paid to a large part of the Calgary Zoo’s ambitious Arctic Shores exhibit.
With the original $120 million budget blown up to $200 million, the zoo has tanked the whale tank, restaurant and banquet facilities in Arctic Shores.
It is pinning its hopes of building polar bear, penguin and sea otter facilities on the generosity of the federal government.
The pool for belugas was to have been a whale of a construction project that would rival American attractions such as Sea World.

http://www.journalofcommerce.com/article/id23652



Rare gibbon survives at Perth Zoo
By Graeme Powell
Posted Wed Jul 18, 2007 4:33pm AEST
Updated Wed Jul 18, 2007 4:52pm AEST
Li-Lian was abandoned by its mother and has survived thanks to around-the-clock care by veterinary staff at Perth Zoo. (AAP Image: Tony McDonoough)
A rare baby gibbon born at Perth Zoo seven weeks ago and abandoned by its mother has survived thanks to around-the-clock care by veterinary staff.
The tiny White-cheeked Gibbon, weighing 500 grams at birth, has been named Li-Lian, which is Chinese for clever and free.
Li-Lian is being bottle fed baby milk formula eight times a day and now weights 800 grams.
Perth Zoo's Curator of Exotic Mammals, Clare Campbell, says the White-cheeked Gibbon is a critically endangered species on the brink of extinction.

http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/18/1981895.htm?section=australia



Zoo's hippos get cranky with uninvited guests
By MEGAN ROLLAND and MATT CAMPBELL
The Kansas City Star
For the Kansas City Zoo’s two female hippos, life was more normal on Tuesday after they had charged at two boys who allegedly invaded their enclosure Monday.
So you want to jump into an animal exhibit at a zoo. That’s pretty stupid.
And you’ve chosen the hippo pit. Really, really stupid.
Hippos may look docile, but they are among the most dangerous animals in Africa, capsizing boats on rivers and charging humans who invade their territory.
And yet two boys allegedly climbed into the hippo exhibit at the Kansas City Zoo and threw rocks Monday, becoming the latest episode of Man Versus Beast played out in zoos throughout the country.
A witness has said the hippos became angry and charged the boys. They survived without injury, but security guards caught them.

http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/194436.html



Good evening. I'm Ron Burgundy and here's what happening in your world tonight”
Scott and I went to the San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park for our first day in San Diego. The pictures tell the store it is first of all a HUGE zoo but there is a lot to see. As alway I recommend the panda exhibit (so cute). There is a tram that goes around but you miss a lot of the exhibits so put on your shoes and walk it.
We went to Balboa Park for lunch and it was so beautiful it is full of museums with a few restaurants. We went to Prado for lunch I am not sure how the food was because I was distracted by the beautiful view. We also spied on a wedding that was going on in the courtyard area.

http://realtravel.com/san_diego-journals-j5071637.html



PICTOPIA.COM POWERS PHOTO SITE FOR AWARD-WINNING WOODLAND PARK ZOO
Photography of Endangered Species Now Available
Emeryville, CA, July 17, 2007 – Pictopia.com www.pictopia.com announced today that consumers may now purchase photos from Seattle’s famous award-winning Woodland Park Zoo at: http://pictopia.com/perl/gal?provider_id=543. One of the oldest zoos on the west coast, Woodland Park Zoo has six national award-winning exhibits, including African Savanna, Elephant Forest and Northern Trail. It is home to more than 1,000 animals, such as gorillas, elephants, snow leopards, and red-crowned cranes.

http://press-releases.techwhack.com/11165/pictopia/



Attendance at N.C. Zoo Achieves 10-Year High
Spurred by enhanced marketing efforts and a new children's exhibit, the North Carolina Zoo's annual attendance reached its highest mark in a decade for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007.
Final figures for the 2006-2007 fiscal year showed 746,650 visitors had passed through the zoo gates, an increase of more than 63,000 or 9.3 percent over the previous fiscal year. The most recent fiscal year saw the zoo record its highest annual attendance since the 1997 fiscal year, when the total reached 782,016.
Overall, the 2006-2007 fiscal year also ranks as the fourth highest annual attendance mark in the zoo's 33-year history.
The single year record of 934,455 was set during the 1994-1995 fiscal year and was largely due to the grand opening of the zoo's second continental region, North America, with a large number of new exhibits.

http://www.thepilot.com/stories/20070718/news/local/20070718zooattend.html



Ditched!
Staff Report
LAHORE: The Lahore zoo witnessed a strange situation on Tuesday when an African lioness refused to exit the ditch she entered 13 days ago.
Supervisor Kamran Ahmad said that food was dropped in the ditch to feed the as she just would not get out of it. He said no staff member went close to the ditch to help her out. He said the lioness had not had water since she had been in the ditch because there was no arrangement of water down there. He added that lions needed moderate temperature in their surroundings. He fretted that the lion was under threat because of the level of heat in the ditch.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C07%5C18%5Cstory_18-7-2007_pg13_7



Central Virginia's Own Zoo in Richmond
Richmond, VA is only three hours away from the D.C. Zoo but there is the traffic and large crowds to deal with once you get there. And though the D.C. Zoo is great, it is a very long drive for small children and the crowds can make even the calmest parents want to pull out their hair.
A closer and much less crowded option is Richmond's own zoo, the Metro Richmond Zoo located in Chesterfield County just off of Rout 360 (Hull Street Road). Thanks to the new highway 288, the zoo is now even easier for those that live north of the James River to get there.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/306869/central_virginias_own_zoo_in_richmond.html


Our trip to the National Zoo
Tuesday, July 17th, 2007
Last Friday we went to the National Zoo in Washington, DC. The pics have been up on my flickr page but I hadn’t posted about it because there just aren’t enough hours in the day.
My parents accompanied the kids and I and we took the Metro which the kids love because that is how “daddy goes to work.” It was hot and humid, like it is now and usually is in DC in July, but I had never been to the National Zoo and was determined to go and not waste such a national treasure.

http://firmlyplanted.wordpress.com/2007/07/17/our-trip-to-the-national-zoo/



It's Not Your Average 9 to 5 Job
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo celebrates National Zoo Keeper Week
How many jobs offer the chance to work with exotic animals, make a difference in global conservation projects and serve as a caretaker to endangered species? The job of a zoo keeper is not your average 9 to 5 desk job, and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, in conjunction with The American Association of Zoo Keepers, is celebrating National Zoo Keepers Week from July 15 to 21 in honor its outstanding Animal Care staff.
Through Saturday, visitors will have a chance to meet the folks who care for their favorite Zoo animals. Meet-the-Keeper sessions are scheduled throughout the day, everyday through the end of the week. Zoo guests will have a chance to find out exactly what it takes to care for an elephant, koala or grizzly.
"Professional animal keepers form the backbone of the zoo and aquarium industry," said Geoff Hall, General Curator at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. "Their passion and dedication in caring for animals ranging from tiny frogs to gigantic elephants is truly remarkable. They have some of the most challenging yet rewarding jobs at the zoo."

http://www.clemetzoo.com/pressroom/index.asp?action=details&pressrelease_id=1253



Woodland Park Zoo loses popular snake
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SEATTLE -- An 18-foot-long female reticulated python, estimated to be 20 years old, has died at Woodland Park Zoo.
The snake died Friday, a day after undergoing surgery for removal of retained eggs.
Preliminary necropsy findings pointed to possible complications of heart disease as the cause of death, zoo spokeswoman Gigi Allianic said.
Strikingly patterned and weighing as much as 185 pounds, the python "drew many 'oohs and aahs' from visitors," said Dana Payne, zoo animal curator. "Monthly programs during which we fed the snake for visitors were very popular. She will be missed."

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420AP_WA_BRF_Python_Dies.html



SF: ZOO LAUNCHES FIRST-EVER GPS VISITOR GUIDE
07/16/07 7:45 PDT
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)
Beginning today, visitors of the San Francisco Zoo will have the option of carrying around an electronic device that can explain how zoo veterinarians keep a 400-pound grizzly bear's teeth healthy.
The brand new device, called Zoo Ranger, is a hand-held multimedia Global Positioning Satellite visitor guide and is now available for guests to rent at the San Francisco Zoo.
The Zoo Ranger allows visitors to learn unusual facts about animals, watch videos of animals engaging in behind-the-scenes activities and walk through the park with an audio guide.
In addition, the Zoo Ranger allows users to engage in animal trivia questions and utilize a zoo map via a touch screen.
"(The Zoo Ranger is) definitely going to give visitors a whole different experience," Paul Garcia, a spokesman for the San Francisco Zoo, said.

http://cbs5.com/localwire/localfsnews/bcn/2007/07/16/n/HeadlineNews/ZOO-RANGERS/resources_bcn_html



Zoo's python dies after surgery
By Brian Alexander
Seattle Times staff reporter
RYAN HAWK / WOODLAND PARK ZOO
The 20-year-old reticulated python died after undergoing surgery.
Woodland Park Zoo's 18-foot python has died after surgery, the zoo reported Monday.
The 20-year-old reticulated python died Friday morning after undergoing surgery for removal of retained eggs.
The snake did well during the surgery and was recovering when it died, according to a zoo press release. A preliminary necropsy pointed to heart disease as a possible cause of death.
Prior to the surgery the snake had stopped eating so veterinary staff ordered x-rays and an ultrasound, which showed retained eggs within the python's body cavity.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003792122_webpython16m.html



German zoo workers sell animals as meat
7.07, Wed Jul 18 2007
A German mayor has filed charges against zoo workers in his town for shooting animals and selling them as meat.
The mayor's spokesperson said deer were amongst animals which had been killed and sold without permission by workers at Erfurt Zoo.
She said: "The case is now with the state prosecutors".
The German Animal Protection League has demanded a review of controls at Erfurt Zoo and all institutions housing animals in the state of Thuringia.

http://www.itv.com/news/world_d7dafc6b4b81a1659c5fe9efa4fbb886.html



Sierra Zoo spotlights unusual addition
KRISTIN LARSEN
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
Posted: 7/18/2007
Modified: 7/18/2007
Most 5-month-olds don't hold news conferences.
But young Kyla, a baby kinkajou born recently at Sierra Safari Zoo, was the center of attention at a gathering Tuesday morning. She will have to get used to a life in the spotlight
as one of the animal ambassadors that will be taken to schools and functions.
"Everybody is fascinated with her," said Jimmie Martin, Sierra Safari Zoo co-founder. "She's unusual. A lot of people have never seen such a thing. She's so cute you can't stand it."
House cat-sized Kyla (pronounced Kee-aa) is a sight to be adored, with a small bear-like face, giant eyes, fur-covered body and 5-inch tongue.
She is one of many babies recently born at the zoo including a miniature Brahma bull, vervet monkeys, a baboon and soon-to-arrive red-tailed boa babies.

http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20070718&Category=NEIGHBORHOODS02&ArtNo=707180394&Ref=AR



Fresno funding of Roeding amusement areas could depend on merger with zoo
By Marc Benjamin / The Fresno Bee
07/18/07 04:44:25
Fresno city funds for Storyland & Playland may hinge on whether the Rotary Club amusement areas in Roeding Park pursue merger talks with the Fresno Chaffee Zoo.
The issue surfaced Tuesday as Fresno City Council members discussed whether to provide Storyland/Playland with $100,000 for upgrades such as paint, concrete repairs and new rides.
Mayor Alan Autry vetoed the money from the city budget, saying he would rather put that money toward cleaning up Lake Washington, between the two parks. The council was weighing whether to override the veto, which would require five council votes.
The council deferred a decision until next week to allow both groups to meet.
The zoo and the amusement parks discussed a possible merger in the past year, but the talks didn't get far. The two groups did agree to collaborate with the city on a master plan for Roeding Park.

http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/88630.html

continued...

Captivity versus extinction: Is wildlife served by zoos?

Wild Animal Park keeper Curtis Lehman checks the eye of Mabhlane, the male African elephant, at the park on Thursday.

By: PAUL EAKINS - Staff Writer
SAN PASQUAL VALLEY ---- The euthanization last month of Carol, a beloved 39-year-old Asian elephant at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, has reignited the debate over whether zoos provide the care they should for wild animals whose captivity zoo officials say ultimately may protect the species from extinction.

officials said the injured and diseased elephant, which gained fame when she appeared on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" and had lived most of her life at the park, had to be killed to end her suffering, but animal advocates lambasted the park's decision.
Advocates said in recent interviews that the pachyderm's death was only the latest of many incidents of animal mistreatment at the animal park through the years....

Morning Papers - continued...

Zoo Officials: Tiger Attack Blamed On Human Error (video)
POSTED: 12:27 pm CDT July 18, 2007
UPDATED: 1:08 pm CDT July 18, 2007
Sign Up for Breaking News Alerts
SAN ANTONIO -- Human error led to a recent attack by a tiger on a keeper at the San Antonio Zoo, officials announced Wednesday.
During a news conference, Zoo director Steve McCusker said Jeff Tierney, 28, was leaving water inside a tiger's cage on Saturday, when he left the area and accidentally left a door that leads to the exhibit open.
Tierney quickly realized his error, and when he went to close the door, Berani, a male Sumatran tiger, attacked the keeper.

http://www.ksat.com/news/13705705/detail.html



Some general principles for zoos looking for funding from the EU
Jump to Comments
Get to understand the basic policies, principles and ethos of the EU first, rather than immediately plunge in with your funding need. If possible try to participate in policy making at the ground floor
Your best opportunity may not lie in the most obvious area. Thus zoos should not only look to DG Environment, but take a wide strategic approach
Understand where the decisions are being made - at national or EU level?
Form partnerships and networks
I shall post more on this subject if you ask

http://zoofunding.wordpress.com/2007/07/10/some-general-principles-for-zoos-looking-for-funding-from-the-eu/



Zoo has eight possible homes for Maggie; process complex
DECISION: Choice may be made within week but there are still obstacles to move.
By MEGAN HOLLAND
mholland@adn.com
Published: July 11, 2007
Last Modified: July 11, 2007 at 03:12 AM
The next home for Maggie, the Alaska Zoo's lone elephant, may be chosen this week but that's not quick enough for those who want her moved out of Alaska pronto.
Zoo director Pat Lampi said he plans to present a list tonight to the Alaska Zoo board of several options picked from eight institutions that have told the zoo they want the African elephant.
He does not know, though, when the board will make a decision or how long it will take to get Maggie ready for the move.

http://www.adn.com/front/story/9123561p-9038928c.html



Red Wolf Pups at The VLM
Posted by LGK in news (Wednesday July 11, 2007 at 0756)
Red Wolves at Virginia Living Museum
I got an email from James Dean at The VLM a few months ago and I apologize for being so late in announcing this — I have been swimming in a sea of boxes packing up and readying for the sale of the house.
The pups are now out in public view so stop by the VLM today and visit!!
Six pack of red wolf pups born at the Virginia Living Museum
The Virginia Living Museum announces the birth of six red wolf pups on April 26. Red wolves are one of the world’s most endangered wild canids.
The six pups (three males, three females) are the second litter for the museum’s adult red wolves. On April 28, each pup weighed about ¾ lbs. (314-382 grams). On May 9, their weight ranged from 1½ to 2 lbs. Their eyes opened on May 10 and one of the pups began walking on May 13.

http://www.wolfsource.org/?p=210



Virginia Living Museum

http://www.thevlm.org/



Okapi's In UK Zoo's
Hey i thought some of you guys may be able to give a bit more information on the other okapi in uk zoo's
Chester - 1.1 - Male is called Mbuti and is the offspring from the female at bristol zoo (which they tried horse whispering with him so that they could attend his hooves without using a cruch). The female is called Stuma and came from strugart.
Bristol - 1.1 - There male died after Mbuti was born and so londons male was sent to them.
London - 1.1 - The male is called dicky that was at Chester for a while.
Woburn safari park built an exhibit for them but before they could obtain any animals, a decision was made to not allow any zoo without okapis to introduce them as they had a few poor years with okapi and the capitive population.

http://www.zoobeat.com/38/okapis-uk-zoos-7472/



SAFETY: Petting zoo perils
Animal exhibits educate children but precautions should be taken
Comment on this story
MELISSA GARZANELLI, melissag@mywebtimes.com, 815-431-4049
Photo: Jeremy Reed
Two-year-old Neva Morris of Ottawa pets a calf at a petting zoo in Sheridan during the Fourth of July celebration. Petting zoos offer children a fun and educational encounter with animals, but health experts warn children and adults must take precautions around these animals to stay safe.
Fuzzy ducklings, silky-smooth rabbits, friendly pygmy goats.
None of these animals conjure up threatening images. But petting zoos can be dangerous if visitors don't take precautions while visiting these furry creatures.
Petting zoos -- common exhibits at zoos, fairs and community festivals -- are both entertaining and educational for young children. For FFA members, hosting these petting zoos is often a highlight of their annual activities.
But petting zoos also have made national headlines as children and adults have become sick after visiting such attractions.

http://mywebtimes.com/ottnews/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=302392



Zoos 'failing' over work in wild
The Highland Wildlife Park said it was introducing snow leopards
A wildlife charity has criticised Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park for not giving enough support to conservation projects in the wild.
The zoos were among 13 highlighted by the Born Free Foundation, which also said the zoos did not do enough to protect threatened species.
London, Bristol and Whipsnade zoos have also come under attack.
The Royal Zoological Society, which runs both of the Scottish zoos, defended its record.
Under EU legislation, zoos have a legal obligation to keep and breed threatened animals and support conservation projects.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/6293892.stm



Conservation commitment
Last updated: 11 July 2007
Are zoos meeting their legal obligations to conservation of threatened species?
A new report released today questions the commitment of UK zoos to conservation.
The Born Free Foundation claim many threatened species are being ignored with scant spending on projects in the wild.
Since the European Zoos Directive of 2002, zoos have a legal obligation to keep and breed threatened animals and support conservation projects in the wild.
13 zoos named

http://www.gm.tv/index.cfm?articleid=26390



Franklin Park Zoo’s Gorilla Family
The renovated gorilla exhibit at the Franklin Park Zoo let’s you get up close to the gorillas. They are interested in looking at us as much as we are interested in looking at them.

http://bostonnow.com/community/blogs/stevegarfield/2007/07/11/franklin-park-zoos-gorilla-family/



Helping animals can be sweet deal
Sarah D'Esti Miller
This weekend is going to the dogs. And cats, coatimundis, otters, bears and more. Animal lovers will have a busy weekend with two four-legged-friendly fundraisers.
First up, it's time once again for the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park's Ice Cream Safari, featuring the flavors "coatimundi" cookies-n-cream, howling mint chocolate chip, "sandhill crane" butter crunch, spectacled black rasp"bear"y, "big cats" cookie dough and peanut "otter" fudge. Rest assured there will not be bears, cats or otters in the ice cream, which will be provided by Friendly's. It all works like this: Purchase a safari 'passport' at the ticket booth and as you wander through the zoo you can stop at six different stations for ice cream.
The Ice Cream Safari runs from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, during which time you also can check out various animal spotlights featuring some of the denizens of the Binghamton Zoo, which recently became home to a pair of bison, not to mention a baby reindeer born May 3. Zoos often get a bum rap, and bison are an excellent success story about the good zoos can do. Bison numbered only a few dozen at the turn of the century, but thanks to captive breeding in zoos and re-introduction into protected areas, they now number in the thousands.

http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070712/COLUMNISTS10/707120348/1004/LIFESTYLE



Striped skunks can cause quite a stink for beekeepers
Sunday, July 15, 2007 4:01 AM
By JIM FRY
Tim DanielDivision of Wildlife
The striped skunk usually hunts for food at night.
Ohio has 54 species of mammals, and the one that most people want to keep as far away as possible is the striped skunk. Its reputation precedes its presence.
The body of the striped skunk is black with a narrow white stripe up the middle of the forehead.
Broad white patches adorn the head and shoulders; the patches split into a V at the shoulder, and the two white lines continue along the back. The length and width of the stripes vary. The tail might have a white tip.
Skunks aren't seen frequently because they're mostly nocturnal.
During their nightly forays in spring and summer, they eat mostly insects. But they are omnivorous and also consume berries, carrion, crayfish, eggs, fish, frogs, fruits, grasses, grubs, lizards, mice and nuts.

http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/home_garden/stories/2007/07/15/fry15_ART_07-15-07_H3_4P78PV2.html



Coyotes attack dogs in Golden Gate Park
Jim Herron Zamora, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, July 16, 2007
San Francisco officials posted warnings in Golden Gate Park on Sunday after the first known coyote attack in the city in decades, when a pair of the wild canines charged two leashed dogs on a small path in the park.
"We're taking this very seriously," said Deb Campbell, spokeswoman for the San Francisco Animal Care and Control Department. "We have officers looking for the coyotes, and we are letting the public know about these coyotes."
The attack occurred about 9 a.m. Saturday, when a woman was walking her two large dogs along a path just south of Speedway Meadow near a large pile of mulch. Two coyotes bit one of her dogs, leaving it with minor injuries, and lunged at the other, according to animal control officials.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/16/MNG9TR15PH1.DTL


This is a new conservation society noted on the internet this week. Don't know much about it, but, if they are serious the 'plight' of these lions should be interesting.

are other conservation interests in Asia, notably is this one from Sri Lanka. If one recalls, they were struck by the Holiday Tsunami whereby many people died and the biotic balance of the nations involved have suffered damage. Additionally, the damage of the tsunami is only the tip of the iceberg, as there has been a resurgence to rebels, namely the Tamal Tigers.

tsunmai did a lot of damge and if the people there rather rebuild their biota over rebellion then I am all for it. I simply caution donors to be aware and well educated to the 'use' of all the monies. This is a volitile part of the world, as is the Middle East, adding monies to a cause is admirable as long as it acts to improve the plight of people interested in practicing conservation.

larger danger is to NOT donate to these efforts out of misinformation and fear. I am simply using this opportunity to point to a new start up conservation group that needs the help of others, while promoting 'responsibility' to the act of donating. Good luck.

http://www.slwcs.org/volunteer/


Detailed Information on Asiatic Lions in India, its Habitat, Gir Forest, and other animal residing in Gir

PLEASE NOTE...
This site is developed by Wildlife Conservation Trust of India (a group Wildlife enthusiasts) purely with intention of spreading information of Asiatic Lion and Gir. It will be our privilege to assist those who are interested to have more information or those wild-lifers & photographers who wish to visit Gir. Our office is at Rajkot in India. Any information on this website can be freely used by any person or institute for any reason.

http://www.asiaticlion.org/index.htm


Pride Rock Wildlife Refuge

http://www.priderock.org/


“The Belize Zoo is one of the best I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot of zoos.”
Dan Haug's Recommendations
On July 3, we hopped a boat to Belize City and headed inland. Despite the warnings of pushy cab drivers, we had no problems navigating the local bus system. Sure, they’re converted school buses from the US, but they’re just as comfortable as the buses I ride every day in St. Paul, and their patrons are more respectable. The bus let us off at the Belize Zoo , where we stowed our bags at the gift shop and walked around for two or three hours. The Belize Zoo is one of the best I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot of zoos. Instead of the artfully contrived shotcrete and plastic trees you’ll see at American zoos, this is the real deal. They’ve basically enclosed little patches of rainforest and stocked it with animals native to Belize. Not only are there agoutis and foxes in the enclosures, there’s also some wild ones wandering the trails. The weather was cool when we visited and the animals were surprisingly active. The baby jaguar was climbing trees and pouncing, the puma sat in front of the pen and purred, the tapirs squeezed their flexible noses through the fence to be petted, and the otters raced around psychotically. Birds were featured as well: a harpy eagle with a leg as thick as my bicep, a colorful toucan, and a spectacled owl with an unnerving stare. The signs are full of corny Belizean slang (i.e. “We toucans love Belize. No true.”) but you can tell that the children will actually read them.

http://realtravel.com/san_ignacio-journals-j5031994.html


Endangered Black and White Ruffed Lemur Born at Zoo
Published: July 12, 2007
SACRAMENTO - The Sacramento Zoo is pleased to announce its newest arrival—one male Black & white ruffed lemur—born to 8-yr old parents. This is the second set of offspring for this pair. The mother is taking exceptional care of her infant which has not yet been named. The three lemurs born last year and the father remain in the exhibit.
The infant was found in the “nest” on the morning of May 16th. Two lemurs were born, but the other male died shortly after birth of natural causes. High infant mortality is not uncommon in this species. Although ruffed lemurs are capable of having up to six infants at a time, typically two or three youngsters (weighing about 100 grams each) are born.
Black and white ruffed lemurs live in small groups of 2 to 16 individuals. Females are dominant over males in their groups. A female yearling will often be forced out of the group by the breeding female when the next litter is born. “Here at the Sacramento Zoo, we are working to keep our female yearling born in 2006 a part of the group. To do so, we have kept the female yearling with the mother when she gave birth and each night since. We also rotated each one of the male yearlings inside at night to keep the youngsters familiar with the mom and infant.,” said Leslie Field, Lead Zookeeper/Supervisor. “All three yearlings are very comfortable with the new baby and the mom has shown no signs of excluded the young female,” Field said. This is a unique situation and our animal care staff collaborated with other zoos to formulate the best plan to keep our group well-bonded.

http://www.sacunion.com/pages/sacramento/articles/9227/



Animal Ark or Sinking Ship?
At least 5,624 species of vertebrate animals are currently threatened with extinction worldwide.
The role of zoos in the conservation of biodiversity, and specifically ex situ conservation, became a legal obligation in Europe in 2002 with the implementation of the European Zoos Directive. The Directive was fully incorporated into UK zoo legislation in 2003. Perhaps recognising an opportunity to refute growing scepticism over the keeping of animals in captivity, zoos assumed the role of animal ‘arks’ and promoted their new conservation purpose.
However, despite claims by zoos that their contribution to conservation is significant, to date there has been no reliable mechanism to assess zoos’ performance. Should the conservation credentials of zoos be taken on trust?
In the last 12 months, the Born Free Foundation has undertaken a series of investigations to assess the conservation commitment of the UK’s more ‘progressive’ zoos.
Download the report summary - pdf 815KB

http://www.bornfree.org.uk/campaigns/zoo-check/uk-zoos/zoo-conservation/




Vail’s newest creative creatures
Ford Park hosts a slew of bronze animal sculptures through Labor Day
Luciana Love, 17 months, stands next to a bear called “Indigo’s Dream” created by artist Dan Ostermiller. The bronze bear is one of six wildlife sculptures being showcased at Ford Park through Labor Day.
VAIL — Giggling, a mom and her two blonde-haired daughters lie sprawled on a blanket next to a towering bronze elephant sculpture in Ford Park. The remnants of a picnic lunch sit on the grass beside them.
“We came looking for wildflowers to picnic next to and we found this,” said Colorado Springs resident Terry Hall, gesturing to the surrounding botanic gardens and the sculptures.
“It was a lucky accident.”

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20070717/AE/70717015



Meet the Galops
Once again this year we are hatching Galapagos tortoises. This has become an annual occurence here at the Gladys Porter Zoo, and young Galapagos tortoises are always on exhibit in the Herpetarium.
This little fellow will soon break out of his egg. You can see his egg tooth, the little projection on the tip of his beak that is used to puncture the egg shell from within.
This is his sibling who just broke out of his egg a few days ago. In the wild they would still be underground at this point, digging their way to the surface only after resorbing their yolk sacs. It is rather humbling to realize that, if all goes well, these little tortoises will see much of the 22nd century.
Presently we have 7 adult Galapagos tortoises here at the Zoo, 2 males and 5 females. These 4 are currently on exhibit:

http://herpblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/meet-galops.html




Crocodile farms opened in Russia
17.07.2007
Two crocodile farms have opened in the Krasnodar Region of Russia. Every evening experienced crocodile tamers entertain tourists with animal shows. However, the crocodile owners claim that farms were created not for business purposes only – they are also an asylum for reptiles left by beach photographers or exotic animal lovers.
One of the farms with two crocodiles and one alligator is situated in Temryuksky district, and the second farm near Anapa keeps four crocodiles. However, crocodiles are not the only dwellers of the farms – they also keep such reptiles as snakes and lizards.
After the beach season is over, all animals will be brought to the Voronezh Region for wintering.

http://www.russia-ic.com/news/show/4357/



Houston Zoos Chinese Tigers
A Chinese Tiger training session at the Houston Zoo. These
tigers are twin brothers and 8 years old each.

http://onlyanimalvideo.blogspot.com/2007/07/houston-zoos-chinese-tigers.html



Compendium of Measures to Prevent Disease Associated with Animals in Public Settings, 2007
National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc. (NASPHV)
Prepared by NASPHV
Summary
This report has been endorsed by CDC, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, and the American Veterinary Medical Association. The material in this report originated in the Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases, Mitch Cohen MD, Director; and the Division of Foodborne, Bacterial, and Mycotic Diseases, David Warnock PhD, Director.
Corresponding preparer: J.B. Bender DVM, Co-chair, NASPHV Animal Contact Compendium Committee, University of Minnesota, Veterinary Public Health, 136F Andrew Boss, 1354 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, Telephone: 612-625-6203; Fax: 612-624-4906; E-mail: bende002@umn.edu.
Certain venues encourage or permit the public to contact animals, resulting in millions of human-animal interactions each year. These settings include county or state fairs, petting zoos, animal swap meets, pet stores, zoologic institutions, circuses, carnivals, farm tours, livestock-birthing exhibits, educational exhibits at schools, and wildlife photo opportunities. Although multiple benefits of human-animal contact exist, infectious diseases, rabies exposures, injuries, and other human health problems associated with these settings are possible. Infectious disease outbreaks reported during the previous decade have been caused by Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Cryptosporidium, Coxiella burnetii, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, ringworm, and other pathogens. Such incidents have substantial medical, public health, legal, and economic effects.
This report provides recommendations for public health officials, veterinarians, animal venue staff, animal exhibitors, visitors to animal venues, physicians, and others concerned with minimizing risks associated with animals in public settings. The recommendation to wash hands is the single most important prevention step for reducing the risk for disease transmission. Other critical recommendations are that venues not allow food in animal areas, venues include transition areas between animal areas and nonanimal areas, visitors be educated about disease risk and prevention procedures, and animals be properly cared for and managed.
Introduction
Contact with animals in public settings (e.g., fairs, farm tours, petting zoos, and schools) provides opportunities for entertainment and education. However, inadequate understanding of disease transmission and animal behavior can increase the likelihood of infectious diseases, rabies exposures, injuries, and other health problems among visitors, especially children, in these settings. Zoonotic diseases (i.e., zoonoses) are diseases transmitted from animals to humans. Of particular concern are instances in which large numbers of persons become ill. Since 1991, approximately 50 human infectious disease outbreaks involving animals in public settings have been reported to CDC (1). During the preceding 10 years, an increasing number of enteric disease outbreaks associated with animals in public settings (e.g., fairs and petting zoos) have been reported (1).
The National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV) understands the positive benefits of human-animal contact. Although eliminating all risk from animal contacts is not possible, this report provides recommendations for minimizing disease and injury.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5605a1.htm?s_cid=rr5605a1_x




Practice petting zoo hygiene
Be aware that animals sometimes carry germs that can be harmful to humans
Monday, July 16, 2007
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As a child, I was oblivious to germs. I remember once, during a family outing to a a popular upstate New York animal farm, being surround by 15 to 20 goats and deer as I attempted to feed a small goat.
I don't remember washing my hands afterward. I didn't get sick and, most likely, my mom was there with a washcloth, wiping our hands and faces as we left the petting pen.

http://www.silive.com/living/advance/index.ssf?/base/living/1184582756264420.xml&coll=1




Zoo advertising that won’t eat you alive
Here’s a BBDO West ad, with animation work by J.J. Sedelmaier, for the new Grizzly Gulch exhibit at the San Francisco Zoo. The grizzly roars, but otherwise does no harm. It’s an oddly restrained approach for Sedelmaier, last spotted severing arms in a zany clip promoting workplace safety in Canada. That ad featured a blood-lapping dog, which thankfully (or unfortunately, depending on your taste) doesn’t appear in the zoo’s procession of animals. In fact, San Francisco’s approach bucks a recent trend of zoos using edgy ads in which their denizens consume luggage or family pets. Actually, that gizzly looks well fed, so who knows what he was snacking on before the camera started to roll.
—Posted by David Gianatasio

http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/2007/07/zoo-advertising.html



Chinese zoo condemned over boxing bears
By Martin Beckford
Last Updated: 2:58am BST 17/07/2007
Animal rights campaigners have condemned a Chinese zoo at which bear cubs are forced to fight each other for the entertainment of laughing visitors.
The Captive Animals’ Protection Society said the spectacle was “horrific” and urged holidaymakers to boycott the shows as well as lobbying the Chinese Government to outlaw them.
Pictures taken at the zoo in Xi’an, in the Shaanxi province of north west China, show two bear cubs being encouraged to box each other while a crowd of parents and children look on and laugh.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/16/wbear116.xml



35,000-Year-Old Mammoth Sculpture Found in Germany
In southwestern Germany, an American archaeologist and his German colleagues have found the oldest mammoth-ivory carving known to modern science. And even at 35,000 years old, it's still intact.
Archaeologists at the University of Tübingen have recovered the first entirely intact woolly mammoth figurine from the Swabian Jura, a plateau in the state of Baden-Württemberg, thought to have been made by the first modern humans some 35,000 years ago. It is believed to be the oldest ivory carving ever found. "You can be sure," Tübingen archaeologist Nicholas J. Conard told SPIEGEL ONLINE

http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,489776,00.html



The flip side of penguins
As we know, some surf, some dance, some live at zoo. And some sell snowballs for 5 cents!
The Akron Zoo had a special delivery a few weeks ago -- make that four deliveries -- of newly hatched Humboldt penguins. To celebrate the event, you are invited to help name the chicks. After the names have been collected, the animal-care staff will narrow them down, and the final selection will be made by the penguin parents and the chicks themselves, according to Vice President of Communica-tions Linda Troutman. All the chicks have different parents, so determining the names could be exciting.
``We aren't really sure yet how we are going to do that, but it will be creative,'' Troutman promised.
Endangered Humboldt penguins are temperate-climate birds that are commonly found in Peru and Chile in South America. The births are a success story for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. A volunteer group oversees a species survival plan that determines how the penguins are best served in and outside captivity. The group makes recommendations for breeding of the species, which could become extinct in the wild in the next 10 years. It works sort of like a computer dating service, Troutman said.

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/living/home/17495082.htm



Fair has Jake Owen
By Steve Sharp of the Daily Times staff
Friday, July 13, 2007 12:56 PM CDT
Natalie Fenner of Watertown’s Buckaroos 4-H club guides her miniature horse, Red Chief, through a speed and lead equine competition at the Jefferson County Fair. The 155th annual gathering continues through the weekend at the Jefferson County Fair Park in Jefferson. (JOHN HART/Daily Times)
JEFFERSON - The Jefferson County Fair's grandstand stage heats up tonight with the country music of Madison County as it opens for the young, high-energy Jake Owen band.
Owen, a Florida native who made his way into the country music world almost overnight in Nashville, Tenn., is viewed by fair organizers as a promising draw for fans of new country.
“We have Madison County opening and they are very high-energy. Owen is young, up-and-coming and is also very energetic - he should have the crowd really going,” Jefferson County Fair Secretary Gail Zastrow said this morning.
Owen's debut album, “Startin' With Me,” was released in the summer of 2006. He had planned to be a professional golfer and walked on to the Florida State University team before suffering a career-ending injury.

http://www.wdtimes.com/articles/2007/07/13/news/news1.txt



Zoo leads blitz on breeding elephants
07/13/2007 03:32 PM
By: Adrianne Flores
N.C. Zoo Change
The N.C. Zoo is helping to increase the numbers of elephants and rhinos born in captivity. See how.
GREENSBORO - Years of poaching, a shrinking habitat, and trouble breeding in captivity have landed elephants on the endangered species list according to Rod Hackney at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro.
"Rhinos and elephants are in trouble both in the wild and in captivity."
Tough new restrictions by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and a shortage of space has forced many national parks to close their elephant exhibits, says Hackney.
"There are becoming fewer and fewer zoos that can accommodate these animals because they are so large and they require such a great deal of space."

http://news14.com/content/top_stories/584806/zoo-leads-blitz-on-breeding-elephants/Default.aspx



Endangered Black and White Ruffed Lemur
on Exhibit July 12th
Visit the Sacramento Zoo’s newest baby July 12th as he explores the exhibit for the first time! The Sacramento Zoo is pleased to announce its newest arrival—one male Black & white ruffed lemur—born to 8-yr old parents. This is the second set of offspring for this pair. The mother is taking exceptional care of her infant which has not yet been named. The three lemurs born last year and the father remain in the exhibit.
The infant was found in the “nest” on the morning of May 16th. Two lemurs were born, but the other male died shortly after birth of natural causes. High infant mortality is not uncommon in this species. Although ruffed lemurs are capable of having up to six infants at a time, typically two or three youngsters (weighing about 100 grams each) are born.

http://www.saczoo.com/2_happening/_zoo_news.htm



Chattanooga Zoo Receives $250,000 Challenge Grant
Richard Simms
July 10, 2007 - 4:32PM
The Chattanooga Zoo’s planned new entrance just got a $250,000 boost from the Kresge Foundation in the form of a challenge grant.
The funds will be used for “Zoo Debut,” the new front entrance for the Zoo and Warner Park. Scheduled for completion summer ’08, the new entrance will be built at the eastern park entrance from the heavily traveled, four-lane Holtzclaw Avenue, Warner Park’s most visible boundary.
The project includes new ticketing areas, a bus loop, better pedestrian and traffic access, an endangered species carousel as well as other park and Zoo visitor amenities.
“After many years in its ‘off-road’ location, the Zoo is finally getting a new entrance that leads straight to our front door,” said Darde Long, Zoo director. “In addition to an immediate aesthetic upgrade, this grant will enliven and expand the visitor experience.”

http://www.newschannel9.com/articles/zoo_13711___article.html/foundation_grant.html



Baby Rhino Born at Sedgwick County Zoo (video)
Posted: 1:42 PM Jul 10, 2007
Last Updated: 5:46 PM Jul 10, 2007
Email Address: news@kake.com
The Sedgwick County Zoo staff welcomed a rhinoceros calf into the world on Friday. The female calf weighed approximately 60 lbs at birth.
Mother, Bibi and calf, are doing fine and will be accepting visitors in the indoor exhibit. You will also be able to see the proud father, Eugene in the outdoor exhibit. During these first few months the male is separated from the mother and calf.
However, the newborn calf does not yet have a name. J.J. and Jeff’s Friends of the Zoo Board adopted the rhinos at Zoobilee 2006. Friends of the Zoo Board have given the naming privileges back to the Zoo for auction at Zoobilee. The privilege of naming the newborn female calf will go to the lucky person(s) who adopts the rhinos during the live auction at Zoobilee 2008 Party with the Penguins on Saturday, September 8!

http://www.kake.com/news/headlines/8414187.html



Sunset at the Zoo brings in clams for park
Sunset at the Zoo is always one of Metro Detroits best society parties, and this year was no exception. Billed as "Detroits Wildest Party," the event featured a strolling supper offering tastes of signature dishes from 40 of Metro Detroits most popular dining establishments.
Nearly 2,000 people showed up at the zoos main picnic grove to partake in the festivities, which also included several open bars (many featuring zoo-themed martinis), dance music, live entertainment from the Jerry Ross Band, and live and silent auctions. And like most of the other components of the event, the auction items were also zoo- or animal-related, such as a gourmet dinner for 12 with the giraffes at the Zoos new Giraffe Encounter and a custom piece of zoo-themed jewelry from Jules R. Schubot Jewellers.
General admission to the June 15 gala was $125. Guests were also encouraged to visit the animal habitats as the sun went down. Those who paid $250 or $500 were invited to a VIP champagne reception held in the zoos African grassland area, complete with rhinos, peacocks and wild African dogs. They were transported to and from the area by train and a team of multi-passenger golf carts.

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070710/LIFESTYLE/707100420/1005



Zoo event seeks to benefit Madagascar region
Staff reports
(July 10, 2007) — The Madagascar Fete, an evening of conservation science and fun at the zoo, is planned for 6 p.m. Sat. July 21 at the Seneca Park Zoo, 2222 St. Paul St.
Dr. Jeff Wyatt, director of animal health and conservation at the zoo, has traveled to Madagascar several times to research the lemur, which is endangered due to dwindling rain forest.
Tickets are $30, which includes a Madagascar-themed dinner, music and talks from Laura Alport and Erik Patel. The money will be used to fund conservation projects to save lemurs and villagers in the Madagascar rain forest.
For more information or for tickets, call (585) 336-7200 or visit www.senecaparkzoo.org.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070710/NEWS01/70710041/1002/NEWS



Red-tailed Hawk Patient
Posted at 10:54 am July 10, 2007 by Yvette Kemp
Kiowa, a red-tailed hawk from the Hunte Amphitheater at the San Diego Zoo, has been one of the recent patients as the Zoo’s hospital. A few weeks ago, Kiowa arrived at the hospital after fracturing his left leg. The veterinarians on duty performed surgery, setting the leg bones and placing a fixator to keep it from moving. A fixator is an apparatus where two firm bars are placed on either side of the leg, and then pins go from one bar to the other through the leg. This stabilizes the leg, allowing it to heal properly while giving it strength.
Needless to say, a fractured leg in a bird of prey can be very difficult not only physically but also behaviorally. Hawks hold their food in their talons and then rip pieces off it to eat. This is a hard thing to accomplish with just one foot. Kiowa was having a tricky time trying to balance on the fractured leg, hold his food in his good foot, and eat.

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/red-tailed-hawk-patient/



New curator called 'a good catch' for Mill Mountain Zoo
The general curator has worked at SeaWorld and with the bird collection at San Diego Zoo.
By Pete Dybdahl
981-3376
Dave Orndorff, who in 35 years of working with animals has nursed a manatee and been pursued by an African lioness, is now the general curator at the Mill Mountain Zoo. His first day was Sunday.
He joins the zoo as it plans to rebuild its prairie dog exhibit, climbs out of debt and faces a national accreditation review later this month.
"He has small-zoo experience, but he's got big ideas," said Sean Greene, the zoo's executive director. "He's a good catch for our zoo."
Orndorff has big-zoo experience, too. He comes to Roanoke following an 11-year stint at the San Diego Zoo, where he managed the zoo's bird collection.

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/wb/xp-123859




Two deers quarantined at zoo
Wednesday July 11 2007 09:54 IST
TPURAM: One more black buck succumbed to the foot-and-mouth disease at the city zoo on Tuesday.
Two sambar deers have also been quarantined after lesions were spotted in their feet. However, the zoo officials have not confirmed whether the lesions were owing to FMD.
Meanwhile, a high-level meeting of the Animal Husbandry Department (AHD) officials was held to review the situation.
AHD additional director Udayavarman, district animal welfare officer Prabhasuthan and chief disease investigating officer H Viswanathan were among those who took part in the meeting. The zoo remained closed to visitors for the third day on Tuesday.


Zoo cautious on foot and mouth disease
Thursday July 12 2007 11:34 IST
MYSORE: The closure of Trivandrum Zoo due to foot and mouth disease has sent a warning signal to officials of the Mysore zoo. Not ready to take any chances, they are being extra cautious before the onset of the disease.
Though, the Mysore zoo has no history of foot and mouth disease in the last decade or so, the veterinary department has gone the extra mile for a fool-proof system to avoid viral diseases. In fact, the system was in place at the outset of monsoon itself, when the zoo made it mandatory for foot dips for visitors.
The foot dips is a trough filled with Khorasalin chemical medicated water, placed at the entrance of the zoo. And it was mandatory for the visitors to compulsorily pass through it to remove viruses and bacteria. Recently foot dips were made obligatory for even zookeepers to enter the enclosures.
We protect all animals through regular vaccination of six months, 10 months and annual vaccination. The foot dips outside the enclosures also prevents cross infection, explains senior veterinarian of Mysore zoo Nanjappa.
The pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons were a high risk time for animals to get affected with foot and mouth or haemorhagic septisamia. Bisons, elephants, rhinos, zebras --cloven-footed animals are more prone to this desease, he told this website's newspaper.
TRANSLOCATION OF SPOTTED DEER, SAMBAR: Next week, the Mysore zoo will embark upon a special task to translocate excess spotted deer to the wild. Keeping with the SC ruling on the number of animals and birth control, the zoo will shift about 75 spotted deer and 30 sambar to wild-life reserves in Bandipur and Nagarahole. Presently, the zoo has 120 spotted deer and up to 60 sambar.



Question Time: What's the zoo do when it's hot?
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
By Michael Birnbaum, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburghers have sweated out recent heat by hiding in air-conditioned buildings, going to water parks and pools and reminiscing about bitter January blizzards.
This gorilla gnaws on a piece of frozen peach nectar, laced with yogurt and gorilla food, to beat the heat.
Click photo for larger image.
Our furry friends at the Pittsburgh Zoo have been doing roughly the same thing. While two-legged Pittsburghers might head to the local watering hole for a beer, four-legged Pittsburghers have been enjoying the cooled water at their own establishments.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07192/800724-294.stm



Zoo In Need
Debbie Williams
Jul 10, 2007
It may look like the Zoo of Northwest Florida has recovered from two years of back to back hurricanes but looks can be deceiving. Zoo officials say they have a crisis on their hands and it may force them to close the zoo forever.
For 13 years, Karen Sutton has volunteered at The Zoo of Northwest Florida. It’s a place she loves but worried it may close for good. "I think we were really at a point of being a-okay and hurricane Ivan the first year and Dennis the next rust really hurt us bad."

http://www.wkrg.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WKRG%2FMGArticle%2FKRG_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173351954026&path=!news!local



Arts, zoo spared budget slashing
Mayor Pam Iorio proposes smaller cuts for nonprofits.
By JANET ZINK
Published July 11, 2007ews Video
TAMPA - The Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, the Homeless Coalition, Humane Society and other nonprofit organizations won't take as big a hit as expected in this year's city budget cuts.
Mayor Pam Iorio on Tuesday proposed cutting city funding of the organizations by 10 to 20 percent, which should save the city about $467,000.
As a result of tax reform measures that are shrinking local government revenue, Iorio originally indicated she would yank all funding to nonprofits, which last year totalled nearly $3.4-million.

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/07/11/Hillsborough/Arts__zoo_spared_budg.shtml



Animals best high temperatures at Maryland Zoo
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - As area residents scramble to beat the heat with air conditioning, fans and bottled water, animals at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore are hardly breaking a sweat.
“Animals are a lot smarter than people when it comes to the heat,” zoo spokeswoman Lainie Contreras said. “With humans, we feel like no matter what the weather is, we want to be outside doing things. With animals, they just want to take it easy.”
Tuesday’s downpour offered the animals at the zoo a short reprieve from the mid-Atlantic’s recent blast of heat, but when temperatures spike, Contreras said, the animals stay cool the same way as many humans: by drinking plenty of water and staying in the shade.
If zookeepers find that an animal is getting too hot, they also have the option of moving the creature to cooler, indoor areas away from the public.

http://www.examiner.com/a-822680~Animals_best_high_temperatures_at_Maryland__Zoo.html



Roar of new sounds at Brookfield Zoo
Wednesday, July 11, 2007 12:56 AM CDT
BROOKFIELD, ILL. Brookfield Zoo will hum a new tune this weekend. Usually filled with the sounds of animals, the zoo will add music to the mix with a performance by Crash, a Dave Matthew Band tribute band.
Zoo Tunes, a series of outdoor concerts, begins this weekend and continues on Sundays through August. The concerts will be on the East Mall and are free with general admission.
More information about Crash, which performs at 3 p.m. Sunday, can be found at www.aboutcrash.com.
Following the Crash performance, U2Zoo will play at 5 p.m. Founded in 2003, U2Zoo is a four-piece concert-caliber band that imitates the experience of a real U2 concert. More information about this band can be found at www.u2zoo.com.
To wrap up the July Zoo Tunes, the Chicago Sinfonietta will take the stage at 4 p.m. July 29. The group will perform a mix of classical, light pop, and family favorites, including summertime selections from "Carmen” and music from “Lord of the Rings,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” "Star Trek" and “Apollo 13.” More information about the orchestra can be viewed at www.chicagosinfonietta.org.
Zoo Tunes continues in August. For updated information on Zoo Tunes’ scheduled entertainment, visit www.BrookfieldZoo.org.

http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/07/11/community/illinois/doce4cdf40a6d5575a78625731400554311.txt



Apples studded with nails found in Prague zoo gorilla enclosure
[11-07-2007] By Ian Willoughby
The gorillas at Prague Zoo were the focus of media attention around the world a couple of years ago, when they were constantly monitored on the internet, in a parody of reality TV shows like Big Brother. Today Prague Zoo's gorillas remain very popular with the Czech public. However, it seems not everyone likes them - on Tuesday apples studded with nails were found in their enclosure, and officials say the apes could have suffered serious injury.
Dangerous apples, photo: www.odhaleni.cz
On Tuesday morning zoo keeper Marek Zdansky was conducting a routine check of the run at the gorilla compound at Prague Zoo when he made an alarming discovery: five large red apples studded with steel nails. Luckily, the zoo's six gorillas - including Richard, "winner" of the Big Brother parody show - were inside at the time, because it was raining.
"I would put whoever left those apples here in a cage with Richard and let them sort it out between themselves," said Zdansky.

http://www.radio.cz/en/article/93269



Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals
Product Overview: “Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals,”* the biggest expansion pack to date for the hugely popular, award-winning “Zoo Tycoon 2,” lets gamers bring animals that once roamed the Earth back to life. With new challenges and more than 30 new animals, players can create environments the creatures once lived in and learn about times that date back to the Ice Age.
Features:
• Impressive never-before-seen animals. “Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals” features more than 30 new animals, ranging from the adorable dodo bird to the dangerous saber-toothed cat, and more than 10 new dinosaurs, such as the T. rex and stegosaurus, for the ultimate zoo experience.
• New gameplay. With exciting new ways to play, “Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals” challenges players to recover escaped dinosaurs, with the new first-person tranquilizer mode. Players can also search for hidden fossils around the zoo, build animal fossils and create new extinct animals in the Extinct Research Lab.

http://www.fragland.net/games.php?id=3781



E3: Microsoft's taking us to the zoo tomorrow
Wednesday 11-Jul-2007 10:53 AM Well, Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals actually, and in October - new screens inside
Zoo Tycoon 2 expansion Extinct Animals will let fans bring animals that once roamed the Earth back to life, so very Jurassic Park-ish it sounds.
So now, while managing your zoo, you'll be able to create these animals' native environments which you can populate with the likes of the dodo bird, the saber-toothed cat, T-Rex and stegosaurus. In total, over 30 new beasts are being introduced.
Microsoft elaborates, "With exciting new ways to play, Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals challenges players to recover escaped dinosaurs, with the new first-person tranquilizer mode. Players can also search for hidden fossils around the zoo, build animal fossils and create new extinct animals in the Extinct Research Lab."

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=167694


Zoo names new water park
Wednesday, July 11, 2007 7:21 PM
By SUZANNE HOHOLIK
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
The voting is over and the new name of the water park next to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium will be (drum roll) — Zoombezi Bay.
“This has gotten the most votes,” said Tom Heiby, a board member and chief executive at Clary Communications. “The public has spoken.”
Zoo officials bought the financially troubled Wyandot Lake water park last year from Six Flags for $2 million.
The public was invited to vote on the zoo's Web site for a new name.
Zoombezi Bay beat out other names in the running, including Kisawa Waves, Katoomba Lagoon, Kahuna Island and Tahiti Tides.
Jerry Borin, executive director of the zoo, said at least 3,000 people voted for Zoombezi Bay.

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/07/12/ZOO12.html



Zoo closing early for fundraiser
VIC CONDIOTTY / THE SEATTLE TIMES
The West Seattle Bridge spans Harbor Island and the Duwamish Waterway where it enters Elliott Bay.
Woodland Park Zoo will close early Friday for its annual Bank of America Jungle Party fundraiser.
Visitors can enter the zoo from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and gates will close at 4 p.m.
Closures and traffic advisories will be in effect:
• The north entrance off North 59th Street and Phinney Avenue North, and the main loop path from the Butterflies & Blooms exhibit to the north-entrance restrooms, will be closed all day.
• The north-entrance parking lot will close at noon. For those parking in the north parking lot, there will be no exit from the zoo grounds via the north entrance. Visitors may park at the north entrance but must move their vehicles to the west or south parking lots by noon.
• Visitors may enter the zoo through either the south entrance at North 50th Street and Fremont Avenue North or the west entrance at North 55th Street and Phinney Avenue North.
• The carousel will be closed all day.
Information: 206-684-4800 or www.zoo.org.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003785527_here12m.html




Protest planned at zoo Friday
By KATHY MULADY
P-I REPORTER
Members of Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants and the Northwest Animal Rights Network will distribute information and demonstrate outside the Woodland Park Zoo entrance during the annual Jungle Party fundraiser Friday.
The zoo closes to the public at 3 p.m. for its biggest fundraiser of the year, which raises over $1 million for animal care, conservation and education programs.
Last year, animal rights activists were required to stay on the sidewalk on the edge of the zoo grounds near the street. This year they will be allowed to distribute information on the sidewalk outside the North entrance at 4:30 p.m. as the fundraiser starts.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/323484_zoo13.html



Chattanooga Zoo Donation
The Kresge Foundation will give the facility a 250-thousand dollar grant.
Director Darde Long says those funds will go toward construction of "Zoo Debut" ... a new "front entrance complex" ...which will actually move the entrance to Holtzclaw Avenue...
It will include new ticketing areas ... a bus loop ... better access ... and an endangered species carousel. Long says it'll be a boon to the entire area... "What this will do is create an entrance that makes the zoo very visible and also allows people to come and find other entities in the park. Combined with the new softball expansion, we're going to have a very different Warner Park in the future."

http://www.wrcbtv.com/news/index.cfm?sid=9628



Animals/Pets
'Ulysses' the killer whale 'will never return to Barcelona zoo'
By:
thinkSPAIN
In response to a question raised by PP councillors at Barcelona Town Hall yesterday, it was confirmed that 'Ulysses' the killer whale, who was loaned by the council to Sea World in San Diego (USA) back in 1994, "will finally never return to Barcelona."
PP council representative, Alberto Fernández Díaz, proposed yesterday that the new marine zoo should have a whale park to complement the planned dolphinarium, and that 'Ulysses', who is now in her thirties and reaching the very end of her maximum expected life span, should be the star attraction.
The killer whale was initially loaned to the American facility on a four year contract, renewable every two years thereafter.
The only Spanish zoo with killer whales is in Tenerife, although Valencia are hoping to acquire one for the city's new zoo complex being built at the end of the River Turia gardens, in Mislata.

http://www.thinkspain.com/news-spain/13381



Airflights, the home of flights to Tenerife
Tenerife's killer zoo
Holidaymakers who want to see some one of the most impressive marine creatures while in Spain will have to head to Tenerife.
The Atlantic island's zoo is the only Spanish zoo to boast a killer whale after it was confirmed that Ulysses, the carnivorous sea mammal that used to be housed in the Barcelona zoo, would not come back from a loan stint in San Diego.
Visitors to the sunny island will find that a rental car gives them the liberty to travel when and where they want to, so they can visit the zoo or beaches or the national park.
The Teide volcano and crater were recently designated a World Heritage site by Unesco.

http://www.airflights.co.uk/news/category/438004654/story/18210236/default.aspx



S.F. Zoo tops 1 million visitors
San Francisco Business Times - July 12, 2007
The San Francisco Zoo reported the most annual visitors in 15 years, topping 1 million for the second time in three years.
The zoo, where fiscal years run July 1 to June 30, reported 1,093,099 visitors for the year just ended. That's the most visitors since the San Francisco Zoological Society took over management of the 100-acre zoo in 1993.
Back in 1984, when the zoo showed off two giant pandas on loan from China, 1.3 million people came through its gates.
Manuel Mollinedo, the zoo's executive director, said the zoo "made great strides" in attracting both locals and tourists.
Last month, the zoo opened Hearst Grizzly Gulch, the largest grizzly bear zoo exhibit in the United States. Two grizzlies that had been scheduled to be killed in 2004 were rescued by the zoo and the $3.7 million habitat was built for them.
The zoo also opened a walk-in aviary of 500 Australian birds this summer.

http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2007/07/09/daily38.html?jst=b_ln_hl



Young hippo dies at zoo
DUSTY RICKETTS
Thursday July 12th, 2007
GULF BREEZE — Niles, The Zoo of Northwest Florida’s Christmas baby hippo, has been killed.
The one-and-a-half-year-old hippopotamus was born Christmas Day 2005.
It died Saturday after suffering a massive wound to its side that shattered its ribs and punctured a lung. The wound was caused by one of its parents, but Zoo officials do not know for sure which one killed the calf.
“We’re all very sad. We’ve lost an animal that we watched grow up,” said Tom Realing, the zookeeper who cared for Niles since the hippo’s birth. “It’s a pretty shocking time here.”
Realing and another zookeeper noticed the hippos acting differently when they arrived at The Zoo on Saturday morning. Realing said it appeared Niles was ill when they first spotted it. It wasn’t until the young hippo swam over on its side that the zookeepers noticed the large injury.

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/article/7105



Spot a fossa at the Dallas Zoo
12:00 AM CDT on Friday, July 13, 2007
Nancy Moore
SPOTLIGHTWhat in the world is a fossa? With a face that looks like a mongoose and a hyena combined, and with the color and physique similar to a puma, it's a critter that almost defies description. The fossa's scientific name is as complicated as a season of Lost – even the scientists have changed their minds several times. It's easiest to describe it as a carnivorous cousin of the mongoose. Fossas are native to Madagascar, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, and they like to eat another Madagascar mammal, the lemur. The Dallas Zoo has both a fossa enclosure and a lemur exhibit, but thankfully they're a good distance away from each other. Dollar Day, this Tuesday, is a wallet-friendly time to check out the fossa and the hundreds of other species at the zoo.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/DN-gowild_0713gui.ART.State.Edition1.438d140.html



High-low pals treat zoo patrons
CLOVIS, N.M. (July 12, 2007) - What's a little height between friends especially when this Odd Couple is captivating visitors to the Hillcrest Zoo in Clovis?
Moses, an African pygmy goat, and Jael the giraffe have become fast friends since zookeepers introduced them last month.
The zoo said Jael, pronounced J-L, had been lonely living by herself for the past five years. Now she and Moses are like peas in a pod.
"Anything he drops she is picking up," zookeeper Lisa fox said. "It's just one of those weird odd couple relationships for them; it just really does work.
"One goes in one direction in the pen, and the other has to follow."
The zoo says it's trying to raise money to bring in a male giraffe for 15-foot-tall Jael. For now, though, knee-high Moses is the boss of the pen.

http://www.krqe.com/Global/story.asp?S=6784000



Minnesota Zoo attendance tops 1 million for the year
Associated Press - July 13, 2007 12:34 PM ET
APPLE VALLEY, Minn. (AP) - The Minnesota Zoo has topped the one million attendance mark for the fiscal year for the first time in five years.
Zoo Director and Chief Executive Officer Lee Ehmke said more than one million people went through the turnstiles for the year ended June 30th -- that's up by more than 38,000 visits over the previous year.
The zoo expects its 30 millionth visitor sometime this summer.
Ehmke credited the attendance jump to interest in recent upgrades to zoo attractions, including the refurbished Minnesota Trail that opened Saturday and a new exhibit called "Russia's Grizzly Coast" currently under construction.

http://wkbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=6785781



Philadelphia Zoo Celebrates Puppy Days of Summer
Zoogoers can see Praire Dog Pups and Help Name Otter Pups
Philadelphia - July 13, 2007 - Zoogoers can enjoy Puppy Days of Summer with the Zoo's giant river otter pups and prairie dog pups! Weekend activities include Prairie Dog Pup Talks, Ottermania - interpretive stations, "otts & crafts", games, otter feedings and lots of "otterfacts" about these amazing carnivores.
Visitors to the Zoo's website (www.philadelphiazoo.org) can help name the latest additions of the giant river otter family: a boy pup and a girl pup! The pups were born on November 26, 2006 at the Zoo. The Philadelphia Zoo is one of only two zoos in North America to exhibit this endangered species and the only North American Zoo with successful births. The pups live with their parents, Nina and Banjo (BAN-yo), and older siblings Primero, Kara, Magnus, and Dante in their 13,600-gallon habitat in Carnivore Kingdom.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=animals_oddities&id=5477503



Zoo wins welfare excellence award
Chester Zoo is to receive a prestigious animal welfare award for the work it has done with its mandrills.
A team from the Cheshire zoo and Durham University carried out a study on the behaviour of the vulnerable monkeys.
They found planting a barrier of small shrubs between the mandrills' enclosure and the visitors' viewing area reduced their stress levels by 54%.
They are to get the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) Wild Animal Welfare Award.
It will be presented by TV vet Steve Leonard.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/6897760.stm



PETA Blasts Fort Worth Zoo for New Money Partnership With Ringling
July 13, 2007
RaeLeann Smith 757-622-7382
Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas -- This morning, PETA fired off a letter to Fort Worth Zoo Director Michael Fouraker urging him to immediately sever all ties with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The zoo has partnered with Ringling--which has a long history of failing to comply with the minimum standards of the federal Animal Welfare Act--on a fundraising event. PETA points out that forward-thinking zoos long ago rejected affiliations with the circus. Animal circuses are notorious for separating baby elephants from their mothers in the wild, beating elephants with metal bullhooks, and shackling and confining bears and other animals to cramped transport cages and boxcars--practices conducted every day by Ringling.

http://www.peta.org/mc/NewsItem.asp?id=10020

Dated:

50,000 at Croc Hunter service
Mike Tait - Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Hundreds of surfers held hands in a circle and cast wildflowers into the Pacific Ocean off the Sunshine Coast, Australia yesterday. The ceremony was one of the services to mark the funeral of TV personaltiy Steve Irwin
More than 50,000 fans of crocodile hunter Steve Irwin will be able to pay their respects at a funeral next week.
The public event is likely to held in a 52,000-seat stadium in Brisbane on Tuesday or Wednesday next week.
It follows a private ceremony at the weekend when family and friends of the TV documentary-maker said their farewells at a private gathering around a campfire in Australia.
The funeral was held at Australia Zoo, the wildlife park Irwin turned into a tourist attraction in Queensland.
Irwin's father, Bob, said most of the service was spent talking about the star, who died when he was speared through the heart by a stingray while diving off Queensland last week.
He said: 'Because Steve loved the bush and yarning around the campfire so much, the service was held just like he would have wanted, with everyone telling their favourite stories.'
However, the star's American wife, Terri, and their children are expected to attend the public ceremony.

http://www.metro.co.uk/home/article.html?in_article_id=19581&in_page_id=1&ct=5&ct=5



'Crocodile Hunter' to be Buried in Family Zoo
Published: 9/11/06 at 9:41 AM
Written By: Graham Silnicki
Steve Irwin, known to wildlife lovers as The Crocodile Hunter, was given a private funeral service on Saturday.
According to Reuters, Hunter will be laid to rest at his family's Australia Zoo, located in Queensland.
The Australian government had offered to give Irwin a state funeral, but his father, Bob Irwin, declined.
Later this month, a public memorial service will be held for Irwin. Thousands are expected to attend and pay tribute to his memory.
Irwin died 6 days ago at the age of 44 after being struck in the chest by a stingray barb. He was diving on Australia's Great Barrier Reef while filming a documentary.

http://www.andpop.com/article/6990



Rush expected for Irwin memorial tickets
September 13, 2006 - 11:49AM
AdvertisementAdvertisement
Thousands of people are expected to camp out at booking outlets on Thursday night for tickets to the memorial service for Australia's Crocodile Hunter.
The life of Steve Irwin will be honoured at a special public memorial service next Wednesday at the family's Sunshine Coast animal park, Australia Zoo.
The memorial will be held at the park's Crocoseum, which was built by Mr Irwin and holds a capacity of 5,500.
Three thousand tickets - a maximum of four per person - will be released to the public at no charge from 9am (AEST) on Friday at Australia Zoo's box office and Ticketek outlets at Maroochydore and Brisbane.
A police spokeswoman said officers were working on a plan of action to deal with the crowds of people who were expected to queue for tickets.
Mr Irwin's manager and close friend John Stainton said the service would involve guests sharing their memories of Mr Irwin, with John Williamson to perform the Crocodile Hunter's favourite song, True Blue.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Irwin-memorial-service-planned-for-Zoo/2006/09/13/1157826992463.html



Charges Possible In Death Of Tiger At Tampa Zoo
Former zookeeper could faces charges
(AP) TAMPA The state attorney's office will decide whether a former zookeeper will be charged for letting a tiger escape an enclosure at Lowry Park Zoo.
The office has received a report and recommendation from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission that a misdemeanor charge be filed against the former handler -- who has not been identified.
Enshala, a 200-pound Sumatran tiger, escaped from her night enclosure and was trying to scale a seven-foot wall when she was killed with a shotgun by the zoo's president.
Before it was shot, the tiger roamed an exhibit as zoo officials moved visitors into secure buildings.

http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_255101858.html



Giambra Backs Funding for Zoo Rain Forest
Mark Leitner
Zoo President Donna Fernandes
BUFFALO (2006-09-12) Erie County Executive Joel Giambra is asking the Legislature to help fund
the Buffalo Zoo's planned Rain Forest Exhibit.
Giambra is including $4-million for the project in the county's 2006 capital budget.
With a price tag of many millions of dollars and construction costs escalating,
the County Executive and Zoo President Donna Fernandes contend delays would
be costly and could jeopardize the project. That's why the County Executive
is filing a resolution today, asking lawmakers to allocate $4 million from
the County's current Capital budget and apply that money toward construction.
The $4 million would match the $4 million private donation from M & T Chair
Robert Wilmers.
The Zoo is also slated to receive an $8 million dollar Empire State Development grant.

http://publicbroadcasting.net/wned/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=966531&sectionID=1



Council OKs clinic at zoo
By James Carlson
The Capital-Journal
The Topeka City Council voted 7-0 on Tuesday night to approve a new animal health clinic for the city zoo, a project that zoo director Mike Coker called "vitally important" hours before the meeting.
"It would certainly be a challenge to meet our growing needs with the existing facilities we have," he said.
Council members Brett Blackburn and Lana Kennedy were absent from Tuesday's meeting.
The current clinic is about 30 years old and at its maximum operating capacity, Coker said.
Tuesday's approval paves the way for a $587,500 building project that will create a minimum of 2,400 square feet to accommodate veterinary care medicine, surgical needs and treatment of zoo animals.

http://cjonline.com/stories/091306/loc_zooclinic.shtml

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