It's that time of year. When friends drop by and priorities shift. The blog tonight will finish the week's business.

And time for Holiday films.


First Look: Bill Maher’s Religulous (click here)

Bill Maher and Larry Charles before showing off about 20 minutes from their new film, "Religuous" on Sunday. Photo by Eugene Hernandez/indieWIRE

Which will include the "Wars of the World." It was stated in the newsprint that Bush failed to recognize Musharraf's faults. I sincerely don't believe that is the case, Bush didn't care at the time he railroaded the USA into Iraq how he got there or that Musharraf was a coup leader. He didn't bother to stop to handle the move into Afghanistan sufficiently while recognizing the snake pit in Pakistan. He knew at the onset of the invasion into Afghanistan that he and Cheney would abandon Afghanistan and move into Iraq.

Bush failed by 'reasonable standards,' and only in the eyes of those that are reasonable. He is incompetent in that failure, but, anyone who wants to see 'the truth' knows Musharraf was bought off while the Bush/Cheney White House regrouped to invade Iraq.

So, I'll finish up tonight with all the issues I care to address and pursue a topic tomorrow evening at 9:30 PM rather than 8:30 which is the standard. The holidays tend to cause a scheduling issue for the blog, but, will be completely committed to the 2008 Presidential Campaign right after January 1st. We can't have another Republican Administration in DC. It will lead to a World War and that is completely unacceptable. I personally feel horrible to realize Russia is pulling up the welcome mat and become protectionist in the face of an incompetent Neocon President that speaks the works World War 3 as if it's simply a sequale to World War II. Bush is an idiot and Cheney the puppeteer.

...later...

Cyclone rips through villages, killing 1100

Tropical Cyclone Sidr was continuing its northward progress over the Bay of Bengal on November 14, 2007. It was moving north toward the Mouths of the Ganges at a speed of 13 kilometers per hour (8 miles per hour), and winds in the storm system were raging at 220 km/hr (140 mph) near the storm’s center, making it a Category 4 strength tropical cyclone.


These are Human Induced Global Warming deaths. I'll explain why I see it that way. The beginning of the storm was somewhat normal in that it began as a Tropical Storm, however, within a very short period of time, it EXPLODED into a Cat 3 Cyclone. The duration of those winds lasted 72 hours and completely abated in a matter of a few hours. That is not only strange, but, extremely dangerous and very telling of the intense heat of the Indian Ocean Waters. Part of providing safety to citizens of any country is to be able to predict the paths of storms as powerful as SIDR. That was not possible in this case and only goes to prove how completely unpredictable poor climate habits by countries such as the USA have caused not only biotic damage, but, deaths.


There was another high velocity cylcone in the region early in the season, it was named Cyclone-5 GONU and because it achieved Cat 5 (click here) it was considered a Super Cyclone. This storm was very, very different from that of SIDR. I had a more predictable acceleration, people were prepared and although there was considerable disruption by the storm, deaths were kept to a minimum. One might note, that in the aftermath of Gonu, it was Iran's relief efforts that brought the people of the region the greatest comfort.

It is also very unusual to have these high velocity storms in the Indian Ocean. In the year 2006 there was one Cat 4 storm, in 2001 there was a Cat 4 storm and both occurred at the beginning of the season. In the year 2002 there were only mild Tropical Storms and in the remaining years from 2000 - 2007 there were Tropicals storms and perhaps one mild Cat 1 storm. Never before has there been this high volitility in the Indian Ocean with such unexpected and poor outcomes. This is a Human Induced Warming storm, from superheated ocean waters and troposphere.

Bangladesh death toll could rise after cyclone (click here)
Updated Fri. Nov. 16 2007 10:09 PM ET
CTV.ca News
At least 1,100 people have reportedly been killed by a powerful cyclone that has pummelled Bangladesh.
Friday, aid workers desparately struggled to help hundreds of thousands of survivors of Tropical Cyclone Sidr. More than 600,000 people have been left homeless by the storm, the worst storm in a decade. Millions more are without power....

Date: 11-16 NOV 2007
Cyclone-4 SIDR
ADV LAT LON TIME WIND PR STAT
1 10.00 92.30 11/11/06Z 35 - TROPICAL STORM
2 10.40 91.40 11/11/18Z 45 - TROPICAL STORM
3 10.80 90.40 11/12/06Z 55 - TROPICAL STORM
4 11.60 90.00 11/12/18Z 105 - CYCLONE-3
4A 11.60 90.00 11/12/18Z 105 - CYCLONE-3
5 12.50 89.80 11/13/06Z 115 - CYCLONE-4
6 13.70 89.50 11/13/18Z 115 - CYCLONE-4
7 14.30 89.60 11/14/00Z 115 - CYCLONE-4
8 15.00 89.40 11/14/06Z 120 - CYCLONE-4
9 15.70 89.30 11/14/12Z 130 - CYCLONE-4
10 16.60 89.30 11/14/18Z 130 - CYCLONE-4
10A 16.60 89.30 11/14/18Z 130 - CYCLONE-4
11 17.80 89.20 11/15/00Z 130 - CYCLONE-4
12 19.30 89.30 11/15/06Z 135 - CYCLONE-4
13 20.90 89.50 11/15/12Z 130 - CYCLONE-4
14 22.80 90.30 11/15/18Z 105 - CYCLONE-3
15 25.00 91.90 11/16/00Z 60 - TROPICAL STORM
+12 26.90 93.10 11/16/12Z 20 - TROPICAL DEPRESSION





November 18, 2007
MORE than 1100 people have been killed by a powerful cyclone that has pounded impoverished Bangladesh with huge waves, severe winds and torrential rains. Hundreds of people are missing.
Cyclone Sidr, described as the worst storm to hit the disaster-prone country in years, crashed into the south-western coast yesterday before sweeping north over the capital, Dhaka.
The UNB news agency, quoting unofficial local sources, said more than 1100 lives were lost and more than 300 people were missing.
Government official Kazi Mokhlechur Rahman, of the Home Ministry control room, put the confirmed death toll at 612 and climbing, with 192 people unaccounted for.
Wind speeds of between 220 and 240kmh were recorded as the storm - visible from space as a swirling white mass that moved north from the Bay of Bengal - left a trail of devastation in poor rural areas....

World's largest mangrove forest in Bangladesh bears brunt of cyclone Sidr (click here)
www.chinaview.cn


2007-11-17 14:37:20
DHAKA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Environmentalists and bio-diversity experts of Bangladesh fear the World's largest mangrove forest Sundarbans in southern Bangladesh and its wildlife, including 450 Royal Bengal tiger, suffered colossal damage in cyclone Sidr.
The terrible tropical storm code-named sidr which lashed Bangladesh's south and southwestern regions Thursday evening, hit the eastern part of the forest with a speed of up to 220 kmph and seven feet high tidal surge.
Dr. Aiun Nishat, country representative of International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), told Xinhua Saturday that much of the wildlife of the world natural heritage site might have been washed away by tidal waves.
He said the damage done to the forest by Sidr might be much worse than that of in 1988, which uprooted thousands of trees and caused deaths of hundreds of deer and nine tigers when a six feet high tidal wave with wind speed of 160 kmph lashed the forest....

Virgin America makes a dramatic entrance into Las Vegas

Sir Richard Branson gives new minor celebrity Kyla Ebbert a lift in San Francisco on the way to Las Vegas. Chronicle photo by Kurt Rogers

We got caught up with racy entertainer Carmen Electra on Wednesday, along with business mogul Sir Richard Branson and Kyla Ebbert, the San Diego waitress who found recent fame after her attire was deemed inappropriate by Southwest Airlines officials during one of their flights.
What brought this unlikely trio together?
They were all gathered at Gate A-11 of San Francisco International Airport's international terminal, celebrating the first of Virgin America's three daily flights between San Francisco and Las Vegas - from "Fog City to Sin City," according to the marketing people. While Branson and Electra were there to inform and entertain, Ebbert was there as a direct dig at Virgin's archrival Southwest....

For Alzheimer's kin, tangled emotions

ZACK SECKLER / Associated Press
Former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and her husband, John, in 2004. He has begun a romance with a fellow Alzheimer's patient, said his family, which says it is happy he is doing well.

Morning Papers - continued...

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

'Sound insulating tunnel' soars around zoo

Construction of a "sound insulating tunnel" on an elevated freeway near the Beijing Zoo was completed on Sunday. The tunnel will prevent animals in the zoo from being disturbed by traffic noise emanating from the nearby freeway.

The dome of the sound-proof wall stretches for nearly one kilometer. This section of the freeway is the first road of its kind in Beijing. The dome design uses closed sound insulating material so that people and animals located outside the tunnel can't hear the sound generated by moving vehicles inside.

The 1.8 km elevated freeway is expected to alleviate traffic pressure in Xizhimen, a major hub of communications in the northwest city environs. This stretch of the road is expected to open to traffic by the year's end.

Open-air habitats accommodating monkeys and bears in the zoo have been relocated to make room for the freeway.

(China.org.cn November 12, 2007)

Werribee zoo wins hippo award

Heavenly gardens: the Australian garden at Cranbourne was a winner at the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects' awards.

Photo: Peter Hyatt

Denise Gadd

November 17, 2007
A JOURNEY through Australia's diverse flora and a high-tech waterhole for hippos have won major prizes in the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects' awards.
The first stage of the Australian garden at Cranbourne, an adjunct to Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens, has won the Victorian award for landscape architecture.
The 11-hectare garden, the work of landscape architects Taylor Cullity Lethlean and designer Paul Thompson, opened in May last year and is a treasury of local and indigenous plants. A highlight is the sand garden, an expanse of red sand contrasting dramatically with grey foliage.
For gardens director Philip Moors, the most rewarding factor has been creating a new public garden in Victoria. The last time that happened was in 1873 under the stewardship of Sir William Guilfoyle, the second director of the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Guilfoyle would find Cranbourne's contemporary design a challenge, Dr Moors said, but he believed he would see the skill and creativity in its 21st century landscape. The judges agreed, highlighting the "powerful design strategies that amplify the quintessential nature of Australian landscapes".
The garden also won an excellence award in the Design in Landscape Architecture category. A section of the garden designed by Site Office, incorporating clusters of native cultivars defined by sand-filled geotextiles, was awarded a Merit in Design award.
Excellence in Land Management went to the Kubu River hippopotamus exhibit at the Werribee Open Range Zoo, designed by Urban Initiatives. The judges praised the project for the way it cares for its "constituents", the Kubu River hippos, but also engages with visitors.
A commendation has gone to Land Design Partnership for the 21st century garden at the Geelong Botanic Gardens. Judges said the design linked the historic garden with the nearby waterfront using a leaf motif and indigenous plantings.
Other winners at last night's presentation included Rush Wright Associates for the Shrine of Remembrance landscape management plan and Maddern Square in Footscray.

The kids are growing up

Mogo Zoo on the NSW southern coast of Australia, is the first zoo in the world to have a lion give birth to five male white lion cubs.
The cubs holed up with parent lions Tim and Snow since their birth on Febuary 7th - until this week. Mogo Zoo owner Shelley Padey announced the litter of cubs on November 7th, after wanting to keep the little "gangsters" (as the zoo calls them) a secret until they were a little older.
"We didn't release it because we wanted to make sure everything went well with the pride," Padey said. "They're little gangsters...they work as a little troop. They're real little characters - it's beyond words how lucky I am."
The Mogo Zoo specializes in endangered species. White lions have a lifespan of just up to 15 years in the wild, but live up to 24 years in captivity.

Zoos

Oregon Zoo does Sea Lion surgery

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1305090370


WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES
Volunteers erect zoo playground in one day
By CHRISTOPHER QUINN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/16/07
When the volunteers rolled in, there was empty ground and piles of lumber, plastic and steel.
By the end of the day, there was a 3,000-square-foot, $104,000 playground.
More than 300 volunteers from Home Depot, Zoo Atlanta and the Grant Park community showed up at Zoo Atlanta on Thursday for a one-day playground miracle.
It is part of a $25 million program by Home Depot and KaBoom, a national nonprofit, to build 1,000 community playgrounds in 1,000 days across the United States.
At the zoo, workers had removed aged equipment from a worn-out playground. Using pictures drawn by kids visiting the zoo of what a new playground should look like, KaBoom teams produced a design.
KaBoom coordinators lined up delivery of the materials and, starting at 9 a.m., volunteers unpacked, set up and screwed and hammered parts together. By 2:30 p.m., they were working out the last details.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/living/stories/2007/11/15/PlayNotes_1116.html



Pittsburgh Zoo responds to PETA demands for investigation
By The Tribune-Review
Thursday, November 15, 2007
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG aquarium responded this morning to an animal rights group's request Wednesday for an immediate federal investigation of the Nov. 9 incident in which polar bears at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium attacked a young white-tailed deer that jumped into the polar bear exhibit's pool. Zoo staff eventually separated the buck from the bears, but the deer was later euthanized because of its injuries.
Pittsburgh Zoo officials say they are not aware of the investigation requested by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which wants the U.S. Department of Agriculture to determine whether the zoo is violating the Animal Welfare Act.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_538136.html



What's the zoo to us? $125M
BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE AND JESSICA BROWN
ACOOLIDGE@ENQUIRER.COM AND JLBROWN@ENQUIRER.COM
Four months before appealing to voters for renewal of its tax levy, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Thursday released an economic impact study showing it pumped nearly $125 million into the local economy.
That’s almost as much as the area’s 18 fine arts organizations combined (in 2005) and about 3½ times more than the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, according to previous studies by the same group.
“That’s pretty substantial,” said George Vredeveld, director of the University of Cincinnati department that conducted the study.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071115/NEWS01/311150057



Zoo staff devastated by loss of giraffe
Friday, 16 November 2007, 10:08 am
Press Release: Wellington Zoo
NEWS RELEASE
16 November 2007
Zoo staff devastated by loss of giraffe
Wellington Zoo’s male giraffe, Ricky, died yesterday afternoon from unknown causes.
The Zoo’s General Manager Operations, Mauritz Basson, said the 20-year-old giraffe died just over a week after being moved, along with two other giraffes, into a new and bigger enclosure.
Mr Basson said Zoo staff “are all devastated at this loss, as we know Zoo visitors will be, as Ricky was very popular”.
S“Ricky’s keepers noticed that he wasn’t interested in his food on Wednesday, and he was constantly monitored until 10pm when he was given his last dose of medication for the day.
“Yesterday morning he seemed to have perked up a bit and he was still under constant monitoring but as the day went on his condition deteriorated. We managed to get him standing – but he died as we were administering treatment.
Mr Basson says staff have conducted a post-mortem and are waiting for the results to determine the exact cause of death.
“We don’t believe Ricky’s death was connected to last week’s move, early indications show that he died from old age or cardio-vascular failure, but we won’t know for certain until we receive the histopathology results. Our two other giraffes, Zahara and Tisa, are doing fine.”
Ricky was born at Taronga Zoo in Sydney and has been at Wellington Zoo since 1988.
ends

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0711/S00152.htm



Be Safe At The Zoo

http://www.funnyjunk.com/funny_pictures/4669/Be+Safe+At+The+Zoo/



Bambi Barriers at a zoo near you?
By Eric Heyl
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, November 16, 2007
Spare no expense. Erect a Berlin Wall-style barricade around the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium.
Otherwise, the eminently preventable tragedy that occurred there last week might well be repeated.
The zoo deals with animals all the time. That is a large part of what makes the Highland Park wildlife haven a zoo.
So you would think precautions already would have been in place to prevent a wild deer from sneaking onto the premises, leaping 20 feet into the polar bear tank, head-butting and engaging in other antisocial activity with two polar bears, gradually realizing that a deer's natural habitat is not a pool of polar bear water, going into shock and having to be euthanized.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/heyl/s_538230.html



Seeking sanctuary for orangutans at the zoo (video)
By LANA BERKOWITZ
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
Move over, sharks, penguins and meerkats, it's showtime for the great apes of Asia.
And the endangered orangutans deserve the attention, according to Lynn Killam, Houston Zoo primate supervisor.
Animal Planet's new Friday night series, Orangutan Island, focuses on 35 orphans given a second chance on an island sanctuary in Borneo.
Killam says the series, which spotlights the animals' personalities and struggles, complements conservationists' efforts to build concern for orangutans.
"It's important for people to understand how endangered they are," Killam said. " 'No tree, no me' is true of orangutans."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/features/5305731.html



Princess Aiko visits Tama Zoo on kindergarten trip
Princess Aiko took a trip to Tama Zoological Park in western Tokyo on Friday with her kindergarten classmates on an excursion.
The 5-year-old Princess, the daughter of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, parted with her mother at the gate of the zoo in Hino shortly after 10 a.m. and was led inside by a Gakushuin Kindergarten teacher.
During the trip, Princess Aiko looked at roaming lions from a bus and visited a part of the zoo where giraffes and zebras were kept, enjoying contact with the animals.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/national/news/20071116p2a00m0na031000c.html



Denver Zoo Lights

http://www.denverzoo.org/zoolights/index.asp



Friday, November 16, 2007
Zoo to ask voters for $36M levy
OK would give it $1M more per year
Business Courier of Cincinnati - by Dan Monk Senior Staff Reporter
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is preparing to ask voters next March for a new five-year tax levy that would raise $36 million for operating expenses.
That's about $1 million per year more than the zoo now gets from Hamilton County taxpayers. And it's about $4 million more than its levy contract with the county says it is permitted to seek from voters, said Tim Molony, chairman of the county tax levy review committee.
The nine-member advisory panel - civic volunteers who scrutinize levy requests on the county's behalf - is urging county commissioners to place the measure on the ballot next spring. Commissioners are scheduled to discuss the matter Nov. 26.
"It's a pretty nice asset the city has," Molony said of the zoo. "They're under new leadership. They seem to have great plans for the future."

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/11/19/story1.html



Zoo touts economic impact
Touts study showing it generates $125M a year
BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE
ACOOLIDGE@ENQUIRER.COM AND JESSICA BROWN
Four months before voters will decide on a levy, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Thursday released an economic-impact study showing that it pumped almost $125 million into the economy during 2006.
That's almost as much as the area's 18 fine-arts organizations combined (in 2005) and about 3½ times more than the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, according to previous studies by the same group.
"That's pretty substantial," said George Vredeveld, director of the University of Cincinnati department that conducted the study.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/NEWS01/711160441/1077/COL02




Louvre Atlanta continues this fall with The Louvre and the Ancient World. Showcasing more than 130 treasured Egyptian, Near Eastern, and Greco-Roman antiquities from the Louvre, the exhibition examines the growth of these collections under Napoleon, the discoveries and decipherment of hieroglyphics and cuneiform, and the Louvre's leading role in excavating the cradle of civilization at the end of the 19th century and during the 20th century.

A special installation highlights the colossal, ten-foot-long Tiber—one of the largest sculptures in the Louvre's collections. The Eye of Josephine, opening concurrently, reassembles more than 60 Greco-Roman and Egyptian antiquities that were installed by the Empress Josephine at Malmaison, her residence located on the outskirts of Paris.

http://www.louvreatlanta.org/en/home/Home.html



Golf carts stolen from zoo
By Paul Crocetti/Daily News staff
GHS
Fri Nov 16, 2007, 10:00 AM EST
MENDON -
Police are still on the lookout for a runaway golf cart after two of the vehicles were stolen from Southwick's Zoo Wednesday.
Uxbridge Police found one of the carts on Chapin Court shortly after the theft was reported at 6:39 a.m., according to reports.
The other vehicle is a late 1990s, green Yamaha model with an aluminum dump attached, with an estimated worth of between $3,000 and $4,000, said Police Chief Ernest Horn.
"It's very unique," he said. "It looks like a mini dump truck."

http://www.milforddailynews.com/homepage/x1737676294



Quick Lion Cub Update
Posted at 10:49 am November 16, 2007 by Marcia Redding
Today was a special occasion - the seven (yes, all seven!) lion cubs were briefly handled for the first time (see Marcia’s previous blog, Baby Boom at Lion Camp!!). Both moms, Oshana and Mina, were given a yummy treat in the rooms next to their maternity dens while the cubs were quickly and quietly checked out. Oddly, Oshana was more relaxed about this than Mina, which is exactly opposite of their last litters. This time, Mina was the one that anxiously inspected her three when reunited with them; Oshana was pretty relaxed about the whole thing.
We are proud to announce that Oshana has two males and two females; Mina has one male and two females. An excellent ratio! Now that we know the sexes, we have to start thinking about names! What a happy task!

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/quick-lion-cub-update/



Thanksgiving Weekend Traffic Advisory
EXPECT HEAVY TRAFFIC IN HERMANN PARK OVER THANKSGIVINGWEEKEND
Hermann Park and the Houston Zoo are popular weekend recreation destinations any time of year.
Hermann Park and the Houston Zoo are popular recreation destinations any time of year. However, we expect Hermann Park will welcome a large number of visitors on the Friday after Thanksgiving, one of 5 free days observed at the Zoo.

With limited parking spaces available in the Park, holiday visitors can expect traffic congestion in the area.

When traffic reaches a saturation point in Hermann Park, Houston Police Department traffic control officers are instructed to make Golf Course Drive, the main thoroughfare through the Park one way from Montrose Blvd. to the North MacGregor exit of the Park.

There are workable alternatives to driving the family car to the Park during peak traffic times. Carpooling or riding the METRO bus system or METRORail are proven ways to beat potential traffic problems.

http://www.houstonzoo.org/en/cms/?4560



Recycle Rummage Sale
By Jaime Wilson, Green Team Member
It's our favorite time of year -- Rummage Sale!!! Members of our Green Team just spent the last five hours unloading all sorts of preloved treasures that are now looking for a new home. The hardest part is keeping our focus on sorting, organizing and pricing...instead of shopping. We are successful most of the time.
Tomorrow morning at 10am we open our doors to the public. Everything is set up in Kampala, our conference room by the Kampala Cafe. Saturday, November 17 and Sunday, November 18 we will be open from 10am to 4pm, so come on out and get a few great bargins.
Here is a quick list of stuff we have: books, Precious Moments, Treasured Teddies, Beanie Babies, Christmas dishes, plush animals and Disney characters, golf clubs, jewelry, wine glasses, Tupperware dishes, Christmas ornaments and lots more!

http://sacramentozoo.blogspot.com/2007/11/recycle-rummage-sale.html



SALISBURY — Second jaguar in three years dies at Salisbury Zoo
By Greg Latshaw
Staff Writer
SALISBURY — A male jaguar at the Salisbury Zoo was found dead in his cage Thursday with an apparent ruptured spleen.
The death of the 13-year-old animal shocked zoo officials. The jaguar behaved normally, ate regularly and exhibited no symptoms of any illness, according to a zoo announcement.
“It’s a comparable feeling to coming home today to find the family pet, who had been doing OK, dead,” Public Works Director James Caldwell said.
The Maryland State Animal Health Lab performed a preliminary necropsy, and final results will likely be released next week, Caldwell said.

http://www.dailytimesonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/NEWS01/71116032/1002



Late Denver Zoo chief's wit, dedication hailed
By Tom McGhee
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 11/16/2007 05:24:36 PM MST
Denver Zoo president and chief executive Clayton Freiheit, 69, who died Oct. 28, will be remembered for a self-confidence that bordered on arrogance, a sharp wit, a love of animals and a willingness to mentor colleagues, said Craig Piper, the Denver Zoo's executive vice president, at a memorial service for Freiheit today.
Before he died of cancer, Freiheit, who headed the zoo for 37 years, agreed that a memorial service after his death would be appropriate, Piper said. But the man who loved to "hold court" in a bar or pub would want remarks to be brief, no fanfare and nothing maudlin, Piper said.
Freiheit's colleagues and friends delivered a service leavened with humorous anecdotes and mostly dry-eyed tributes.

http://origin.denverpost.com/lacrosse/ci_7484146



GF&P retrieves orphaned mountain lion kittens
Female was the third lion killed with cubs in the vicinity
By Ryan Woodard, Journal staff Saturday, November 17, 2007
18 comment(s) Normal Size Increase font Size
A South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks crew retrieved three mountain lion kittens Friday morning that were deemed unable to survive on their own after their mother was killed Thursday in the mountain-lion hunting season.
"We went out early this morning and worked as quickly as possible to recover them," GF&P regional wildlife supervisor John Kanta said Friday afternoon.
Kanta, trapper Jack Alexander and two GF&P biologists left at 6:30 a.m. Friday to find the kittens, which they located in a den in a steep rock crevice about a mile and a half from where the mother was killed.

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2007/11/17/news/top/doc473e16984cc94170299835.txt



Animal welfare groups pan two Alberta zoos
Wildlife officials reviewing reports of rule violations
Deborah Tetley, Calgary Herald
Published: Thursday, November 08, 2007
The province is reviewing scathing reports by animal welfare groups that call two central Alberta roadside attractions the "bottom of the barrel" for zoos in the country.
Fish and Wildlife officers are looking into allegations of filthy drinking water, rotting carcasses in cages and animals going "insane" from boredom, levelled at Discovery Wildlife Park near Innisfail, and at Guzoo Animal Farm near Three Hills.
"The reports are already being sent out to our field staff, who will go through the allegations and respond where needed," said Darcy Whiteside, a spokesman for Alberta Sustainable Resources.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=0600767f-346d-48b0-b8be-caa38b701186&k=32287



Hop til you drop with a green gift to save amphibian species
(Pass this along, please...) It’s a simple idea: Make this a “hop til you drop” holiday shopping season, and set aside a small portion of your spending for a green gift to save frogs and other amphibians that, otherwise, are hopping toward the most significant mass extinction since the dinosaurs. Last month, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) reported that:
“Species are becoming extinct a hundred times faster than the rate shown in the fossil record. Of the major vertebrate groups that have been assessed comprehensively, over 30 percent of amphibians, 23 percent of mammals and 12 percent of birds are threatened.”
The good news is, there is a logical, relatively simple plan to avert the amphibian extinction crisis. It’s called Amphibian Ark. More about that in a second.

http://frogmatters.wordpress.com/2007/11/12/hop-til-you-drop-with-a-green-gift-to-save-amphibian-species/



A hop away from extinction
BANGALORE: They are not exactly cutie-pies. Being slimy and warty, frogs may not feature in your list of favourite animals. But you’ve got to admit you would miss their rrribbids if they fell silent on a rainy night. And, tellingly, they are an indicator of the health of the local environment.
According to research by the World Conservation Union (IUCN), nearly half of the Earth’s 6,000 amphibians, including frogs, are in danger of extinction. Destruction of habitat, trade and over-collection are just some of the factors that are threatening the frogs along with a another unstoppable killer, amphibian chytrid, a fungal disease that has the capacity to catalyse what could be the largest mass extinction since dinosaurs disappeared, according to IUCN.
To save the frog from this fate, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, IUCN’s Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, and the IUCN Amphibian Specialist Group have formed Amphibian Ark, a programme designed to educate, raise funds and captive breed the species. They have also declared 2008 as the Year of the Frog.
We are in the early stages of what could easily become the biggest mass extinction the planet has ever seen. This site is a resource for anyone to use to keep track of what has just become extinct or what is in serious danger.
It is imperative to maintain portions of the wilderness untouched so that a tree will rot where it falls, a waterfall will pour its curve without generating electricity, a trumpeter swan may float on uncontaminated water - and moderns may at least see what their ancestors knew in their nerves and blood. - Bernard DeVoto

http://exitstageright.wordpress.com/2007/11/12/a-hop-away-from-extinction/



On the run for a dream night
By Staff reporter
The Dreamnight runners with the welcoming committee at Chester Zoo
AN organisation that makes dreams come true for children has been given a marathon boost.
Dreamnight at the Zoo provides an annual, free evening for chronically ill and disabled children.
Some 145 zoos in 29 different countries worldwide take part in Dreamnight events.
Chester Zoo is one of the zoos that runs Dreamnight events and, as such, welcomed a team of runners who had run from Rotterdam Zoo to Chester to raise funds for the cause.
Rotterdam's Roparun team ran a sponsored relay-run of some 350 kilometres, ending at Chester.
Up to 13 runners, four cyclists and five facilitators made the two-day journey to raise money for the Dreamnight at the Zoo Foundation.

http://www.thisiswirral.co.uk/display.var.1827083.0.on_the_run_for_a_dream_night.php



Bronx Zoo Provides New Home for Pakistani Snow Leopard
United States, Pakistan begin new conservation collaboration
By Cecelia Martin
Washington File Staff Writer
Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan Crocker speaks at a ceremony for "Leo" the Pakistani snow leopard. (U.S. Embassy Islamabad)
Washington -- “Leo” the leopard is taking up residence in an esteemed American zoo. The Pakistani government officially loaned the young male snow leopard to the Bronx Zoo in New York in an arrangement formalized August 8 at a send-off ceremony in Islamabad, Pakistan. Leo will be temporarily housed at the U.S. zoo as part of an international species conservation program to breed endangered wildlife in captivity.
The transfer of the orphaned snow leopard from Pakistan to the United States is the result of efforts by several conservation groups working with the two governments. At the ceremony, U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan C. Crocker remarked, “The successful transfer of this snow leopard to the Bronx Zoo is an impressive example of trans-continental, public-private collaboration.”
The snow leopard inhabits the high mountain ranges and plateaus of South and Central Asia. Often poached for its beautifully marked fur, it is also threatened by habitat degradation. It is listed on the World Conservation Union’s Red List of Threatened Species. Although the snow leopard is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the legislation is weakly enforced.

http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=August&x=200608081806162scnitram7.682437e-02



Back from the Brink: California Condors Part II (Video)
Posted: Nov 14, 2007 10:12 AM EST
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Reported by: Wendy Thies
CENTRAL COAST
One of the rarest and most incredible sights on earth is to see a California condor mid-flight. With only 150 flying free in the world, you could go a lifetime without seeing even one.
But a local zoo is about to change that.
A song for the sacred, a tribal elder from the Chumash Nation holds a condor feather as she blesses the future site of the new California Condor Exhibit at the Santa Barbara Zoo.
Last month's groundbreaking and ceremony paves the way for a six million dollar addition. This will become one of only three zoos in the world to display the critically endangered California condor.

http://www.ksby.com/Global/story.asp?S=7358540



State auditor says zoo needs to improve financial practices
ST. PAUL (AP) A state audit of the Minnesota Zoo recommended 19 ways the zoo could improve its financial accounting, but said zoo officials generally used adequate safeguards in their accounting practices.
Legislative Auditor James Nobles did find that the zoo in Apple Valley overpaid a food service vendor by nearly $30,000, didn't sufficiently verify that vendors were paying the proper commissions and sometimes had the same employee handling receipts and deposits.
The financial review covered the period from July 2003 through December 2006.
Zoo Director Lee Ehmke, in a response dated Monday, said the zoo is working to improve most of the financial practices cited by December or sooner.
Many of the problems cited in the audit were contractual problems.

http://wcco.com/minnesotawire/22.0.html?type=local&state=MN&category=n&filename=MN--ZooAudit.xml



Zoo guests get unique after-dark experience
By Heidi Atkin
Close-Up Correspondent
Article Last Updated: 11/08/2007 02:42:49 PM MST
Those willing to brave the dark got a unique experience this Halloween at Hogle Zoo.
"Night at the Living Zoo" has become a yearly Halloween tradition. At this year's event, guests were fed a spaghetti dinner, introduced to small animals they were allowed to touch and then were led in small groups on an after-dark tour.
"You may not like the animals, but somebody else may. It's a great way for kids to learn about conservation and existing in the same areas as animals and to have that respect while having a lot of fun," explained Holly Braithwaite, spokeswoman for the Hogle Zoo.

http://www.sltrib.com/slc/ci_7406651



Whale found deep in Amazon jungle
By Gary Duffy
BBC News, Sao Paulo
Brazil's Amazon rainforest has had a surprise visit from a minke whale, which got stuck on a sand bank. Gary Duffy reports from Sao Paulo.
A 5.5m long minke whale has been spotted more than 1600km (994 miles) from the Atlantic Ocean, deep inside the Amazon rain forest.
The whale ran aground earlier this week but after being freed with the help of vets and biologists it disappeared shortly afterwards.
It is the second time this week in Brazil that a lost animal has been spotted in an unexpected location.
The minke whale ran aground on a sandbar deep inside the Amazon.
Local people had been splashing water on the whale's back and fin while it was exposed to the hot Amazon sun.
The whale is said to weigh about 12 tons.
Reports of a mysterious animal in the area had been causing alarm among locals near to the Tapajos river, a tributary of the Amazon.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7099625.stm



Whale gets stuck in Amazon

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7090000/newsid_7099500/7099576.stm?bw=bb&mp=rm&asb=1&news=1&ms3=52



2 meerkat kits draw curious crowds at San Jose zoo
4-WEEK-OLD BABIES STAYING CLOSE TO MOM
By Lisa Fernandez
Article Launched: 11/09/2007 01:36:00 AM PST
Two meerkat babies are the newest buzz at San Jose's Happy Hollow Park and Zoo, where visitors are doing whatever they can to catch a glimpse of the nearly 4-week-old kits.
Born Oct. 13, the two meerkats (think Timon in the "Lion King" movies) are so young that no one's even gotten close enough to learn their sex, said zoo spokeswoman Vanessa Rogier. They'll be named only after a veterinarian checks them out.
She said the kits have been spending their days nursing from their mother, Kubaza, and snuggled up in a nest, especially since it's been so cold.
Zoo employees suspect a meerkat named Mdudu is "probably the dad," Rogier said, though no one is sure because there are three meerkat males at the zoo.
The African names are a nod to the meerkats' place of origin, and the kits' birth brings the meerkat population at the zoo to seven.
Meerkats are "very playful, very busy animals," Rogier said. "They're always on guard, looking out for danger, grooming, basking in the sun."
It's a good time to be a meerkat.
The television network Animal Planet has been following a group of African meerkats on its popular show "Meerkat Manor," which Rogier notes that viewers around the globe watch "like a soap opera."
When that meerkat matriarch, Flower, died in September during a bloody struggle with a cobra, news outlets including the New York Times and the Mercury News noted the public's grief, and the thousands of condolences on chatboards and dozens of video tributes to her.

http://www.mercurynews.com/valley/ci_7414023



Inaccuracies found in state financial audit of Minnesota Zoo
BY MARICELLA MIRANDA
Pioneer Press
Article Launched: 11/08/2007 12:01:00 AM CST
Results from a state financial audit of the Minnesota Zoo found inaccuracies being made with travel expenses, contract agreements, and revenue from vendors.
The report, released today, noted eight financial errors - including six mistakes found in the state's last audit from 2002, said Legislative Auditor Jim Nobles.
"There's certainly more findings here than we have in a typical audit report," Nobles said today. "But I would say there's nothing that's alarming.
The zoo is financially unlike other state agencies because it receives private and public funding. It also collects revenue from tickets, membership sales, gifts, and food.
Those differences can complicate finances, Nobles said.
Larger state agencies are audited annually. But smaller ones, such as the Minnesota Zoo, typically have audits every four years or more due to state budget cuts.

http://www.twincities.com/allheadlines/ci_7408039?nclick_check=1



Exotic animal theft suspects charged, remain behind bars
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Friday, November 09, 2007
By Kim Crawford
kcrawford@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6242
Three suspects from Flint and Mundy townships have been charged in Wayne County with burglary and larceny in connection with the thefts of exotic animals from two Livonia pet stores earlier this year.
Adam Lock, 23, and wife Julie M. Lock, 22, of Flint Township and Joshua Roberts, 24, of Mundy Township were charged Thursday with six criminal counts in two burglaries in which expensive birds and reptiles valued at thousands of dollars were taken.
Prosecutors have not filed charges in the thefts from Wilderness Trails Zoo in Birch Run Township or the Animal Magic sanctuary near Belleville, in Wayne County, but according to police, the three have given statements admitting to all the thefts.
Police on Tuesday recovered nearly 70 exotic animals, including foxes, various cats, amphibians, fish, toucans, a Brazilian parrot and an Australian wallaby in raids on two houses in Flint and Mundy townships.
Each of the three suspects is facing two counts of breaking and entering a building, two counts of larceny over $20,000, and two counts of larceny from a building.

http://www.mlive.com/news/flintjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-47/119462340880290.xml&coll=5



Death at the Zoo
Kim,a chimp kept at the Little Rock Zoo since 1969, died Thursday evening. News release on the jump.
ZOO NEWS RELEASE
The Little Rock Zoo mourns the loss of Kim, an elder chimpanzee living at the zoo since 1969 who died while sleeping in her favorite hammock bed Thursday evening.
Records on Kim’s arrival to the zoo estimate her birth date to be in 1961, however, zoo staff say she is likely to be older than records indicate because she was wild caught in Africa and there is no documented knowledge of her actual birth date.
Kim was suffering from congestive heart failure causing her health to rapidly decline in the last few months. It was only a matter of time before the chimp would pass away. Also, a preliminary necropsy on Kim late this afternoon found a massive tumor in her stomach that was probably cancerous.

http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/2007/11/death_at_the_zoo_2.aspx



Deer Jumps Into Pittsburgh Zoo's Polar Bear Exhibit
Deer Injured, Euthanized; Bears Not Harmed
POSTED: 5:46 pm EST November 9, 2007
UPDATED: 6:22 pm EST November 9, 2007
PITTSBURGH -- Polar bears at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium got an unexpected visitor when a deer jumped about 20 feet into their pool.
"One of the grounds keepers asked if we had seen the deer swim with the polar bears,” said Game Caldenron, a zoo visitor.
Surveillance video from the zoo shows the deer jumping into the pool. The animal nearly landed on a floating white block. One bear immediately dove in to check out his new pool partner.
Officials said the deer jumped an 8-foot fence to enter the zoo and had been wandering around for a while. After jumping into the pool, the deer made a couple of laps around the pool before climbing out with both bears following close behind.
Eventually zookeepers were

http://www.wpxi.com/news/14554633/detail.html



Zoo to hold career day for animal lovers
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 11/09/2007 09:59:01 PM MST
Posted: 9:57 PM- Students interested in working with animals in zoological or environmental fields can get a chance to experience that work first hand at the Hogle Zoo's first-ever Career Day.
At the event, which runs from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 17, middle school, high school and college students can talk to environmental educators, meet with field biologists and observe Hogle's animal care staff in action. Some staff members will speak about how they built their careers, and information will be available on a variety of other zoo-related jobs.
The fee is $10 per person. All students under 16 must be accompanied by a paying adult chaperone. No pre-registration is required for this event, but participants must check in at the event table to receive an event pass.
For more information, visit Hogle Zoo online at www.hoglezoo.org or contact Suzanne Blockburger, at 801-584-1737 or sblockburger@hoglezoo.org.

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_7422558



Aurora zoo reveals plan to get paws on new bears
Popular exhibit: Phillips Park budget seeks money to bring back its most requested attraction
November 10, 2007
By Dan Campana STAFF WRITER
AURORA -- It's been a few years since the city's last bear sighting.
Eight years, to be exact. That's when Judy, the Phillips Park Zoo bear, died of cancer. Since then, the question of a bear return to Aurora has been a constant.
"It's always been a hot topic," Zoo Coordinator Randy Johnson said.
That could change by decade's end if the city approves a budget request from the zoo to begin the planning for a new, larger bear exhibit at the historic park on the southeast side.
The zoo, which Johnson said draws an average of 200,000 visitors annually, has asked for $50,000 to begin the engineering and design process that could ultimately bring a pair of bears back to the city.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/644002,2_1_AU10_ZOO_S1.article



Several Animals Killed In Indy Zoo Blaze (Video)
Portion Of Zoo Closed
POSTED: 5:15 pm EST November 10, 2007
UPDATED: 7:14 am EST November 12, 2007
INDIANAPOLIS -- A fire at the Indianapolis Zoo early Saturday morning killed several small animals and closed part of an exhibit.
Zoo officials said the fire in the Critter Corner building of its Encounters area began before 4:30 a.m.
Zoo workers were at the scene of the blaze within a minute of its discovery, and firefighters arrived within five minutes, 6News' Cheryl Jackson reported.


http://www.theindychannel.com/news/14561432/detail.html?rss=ind&psp=news



Australia Zoo scoops top Qld tourism award
Posted Sun Nov 11, 2007 2:10pm AEDT
Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast has won the state's top tourism industry honour at the Queensland Tourism Awards, which were announced in Townsville last night.
Australia Zoo won the major tourism attraction award while Warner Village Theme Parks chief executive John Menzies was recognised for his contribution to the industry.
Far north Queensland netted the highest number of awards, winning six of the 26 categories. Townsville and the Gold Coast followed closely behind, each region winning five awards.
Tourism Minister Desley Boyle says this year's competition was particularly strong, with more than 200 entries received from across the state.

http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/11/2087593.htm?section=business



Baby elephant makes its debut at Montgomery Zoo
November 10, 2007 - Tina, an african elephant, stands with her baby, a female elephant weighing 247 pounds, at the Montgomery Zoo in Montgomery, Ala. on Saturday November 10, 2007. The as yet unnamed baby was born on Friday night. (Montgomery Advertiser, Mickey Welsh)

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=DS&Date=20071111&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=711110802&Ref=PH&Profile=1001


Riverbanks Zoo Honors Veterans
Columbia) - On Sunday, Riverbanks Zoo wanted to honor and thank those who served in the military by offering veterans free admission to the zoo.
"It is important to acknowledge the contributions these individuals have made to our nation," said Satch Krantz, executive director of Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. "At Riverbanks we want all service men and women to know how much we appreciate their efforts, and this is a small gesture that can display our gratitude."
In addition to Veterans Day recognition, Riverbanks will honor Fort Jackson Basic Combat Training graduates who come to the Zoo in uniform on the Friday of their graduation with free admission.

http://www.wltx.com/FYI/story.aspx?storyid=55521

continued...

This is what happens when a society gives itself permission to hunt endangered Marine Mammals. Anything goes ! And these are Kyoto Signators?

Slow death ... dolphins herded into Taiji's bay are killed over several days by Japanese fisherman. Photo: Nigel Barker

November 10, 2007
Winning the hearts and minds of the Japanese is the new mission of groups opposed to dolphin and whale hunting, writes Andrew Darby.

THEY call it the killing cove, a small stretch of water off a pebbled beach in southern Japan near the whaling village of Taiji.
It is here that the fishermen of Taiji go to slaughter their annual dolphin catch - a controversial and little-known part of Japan's lucrative local fishing industry.
Last year Nigel Barker left Sydney to live in Taiji, where his Japanese wife's family have a holiday house.
He knew of the dolphin hunt, but didn't go as an activist. Instead, he became compelled to document what he saw - until he was driven out of town by threats to his safety.
"I'm very happy to be back," he said, as he settled into Sydney again this week. "Except that I can't get it out of my head. It's become my, sort of, contemporary nightmare now."
Barker filmed every step of the hunt that it was possible to document from shore. "They go up to 30 kilometres offshore to find the dolphins. Then they use metal tubes which they hold in the water and beat. The noise neutralises the dolphin's sonar, and it deafens them. When they are being driven in, they become very listless."...

Zoo urges Bush to save polar bears

Hudson, the nearly 1-year-old polar bear cub at Brookfield Zoo, enjoys a pumpkin treat. (Courtesy)

BROOKFIELD 'Threatened' designation sought
November 15, 2007

BY ANDREW HERRMANN Staff Reporter aherrmann@suntimes.com
Brookfield Zoo's three polar bears are popular attractions -- massive beasts which, tossing toys and buckets into their exhibit pool, sometimes act like kids at the beach.

But, zoo president Stuart Strahl said Wednesday, "We do not want zoos to be the only place where people can see polar bears."

A report by government scientists is predicting that two-thirds of the world's 22,000 polar bears -- and all of those in Alaska -- will disappear by 2050, mostly due to arctic ice cap melting caused by global warming.
As Brookfield's bears frolicked behind them, Strahl and National Resources Defense Council official Andrew Wetzler urged the Bush administration to classify polar bears as a "threatened" species. That designation would require the government to develop a survival plan, including ways to address overall global warming and greenhouse gasses, said Wetzler.
Under legal pressure by the council and other environmental groups, the Interior Department has agreed to consider the designation and is expected to rule in January.
Brookfield's bears were born in captivity but wild polar bears this summer saw a record reduction in their sea ice habitat. Over the last 30 years, sea ice on the Arctic Ocean has shrunk by more than 1 million square miles, or about 17 times the size of Illinois, according to the NRDC.
"If we don't take action now, our generation, and our children's generation, will be the last generations to see polar bears in the wild,'' said Wetzler.
Some say that putting the bears under the Endangered Species Act would be premature. "The listing of a currently healthy species based entirely on highly speculative and uncertain climate and ice [forecasts] . . . would be unprecedented," Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin wrote in a letter to the Interior Department.
Alaska officials also say oil and gas operations, current conservation plans and bear hunting for food by native Alaskans also could be threatened under the proposed polar bear designation.