Lehigh Valley Zoo adds to area's sustainability
By Greg Marzano
March 7, 2008
It has been more than three years since the Lehigh County commissioners and administration partnered with the Lehigh Valley Zoological Society to keep the zoo at the Trexler Nature Preserve open. On Saturday, the zoo will recognize some of the leaders in our community that had the vision and passion to say, ''I love the Lehigh Valley and I love the Zoo -- keep it open!''
These leaders ranged from government officials to everyday folks. A group of very passionate local residents formed the Lehigh Valley Zoological Society and poured their time and personal resources into starting a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, hiring the staff, creating infrastructure for the business, and soliciting support. Over 300 people signed on as Founder's Club members.

http://www.mcall.com/news/opinion/anotherview/all-marzano3-7.6296682mar07,0,1361405.story


Zoo denies accusation that it dumps animals
Linda Leicht
News-Leader
The group of a half dozen animal lovers, including one dressed up like a kangaroo, stood in the cold Thursday to register their concern that zoo animals could end up on hunting ranches.
Local supporters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals held up a banner declaring, "Dickerson Park Zoo: Rescue Dumped Animals Now."

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080307/NEWS01/803070404/1007/NEWS01


New tapir at Denver Zoo gets welcome party
Provided by: Denver Zoo
Contributed by: Denver Zoo on 3/6/2008
Denver Zoo staff is welcoming one of its newest residents, a Malayan tapir, who came from the Belfast Zoo in Ireland. Named Bengkulu, after a province in Indonesia (a part of this species' habitat), zookeepers fondly call the new arrival Benny. To get into the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, and to celebrate Benny's Irish origin, zookeepers gave the 2-year-old male some of his favorite green treats, broccoli, kale and cabbage.
Benny has been spending some time behind-the-scenes getting used to his new surroundings, but can now be seen exploring his new digs in the Pachyderm building. Zookeepers say he is doing well adjusting to life in Denver and they will eventually introduce him to the zoo's resident female tapir, Maggie. Although Benny just turned 2, he is already almost full grown, weighing in at approximately 675 pounds!

http://denver.yourhub.com/Denver/Stories/News/General-News/Story~437937.aspx


Birth bonanza enhances zoo honour
- Mortality rate dips in nandan kanan, several born
OUR CORRESPONDENT
Bhubaneswar, March 6: If recent figures are any indication, Nandan Kanan Zoological Park could be the best place for endangered species.
The zoo, of late, has been teeming with newborn animals much to the delight of visitors and officials.
The authorities state that they have not seen so many births in a single year before. Twenty young ones, including two tiger cubs and Indian pangolins, were born last month.
Till the first week of March there has been 144 births, including 72 mammals, 58 birds and 12 reptiles, in the zoo. One of the two new pangolins was born on Wednesday. “The birth of so many animals certifies Nandan Kanan as a progressive zoo. Reproductive health is a good indicator of the overall health of a species in captivity. Nandan Kanan has been promoting itself as an institution that can conserve species and it has been doing so,” said the zoo director, Ajit Pattnaik.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080307/jsp/nation/story_8988390.jsp


Akron Zoo leaps into Year of Frog with new exhibit
3/6/2008 - West Side Leader
By Kathleen Folkerth
WEST AKRON — The Akron Zoo celebrated Leap Year Feb. 29 by opening a new exhibit on a national effort to increase awareness about the plight of amphibians.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) has declared 2008 the Year of the Frog and the Akron Zoo is doing its part by putting some of its frogs on display and highlighting the crisis facing the species.
“It really is a major crisis when you talk about one-third of all amphibians are threatened,” said David Barnhardt, the zoo’s director of marketing and guest services.

http://www.akron.com/akron-ohio-entertainment-news.asp?aID=1828


Zoo expecting big day
Officials say pregnant elephant Felix will give birth very soon
By Frank D. Roylance sun reporter
March 6, 2008
For millions of years, female elephants have managed to give birth successfully without being poked, prodded and worried over by humans.
But at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, keepers and veterinarians are posting a close and anxious watch over Felix, who is poised to deliver the first elephant ever born at the 132- year-old zoo.
Their 7,490-pound patient, whom they describe as "kinda petite," is due any day now. So her vets and handlers have stepped up their maternity preparations.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.elephant06mar06,0,4011666.story


Zoo Beefs Up Animal Fencing
Tiger Able To Get Out Open Gate 2 Weeks Ago
POSTED: 6:18 pm HST March 5, 2008
UPDATED: 7:53 pm HST March 5, 2008
HONOLULU -- Construction work began at the Honolulu Zoo to prevent another tiger escape.
Two weeks ago, the zoo's only male tiger walked out of his enclosure after a zookeeper left two gates open.
KITV's Keoki Kerr reported that the city is still adding up how much all this is going to cost. An emergency contract was quickly awarded for safety improvements to the zoo's tiger exhibit, officials said.

http://www.kitv.com/news/15508444/detail.html


Mayor Asks For Millions For New Zoo Exhibit
POSTED: 7:30 pm HST March 5, 2008
UPDATED: 7:54 pm HST March 5, 2008
HONOLULU -- Mayor Mufi Hannemann is asking for millions of dollars to finish a new elephant exhibit at the Honolulu Zoo that's been in the works for over a decade.
A large portion of the enclosure is finished and sits empty -- waiting for the funding to complete the job.
KITV's Keoki Kerr reported that in his budget proposal last week, Hannemann asked for about $7 million to complete an elephant breeding facility here at the zoo.

http://www.kitv.com/news/15508958/detail.html


Hogle Zoo gorilla to have cancer surgery
By Matthew D. LaPlante
Article Last Updated: 03/05/2008 10:11:51 PM MST
Posted: 10:12 PM- A 43-year-old Hogle Zoo gorilla will undergo surgery Wednesday morning for cancer - and zoo officials say it's possible that, if the cancer is too widespread, they may have to euthanize the elderly ape.
The African-born Muke came to Hogle in 1996 from the St. Louis Zoo. She has been paired with a male silverback, Tino, for most of the years since.
"They've never mated, but they're bonded," said zoo spokeswoman Holly Braithwaite. "He's been pacing around looking for her - he's acting concerned."

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_8469332


Frogs raise red flags on environmental hazards
By JEANNIE KEVER Houston Chronicle
© 2008 The Associated Press
HOUSTON — Frogs used to be slimy green things boys carted around in their pockets. Now they're environmental fortune-tellers, slightly mysterious creatures that tell us when we're headed for trouble.
And it's their year.
The Year of the Frog is an international campaign to remind people that frogs and other amphibians are in serious trouble. As many as half of amphibian species are in danger of disappearing.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5603657.html


2,500-pound patient: Ailing rhino Ebony gets medical care at zoo
Ryan Loew
Lansing State Journal
Ebony, the only surviving black rhinoceros at the Potter Park Zoo, got a visit from the doctor Friday.
Dozens of doctors, actually.
A team of 35 to 40 zookeepers, veterinarians, firefighters and others were on hand at the zoo Friday morning to X-ray the 2,500-pound rhino, as well as conduct an endoscopy, trim her toenails, clean a wound on her leg and conduct an ultrasound, said zoo Veterinarian Tara Harrison.

http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080308/NEWS01/803080331/1001/news

Zoo educator for 16 years finds it anything but boring
Erin Madden
Updated: March 8, 2008 at 12:40 AM CST
For the past 16 years, Trevor Alexander has had the inside scoop on what is going on at Assiniboine Park Zoo. From the opening of new exhibits to the arrival of new animals and all the exciting special events, the dedicated volunteer has been there to see it all, usually lending a hand to ensure that it all runs smoothly.
Now just 28-years-old, Alexander has been a volunteer with the facility since the age of 12, making coming to the zoo a major part of more than half his life. He said that in his 16 years as a volunteer with the zoo's education program, there isn't much he hasn't done.
"I've done tours, I've done animal talks, I've done classroom stuff in terms of presentations for school groups, and I've helped with sleepovers for other groups like cubs," said the St. James resident, adding that he also takes holiday time from his job in information technology to coincide with the zoo's largest annual event -- Boo at the Zoo.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/life/story/4139641p-4730483c.html


Making the most of a sad little zoo
Mar 08, 2008 04:30 AM
Oakland Ross
Middle East Bureau
GAZA CITY–People have called the Gaza Strip a great many things, but it's a fair bet no one has recently described the place as a great spot to take the family on a weekend outing.
There's a reason for that.
The Gaza Strip is not a great spot to take the family on a weekend outing, particularly nowadays when its 1.5 million people are burdened with the debilitating effects of a brace of economic sanctions imposed by Israel as punishment for the salvoes of homemade rockets that soar daily out of the territory, rarely with lethal consequences – it is true – but not for lack of trying.

http://www.thestar.com/World/Columnist/article/326366


San Francisco Zoo Welcomes Tiger Cub
9 hours ago
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Zoo, which lost a tiger on Christmas, is celebrating the arrival of a newborn cub.
The cub born Friday belongs to Leanne and George, two Sumatran tigers on loan from a zoo in San Antonio and an aquarium in Denver.
The tiger that was shot by police after killing a teenager and mauling his two friends was a Siberian tiger. Both species are endangered.
For now, zoo staff are keeping their distance from Leanne and her cub and are using a video camera and baby monitors to observe the pair. The zoo's chief veterinarian says the cub was seen nursing and the mother appeared to be "very attentive and gentle."
The cub's birth marks the first time since 1956 that a Sumatran tiger has been born at the San Francisco Zoo.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jkBdKnhndJXyA_3mzeEOwqHdNVxQD8V95SN80


Duluth zoo gets 3 new lion cubs
Patrick Garmoe Duluth News Tribune
Published Friday, March 07, 2008
Visitors to the Lake Superior Zoo should get to see some cute new lion cubs by the end of this month.
The zoo recently took in three cubs to fill the cage left empty when 19-year-old Nemo was euthanized in November. Nemo died after blood tests showed liver and kidney failure, common in elderly cats, the zoo’s veterinarian said at the time.
The cub trio — each weighing about 90 pounds — is quarantined out of sight right now. But people can watch them from a computer, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily, at www.lszoo. org/lionwebcam.htm.

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=61886&section=homepage&freebie_check&CFID=12839736&CFTOKEN=23916221&jsessionid=8830f7680a3f487b254b


Heavy lifting helps John Ball Zoo's new lion exhibit take shape
Posted by Kyla King The Grand Rapids Press
March 07, 2008 09:03AM
GRAND RAPIDS -- Crews working on the new lion exhibit at John Ball Zoo opening in June kicked it up a notch Thursday when they installed four, 900-pound, 2-inch-thick glass panels.
The delicate task required eight to 10 workers for each piece of glass, armed with 16 to 20 giant suction cups.
The special three-ply panels arrived by trailer and were lifted by a boom as close to the exhibit as possible. The panels will separate viewers from lions.
Here are some project details:
Opens: June.
Cost: $4.1 million.
Who's paying? Private donors.
Size: One-third acre.
Location: Near the chimpanzee and African Veldt attractions.
How many? Will hold up to six lions. The zoo has recently acquired a male, Docha, and two females, Bakari and Abena. Docha has already been moved to his new digs. The females will be moved in the next couple of weeks, and introductions will begin.
Modeled after: The forested Lake Manyara area of Tanzania, where lions climb trees.
Special features: An artificial tree that can be cooled or heated; a rock that appears to pass through the glass, allowing visitors and lions to sit adjacent; a 24-foot open air viewing tower; an off-exhibit outdoor exercise yard and training room.
How's construction coming? The viewing deck is complete. Next week additional spray-on cement rock will be added. When the ground thaws, a green roof will be installed on the holding area. Plants looking like those found in Africa also will be installed. Exhibit graphics and signs are being designed and manufactured.
Will it increase zoo operating costs? No. New staff is not needed and energy costs will be lower than old 1970s exhibit.
E-mail Kyla King: kking@grpress.com

http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/03/heavy_lifting_helps_john_ball.html


Dated:

Another jumbo delivery
November 5, 2006 - 11:04AM
Four more elephants have arrived in Australia today, bound for local zoos after a controversial journey from Thailand.
The elephants touched down this morning in Sydney, where one will be transferred to the city's Taronga Zoo, before their chartered Russian plane heads to Avalon Airport near Melbourne, to drop off another three this afternoon for Melbourne Zoo.
The male elephant being taken to Taronga Zoo is called Gung - meaning "prawn" and will rejoin four females from his herd who arrived on Thursday.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/another-jumbo-delivery/2006/11/05/1162661538618.html


Thai elephants arrive in Melbourne
November 5, 2006 - 11:39AM
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Three elephants have arrived in Melbourne as part of an Australasian zoos' conservation breeding program after a controversial journey from Thailand.
The three female Asian elephants were among a group of four which touched down in Sydney after a 20-hour journey from the Cocos Islands.
One of the elephants, a male, was transferred to Sydney's Taronga Zoo, while the three females were flown to Melbourne on a chartered plane.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Thai-elephants-arrive-in-Melbourne/2006/11/05/1162661539605.html


RSPCA fears for imported Thai elephants
The RSPCA says it is disappointed that the first of a group of Thai elephants have arrived in Australia destined for zoos in Sydney and Melbourne.
Four females have arrived in Sydney after spending time in quarantine on the Cocos Islands with another four who are due to arrive in the next few days.
Animal welfare groups took legal action to stop them being imported and delayed their arrival for 18 months.
The RSPCA's Jane Speechley says the groups are not taking any further action, but are calling on the public to look for signs of stress when they are visiting the elephants in the zoos.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200611/s1779997.htm


Gorilla twins turn one
November 01 2006 at 10:42AM
By Dorie Turner
Atlanta - Three-year-old Cooper Lund's rendition of "Happy Birthday" included lines about living in a zoo and looking like a monkey, but the birthday boy and girl weren't insulted.
Kali and Kazi just romped about their African rain forest playground, chewing on fruit and swinging from vines. The twin western lowland gorillas' first birthday was celebrated at Zoo Atlanta on Tuesday, a significant hallmark in their young lives.
About 20 percent of gorillas do not live through their first year, especially as a pair. Kali and Kazi are the only gorilla twins in the world born in captivity to be raised solely by their mother.
'They have a good chance of making it to be healthy adults'
They are one of just seven sets of gorilla twins to be born in US zoos in the last 50 years. Four of the sets died before their first birthday; the other three were raised by zookeepers.
"The fact that they've survived and are so healthy means they have a good chance of making it to be healthy adults," said Tara Stoinski, manager of conservation partnerships for the zoo.

http://www.wtaworld.com/showthread.php?t=272644


ADELAIDE'S giraffes have only two years left at the city zoo.
Picture gallery: animals in the zoo They then will move to Monarto where, a few years later, they may be joined by elephants in a growing, free-range, large animal environment. Bears, hippos and lions will remain in the city zoo and many new primates will arrive as the state's two zoos "reinvent" themselves. They have even coined a new name, Zoos SA, which encompasses Adelaide and Monarto. "We are all very excited about our new beginnings," said Kevin Evans, director of Conservation Programs for Zoos SA.

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,20690549-2682,00.html

how to fix the problems of empty zoos
hey guys
leading on from the going going gone report by arazpa, and the future collection projections of our zoos, i would like to know what you guys think about how our zoos will look in the time to come.
for example, with pygmy hippos in collapse, what animals do you think melbourne should replace them with. or taronga's wild asia, which represents alot of investment in a tapir exhibit that could be empty within a decade...
dont anyone say okapi, or babirusa, or bunyips. lets make practical proposals that would keep with the themes and actually be 'viable' species.
my suggestion would be perhaps porcupines in the hippo exhibit, (drained of course and relandscaped to suggest a 'forest-edge environment) and saltwater crocodiles in the malayan tapir enclosure at taronga, and perhaps a second grouping of otters.
id be interested to hear suggestions for adelaides asian habitat; what could go in there to replace the tapir?
i think maybe the future of australia's zoos could lie in the direction of perth. their current collection almost perfectly mimics the exotic 'potential' species.

http://www.zoobeat.com/2/how-fix-problems-empty-zoos-1519/


5-nov-2006
Sponsor animals through your mobile phone.
People who regularily read this blog know that my family loves to visit zoos. In some of the Belgian zoos people can become godfather of a certain animal. Depending on the animal they pay a certain fee and then their name or company name gets displayed, for a year, on the cage of the animal they are sponsoring.
Although we visit a lot of zoos I am not sponsoring one particular animal, but still I've been thinking about how I could implement a system that I call "godfather for a day". With this system people would be able to sponsor an animal they like, for a small amount of money. E.g. today I am passing the cages of the koala bears and I would like to sponsor them for 5 euros. On the cage you can find an RFID-tag, you swipe your GSM over it and 5 euros are taken from your account at your service provider. There is no hastle, and you don't have to type in a phone number are whatever. The only thing you have to is set the amount of money you want to give. And when I leave the zoo, I see my name appearing on a ticker tape above the exit gates: Jan godfather for one day of koala Chico. I think this would really give me a good feeling when going home.

http://janmoons.blogspot.com/2006/11/sponsor-animals-through-your-mobile.html


06 November 2006
Przewalski's Truly Wild Horse
A long winter is ending on the steppe grasslands of Mongolia. This is home to a wild animal the Mongolians know as takhi - the spirits. Westerners call them Przewalski's horses. They're the only true wild horses in the world. Other so-called wild horses are domesticated horses which have reverted to a feral existence.

http://nhnzimages.blogspot.com/2006/11/przewalskis-truly-wild-horse.html


Help Prevent Animal Suffering
By Gemma Quinn (gemma@theleader.info)
(Published: 06/11/2006 Edition No.: 134)
Last week we reported on the recent investigation by the Born Free Foundation (UK), DEPANA (Spain) and ANDA (Spain) which revealed that many zoos in Spain are not complying with the national law specific to the keeping of wild animals in zoos. Exposing Spain’s zoos as ‘the sick man of Europe’ the report said housing conditions for many of the animals are poor, inadequate and offer little in the way of environmental enrichment - allowing animals to express normal behaviour. Furthermore, it would appear many zoos are failing to meet requirements in the education of the public and the conservation of biodiversity.

http://www.costablancaleader.com/news/article.php?article_id=9668&article_section_id=1


After 132 Years, Philadelphia Will Send Off Its Elephants
By ROBERT STRAUSS
Published: November 5, 2006
PHILADELPHIA — When the Philadelphia Zoo, the nation’s first, opened in 1874, its curators bought an elephant from a traveling circus and chained it to a tree, delighting children and adults who had never seen such an animal up close.
Over the ensuing 132 years, elephants have been a big part of the zoo’s attraction. They have often been featured on advertising posters and commercials, and zoo administrators say visitors spend an average five to eight minutes gazing at them in their rather small habitat.
This spring, though, the zoo’s affair with elephants will end. Instead of expanding the space for the exhibit, the zoo’s board of directors has decided to put the money elsewhere. The herd of four elephants will be split between the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore and an elephant sanctuary in central Tennessee.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/05/us/05elephant.html?_r=1&ref=science&oref=slogin

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