Zoos
Protecting species
It is hardly surprising that Iain Stephen of London Zoo believes zoos have an important part to play in stopping the extinction of amphibians (your report, 22 April).
What is perhaps more illuminating is our 2007 report that showed that 13 of the most prestigious and "progressive" UK zoos with charity status, including London and Edinburgh, were keeping only 11 threatened species of amphibian between them, with a collected population of less than 1,000 individuals. A case of all talk and no tadpoles perhaps?
CHRIS DRAPER
Born Free Foundation
Foundry Lane
Horsham, West Sussex
http://news.scotsman.com/opinion/Protecting-species.4019773.jp
Plans Wilt at National Arboretum
Proposed Funding Cut Exacerbates Deterioration
By Adrian Higgins
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 26, 2008; Page A01
It began last weekend and will continue for five more, Washington's other springtime blossom festival. At the U.S. National Arboretum in Northeast Washington, 130,000 people will show up to luxuriate in the rhododendrons, crab apples and early roses before Memorial Day.
The highlight is the peak flowering of 12,000 mature azaleas that paint a wooded hill named Mount Hamilton in pinks, reds and magentas. But the arboretum's prospects are far less rosy.
Next year's proposed budget for the federally funded institution has been cut by $2 million, targeted at the arboretum's public face. The amount is small in the scheme of things, but it would reduce funding by 60 percent for the arboretum's public programming and the care of its rich garden displays and pioneering plant collections.
This comes after almost a decade of funding erosion: The operating budget has shrunk 20 percent in five years. A master plan to fix crumbling infrastructure and forge a future has remained essentially unfunded for eight years. Even if next year's money is restored, the arboretum will continue to suffer from years of chronic underfunding and the absence of capital investment.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/25/AR2008042503693.html?referrer=emailarticle
Oregon Zoo offers lecture about bugs
April 22, 2008
A lecture about the importance of bugs in the environment, one in a monthly series of lectures at the Oregon Zoo, will be at 7 p.m. April 29 in the Banquet Center at the zoo, 10 minutes west of downtown Portland, just off Highway 26, at 4001 SW Canyon Rd. Tickets are $10, or $8 for zoo members. Parking is $1.
"What Good Are Bugs? The Case for Invertebrate Conservation," by Scott Black, an entomologist with the Xerces Society, is part of the Wildlife Conservation Lecture Series.
The motivation for the series is to build community knowledge in the areas of wildlife conservation, environmental problems and ecological systems. For information go to www.oregonzoo.org or call (503) 226-1561.
—Roy Gault
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080422/OUTDOORS/804220340/1034/SPORTS
No more salmon for pesky sea lions
SUSAN GORDON
susan.gordon@thenewstribune.com
Published: April 26th, 2008 01:00 AM Updated: April 26th, 2008 06:09 AM
Salmon isn’t on the menu at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, but for the next couple of weeks Tacoma’s zoo will host a bunch of sea lions with expensive tastes.
The first of what could be many guests arrived Thursday night from the Columbia River below Bonneville Dam, where they and dozens of other male California sea lions have dined on returning runs of spring chinook salmon for the past several years.
The behavior has earned the hungry marine mammals a nuisance reputation among Washington and Oregon fish and wildlife managers, who blame them for eating more than 4 percent of the fish heading upriver.
On Thursday, wildlife officials removed six sea lions from the waters below the dam, about 40 miles east of Portland.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/345000.html
Article published Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Toledo Zoo to expand children's area to year-round
By TOM HENRY
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Fencing went up yesterday in the heart of the Toledo Zoo for a $7.5 million project that could revolutionize the way visitors think of its long-standing Children's Zoo.
Nature's Neighborhood will be an indoor-outdoor facility that will be a greatly expanded version of the traditional petting zoo. It will offer far more for hands-on learning.
Children will be able to scale a climbing wall, go into a handicapped-accessible tree house, build a dam while splashing around in a manmade stream, play with guinea pigs, attend presentations in a 50-seat amphitheater, climb into make-believe beehives, learn about forests, make crafts in a workshop, listen to the squawking of birds, dress up as animals, do play acting, and find out how to care for dogs and cats in a model home.
If enough funds become available, a turtle pond and a raptor exhibit might be included.
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080422/NEWS38/804220380/-1/NEWS
First baby camel born at Helsinki Zoo in 37 years
Seeing the baby camel at the Helsinki Zoo is a bewildering experience. Its eyes are beautiful, as if designed by Disney, but other than that it is all legs. The four-day-old camel foal is hairy, long-limbed, and clumsy.
When it squeaks, its mother, Selma, rises on her legs and walks over to the youngster. Staggering and occasionally falling, the foal seeks its way to its mother’s teats.
The father, 13-year-old Voodoo, looks at his family from behind a fence. “When the baby was born, the father stamped its feet. It was nervous”, explains the Helsinki Zoo veterinarian Eeva Rudbäck.
The family will be reunited in a couple of weeks’ time. The young has to learn to be quick to be able to flee in case its father loses his temper.
The foal is a minor miracle. The zoo staff only learned about the gestation when Selma went into labour.
http://www.hs.fi/english/article/First+baby+camel+born+at+Helsinki+Zoo+in+37+years/1135235792663
Fee hikes asked for zoo, rec center, parks
Alamogordo city commission
The Daily News
By Kandra Wells, News Editor
Article Launched: 04/22/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT
Increases in golf, zoo, youth and civic center fees, and a joint dispatch agreement with Otero County are among agenda items set for consideration Tuesday at the Alamogordo City Commission's regular meeting.
The session, open to the public, is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. at city hall, 1376 E. Ninth St.
A plan to raise fees by 3 to 5 percent for "leisure services" and zoo, civic center and golf course fees is up for approval by the commission to offset increased operational costs for water, gas, electricity and equipment, according to a report on the proposed resolution.
Assistant City Manager Matt McNeile reported the increases, recommended by the city's Community Services Advisory Board and the Parks and Recreation Board, would raise about $53,500 in additional revenue.
http://www.alamogordonews.com/news/ci_9007538
Cast your vote for Oregon Zoo's 'Mother of the Year'
This is a press release courtesy of the Oregon Zoo
The Oregon Zoo is celebrating Mother's Day by naming its 2008 Zoo Mother of the Year, and the public is invited to help choose the winner. This year's finalists are a Norway rat named Marge, an Oregon silverspot butterfly named Lyta and a colobus monkey named Mali. An online ballot featuring photos and short biographies of the zoo moms is posted on the zoo's Web site.
"These three moms are responsible for bringing 420 babies into the world," said Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "That's a first in the five years we've been voting at the Oregon Zoo."
The finalists were selected by zoo employees from an initial list of 10 zoo moms.
"Zoo employees enjoy the chance to choose the finalists," said Vecchio. "They've been known to campaign for their favorite mom, and this year was no different."
On-line votes will be accepted through Thursday, May 8, at 5 p.m. The zoo will announce its 2008 Mother of the Year on Friday, May 9.
http://www.katu.com/news/local/17996234.html
New zoo director to give talk
Buttonwood Park Zoo invites the public to meet the zoo's new director, Dr. William Langbauer, during a wine and cheese reception on Tuesday.
As the first presenter in the zoo's "Creatures Great and Small" spring lecture series, Dr. Langbauer will entertain with stories from Africa as he recounts his research among elephants — captive and wild, sober and drunken.
Dr. Langbauer is one of three researchers who discovered that elephants make sounds that humans can't hear (infrasound), which has made for some interesting research challenges.
The wine and cheese reception begins at 7, and the talk at 8. The reception and lecture are free of charge, but interested individuals are asked to RSVP at (508) 991-6178 ext. 31.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080426/LIFE/804260357/-1/ENTERTAIN
Tip leads police to rare monkey stolen from N.B. zoo
Updated Fri. Apr. 25 2008 8:39 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
A tiny, black monkey named April, stolen earlier this week from Cherry Brook Zoo in Saint John, N.B., has been recovered safe and sound by police following an anonymous phone tip.
"Relieved doesn't describe (the feeling)," Lynda Collrin, director of zoo development, told CTV Newsnet Friday.
April, a rare callimico, a species also known as Goeldi's monkeys, is from the Amazon region of South America. April is part of a vital breeding program trying to keep the primate species from extinction.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080425/rare_monkey_080425/20080425?hub=CTVNewsAt11
One man's wild world at Blackpool Zoo
Published Date: 28 April 2008
By Nick Hyde
DARREN Webster is the man who speaks to the animals. Or more appropriately, he is the man who knows what his array of wild and wonderful creatures want.
And he should know, for the 38-year-old has had more than 20 years of experience in zoos across the country.
But his great challenge lies beyond the confines of Gorilla Mountain at Blackpool Zoo, which attracts thousands of people year.
http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/blackpoolnews/One-man39s-wild-world-at.4022891.jp
Animals beat the heat by cold drinks in Lucknow zoo
By Kamna Mathur
Lucknow, Apr 26 (ANI): Fruit juices and cucumbers helped a chimpanzee to beat the summer heat in a Lucknow zoo.
The most striking incident happened when the chimpanzee drank fruit juice off its caretaker’s hands and did not leave the glass till the content was over.
Alarmed by the soaring mercury, the zoo authorities are serving the cold drinks to the animals.
Several measures have been taken to provide every possible comfort to the animals. The zoo has deployed a team of veterinarians and vitamins and electrolytes are being added to the food and drinking water to prevent dehydration, said an official.
“See, the temperatures are rising and it isn’t only humans who are feeling the heat. Even the animals are a troubled lot. So, not only the drink but other arrangements have also been made in our zoo to make the animals feel comfortable,” said Renu Singh, Lucknow zoo Director.
She added, sprinklers have been installed in all the enclosures and the animals have been put on a nutritious diet comprising seasonal fruits like watermelon and mangoes along with cucumbers. (ANI)
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/entertainment/animals-beat-the-heat-by-cold-drinks-in-lucknow-zoo_10042226.html
Minot Zoo Opens
Many have been waiting all winter. Tomorrow the Roosevelt Zoo opens for the season.
Zoo staff is gearing up for the big day by cleaning up and tidying up around the cages.
While they are willing to let the cat out of the bag on one surprise animal from the far east, the staff at the zoo remains tight lipped about bigger secrets coming up this summer.
"We`re very lucky to have gotten them. We`re one of the first zoos in the more Northern Eastern side to have gotten the Japanese Sarose," says Barb Werner of the Roosevelt Zoo.
The zoo opens at 10:00 a.m. Price of admission is $3.00 for ages 4 to 12, everyone older is $6.00. Memberships will be available as well.
http://www.kfyrtv.com/News_Stories.asp?news=17952
Video
http://www.kfyrtv.com/News_video.asp?news=17952
'Disneyland' comes to Baghdad with multi-million pound entertainment park
The $1 million skateboard park will open in July. 200,000 skateboards will be shipped from the US and given away free to Iraqi children
Sonia Verma in Dubai
Llewellyn Werner admits he is facing obstacles most amusement park developers never have to deal with – insurgent attacks and looting.
When you are building an amusement park in downtown Baghdad, those risks come with the territory.
Mr Werner, chairman of C3, a Los Angeles-based holding company for private equity firms, is pouring millions of dollars into developing the Baghdad Zoo and Entertainment Experience, a massive American-style amusement park that will feature a skateboard park, rides, a concert theatre and a museum. It is being designed by the firm that developed Disneyland. “The people need this kind of positive influence. It’s going to have a huge psychological impact,” Mr Werner said.
The 50-acre (20 hectare) swath of land sits adjacent to the Green Zone and encompasses Baghdad’s existing zoo, which was looted, left without power and abandoned after the American-led invasion in 2003. Only 35 of 700 animals survived – some starved, some were stolen and some were killed by Iraqis fearing food shortages.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article3802051.ece
Crowds flock to Baghdad zoo for Eid
Oct 13, 2007
BAGHDAD (AFP) — War-weary Baghdadis determined to forget daily violence and economic hardships on the Eid al-Fitr holiday flocked Saturday for a day of picnicking and recreation at the zoo, despite its dearth of animals.
With entrance free for Eid, long queues formed outside Al-Zawraa zoo in central Baghdad for much of the day as people waited to pass through gates strictly secured by police in a road patrolled by US and Iraqi troops.
Inside the sprawling park, a sea of relaxed-looking Iraqis strolled between the animal compound and the funfair, winding along pathways that skirted open fields, bold water fountains and flower gardens.
Children, some holding balloons, others toting toy guns, were dressed in spanking new clothes bought for Eid, while teenagers in pressed shirts and neat trousers milled about in groups outside the Al-Baghdadi Restaurant and Casino, a few noisily beating drums and tambourines as others danced and clapped.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hQmTjlLcYUS8PMN8qWi4ebiL-qbw
Palestinian kids and the zoo
Fadi Abu Sa’ada – For over four years now – which is my child's age - I have not succeeded in taking him to the zoo. I want to begin teaching him about simple things, such as the animals.
The reason for the inability to do so is not simply that I am out of money. I do not I have permission to enter occupied Jerusalem to accompany him to the zoo, as it is the closest zoo to my town of Bethlehem, which is also occupied in the West Bank.
Last Thursday a group of friends decided to take their kids on an adventure, the destination was the zoo in occupied Jerusalem, I asked them to take my child with them, as I can not leave my work to join them. After a long discussion whether my child, Majd, will be able to cross the military checkpoint at the northern entrance of Bethlehem alone, without parents, without a birth certificate, my friends decided to take him and give it a try.
After nearly half an hour I received the first phone call. They succeeded crossing the checkpoint. I was deeply happy that my child finally will go to the zoo for the first time in his life. And not this only, but he was able to go on a journey that I was not able to take him on for the many reasons created by occupation.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2694&Itemid=28
Primate residence
Published Date: 26 April 2008
By Claire Black
Edinburgh Zoo's chimps are right at home in their new world-class compound
Ricky is stretched out in the sun. Head tipped back, one arm outstretched, hand lazily gripping the rope hanging beside him, he's enjoying a good scratch and the odd yawn. He looks as if he might have 40 winks. At 44, he's only recently moved into one of Edinburgh's newest and costliest homes. It's a proper des-res, built to a detailed specification, filled with custom-built fixtures and fittings and surrounded by a beautifully landscaped garden – including a moat. The price tag was a cool £5.6 million but if you ask Ricky, it's money well spent.
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/features/Primate-residence.4007045.jp
Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens Travel Reviews
Nov 17, 2007
The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is located within Griffith Park, a 4200 acre park in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. The zoo may be one the most affordable attractions in Los Angeles...adults (13 & up) are $10, seniors are $7, children (2-12) are $5, and children under 2 are FREE. Zoo parking is FREE to boot!
The zoo grounds are decorated with lush floral specimens. The animal habitats are constantly being renovated to look more and more realistic to the animal's natural habitats. For instance, in 2000, Red Ape Rain Forest was opened to highlight the orangutan. In 2007, the Campo Gorilla Reserve was unveiled to house 6 western lowland gorillas. Currently being renovated is the Asian Elephant habitat. The zoo is also an integral part of the California Condor Recovery Program with over 100 condor hatchings at the zoo.
http://www.travbuddy.com/Los-Angeles-Zoo-and-Botanical-Gardens-v192774
Friday, April 25, 2008 - 2:45 PM CDT
Zoo unveils name for $2.8M restaurant
Wichita Business Journal - by Josh Heck
Sedgwick County Zoo'S new sit-down restaurant now has a name. A sign bearing the name Plaza Beastro was unveiled during a ceremony Friday, marking the restaurant's grand opening.
The name was chosen out of more than 3,0000 entries from a naming contest put on by local radio station B98 FM. Jinger Titus was credited with picking the winning name.
"I think it's great," she says of seeing her name selection adorn the restaurant. "It's a big honor."
Plaza Beastro replaces the old concession stand that was perched in the zoo's central plaza area and gives patrons a chance to take a break from the summer's heat inside the air-conditioned building. The restaurant has a seating capacity of 125 people.
"It's a much welcomed addition to our already first-class, world-class zoo," says Allan Allford, president of the Sedgwick County Zoological Society.
The restaurant's soft opening was in March. Zoo executive director Mark Reed says the $2.8 million facility is larger and more modern than the concession area that was once perched in the zoo's plaza. That structure was recently razed and the site converted into a man-made pond.
"The official opening of our new restaurant is a very exciting time for us," Reed says.
WDM Architects designed the building and Sauerwein Construction Co. was the general contractor.
http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/stories/2008/04/21/daily53.html
Zoo Welcomes Rare Newborn Somali Wild Ass
Posted on: Friday, 25 April 2008, 15:00 CDT
The first Somali wild ass to be born at the St. Louis Zoo arrived earlier this month.
The animal, a wild horse, is very rare, with only 1,000 believed to be surviving in the wild, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. They are threatened by political unrest and hunting in North Africa and must compete with domestic animals for grazing.
The St. Louis Zoo has seven wild asses with another 20 living in other zoos in North America. The new foal's dam Fataki and sire Abai are both in St. Louis.
The foal, a female, has a gray body, black stripes on the legs and a white belly. When she is full-grown, she will stand about 4 feet high and weigh 600 pounds.
Source: United Press International
http://www.redorbit.com/news/entertainment/1358717/zoo_welcomes_rare_newborn_somali_wild_ass/
Birds, bats and bugs to be featured at Air Zoo
Birds, bats and bugs—oh my! On Saturday, April 26, the Air Zoo will be offering its second annual “Birds, Bats and Bugs—the Natural Flyers” program that will include presentations, exhibits, crafts, live animal demonstrations and a chance to meet area mascots.
Beginning at 9 a.m. and continuing throughout the day, guests will be able to visit displays on birds, bats and insects, make crafts and rubbings and visit birds that will be available for adoption. Local mascots such as Old Country Buffet’s “O.C. Bee,” Red Robin’s “Red” and the K-Wings’ “Slappy” will also make an appearance.
http://www.airzoo.org/news/birds-bats-bugs-april-26/
Dublin Zoo names its newest elephant
Thursday, 24 April 2008
Dublin Zoo has officially named its new elephant calf Budi following a competition that attracted over 1,000 entries.
11-year-old Tallaght student Cian Cooke picked the Indonesian name, which means 'wise one', to reflect the elephant's Asian heritage.
Budi was born in February, just the second elephant born in Ireland.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0424/elephant.html
Stolen monkey back to Canada zoo
www.chinaview.cn
2008-04-26 03:10:59
OTTAWA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A little callimico monkey stolen earlier this week from a zoo in Canada's eastern New Brunswick province was safely back home Friday, police and zoo officials said.
Acting on a phone tip, police in the city of Saint John said they found the black monkey named April in a box on a street corner near a city gas station.
A male called from a pay phone telling police to find the monkey behind a building near a gas station. "We went to the area where we found a type of box with holes cut through the top of it and the noise inside indicated it was our missing monkey," policeSgt. Pat Bonner told Canadian Television.
The little animal turned out to be in good health after being checked by ecstatic zoo officials.
April was stolen Wednesday morning when someone jumped a fence, kicked in a door, and took her from the enclosure she shared with her mother, father and brother.
Police are now reviewing the tipster's call to determine if the voice provides any clues to the theft.
The rare primates, also known as a Goeldi's monkies, are from the Amazon region of South America and considered an endangered species in the wild. They are tiny creatures, at nine months, April weighs only about half a kilogram.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/26/content_8052454.htm
Zoo worker set to take leap of faith for frogs
AN Edinburgh Zoo worker is set to abseil from the Forth Bridge dressed as a frog as part of a fundraising drive.
Polly Phillpot, the zoo's senior education officer, will descend 165 feet to raise cash for the EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria) 2008 Year of the Frog Campaign.
The main goal of this year's campaign is to raise awareness of the serious plight facing frogs and amphibians.
The funds raised will help support Amphibian Ark, a programme co-ordinated by the World Conservation Union, and finance regional initiatives such as rescues, training workshops and cooperatively managed centres.
Ms Phillpot, who will be taking the plunge tomorrow, said: "Amphibians play an important role in ecosystems and are essential environmental indicators for climate change, therefore holding great importance in scientific research.
"It would be catastrophic and tragic to lose such a key group of animals.
"I hope my leap will be a hopping success to raise funds in support of the EAZA campaign."
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Zoo-worker-set-to-take.4024009.jp
London Zoo celebrates its 180th birthday
By Richard Gray, Science Correspondent
Last Updated: 1:01pm BST 26/04/2008
It is now one of the world's leading conservation organisations, helping to protect endangered wildlife with breeding programmes, carrying out vital research and educating the public. But when London Zoo opened its doors 180 years ago, experts were more interested in turning its exotic creatures into beasts of burden and farmyard animals.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/04/26/eazoo126.xml
Exhibition held for zoo founder
Ms Badham received an MBE for her work in 2002
A special exhibition is on show at Twycross Zoo this weekend in memory of 93-year-old co-founder Molly Badham, who died last year.
Ms Badham helped build the largest collection of primates in the world at the zoo, located on the Leicestershire-Warwickshire border.
The display tells the story of how she set up the zoo with rival pet shop owner Nathalie Evans.
It also shows her work as a chimpanzee trainer on television adverts.
Exotic animals
A marquee has been set up to house the exhibition and a book of condolence will also be available for visitors to sign.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/leicestershire/7368534.stm
Bird Fest 2008 at the National Zoo
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/BirdFest/activities.cfm
Hoaxer gets callers to overwhelm Dublin Zoo for weeks
April 25th, 2008
Text messages from a “G Raffe” has caused a lot of stress at the Dublin Zoo
A hoaxer has been sending text messages to mess with the Dublin Zoo in Ireland. The texts told the recipients to call the Dublin Zoo for an “urgent message,” and about 100,000 people did call in the past two weeks. The texts are a hoax, sent out by a witty “joker” signing his (or her) name “G Raffe, C Lion, Rory Lyons, and Anna Conda,” all quite “clever” adaptations of the names of animals. The zoo’s phone system has been choked with “13 calls a minute” and the zoo’s marketing manager admitted that they had lost their “sense of humor” about the calls. The real question this raises is who would call a zoo for an “urgent message” sent by a mystery texter? Apparently 100,000 people from Ireland will.
http://www.itstrulyrandom.com/2008/04/25/hoaxer-gets-callers-to-overwhelm-dublin-zoo-for-weeks/
Its cool at Nandankanan Zoo in Orissa
April 25th, 2008 - 7:44 pm ICT by admin -
Nandankanan Zoological Park (Orissa), April 25 (ANI): Authorities at the famous Nandakanan Zoological Park in Orissa are taking various measures to prevent inmates from suffering from scorching heat that has set in advance this summer.
Desert coolers have been installed outside the enclosures of felines, bears and other caged inmates, sprinklers are being used to give showers to all animals and aviaries are covered with palm reeds and leaves to shield the birds from heat.
Sufficient water supply, along with other facilities and proper management has made a big difference comparing to the earlier years.
Animals are given bath twice or thrice in a day. The enclosures are sprinkled to maintain cool.
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/entertainment/its-cool-at-nandankanan-zoo-in-orissa_10041996.html
Petting Zoo Update
Published by Creation Museum
April 24th, 2008 in Museum Updates
Today at the Creation Museum was momentous! The first 3 members of the new petting zoo just arrived today – three miniature donkeys.
Numerous staff were there to welcome the latest additions to the CM family. The Petting Zoo will be open to visitors and guests on May 23rd. Mark your calendars and make sure when you visit this summer to take in the new zoo.
http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/museum/2008/04/24/petting-zoo-update/
AWOL Marine charged in petting zoo fire
SHARIF DURHAMS
sdurhams@charlotteobserver.com
A tip to investigators has led to the arrest of a Marine charged in a 2006 Salisbury-area petting-zoo fire that killed more than 40 animals.
Jerry Lane Harwood, 18, of Rockwell, was arrested Saturday and charged with 41 counts of animal cruelty and with burning a public or government building. Harwood had his first court appearance Monday.
He's being held in the Rowan County Detention Center under a $250,000 secured bond.
Goats, sheep, rabbits and other animals were killed in the fire at the T.M. Stanback Petting Barn in Dan Nicholas Park, southeast of Salisbury.
Rowan County Sheriff's Office investigators and State Bureau of Investigation arson experts said they didn't home in on Harwood as a suspect until they received a tip this month.
Investigators say they discovered Harwood joined the Marines shortly after the petting zoo fire. He's now listed as AWOL, Rowan investigators said.
Investigators said that in searching Harwood's apartment after Saturday's arrest, they found evidence connecting him to recent car break-ins and two business break-ins in the Rockwell area.
Sheriff's deputies said they also found three marijuana plants in the apartment, drug paraphernalia and burglary tools. No charges have been filed.
Harwood has another court appearance scheduled April 30.
Sheriff's deputies said they're still investigating.
Anyone with information can contact Detective Sam Henline or Sgt. Chad Moose of the Rowan County Sheriff's Office at 704-216-8668 or call Rowan Crime Stoppers at 866-639-5245.
http://www.charlotte.com/local/story/592586.html
continued...
