Zoos
Seattle zoo's parking garage plan set back
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SEATTLE -- A Seattle hearing examiner says a 700-car parking garage cannot be built at the Woodland Park Zoo.
The decision in the three-year land use dispute is a victory for neighborhood opponents who said the four-level garage was too big for a park.
Zoo officials are deciding whether to appeal, ask for a break from the land use code or change their expansion plans.
The zoo says it needs the $28 million parking structure to accommodate its one million annual visitors.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420AP_WA_Zoo_Garage.html
Under The Needle: Savoring a NIMBY victory over the zoo garage plan
Chalk one up for the neighborhood
By MIKE LEWIS
P-I REPORTER
Politics and NIMBY-ism found Diane Duthweiler comfortable and in her brick home high on the corner of 52nd Street and Greenwood Avenue, a long home run from Woodland Park.
She hadn't involved herself in civic issues before, she explained, because her former work as a producer for local television stations prevented social activism.
Phinney Ridge resident Diane Duthweiler will be recycling signs that she and neighbors made to protest the proposed construction of a parking garage at Woodland Park Zoo.
Not anymore. Now a freelancer, she gave in to the temptation when her neighborhood collectively decided that maybe the wrong critters had been caged at Woodland Park Zoo.
"I mean, what were (zoo administrators) thinking?" Duthweiler said, sitting on the couch in her living room. "Does a parking garage in this neighborhood make any sense?"
She didn't wait for an answer. It wasn't that type of question.
"A lot of people thought that we were well-off people who didn't want to disturb our precious neighborhood."
True, some people did.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/337583_needle01.html
City official rules garage planned for zoo is illegal
By Bob Young
Seattle Times staff reporter
A controversial 700-car garage proposed for Woodland Park Zoo is illegal, according to Seattle's hearing examiner.
City officials failed to make the case that garages are common or customary in Seattle parks, Hearing Examiner Sue Tanner said in a decision that city and neighborhood leaders received Tuesday.
Tanner serves as the city's administrative-law judge and is charged with reviewing decisions by city agencies.
Dubbed the "garage mahal" by neighborhood critics, the proposal for a four-story, $28 million structure has been hotly debated for three years. Phinney Ridge Community Council President Irene Wall called Tanner's ruling a decisive blow.
"It really means the end of this garage proposal and back to the drawing board," Wall said.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003984677_zoogarage31m.html
Annual Boo at the Zoo draws thousands
By Leslie Williams-Dennis/The Brownsville Herald
October 31, 2007 - 12:50AM
Ten-year-old Gilbert Saldaña emerged from the Gladys Porter Zoo’s special events building last night with a frightened look on his face.
Wearing a black and white Ghost Rider costume, Saldaña, along with his family and friends, visited various booths and game stations in search of free candy. Others’ spooky costumes left him unfazed, but his journey through the venue’s 5,000 square foot haunted house left him quivering with fear.
“The saw — I thought it wasn’t going to move but it scared me so much,” he said. Saldaña, a student at First Baptist Elementary, was one of the estimated 6,000 guests at the 18th annual Boo at the Zoo celebration.
“It’s big, dark and scary,” added his friend, Jesse Wilson. “The saw, the wolf, that doctor that was fixing the wolf…”
http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/_81678___article.html/_.html
PETA calls for U.S. probe into hippo's death at zoo
DAWN WALTON
October 31, 2007
Calgary -- An animal-rights group asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture yesterday to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of a hippopotamus that was shipped last week to the Calgary Zoo from the Denver Zoo.
Hazina, a six-year-old female hippo, arrived in Calgary on Friday unable to stand after a 30-hour trip from Colorado and died the next day of circulatory complications.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals urged the government to probe whether the Denver Zoo used an appropriately sized crate and why officials opted to send her on the long drive rather than move her by air.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20071031.NATS31-1/TPStory/National
Jennifer Garner and Violet Anne at the Bronx Zoo on Monday
By Shannon CBB Senior Contributor
Actress Jennifer Garner, 35, takes daughter, Violet Anne, 23 months tomorrow, to the Bronx Zoo on Monday. The pair enjoyed a private tour -- checking out the monkeys and horses. Upon leaving they hopped in a limo and headed back to their NY apartment.
http://www.celebrity-babies.com/2007/10/jennifer-garn-5.html
Sticking his neck out for his favorite team
By Michael Givens
Tuesday, October 30, 2007 - Updated 2d 20h ago
A baby Masai giraffe has been named “Sox” by the Franklin Park Zoo to commemorate Boston’s World Series win.
When he was born Thursday, Sox weighed 154 pounds and stood 6 feet 2 inches tall. He tried on several names including, “Red,” “Fenway,” “Champion,” and “Boston.” But after Sunday’s win, zoo staff members decided on “Sox.”
The Masai or Kilimanjaro giraffe is one of the most rare species of giraffes in North America. When grown, Sox will have jagged spots and a tassel on the tip of his tail.
“Our beloved New England institutions - Franklin Park Zoo and the Red Sox [team stats] - both have a reason to celebrate,” said John Linehan, president and CEO of the Franklin Park Zoo.
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1041331
Pygmies and pumpkins at ZSL London Zoo
Tuesday 30 October 2007
The rainforest is an eerie place at the best of times, but at ZSL London Zoo this Halloween, our own rainforest animals were given an extra spooky treat.
Carved pumpkins full of tasty morsels were placed around the biome in our hot and humid Clore Rainforest Lookout exhibit for the animals to investigate.
Pygmy marmosets, titi monkeys, silvery marmosets, sloths and golden headed lion tamarins were all be able to make the most of their natural curiosity finding out what’s inside them.
Having to work to find food forms part of their regular enrichment activities, stimulating their natural behaviours and making them work for their grub.
Looks like the scary pumpkin faces did not frighten away an animal appetite!
http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/news/pygmies-and-pumpkins-at-zsl-london-zoo,406,NS.html
Cape May County Zoo - New Alpacas (Video)
http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1278017080
Cameron Park Zoo in Waco gets some new members
2007-10-29 - Waco, United States
The Cameron Park Zoo in Waco has some new residents. The zoo has three new animals, including a brand new baby jaguar. The female cub was recently born at the zoo, and made her first public appearance Monday. Theres also a new elephant, Tanya on-loan from the Abilene Zoo. And zoo keepers are also caring for a 2-month-old East African Kori Bustard, hatched in Waco from the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. The zoo says new animals are always good for business.
http://www.elephant-news.com/index.php?id=2888
Audubon Zoo: A look at Asia's endangered species
by Chester Moore (Editor)
Posted October 30, 2007
New Orleans---The piercing yellow eyes of an Amur leopard caught the fleeting rays of early morning light. Though obscured by shadows they turned the gaze of the beautiful cat from engaging to downright mesmerizing. For a moment it seemed as I were in the wild, locking eyes with this magnificent animal but in reality it occurred in the Asian domain of the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans.
Housing a vast collection of animals ranging from African plains game to denizens of southern U.S. Swamps the Audubon Zoo gives visitors a chance at viewing some of the world’s most unique and endangered animals.
http://www.thesop.org/article.php?id=8068
Tuesday, October 30, 2007 - 10:20 AM EDT
Zoo gets three more elephants
The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area
The North Carolina Zoo has received three more African elephants, bringing its total to seven.
The three elephants -- Artie, Tonga and Batir -- traveled to Asheboro via truck from Riddle's Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary, an elephant facility near Greenbrier, Ark.
The move was part of the zoo's goal to promote long-term preservation of elephants and its elephant breeding program. The three new arrivals are now in a $2.5 million, 12,000-square-foot elephant holding barn within the "Watani Grasslands Reserve." The zoo also expanded its outdoor elephant enclosure to seven acres for the new animals.
The upgrades are part of an $8.5 million renovation and expansion of the zoo's elephant and rhinoceros facilities. Since November 2006, the Watani Grasslands Reserve project has raised $7.5 million in private contributions through the N.C. Zoological Society. The reserve's grand opening is scheduled for April.
http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/stories/2007/10/29/daily10.html
Culp Fights Elephant Plans at LA Zoo
2 days ago
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge has ruled that Robert Culp's lawsuit alleging that the Los Angeles Zoo mistreats elephants can go forward.
Judge Reginald A. Dunn rejected arguments by the city that the complaint filed by the 77-year-old actor and real estate agent Aaron Leider lacks a legal basis.
Culp and Leider accuse zoo authorities of withholding medical care from elephants and keeping the animals cramped in small places.
Their lawsuit seeks to stop the zoo from building a $40 million elephant exhibit, and also says the zoo shouldn't keep any elephants.
Deputy City Attorney John A. Carvalho argued Monday that the pair's complaint was political, not legal, and said the zoo is in compliance with federal and state statutes.
"There is no standard by which you can look to once this case proceeds," Carvalho argued. But Dunn rejected the argument and refused to dismiss the lawsuit.
David Casselman, a lawyer for Leider and Culp, who starred in the "I Spy" TV series, said the ruling makes it "a great day for elephants."
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g8PuVhiSbWxmJynF5LX6tf4pwrfQD8SJITJ00
Californian fires scorch zoo's edge
Researchers deal with burned habitats and landscapes.
San Diego Zoo's curator of birds sifts through what is left of one of the two condor breeding facilities.Ken Bohn, Zoolog. Soc. San Diego
Most of the wildfires in southern California have now been contained and the weather has turned damp, leaving fire fighters optimistic and turning residents' thoughts to the clean-up operation.
But the blaze has left its mark on the local ecology and some research facilities.
San Diego Zoo’s Conservation and Research for Endangered Species programme, for example, suffered some losses, including damage to a California condor breeding facility (the birds themselves were safe, having been evacuated), and the destruction of a planned habitat for endangered mountain yellow-legged frogs. Ironically, this habitat had been designated after the frogs’ original home was burned in similar Californian wildfires in 2003. The amphibians may now have to be moved to yet another zoo, says spokesperson Yadira Galindo.
One of only two known habitats of the endangered Pacific pocket mouse was also burned by the fire, at Camp Pendleton. It is as yet unknown how these mice fared, Galindo adds.
Researchers with the zoo are now planning to study the effect of the fires on plants, amphibians, reptiles and small mammals in the surrounding park area, where such animals have been monitored for the past decade. Some instrumentation in this area — such as temperature sensors within rattlesnake dens — is also expected to provide insights into fire ecology.
Since 21 October, the fires have caused the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people and destroyed some 2,000 homes. Similarly devastating fires hit California in 2003 and 1991, with each incident taking more than 3,000 homes.
http://www.nature.com/news/2007/071029/full/news.2007.200.html
New policy bans smoking on zoo grounds
Woodland Park Zoo is going smoke-free.
The new policy, which goes into effect Thursday, bans smoking on the Seattle zoo’s grounds. Smoking already was prohibited in zoo buildings and near animal exhibits.
“Providing a quality experience for our visitors is a priority for the zoo, and smoking on grounds has recently been the No. 1 complaint,” said zoo President and CEO Deborah Jensen.
The zoo is open every day except Dec. 25.
http://www.mughaleazam.com/2007/10/30/new-policy-bans-smoking-on-zoo-grounds/
Bearcat well after Melbourne Zoo escape
October 30, 2007 - 7:14AM
Advertisement
Police thought it was a panther, but it was just a naughty bearcat lucky to be alive after his early morning escape from Melbourne Zoo.
The male binturong, also known as a bearcat, was seen scampering across the road by a motorist about 1.45am (AEDT) on Tuesday before taking refuge up a tree on the corner of The Avenue and Walker Street at Parkville, in Melbourne's inner-north, Victoria Police said.
Senior Constable Jenny McDonald from Carlton police station said she and her partner, who were called to investigate the sighting, initially thought they were dealing with a panther.
"They (the motorist) actually rang triple-0 and said something three times bigger than a cat had run across the road in front of them and climbed up a tree," Snr Const McDonald told Southern Cross Broadcasting.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Bearcat-well-after-Melbourne-Zoo-escape/2007/10/30/1193618829380.html
Gingrich, ex-Zoo Atlanta CEO write 'green' treatise
Book calls for entrepreneurial solutions to environmental woes
By BO EMERSON
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/30/07
One problem with the green movement is the lack of green.
Solutions to environmental problems take money. But they can also make money.
Such is a tenet of "A Contract With the Earth" (Johns Hopkins Press, $20), a call for a new environmental movement co-authored by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and former CEO of Zoo Atlanta Terry Maple.
The bottom line of the new treatise is that entrepreneurial forces must be engaged if a global crisis is to be averted.
"You have to bring people to the table that have resources, not just good intentions," said Maple during a recent telephone interview from his new post at the Palm Beach Zoo, where he is CEO.
Atlantic Station is a stellar example of environmentalists and businessmen working together, Maple said. The Midtown development, formerly a polluted industrial site, is now a booming live-work community.
Today Atlantic Station will serve as the backdrop for a book signing and panel discussion by Gingrich, Maple and others titled "A Forum on the Environment: Restoring Planetary Balance." It will take place from 2-4 p.m., between East District and West District avenues.
The forum is co-sponsored by the Trust for Public Land and the Nature Conservancy. (For information: www.mogulpr.com/earth.html.)
Maple spoke to the AJC on a variety of topics, including public/private cooperation, working with a co-author better known as a firebrand than a consensus-builder, and baby pandas.
• On the difficulty of building a bipartisan movement (given Gingrich's take-no-prisoners political style):
"He has ruffled a lot of feathers. ... It will be a hard sell to a lot of people who were polarized. When I first talked to him about writing this book, I said, this has to be absolutely nonpartisan. ... In his political life he's had to throw stones at the ruling party. Newt is a tough politician, he goes after things that have to be attacked. Our book is outside the realm of that."
• On their working methods:
"Maybe it's fair to say I drew out of him what was in him, but [that] he hadn't expressed in public. ... He was a strong reader and correcter. ... We continued to exchange chapters. ... Everything is based on conversations we had. I tell people when they ask me: I literally mind-melded with him. I read everything he had written that was around these issues, so I could understand better his principles."
• On who did most of the writing:
"I did a lot of the heavy lifting."
• On entrepreneurial solutions to water shortages:
"Countries all around the world are using desalinization. We should be working on that in the state of Georgia. That's one of the ways to supplement or augment water scarcity in time of drought."
• On drawing conservatives into the environmental movement:
"He knows the Republican Party has a lot of work to do in terms of the environment."
• On reducing greenhouse gases (considering that Congress has failed to pass requirements for better automobile fuel efficiency):
"Newt's point of view is, you can say, 'If you don't get up to 30 mpg in so many years, then you can suffer the consequences.' Or you can say 'Here's a tax break if you get up to 50 mpg.' He's in favor of big incentives. He's been saying this for some time. We need prizes."
• On baby pandas (specifically, whether they have one at the Palm Beach Zoo):
"Don't start with me ..."
More on ajc.com
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/living/stories/2007/10/29/contract_1030.html
Zoo welcomes new rhino; hopes to make a love match
By BRENDAN O’BRIEN
Journal Times
Monday, October 29, 2007 9:44 PM CDT
RACINE — Racine Zoo officials are hoping that Timu digs playful, easygoing, curious and friendly males. That’s exactly how Kianga, who is coming for a long and extended stay, is described.
Kianga, a 3-year-old black eastern rhinoceros, arrived Monday from Brookfield Zoo in suburban Chicago with the sole purpose of mating with Timu, his female eastern black rhino counterpart.
For the next several years, the romantic interludes between Kianga and Timu will be watched with great anticipation.
“It could be easily five years, because he is just a little fellow and the males don’t sexually mature in the wild until about 7 years old,” Jay Christie, president and chief executive officer of the Racine Zoo said of the 2,200-pound rhino that stands 5 feet tall and is 9 feet long. “In captivity, it could be as early as 5 years and that’s because they don’t have the competition of other adult rhinos and the other stresses of the wild.”
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2007/10/29/local_news/doc47269944f13b1321688816.txt
Kiddie critters run a-mock at zoo
BY ELIZABETH AHLIN
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
The Henry Doorly Zoo is no stranger to curious creatures, but the zoo got curiouser and curiouser Sunday as superheroes, skeletons and vampires overran the grounds.
With big bug eyes on his Spider-Man mask, Josh Rule, 3, took his best shot at looking menacing as he peered through the glass of a tank at a green sea turtle.
Josh was there to celebrate Halloween at the zoo's annual Spooktacular, where costumed children wandered the grounds trick-or-treating for candy, doing craft projects and marveling at the animals.
The green sea turtle barely registered Josh's gaze as it lazily flipped a foot and swished its head through the water. Josh's sister Gabrielle Rule, 6, tried to do a little better by staring down the sharks that swam around in the tank.
Dressed in a dark, velvety-looking vampire costume, Gabrielle thought she had a good shot. While she wouldn't take any chances by swimming in a shark tank, she said, vampires are pretty scary.
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2620&u_sid=10170654&u_rss=1&
El Paso Zoo Hosts Menagerie of Costumes
Posted by Armando Saldivar, KDBC 4 News
The El Paso zoo was filled with more than just exotic creatures on Sunday. The "Boo at the Zoo" event featured a "zoo-rific kids costume contest" which made it a little difficult to tell the children from the animals.
Infants to 12 year olds donned their Halloween costume all in an effort to win top honors. Everyone was a winner at the treat stations where area vendors handed out free goodies during the two-day event.
"El Paso has just turned out for this. We had 2,400 people last year. Yesterday we had 2,300, so we are just seeing so many el pasoans come out. We're just doubling our numbers as people enjoy this great event." said Zoo Spokesperson, Liz Kern.
http://www.kdbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=7277771&nav=menu608_2
Lim orders free admission for children to Manila Zoo
By Tina Santos
Inquirer
Last updated 09:26pm (Mla time) 10/27/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- For five days until October 31, parents may bring their children to the Manila Zoo and Botanical Gardens free of charge.
Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim on Saturday ordered city parks and recreation bureau chief Deng Manimbo to grant free admission to children until October 31 as part of the activities lined up by the city government in observance of the Children's Month celebration or "Pista ng Batang Pilipino."
Lim added that the free admission would be extended even to children who are not residents of the city.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view_article.php?article_id=97159
continued...
Friday, November 02, 2007
Morning Papers - continued...
Zoos
It was a boo-tiful time at zoo
Halloween-themed event draws families for fun and treats
By Matt Lakin (Contact)
Sunday, October 28, 2007
The birds and beasts outnumbered the monsters Saturday night, but Cayman Lancaster didn't mind.
The 4-year-old from Powell showed up for the 21st annual "Boo! at the Zoo" dressed as a red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger. His 8-year-old sister Haylee came dressed as a she-devil.
"This is their first time here," said their father, Billy. "It's pretty cool for them. Instead of going to a stranger's house, they're getting to see the animals and learn."
The Lancasters and a herd of other children and adults spent the night getting an up-close look at the bears and elephants, riding the camels and visiting the 19 treat stations inside the zoo.
This year's event has drawn more than 10,000 visitors since it kicked off last weekend, Knoxville Zoo spokeswoman Janya Marshall said.
"Last week, we saw over 9,000 visitors," she said. "We've already seen about that many this week, and that's not counting tonight and tomorrow."
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2007/oct/28/it-was-a-boo-tiful-time-at-zoo/
Baby boom at zoo
20 October 2007 16:00
A MINI baby boom has hit Colchester Zoo with four offspring born within a matter of weeks of each other.
The birth of two Red River hog piglets, and two types of primates, a Squirrel Monkey and a Mandrill, is set to boost the zoo's breeding programmes and help protect endangered species.
The zoo's breeding group of Mandrills, the largest in the country, got one bigger this month with the birth of a baby to mother Celine and father Dume in the Edge of Africa zone.
In total there are now 24 mandrills all living together at the zoo.
A spokeswoman for Colchester Zoo said: “This is excellent news for The European Endangered Species Programme that they are a part of, as they are one of the most endangered primates in the world. Their numbers are drastically reducing in the wild because of increasing habitat loss and hunting through the bushmeat trade.”
http://www.eveningstar.co.uk/content/eveningstar/news/story.aspx?brand=ESTOnline&category=News&tBrand=estonline&tCategory=News&itemid=IPED19%20Oct%202007%2010%3A34%3A11%3A780
Zoo fans say it’s time for donors, volunteers to step up
In order to keep the animals, supporters may have to feed and clean up after them
By BILL SHEA Messenger staff writer
POSTED: October 21, 2007
People interested in volunteering or contributing to the Friends of the Oleson Park Zoo should contact Orville and Joyce O’Connell at 955-3258.
A flyer with more information on the group’s membership drive will be inserted in The Messenger this week.
The Oleson Park Zoo needs some support.
Everyone who has enjoyed the Fort Dodge site now has a chance to help keep it open for years to come.
The Friends of the Oleson Park Zoo is offering people who love the zoo animals the chance to feed them and, yes, clean up after them. And it’s actively seeking donations. Zoo T-shirts will be given to people who contribute money.
Jim Kramer, a spokesman for the private group, said it needs to find out how much public support it can count on as plans for the zoo’s future are developed.
‘‘The Friends of the Zoo would like to do what we can do to get the zoo set up and funded in a way that it can sustain itself,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s really critical that we find out how much volunteer and financial support is there to help us accomplish that.’’
http://www.messengernews.net/page/content.detail/id/500377.html?nav=5010
Cleveland zoo monitoring captive gorillas for heart disease
Donna J. Miller's Animals in the News
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Donna Miller
Plain Dealer Reporter
Gorillas in our midst in danger
of succumbing to heart disease Here's a metaphor for all the pet-loving higher primates reading this who haven't had much contact with unshaven primates:
Chimpanzees are hooray-you're-home-yippee-yahoo dogs.
http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1192955592222120.xml&coll=2
Crumbling exhibit cramps style of zoo’s three sea lions
Animals confined to indoor facility as experts ready report on repair needs
By Stephen T. Watson - News Staff Reporter
Updated: 10/20/07 10:27 AM
Dallas, shown in 2005, checks out the then-new habitat he shared with zoo’s two other sea lions.
Pieces of concrete are falling off part of the Buffalo Zoo’s two-year-old Sea Lion Cove exhibit, and zoo officials have brought in a group of experts to find out what’s wrong.
The problem began just two months after the $5 million exhibit opened in August 2005, said Donna M. Fernandes, zoo president.
Repairs have not solved the problem, which, as yet, does not pose a threat to the zoo’s three sea lions, Fernandes said Friday.
“I think everybody’s trying to get to the root of the problem,” Fernandes said, describing the matter as an aesthetic issue.
Two independent experts and representatives from two Sea Lion Cove contractors examined the exhibit Thursday and Friday, and were expected to issue their findings soon.
Work on permanent repairs might not begin until the spring, Fernandes said. For now, the sea lions are confined to the indoor section of the exhibit.
http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/188367.html?imw=Y
Wal-Mart employees give facelift, donation to zoo
October 21, 2007
RELATED LINK
Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo: http://www.monroezoo.org/
ADVERTISEMENT
By Robbie Evans
revans@thenewsstar.com
Wal-Mart employees from northeast Louisiana and Mississippi descended on Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo in Monroe on Thursday to give the region's only zoo a face lift.
From fence clearing and landscaping to painting, more than 150 Wal-Mart employees volunteered eight hours of their time to the cleanup at the zoo. As part of the effort, they also donated $11,000 to Louisiana Purchase Zoological Society toward its goal of bringing back the miniature train ride.
"It's amazing," said zoo director Everett Harris. "They're able to accomplish in one day what we've been working on for a year. It's a great benefit to the zoo and a great example of what happens when businesses buy into the community initiatives."
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071021/NEWS01/710210308/1060/NEWS01
Tribute to World Zoo Legend, Molly Badham
Posted on October 20, 2007 by kateandrews
Molly Badham, the inspired animal lover who co-founded Twycross Zoo and turned it into one of Britain’s best-loved attractions, has died.
Molly Badham was a surrogate mum, with a big difference. For over 40 years Molly played mother to baby chimps in Twycross Zoo. 40 years after opening and Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire is still going strong.
http://primeconcern.wordpress.com/2007/10/20/tribute-to-world-zoo-legend-molly-badham/
Molly Badham
Last Updated: 2:55am BST 22/10/2007
Molly Badham, who died on October 19 aged 93, was an expert on primates and co-founder of Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire; she also trained the chimpanzees who appeared in the television commercials for Brooke Bond PG Tips.
Molly Winifred Badham was born on May 18 1914, the daughter of an internationally-known herbalist. From an early age she loved animals, and after leaving Town School, Sutton Coldfield, she bred dogs and ran a boarding kennel. The money she made from breeding enabled her to set up her first business venture, a pet shop at Sutton Coldfield.
The rival pet shop in the town was run by Nathalie Evans, and it was in the window of Nathalie's shop that Molly Badham saw her first monkey in 1949. "From that moment a lifetime love-affair with monkeys and primates began," she later said.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/22/db2202.xml
Here are some photos from The London Zoo back in the good old days days!!!!
http://www.linkinn.com/_Here_are_some_photos_from_The_London_Zoo_back_in_the_good_old_days_days
'Boo at the Zoo' offers Halloween fun
By Shannon Petrie
published: October 21 2007 09:16 PM updated:: October 23 2007 11:55 AM
Thousands of people visited the Knoxville Zoo this weekend for the 21st Annual Boo at the Zoo, an event that allows children to trick-or-treat within the safe walls of the zoo.
Boo at the Zoo, Knoxville's largest Halloween event, was held from Oct. 18-21 this week and will take place again from Oct. 25-28. The event lasts from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. each night.
"The purpose of the event is to provide a safe Halloween environment and also to benefit the zoo," said Janya Marshall, media relations manager for the zoo. Many other zoos across the nation hold similar events.
http://tnjn.com/2007/oct/21/boo-at-the-zoo-offers-hallowee/
Perth Zoo's first baby echidna make public appearance
October 22, 2007 12:24pm
A TINY puggle - the first echidna born at Perth Zoo and only the ninth ever bred in Australia - made its first public appearance today.
It is hoped that the short-beaked echidna puggle (baby), named Jilba, will help unravel some of the mysteries of echidna reproduction and provide vital information to help save its endangered cousin, the long-beaked echidna, which is facing extinction in the wild.
Perth Zoo’s curator of Australian Fauna, John Lemon, said it was a very exciting time as echidnas were extremely difficult to breed in captivity. The puggle’s mother, Kiltah, had laid eggs in the past but no young had ever hatched.
Mr Lemon said the mother incubated the single egg for 10 days before it hatched on
August 4 and carried the puggle in her pouch for two months before depositing it in a burrow in early October.
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,22627393-2761,00.html
Saying goodbye to an old friend at Abilene Zoo
By Scott Kirk
Special to the Reporter-News
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Abilene Zoo Director Bill Baker admitted that Sunday's farewell party for Tanya the elephant was a bittersweet affair.
Bitter in that her departure represents a sad ending to a tragic event from last spring, but sweet in that the Nelson Park Zoo's future as far as elephants are concerned will be cemented in the next two or three years.
Tanya will be leaving Abilene this week for a new home at the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco. Her days in Abilene were numbered when her companion, Tanzy, passed away suddenly on Aug. 13 at the age of 49.
Baker said it was an ethical decision to move the 29-year-old Tanya somewhere else so she could have the companionship of other elephants.
http://reporternews.com/news/2007/oct/21/saying-goodbye-to-an-old-friend-at-abilene-zoo/
Slimy salamander spawns: Rare breeding is good news at Toledo Zoo
By JENNI LAIDMAN
BLADE SCIENCE WRITER
Mama salamander is ready for a fight.
If any of the other 20 or so salamanders housed with her even dares to sidle over to peek at her 18 eggs, she charges and bites.
And, yes, the six-inch amphibian has the teeth to make her threats a little more pointed.
The egg clutch she protects marks the Toledo Zoo's first instance of slimy salamander reproduction.
"It may be the first captive breeding ever," says Tim Herman, the herpetology keeper who watches over the salamanders. But that's not anything he can say for certain.
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071022/NEWS38/710220337
Sunday Night Boo Video and Photos
The first weekend of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's Halloween event Boo at the Zoo recorded three days of sell out crowds and four straight days of unexpectedly warm weather (for October in Northeast Ohio). The crowd on Sunday evening, October 21, was 6138 people strong. Were you there? Check out our video and photo gallery of the night, and thanks to all the little goblins who waved at the camera.
We hope everyone had as much fun as we did on Sunday night at Boo at the Zoo. Were you caught on film by the photo ghouls? Check out our video clips and photos of the festivities. If you missed it, there are still four days left of Boo: Thursday, October 25 through Sunday, October 28. Get your tickets today (Saturday is already sold out) and get ready to smile for the camera.
http://www.clemetzoo.com/zblog/default.asp?Display=62
Kinah’s New Sister
Posted at 10:57 am October 22, 2007 by Nerissa Foland
Kinah has had some real excitement lately in her home here in Ituri Forest at the San Diego Zoo. At 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 20, 2007, Kinah became a big sister! Our late keeper had just brought the Allen’s swamp monkeys inside their night quarters when Kinah’s adoptive mom, Bunzi, went into labor and gave birth to her first baby (see previous blog, Kinah’s Best Friend). Due to Bunzi’s obvious pregnancy belly, we knew it wouldn’t be long before she gave birth. And despite being a first-time mom, Bunzi is doing a fantastic job caring for her baby. The infant looks healthy and alert and has been nursing up a storm: all good signs!
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/kinahs-new-sister/
Zoo's founder dies, aged 93
Oct 22 2007
By Steve Evans
MOLLY Badham, the founder of a zoo near Nuneaton which trained the chimps for the PG Tips tea adverts, has died at the age of 93.
Only three years ago she was named Conservation Midlander of the Year in an awards event run by ITV in conjunction with media partners including the Coventry Telegraph.
Two years earlier, in 2002, it was the Telegraph who broke the news to her that she had been awarded the MBE for her services to the conservation of endangered species.
She and her business partner Nathalie Evans founded Twycross Zoo, on the Warwickshire and Leicester-shire border, in 1963.
http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0125nwarksnews/tm_headline=zoo-s-founder-dies-aged-93&method=full&objectid=19989535&siteid=50003-name_page.html
Philadelphia Zoo
Posted: October 22, 2007 Philadelphia, Family
“The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face.”
- Jack Handy
http://ericsmithrocks.com/2007/10/22/philadelphia-zoo/
Zoo renewal falters after convenor misses meeting
PlanningResource, 22 October 2007
Edinburgh Zoo's redevelopment plans have faltered after councillors ignored officials' advice and refused to reallocate green belt land for housing.
The zoo's £72 million masterplan envisages selling off part of the site at Corstorphine for 100 new homes. But the city council's planning committee decided by seven votes to six...
http://www.planningresource.co.uk/news/ByDiscipline/development-control/login/753678/
Children Hoping to be Adopted Visit Hogle Zoo
October 22nd, 2007 @ 4:48pm
Amanda Butterfield Reporting
A special group of kids went to Hogle Zoo this morning. For some of the kids, it was the first time they saw elephants and alligators in person. It's was also their first time in America.
This is Eevahn's first time to the zoo. Johnette McBride, of Eevahn's host family, says, "He's six years old; just barely turned six years old."
Eevahn, like the rest of these Ukrainian orphans, doesn't know a lot of English. But you don't need words to tell they're all having fun.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=2019520
Cherry Brook Zoo Receives Accreditation Certification
Well this is our last day in Vancouver, BC and tomorrow morning we head for home in Saint John, NB. I guess the highlight of our trip to our National Conference was receiving our framed Accreditation Certification at the Awards Banquet in front of our fellow peers from across Canada. The newly revised accreditation process is a rigorous one encompassing Canadian, US and European standards all in one. Being one of the first few zoos in Canada to receive Accreditation under these new standards displays the hard work and constant efforts of Staff, Volunteers and Board Members to the Cherry Brook Zoo. Being a small facility leads some people to think we cannot work in the global environment along side the big facilities but we are here to prove you wrong. Accreditation shows we can and do meet the standards that are required; that we work in global conservation with may international breeding programs; we educate our young people and make a difference in what is happening in our world. The next time you visit us at the Cherry Brook Zoo know that you are in a facility with high standards and that work tirelessly to protect and preserve those species that struggle for survival.
Thank you to the Staff, our Volunteers and our Board of Trustees for this Award is yours to be proud of.
http://cherrybrookzooinc.blogspot.com/2007/10/cherry-brook-zoo-receives-accreditation.html
New ‘Animal Planet’ in the lap of Margallas
By Imran Naeem Ahmad
ISLAMABAD: If the Marghazar Zoo’s conceptual plan actually turns out to be what it looks on paper, it is set to become a truly top class facility that would indeed make the animals feel perfectly at home.
The zoo that sits in the lap of the Margalla Hills is being re-done and consultants hired by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) have prepared an elaborate plan for its development. Messers Unicon who will be working along with South African firm Van Riet & Louw, a prominent name in landscaping and zoo planning, have divided the facility into five distinct areas that will house the animals.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C10%5C23%5Cstory_23-10-2007_pg11_10
Welcome the newest member at Chhatbir zoo: A baby hippo
Express news service
Posted online: Tuesday , October 23, 2007 at 12:00:00
Updated: Tuesday , October 23, 2007 at 12:54:25
Chandigarh, October 22 The latest member of the Chhatbir Zoo ‘family’ is a 2-feet long hippo born this morning at the zoo itself. Surita, the mother hippopotamus, gave birth to the 20-25 kilogram baby hippo, bringing the total number of hippos at the zoo to five.
Zoo authorities said Surita gave birth in water and the condition of both the mother and baby was normal. However, the sex of the calf could not be determined as the baby was born in water and has not come out of water till now.
“The mother hippo is normal, while the calf is busy swimming. We have yet to determine the sex as usually the mother brings the calf out of water after 24 hours of birth,” said Dharminder Sharma, Director of Chhatbir Zoo.
“There are 87 hippopotamus in zoos across the country. Earlier there were four hippopotamus in Chhatbir Zoo which has now increased to five with the arrival of new one,” added Sharma.
Hippopotamus are found in the tropical regions of South Africa and they move in a group of 20 to 100.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Welcome-the-newest-member-at-Chhatbir-zoo-A-baby-hippo/231349/
Zoo Improvements
BILLINGS - Visitors to ZooMontana might notice some changes are in the works. The zoo recently finished paving all of its walkways. Many of them used to be covered with wooden chips.
Mihail Kennedy works at ZooMontana. He said they have been working on this project for more than seven years. They recently received some grant money that helped them complete the project.
He said the new walkways will make zoo trips more enjoyable for many.
"Being paved, it makes them much more accessible for wheel chairs, strollers, that kind of thing," he said. "It's also a lot easier on your ankles."
The zoo is also working on constructing a habitat for its grizzly bear exhibit. Kennedy said they hope to complete the exhibit by December or January and introduce Grizzlies by next spring.
http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/10725901.html
Boo! at the Zoo
Published 10/22/2007
Rockstars and cats, ninjas and fairies, football players and Lindsay Lohan, all came together for this year's Boo! at the Zoo.
Scarecrow Anya Miller, 2, sits on her dad, Justin's, shoulders to get a better view while waiting in line Saturday for Boo!
Gene Sloan, Satanta, right, has a laugh with Xochitl Ramirez, left, as he gets some candy from the Golden Corral booth Saturday at Lee Richardson Zoo during Boo! at the Zoo.
The weather might have been the biggest treat of the night, with evening temperatures in the 80s.
Unless of course you were couped up in a hot, scarey costume like Bob Prewitt, director of Finney County Emergency Medical Services.
Finney County EMS has been a "treat stop" at Boo! at the Zoo since its beginnings.
Paramedic Theresa Maddox dished out candy and struggled to keep up with the steady stream of open bags.
http://www.gctelegram.com/News/141527
CEO of Joburg zoo resigns
October 22 2007 at 07:04PM
Johannesburg Zoo chief executive officer (CEO) Jenny Gray has resigned after four years at the helm, the Zoo said on Monday.
"We are sad to loose Ms Gray and we wish her well with her new venture.
"We are confident that the management team will ensure that it continues to deliver world-class service to the citizens of Johannesburg" chairman of the board of the Johannesburg Zoo, Ike Ngwena said.
Gray, who joined the Johannesburg Zoo in 2004, will be taking up the position of Director of the Werribee Open Range Zoo in Melbourne, Australia.
Dr Stephen van der Spuy has been appointed as acting CEO when Gray leaves at the end of November.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=594&art_id=nw20071022132347842C781757
Decoding calls of the wild
Marquette's 'Dr. Dolittle' uses computers to unlock the meaning behind snorts, rumbles and cheeps
By MARK JOHNSON
markjohnson@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Oct. 20, 2007
In childhood, Dr. Dolittle never had a pet of his own. The family kept fish, but he did not name or talk to them, feed them or clean their tanks. His enduring memory is that once, when he was 4 or 5, he banged the aquarium with a wooden block until the glass broke, and a catfish spilled out and flopped about on the floor.
"Brainpower" is an occasional series profiling some of our state's groundbreaking thinkers, residents who have changed the way we see the world. Each of the stories will link to an extensive package of entertaining and educational Web features aimed at children, parents and teachers, a kind of online classroom.
NEXT IN SERIES: Robert Enright, professor in the University of Wisconsin's department of educational psychology
ARCHIVE:
The Journal Sentinel is offering a science contest for Wisconsin's middle and high school students. Film a YouTube-style video, design a Web page or produce a PowerPoint presentation on the development of our universe. You can focus on one aspect, such as the Big Bang, or tell the broad story from the universe's earliest moments to the possibilities for its future.
By his own admission, Dr. Dolittle wasn't "a big animal person." In some respects, he still isn't.
He's more of a computer person, one who talks to technology the way others talk to pets, with an occasional flash of tough love -"Better not freeze up on me, or I'll get mad."
His real name is Michael Johnson, and he's a 40-year-old Marquette University engineering professor, founder of the ambitious but little-known Dr. Dolittle Project. In a small lab at the Olin Engineering Center, Johnson puts recordings of whales, birds and elephants through sophisticated computer analysis, leading to important advances in the understanding of animals.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=676954
Nature's mistakes -- or mishaps
By AUSTIN CUNNINGHAM Sunday, October 21, 2007
I've occasionally mentioned that I hope people will say of this column, "What's that SOB going to write about next?' Well, today I'm going to write about weird animals whose very existence is a mystery. What kind of God or Intelligent Design created them? I'll mention Tasmanian Devils, Duckbilled Platypuses, Wombats, Wallabies. Sloths, Koala Bears.
I've lived in a variety of locations, sometimes near zoos, sometimes not. The closer the better. I love to hear lions roaring in the nighttime distance. Or steamboats whistle. Sounds alert us to the fact that God's in his heaven and life is teeming out there. Zoos in Washington, Chicago, New Orleans -- near. In the Bronx, San Diego, Columbia -- far.
I have a theory that zoos have evolved in the last few generations.
http://www.timesanddemocrat.com/articles/2007/10/21/opinion/12789851.txt
Don`t just expect antics from animals, conserve them: Expert
Mumbai, Oct 21: The zoo authorities here are planning to realign the abode of animals as platforms for conserving and preserving the wildlife.
In their master plan sent to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), New Delhi earlier this year, authorities of veer mata Jijabai Prani Udyan Zoo have proposed to give it a facelift by making it a place more for conservation and preservation of rare and endangered animals, rather than they being entertainment spots for common public.
A senior zoo official said, "we do receive about 6,000 to 7,000 visitors per day in zoo. In older concept, zoos were sites of entertainment but according to modern theories as proposed by CZA, zoos should be developed and revamped to conserve animals."
He said working on these lines they have formulated a master plan to makeover the 145 year old zoo, spread over 53 acres, located in heart of Mumbai at Byculla.
"Earlier people had a preconceived notion about animals, that a lion should always roar, a bear should dance and monkey should always make people laugh with its antics," he said.
And when animals do not perform these activities, sometimes people hurl items on them which can cause injury and even affect the psychology of an animal, he added.
http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=402620&ssid=26&ssname=Eco%20News&sid=ENV&sname=
HPIM0572 Camel facing left cropped
I was really surprised to find such a wide variety of animals tucked away on the southern Oregon coast just outside of a small town! And the animals were all obviously well-cared for. It's too bad that zoos like this can't recreate more of the environment that the animals would naturally have, and I'm sure the animals don't get the same kind of exercise and socializing they would be getting in the wild, but for a zoo, this was pretty nice. And if it wasn't for a zoo like this, I probably wouldn't ever have a chance to see some of these critters up close enough to get photos of them! So I'm a bit caught on what i think of zoos! Hpim0572.Jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73162473@N00/1667271107/
Zoo welcomes newborn gorilla (Video)
By CASEY MCNERTHNEY
P-I REPORTER
A western lowland gorilla was born Saturday morning at Woodland Park Zoo. The female is the 12th gorilla born there and third offspring of the 37-year-old mother and the 28-year-old father.
The infant and mother are under round-the-clock observation and can't be viewed by the public, and staff said future viewing depends on outdoor temperatures. Meanwhile, staff members plan to post images and video on the zoo's Web site, zoo.org, and on YouTube.
"The first 72 hours are the most critical for a newborn gorilla," said the zoo's interim associate veterinarian of animal health, Dr. John Ochsenreiter.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/336439_gorilla23.html
Dated
Science group - Wildlife
The RSPCA's wildlife department seeks to improve the welfare provision for wild animals. The aims of the department are achieved through research, the promotion of an awareness of the requirements of animals, and an emphasis on a precautionary and humane approach to human interactions with wild animal species.
Wildlife care and rehabilitation
Through the work of the four wildlife centres, the department continues to support and co-ordinate the rehabilitation work of the Society to maximize the successful integration of wildlife casualties back into the wild.
http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/RSPCARedirect&pg=sciencegroup&marker=1&articleId=996827936873
continued...
It was a boo-tiful time at zoo
Halloween-themed event draws families for fun and treats
By Matt Lakin (Contact)
Sunday, October 28, 2007
The birds and beasts outnumbered the monsters Saturday night, but Cayman Lancaster didn't mind.
The 4-year-old from Powell showed up for the 21st annual "Boo! at the Zoo" dressed as a red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger. His 8-year-old sister Haylee came dressed as a she-devil.
"This is their first time here," said their father, Billy. "It's pretty cool for them. Instead of going to a stranger's house, they're getting to see the animals and learn."
The Lancasters and a herd of other children and adults spent the night getting an up-close look at the bears and elephants, riding the camels and visiting the 19 treat stations inside the zoo.
This year's event has drawn more than 10,000 visitors since it kicked off last weekend, Knoxville Zoo spokeswoman Janya Marshall said.
"Last week, we saw over 9,000 visitors," she said. "We've already seen about that many this week, and that's not counting tonight and tomorrow."
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2007/oct/28/it-was-a-boo-tiful-time-at-zoo/
Baby boom at zoo
20 October 2007 16:00
A MINI baby boom has hit Colchester Zoo with four offspring born within a matter of weeks of each other.
The birth of two Red River hog piglets, and two types of primates, a Squirrel Monkey and a Mandrill, is set to boost the zoo's breeding programmes and help protect endangered species.
The zoo's breeding group of Mandrills, the largest in the country, got one bigger this month with the birth of a baby to mother Celine and father Dume in the Edge of Africa zone.
In total there are now 24 mandrills all living together at the zoo.
A spokeswoman for Colchester Zoo said: “This is excellent news for The European Endangered Species Programme that they are a part of, as they are one of the most endangered primates in the world. Their numbers are drastically reducing in the wild because of increasing habitat loss and hunting through the bushmeat trade.”
http://www.eveningstar.co.uk/content/eveningstar/news/story.aspx?brand=ESTOnline&category=News&tBrand=estonline&tCategory=News&itemid=IPED19%20Oct%202007%2010%3A34%3A11%3A780
Zoo fans say it’s time for donors, volunteers to step up
In order to keep the animals, supporters may have to feed and clean up after them
By BILL SHEA Messenger staff writer
POSTED: October 21, 2007
People interested in volunteering or contributing to the Friends of the Oleson Park Zoo should contact Orville and Joyce O’Connell at 955-3258.
A flyer with more information on the group’s membership drive will be inserted in The Messenger this week.
The Oleson Park Zoo needs some support.
Everyone who has enjoyed the Fort Dodge site now has a chance to help keep it open for years to come.
The Friends of the Oleson Park Zoo is offering people who love the zoo animals the chance to feed them and, yes, clean up after them. And it’s actively seeking donations. Zoo T-shirts will be given to people who contribute money.
Jim Kramer, a spokesman for the private group, said it needs to find out how much public support it can count on as plans for the zoo’s future are developed.
‘‘The Friends of the Zoo would like to do what we can do to get the zoo set up and funded in a way that it can sustain itself,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s really critical that we find out how much volunteer and financial support is there to help us accomplish that.’’
http://www.messengernews.net/page/content.detail/id/500377.html?nav=5010
Cleveland zoo monitoring captive gorillas for heart disease
Donna J. Miller's Animals in the News
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Donna Miller
Plain Dealer Reporter
Gorillas in our midst in danger
of succumbing to heart disease Here's a metaphor for all the pet-loving higher primates reading this who haven't had much contact with unshaven primates:
Chimpanzees are hooray-you're-home-yippee-yahoo dogs.
http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1192955592222120.xml&coll=2
Crumbling exhibit cramps style of zoo’s three sea lions
Animals confined to indoor facility as experts ready report on repair needs
By Stephen T. Watson - News Staff Reporter
Updated: 10/20/07 10:27 AM
Dallas, shown in 2005, checks out the then-new habitat he shared with zoo’s two other sea lions.
Pieces of concrete are falling off part of the Buffalo Zoo’s two-year-old Sea Lion Cove exhibit, and zoo officials have brought in a group of experts to find out what’s wrong.
The problem began just two months after the $5 million exhibit opened in August 2005, said Donna M. Fernandes, zoo president.
Repairs have not solved the problem, which, as yet, does not pose a threat to the zoo’s three sea lions, Fernandes said Friday.
“I think everybody’s trying to get to the root of the problem,” Fernandes said, describing the matter as an aesthetic issue.
Two independent experts and representatives from two Sea Lion Cove contractors examined the exhibit Thursday and Friday, and were expected to issue their findings soon.
Work on permanent repairs might not begin until the spring, Fernandes said. For now, the sea lions are confined to the indoor section of the exhibit.
http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/188367.html?imw=Y
Wal-Mart employees give facelift, donation to zoo
October 21, 2007
RELATED LINK
Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo: http://www.monroezoo.org/
ADVERTISEMENT
By Robbie Evans
revans@thenewsstar.com
Wal-Mart employees from northeast Louisiana and Mississippi descended on Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo in Monroe on Thursday to give the region's only zoo a face lift.
From fence clearing and landscaping to painting, more than 150 Wal-Mart employees volunteered eight hours of their time to the cleanup at the zoo. As part of the effort, they also donated $11,000 to Louisiana Purchase Zoological Society toward its goal of bringing back the miniature train ride.
"It's amazing," said zoo director Everett Harris. "They're able to accomplish in one day what we've been working on for a year. It's a great benefit to the zoo and a great example of what happens when businesses buy into the community initiatives."
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071021/NEWS01/710210308/1060/NEWS01
Tribute to World Zoo Legend, Molly Badham
Posted on October 20, 2007 by kateandrews
Molly Badham, the inspired animal lover who co-founded Twycross Zoo and turned it into one of Britain’s best-loved attractions, has died.
Molly Badham was a surrogate mum, with a big difference. For over 40 years Molly played mother to baby chimps in Twycross Zoo. 40 years after opening and Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire is still going strong.
http://primeconcern.wordpress.com/2007/10/20/tribute-to-world-zoo-legend-molly-badham/
Molly Badham
Last Updated: 2:55am BST 22/10/2007
Molly Badham, who died on October 19 aged 93, was an expert on primates and co-founder of Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire; she also trained the chimpanzees who appeared in the television commercials for Brooke Bond PG Tips.
Molly Winifred Badham was born on May 18 1914, the daughter of an internationally-known herbalist. From an early age she loved animals, and after leaving Town School, Sutton Coldfield, she bred dogs and ran a boarding kennel. The money she made from breeding enabled her to set up her first business venture, a pet shop at Sutton Coldfield.
The rival pet shop in the town was run by Nathalie Evans, and it was in the window of Nathalie's shop that Molly Badham saw her first monkey in 1949. "From that moment a lifetime love-affair with monkeys and primates began," she later said.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/22/db2202.xml
Here are some photos from The London Zoo back in the good old days days!!!!
http://www.linkinn.com/_Here_are_some_photos_from_The_London_Zoo_back_in_the_good_old_days_days
'Boo at the Zoo' offers Halloween fun
By Shannon Petrie
published: October 21 2007 09:16 PM updated:: October 23 2007 11:55 AM
Thousands of people visited the Knoxville Zoo this weekend for the 21st Annual Boo at the Zoo, an event that allows children to trick-or-treat within the safe walls of the zoo.
Boo at the Zoo, Knoxville's largest Halloween event, was held from Oct. 18-21 this week and will take place again from Oct. 25-28. The event lasts from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. each night.
"The purpose of the event is to provide a safe Halloween environment and also to benefit the zoo," said Janya Marshall, media relations manager for the zoo. Many other zoos across the nation hold similar events.
http://tnjn.com/2007/oct/21/boo-at-the-zoo-offers-hallowee/
Perth Zoo's first baby echidna make public appearance
October 22, 2007 12:24pm
A TINY puggle - the first echidna born at Perth Zoo and only the ninth ever bred in Australia - made its first public appearance today.
It is hoped that the short-beaked echidna puggle (baby), named Jilba, will help unravel some of the mysteries of echidna reproduction and provide vital information to help save its endangered cousin, the long-beaked echidna, which is facing extinction in the wild.
Perth Zoo’s curator of Australian Fauna, John Lemon, said it was a very exciting time as echidnas were extremely difficult to breed in captivity. The puggle’s mother, Kiltah, had laid eggs in the past but no young had ever hatched.
Mr Lemon said the mother incubated the single egg for 10 days before it hatched on
August 4 and carried the puggle in her pouch for two months before depositing it in a burrow in early October.
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,22627393-2761,00.html
Saying goodbye to an old friend at Abilene Zoo
By Scott Kirk
Special to the Reporter-News
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Abilene Zoo Director Bill Baker admitted that Sunday's farewell party for Tanya the elephant was a bittersweet affair.
Bitter in that her departure represents a sad ending to a tragic event from last spring, but sweet in that the Nelson Park Zoo's future as far as elephants are concerned will be cemented in the next two or three years.
Tanya will be leaving Abilene this week for a new home at the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco. Her days in Abilene were numbered when her companion, Tanzy, passed away suddenly on Aug. 13 at the age of 49.
Baker said it was an ethical decision to move the 29-year-old Tanya somewhere else so she could have the companionship of other elephants.
http://reporternews.com/news/2007/oct/21/saying-goodbye-to-an-old-friend-at-abilene-zoo/
Slimy salamander spawns: Rare breeding is good news at Toledo Zoo
By JENNI LAIDMAN
BLADE SCIENCE WRITER
Mama salamander is ready for a fight.
If any of the other 20 or so salamanders housed with her even dares to sidle over to peek at her 18 eggs, she charges and bites.
And, yes, the six-inch amphibian has the teeth to make her threats a little more pointed.
The egg clutch she protects marks the Toledo Zoo's first instance of slimy salamander reproduction.
"It may be the first captive breeding ever," says Tim Herman, the herpetology keeper who watches over the salamanders. But that's not anything he can say for certain.
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071022/NEWS38/710220337
Sunday Night Boo Video and Photos
The first weekend of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's Halloween event Boo at the Zoo recorded three days of sell out crowds and four straight days of unexpectedly warm weather (for October in Northeast Ohio). The crowd on Sunday evening, October 21, was 6138 people strong. Were you there? Check out our video and photo gallery of the night, and thanks to all the little goblins who waved at the camera.
We hope everyone had as much fun as we did on Sunday night at Boo at the Zoo. Were you caught on film by the photo ghouls? Check out our video clips and photos of the festivities. If you missed it, there are still four days left of Boo: Thursday, October 25 through Sunday, October 28. Get your tickets today (Saturday is already sold out) and get ready to smile for the camera.
http://www.clemetzoo.com/zblog/default.asp?Display=62
Kinah’s New Sister
Posted at 10:57 am October 22, 2007 by Nerissa Foland
Kinah has had some real excitement lately in her home here in Ituri Forest at the San Diego Zoo. At 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 20, 2007, Kinah became a big sister! Our late keeper had just brought the Allen’s swamp monkeys inside their night quarters when Kinah’s adoptive mom, Bunzi, went into labor and gave birth to her first baby (see previous blog, Kinah’s Best Friend). Due to Bunzi’s obvious pregnancy belly, we knew it wouldn’t be long before she gave birth. And despite being a first-time mom, Bunzi is doing a fantastic job caring for her baby. The infant looks healthy and alert and has been nursing up a storm: all good signs!
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/kinahs-new-sister/
Zoo's founder dies, aged 93
Oct 22 2007
By Steve Evans
MOLLY Badham, the founder of a zoo near Nuneaton which trained the chimps for the PG Tips tea adverts, has died at the age of 93.
Only three years ago she was named Conservation Midlander of the Year in an awards event run by ITV in conjunction with media partners including the Coventry Telegraph.
Two years earlier, in 2002, it was the Telegraph who broke the news to her that she had been awarded the MBE for her services to the conservation of endangered species.
She and her business partner Nathalie Evans founded Twycross Zoo, on the Warwickshire and Leicester-shire border, in 1963.
http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0125nwarksnews/tm_headline=zoo-s-founder-dies-aged-93&method=full&objectid=19989535&siteid=50003-name_page.html
Philadelphia Zoo
Posted: October 22, 2007 Philadelphia, Family
“The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face.”
- Jack Handy
http://ericsmithrocks.com/2007/10/22/philadelphia-zoo/
Zoo renewal falters after convenor misses meeting
PlanningResource, 22 October 2007
Edinburgh Zoo's redevelopment plans have faltered after councillors ignored officials' advice and refused to reallocate green belt land for housing.
The zoo's £72 million masterplan envisages selling off part of the site at Corstorphine for 100 new homes. But the city council's planning committee decided by seven votes to six...
http://www.planningresource.co.uk/news/ByDiscipline/development-control/login/753678/
Children Hoping to be Adopted Visit Hogle Zoo
October 22nd, 2007 @ 4:48pm
Amanda Butterfield Reporting
A special group of kids went to Hogle Zoo this morning. For some of the kids, it was the first time they saw elephants and alligators in person. It's was also their first time in America.
This is Eevahn's first time to the zoo. Johnette McBride, of Eevahn's host family, says, "He's six years old; just barely turned six years old."
Eevahn, like the rest of these Ukrainian orphans, doesn't know a lot of English. But you don't need words to tell they're all having fun.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=2019520
Cherry Brook Zoo Receives Accreditation Certification
Well this is our last day in Vancouver, BC and tomorrow morning we head for home in Saint John, NB. I guess the highlight of our trip to our National Conference was receiving our framed Accreditation Certification at the Awards Banquet in front of our fellow peers from across Canada. The newly revised accreditation process is a rigorous one encompassing Canadian, US and European standards all in one. Being one of the first few zoos in Canada to receive Accreditation under these new standards displays the hard work and constant efforts of Staff, Volunteers and Board Members to the Cherry Brook Zoo. Being a small facility leads some people to think we cannot work in the global environment along side the big facilities but we are here to prove you wrong. Accreditation shows we can and do meet the standards that are required; that we work in global conservation with may international breeding programs; we educate our young people and make a difference in what is happening in our world. The next time you visit us at the Cherry Brook Zoo know that you are in a facility with high standards and that work tirelessly to protect and preserve those species that struggle for survival.
Thank you to the Staff, our Volunteers and our Board of Trustees for this Award is yours to be proud of.
http://cherrybrookzooinc.blogspot.com/2007/10/cherry-brook-zoo-receives-accreditation.html
New ‘Animal Planet’ in the lap of Margallas
By Imran Naeem Ahmad
ISLAMABAD: If the Marghazar Zoo’s conceptual plan actually turns out to be what it looks on paper, it is set to become a truly top class facility that would indeed make the animals feel perfectly at home.
The zoo that sits in the lap of the Margalla Hills is being re-done and consultants hired by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) have prepared an elaborate plan for its development. Messers Unicon who will be working along with South African firm Van Riet & Louw, a prominent name in landscaping and zoo planning, have divided the facility into five distinct areas that will house the animals.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C10%5C23%5Cstory_23-10-2007_pg11_10
Welcome the newest member at Chhatbir zoo: A baby hippo
Express news service
Posted online: Tuesday , October 23, 2007 at 12:00:00
Updated: Tuesday , October 23, 2007 at 12:54:25
Chandigarh, October 22 The latest member of the Chhatbir Zoo ‘family’ is a 2-feet long hippo born this morning at the zoo itself. Surita, the mother hippopotamus, gave birth to the 20-25 kilogram baby hippo, bringing the total number of hippos at the zoo to five.
Zoo authorities said Surita gave birth in water and the condition of both the mother and baby was normal. However, the sex of the calf could not be determined as the baby was born in water and has not come out of water till now.
“The mother hippo is normal, while the calf is busy swimming. We have yet to determine the sex as usually the mother brings the calf out of water after 24 hours of birth,” said Dharminder Sharma, Director of Chhatbir Zoo.
“There are 87 hippopotamus in zoos across the country. Earlier there were four hippopotamus in Chhatbir Zoo which has now increased to five with the arrival of new one,” added Sharma.
Hippopotamus are found in the tropical regions of South Africa and they move in a group of 20 to 100.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Welcome-the-newest-member-at-Chhatbir-zoo-A-baby-hippo/231349/
Zoo Improvements
BILLINGS - Visitors to ZooMontana might notice some changes are in the works. The zoo recently finished paving all of its walkways. Many of them used to be covered with wooden chips.
Mihail Kennedy works at ZooMontana. He said they have been working on this project for more than seven years. They recently received some grant money that helped them complete the project.
He said the new walkways will make zoo trips more enjoyable for many.
"Being paved, it makes them much more accessible for wheel chairs, strollers, that kind of thing," he said. "It's also a lot easier on your ankles."
The zoo is also working on constructing a habitat for its grizzly bear exhibit. Kennedy said they hope to complete the exhibit by December or January and introduce Grizzlies by next spring.
http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/10725901.html
Boo! at the Zoo
Published 10/22/2007
Rockstars and cats, ninjas and fairies, football players and Lindsay Lohan, all came together for this year's Boo! at the Zoo.
Scarecrow Anya Miller, 2, sits on her dad, Justin's, shoulders to get a better view while waiting in line Saturday for Boo!
Gene Sloan, Satanta, right, has a laugh with Xochitl Ramirez, left, as he gets some candy from the Golden Corral booth Saturday at Lee Richardson Zoo during Boo! at the Zoo.
The weather might have been the biggest treat of the night, with evening temperatures in the 80s.
Unless of course you were couped up in a hot, scarey costume like Bob Prewitt, director of Finney County Emergency Medical Services.
Finney County EMS has been a "treat stop" at Boo! at the Zoo since its beginnings.
Paramedic Theresa Maddox dished out candy and struggled to keep up with the steady stream of open bags.
http://www.gctelegram.com/News/141527
CEO of Joburg zoo resigns
October 22 2007 at 07:04PM
Johannesburg Zoo chief executive officer (CEO) Jenny Gray has resigned after four years at the helm, the Zoo said on Monday.
"We are sad to loose Ms Gray and we wish her well with her new venture.
"We are confident that the management team will ensure that it continues to deliver world-class service to the citizens of Johannesburg" chairman of the board of the Johannesburg Zoo, Ike Ngwena said.
Gray, who joined the Johannesburg Zoo in 2004, will be taking up the position of Director of the Werribee Open Range Zoo in Melbourne, Australia.
Dr Stephen van der Spuy has been appointed as acting CEO when Gray leaves at the end of November.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=594&art_id=nw20071022132347842C781757
Decoding calls of the wild
Marquette's 'Dr. Dolittle' uses computers to unlock the meaning behind snorts, rumbles and cheeps
By MARK JOHNSON
markjohnson@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Oct. 20, 2007
In childhood, Dr. Dolittle never had a pet of his own. The family kept fish, but he did not name or talk to them, feed them or clean their tanks. His enduring memory is that once, when he was 4 or 5, he banged the aquarium with a wooden block until the glass broke, and a catfish spilled out and flopped about on the floor.
"Brainpower" is an occasional series profiling some of our state's groundbreaking thinkers, residents who have changed the way we see the world. Each of the stories will link to an extensive package of entertaining and educational Web features aimed at children, parents and teachers, a kind of online classroom.
NEXT IN SERIES: Robert Enright, professor in the University of Wisconsin's department of educational psychology
ARCHIVE:
The Journal Sentinel is offering a science contest for Wisconsin's middle and high school students. Film a YouTube-style video, design a Web page or produce a PowerPoint presentation on the development of our universe. You can focus on one aspect, such as the Big Bang, or tell the broad story from the universe's earliest moments to the possibilities for its future.
By his own admission, Dr. Dolittle wasn't "a big animal person." In some respects, he still isn't.
He's more of a computer person, one who talks to technology the way others talk to pets, with an occasional flash of tough love -"Better not freeze up on me, or I'll get mad."
His real name is Michael Johnson, and he's a 40-year-old Marquette University engineering professor, founder of the ambitious but little-known Dr. Dolittle Project. In a small lab at the Olin Engineering Center, Johnson puts recordings of whales, birds and elephants through sophisticated computer analysis, leading to important advances in the understanding of animals.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=676954
Nature's mistakes -- or mishaps
By AUSTIN CUNNINGHAM Sunday, October 21, 2007
I've occasionally mentioned that I hope people will say of this column, "What's that SOB going to write about next?' Well, today I'm going to write about weird animals whose very existence is a mystery. What kind of God or Intelligent Design created them? I'll mention Tasmanian Devils, Duckbilled Platypuses, Wombats, Wallabies. Sloths, Koala Bears.
I've lived in a variety of locations, sometimes near zoos, sometimes not. The closer the better. I love to hear lions roaring in the nighttime distance. Or steamboats whistle. Sounds alert us to the fact that God's in his heaven and life is teeming out there. Zoos in Washington, Chicago, New Orleans -- near. In the Bronx, San Diego, Columbia -- far.
I have a theory that zoos have evolved in the last few generations.
http://www.timesanddemocrat.com/articles/2007/10/21/opinion/12789851.txt
Don`t just expect antics from animals, conserve them: Expert
Mumbai, Oct 21: The zoo authorities here are planning to realign the abode of animals as platforms for conserving and preserving the wildlife.
In their master plan sent to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), New Delhi earlier this year, authorities of veer mata Jijabai Prani Udyan Zoo have proposed to give it a facelift by making it a place more for conservation and preservation of rare and endangered animals, rather than they being entertainment spots for common public.
A senior zoo official said, "we do receive about 6,000 to 7,000 visitors per day in zoo. In older concept, zoos were sites of entertainment but according to modern theories as proposed by CZA, zoos should be developed and revamped to conserve animals."
He said working on these lines they have formulated a master plan to makeover the 145 year old zoo, spread over 53 acres, located in heart of Mumbai at Byculla.
"Earlier people had a preconceived notion about animals, that a lion should always roar, a bear should dance and monkey should always make people laugh with its antics," he said.
And when animals do not perform these activities, sometimes people hurl items on them which can cause injury and even affect the psychology of an animal, he added.
http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=402620&ssid=26&ssname=Eco%20News&sid=ENV&sname=
HPIM0572 Camel facing left cropped
I was really surprised to find such a wide variety of animals tucked away on the southern Oregon coast just outside of a small town! And the animals were all obviously well-cared for. It's too bad that zoos like this can't recreate more of the environment that the animals would naturally have, and I'm sure the animals don't get the same kind of exercise and socializing they would be getting in the wild, but for a zoo, this was pretty nice. And if it wasn't for a zoo like this, I probably wouldn't ever have a chance to see some of these critters up close enough to get photos of them! So I'm a bit caught on what i think of zoos! Hpim0572.Jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73162473@N00/1667271107/
Zoo welcomes newborn gorilla (Video)
By CASEY MCNERTHNEY
P-I REPORTER
A western lowland gorilla was born Saturday morning at Woodland Park Zoo. The female is the 12th gorilla born there and third offspring of the 37-year-old mother and the 28-year-old father.
The infant and mother are under round-the-clock observation and can't be viewed by the public, and staff said future viewing depends on outdoor temperatures. Meanwhile, staff members plan to post images and video on the zoo's Web site, zoo.org, and on YouTube.
"The first 72 hours are the most critical for a newborn gorilla," said the zoo's interim associate veterinarian of animal health, Dr. John Ochsenreiter.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/336439_gorilla23.html
Dated
Science group - Wildlife
The RSPCA's wildlife department seeks to improve the welfare provision for wild animals. The aims of the department are achieved through research, the promotion of an awareness of the requirements of animals, and an emphasis on a precautionary and humane approach to human interactions with wild animal species.
Wildlife care and rehabilitation
Through the work of the four wildlife centres, the department continues to support and co-ordinate the rehabilitation work of the Society to maximize the successful integration of wildlife casualties back into the wild.
http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/RSPCARedirect&pg=sciencegroup&marker=1&articleId=996827936873
continued...
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Morning Papers - continued...
Zoos
Critter Cam
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2007/10/26/VI2007102600925.html?hpid=artslot
Zoo
Kris Larson October 29th, 2007
For about a week now I’ve been impatiently waiting for the developers of Zoo to get things fixed up so I could check it out. I have a big thing about zoos; I just love them. Even though part of my soul dies whenever I see an elephant in a pen or a jungle cat in a cage, I still love zoos. I don’t know what to tell you.
So I was delighted to see an application called Zoo. Maybe this virtual zoo will satisfy my zoo craving, I thought! And today it is up and running again, so I’ve been checking it out.
http://www.facebookobserver.com/facebook-applications/zoo/
Case against Marine Mammals in Captivity
http://youtube.com/profile?user=CaracalKittyWild
Animal-Encounter Travel
by: Carrie Katz
Dolphins by Veenendaal’s Journey
Are you an animal lover? This week is for you! Anybody who likes to incorporate wildlife encounters into their travel knows how much it can enhance a person’s globetrotting adventures, whether it’s the awe that comes from seeing lions and tigers up close, the quiet joy of feeding an elephant, the giddiness of watching monkeys swing from trees, or the serenity of swimming with dolphins. From bird watching in the Amazonian Jungle to waddling up to penguins in the Antartica snow, these rare and special opportunities to observe nature are well worth seeking out. This week we will discuss trip planning for wildlife encounters, including safaris, the Galapagos Islands, whale watching trips, unique places like the monkey temples in Southeast Asia, animal encounters in Africa, and more!
http://blog.realtravel.com/2007/10/29/animal-encounter-travel/
Week 4/5: Teff Conservation of Ecologial communities continued
Here is another blog post for the remaining questions; 3 and 4. I will continue to write about the journal project soon.
Week 4/5 questions continued:
3) Try a new type of food-maybe a grain other than wheat, rice or corn. Did you like it? How does eating different grains maintain biodiversity?
I have always been curious about trying different foods, but I have been skeptical in the past, since I'm not really sure whether I will like them. Just very recently, I have been 'going against the grain,' to say- I am trying Teff, which is a grain from Etheopia. The size is miniscule, one would wonder how a minute grain could be 'food?'
http://envscyg.blogspot.com/2007/10/week-45-teff-conservation-of-ecologial.html
Zoo animals lose a friend
Clayton Freiheit, who took over Denver Zoo when he was 32, dies at age 69 after work that increased attendance and prestige
By Mary Voelz Chandler, Rocky Mountain News
October 29, 2007
When a 5-year-old boy amuses himself by making drawings of zoos, take it as a sign he might grow up to build one of his own.
That was childhood for Clayton Freiheit, the animal-loving kid from Buffalo, N.Y., who kept a minor zoo in the family basement and then, in 1960, became curator of Buffalo Zoological Gardens.
He had not yet graduated from college, and, at age 22, reportedly was the youngest person to ever head a zoological park.
Ten years later, in October 1970, at all of 32, he took the reins of the Denver Zoo and, during his tenure, planned and designed attractions that boosted its attendance and prestige.
At the same time, he earned numerous awards and built a reputation for his expertise in zoology and conservation.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5734070,00.html
The good, the bad, and the blurry: Wildlife Photography
Category: Photography
Posted on: October 29, 2007 10:32 AM, by Brian Switek
Female Snow Leopard twins born last year at the Bronx Zoo.
When I initially started posting pictures on my blog, I didn't know if anyone would have anything to say about my pictures. I frequent zoos, museums, and aquariums, usually shooting between 200 and 600 shots per trip, the handful of good shots making their way onto the internet. I've been certainly pleasantly surprised, therefore, to see all the positive remarks made about my pictures, especially since I don't really have any idea what I'm doing. Still, many of you have asked how I have been able to get the kind of shots I've posted up here, and so I've written this little overview of how I take photographs. This isn't a "How-To" guide, but rather a summary of my own style, as highly amateur as it may be.
http://scienceblogs.com/laelaps/2007/10/the_good_the_bad_and_the_blurr.php
Branding the Anti-Zoo: The National Tiger Sanctuary
Author:
Jason Voiovich
Ecra Creative Group
Do you know what a happy tiger sounds like?
I heard it. Without exaggerating, it was the most amazing sound. It was a sort of rough “purr” sound. More like a snort, actually. The sound, I presume, a house cat would make if it weighed 500 pounds. And they made the sound whenever co-founder (and “mother”) Judy McGee gave them attention through the metal fences that separated us from them at the National Tiger Sanctuary in Bloomsdale, Missouri.
http://www.ecracreative.com/blog/?p=101
U.S., Canadian zoo officials left wondering after hippo dies in transit
CALGARY - Zoo officials on both sides of the border are trying to understand how a female hippo's death could have been prevented in a 28-hour transfer between zoos.
James Stevenson, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Six-year-old Hazina was loaded onto a transport truck Thursday morning in Denver and arrived at the Calgary Zoo on Friday afternoon. She was dead less than a day later from circulatory complications.
Her Calgary zookeepers discovered she had been lying in one position too long in her crate, had lost the feeling in her legs and was unable to stand. The hippopotamus was moved to a pool, where she appeared for a brief time to be recovering, but died early Saturday
Lynn Kramer, vice-president of biological programs at the Denver Zoo, called the situation "very, very unusual."
http://news.sympatico.msn.ca/Flying+proves+fatal+for+popular+hippo+being+transferred+between+zoos/National/ContentPosting.aspx?isfa=1&newsitemid=21408015&feedname=CP-NATIONAL&show=True&number=5&showbyline=True&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc&sym=rss
Hippo Dies at Calgary Zoo
Mon, October 29, 2007
Hippo dies at Calgary Zoo
Spent about 30 hours in crate being driven from the Colorado city
By BILL KAUFMANN, SUN MEDIA
The Calgary Zoo is coming under fire from animal rights activists after a female hippo being transported from Denver died soon after arriving in the city.
Six-year-old hippo Hazina spent about 30 hours in a truck crate being driven from the Colorado city for breeding purposes in Calgary — at least 11 of those hours lying too long in one position, said Calgary Zoo veterinarian Dr. Doug Whiteside.
Hazina developed a circulatory condition stemming from its hind legs and despite efforts to rehabilitate her in Calgary, died Saturday from toxic complications, he said.
"It s a very sad case — there’s nothing any of us could have done to predict this...it’s an isolated incident," said Whiteside.
But Zoocheck Canada director Rob Laidlaw said the latest fatality, when added to the deaths of an elephant and four gorillas since 2000, raise red flags about the zoo’s operations.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/10/29/4615063.html
Newt Gingrich, Environmentalist, Launches His New JHU Press Book
By Greg Rienzi
The Gazette
A political giant stands poised to become the talk of the environmental movement, and his name might raise some eyebrows.
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and longtime friend and conservationist Terry L. Maple have co-authored A Contract With the Earth, a new Johns Hopkins University Press book that attempts to refocus the environmental debate on the principle of common commitment.
The School of Advanced International Studies and the JHU Press will co-host the book's launch today in Washington at an event to be held at 5:30 p.m. in SAIS' Kenney Auditorium. Free and open to the public, it will feature a talk by Gingrich, who will answer questions from the audience afterward. Gingrich will be introduced by Scott Barrett, director of the school's International Policy Program.
The book, released today, spells out the need for ushering in an era of "bipartisan environmentalism." While acknowledging that liberals and conservatives do not see eye to eye on many issues, Gingrich and Maple argue that environmental stewardship is a mainstream value that transcends partisan politics. The authors believe that most people are weary of the legal and political conflicts that only serve, in their estimation, as roadblocks to effective environmental conservation.
http://www.jhu.edu/~gazette/2007/29oct07/29gingrich.html
Hippo dies after transfer to Calgary Zoo
Six-year-old animal had been lying down too long in truck and succumbed to circulatory complications
DAWN WALTON
October 30, 2007
CALGARY -- When staff at the Calgary Zoo tried to coax their new hippopotamus out of the crate that had held the 1,500-kilogram animal for the 30-hour journey from Colorado on Friday, they were startled to find the six-year-old couldn't stand.
Less than 24 hours later, Hazina - born and raised at the Denver Zoo and transferred to Calgary as part of an international breeding program - was dead. The hippo had been lying down for too long in the crate and succumbed to circulatory complications.
"Animals are moved all the time across North America and you do have the odd case where something goes wrong and this is, unfortunately, one of those cases," Doug Whiteside, a veterinarian at the Calgary Zoo, said yesterday, after news of the death was made public. "Once she got here, we did everything possible to save her life."
The Calgary Zoo has been plagued by bad news and bad luck in recent years.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20071030.HIPPO30/TPStory/National
US Zoos & Aquariums Pocket Directory Pocket PC Database 1.0
Fast facts about US zoos & aquariums. Quick reference for travelers and vacationers.
http://www.soft32.com/download_161077.html
Couple now charged with cruelty to animals
Deputies raided property last week
The Gazette Staff
A Deerfield Township couple has now been charged with cruelty to animals, just days after deputies took a large group of animals from their property.
Jim McCabe and Tammy Dailey, of 10080 Ohio 207, are now charged with 14 counts of cruelty to animals, all second-degree misdemeanors, after they were served a summons Monday.
http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071030/UPDATES01/71030003/1002/
Rattling the cages
Posted October 30, 2007 05:17 PM (EST)
Zoos began as places of entertainment, where people curious about wild animals from foreign lands could look at them comfortably and safely while feeling a frisson of excitement at being so close to large carnivores, or shudder with revulsion at species felt to be ugly. The animals were on display for the pleasure of the populace, and were housed in small cages where they could be seen at will, unable to escape the gaze of the curious. The concept was very little different in philosophy (though it was in practice) to that of a museum on the one hand, or to the long history of animal exploitation in circuses, the use of animals in fights in the Roman Coliseum, or the horrors of bear baiting and cock fighting or dog fighting. These extreme cases of animal exploitation (and usually maiming and death) continue today in some parts of the world, but in western countries such activities have generally been banned (a notable exception being the indefensible and barbaric bull fights). Circuses using animals are also increasingly unwelcome in many places and we have been left with the more benign form of exploitation of the zoo.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-horton/rattling-the-cages_b_70467.html
Elephants Suffer in Zoos
The Birmingham Zoo's plan to create a new, $15 million exhibit to house six to eight male elephants ignores the elephant in the room: the fact that landlocked urban zoos cannot provide Earth's largest land mammals with the space and natural conditions
http://www.care2.com/news/member/525884267/526073
Not fair to elephants
Here we go again in the national elephant shuffle (10/26, Local, “Elephant 'penthouse' gets a tenant”).
Move Zoe from a small pen at Cameron Park Zoo (Waco, Texas) to the Kansas City Zoo to live with elephants she doesn¹t even know. Send Tanya, Abilene Zoo’s lone elephant, to a small pen in Waco to live with Tembo, an elephant she has never met.
Kansas City wants to breed Zoe, but if they can’t find a bull elephant, forced breeding through artificial insemination will be just fine.
Elephants are very intelligent, highly social animals that stay with their herds for life in the wild. To shuffle them around like trading cards is an insult to their very being and a reflection of how little regard zoos have for the needs of this species.
http://blogs.kansascity.com/unfettered_letters/2007/10/not-fair-to-ele.html
Dead hippo spent way too long in travel crate, says expert
Deborah Tetley, CanWest News Service
Published: Wednesday, October 31, 2007
CALGARY -- Twenty-nine hours is too long for most animals to be transported in a crate, said an expert after a young hippo died following a road trip from Denver, Colo., to the Calgary Zoo.
Michael Foley, owner of California-based Global Animal Transport, said he has moved several dozen large animals for zoos, including elephants, tigers and rhinos.
But Hazina -- a six-year-old hippopotamus who suffered a fatal heart attack from circulation complications developed during the trip -- spent nearly 30 hours in the crate, and that was far too long, Foley said.
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=fce94c59-77c6-408c-aa9b-384308376b77
DENVER ZOO RELEASES INFORMATION ON HIPPO TRANSPORT
Written by Tiffany Barnhart
Wednesday, 31 October 2007
Denver, CO (Oct. 31, 2007) – As the zoo continues to investigate the death of hippo Hazina, who died October 27, a day after being transported to Calgary Zoo, Denver Zoo is releasing information known at this time about the incident. The zoo, while mourning the loss of their beloved Director of 37 years, Clayton Freiheit, is working diligently to determine what could have been done differently to prevent the loss of Hazina.
Denver Zoo animal care staff hired Planned Migration, an experienced animal transport company that is well-respected within the zoo community and considered an expert in the field. Denver Zoo has worked with Planned Migration since April of 2000, and has transported 108 different animals with this company, including primates, pachyderms, felines, bears and birds, totaling 51 different trips, without incident.
“I checked on Hazina every two to three and a half hours and remained in contact with Denver Zoo throughout the trip. Hazina showed no outward signs of physical distress at any time during the drive. We had no idea that she was not doing well until we got to Calgary Zoo,” said Chris Danhauer, the owner and operator of Planned Migration that lead the transfer.
Danhauer is licensed by the USDA as an animal transporter and has nearly nine years experience transporting animals, in addition to 13 years of experience as a zookeeper. Danhauer has worked during his career at Denver Zoo with pachyderms, and served as the lead on numerous animal transfers for Denver Zoo. Denver Zoo felt and continues to feel extremely confident with his abilities to safely transport animals.
http://www.thecherrycreeknews.com/content/view/1960/2/
U.S., Canadian zoo officials left wondering after hippo dies in transit
(National News) Monday, 29 October 2007, 16:00 PST
James Stevenson, THE CANADIAN PRESS
CALGARY - Zoo officials on both sides of the border are trying to understand how a female hippo's death could have been prevented in a 28-hour transfer between zoos.
Six-year-old Hazina was loaded onto a transport truck Thursday morning in Denver and arrived at the Calgary Zoo on Friday afternoon. She was dead less than a day later from circulatory complications.
Her Calgary zookeepers discovered she had been lying in one position too long in her crate, had lost the feeling in her legs and was unable to stand. The hippopotamus was moved to a pool, where she appeared for a brief time to be recovering, but died early Saturday
Lynn Kramer, vice-president of biological programs at the Denver Zoo, called the situation "very, very unusual."
http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=101799&Itemid=266
Environment News (10/31/07): Amid Wildfires, Zoo Animal Rescues.
environment to all says:
As firefighters at last gain control of what may be one of the worst series of fires in U.S. history, more information is coming to light about wildlife that was lost or impacted by this week's Southern California tragedy.
While many animals housed at San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park were saved, two perished as a result of the blazes. Post-mortem analysis has yet to reveal the precise causes of death, but keepers believe they were due to evacuation-related stress.
The first victim was a rare clapper rail bird that was only one of two breeding females at the park. Destruction of coastal marshland habitat has drastically reduced numbers of this bird, so researchers were hopeful this female could help in repopulation efforts. Last year, her chicks were successfully released into the wild.
The second loss at the park was a Kiang, a wild member of the horse family. This male was also of breeding age. Among the least studied animals in the world, the Kiang is also rare.
"Very few zoos have this species in their collections," San Diego Zoo spokesperson Yadira Galindo told Discovery News. "The deaths of both of these animals represent a tremendous loss for us."
http://www.flickr.com/groups/349459@N25/discuss/72157602818491493/
Zoos, aquariums use holiday to scare up money, visitors
By MARK DAVIS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/11/07
If ever a holiday existed to benefit a zoo or aquarium, says Dennis Kelly, Oct. 31 is it.
"Face it," Kelly, Zoo Atlanta's CEO, said. "We own Halloween."
Kelly is right. Goose bumps are good business. As Zoo Atlanta prepares to unveil Boo At The Zoo Saturday evening, other zoos and aquariums around the country also are opening their gates to give folks the creeps.
At the Atlanta zoo, this year's scare-'em marks the first time the zoo has stayed open at night to attract families. In previous years — the first "Boo" bowed in 2002 — the zoo observed regular hours during October. Zoo Atlanta will remain open until 8:30 p.m. each Friday and Saturday this month. Also for the first time, this year's Boo at the Zoo has a theme — "Boo Town."
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/living/stories/2007/10/11/halloweenzoo_1012.html
Endangered Costa Rican frog focus of study
MANCHESTER, England, Oct. 29 British biologists are studying a Costa Rican leaf frog, Cruziohyla calcarifer, to save it from extinction and learn how to care for it in zoos and aquariums.
Scientists from The University of Manchester and the Chester Zoo -- Britain's largest zoo -- said the brightly colored frog, a native of the Costa Rican rainforest, is being threatened by a combination of environmental change and disease.
"This research aims to contribute to our understanding of the basic factors that influence the development and survival of these frogs," said Richard Preziosi, the project's lead investigator. "For instance, with the exception of certain mammals, we know surprisingly little about what animals should be eating. And yet the diet of splendid leaf frogs affects their coloration which, in turn, determines their mating behavior.
"The global decline in amphibian populations means research such as this, carried out ex situ, is therefore critical for both conservation projects in the wild and for maintaining and successfully breeding the frogs in zoos and aquariums," he added.
The research is being complemented by field studies in Costa Rica that include examining the effect that ultraviolet rays have on the fitness and viability of captive-bred frogs.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/132596.html
Couple facing animal cruelty charges
The Gazette staff
A Deerfield Township couple has been charged with cruelty to animals just days after deputies took a large group of animals from their property.
Jim McCabe and Tammy Dailey, of 10080 Ohio 207, are charged with 14 counts of cruelty to animals, all second-degree misdemeanors, after they were served a summons Monday.
Deputies took all the animals from the property, including goats, horses, chickens and other livestock Thursday afternoon, saying they had received several complaints from neighbors.
McCabe and Daily say they keep the animals to be used in area petting zoos, and Daily said she was targeted after she filed a $7.5 million lawsuit against Sheriff Ron Nichols, which she subsequently dropped.
Both will appear in Chillicothe Municipal Court at 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 9 for arraignment.
http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071031/NEWS01/710310306/1002
Gorillas in our midst
In the North Georgia mountains, Jane and Steuart Dewar built a one-of-a-kind haven for gorillas in need
BY SCOTT FREEMAN
ALL PHOTOS BY JOEFF DAVIS
Published 10.31.07
SILVERBACK IN WAIT: Oliver is 19 years old, a gorilla's prime. The Dewars hope he can be matched with a female and start his own family.
Oliver steps out of his pen and looks warily at the stranger who peers through a window on the outer wall that surrounds him. He waits patiently for the stranger to leave and when he doesn't, Oliver takes off across the grass in a fast gallop. His face is angry and threatening. As he nears the window, Oliver reaches down and -- without breaking stride -- grabs a stick and tosses it at the window as he dashes by. He runs another 40 feet before he stops and looks back.
The stranger is still there.
Oliver had every expectation that the stranger would be gone. And why not? If you're a 376-pound gorilla and you decide to scare a human by charging him, you expect that human to be scared. And to take the opportunity to flee.
Oliver stands on all fours and ignores the stranger. Instead, he gazes across the field at the nearby mountains. Then, suddenly, Oliver springs into another full gallop. He bounces as much as he runs, propelling himself with his long and gangly arms, moving almost sideways. As he races past the window, he leans in and violently raps the glass with his huge knuckles. It doesn't break, but the crack is loud enough that it sounds like it should.
Once Oliver is again by his pen, he peers over his shoulder and looks back in what appears to be exasperation, as if he's thinking: You're still here?
Jane Dewar, who has watched the scene with delight, laughs. "He's checking you out," she says. "Come on, I'll introduce you." She walks behind the 15-foot-high concrete wall until she reaches a steel door. It leads into a little anteroom separated from Oliver's pen only by steel mesh. She's met there by Kelly Maneyapanda, one of Oliver's keepers. Dewar asks if she can give the gorilla some frozen blueberries. Maneyapanda nods her approval. "Don't be offended if he stays on the other side of the pen," Dewar says. "He can be shy around people he doesn't know."
http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A330123
Breeding elephants doesn't protect them
Zoos like those in Pittsburgh should help preserve the animals' native habitat instead
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
By Marianne Bessey
During this month's ground-breaking ceremony at the Pittsburgh zoo's proposed elephant breeding facility in Somerset Country, lots of lip service was paid to "conservation." It is without question that elephants, endangered in Asia and threatened in Africa, desperately need help. But will spending millions of dollars on breeding a handful of elephants actually help elephants -- or just the zoo's bottom line?
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07304/829727-35.stm
continued...
Critter Cam
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2007/10/26/VI2007102600925.html?hpid=artslot
Zoo
Kris Larson October 29th, 2007
For about a week now I’ve been impatiently waiting for the developers of Zoo to get things fixed up so I could check it out. I have a big thing about zoos; I just love them. Even though part of my soul dies whenever I see an elephant in a pen or a jungle cat in a cage, I still love zoos. I don’t know what to tell you.
So I was delighted to see an application called Zoo. Maybe this virtual zoo will satisfy my zoo craving, I thought! And today it is up and running again, so I’ve been checking it out.
http://www.facebookobserver.com/facebook-applications/zoo/
Case against Marine Mammals in Captivity
http://youtube.com/profile?user=CaracalKittyWild
Animal-Encounter Travel
by: Carrie Katz
Dolphins by Veenendaal’s Journey
Are you an animal lover? This week is for you! Anybody who likes to incorporate wildlife encounters into their travel knows how much it can enhance a person’s globetrotting adventures, whether it’s the awe that comes from seeing lions and tigers up close, the quiet joy of feeding an elephant, the giddiness of watching monkeys swing from trees, or the serenity of swimming with dolphins. From bird watching in the Amazonian Jungle to waddling up to penguins in the Antartica snow, these rare and special opportunities to observe nature are well worth seeking out. This week we will discuss trip planning for wildlife encounters, including safaris, the Galapagos Islands, whale watching trips, unique places like the monkey temples in Southeast Asia, animal encounters in Africa, and more!
http://blog.realtravel.com/2007/10/29/animal-encounter-travel/
Week 4/5: Teff Conservation of Ecologial communities continued
Here is another blog post for the remaining questions; 3 and 4. I will continue to write about the journal project soon.
Week 4/5 questions continued:
3) Try a new type of food-maybe a grain other than wheat, rice or corn. Did you like it? How does eating different grains maintain biodiversity?
I have always been curious about trying different foods, but I have been skeptical in the past, since I'm not really sure whether I will like them. Just very recently, I have been 'going against the grain,' to say- I am trying Teff, which is a grain from Etheopia. The size is miniscule, one would wonder how a minute grain could be 'food?'
http://envscyg.blogspot.com/2007/10/week-45-teff-conservation-of-ecologial.html
Zoo animals lose a friend
Clayton Freiheit, who took over Denver Zoo when he was 32, dies at age 69 after work that increased attendance and prestige
By Mary Voelz Chandler, Rocky Mountain News
October 29, 2007
When a 5-year-old boy amuses himself by making drawings of zoos, take it as a sign he might grow up to build one of his own.
That was childhood for Clayton Freiheit, the animal-loving kid from Buffalo, N.Y., who kept a minor zoo in the family basement and then, in 1960, became curator of Buffalo Zoological Gardens.
He had not yet graduated from college, and, at age 22, reportedly was the youngest person to ever head a zoological park.
Ten years later, in October 1970, at all of 32, he took the reins of the Denver Zoo and, during his tenure, planned and designed attractions that boosted its attendance and prestige.
At the same time, he earned numerous awards and built a reputation for his expertise in zoology and conservation.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5734070,00.html
The good, the bad, and the blurry: Wildlife Photography
Category: Photography
Posted on: October 29, 2007 10:32 AM, by Brian Switek
Female Snow Leopard twins born last year at the Bronx Zoo.
When I initially started posting pictures on my blog, I didn't know if anyone would have anything to say about my pictures. I frequent zoos, museums, and aquariums, usually shooting between 200 and 600 shots per trip, the handful of good shots making their way onto the internet. I've been certainly pleasantly surprised, therefore, to see all the positive remarks made about my pictures, especially since I don't really have any idea what I'm doing. Still, many of you have asked how I have been able to get the kind of shots I've posted up here, and so I've written this little overview of how I take photographs. This isn't a "How-To" guide, but rather a summary of my own style, as highly amateur as it may be.
http://scienceblogs.com/laelaps/2007/10/the_good_the_bad_and_the_blurr.php
Branding the Anti-Zoo: The National Tiger Sanctuary
Author:
Jason Voiovich
Ecra Creative Group
Do you know what a happy tiger sounds like?
I heard it. Without exaggerating, it was the most amazing sound. It was a sort of rough “purr” sound. More like a snort, actually. The sound, I presume, a house cat would make if it weighed 500 pounds. And they made the sound whenever co-founder (and “mother”) Judy McGee gave them attention through the metal fences that separated us from them at the National Tiger Sanctuary in Bloomsdale, Missouri.
http://www.ecracreative.com/blog/?p=101
U.S., Canadian zoo officials left wondering after hippo dies in transit
CALGARY - Zoo officials on both sides of the border are trying to understand how a female hippo's death could have been prevented in a 28-hour transfer between zoos.
James Stevenson, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Six-year-old Hazina was loaded onto a transport truck Thursday morning in Denver and arrived at the Calgary Zoo on Friday afternoon. She was dead less than a day later from circulatory complications.
Her Calgary zookeepers discovered she had been lying in one position too long in her crate, had lost the feeling in her legs and was unable to stand. The hippopotamus was moved to a pool, where she appeared for a brief time to be recovering, but died early Saturday
Lynn Kramer, vice-president of biological programs at the Denver Zoo, called the situation "very, very unusual."
http://news.sympatico.msn.ca/Flying+proves+fatal+for+popular+hippo+being+transferred+between+zoos/National/ContentPosting.aspx?isfa=1&newsitemid=21408015&feedname=CP-NATIONAL&show=True&number=5&showbyline=True&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc&sym=rss
Hippo Dies at Calgary Zoo
Mon, October 29, 2007
Hippo dies at Calgary Zoo
Spent about 30 hours in crate being driven from the Colorado city
By BILL KAUFMANN, SUN MEDIA
The Calgary Zoo is coming under fire from animal rights activists after a female hippo being transported from Denver died soon after arriving in the city.
Six-year-old hippo Hazina spent about 30 hours in a truck crate being driven from the Colorado city for breeding purposes in Calgary — at least 11 of those hours lying too long in one position, said Calgary Zoo veterinarian Dr. Doug Whiteside.
Hazina developed a circulatory condition stemming from its hind legs and despite efforts to rehabilitate her in Calgary, died Saturday from toxic complications, he said.
"It s a very sad case — there’s nothing any of us could have done to predict this...it’s an isolated incident," said Whiteside.
But Zoocheck Canada director Rob Laidlaw said the latest fatality, when added to the deaths of an elephant and four gorillas since 2000, raise red flags about the zoo’s operations.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/10/29/4615063.html
Newt Gingrich, Environmentalist, Launches His New JHU Press Book
By Greg Rienzi
The Gazette
A political giant stands poised to become the talk of the environmental movement, and his name might raise some eyebrows.
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and longtime friend and conservationist Terry L. Maple have co-authored A Contract With the Earth, a new Johns Hopkins University Press book that attempts to refocus the environmental debate on the principle of common commitment.
The School of Advanced International Studies and the JHU Press will co-host the book's launch today in Washington at an event to be held at 5:30 p.m. in SAIS' Kenney Auditorium. Free and open to the public, it will feature a talk by Gingrich, who will answer questions from the audience afterward. Gingrich will be introduced by Scott Barrett, director of the school's International Policy Program.
The book, released today, spells out the need for ushering in an era of "bipartisan environmentalism." While acknowledging that liberals and conservatives do not see eye to eye on many issues, Gingrich and Maple argue that environmental stewardship is a mainstream value that transcends partisan politics. The authors believe that most people are weary of the legal and political conflicts that only serve, in their estimation, as roadblocks to effective environmental conservation.
http://www.jhu.edu/~gazette/2007/29oct07/29gingrich.html
Hippo dies after transfer to Calgary Zoo
Six-year-old animal had been lying down too long in truck and succumbed to circulatory complications
DAWN WALTON
October 30, 2007
CALGARY -- When staff at the Calgary Zoo tried to coax their new hippopotamus out of the crate that had held the 1,500-kilogram animal for the 30-hour journey from Colorado on Friday, they were startled to find the six-year-old couldn't stand.
Less than 24 hours later, Hazina - born and raised at the Denver Zoo and transferred to Calgary as part of an international breeding program - was dead. The hippo had been lying down for too long in the crate and succumbed to circulatory complications.
"Animals are moved all the time across North America and you do have the odd case where something goes wrong and this is, unfortunately, one of those cases," Doug Whiteside, a veterinarian at the Calgary Zoo, said yesterday, after news of the death was made public. "Once she got here, we did everything possible to save her life."
The Calgary Zoo has been plagued by bad news and bad luck in recent years.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20071030.HIPPO30/TPStory/National
US Zoos & Aquariums Pocket Directory Pocket PC Database 1.0
Fast facts about US zoos & aquariums. Quick reference for travelers and vacationers.
http://www.soft32.com/download_161077.html
Couple now charged with cruelty to animals
Deputies raided property last week
The Gazette Staff
A Deerfield Township couple has now been charged with cruelty to animals, just days after deputies took a large group of animals from their property.
Jim McCabe and Tammy Dailey, of 10080 Ohio 207, are now charged with 14 counts of cruelty to animals, all second-degree misdemeanors, after they were served a summons Monday.
http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071030/UPDATES01/71030003/1002/
Rattling the cages
Posted October 30, 2007 05:17 PM (EST)
Zoos began as places of entertainment, where people curious about wild animals from foreign lands could look at them comfortably and safely while feeling a frisson of excitement at being so close to large carnivores, or shudder with revulsion at species felt to be ugly. The animals were on display for the pleasure of the populace, and were housed in small cages where they could be seen at will, unable to escape the gaze of the curious. The concept was very little different in philosophy (though it was in practice) to that of a museum on the one hand, or to the long history of animal exploitation in circuses, the use of animals in fights in the Roman Coliseum, or the horrors of bear baiting and cock fighting or dog fighting. These extreme cases of animal exploitation (and usually maiming and death) continue today in some parts of the world, but in western countries such activities have generally been banned (a notable exception being the indefensible and barbaric bull fights). Circuses using animals are also increasingly unwelcome in many places and we have been left with the more benign form of exploitation of the zoo.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-horton/rattling-the-cages_b_70467.html
Elephants Suffer in Zoos
The Birmingham Zoo's plan to create a new, $15 million exhibit to house six to eight male elephants ignores the elephant in the room: the fact that landlocked urban zoos cannot provide Earth's largest land mammals with the space and natural conditions
http://www.care2.com/news/member/525884267/526073
Not fair to elephants
Here we go again in the national elephant shuffle (10/26, Local, “Elephant 'penthouse' gets a tenant”).
Move Zoe from a small pen at Cameron Park Zoo (Waco, Texas) to the Kansas City Zoo to live with elephants she doesn¹t even know. Send Tanya, Abilene Zoo’s lone elephant, to a small pen in Waco to live with Tembo, an elephant she has never met.
Kansas City wants to breed Zoe, but if they can’t find a bull elephant, forced breeding through artificial insemination will be just fine.
Elephants are very intelligent, highly social animals that stay with their herds for life in the wild. To shuffle them around like trading cards is an insult to their very being and a reflection of how little regard zoos have for the needs of this species.
http://blogs.kansascity.com/unfettered_letters/2007/10/not-fair-to-ele.html
Dead hippo spent way too long in travel crate, says expert
Deborah Tetley, CanWest News Service
Published: Wednesday, October 31, 2007
CALGARY -- Twenty-nine hours is too long for most animals to be transported in a crate, said an expert after a young hippo died following a road trip from Denver, Colo., to the Calgary Zoo.
Michael Foley, owner of California-based Global Animal Transport, said he has moved several dozen large animals for zoos, including elephants, tigers and rhinos.
But Hazina -- a six-year-old hippopotamus who suffered a fatal heart attack from circulation complications developed during the trip -- spent nearly 30 hours in the crate, and that was far too long, Foley said.
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=fce94c59-77c6-408c-aa9b-384308376b77
DENVER ZOO RELEASES INFORMATION ON HIPPO TRANSPORT
Written by Tiffany Barnhart
Wednesday, 31 October 2007
Denver, CO (Oct. 31, 2007) – As the zoo continues to investigate the death of hippo Hazina, who died October 27, a day after being transported to Calgary Zoo, Denver Zoo is releasing information known at this time about the incident. The zoo, while mourning the loss of their beloved Director of 37 years, Clayton Freiheit, is working diligently to determine what could have been done differently to prevent the loss of Hazina.
Denver Zoo animal care staff hired Planned Migration, an experienced animal transport company that is well-respected within the zoo community and considered an expert in the field. Denver Zoo has worked with Planned Migration since April of 2000, and has transported 108 different animals with this company, including primates, pachyderms, felines, bears and birds, totaling 51 different trips, without incident.
“I checked on Hazina every two to three and a half hours and remained in contact with Denver Zoo throughout the trip. Hazina showed no outward signs of physical distress at any time during the drive. We had no idea that she was not doing well until we got to Calgary Zoo,” said Chris Danhauer, the owner and operator of Planned Migration that lead the transfer.
Danhauer is licensed by the USDA as an animal transporter and has nearly nine years experience transporting animals, in addition to 13 years of experience as a zookeeper. Danhauer has worked during his career at Denver Zoo with pachyderms, and served as the lead on numerous animal transfers for Denver Zoo. Denver Zoo felt and continues to feel extremely confident with his abilities to safely transport animals.
http://www.thecherrycreeknews.com/content/view/1960/2/
U.S., Canadian zoo officials left wondering after hippo dies in transit
(National News) Monday, 29 October 2007, 16:00 PST
James Stevenson, THE CANADIAN PRESS
CALGARY - Zoo officials on both sides of the border are trying to understand how a female hippo's death could have been prevented in a 28-hour transfer between zoos.
Six-year-old Hazina was loaded onto a transport truck Thursday morning in Denver and arrived at the Calgary Zoo on Friday afternoon. She was dead less than a day later from circulatory complications.
Her Calgary zookeepers discovered she had been lying in one position too long in her crate, had lost the feeling in her legs and was unable to stand. The hippopotamus was moved to a pool, where she appeared for a brief time to be recovering, but died early Saturday
Lynn Kramer, vice-president of biological programs at the Denver Zoo, called the situation "very, very unusual."
http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=101799&Itemid=266
Environment News (10/31/07): Amid Wildfires, Zoo Animal Rescues.
environment to all says:
As firefighters at last gain control of what may be one of the worst series of fires in U.S. history, more information is coming to light about wildlife that was lost or impacted by this week's Southern California tragedy.
While many animals housed at San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park were saved, two perished as a result of the blazes. Post-mortem analysis has yet to reveal the precise causes of death, but keepers believe they were due to evacuation-related stress.
The first victim was a rare clapper rail bird that was only one of two breeding females at the park. Destruction of coastal marshland habitat has drastically reduced numbers of this bird, so researchers were hopeful this female could help in repopulation efforts. Last year, her chicks were successfully released into the wild.
The second loss at the park was a Kiang, a wild member of the horse family. This male was also of breeding age. Among the least studied animals in the world, the Kiang is also rare.
"Very few zoos have this species in their collections," San Diego Zoo spokesperson Yadira Galindo told Discovery News. "The deaths of both of these animals represent a tremendous loss for us."
http://www.flickr.com/groups/349459@N25/discuss/72157602818491493/
Zoos, aquariums use holiday to scare up money, visitors
By MARK DAVIS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/11/07
If ever a holiday existed to benefit a zoo or aquarium, says Dennis Kelly, Oct. 31 is it.
"Face it," Kelly, Zoo Atlanta's CEO, said. "We own Halloween."
Kelly is right. Goose bumps are good business. As Zoo Atlanta prepares to unveil Boo At The Zoo Saturday evening, other zoos and aquariums around the country also are opening their gates to give folks the creeps.
At the Atlanta zoo, this year's scare-'em marks the first time the zoo has stayed open at night to attract families. In previous years — the first "Boo" bowed in 2002 — the zoo observed regular hours during October. Zoo Atlanta will remain open until 8:30 p.m. each Friday and Saturday this month. Also for the first time, this year's Boo at the Zoo has a theme — "Boo Town."
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/living/stories/2007/10/11/halloweenzoo_1012.html
Endangered Costa Rican frog focus of study
MANCHESTER, England, Oct. 29 British biologists are studying a Costa Rican leaf frog, Cruziohyla calcarifer, to save it from extinction and learn how to care for it in zoos and aquariums.
Scientists from The University of Manchester and the Chester Zoo -- Britain's largest zoo -- said the brightly colored frog, a native of the Costa Rican rainforest, is being threatened by a combination of environmental change and disease.
"This research aims to contribute to our understanding of the basic factors that influence the development and survival of these frogs," said Richard Preziosi, the project's lead investigator. "For instance, with the exception of certain mammals, we know surprisingly little about what animals should be eating. And yet the diet of splendid leaf frogs affects their coloration which, in turn, determines their mating behavior.
"The global decline in amphibian populations means research such as this, carried out ex situ, is therefore critical for both conservation projects in the wild and for maintaining and successfully breeding the frogs in zoos and aquariums," he added.
The research is being complemented by field studies in Costa Rica that include examining the effect that ultraviolet rays have on the fitness and viability of captive-bred frogs.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/132596.html
Couple facing animal cruelty charges
The Gazette staff
A Deerfield Township couple has been charged with cruelty to animals just days after deputies took a large group of animals from their property.
Jim McCabe and Tammy Dailey, of 10080 Ohio 207, are charged with 14 counts of cruelty to animals, all second-degree misdemeanors, after they were served a summons Monday.
Deputies took all the animals from the property, including goats, horses, chickens and other livestock Thursday afternoon, saying they had received several complaints from neighbors.
McCabe and Daily say they keep the animals to be used in area petting zoos, and Daily said she was targeted after she filed a $7.5 million lawsuit against Sheriff Ron Nichols, which she subsequently dropped.
Both will appear in Chillicothe Municipal Court at 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 9 for arraignment.
http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071031/NEWS01/710310306/1002
Gorillas in our midst
In the North Georgia mountains, Jane and Steuart Dewar built a one-of-a-kind haven for gorillas in need
BY SCOTT FREEMAN
ALL PHOTOS BY JOEFF DAVIS
Published 10.31.07
SILVERBACK IN WAIT: Oliver is 19 years old, a gorilla's prime. The Dewars hope he can be matched with a female and start his own family.
Oliver steps out of his pen and looks warily at the stranger who peers through a window on the outer wall that surrounds him. He waits patiently for the stranger to leave and when he doesn't, Oliver takes off across the grass in a fast gallop. His face is angry and threatening. As he nears the window, Oliver reaches down and -- without breaking stride -- grabs a stick and tosses it at the window as he dashes by. He runs another 40 feet before he stops and looks back.
The stranger is still there.
Oliver had every expectation that the stranger would be gone. And why not? If you're a 376-pound gorilla and you decide to scare a human by charging him, you expect that human to be scared. And to take the opportunity to flee.
Oliver stands on all fours and ignores the stranger. Instead, he gazes across the field at the nearby mountains. Then, suddenly, Oliver springs into another full gallop. He bounces as much as he runs, propelling himself with his long and gangly arms, moving almost sideways. As he races past the window, he leans in and violently raps the glass with his huge knuckles. It doesn't break, but the crack is loud enough that it sounds like it should.
Once Oliver is again by his pen, he peers over his shoulder and looks back in what appears to be exasperation, as if he's thinking: You're still here?
Jane Dewar, who has watched the scene with delight, laughs. "He's checking you out," she says. "Come on, I'll introduce you." She walks behind the 15-foot-high concrete wall until she reaches a steel door. It leads into a little anteroom separated from Oliver's pen only by steel mesh. She's met there by Kelly Maneyapanda, one of Oliver's keepers. Dewar asks if she can give the gorilla some frozen blueberries. Maneyapanda nods her approval. "Don't be offended if he stays on the other side of the pen," Dewar says. "He can be shy around people he doesn't know."
http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A330123
Breeding elephants doesn't protect them
Zoos like those in Pittsburgh should help preserve the animals' native habitat instead
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
By Marianne Bessey
During this month's ground-breaking ceremony at the Pittsburgh zoo's proposed elephant breeding facility in Somerset Country, lots of lip service was paid to "conservation." It is without question that elephants, endangered in Asia and threatened in Africa, desperately need help. But will spending millions of dollars on breeding a handful of elephants actually help elephants -- or just the zoo's bottom line?
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07304/829727-35.stm
continued...
Driver in crash that killed horses could face additional charges
Round Lake firefighter Joe Couture comforts a horse. (Photo for the Tribune by Joe Shuman / October 28, 2007)
By Jeff Long, Tara Malone and Andrew L. Wang Tribune staff reporters
9:10 PM CDT, October 29, 2007
As three horses lay dead on a straw-matted barn floor Monday, dozens of survivors hovered in arcs around them, nursing wounds from the horrific crash Saturday that caused a tractor-trailer loaded with 59 Belgian draft horses to overturn in north suburban Wadsworth.
9:10 PM CDT, October 29, 2007
As three horses lay dead on a straw-matted barn floor Monday, dozens of survivors hovered in arcs around them, nursing wounds from the horrific crash Saturday that caused a tractor-trailer loaded with 59 Belgian draft horses to overturn in north suburban Wadsworth.
Some had bruised legs, others swollen eyes. A black yearling wore a thick bandage covering an artery that had been cut. A bruise knotted the neck of a dusty brown horse that chewed green hay in the paddock of a private farm where the horses were brought Saturday night to begin recovering.
The three dead horses, which had been euthanized hours earlier, brought the tally of fatalities to 18. Eight were killed, 10 have been euthanized because of their injuries and 41 remain alive, veterinarian Kevin Nelson said.
On Monday, state and federal officials joined the investigation, and Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran announced additional traffic citations against truck driver, James E. Anderson, 34, of McLeod, N.D. In addition to disregarding a red light, Anderson has been cited for failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident and not having a bill of lading, Curran said.
The wreck happened Saturday just before 7 p.m. at U.S. Highway 41 and Wadsworth Road in northeastern Lake County when the northbound tractor-trailer was struck by a pickup truck. Anderson lost control, and his rig overturned.
Curran said Anderson had been hired by the horses' owner to drive them from Millersburg, Ind., about 20 miles southeast of Elkhart, to Verndale, Minn., for auction. The horses arrived with numbered stickers taped to their backs, a means of identification often used at horse auctions....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)