Layla is Nashville Zoo’s First Reticulated Giraffe, One of Nine Different Sub-species of Giraffe

By Jim Bartoo

Nashville, TN - An 18-month old reticulated giraffe has joined Nashville Zoo’s animal collection. The female giraffe, named Layla, comes to Nashville from the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas.

“Layla has been a welcome addition to our collection,” said Connie Philipp, director of animal collections at Nashville Zoo. “She is a very spunky and curious. Being hand-raised has made her very interested in what we do all day.”

Layla is Nashville Zoo’s first reticulated giraffe, one of nine different sub-species of giraffe. Nashville Zoo’s other two, a female named Margarita and a male named Congo, are both Masai giraffe. Reticulated giraffe are known for their distinctive skin pattern of bright orange spots separated by cream lines. The pattern provides good camouflage in the dense vegetation of their native Eastern Africa. It is estimated that fewer than 5,000 remain in the wild.

Kiani, Bronx Zoo's Sea Lion Promptly Shook His Head in Favor of a New York Giants Victory

By Max Pulsinelli

Bronx, NY - Kiani, a 630-pound male California sea lion, joined Bronx Zoo animal keeper Cindy Maur; Jim Breheny, WCS Executive Vice President and Bronx Zoo Director; and Fox 5 reporter Jill Nicolini for a live segment on Good Day New York this morning. When asked for his prediction of Super Bowl XLVI, Kiani promptly shook his head in favor of a New York Giants victory. When asked about Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Kiani lay on the ground to indicate Brady would be spending much of the game on the turf.

Kiani has never been wrong with his Super Bowl picks. (This is his first!)

Shedd Aquarium is One of the Country’s Top Marine Mammal Conservation Organizations

By Sheena Quinn

Chicago, IL - Shedd Aquarium, a national leader in sea otter rehabilitation, announced today that it has acquired a 10-week-old orphaned southern sea otter pup (Enhydra lutris nereis) from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as part of the conservation effort for the threatened population in California. The female pup, weighing in at 15 lbs., is the first southern sea otter to reside at the aquarium. She will soon join her Alaskan relatives, some of whom have lived at Shedd for decades.

In early December, the pup was found stranded near Cayucos (ky-YOU-cos), Calif. Shedd worked closely with its West Coast sister institution, Monterey Bay Aquarium and its Sea Otter Research and Conservation program staff, to assist with the animal’s rescue and stabilization. Due to the significant amount of resources needed to care for a pup, there are only a handful of facilities in the United States equipped with available housing space and the experience needed for appropriate care. Understanding the urgency of the situation and needing immediate action for the pup’s survival, Shedd officials and animal care staff quickly made arrangements to provide her with a permanent home.

College Students, Faculty and Staff Will Have an Opportunity to Check In on These Romantic Rays

By Thom Benson

Chattanooga, TN – Aquarists at the Tennessee Aquarium are hoping February is a romantic month for a pair of stingrays. A new tiger stingray was recently added to the Freshwater Ray exhibit inside the Ocean Journey building. This male ray is on loan from the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. According to Carol Haley, the Tennessee Aquarium’s assistant curator of fishes, these beautiful animals are not being imported outside of South America and there is no captive breeding taking place in the United States. “Their markings are amazing, which makes these rays very popular with guests,” said Haley. “So participating in population management programs like this, with other Association of Zoos and Aquariums accredited institutions, helps maintain genetically diverse and healthy populations of these amazing creatures.”

Throughout the month of February, college students, faculty and staff will have an opportunity to check in on these romantic rays and all the other Aquarium animals for half price. To receive the College Days discount, visitors must present a valid college ID when purchasing tickets. Family members may also receive this discount when accompanied by a student or faculty member with current college ID. This offer is valid for admission to the Tennessee Aquarium, IMAX 3D Theater or combination tickets to both attractions. The discount is also extended to cruises aboard the River Gorge Explorer.

A Voyeuristic Peek Into the Private Lives of Animals During Franklin Park Zoo’s Sex at the Zoo Lecture

By Hannah Laverty

Boston, MA - Bring a date or come to find one while taking a voyeuristic peek into the private lives of animals during Franklin Park Zoo’s Sex at the Zoo lecture and Valentine’s Day themed event. Do animals find each other appealing or attractive? What are the similarities and differences between human and animal courtship? What can the techniques that animals use to attract mates teach us about friendship and romance? Join us for titillating tales from the animal kingdom because, when it comes down to it, there are more similarities than differences between people and their non-human relatives!

This fabulous event will be held at Franklin Park Zoo’s Tropical Forest Pavilion, home to gorillas, ring-tailed lemurs, a giant anteater, and many other incredible animals.

What Every Woman Wants and Can Not Get on Valentine's Day

By Max Pulsinelli

Bronx, NY - Valentines Day is upon us and there is no better way to say “forever” than with the gift of a cockroach. The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo is offering a light-hearted way to make sure your loved one knows your feelings are forever – with a roach in their name and a 100 percent solid dark chocolate COCOA-ROACH.

Last year thousands of hopeless romantics from around the world named real live Madagascar hissing cockroaches at WCS’s Bronx Zoo after their favorite loved one, “ex,” or mother-in-law. The zoo is again offering the opportunity to name a new crop of cockroaches for Valentine’s Day 2012. Each gift comes with a colorful certificate emailed to your loved one announcing that a cockroach has been named in his or her honor.

$15,000 Awarded for the Sponsorship of The Florida Aquarium’s No Bones Zone Educational Exhibit

By Katherine Chakour

Tampa, FL - The Florida Aquarium announced today that Pepin Distributing Co., has made a donation of $15,000 for the sponsorship of The Florida Aquarium’s No Bones Zone educational exhibit and Aquarium fundraising events.

Tom Pepin, President of Pepin Distributing Co., and his family are intimately involved with Pepin Academies Inc., a tuition- free charter school in Tampa for kindergarten through 22 year-old students with learning disabilities. Established in 1999, many of the children who attend Pepin Academies have sensory related disorders and the Pepin Academies has a one-of-a-kind sensory lab to help work with students. The Florida Aquarium’s No Bones Zone is a sensory exhibit for children of all ages to experience while visiting the Aquarium.

Newport Aquarium is Completely Renovating and Re-fitting its Ohio Riverbank Gallery

By Rodger Pille

Newport, KY - Newport Aquarium announced today that Mighty Mike, the 14-foot, 800-pound American alligator who amazed crowds during his limited appearance at Newport Aquarium last year, will make a return appearance in the spring.

To better showcase the animal, Newport Aquarium is completely renovating and re-fitting its Ohio Riverbank gallery – adjacent to Gator Bayou - to house Mighty Mike.

The new space will provide unprecedented views of the massive alligator. Instead of hiding underneath guests, as he was able to do during his last stay in the Gator Bayou space, visitors will come face-to-face with Mike through the 3-inch acrylic walls.

A "Snooze at the Zoo" Will be Held in the Akron Zoo’s Education Center, Komodo Kingdom

By David Barnhardt

Akron, OH - The Akron Zoo will be hosting their fourth annual adult only Valentine’s Day event, Animals Do It Too, on February 11, 2012. The event will take place from 6 – 9 p.m. in the zoo’s Komodo Kingdom and will focus on animal mating rituals and reproduction. For an extended experience, guests can also spend the night at the zoo.

The evening will start with a gourmet buffet dinner and drinks. After dinner the zoo’s veterinarian and education staff will give an educational and humorous look at the way animals mate and the elaborate way many of them try to attract their mates. During the presentation visitors will get to participate in these informative games and activities. The evening will also include up-close animal encounters and photos for guests with an animal.

Attend Lincoln Park Zoo’s Popular Summer Programs Conservation Camp and Zoo Crew for Free

By Hyson Gibbon

Chicago, IL - Despite the winter chill, it is time to start planning for summer. This year, twelve lucky kids will have an opportunity to attend Lincoln Park Zoo’s popular summer programs Conservation Camp and Zoo Crew for free. Ten scholarships are being awarded for one-week of Conservation Camp (for kids aged 4 years to Grade 4) and two scholarships are being offered for the two-week Zoo Crew program (for kids in Grades 5 – 8). Applications are available now on the zoo’s website www.lpzoo.org. The deadline to apply for the scholarships is April 9. Over the past three years the zoo has offered summer camp scholarships to 76 kids.

Conservation Camp offers kids an opportunity to explore the zoo and do activities to discover animal diversity, environmental conservation and learn ways that the zoo cares for animals and conserves them in the wild. Half-day programs, morning or afternoon sessions, are offered for kids 4 and 5 years old. Full Day programs are offered to kids in grades 1 – 4. Ten scholarships are being offered (a value of $310 each) for kids who demonstrate a strong desire to attend, a financial need and a letter of recommendation. 

You can Get a Lot of Information about Hormone Levels From a Gorilla’s Feces

By Paula Holden

Blackpool, UK - Primate keepers at Blackpool Zoo came up with a sparkling idea to help them measure reproductive hormone levels in one of their female gorillas.

Njema, who is 18 and came to Blackpool in 2002, has never had any babies despite being young and healthy and mating with resident silverback Bukavu several times.

Specialist zoo staff are using child friendly glitter mixed with her favourite yogurt as a means of being able to identify her poo in order to be able to send it off to specialist labs for analysis.

"I Saw a Pattern for a Knitted Father Christmas and I Thought it Looked Like One of My Colleagues"

By Philip Knowling

Paignton, UK - Gardeners at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park have been caricatured in wool by a colleague.

The knitted figures have been made by cleaner Sue Ball. Each one is about 10 inches tall and stuffed with kapok. So far she has completed five members of the Zoo’s gardens team.

The characters are closely observed, with Paignton Zoo uniforms and badges. They also show individuals with familiar items or the tools of their trade. Bill Corner is depicted with a chainsaw and Martin Holt with cream cakes. Mike Phillips is seen checking his hair in a mirror and is dressed in shorts, which he wears all year round, regardless of the temperature.

This is the First Time that the Aquarium Congress will be Held in Africa and Indeed in the Southern Hemisphere

By Helen Lockhart

Cape Town, South Africa - The Two Oceans Aquarium is proud to announce the guest speakers for the 8th International Aquarium Congress (IAC) which is set to take place in Cape Town, South Africa from 9 to 14 September 2012. Internationally renowned scientists Dr Camille Parmesan, Doctor Elin Kelsey and Professor George Branch have all confirmed their attendance and will deliver key note addresses during the opening ceremony of the 8th IAC on 10 September 2012.

Named "Outstanding Woman Working on Climate Change," by the IUCN, and as a “Who’s Who of Women and the Environment” by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), Dr Camille Parmesan was ranked by Reuters ISI Web of Science as the second most highly cited author in the field of climate change in 2010.

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Name: Julie Packard

Actual title: Executive Director

Name of your aquarium: Monterey Bay Aquarium

Location: Monterey, California, USA

URL for your facility: www.montereybayaquarium.org

Number of species at your facility: 550

Your favorite critter at the facility: Ocean sunfish

Total number of animals or fish at your facility: 35,000

Number of visitors annually: 1.9 million

Number of employees: 404

Number of volunteers: 1,200

Annual budget: $58 million

Name: Patrick T. Mangus

Actual title: Executive Director

Name of your zoo: National Aviary

Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

URL for your facility: www.aviary.org

Number of species at your facility: 200

Your favorite critter at the facility: African Penguins

Total number of animals or fish at your facility: 600

Number of visitors annually: 153,000

Number of employees: 45

Number of volunteers: 20

Annual budget: $4 million

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