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eNews letter May 5, 2008
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| Aquarium News
London Zoo Reveals Seahorse Colonies Found In The Thames. London, UK 
Protection of a British seahorse by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is excellent news for the Thames, reveal conservationists from the Zoological Society of London. The Society discloses today that a number of short-snouted seahorses (Hippocampus hippocampus) have recently been discovered in the Thames during routine conservation surveys. Sea Angels Found Outside Natural Habitat in Miyagi Prefecture.
The clione, which are classified as mollusks and are also known as sea angels, have been on display at Marinepia Matsushima Aquarium in Matsushima since earlier this month. Chef Duff Bakes A Shark Cake for Newport Aquarium, Newport, KY It may look scary, but it tastes delicious. "Ace of Cakes" star, Chef Duff, presented a 4-foot cake in the likeness of Sweet Pea, Newport Aquarium's shark ray, on Saturday afternoon. The aquarium has been celebrating the third annual Sweet Pea Birthday Celebration since April 12th. The Food Network personality spent time at the aquarium swimming with sharks, and meeting alligators and penguins. Nearly Extinct Giant Turtle Found in Northern Vietnam. Cleveland, OH A single critically endangered turtle that previously was thought to be extinct in the wild has been discovered in northern Vietnam. Experts from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo confirmed that they have identified the only known living specimen of a wild Swinhoe's soft-shell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei). After three years of searching lakes and wetlands along the Red River in northern Vietnam, researchers sponsored by Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and the Cleveland Zoological Society, turned their focus to a lake just west of Hanoi, where local residents claimed to have occasionally seen the gigantic soft-shell turtle. When Was The Last Time You Saw A Red Octopus? San Francisco, CA You've already done the cable cars, Fisherman's Wharf and the San Francisco Zoo. So, what's new to do in the city by the bay? If you have a gaggle of kids in tow, check out the new Small Wonders exhibit at the Aquarium of the Bay. The new exhibit features tiny creatures like the red octopuses (pictured) that change color to hide from predators and the fierce-looking wolf eels that spring out of rocky lairs to snap at prey. If these bite-size critters don't excite you, the aquarium has about 20,000 other sea creatures in 700,000 gallons of water for you to examine. |
A pair of clione -- sea creatures that look like angels and which usually live in cold seas like the Okhotsk -- were found in a warmer sea off Miyagi Prefecture, and were put on display at an aquarium here.
| Zoo News
Take A Drive Down To The Belize Zoo. Belize, Central America Begun in 1983 as what the zoo's web site (http://www.belizezoo.org/) calls a "last ditch effort to provide a home for a collection of wild animals which had been used in making documentary films about tropic forests," the zoo has built a reputation as a tourist attraction and educational site in the savannas of Belize. From those humble beginnings, the 29-acre Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center -- its full name -- is the best single place in this New Jersey-sized Central American country to learn about the wide variety of wildlife native to Belize. Zoo's Stolen Monkey Recovered. St. John, NB, Canada
April, a rare callimico, a species also known as Goeldi's monkeys, is from the Amazon region of South America. April is part of a vital breeding program trying to keep the primate species from extinction. And You Thought They Were Extinct! Portland, OR Dinosaur Keeper Forrest Jonson bravely unloads a dangerous megalosaurus at the Oregon Zoo. Megalosaurus and many other dinosaurs will soon stalk zoo visitors during the blockbuster "Dinosaurs!" presented by Wells Fargo. The exhibit runs May 17-Sept. 1, and features 25 animatronic prehistoric creatures that roar, snarl and move with lifelike ferocity. Zoo Association's Big Brother Program In Action. Mold, Wales, UK A TEAM from Chester Zoo is to carry out its own DIY SOS project in the name of conservation. The 110-acre, award-winning zoo - the largest in the UK - is offering a helping hand to one of its smaller counterparts north of the border. The team of keeping and maintenance staff, under the watchful eye of Chester's director of Conservation and Education, Mark Pilgrim, will start work at Galloway Wildlife Conservation Park, Galloway. Over the course of a week, the team of nine will help rebuild some of Galloway's animal enclosures, particularly those near the main entrance. Bob Irwin Explains Decision To Quit Australia Zoo. Australia "I honestly don't believe Steve minds where I am," Mr Irwin told the ABC, according to excerpts released this morning. "I think he'd be more than content as long as he knows that I'm continuing with the work that he'd want me to continue with. As long as I keep pushing his message to the people, and that's what I hope to do." "If I can live the rest of my life out doing what Steve would want me to do and do that successfully, then I'll be prepared to go and shake hands with him again," Mr. Irwin said. Australia Zoo set to become 'Australia's Disneyland'. Australia
"We also want to be destination Australia, kind of like that Disney feel where a lot of Australians go and see Disneyland and then what else is there to do in America," she said. "It's not going to be the mega accommodation like you'd find in Vegas, I'm not going to do that. It's going to be intimate and very much that kind of 'Africa comes to Australia' feel." Using American Fundraising Techniques to Raise Zoo Rupees. Ahmedabad, India Now, you can adopt an animal at the Ahmedabad zoo. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has extended invitations to the corporate world. The concept of 'Friends of the Zoo' inviting corporate and animal lovers has been initiated by the AMC. Authorities expect to collect seven million rupees from the adoption scheme that will be spent on the maintenance and the makeover of the zoo. They consider it as a move to preserve the wildlife and enhance the active participation of stakeholders in the society. Hillary and Obama Claim to Have Offspring. Des Moines, IA There is an addition at the Blank Park Zoo, and the Democrats are taking credit for it. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama's campaign made a stop in Des Moines at the zoo. Zoo officials announced that they were surprised that a new baby male Sicilian donkey, the animal icon of the Democratic Party, was born Sunday morning at the zoo. Edinburg Zoo's New 10 Million Dollar Chimp Unit Opens. Edinburgh, Scotland
A Zoo Poo Sale. Edmonton, Canada The Edmonton Valley Zoo is again selling plant fertilizer made from the droppings of its animals. ZooManu will be sold at the zoo's entrance, May 10 and 11, for $6.50 per 11 kg bag. It's made from the composted dung and bedding of elephants, zebras, camels and other animals whom live at the zoo. ZooManu is rated as Grade A compost, according to a release, with an appropriate pH level that will not burn plants. All proceeds will go to new projects at the Valley Zoo. Wanna Buy A Zoo? K.C.'s Mayor Says "Lets Make A Deal". Kansas City, MO Mayor Mark Funkhouser put it on the line Wednesday, laying out some bold ideas to balance KC's budget. Every one of them makes some sense.
Cleaning Animal Cages For Redemption. Tampa, FL Washington Nationals outfielder Elijah Dukes spent 25 hours during the past week cleaning cages and mopping at an area zoo as part of a deal to shorten his probation on a previous drug charge, the St. Petersburg Times reported. A judge agreed to terminate Dukes' supervision on Thursday as a result of Dukes satisfying the community service requirements of his probation with his work at the Lowry Park Zoo. Dukes was sentenced to one year probation in September after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge. New Russia Grizzly Coast Exhibit Due To Open at Minnesota Zoo (I wonder if Putin is invited). Apple Valley, MN Minnesota Zoo board members Lisa McGinn, left, and Jean Fountain toured the zoo's partly completed Russia's Grizzly Coast exhibit, which will feature three grizzly bears, four sea otters, wild boar and two Amur leopards. The exhibit will open to the public on June 7. It is meant to be the first piece in a $100 million overhaul. Are You a Devoted Fan Of Animal Planet's Orangutan Show? London, UK Borneo Orangutan Survival is an Indonesian non profit, non governmental, environmental organization dedicated to the conservation of orangutans and their habitat through the involvement of local people. BOS started as a group of researchers of the Tropenbos Kalimantan program and the school children of Balikpapan in 1991 and formalized its existence in 1994 through the incorporation of the Balikpapan Orangutan Society (BOS). After the great fires of 1997/1998 hundreds of orangutan victims needed to be dealt with in a large scale operational way and the Balikpapan Orangutan Survival Foundation was established. BOS-UK publishes a free eNewsletter in support of BOS Indonesia filled with interesting articles and loads of orangutan photos. To obtain your free subscription, go to: www.savetheorangutan.org.uk/newsletter/ Another Zoo Poo Story with a Happy Ending. Victoria, Canada
Gary Bartlett, general manager of Ellice Recycling Ltd., said staff instantly wanted to find a way to help the Beacon Hill Children's Farm after reading a Times Colonist story saying that the goat pen might be closed to the public because of longer hauling distances for the waste. It's a perfect fit for the David Street business, which accepts garden waste for a fee and then turns it into mulch for landscaping companies. It's a service that has grown significantly since yard and garden waste was banned from the landfill, Bartlett said. |
A tiny, black monkey named April, stolen earlier this week from Cherry Brook Zoo in Saint John, N.B., has been recovered safe and sound by police following an anonymous phone tip. "Relieved doesn't describe (the feeling)," Lynda Collrin, director of zoo development, told CTV Newsnet Friday. 
There are plans to expand the zoo to include a safari park and hotel. Ms. Irwin says she wants the wildlife park to be the drawing card for tourists to visit Australia.
A private recycling business is coming to the rescue of a popular petting farm faced with crippling animal-waste-removal costs after the city of Victoria said it would no longer accept the waste at its parks work-yard.Zoo and Aquarium Visitor News Our New Contest for eNewsletter Subscribers
We have chosen to use jewelry for prizes for several reasons:
Enter once daily and increase your chances of winning. Enter by completing and submitting the online entry form (limit one (1) online entry, per valid email address, per day). Enter here: Visitor Suggestions Many eNewsletter readers have recently sent me visitor suggestions. We have a very diverse base of readers that not only includes zoo visitors, but we also have zookeepers, trustees, and zoo administrators from around the world. This provides an opportunity for the best suggestions to be read and discussed to see if it makes sense for each individual facility. Since our last newsletter, at least 70% of the suggestions focused on zoo and aquarium facilities web sites. The majority of these complaints focused on a single theme, the listings of animals displayed. It appears that many visitors have a favorite species, elephants, rhinos, tigers, etc. What interests specie specific visitors is eventually seeing all of the sub-species of their favorite animal. They don't want to know if a zoo has a rhino on display, they want to know is it is a White, Black, Indian, Sumatran, or Javan Rhino. Many visitors want to know what species and sub-species they have not yet seen are within a day's drive of their home. After receiving the heavy volume of emails on this subject I started checking web sites and have to agree that many zoos do not offer visitors a listing of the animals they display. And those that do, few list the common names of what sub-species they are. One of the zoos listing the names of the species they display (with sub-species common names included) is the Zoo of Acadiana. You can see their species on display list at: http://www.zooofacadiana.org/animals.html. Do you have a suggestion? If so, send it to: rudy@zandavisitor.com. Speaking of Rhinos, RCC, A Great Resource For All Things Rhino. All five species of rhinoceros in Asia and Africa are threatened with immediate extinction and require intensive protection and management, both in the wild and in captivity. Sharing of knowledge among those involved with rhino and their habitats is crucial for efficient and effective management and protection and to advance rhino biology. Important data about the rhinoceros biology and management are regularly published but is often difficult to access by other workers, especially those working in the field. A thorough review of the literature on the subject is an essential though costly and time-consuming part of each program. Much of this work is facilitated and accelerated by The Rhino Resource Center where all recorded knowledge on the rhinoceros is available and easily accessible. Visit the RRC at http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/about/. Zoo Jokes 2008 has been designated by AZA as the year of the frog. Here are a couple of frog jokes. Becoming a Princess A boy was crossing a road one day when a frog called out to him and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess." He bent over, picked up the frog and put it in his pocket. The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful Princess, I will stay with you for one week." The boy took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to the pocket. The frog then cried out, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a Princess, I'll stay with you and do *Anything* you want." Again the boy took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket. Finally the frog asked, "What is it? I've told you I'm a beautiful Princess, that I'll stay with you for a week and do *Anything* you want. Why won't you kiss me?" The boy said, "Look, I'm a computer programmer. I don't have time for girlfriends, but a talking frog is really cool." Frog Psychic Hotline A frog telephoned the Frog Psychic Hotline and was told,"You are going to meet a beautiful young woman who will want to know everything about you." The frog said, "That's great! Will I meet her at a party, or what?" "No," said the psychic, "Next semester in her biology class." Media Coverage of Zoo Events A biker is riding by the zoo, when he sees a little girl leaning into the lion's cage. Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the cuff of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to slaughter her, under the eyes of her screaming parents. The biker jumps off his bike, runs to the cage and hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch. Whimpering from the pain the lion jumps back letting go of the girl, and the biker brings her to her terrified parents, who thank him endlessly. A reporter from the Berkeley Daily Planet newspaper has seen the whole scene, and addressing the biker, says, "Sir, this was the most gallant and brave thing I saw a man do in my whole life." "Why, it was nothing, really, the lion was behind bars. I just saw this little kid in danger, and acted as I felt right." "Well, I'll make sure this won't go unnoticed. I'm a journalist, you know, and tomorrow's paper will have this on the first page. What motorcycle group are you with and what do you ride?" "Peace Corps Harley Davidson Riders." The following morning the biker buys the paper to see if it indeed brings news of his actions, and reads, on first page: "BIKER GANG MEMBER ASSAULTS AFRICAN IMMIGRANT AND STEALS HIS LUNCH." Fun Stuff Take Tennessee Aquarium's frog test and find out what kind of a frog you are. For Kids Driveway Chalk Mural of Your Zoo VisitMany times the ride home after a zoo or aquarium visit will recharge your children's batteries. An excellent way to channel their energy is to ask them to draw and color a large picture of the zoo trip on the driveway. Depending on their age, ask them to draw and write captions to accompany each person and animal in their drawing. Materials: Please Recycle Do not print, discard and throw our email in your trash bin. Instead, please forward this email to all of your friends so they may obtain their own subscription at: enewssubscription Zoo and Aquarium Visitor magazineP.O. Box 410 Lorain, Ohio 44052 To Unsubscribe send reply to: unsubscribe@ZandAVisitor.com |
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