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The New Star Trek Scotty, Kirk, and Spock are Visiting Oregon Zoo
Portland, OR - As the new "Star Trek" movie continues its strong run at the box office, Oregon Zoo conservationists hope their own Kirk, Spock and Scotty, a trio of rare Oregon spotted frogs, can make a similar splash. "Much like their namesakes aboard the Enterprise, these frogs serve as ambassadors for their planet," said Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "We hope they inspire visitors to join the zoo in its conservation efforts." With Oregon spotted frogs disappearing from the wild at an alarming rate, the zoo has opened a new exhibit highlighting the native amphibian and the efforts to save it. Keeper Kristina Smith -- ironically not a big "Star Trek" fan -- came up with the frogs' spacey names. "The frogs just look kind of odd, and they remind me of aliens or creatures from another planet," Smith said. "There are some serious Trekkies at the zoo though, and they all came out of the woodwork to correct me when I mistakenly referred to Mr. Spock as 'Dr. Spock'!"
"A key to re-establishing spotted frogs in the wild is to nurture them in zoos until they metamorphose into froglets," said David Shepherdson, zoo conservation scientist. "The juvenile frogs have a much better chance of survival if they're released as froglets rather than tadpoles." Last month, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife released 120 spotted frogs that had been head-started at the zoo into the wild near Olympia, Wash. The new Oregon spotted frog exhibit is located at the Cascade Stream and Pond building in the zoo's Great Northwest complex. To see video of Oregon spotted frogs, visit www.oregonzoo.org/VideoArchive/oregon_tadpoles.htm. For additional information about Oregon spotted frogs, visit www.oregonzoo.org/Conservation/Frogs/oregonspottedfrog.htm. Amphibian extinctions have become a worldwide crisis, leading major conservation organizations, such as the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the NW Zoo and Aquarium Alliance, to help facilitate efforts to save these fragile creatures. The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Washington's pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot butterflies, western pond turtles, Oregon spotted frogs and Kincaid's lupine. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats. The zoo opens at 9 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors are encouraged to ride MAX or take TriMet bus No. 63. Visitors who take the bus or MAX receive $1 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information. General admission is $9.75 (12-64), seniors $8.25 (65+), children $6.75 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo's Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $2 per car is also required. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561. Caption: "Star Trek" fans and animal lovers alike can now visit Kirk, Spock and Scotty, a trio of Oregon spotted frogs at the Oregon Zoo. A new exhibit lets visitors see these rare and fragile amphibians up-close and learn about what's being done to save them in the wild. Photo by Melinda Holland, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo. Oregon Zoo " 4001 SW Canyon Rd. " Portland, Oregon 97221 " 503-226-1561 To view Oregon Zoo's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to: http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-382-Oregon_Zoo |
By Bill LaMarche 
Spotted frogs are considered endangered in Washington and Canada, and are threatened in Oregon. Over the past 50 years the native frog has lost 90 percent of its previous habitat. Despite the grim outlook for the species, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Oregon Zoo and other conservation organizations are feeling more hopeful.
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Unusual to have three snow leopard cubs
Congratulations to ABQ BioPark and the proud cat parents on the birth of three snow leopard cubs. That's fantastic news and we look forward to these three playing an important role in snow leopard survival breeding and also helping educate people about their endangered cousins in the wild.
Snow leopards live in some of the most extreme environments on earth - in high altitudes and freezing temperatures. If we don't do a lot of work with communities and governments in snow leopards 12 range countries, these beautiful cats may be extinct in the wild in our life time.
Sibylle Noras
Founder and Publisher
“Saving Snow Leopards” website. See how conservationists and zoos are working to help these rare and elusive cats avoid extinction.
http://www.snowleopardblog.com
Love penguin fluffballs.
I especially liked if you go to the zoo's homepage and click on the info about naming the baby, the winner says she'd like to be able to tell her dad that a penguin was named after him for his birthday. Adorable!
If you have any interest in reading a new blog, featuring conservation of adorable animals and their habitats, please check out my website...
Conservation:Cute
http://conservationcute.blogspot.com/
Thanks!
World Oceans Day
For more information about World Oceans Day and a list of other events in your area you can visit www.WorldOceansDay.org
Elephants
Asome news on the new baby! I agree with everyone here on the fact that animals should not be in captivation. If you want to check out a really cool place in Thailand where you can care for elephants check out http://www.elephantstay.com this place is a sanctuary for retired working elephants, it's an amazing place and they do so much good for the animals who live there. I went a few months ago and it was amazing.
Kimberly Juchnowski
Publisher, http://www.tikikiki.com
zoo animal diet's
It's ridiculous to try extrapolate zoo animals diet to human beings, and it flies in the face of all science of the last 30 years that looked into nutrition and health research. Maybe Rudy Socha was being sarcastic? I hope so.
response to starseed
I fully agree with you when it comes to the captivity of orcas. These animals live considerably shorter, unhealthier lives than they normally would have in the wild. I am disgusted by what I have seen at Sea World. They claim to be trying to educate people on the animals when really it is all nothing but a circus with the animals being made to perform to attract customers. I am a little more on the fence however when it comes to some other species of dolphins, such as the ones they keep at Vancouver Aquarium. While I do not support the capture of wild dolphins, I do recognize the fact that there are species that actually live longer and perhaps healthier lives in captivity than in the wild. One of the neat things at the Vancouver Aquarium is that none of the dolphins were captured for the purpose of entertainment: they were all animals that were rescued after getting caught and injured in fishing nets and are unable to return to the wild due to their injuries. I have seen the shows and the aquarium are truly focused more on educating visitors than trying to entertain them at the animals' expense.
Christian's Award
I know that Christian is dedicated to her aquarium job and to the rehab of sea turtles. I am proud of her.
Dry Tortugas National Park
The seashore, our accredited Summer Learning Adventure Camps merge scientific exploration Dry Tortugas National Park with hands-on fun and learning. Campers investigate marine habitats, create ocean art projects, learn about careers in oceanography, and combine the science and sports of surfing and snorkeling, all while making new friends and memories.
hey
http://www.deafmatching.com is an online community for deaf, ASL and hearing-impaired friends and singles!
Have fun with photos, message boards, chat, blog and more.
Don't support it anymore
I think we should move on from having dolphins in captivity now - we all know this isn't good for them.
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diabetes
pacaya samiria national reserve
The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve is a magical place. The flora, fauna, remoteness and beauty are exquisite. Another interesting aspect is how the indigenous people there live. To learn more and see photos taken by indigenous children in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, you can visit ninosdelaamazonia.org
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