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A Special Otter Day at Audubon Aquarium of the Americas
New Orleans, LA - They are two of the most popular creatures at Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. Now visitors can learn even more about Buck and Emma during a one-day-only special event to teach about saving these engaging animals from extinction. Sea otters Buck and Emma have been delighting visitors at Audubon Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans for the past 10 years, sharing a message of the integral role sea otters play in the nearshore marine ecosystem while promoting research and conservation initiatives. September 27th through October 3rd, sea otter trainers will host special training sessions at 11:30am and 2:00pm, so visitors can see Buck and Emma in action. Education stations will be set up throughout the Aquarium to educate visitors about sea otters and their plight. Visitors will also receive a 20% discount on all otter merchandise in the gift shops. Buck and Emma are also available for “adoption” through Audubon Nature Institute’s Adopt an Animal program. For more information about the program please visit www.AudubonInstitute.org.
Once hunted nearly to extinction for their luxurious fur, sea otters are now a critically endangered species. There are less than 3,000 sea otters left in their natural environment. Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is one of only a handful of zoological facilities that house Southern sea otters. The not-for-profit Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans operates ten parks and museums dedicated to Celebrating the Wonders of Nature. For more information about Audubon Nature Institute, its public attractions, and conservation efforts, please visit www.AudubonInstitute.org. You Otter Know Facts: ~Think you’re busy? In an average day a sea otter spends about eight hours feeding, five to six hours grooming, and about 11 hours resting or sleeping. ~No doggie bag needed! Sea otters hide rocks or food in pouches of skin under the forearms. Our exhibit otters also like to hide toys in their pockets! ~Sea otters feed on over 60 species of kelp forest invertebrates, consuming in excess of 5,000 pounds of crab, snails, sea stars, urchins, etc. per year per otter. ~The sea otter has the thickest fur in the animal kingdom. Unlike other marine mammals, it doesn’t have a layer of blubber (fat) to help keep it warm. If an otter’s fur gets coated with oil or any other substance, it can easily die from cold and exposure. ~Sea otters can breed, give birth and raise their young entirely at sea. ~Since January 1977, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has placed sea otters on the Endangered Species list. This makes them protected by state and federal laws. To view Audubon Aquarium of the Americas web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to: http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-381-Audubon_Zoo_Audubon_Aquarium_of_the_Americas |
By Meghan Calhoun
Buck and Emma were orphaned as pups along the California coast and were not able to survive successfully on their own, coming to Audubon Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans in 1999.
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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...
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http://conservationcute.blogspot.com/
Thanks!
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For more information about World Oceans Day and a list of other events in your area you can visit www.WorldOceansDay.org
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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.
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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.
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http://www.deafmatching.com is an online community for deaf, ASL and hearing-impaired friends and singles!
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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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