Zoo and Aquarium News

Staff at Great Yarmouth Sea Life Centre Aquarium are Watching for Signs of Rivalry in Penguin Love Stakes

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:26:35 -0500

Aquarium is Scouring the Continent in Search of Another Female to Even Things Up By Jane Smith Yarmouth, UK - As Valentine's Day approaches anxious staff at Great Yarmouth Sea Life Centre Aquarium are watching for signs of sibling rivalry in the penguin love stakes. The newest arrival in the centre's penguin colony is nine-year-old Rosie, a widow of nine months who is looking for new love…and has two handsome young penguin studs to choose from.

Rio Grande Zoo Will Divulge the Details of the Exotic, Erotic, and Romantic Rituals of Animals

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:03:41 -0500

Get Information on This Tour That You'll Never Get in a Normal Rio Grande Zoo Tour By Terry Axline Albuquerque, NM - Indulge your animal instincts this Valentine's Day with a tour of the Rio Grande Zoo. The action starts on Sunday, February 14, promptly at 2:00 p.m. Love is a complex dance-even in the animal kingdom. Our resident experts will divulge the details of the exotic, erotic, and often curious romantic rituals of animals. Learn about the life-long romances of condors and cranes, intriguing mating habits of primates, and what goes on in the breeding world of reptiles. You'll get information on this tour that you'll never get in a normal zoo tour! It's sure to be this winter's most interesting day at the Zoo. Tickets for this tour are $10 and can be purchased at the Zoo's cashier booth on Sunday. Ticket cost includes Zoo admission and a special sweet treat. Reservations are required; please call (505) 764-6247. Sorry, kids. This affair is for adults only (18 and older). The Zoo is located at 903 Tenth St. SW.

Governor Christ, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Winter the Dolphin Enter Adoption Business

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:46:15 -0500

"Winter's Dream" is That Every Foster Child Available for Adoption Finds a Family By Jeni Hatter Clearwater, FL - Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) welcomed Florida Governor Charlie Crist and other dignitaries to kick off a new adoption campaign called "Winter's Dream." CMA is partnering with the Progress Energy Heart Gallery and Eckerd Community Alternatives to raise awareness of the need for children in foster care to be adopted and the need for Winter the dolphin to be adopted. CMA relies on public support for its work of marine life rescue. One of the ways to generate support is by allowing families to adopt its animals. "Winter's Dream" is that every foster child available for adoption finds his or her "forever family." Winter lost her family, overcame physical challenges and found a new family with CMA. Many kids in Florida's foster care system face similar challenges and are considered "special needs," given their background, age or disability. These children have been separated from their birth families, live in foster care and now need adoptive homes.

Penguins' Switch to New "Formal Wear" Delays Living Planet Aquarium Exhibit Opening

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:42:31 -0500

Most Penguin Species Go Through One Complete Molt (shed their feathers) Each Year By Angie Hyde Sandy, UT - The Living Planet Aquarium has deferred the opening of the highly anticipated penguin exhibit until late March, and the penguins' switch to new "formal wear" is to blame. Most penguin species go through one complete molt (shed their feathers) each year, usually after the breeding season. Depending on the species, the average length of the molt varies from 13 days to 34 days. The Living Planet Aquarium will be receiving 11 penguins for the new exhibit, three of which are chicks, hatched in late 2009, two are adults (a breeding pair, over 4 years of age), and the remaining 6 are a year old (hatched in 2008).

A Sweetheart of a Deal At Jacksonville Zoo

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:21:29 -0500

Jacksonville Zoo is Celebrating Valentine's Day with a Special Admission Offer By Mercede New Jacksonville, FL - The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is celebrating Valentine's Day with a special admission offer on February 13th and 14th. Guests can buy one adult's admission and get one adult's admission free! Coupons for this offer will be available online at Jacksonvillezoo.org. A coupon from the Zoo's Web site must be presented to receive the discount, one coupon per person. For over 90 years, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has been dedicated to inspiring the discovery and appreciation of wildlife through innovative experience in a caring environment. Starting in 1914 with an animal collection that consisted of one red deer fawn, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has grown to house more than 1,400 rare and exotic animals and over 1,000 unique plant species. The Jacksonville Zoo is a non-profit organization and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). It is open year-round, seven days a week, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and is located on Jacksonville's North side at 370 Zoo Parkway, one-half mile east from I-95. For more information on the Zoo, log on to jacksonvllezoo.org.

Acacia the Gorilla Packs Up and Moves to North Carolina Zoo

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:04:33 -0500

Acacia Booked a Seat Aboard a Cargo Jet Flight to Piedmont Triad International Airport By Rod Hackney Asheboro, NC - -"Acacia," a 15-year-old female gorilla, arrived at the North Carolina Zoo Saturday evening from the Oklahoma City Zoo, the second new gorilla to be transferred to the state zoo in the past month. "Jamani," a 10-year-old female arrived in Asheboro January 14, from the San Diego Zoo. Both gorillas were transferred to the N.C. Zoo as part of the Gorilla Species Survival Plan (SSP), a cooperative program of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums aimed at improving the captive care and breeding of these highly endangered great apes.

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's Newest Exhibit is "The Scoop on Poop"

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:50:03 -0500

Blending Fecal Facts With Fun in This New Interactive Exhibit By Tom O'Konowitz Cleveland, OH - Get The Scoop on Poop This Summer at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo DINOSAURS!, FLUTTER! and Professor Wylde return for Zoo's summer season Discover the science behind dinosaur dung, giraffe droppings and porcupine pellets this summer with "The Scoop on Poop," Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's newest exhibit. Blending fecal facts with fun, this interactive exhibit runs from Saturday, May 22, through Sunday, September 12 at the Zoo.

Columbus Zoo Helps 1,000 Endangered African Grey Parrots Confiscated in Cameroon

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:19:04 -0500

Staff Members are Scrambling to Treat the 1,000 Parrots, Many of Which are Injured or Ill By Jennifer M. Wilson Powell, OH - More than 1,000 endangered African grey parrots were delivered to the Limbe Wildlife Center in Cameroon last week after being confiscated as part of a $1.5 million illegal shipment at the Douala Airport. The shipment-that was scheduled to be loaded on to Ethiopian Airlines-was the largest on record and is the third major bust of African grey parrots in Cameroon in the past two years. The Last Great Ape Organization (LAGA), in conjunction with Cameroonian law enforcement officials, coordinated the bust. The parrots were destined for Kuwait International Airport and the Bahrain International Airport. Limbe staff members are scrambling to treat the parrots, many of which are injured or ill. Forty-seven parrots were found dead at the bottom of the crates upon arrival and another 30 did not survive the first day.

Akron Zoo Job Fair for Summer Employment is February 19

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:41:40 -0500

Akron Zoo Looking to Fill Jobs in the Areas of Guest Services, Horticulture and Custodial By David Barnhardt Akron, OH - The Akron Zoo will be hosting a job fair to showcase its opportunities for summer employment, February 19 from 1 - 7 p.m. & February 20 from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m., 2010. The zoo will be looking to fill jobs in the areas of guest services, horticulture and custodial. In the area of guest services the zoo will be looking for people to work admissions, gift shop and food service. The zoo's summer season runs April 1 - September 30. Applicants can fill out an application and some on-the-spot interviews will take place. Anyone interested must be 18 years or older and the Akron Zoo is a drug-free work place.

Giant Panda Tai Shan Arrives in China to Find a Mate

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 09:53:35 -0500

Tai Shan Will Take Part in a Panda Breeding Program at the Bifengxia Base By Enica R. Thompson Ya'an, Sichuan, China- Tai Shan, the Smithsonian's National Zoo's beloved 4 ½-year-old giant panda, has arrived safely to his new home at Wolong's Bifengxia Base in Ya'an, Sichuan. The 184-pound panda arrived at 4:26 p.m. local time in Chengdu on Feb. 5, 2010. On Feb. 4, Tai Shan's 15-hour non-stop flight departed Dulles International Airport at 12:10 p.m. via a FedEx 777 plane, also known as the "Panda Express." Under the National Zoo's agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association, Tai Shan will take part in a panda breeding program at the Bifengxia Base. The Zoo successfully negotiated two extensions with the China Wildlife Conservation Association, which allowed the Zoo to keep Tai Shan for two-and-a-half years beyond the original two-year contract.