By JimBoots, January 27, 2011.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Also @ Link
When I link to this story on the 200 elephants poached in Cameroon, I also get (below) the seven-minute, 2009 video on the NC Zoo/WWF/NC Zoo Society Elephants of Cameroon research and tracking project. Do you?
Gorilla "Escape"...
...chases keepers "on exhibit".
Kansas City Zoo suffered another one of those escapes wherein dangerous animals (two 400-pound gorillas, in this case) end up where they do not belong, but are not really out and about.
The "gorillas got out of their unlocked interior cages and into the hallway of the holding building where keepers attend to them. The keepers hurried into the outdoor exhibit, which was empty at the time. A third keeper gave them a ladder, and the two employees climbed out of the exhibit.
"During all of this, the two males had access to the outdoor yard but not to public areas of the zoo."
"Zoo visitors were herded into safe areas during the event. Zoo staffers were able to prod the gorillas into the outdoor exhibit area with water hoses, and the incident was over..."
Kansas City Zoo suffered another one of those escapes wherein dangerous animals (two 400-pound gorillas, in this case) end up where they do not belong, but are not really out and about.
The "gorillas got out of their unlocked interior cages and into the hallway of the holding building where keepers attend to them. The keepers hurried into the outdoor exhibit, which was empty at the time. A third keeper gave them a ladder, and the two employees climbed out of the exhibit.
"During all of this, the two males had access to the outdoor yard but not to public areas of the zoo."
"Zoo visitors were herded into safe areas during the event. Zoo staffers were able to prod the gorillas into the outdoor exhibit area with water hoses, and the incident was over..."
Monday, February 20, 2012
A Stroll in the Park
Presidents Day and the NC Zoo's closing for snow meant I saw no visitors, staff or construction workers on my p.m. stroll through half of "North America". Just two seals, eight bison and two elk.
No snow. (It never stuck to paved surfaces and had all melted by mid-day.)
Oh, yeah. Squirrels and crows.
No snow. (It never stuck to paved surfaces and had all melted by mid-day.)
Oh, yeah. Squirrels and crows.
Big Solar Project?
"Discussions are ongoing about the possibility of installing a major solar-generating facility in the North America parking lot. This would also provide shaded parking." [2/16/12 NC Zoo senior staff mtg. notes]
This could dwarf Solar Pointe.
This could dwarf Solar Pointe.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Zoos & Biophilia
More from that Canisius College Future of Zoos Symposium.
"We all have in us this thing called biophilia, the kind of love of nature, and zoos are kind of a central gathering point for communities to connect with nature."
"Two of the very best exhibits I've seen in zoos anywhere are at the Buffalo Zoo...I'm an absolutely huge fan of the Otter exhibit they've created, and the new Rainforest Exhibit is spectacular!"
"We all have in us this thing called biophilia, the kind of love of nature, and zoos are kind of a central gathering point for communities to connect with nature."
"Two of the very best exhibits I've seen in zoos anywhere are at the Buffalo Zoo...I'm an absolutely huge fan of the Otter exhibit they've created, and the new Rainforest Exhibit is spectacular!"
Shorter & Sweeter?
Actually "fewer & sweet".
BronxZoosCobra is tweeting much less frequently than when it was on the loose.
Here is the last (Feb. 14): "Valentine's Day is just another corporate holiday they made up so they can sell you greeting cards and chocolate covered mice."
BronxZoosCobra is tweeting much less frequently than when it was on the loose.
Here is the last (Feb. 14): "Valentine's Day is just another corporate holiday they made up so they can sell you greeting cards and chocolate covered mice."
Saturday, February 18, 2012
200 Cameroonian Elephants Killed
"...a gang of Sudanese poachers had killed the free roaming elephants in the Bouba Ndjida National Park in northern Cameroon, near the border with Chad, in an unprecedented attack that killed about a third of that population."
"...this latest massacre is massive and has no comparison to those of the preceding years..."
"...this latest massacre is massive and has no comparison to those of the preceding years..."
Zoo Robiotics
While those zoo experts agreed on much, they were split on robotics.
"Some thought they would be exciting; others felt that no matter how realistic the models were, people wouldn't be interested. "That one was left sort of unresolved."
"Some thought they would be exciting; others felt that no matter how realistic the models were, people wouldn't be interested. "That one was left sort of unresolved."
Quite the Clarification
The Hawaii state senator quoted as saying "no adult gives a crap about a polar bear" has clarified.
I could see that, as a physician, his big beef was with Coca-Cola for using iconic polar bears to help it sell sugar and syrup to youngsters, not with polar bears and their plight. He makes that very clear:
"As a father of two young children, I am very aware of ads that use animated characters and cartoon animals to appeal to kids. However, I’m glad my comments have brought attention to the plight of real polar bears and the destruction of their habitat by global warming.
"Because [I] care about real polar bears and the destruction of their habitat by global warming, in 2007...[I] introduced HB 226, which was passed into law as the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Measure and hailed as landmark environmental legislation in Hawaii.
“As a State Senator in Hawaii,” Green said, “it’s frustrating that I can’t do more to help real polar bears and preserve their habitat, but I can help kids fight the obesity epidemic by promoting healthy choices.”
I could see that, as a physician, his big beef was with Coca-Cola for using iconic polar bears to help it sell sugar and syrup to youngsters, not with polar bears and their plight. He makes that very clear:
"As a father of two young children, I am very aware of ads that use animated characters and cartoon animals to appeal to kids. However, I’m glad my comments have brought attention to the plight of real polar bears and the destruction of their habitat by global warming.
"Because [I] care about real polar bears and the destruction of their habitat by global warming, in 2007...[I] introduced HB 226, which was passed into law as the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Measure and hailed as landmark environmental legislation in Hawaii.
“As a State Senator in Hawaii,” Green said, “it’s frustrating that I can’t do more to help real polar bears and preserve their habitat, but I can help kids fight the obesity epidemic by promoting healthy choices.”
Friday, February 17, 2012
Billy Goats Gruff
By Austin, TX artist Bob Coffee, who created and gave a statue of Marjan, the blind lion, to Kabul Zoo, through the NC Zoo Society effort on behalf of the war-torn zoo. (Ann & I came across this as part of a temporary sculpture exhibition at Brookgreen Gardens, near the South Carolina coast and now it is, appropriately, under the bridge ("North American") at the NC Zoo!)
At Center of Debates
Over "preserving a safe Arctic environment" for wildlife, taxing sugar in soda and determining who "gives a crap about a polar bear". [roitberg on flickr]
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Hanna Berates Legislators
Columbus Zoo director emeritus "Jack Hanna criticized Ohio lawmakers Thursday for not yet passing a bill to regulate exotic animals, months after authorities shot dozens of lions, tigers, bears and other wild creatures let loose by their suicidal owner."
Dodos in Future Zoos?
Here are some interesting thoughts from a respected group of experts on zoos and animal welfare.
"The fact that the topics of animal welfare, education and conservation permeated the [Future of Zoos] symposium [Canisius College, Buffalo, NY], speaks well to where we now are as a species".
"Jeffrey Yule, PhD, coordinator of the environmental Science Program at Louisiana Tech University, discussed the possibility that species that are currently extinct could have representatives in zoos if we are able to clone them".
"Catherine Doyle from In Defense of Animals, predicted that chimpanzees would be granted legal personhood in our country and would, therefore, not be kept in zoos of the future."
"St. Louis Zoo Director Jeffrey Bonner, PhD, predicted that in some places much larger zoos will emerge, so that the boundary between what is a zoo and what is a wildlife park will begin to blur."
"Ron Kagan, director of the Detroit Zoo, predicted a future that will see a greater quality of life for individual animals. “Zoos owe a life-long commitment to see that each animal receives the very highest quality of life".
"Symposium participants included Donna Fernandes, Buffalo Zoological Gardens; Jon Coe, Jon Coe Design; Terry Maple, author and zoo director emeritus; Kevin Murphy, The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore; William Conway, Wildlife Conservation Society; Keith Winsten, The Brevard Zoo; Donald Moore, Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park..."
"The fact that the topics of animal welfare, education and conservation permeated the [Future of Zoos] symposium [Canisius College, Buffalo, NY], speaks well to where we now are as a species".
"Jeffrey Yule, PhD, coordinator of the environmental Science Program at Louisiana Tech University, discussed the possibility that species that are currently extinct could have representatives in zoos if we are able to clone them".
"Catherine Doyle from In Defense of Animals, predicted that chimpanzees would be granted legal personhood in our country and would, therefore, not be kept in zoos of the future."
"St. Louis Zoo Director Jeffrey Bonner, PhD, predicted that in some places much larger zoos will emerge, so that the boundary between what is a zoo and what is a wildlife park will begin to blur."
"Ron Kagan, director of the Detroit Zoo, predicted a future that will see a greater quality of life for individual animals. “Zoos owe a life-long commitment to see that each animal receives the very highest quality of life".
"Symposium participants included Donna Fernandes, Buffalo Zoological Gardens; Jon Coe, Jon Coe Design; Terry Maple, author and zoo director emeritus; Kevin Murphy, The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore; William Conway, Wildlife Conservation Society; Keith Winsten, The Brevard Zoo; Donald Moore, Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park..."
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Moving Dirt
The Project:Polar Bears expansion at the NC Zoo is still in the earth-moving phase.
The landscape of the much-larger Arctic exhibit, as well as the footprints for the added holding facilities are taking shape.
The landscape of the much-larger Arctic exhibit, as well as the footprints for the added holding facilities are taking shape.
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