Wide Open

DeBrazza's Monkey
Originally uploaded by russlings.

Look for the DeBrazza's monkeys at the NC Zoo. The DeBrazza's are among the distinctly marked guenon family of primates.

NC Zoo curator Lorraine Smith leads the AZA (American Zoo and Aquarium) efforts to manage the guenons in North America's better zoos.


NC Zoo photo.

Still Getting Warmer

The State Senate overwhelmingly passed the North Carolina Global Warming Act (Senate Bill 1134) by a vote of 44 to 6.

Growin' Up II

If you were referred here by the NC Zoo Society "z-mail" and are looking for pix of the red wolf pups, see the blog post of 2:09 p.m., Wednesday (below).

Remarkably Unremarkable

The snake-themed visit to Lake Brandt today (see two posts directly below) was remarkable for the fact that while I actually spotted more great blue herons than snakes, that has become quite unremarkable.

I remember when a great blue heron spotting was very remarkable indeed. Now you can expect to find the big birds on any canoe outing.

Still, the several times today that one flew out from its hiding place, giving me a close view of its unique, prehistoric, good looks, then treating me to a long viewing of its elegant flight to some distant point, were a few of the more special moments of the outing.

Fishing Family Fun

Not far from all the water snake sightings on Lake Brandt, I came across a family fishing from the shore. Actually, the three adults (two men and a woman) were wading up to the middles of their bare thighs in the water, using two fishing poles (one man was just watching).

The other man fished very close (three or four feet) to where he stood and caught a small fish while I watched. He directed the pole and fish toward the toddler on the shore.

The toddler was not amused by this strange creature being thrust in his direction and began crying and complaining to Mom.

Snake Theme (cont.)

Just back from a solo canoe outing on Lake Brandt.

When I spotted a northern water snake (rather small one with the copperhead-mimic markings and coloration), I decided I'd make the theme of the outing "snakes" (also in honor of my recent dream and blog post regarding same).

The next sighting took some time and that was just a fleeting view of one swimming just below the surface nearby.

Soon thereafter I spotted another northern water snake of similar size. Both sunning snakes to this point were not very interested in leaving the comfort of their sunning spots. The first only dropped into the water when I came quite close. This second one never did drop, although I came even closer.

Next, I was proud to have spotted a small green snake on a very green background. Got up close with the thin snake. Glancing just to the right, as I was focused on the nearby green snake, I noticed a much thicker water snake. It dropped quickly into the water.

As I watched it drop and my near-focused eyes followed it down, I realized that another water snake was also right next to the bow of the boat.

The next snake sighting came within seconds. On a fallen tree were two more northern water snakes. One was a large, thick one that had the moccasin-mimic coloring of an older water snake. The other was half as long, one quarter the thickness of the older one.

As I watched, the smaller snake moved up onto the back of the larger one, for better sunning.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, These Ain't

Went with Ann and the boys to see the Greensboro Grasshoppers play baseball at their handsome new stadium, quite near our home.

The South Atlantic League has animal names like so many professional teams (Detroit Lions and Tigers, Chicago Bears, etc.). But with a twist: the SAL teams include the Greenjackets (a stinging insect), Shorebirds, Catfish, Crawdads, Riverdogs, Blue Claws and Sand Gnats.

Big Canoe Trip!

The News & Record, Greensboro, today has more on the ongoing canoe adventure of recreation Ph.D. students, John Pugh and Jessica Robinson, who are making a "source to sea" canoe trip down the Mississippi River.

Their website includes a journal each is keeping. See John's of May 24 for ten "Things that were cooler than TV this week". (For some reason, the May 23 and 24 posts are below the earlier posts.)

Snake Dream

Had the snake dream again night before last.

Guess the sighting of the big black rat snake near Smith Mountain Lake triggered it.

Thought I handled it well in real life. Saw the snake. Warned Ann she was very close. (Quick retreat by Ann.) I walked close enough to it to allow it all the time it needed to give us a little more room to go by on the trail. Ann walked, off trail, to my other side, and we went on.

Guess the snake paranoia came out in the dream.

Again there were large, wide, poisonous now, snakes everywhere. There was a cave full of them. Then, again, there were so many there was no where to put my foot down. As has been the case in recent years with this recurring dream, however, I now deal with that problem by hovering. I can now glide above the snakes, not putting my foot down until I've reached a safe spot. (Quite the handy dream technique!)

Greensboro Watershed Trails

So pleased to find that map of Greensboro Trails in the News & Record, Sunday.

My handy "Hiking: North Carolina", Randy Johnson, 1996, lists just the Lake Brandt and Guilford Courthouse National Military Park trails. Now I know where to find three Lake Higgins, three Lake Townsend and one Lake Jeanette trails as well.

Goody!

Serial Surprises

Surprised a white tail on my hour jog today. Shortly after that I caused four crows to rise and fly quite near me, giving their warning complaint calls from nearer than I'm used to hearing them.

Immediately after the crows, a lone squirrel startled at my left (just one good stride away from me) and scurried up a tree.

There were no cars at the Church Street trail head of the Osprey Trail (G'boro) and I only saw one group of people, when I came within close sight of the Yanceyville bridge across Lake Townsend, so, perhaps, the Osprey Trail wildlife get so little human visitation, they are a bit unprepared for it. (Don't really know why I had those three close encounters; it was not because I was running so very fast!)

Osprey Trail

Jogged an hour on the Osprey Trail, along Lake Townsend, Greensboro.

The Outdoors section of today's News & Record (Greensboro) showed me how to find it in a map attached to a story on National Trails Day - Saturday.

Interestingly, I had tried to find it last weekend. Greenmon had mentioned, during our recent Haw River canoe outing, that he had hiked it not long ago.

Trying to place the trail head, Greenmon was not sure if it were Elm or Church that crossed the lakes and offered the Osprey Tail head. We (I) settled on it must be Elm and I began jogging on little trails there, found that I must be in the wrong spot, jogged over to Church, but was well south of the trail head. (Mainly ran on sidewalks and on asphalt last weekend, as a result.)

What I found today is a great trail that rises to high banks and drops repeatedly to muddy wetlands kept passable by the hard work of the Sierra Club. Many mature trees, some past their prime and a bit spooky looking as a result.

I ran from Church to Yanceyville Road and back. Another time I'll start out at Yanceyville, going farther northeast along Lake Townsend, on the 5.1 mile Townsend Trail.

Interest in Wolf Pups

Interest in the NC Zoo's red wolf pups, and the Zoo Society's "z-mail" to thousands of members, has driven over 400 viewers to this blog in the past 45 hours to see the pups at 4 weeks of age. (See the posting below of 2:09 p.m. Wednesday.)

Hundreds more visited a month ago to see the newborns, eyes not yet opened. (See April 30, 3:23 p.m., below.)

All this interest in animals the Zoo manages for release to the wild and "species survival" , not to exhibit to the public, is commendable.

Madagascar

Wonder why the new animated movie chose Madagascar as its title and destination? As I understand it, the featured animals are mainly from mainland Africa (zebra, lion, hippo, giraffe, etc.) and the writers could have chosen to introduce mangabeys, from Tanzania, Cameroon or Gabon, instead of lemurs from Madagascar, where over half the mammals are found only in Madagascar.

Interesting choice. Guess I'll have to see the movie to, perhaps, learn why.

Smith Mountain Lake

Took the day off and Ann and I drove to Smith Mountain Lake and hiked the Chestnut Ridge and Turtle Island Trails, 1.9 and 1.3 miles, respectively.

Nice, mainly level walks along the lake. A black rat snake was sunning along the trail. It is Virginia's largest snake and this was an adult.

We also heard and then saw a flying osprey .

Very nice outing on a pleasant day.

Lot of building going on around the Lake.

(Virginia State Parks want a $3 "parking" fee.)

Invasion! Revisited

Look no farther than invasive species for evidence supporting the theory that the loss of species can have dire effects on habitats and, therefore, humans.

The theory is based on the assumption that habitats are held together by a unique balance. Remove one, or a few, species and that balance is disrupted and the habitat and its remaining species suffer.

On one hand, the invasive species offer support for the theory's assumption that there is a delicate balance, easily disrupted. Kudzu, lacking natural "predators", increases at a level that threatens and overwhelms habitat and species. An initially small alteration in the habitat, when kudzu was first introduced, results in a huge change.

On the other hand, the invasive species might yet have been held in check if it were not for the fact that the habitat often lacks a "top of the food chain", as with the way nutria thrive in parts of North Carolina, lacking the big, wild "cats" and "dogs" that once were more plentiful in the habitat.

In the latter example, loss of species appears to have allowed the invasive species to threaten the habitat.

Invasion!

"Parade" magazine and NPR have very recently treated the subject of invasive species - those that have got out of hand (nutria, bamboo, etc.) because they were brought to a place where they have few "enemies".

Here is an interesting handling of the arguable invasive species champ, kudzu. (At least here in the South of the U.S.A.)

Weather Permitting

saguaro cactus
Originally uploaded by russlings.

The hot, dry climate in the NC Zoo's Sonora Desert exhibit allows the growth of the saguaro cactus and other plant species of that region of North America.

Special permitting allowed the NC Zoo to bring this unique collection to the center of North Carolina. (These rare plants can only be removed with special approvals; even the "deadfall" required permits.)


NC Zoo photo.

New Patas

Patas Trio
Originally uploaded by russlings.

Here is the new Patas monkey with Mom and one-year-old sibling.

Cato Patas Island, NC Zoo.


Tom Gillespie/NC Zoo photo.

Growin' Up

Wolves 4 wks.
Originally uploaded by russlings.

Remember the "Wolf in Hand" pictures of about 4 weeks ago? Well, the NC Zoo, endangered red wolf pups are growing up.

Check out new photo sent along by Keeper Chris Lasher.

Find the Baby Patas

Patas (1)
Originally uploaded by russlings.

Check out all of Cato Patas Island at the NC Zoo on your next visit. If you come soon, you are looking for the newest infant, born about three weeks ago.

Good luck. Have fun.


Tom Gillespie/NC Zoo photo.

More Gorilla Bonding

See video of Franklin Park Zoo's Kiki and her baby born late in 2004 by clicking "click here" under the heading "Gorilla Birth!" on the zoo's website .

This 3-minute video took about that long to download on Windows Media Player on my computer.

This birth was a success in the AZA (American Zoo and Aquariums) Species Survival Plan (SSP) for western lowland gorillas.

Four in Hand

Denver Zoo veterinary staff is hand rearing four African banded mongoose .

The link, here, is to a cute photo of the four back in late 2004.

ZIMS II

The United States Congress has directed $500,000 to the International Species Information System (ISIS) for the development of its Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS). See blog post - ZIMS, May 18, 6:52 p.m., below.

ZIMS is being developed with the cooperation of 500 experts from the worldwide zoological community.

marmad

Comments found on this blog from marmad, I've learned, are from Mad(ison) and Mar(garet) Benfield.

Earlier blog posts here have reported how these young ladies from Winston-Salem have raised money for the NC Zoo flamingos and elephants through Madison's birthday party (she asked for gifts to the Zoo rather than for herself) and Margaret's planned lemonade business.

Proud father Brian H. Benfield now reports that Margaret had her first lemonade fund raiser for Project: Pachyderms. It was a success...first serving auto traffic and then going door to door.

Dad promises pictures of the next lemonade offering.

Whale Sounds

Regarding today's earlier post about the right whale, the Aquarium of the Pacific website has a "Whales: Voices of the Sea" section.

You can hear the call of the right whale and several others.

4 Homo Sapiens

4 Homo Sapiens
Originally uploaded by russlings.

On exhibit at the NC Zoo.

NC Zoo photo

Sunflower

Sunflower
Originally uploaded by russlings.

This is the rare, locally-growing sunflower that the NC Zoo horticulture staff is seen relocating in a recent posting (Tuesday, 9:54 a.m.) below. Helianthus schweinitzii.

NC Zoo photo.

Two New Lemurs

Speaking of zoos being involved in finding new large species in the wild, the December 2005 issue of the "International Journal of Primatology" will feature two new species of sportive lemurs described by Dr. Edward Louis, head of the Genetics Department of the Grewcock Center for Conservation and Research at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo.

Seal's sportive lemur is from the rain forest of Madagascar's east coast. It is named in honor of a man I used to see at American Zoo and Aquarium Association annual conferences, Ulysses S. Seal, former chair of the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group of the International Union of Conservation.

Mitsinjo sportive lemur is named for the dry forest region of Madagascar's west coast.

The Omaha zoo's team sampled genetics all over Madagascar.

Right Whale

The northern right whale was so-named because whalers knew it to be the right whale to harpoon. Today there are just 1200 or so left and NPR this morning is doing a story on their perhaps imminent extinction.

The NPR website has the story with photos and maps.

Makes me think about the North Carolina Zoo and American Zoo and Aquarium efforts to try to keep a population of just 150 remaining African elephants in North America vital.

Snake on Haw

If I remember correctly, Greenmon said the largest snake he pointed out as we canoed the Haw River today was a northern water snake , which can look a bit like a copperhead or a water moccasin, depending on its age (they get darker with age, I understand).

I did not get a good look at it, but could tell it was a big one.

Stark Warning

The BBC reports a stark warning in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment .

We are losing species now at a rate 100 to 1,000 times faster than the fossil record would predict. Human activity is the obvious cause.

"Biodiversity and human well-being can not be separated." Dr. Kareh Zahedi, World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Got Sound? Hear New Monkey

NPR has the sound the newly-discovered monkey (highland mangabey) makes.

The Wildlife Conservation Society (Bronx Zoo) is one of the two teams credited with the discovery. NPR reports they are trying to find other large, undiscovered species in that part of the world (Tanzania, Africa).

Snakes Awake

The water snakes were active on the Haw River (between Bynum and The Chicken Bridge)...swimming and sunning. (Watch out for snakes sunning on roads later today.)

What a nice canoe run it was with Greenmon.

My first time on the Haw. It was running fast enough and high enough to be plenty of fun and with relative ease. Beautiful day!

Why Are They Called "Mangabey"?

Speaking of the new monkey (highland mangabey), why do they call this group of primates "mangabey"? According to this source , after the city of Mangabe on Madagascar, because they were once mistakenly thought to come from there

Did You See That!?!

Did you see Afleet Alex almost fall, yet win the Preakness?

The horse's ability to keep speed and right itself was a wonder to see.

When I jog trails, sometimes I stumble and sometimes I fall. When I come as close to falling as Afleet Alex did today, I either complete the fall or am so slowed down by righting myself that I am virtually starting from a stand still.

And I don't have a frightened human being on my back when I stumble, adding difficulty.

What an athlete!

Whistle Pig

Did you know that the ground hog/wood chuck is also called the whistle pig because of the alarm whistle it sounds when startled?

New Monkey

The BBC announced Thursday the discovery of a previously unidentified monkey in Tanzania, as reported recently in the journal "Science".

First Elephant

Little Diamond, one of two female African elephants on exhibit (with the male, C'Sar) at the NC Zoo, is the first elephant born in the Western Hemisphere. Here's the story.

Got a Spare $ Million?

Want to perpetually sponsor the African Elephant exhibit at the Watani Grasslands?
Just use the form this link takes you to to arrange your gift of $1 million.

Elephant at the House

Our next NC Zoo Society event today begins at 11 a.m.

About 50 people are expected for a behind-the-scenes tour of the elephant/rhino "night quarters". This tour was promised to folks who gave $500 or more to our effort to raise money to bring elephants to the Zoo for the Watani Grasslands/Project: Pachyderms program, aimed to allow us to "grow" our pachyderm herds to 10-or-so animals each.

The last three Saturdays we have held informational meetings on Project: Pachyderms for potential donors to the capital campaign to build bigger, better, pachyderm facilities.

One of our invitees brought a guest to the first meeting. At the end of the meeting, the guest informed us that she had a sister-in-law who "has an elephant at her house". Turns out the sister-in-law might be willing to let the NC Zoo "adopt" the 16 year-old, female, African elephant that lives on the little horse farm at her home.

The NC Zoo is pursuing the possibility.

How Much Wood...?

Murphy, the NC Zoo/Schindler Wildlife Rehabilitation Center ground hog (wood chuck), is still greeting NC Zoo Society members as hundreds came to the Zoo early today for Wake Up with the Animals, our annual members-arrive-before-the-Zoo-opens event.

Murphy is an orphan housed at the Rehab Center. He remains an educational animal because he lacks a normal fear of humans and their pets.

He is promoting a raffle in support of the Center. ($25 chances to win a $35,000 Nissan Z-car or $20,000.) Murphy's Wild Ride, it is called.

We have ground hogs in North Carolina now, as they continue to range farther south than they had prior to the last decade.

Falconer

Met Fred Fogg of Winston-Salem at a gathering in Greensboro last evening. Turns out he's a falconer, who does some educational programming and is interested in rehabilitation of falcons.

He also raises ornamental ducks , and built an aviary.

Small world.

53.4 mpg

The NC Zoo Society "company car" was just refueled. The Toyota Prius , hybrid went 482 miles on just over nine gallons of gas.

Bear Awareness

Last weekend it was Migratory Bird Day.

This week its Bear Awareness at the NC Zoo.

Scavenger hunts, keeper talks, story telling, face painting, etc.

What's Hot?

Cool article in American Zoo and Aquarium Association's magazine "Communique" re: thermography: "What's New and Hot in Zoo Technology" .

Some great color photos of digital infrared thermal imaging of elephant feet, pregnant giraffes, two gerenuks, sea lion, primate, etc.

Deer Rear

It was 7:18 this morning when I saw the rear half of a deer enter the woods to the right of US 220 as I drove south nearing the southern border of Guilford County.

Looking right, I saw her in full profile as she made her way into the relative safety of those woods.

A little late for a deer to be as visible as she was, just before I arrived, on this long, later-May day.

A First?

The NC Zoo is trying to determine if the three horned larks born here recently are the first born in a Zoo.

The horned larks are found in the "Sonora Desert" at the NC Zoo.

Some good video has already been shot of the youngsters being fed and was featured on an 11 p.m. TV news segment.

ZIMS

Some years ago the "Time" magazine "Person of the Year" issue was dedicated instead to "Our Endangered Earth". "Time" gathered dozens of experts who came up with something like 17 "Things Nations Must Do" to save our endangered earth.

One was to support zoos and other gene banks as they seek to save rare and endangered species.

In the era of the computer (another "Time" "Person of the Year" was the computer!), zoos need to coordinate efforts and information. To determine genetic diversity potentials for various species and individuals and couplings, zoos need background information that NC Zoo Director David M. Jones often refers to as "births, deaths and marriages".

The existing zoo system, ISIS (International Species Information System), is antiquated. The new ISIS Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS), now being completed and funded, will be a comprehensive database on 2 million animals living in collections cared for by about 700 institutions in over 70 countries.

Unlike ISIS, it will integrate multiple sets of existing zoo and aquarium animal, group and environmental data. A "single, accurate and accessible global pool of information" will result, according to Paul J. Boyle, Ph. D., Director of the New York Aquarium, Wildlife Conservation Society, in "Communique", the March issue of the magazine of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.

Tiny Tip-Toes

I see the Brevard Zoo, Melbourne, FL, celebrated the birth of their first klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus) recently. (Click on "antelope" on the link for klipspringer to see one.)

Reminds me when the NC Zoo had them in the Colubus monkey exhibit with rock hyrax and the Colubus. The tiny antelope is a rock dweller and was found on the rock below the big climbing tree in the African Pavilion.

The klipspringer is sure-footed as it hops up and down rocky slopes on its tiny tip-toes.

Maryland/Duke

No, this is not about ACC basketball.

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore has introduced three young male Coquerel's sifakas on loan from Duke University Primate Center.

Little Surprises

I think it is little surprises like spotting that red tailed hawk that help keep me jogging on trails, hiking and canoeing. I don't want to miss anything.

Its what kept me awake on long drives as a child.

On trails and rivers, little surprises have included:

- running up to two snakes - one swallowing the other;

- canoeing next to a deer swimming from one lake shore to another, amazed at the speed it was making, swimming with those skinny legs;

- going from a main trail to a small side trail and jogging directly over a copperhead crossing the trail, extending my stride, but surprised by how unfrightening the experience really was;

- seeing several deer swim across the river ahead of my canoe;

- canoeing next to otters and ground hogs;

- hiking around a bend to come face to face with a doe; we stayed that way for many minutes until she started walking along the trail straight at me; then, as she neared, she moved off the trail to go around me at a "safe" distance;

- jogging up on an owl which had just caught a squirrel, seeing it drop the squirrel on my running onto the scene and then watching the lucky rodent high-tail it for safety;

- jogging up on sexual activity by both turtles and homo sapiens;

- hiking off Mt. Le Conte, TN, looking down on thousands of trees covered with the prior night's six inches of snow glistening in the bright sun;

- canoeing on both of Asheboro's larger lakes (Lucas and Reese) and spotting bald eagles;

- jogging through a large clearing with six deer running to my left for several seconds, before they got ahead to cross the trail in front of me and then watching them run into the woods to my right;

- jogging along a road and surprising a deer which ran in a farmer's field to my right and then headed toward an oncoming car coming along the road toward our paths; signaling to the driver and, perhaps, avoiding the sight of a nasty accident;

- sitting in a canoe quietly as a little green heron walked about on shore in close sight;

- surprising numerous deer along various paths yet always being surprised by their powerful startle snorts;

- finding large orb spiders in perfect webs;

- stopping along narrow trails to urinate, gradually focusing on the branches in front of me to see two and three snakes at eye level;

- finding the remains of old homes, farms, mills, mines in grown over woods;

- finding a geo cache (a hiding spot for a global positioning system (GPS) game being played by other folks) off trail in the Birkhead Wilderness;

- seeing a three-or-four-foot alligator sunning to the right of my canoe as I passed; watching it startle, power into the water, swim under me and surface to my left (the "power" part surprising me with its animal intensity and strength);

- canoeing through wonderful cypress swamps (getting "lost", if not for my GPS);

- getting up close and personal with the disappearing glacial ice at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro;

- canoeing up to hundreds of roosting turkey buzzards on one of those huge radio towers;

- experiencing the huge tulip poplars and wonderful uniqueness of a real old growth forest in Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest , NC;

- and all those other surprises that are often only special to the viewer at that moment.

Red Tail in the Sun

Drove to Raleigh today. A red tailed hawk flew close over my car on 64 near Apex.

The sun really caught and made the red tail stand out.

Nice little surprise.

Bison Question

What is the oldest partnership between a national wildlife refuge and a zoo?

In 1907, the New York Zoological Society donated bison to the Wichita National Forest and Game Preserve.

Today, the Refuge protects about 400 bison.

Government Affairs

The AZA (American Zoo and Aquarium Association) Government Affairs Office works for member organizations in various ways. Over the past year it worked with Congressional staff and conservation organizations to secure passage of, and funding for, the Captive Wildlife Safety Act, the Marine Turtle Conservation Act and the Minor Use/Minor Species Act.

It represented AZA on a broad coalition of non-governmental organizations seeking increased funding for, among other things: US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) State Wildlife Grants; Prescott Marine Mammal Stranding Assistance Program; and the USFWS Multi-National Species Conservation Fund (African elephant, Asian elephant, rhino/tiger, great apes, and marine turtles).

Recent AZA recipients of the latter are:

Bronx Zoo/World Conservation Society Field Veterinary Program - preventive health program for gorillas in Central Africa workshop.

North Carolina Zoo Society - development of the national elephant management plan in Cameroon , Africa.

Rare Plant Relocation

Sunflower Relocation
Originally uploaded by russlings.

The NC Zoo's expert horticulture staff even gets involved in relocations of rare and endangered plants. Here they deal with a rare sunflower found in Randolph County, NC.

Rare, carniverous pitcher plants have also been relocated by these good folks. The NC Zoo has a good collection of carniverous Venus flytraps and pitcher plants.

Tom Gillespie/NC Zoo photo

Secret Garden Tour

Just said "Happy Trails" to a sizable group of Secret Garden members of the NC Zoo Society who will go on a garden tour with four of the staff leaders of the Zoo's 40-person horticultural staff.

I learned that some of the better gardens they will visit are the personal/home gardens of some of our horticultural staff.

Of course!

Constituents

The AZA reaches a great number of the constituents of the U.S. House. About 140 million annual visitors go to AZA's 220 zoos and aquaria.

That's more than go to all the major league baseball, football and basketball games combined, with many zoogoers left over, I'm told.

Zoo Caucus

The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) is about 220 of the best aquaria and zoos in North America, including the NC Zoo and the three NC Aquaria (Fort Fisher, Manteo and Pine Knoll Shores).

New AZA President, William Foster, DVM, Director, Birmingham (AL) Zoo, has led organization this year of the Congressional Zoo and Aquarium Caucus, formally recognized by the U.S. House of Representatives. Congresswoman Julia Carson (D-Indiana) and Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-Alabama) chair the Caucus.

NC Zoo Director David M. Jones joined Paul Grayson, Indianapolis Zoo, and Jim Rapp, Salisbury Zoo, and many others from the AZA in a recent visit to Washington, D.C.
Rapp and Grayson led efforts to formalize the Caucus, which will see bipartisan congressional reps promote and advocate for the interests of North America's better zoos and aquaria.

The AZA is a self-accrediting association which regularly assesses its members (the NC Zoo's new assessment is in its early stages), dropping some that have fallen below ever more stringent requirements and bringing on others that have attained accreditation status.

Among the issues upon which AZA could advise the new Zoo and Aquarium Caucus would be ocean/wetlands legislation meant to protect unique habitats, so important to our water quality and food sources.

On the Other Hand

This Asian elephant (featured at center on the linked website home page) could use art lessons, to my limited taste.

Click on the little arrow above the elephant art example at lower right, however, to bring up a selection by a number of pachyderm artists and find some more promising pieces. Larnkam and Kamsan are my favs.

...but I Know What I Like

The small picture on the ABC News link here of a work of art by the late chimpanzee Congo looks pretty good to this "art critic".

It goes on sale at Bonhams in June. The more I see and hear the more I think the price is right.

Gorilla Bond

Follow this link to the Toronto Zoo site for another example of parent/child bond demonstrated in a photo of an adult primate (gorilla in this case) and its baby.

I remember a very similar photo of Hope and Kwanza at the NC Zoo, March, 1989. (Didn't have to look the date up, as my younger son, Evan, was born 50 hours after Kwanza; all congratulations I received in Asheboro after the birth was for Kwanza!)

Mother/Child Bond

The Los Angeles Zoo is pleased with the growing bond between the orangutan baby born February 22 and mother, Kalim. Three of the four photos in the link here demonstrate that bond (the fourth is of father, Minyak).

At most, 20,000 orangutans still exist in the wild. This is 30 to 50 percent below the population of just 10 years ago. Habitat loss, hunting and the pet trade in their native Indonesia has made them endangered species.

Scat Link

Found this fellow's reactions to the book I read a while back about beavers (see my post below), complete with a photo of the beaver droppings I refer to as the by-product of two trips through the digestive system of a beaver.

(I did not read all of his report, so this is not an endorsement of all he has to say, 'though I have no reason to doubt him either.)

They Do What?!

Saw evidence of beavers on today's jog around some of High Point Lake.

That reminded me of when I used to spend hours near my Asheboro home watching beaver activity on one of Asheboro's series of "Little Lakes". If I approached quietly and carefully, watching for concentric ripples in the water indicating beaver activity near shore and for the "V"-trail in the water left by a beaver swimming out in the lake...a dark line creating the "V" wake... I could be rewarded with long periods of watching beaver behavior.

I once found beavers in Alaska so intent on preparing for winter near Denali (Mt. McKinley) and, perhaps, so used to the many tourists in that Alaskan tourist destination, that the 20 or so fellow travellers I brought to the spot and I could watch their gathering behavior with no need to remain unseen and unheard (and unsmelled?).

This reminded me of the book I read about a particular family of beavers and all beavers' unique feeding habits. (Put down that sandwich if you are reading this at lunch.)

Beavers eat wood. When the wood passes through their rather ineffective digestive systems the first time (at least THEY can process it at all!) it comes out as a product the beavers recognize as food. When they eat and process that, the resultant by-product is recognized as waste and they leave that alone, as all of the rest of us do.

Prescribed Burn

The red-cockaded woodpeckers benefit from prescribed burns of their long-leaf pine forest habitat.

They take years to create nest cavities in just the right pine trees. Prescribed burns help keep the habitat required by these specialized, endangered birds.

Too Many Humans?

Another Sunday jog. Another opportunity to consider if there are really too many of us homo sapiens. (Looks like there is still a lot of "undeveloped" land and too few people are taking advantage of its nearby availability.)

An hour on the Deep River Trail that follows some of the shorelines and wetlands of High Point (N.C.) Lake. This pristine trail is just shoulder width and you see no homes and I saw few people...the usual for my years of getting onto North Carolina trails.

A woman and her dog, a guy on a bike (NOT allowed on the Deep River Trail)...a few more folks when I neared the Bicentennial Greenway.

Really impressed that Guilford County has so much like this. Saw one piece of paper in an hour. Carried it out.

Sometimes the lake is in view. Sometimes you cross or follow an in-flowing brook with moss covered rocks, bordered by ferns. Sometimes the trail goes deep into a cove or climbs to heights where quartz is exposed.

The Canada geese are still spooked by people back in there. Also surprised a great blue heron and mallards ('course I saw a mallard take flight yesterday out of the sad little creek that runs along Benjamin Parkway, too).

Was interested on the outbound jog to notice a burned area near the trail. On the way back I ventured briefly onto the Hollis Rogers Pinewoods Trail to learn that this was a "prescribed burn" of a loblolly pine forest...probably done periodically to keep that unique habitat and its species in place.

Elephant Options

The NC Zoo's new elephant exhibit and barn, due to be complete in late 2006, will give the African elephants more night-time options.

Ron Morris, Curator of Animals, explains that, whereas the elephants now are on exhibit by day and in their night-quarters/barn and outdoor exercise areas when not on exhibit, the new exhibit will be graded to make it safe to allow the elephants to opt to stay on exhibit overnight. (The moats are too steep to count on that now, after dark.)

When they opt to come off exhibit, they will have more freedom to choose a stall, a community room or outdoor exercise areas...to move from one outside area to another...to move from a warmer to a cooler stall or section of floor (the heat will be in the floor).

All of this should make for better socialization of the NC Zoo herd. And better socialization should make the birth of baby elephants quite probable.

The NC Zoo has three elephants now, hopes to have five or six when the new facilities open and to grow the herd to 10-12 through breeding.

Red Fox Kit

Here is a link to a nice photo of a red fox kit .

Happy to Disagree

I'm a big fan of Car Talk on NPR and Tom and Ray Magliozzi (Click and Clack) of that show. But I must disagree, gladly, with their automotive news article (Q & A) in my morning News & Record (Greensboro, N.C.).

Ray answers, "The (Toyota) Prius EPA test claims ratings of 60 mpg in the city and 51 on the highway. We have yet to meet anybody who gets even close to that. Most Prius owners we talk to get between 40 and 50 mpg -- which is still fantastic."

Ray (Clack?...Click?), may I introduce myself? I mainly drive highway and rather stop-free byway, and regularly get 51 mpg (occasionally 49 mpg and occasionally 53 mpg, to a tank of gas). I've read that many Prius owners chat on-line about much higher results (probably big-city-slickers, because the true-gas-and-electric-hybrid cars thrive on stop-and-go driving).

What does this have to do with zoos and animals? Most of Earth's creatures "drive" on a fuel mixture that depends on relatively clean air. The Prius is one of the kinder vehicles to our atmosphere and lungs.

Hey, "Rescuer", Leave that "Kit" Alone!

My recent post on leaving "abandoned" baby birds alone unless your are certain that Mom and Dad are not returning, is taken to the next level (baby foxes, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, etc.) in a Knight Ridder News Service article in my morning paper.

It is spring baby season and many humans will again "rescue" healthy babies they mistake for sick and/or orphaned. (Mother rabbits return to their nests just twice daily, early morning and dusk, for feedings.)

"A lot of these babies end up getting kidnapped by well-meaning people," says Deb Burns, urban wildlife biologist at the Discovery Center in Kansas City.

The article confirms that parents do not reject baby animals who have been touched by humans, should you need to move a baby from harms way.

NC Zoo Society Aid to Elephants

$15,000 has been sent to Cameroon to stop the recent spike in the poaching of African elephants there. See my April 20 post below for more on the NC Zoo's and Society donors' interests in the elephants. Dr. Mike Loomis, NC Zoo lead veterinarian, headed the local action.

Central Park Zoo Proud of Pigeon Birth

Sounds commonplace, but New York City's Central Park Zoo celebrated a spring chick that is a Victoria crowned pigeon, which long-time NC Zoo visitors know to be the largest surviving pigeon species in the world, featuring blue coloring and a spectacular "head-piece" (crown).

Condor Takes Flight by Plane

The first California condor chick hatched in Oregon in 100 years left its nest at the Oregon Zoo's condor breeding facility in early March and traveled south by plane.

The nine-month old chick went to a pre-release pen at Pinnacles National Monument in California. Humans will teach it condor survival skills before it is released to the wild later this summer.

The condor will even be trained in avoidance of dangerous utility poles.

The last condors were seen in Oregon in 1904, near the southwestern Oregon town of Drain.

By 1987, California condors were down to 17 individuals. Today there are 243 in captivity and the wild.

Polar Bear on Ice

polar bear on ice
Originally uploaded by russlings.

Enrichment at the NC Zoo takes various forms. Polar bears love this "form" - the delivery of a "ton" of ice on a hot day. (The bears can also leave the exhibit to air condioned night quarters on hot days.)

Tom Gillespie/ NC Zoo.

Volunteer Enrichers

zebra arrives
Originally uploaded by russlings.

Volunteers deliver a papier mache zebra for an earlier lion enrichment purpose. NC Zoo volunteers have put long hours into preparing enrichment items for various species.

Tom Gillespie/ NC Zoo.

Lion Enrichment

lion and zebra
Originally uploaded by russlings.

Here is a photo of an earlier lion enrichment exercise. A papier mache zebra is "attacked" by one of the NC Zoo male lions.

Tom Gillespie/ NC Zoo.

It Swallowed What?

As part of those studies the NC Zoo is doing of wild animals on its 1450-acre location, there are several animals (turtles and snakes) that have small radio transmitters in their digestive tracts.

They are a great help in following the movements of these reptiles through the Zoo. (Reptiles are great for this because it takes months for a small radio transmitter, or anything else for that matter, to run through their digestive systems.)

Over Par Is Good

With Pinehurst/Southern Pines and all the great golf courses in the NC mountains and at the Beach, and everywhere between, I am pleased that more travelers visiting North Carolina go to the "Zoo/Aquarium/Science Museum" (1,547,000) than golf (916,000), according to "tourismDAY", a May 10 publication of the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development.

What do more "travelers do while visiting North Carolina" than anything else? What they do everywhere: shopping.

Madagascar Teal

The only pairs of critically endangered Madagascar teal in the United States are at Sylvan Heights Waterfowl center, Scotland Neck, NC.

Supported by the NC Zoo Society, Sylvan Heights received the birds from The Netherlands as part of a program to restore wild populations of the rare waterfowl through captive breeding.

Recent studies show that the wild population of Madagascar teal may be below 500 birds, confined to small pockets in western Madagascar, where exploding human population growth is removing the birds' shallow lakeshore habitat.

Captive breeding for this species began in the mid-1990's and has involved the Durrell Wildlife Preservation Trust in the United Kingdom and Kooy & Sons breeders in The Netherlands. The two pairs sent to Sylvan Heights will disperse the captive population in hopes of helping to secure it into the future. (So a local disease outbreak, for example, can not take out the majority of the captive population.)

Sylvan Heights operates the largest collection of endangered waterfowl in North America thanks to private donations and the dedication of Mike Lubbock and his family, who lead Sylvan Heights and drive its mission.

Over 160 species of birds are housed and bred at Sylvan Heights.

Lion in Memory Lane

Thinking about special sights at the NC Zoo, I remember the day when we had four female and one male lions. I approached the exhibit alone.

The male approached one of the females. She did not want to be approached. She swatted at him.

He turned to another female. She did not want to be approached either. She swatted.

He turned and approached a third female. Swat, turn to the fourth. Swat, turn to the first.

They were now north, south, east and west of him. They kept swatting and he kept turning. It was like they were at the playground pushing, and he was, the carousel.

The spinning went on until he'd had enough...realized he was not welcome by any of them at that time...and moved on.

Marine Mammal?

elephants' pond
Originally uploaded by russlings.

Long-time NC Zoo friend Betsy Huber remembered the other day the time, when she was a Zoo docent, that she came to the African elephant exhibit and found four legs sticking up in the air, rising out of the pond. One of the elephants was thoroughly using and enjoying that pond.

I remember approaching that pond one day and not seeing an elephant until it finally emerged from that pond. It had been trunk "snorkeling", as Rick Huber suggested.

Tom Gillespie/ NC Zoo photo of a more common view of the elephants and pond.

Elephant Art's Been at Christie's

For the fellow from Bonhams art auction house who doubts that chimpanzee art has ever been sold at auction, note what National Geographic has to say about elephant artists and Christie's .

Gorilla Art

Here are some paintings by gorillas Koko and Michael . I'm no art critic but I know what I like.

Artist at Work

Check out Grub, chimpanzee artist, at work painting on canvas.

"We're on the ground bleeding here"

More on those three aggressive mockingbirds in Raleigh.

Tag-team of protective birds "terrorizes Downtown Raleigh", just outside the Capital.

Picasso and I...

...have owned a painting by a chimpanzee.

"Yahoo! News" featured a story today about the sale of three paintings by a chimpanzee by prestigious London auction house Bonhams.

"I would sincerely doubt that chimpanzee art has ever been auctioned before," said Howard Rutkowski, the auction house's director of modern and contemporary art.

Well, I bought the work of Koko (I think it was...I have it tucked away somewhere) at auction. The chimpanzee artist was from the Potawatomi Zoo of South Bend, Indiana. The auction was a silent auction fundraiser for the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The NC Zoo Society has sold chimpanzee and other animal art in its live and silent auctions at our annual fundraiser, Zoo to Do.

Picasso owned a work by the late chimp artist (Congo) whose works are about to go on sale in London.

Famous animal behaviorist Desmond Morris (author of "The Naked Ape", about guess who?) organized an exhibition of chimp art in 1957, including Congo's works.

Some doubt the talent of chimp and elephant artists. Some experts, on the other hand, have valued the works of a few of these primitive expressionists.

Congo is said to have "always painted within the boundaries of the sheet of paper...to know when he had finished a painting. He refused to pick up his brush..." when he decided his work was done.

The lot estimate on Congo's three works is between $1,130 and $1,500. A bargain when you consider Bonhams is hanging his work "alongside works by Andy Warhol and Renoir."

Elephant Snacks

NC Zoo elephants will be going on and off exhibit more often as elephant keepers here try a new feeding schedule.

Our large exhibit allows for more natural behavior than many zoo elephant exhibits. The plan is to try a more natural feeding approach by spreading their feeding throughout the day. The elephants are being called off exhibit to allow keepers to disperse part of their daily diet and then are being returned to the exhibit to forage for it.

Elephants had been taking a main meal at the end of the day.

Day long foraging is more the norm in nature.

If these randomly timed feedings work, the elephants will be more actively feeding during the day. If they do not work, and the elephants are too long off exhibit before figuring out that they want to return to the exhibit and a new "buffet", then Curator of Mammals Guy Lichty tells me the next experiment will probably involve keepers tossing new feedings directly into the exhibit while the African elephants remain in place.

Where the Bison Roam

bison
Originally uploaded by russlings.

Have you received a new bison nickel in your change? (The Jefferson profile on the other side is a nifty new design.)

Yes, bison is the more correct name for the American mammal often called "buffalo", after the African mammal.

Tom Gillespie/NC Zoo photo.

Ramar: Father Again

The NC Zoo gorilla Ramar is a father for the third time at Chicago's Brookfield Zoo, where he was transferred in late 1998 after his second stay here.

A four or five pound infant of not yet determined sex was born to 17-year-old female Binti Jua, May 2. Mother and youngster are on exhibit in Brookfield's Tropic World.

Binti Jua became famous in 1997 for picking up and protecting a human child who fell into the Brookfield gorilla exhibit until Zoo staff could reach the boy.

Ramar's three successful breedings, after stays at North Carolina, Miami, Philadelphia and North Carolina (again), are wonderful for the gorilla gene pool, as he was born in Africa in 1968, rather than being bred within the less diverse captive population.

Gosslings

Gosslings
Originally uploaded by russlings.

Quite a few Canada Goose gosslings in and around the NC Zoo these days.

Hey, Leave that "Chick" Alone!

More at lunch time on Chapel Hill NPR re: those mockingbirds near the Capital (Raleigh).

Experts were saying that they are simply trying to draw attention away from their young with the risky "buzzing" of large humans. They were also saying what our Valerie H. Schindler Wildlife Rehabilitation Center/ NC Zoo volunteer experts say: if you find a baby bird on the ground hopping about, do not "save" it...observe it.

It probably is being closely watched by Mom and Dad and it is in the sometimes-several-days stage of learning to fly. Watch it and you will probably see Mom or Dad feed it as it works out the difficulties of flight.

If it is in the road or on a busy sidewalk, they added, you CAN move the baby into the grass near a tree. You will NOT cause it to be abandoned by Dad and Mom just because you have put your smell on it. (Birds do not have a strong sense of smell.)

The experts added, you should not touch a tree or shrub in which you spot a nest (or, worse, touch the nest) as that will lead raccoons (and other predators with a strong sense of smell) to the nest (because many raccoons have learned that there is food at the end of a human scent trail).

Coyote

coyote
Originally uploaded by russlings.

Unless you have red or gray wolves in your area, and if you live in North or Central America, you already have coyote neighbors or, it appears, you will.

The three or four Moka spotted put their tails in the air on sighting our eastern NC friend.

Coyotes

Moka commented on my post of this weekend re: the Randolph County "creature", noting that she spotted coyotes for the first time near her far eastern North Carolina home.

Understand that coyotes are now in all 48 contiguous United States, Alaska, Mexico and much of Central America. Once they were only in the West, but the lack of red and gray wolves allowed for their spread.

As gray and red wolves make a comeback in some parts of the country (red wolves, in North Carolina, with NC Zoo help) the coyotes are not "top dog" everywhere.

NC Global Warming

Speaking of NPR and the Capital, the state report on Chapel Hill's public radio and my morning Greensboro "News and Record" had stories of North Carolina's interest in studying the possible impacts of global warming on it.

The prospects of the Outer Banks disappearing and the Atlantic lapping at the farm lands of Eastern Carolina were mentioned.

Mockingbird Attacks

NPR Chapel Hill this morning reports three mockingbirds nesting near the Capital in Raleigh are buzzing pedestrians.

Fox or "Creature"?

Well, I thought perhaps I had a glimpse of "it" last night. I was leaving the NC Zoo after dark and it ran across the road that borders both the "North American" parking lot and the wooded area that runs on down to the quarantine and veterinary hospital areas.

"It" is the Randolph County "Creature" (which you can see by clicking on the linked "it" above). But "it" has that skinny tail and last night my red fox (probably), which I only saw in a fleeting way as it ran into the woods, had that full fluffy tail.

It was quite skinny and did not look quite like other fleeting glimpses I've had of red (or gray) foxes as I've driven and jogged.

This red fox picture shows a rather skinny one. If you compare this picture of a red fox with the "creature", you may see (in the "creature") a short-haired red fox.

Anyone who has ever shaved their dog or given their long-haired cat a bath knows what a transformation it makes in their appearance. If the Randolph "creature" is some short-haired version of the red fox, and if all of Randolph County's red foxes are on the thin side, these sightings are still unique, but not quite as amazing as we might prefer.

Where's Wolf Mom?

Had a few comments in the "flickr" links to my recent postings of photos of the five, new red wolf pups born at the NC Zoo.

Two questions were the same: where is the pups' Mom (not shown in the photos)? She is right nearby. In the same, off-exhibit breeding compound, behind the exhibit for elk and bison ("Great Plains").

Mom is part of the NC Zoo breeding group for the program to add to the wild population of red wolves.

The NC Zoo has had four successful births of litters of red wolf pups. Pups are raised at the Zoo until the red wolf Species Survival Plan calls for (and they are ready for) a trip to Alligator River, near North Carolina's Outer Banks.

Usually the pups of the North Carolina Zoo's breeding red wolves have their own pups in the Alligator River area, and those new pups are the ones that are released to the wild.

Our breeding wolves are treated as more "wild" than our exhibit red wolves. The ones that breed at Alligator River are further prepared for a "wild" existence. It is the next generation (when it reaches the right age) which truly lives in the wilds of the Alligator River area.

This is working rather well and the numbers of wild red wolves are climbing. The wolves are generally being well received and tolerated by their human neighbors.

Bear Week

The NC Zoo will celebrate National Bear Awareness Week, May 15-21.

Meet the Keeper experiences will be offered at these exhibits, at 1:15-1:30 p.m. daily:

Sunday Polar Bear
Monday Grizzly
Tuesday Grizzly
Wednesday Black Bear
Thursday Black Bear
Friday Polar Bear
Saturday Polar Bear

There will be story telling in the North American Plaza, from 11-2, Sunday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Face Painting, same times and place, Sunday and Saturday.

Daily bear scavenger hunt questionnaires can be picked up at the North American Plaza's Visitor Services office.

Bear info tables will also be available 11-2 daily.

Angry Beast

In follow-up to my Earth Day (April 22) post "It Is Getting Warmer":

Wally Broecker, Columbia University National Medal of Science awardee for his paleoclimate research, "likens the climate system to an angry beast that we're poking with a stick--provoking something we know to be extremely sensitive and immeasurably powerful," according to Peter de Menocal, associate professor of earth and environmental sciences, Columbia University, in "After Tomorrow - Climate Science and Political Reality", in "Orion" magazine, January/February, 2005.

Introductions

The old, bad zoos had no problems with animal introductions. Usually they were exhibiting a lone animal in a small, sterile "container".

The new, better zoo, attempting to show a social grouping of animals for educational purposes and, perhaps, breeding of a rare or endangered species, has much greater challenges.

I touched on this in the post below ("Introducing", March 24).

When you have, for example, a dozen chimpanzees in a zoo troop, all getting along reasonably well, there are challenges to trying to introduce a new chimp or just to dealing with natural changes in the "collection".

A new animal can be seen as a threat to every other animal in the troop, each of which has worked out its own role within the existing group. This new animal could be harmed if just "thrown in" with the troop. Great stress and possible injury to others is also a possibility.

So good zoos work through gradual, cautious introductions that can take months.

The aging or illness of a dominant chimp can introduce as many or more problems, as the existing order is thrown out of balance. These things get "worked out" in the wild, but often in ways that would traumatize many zoo visitors and that would not be acceptable to the chimps' care givers.

So sometimes planned introductions never take place. Two animals might just not "like each other", despite the fact that many other animals of the same species have been successfully introduced in the past. A complex herd dynamic just might not allow for the introduction of one particular individual of that species.

I'm constantly amazed at the complexities and challenges of NC Zoo operations.

3 Boys to 2 Girls

Got my hands on some early data from the box turtle study being done of those found wandering around at the NC Zoo by Herpetologist John Groves and others (see my post of last Saturday).

The early sex ratio is proving to be 1.5 males to every female.

The mean age: 17.8 years.

The mean weight: 315.6 grams.

A full half of the turtles are showing evidence of shell damage and/or injury. Many shells show signs of having been chewed by dogs or native wildlife.

World Zoo Recognition

A recent publication by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) praises the North Carolina Zoo and the Aalborg Zoo, Denmark, as being the only zoos to have attained ISO 14001 recognition for excellence in environmental management.

A Google search of "ISO 14001 zoo" finds that Chester Zoo, in the United Kingdom, has recently earned that (International Organization for Standardization) recognition as well.

Meerkat on Guard Duty

Meerkat on Guard Duty
Originally uploaded by russlings.

The meerkat is famous for this behavior. At least one of the meerkat troop stands guard - watching, especially, for birds of prey.

Tom Gillespie/NC Zoo photo.

Meerkat Litters

Two litters of meerkats have been born at the NC Zoo.

Meerkats are exhibited at the lower exhibit in the Zoo's African Pavilion.

(May 5 edit: As Jenn notes in "comment", it may be quite some time before any of the newborn meerkats are on exhibit. Must do a post one day soon on some of the many challenges of introducing exotic animals and of dealing with the changing dynamics within social groupings.)

Frog Blog

If you have not found this on the NC Zoo Society website, try out this nifty Froggie Sounds link. My home computer handled it right away; my office computer needed a quick download (both have audio capability).

Shine your flashlight and find the many different frog species in the "swamp". Click on the frog another time and it will repeat its call. You can create a "chorus" of frog calls, featuring a selection of your favs or have all frogs join in.

Red Wolf Successes

National Public Radio's Chapel Hill station is reporting the birth of five red wolf pups at the NC Zoo this morning. (See two of my posts of Friday and one Saturday, below, for photos of the new pups.)

The story features the 12-year success of the NC Zoo's involvement in the red wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP) and reintroductions at Alligator River, near North Carolina's Outer Banks, in conjunction with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

This most recent birth is the fourth in the NC Zoo's history in the red wolf SSP.

There are estimated to now be about 100 red wolves in the Alligator River release area, with good help from prior NC Zoo breeding successes. Not bad for this shy, smaller wolf determined to be extinct in the wild just 25 years ago!

Pic of the Day

The North American Wolves website's "Pic of the Day" is of two red wolves (a bit older than the NC Zoo's new arrivals) in the hands of a US Fish and Wildlife Service employee.

Lemonade to Aid Elephants

Margaret Benfield of Winston-Salem plans to "take all the proceeds from her lemonade stand this summer and give it to Project: Pachyderms" (the capital campaign to ready the NC Zoo for growing herds of African elephants and southern white rhinos), according to her proud father Brian H. Benfield.

Margaret's father and mother, Sally, have much reason to be proud. My earlier posts here of April 18 and 19 are about seven-year-old Madison Benfield who asked her birthday party guests to make their gifts to the Zoo and her favorite animals, the flamingos.

The Benfields are a Director's Guild, NC Zoo Society life membership, family.

Brian and his Forsyth community college horticulture class toured the Zoo with Curator of Horticulture Gin Wall Friday.

Sad News

After two successful elephant births in very recent years, Disney's Animal Kingdom recently reported that the calf of African elephant Ibala, was lost during delivery.

We share the sadness of the elephant care team. After strong initial contractions lessened over the first 24 hours of labor, the 26-year-old elephant did not respond to attempts to induce productive labor. Focus moved to the health and well being of Ibala, who was pregnant through artificial insemination (July 24, 2003).

Many elephants giving birth in zoos and wildlife parks are first-time mothers, as Ibala was. It is, unfortunately, quite common for those elephants to lose their first calf.

Disney's Animal Kingdom expects another elephant birth this year.

The American Zoo and Aquarium Association's Species Survival Plan for elephants calls for a five-fold increase in African elephant reproduction efforts, using natural and artificial breeding.

The NC Zoo's Watani Grasslands project will ready this zoo for larger African elephant and southern white rhino herds. (Project: Pachyderms is the NC Zoo Society's $6 million capital campaign to fund the Grasslands; $4.5 million has been raised to date.)

Wolf Pups?

If you are looking for photos of the NC Zoo's new red wolf pups, see three posts below:

Saturday, 3:23 p.m.

Friday, 3:17 p.m.

Friday, 3:15 p.m.

Good news for this endangered species.

And here is more info on the red wolf from the N. C. Zoo website.

And while you are looking back, check the "Extinct" Bird Spotted post of Friday, 12:48 p.m. Click on "Happy News!" and then make sure you don't miss (under the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker story) clicking on the wonderful video provided with it.

Ground Hog & Great Blue Heron

Spotted both the woodchuck and big heron during my hour run this morning in Greensboro's Bur-Mil Park.

Was long familiar with Bur-Mil's paved segment of the Lake Brandt Greenway and its wonderful Owl's Roost Trail, which winds, zags, zigs, rises and falls along the western shore of Lake Brandt, to the delight of hikers and, especially, extreme cyclists.

Today I was on the Big Loop trail (which I had discovered on a rather recent run, which started from the Strawberry Road parking spot) and the Little Loop trail, onto which I just found my way.

Tiger Cubs Rescue (cont.)

Two tiger cubs, now about 9 months old, will leave the NC Zoo Tuesday for the Carnivore Preservation Trust (CTP), Pittsboro.

Found wandering along the roadside where Gaston and Cleveland Counties join, the cubs appear to have been abandoned in January by an owner or owners unable to handle the growing carnivores.

They arrived at the NC Zoo with minor physical problems, including malnourishment. They have doubled in weight to about 120 pounds each and are well and ready for the trip to CTP, a sanctuary for large cats.

The off-exhibit, Frederick Moir Hanes, M.D. Veterinary Medical Center at the NC Zoo has been the female and male cubs' home during a quarantine period required before their move to their new home. (CTP does not have quarantine facilities.)

Proud that our NC Zoo temporarily served as "The Rescue Zoo" in this case too.