Dedicated Bird Man

The Chair of the Board of Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park & Eco-Center, Walter Sturgeon, is Assistant Director of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh. But he will be out of that office from October 30 until mid-to-late December.

Walter will attend the International Wild Waterfowl Association Conference in Seattle the first week and "then catch up with the whooping cranes and Operation Migration wherever they are on the trip from Wisconsin to Florida behind the ultra-light aircraft," he reports. (Walter is in the "chase" team of that famous whooping crane/ultra-light migration.)

"I am committed to stay with them until they get to the final destination off the Gulf Coast of Florida," the dedicated bird man adds. (Sometimes conditions make for slow going.)

Stan Steps Out

After many days off exhibit, one of the North Carolina Zoo southern white rhinos went on exhibit today. (The three NC Zoo rhinos have been off exhibit as their new exhibit, on 30 acres with the antelopes and African plains birds, is being created and their old one, on 3 1/2 acres, is being turned into an extension of the African elephant exhibit.)

General Curator Steve Miller tells me that after all that time on the harder surfaces of their barn and off-exhibit, outdoor, "exercise" areas, the male, Stan, put his foot on the exhibit turf. Pulled it back. Placed it again, etc.

Just getting used to a new feeling underfoot.

Steve says he will be back out there (on a portion of the new, larger rhino habitat - a contained area for the rhinos, called "the boma" - a Masai protective enclosure for animals and people) tomorrow.

Friendly Red River Hogs

North Carolina Zoo General Curator Steve Miller continues to report on the "friendliness" of the red river hogs to be exhibited in the prior wart hog habitat in "Africa" here.

A communal enclosure is being created by the NC Zoo design staff for the red river hogs. There was a question in the Zoo management staff meeting about how visible they might be when in the enclosure within the larger habitat. Steve reported that visitors should be able to simply "call them out"...they are that "friendly" toward, and interested in, humans.

Another Sad Elephant Loss

Most of a lengthy media release yesterday from the North Carolina Zoo:

"An eight-year effort by the North Carolina Zoo, the World Wide Fund for Nature'’s (WWF) Cameroon Program Office and the Cameroon Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife designed to help preserve the African nation'’s wild elephant population suffered a setback recently when an elephant died during efforts to outfit the animal with a satellite tracking collar.

"According to Dr. Mike Loomis, N.C. Zoo Chief Veterinarian and a co-founder of the project, the incident occurred on Sept. 26, in a hunting concession area north of the Nki National Park. Loomis returned last week after three weeks in Cameroon.

"The concession area...appears to be part of an important corridor for elephant movements in and out of the protected national park, Loomis said.

"The lost elephant was an adult bull that had been darted by Loomis. Anesthesia via darting is a pre-requisite to installing the satellite tracking collars utilized in the project to determine elephant migration patterns.

"Loomis said after being darted, the elephant ran and was followed by trackers through heavily forested rolling hill terrain. The animal continued running for approximately 30 minutes and ultimately fell into a deep ravine where it was found not breathing by the time the veterinary team arrived. An antidote to the anesthetic was immediately administered intravenously, but the elephant did not respond and died, Loomis added.

""Terrain is always a consideration in a decision whether or not to dart an animal," Loomis said. "“But this terrain appeared to pose no significant hazards to the elephant. This animal ended up in one of the only places for (miles) around where it could get into trouble. But once an elephant is darted, it's impossible to control the direction it runs."

"The zoo veterinarian added that the project'’s field procedures are under review to determine if changes in protocols need to be made.

"Crop losses to migrating elephants in Cameroon have resulted in economic hardships for farmers and the killing of many elephants. Along with loss of habitat and poaching, these conflicts are among a number of factors that have reduced Cameroon'’s elephant population to less than 20,000 animals.

"The N.C. Zoo/WWF project is largely funded by the N.C. Zoological Society, the zoo'’s non-profit support organization. Its goal is to utilize satellite and radio tracking technology to identify the migration routes of elephant herds in several areas of Cameroon. WWF and Cameroon wildlife officials have utilized the data to reduce conflicts between elephants and the villages and farms within their ranges, to develop anti-poaching efforts and to create collaborative management programs for elephant conservation with logging companies and professional safari operators.

"Dr. Martin Tchamba, WWF-Cameroon's Director of Conservation and another co-founder of the project, noted that despite...five losses during collaring efforts, the N.C. Zoo/WWF program has [successfully collared over 40 elephants and] tremendously reduced the number of elephant and human deaths as well as crop losses suffered annually in Cameroon.

"Prior to the project'’s launch, an average of 20 elephants were being killed annually by farmers protecting their crops. As many as 10 people were also being killed each year as elephants trampled through farms, causing $200,000 in crop damage. Now the annual losses have been reduced to fewer than two elephants, with no human deaths and crop damage has decreased by 60 percent, Tchamba said.

"Elephant losses to poaching have also been greatly reduced, with 143 poaching camps destroyed between 2003 and 2005 by game guards on reconnaissance missions associated with the N.C. Zoo/WWF project, Loomis noted.

"Release of information on the latest loss was delayed while an incident report was under review by the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, Loomis said. But ministry officials have given their full support to continue the N.C. Zoo/WWF project, he added."

Smashing Pumpkins Redux

If you want to see the North Carolina Zoo elephants take another stab at destroying and devouring pumpkins, be at the Zoo's African elephant overlook at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow.

I've seen one elephant with two pumpkins in her mouth and another waiting its turn between trunk and tusk.

At 10 a.m. you can see what NC Zoo baboons do to (and with) the big, round, orange veggies.

Admissions staff will give you the details tomorrow.

Bobcats Strut at NC Zoo

Do you rarely find more of the North Carolina Zoo bobcats than a reclining silhouette in the background of their Streamside exhibit?

A YouTube video offering by timothymclain shows both bobcats actively "strutting".

NC Zoo Lion Cubs Born

Sala, the North Carolina Zoo's female lion, gave birth to three cubs this morning.

Sala and cubs will not be on exhibit for some time. "With cooler weather coming up and the possibility that the lion exhibit will be torn up for chimp roof repairs this fall/winter, it could be a few months," according to Keeper Jennifer Ireland.

"We have a camera system set up in [the lions'] holding [off-exhibit area], so we are able to view cubs on a TV. This TV will be at the lion overlook on weekends from 10-2
and manned by volunteers.

"Reilly, the male lion, will remain on exhibit."

Where's Your Ball?

Visitors to the North Carolina Zoo are used to seeing various balls, colored barrels and other "toys" in the exhibits of the Polar bears and some other active mammals.

When one ball "went missing" in the serval (cat) area at the NC Zoo troubles followed. A serval "passed" some pieces of the ball but then showed signs of not feeling well.

Some lifetime members of the NC Zoo Society saw that serval in a post-surgical recovery area as they toured the Hanes Veterinary Hospital yesterday. The ball had to be surgically removed. The serval was feeling much better...moving around its recovery "ward" and hoping for a better meal than the chicken broth it was being served.

You see, while the serval felt well enough and hungry enough to handle a "real" carnivore meal, its healing stomach was only ready to gradually move from broth to a slightly heartier "soup".

For most Zoo animals, their balls and barrels improve their lives, giving them opportunities to chase and pounce and behave like bears and cats. This particular serval, however, will not be given another, similar "toy".

Natural Insect Control

Ken Reininger, North Carolina Zoo Curator of Birds, just gave a talk to an NC Zoo Society group on "Attracting Wildlife to Your Garden".

When listing under the heading "Why Garden for Wildlife?", his PowerPoint presentation included "Natural insect control".

Of course! If you create a natural habitat, attractive to the wildlife of your area, it will be a balanced habitat. There will be insects. Some very beneficial. There will not be too many insects...or too much of anything.

He also spent a good deal of time advising against including non-native plants. They can "invade" your wildlife attraction garden...becoming "too much" and disrupting the balance you seek to attract birds and other wild creatures.

Moka & NC Zoo Rehab Center

Moka, of MokaPhotos, offers this post about her trip to the North Carolna Zoo's Schindler Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at the Zoo's Hanes veterinary complex.

"My favorite part of the tour was seeing the x-rays of different animals, such as a turtle with eggs. My grandson's favorite part was getting to shoot the dart gun."

Polar Bear Cam

National Geographic's Polar Bear Cam is shot out of a sometimes moving Tundra Buggy in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.

Thanks to North Carolina Zoo mammal curator Lorraine Smith for pointing out the "cam" is back "up".

Check Out WildCam

National Geographic offers WildCam", a video camera trained day and night on a water hole in Botswana.

I have even seen a herd of African elephants. Night viewing (during our daytime) is eerily interesting.

As they live and breathe

As the they live and breathe
Originally uploaded by tammyjq41.

North Carolina Zoo African elephants on just a small part of the exhibit they share now with one other. Lots of greenery and red Carolina clay.

A larger herd will have once again more room here come 2008...and a nice new "barn", with cow and bull stalls, a "community room", nursery, outdoor exercise areas and the ability to go back onto the 7-acre habitat at night.

Uploaded and titled in August by tammyjq41.

Species Trader Sentenced

An internet trader in "endangered species...[and] their parts" has been sentenced to 12 months, Environment Canada reports regarding the Toronto man. (Link)

"The illegal internet trade in endangered species is a multi-million
dollar a year international industry and is responsible for driving some of the world's most vulnerable creatures to the brink of extinction. Mr.Gleberzon allegedly traded in goods containing parts from endangered species such as African elephant, Himalayan pheasant, birds of paradise, sperm whale, walrus and long-eared owls."

Good Evening

Guten Abend
Originally uploaded by Night owl1.

Night owl1 has this raptor saying "Good Evening" in German.

Click on "Night owl1" below the photo to see more owl/raptor photos by the aptly named photographer.

B & W & Some Color

They are black and white. Yet they can see colors...a bit.

A study of two Zoo Atlanta giant pandas reveals that they can distinguish colors from shades of gray. An Imaginova Corp. article by Andrea Thompson reports that Georgia Institute of Techology did the research.

"Most mammals are dichromatic — in other words, they can distinguish color from gray, although not colors from each other." It is believed by the researchers that that is the case with giant pandas.

"To test the pandas color-sensing abilities, [a researcher] presented the pandas with three PVC pipes, each hanging under a piece of paper.

"Two of the pipes were hung under paper that was colored one of 18 shades of gray, with the third hung under paper colored one of five shades of three different colors — red, blue or green.

"If the pandas pushed the pipe under the colored paper, they received a treat. Pushing the other pipes did nothing. The colors and shades of gray were mixed up through the trial."

The panda's color vision was confirmed through their success at this test.

Zoo Is Mixed Bag

Just came across this little MyrtleBeachOnline story about the Waccatee Zoo.

It reminded me that I went to it some years back. It is a "feed the goats" type zoo. An unfortunate tiger was walking around in mud.

It is not an AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) accredited institution and looked it.

Then I followed a path to the best bird "exhibit" I ever saw. Because the Waccatee Zoo is at a point where the Waccamaw River, Intercoastal Waterway and Socastee Creek in South Carolina come together, they have ("on grounds") a national wildlife sanctuary and avian breeding ground that is a treat to see.

No Bone Zone

The Florida Aquarium, Tampa ("Its a Cool Way to Sea Life"), which I toured during the recent Association of Zoos and Aquariums conference, calls its invertebrates exhibits complex the "No Bone Zone". It features the S.C.U.M. tank, where you can see and touch Sea stars, Crustaceans, Urchins and Mollusks.

Arctic Foxes Get Company

An Arctic fox arrived at the North Carolina Zoo Sunday.

It is a former pet that was donated to the Toledo Zoo. "The education staff there tried to work her into programs but she just didn't work out - not surprising for a fox," reports mammal curator Lorraine Smith. "They decided to place her in an exhibit situation and we've been looking for a companion to live with the lone female fox here. We're hopeful that the two will get along well since both have been without the company of another Arctic fox for a couple of years."

The new Arctic fox is about five years old and was a pet until she was 1-2 years old.

Tai Shan - June 16

TaiShanCloseUp01
Originally uploaded by Ice T~.

Ice T~ captured this strong portrait of the National Zoo giant panda youngster framed in horticulture.

This Elk Would As Soon Kill You As Look At You

This Elk Would As Soon Kill You As Look At You
Originally uploaded by Lance McCord.

I wouldn't go as far as Lance McCord's title...but do heed the sign in the post below.

It Is That Time of Year...

Danger!
Originally uploaded by Lance McCord.

...at the North Carolina Zoo.

I just need some "me" time.

I just need some "me" time.
Originally uploaded by courtneyakerr.

Courtneyakerr took and titled this photo of a North Carolina Zoo chimpanzee.

Meerkat

Meerkat
Originally uploaded by :[ waterlass ]:.

Another strong North Carolina Zoo animal portrait by :[waterlass]:

I love feet

I love feet
Originally uploaded by tammyjq41.

Taken and titled by tammyjq41.

North Carolina Zoo polar bear.

Panda Opens Eyes

Zoo Atlanta's new giant panda opened her eyes for the first time Thursday.

The 36-day-old giant panda weighs just 1.7 kilograms. The Canadian Press offers a photo of the tiny youngster with Mom.

NC Zoo Red Wolf

red wolf at the NC Zoo
Originally uploaded by ucumari.

It is Wolf Awareness Week. It is being celebrated at the North Carolina Zoo today through next Saturday.

Here is an NC Zoo red wolf, photo captured by NC Zoo Society volunteer ucumari.

Each day during Wolf Awareness Week, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Red Wolf exhbit, in the Zoo's North American region, educators and volunteers will be available at an information table to answer quesitons and talk about wolf conservation. Red wolf keepers will also be on hand each day at 1:15 p.m. to speak with visitors and answer questions.

On Saturday, Oct. 21, at noon, kids 12 years old and younger can test their wolf howling skills at a “wolf howl” contest in the Junction Plaza and there will be story telling by the Wolf Wise Woman and face painting for kids on the walkway between the Red Wolf and Sonora Desert exhibits.

A self-guided discovery tour will give visitors the opportunity to see life through the eyes of a wolf daily from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Game cards will be available at the Red Wolf exhibit information table.

Tale of Two Tails

Ran the Laurel Bluff Trail in Greensboro, NC this morning, starting at the Greensboro Waterworks. Within two minutes I had chased a white tailed deer (doe?) out of a wooded area into the nearby gas pipeline right-of-way, where it froze.

My jog took me into that clearing too, so the deer then raised that tall, white dust- mop, tail signal that must mean "follow me away from danger" and bounded away into the woods on the other side of the right-of-way. (The bounding raised that signal tail even higher.)

On the return trip, I came across another (the same?) deer, less than a mile away from the first spotting. I had just been thinking about how an off-road bike rider could fall abruptly from the bluffs to the Reedy Creek wetlands below, when I very much startled this deer. It flew down that steep embankment into a tall snarl of bushes and fallen trees and branches.

This time the tail was not sending any signal meant to assist others out of danger. It was horizontal, just following this deer in its rapid attempt to save itself from whatever it feared I might be.

Looking Back

The September issue of "The Midden", compiled by North Carolina Zoo keeper Anna Kopaniasz, reports that the grizzly bears have put on "quite a bit of weight for the winter", the black bears have "bulked up, but not as much" and the bull elk is again becoming "more aggressive with cooler temperatures".

The bull elk will be bugling his message of "Stay away from my territory and my cows".

NC Zoo Society Board Challenges State

(from a media release, today):

"With the State providing only a portion of funds needed for repair, renovation and growth needs at the North Carolina Zoo, the board of directors of the North Carolina Zoo Society at its quarterly meeting October 11, approved providing $250,000 – the bulk of funding through the construction document phase of planning and design – for a proposed new Children’s Nature Discovery Center.

"At the same time, the Society Directors urged State legislators to provide the financial support the zoo needs to continue to fulfill its conservation and education missions, and to maintain its status as one of the finest natural habitat zoos in the world.

"The Children’s Nature Discovery Center will be a 3 ½-acre facility designed to foster in children a love of nature through interaction, play and discovery in an immersive, natural environment. Children and parents will experience a forest clearing, play stream, learning gardens and more where they will look for beetles in logs, build forts and bird nests, dress like animals, make nature art, hop, skip, jump and dig for worms in self-initiated activities. The zoo has requested $4.2 million in state funds to support the project.

“The Zoo Society is happy to provide funds to complete project design in a timely manner,” Russ Williams, N.C. Zoo Society Executive Director, said. “North Carolina children and zoo visitors deserve the best possible educational experience, so the Society Board calls on the State to provide full funding for the Children’s Nature Discovery Center. The Center will pay for itself many times over by influencing conservation awareness for generations to come.”

"Williams pointed to another project, Watani Grasslands Reserve, to illustrate how the private sector has stepped in to supplement zoo funding needs. Watani Grasslands Reserve is an $8.5 million expansion of the Zoo’s existing African grasslands exhibit to create a facility that will feature an enhanced visitor experience and larger elephant and rhino herds. The improved educational exhibits and expanded natural environments for the animals will make the N.C. Zoo one of the few zoos in the world where elephants and rhinos are likely to produce young, and will position the Zoo as a leader in elephant and rhino conservation.

"Private donors through the Society have provided $6.6 million thus far for the project. At its Wednesday meeting, the Society Board approved up to an additional $500,000 to help the zoo negotiate to obtain additional African elephants. This brings the Society’s total commitment to Watani Grasslands Reserve to $7.5 million.

"Also Wednesday, the board approved a change to Zoo Society staff duties to permit a designated Society staff member to focus on legislative activities. The goal is for the Society to be a stronger advocate for the zoo in State budget deliberations. The zoo requested more than $5.9 million during the last State capital budget cycle, but received $460,274. Combined with this, Society Directors committed to raise $3.5 million in private sector support for the zoo in 2007."

What's Next?

Frogs are dying. Climate change is the reason. The Polar bear "will be in trouble if atmospheric temperatures rise two more degrees, far from the worst-case climate forecasts. All says Mac Margolis for Newsweek, this week.

We heard much the same at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums conference in Tampa at the end of last month. And the disease chytrid, which seems to thrive in warmer temperatures is the "smoking gun".

"There is good evidence that warmer conditions favor more invasive species," says David Pimentel, who studies invasive plants and pests at Cornell University. "Invasive plants can compete with native varieties and cause extinctions." (Margolis, Newsweek)

Fennec Foxes

Fennec Foxes
Originally uploaded by :[ waterlass ]:.

:[waterlass]: reports capturing these sleeping fennec foxes in the North Carolina Zoo's African region in May.

Well done!

"The size of a canid's [dog's, wolf's, fox's] earflaps usually depends on latitude" reports Tom Gillespie for the NC Zoo's "Zoo Tales: "larger ears in warmer latitudes, smaller ears in colder ones. Small ears, of course, in cold climates are less likely to suffer frostbite...It may come as a surprise to many that the size of external ear flaps is really as much for the dissipation of heat as it is for increased hearing."

Those big ears do help the fennec fox find and make a meal out of a nearby insect or a burrowing rodent.

Rhinos Coming - April or May

The three female southern white rhinos and their three calves will come to the North Carolina Zoo from White Oak Conservation Center in April or May of next year, zoo general curator Dr. Steve Miller told staff yesterday.

Tort & Retort Redux

The first two animals ever exhibited at the North Carolina Zoo will be returned.

Before there was the existing Zoo, there was the "Interim Zoo" (in the 1970's), a holding place for animals thought destined for the future North Carolina Zoo. The first two to arrive were Galapagos tortoises named Tort and Retort.

Because the Zoo decided to follow a "zoogeographic" development plan, beginning with the zoology of Africa, the Galapagos tortoises were shared with Disney World and its Discovery Island exhibits.

Those long-lived animals are now at Riverbanks Zoo, Columbia, South Carolina and an alligator zoo in St. Augustine, Florida.

NC Zoo General Curator Steve Miller reported in management staff meeting yesterday morning that arrangements have been made to return them to the center of North Carolina. They will be a temporary exhibit, next season, for six or seven months. It has been over 20 years since they were last seen here.

Here is a photo of Tort or Retort, from those early days.

UPDATE: NC Zoo curator of herpetology John Groves has assured me that the photo is of Tort, the male.

Timid Subject

Timid Subject
Originally uploaded by Tom McFarlane.

Appears to have been taken at the Cincinnatti Zoo, Oct. 11, by Tim McFarlane, who titled it.

Orangutan Hand

Orangutan Hand
Originally uploaded by mz_skade.

This was taken through glass! At the Perth Zoo, by mz skade, who titled it and uploaded it to flickr (TM) last week.

Pest-O!

This Zoo special event is a hoot!

The Houston Zoo will host "From Soup to Gnats - The Essentials of Bug Cookery", this Saturday.

While there will be a traditional brunch served, it appears that bug chef and author David George Gordon will be preparing things like "Pest-O" and "Three Bee Salad", " the houstonist" reports.

Bugs are commonplace on the menus in many countries. "Grasshoppers have twice the protein of chicken or beef and termites are a great source of iron."

The link takes you to a crossed out recipe for "Scorpion Scallopini". (Perhaps it is crossed out because of concern about the safety of those who try to successfully follow the direction "using a sharp knife, remove and discard the stingers and venom glands".

Just Rub Their Bellies

Two of the three red river hogs that will soon go on exhibit at the North Carolina Zoo have arrived in quarantine. General Curator Steve Miller reported in the morning management staff meeting that "they follow you around" and fall over on their sides when you rub their bellies.

He also reported that the aging, female warthog that has been in the habitat that the red river hogs are destined for will get some medical attention, with the hope that she will join them on exhibit. It had appeared that she would have to be kept off exhibit, as red river hogs have been brought in because the warthogs were reduced to the single aging female.

This effort could work out better for animals and visitors.

Black Rhino

Black Rhino 220
Originally uploaded by evanembee.

Note the African black rhino's pointed upper lip. It uses its slightly prehensile lip to pull out the grass it munches. (The African southern white has a very wide, straight upper lip; it crunches up grass in broad, noisy bites.)

You'll find this black rhino at the Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago. You can find southern whites at the North Carolina Zoo.

Zoo to Do Trio

NC Zoo 2006 ZTD
Originally uploaded by ucumari.

North Carolina Zoo Society volunteer ucumari took this at the September Zoo to Do dinner/dance/auction.

This is the only one of the last 22 annual "Do"s I did not get to. (Hosting Zoo Society members in Alaska at the same time.)

Love Bite

To Tian Tian - a portrait of your two loves
Originally uploaded by atomicdolll.

Mom giant panda puts the bite on her youngster. ("Tian Tian" is the father.)

Taken at the National Zoo August 27 by atomicdolll.

Sleepy Hippo

Sleepy Hippo
Originally uploaded by cyclochip.

"A sunbathing hippopotamus at the Memphis Zoo," says cyclochip, who titled it and took it Saturday at the Memphis Zoo.

Zoos Swapping Female Elephant Duos

Jacksonville (FL) Zoo & Gardens and Lee Richardson Zoo (Garden City, Kansas) are swapping female, African elephants. (Link)

Two, 24 year-old females have already gone from Kansas to Florida, with a Lee Richardson Zoo elephant keeper to help them settle in.

Jacksonville Zoo will send two African females the other way once the Lee Richardson Zoo doubles its indoor space for elephants.

It looks like this breeding transfer between zoos is designed to provide more genetic diversity within the North America zoo population of African elephants. Jacksonville Zoo has one of the few reproductive-aged African bull elephants in North America, according to Jacksonville Business Journal.

The 24 year-old females are plenty young enough to breed, especially if they have successfully bred in the past. (The article does not offer the ages of the females leaving Florida for Kansas.)

Sylvan Scene

SylHgt 020
Originally uploaded by russlings.

Everywhere you look at Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park & Eco-Center, opened Saturday in Scotland Neck, N.C., are scenes like this.

This was from one small section of the vast "Multi-National" pond, which is located (with its central island) off the back deck of the Eco-Center.
(There are many ponds on the 12-acre Park offering ducks, geese and swans of the various continents: they are interspersed with aviaries and other areas featuring waterfowl and other birds, including cranes, emus, parrots and toucans.)

Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park's website offers other looks at some of the 2500 birds of 170 species.

(Photo by Tom Gillespie.)

Another Zoo to End Elephant Exhibit

The Philadelphia Zoo will send its elephants elsewhere.

Three African elephants and one Asian had been exhibited on one-quarter acre, the Associated Press reports.

"The zoo dropped plans last year for a $22 million expansion of its elephant exhibit because of rising costs and fundraising difficulties."

UN Delays Ivory Sale

The United Nations will not yet allow three African nations to sell 60 metric tons of elephant ivory", as had been a distinct possibility.

The UN CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endagered Species) committee did decide that Japan has enough controls on the trade in ivory there to "be a trading partner when sales eventually proceed", Environmental News Service reports.

"Conservation groups, who fear the legal ivory sale would fuel the illegal poaching of elephant, hailed the decision to postpone the sale." The International Fund for Animal Welfare has come out against the decision regarding Japan, however.

White Alligator Dies at Riverbanks

A rare white alligator, which Riverbanks Zoo had just started to exhibit in June, has died.

It was one of three white alligators transferred to Riverbanks after being taken, in 2003, from men who had illegally taken them from the wild, the Associated Press reports. (One had died within hours, another within days, of arrival at Riverbanks.)

"The alligator was not an albino, which lacks skin pigment. It was leucistic, which is a white skin pigment."

NOTE: I see Riverbanks Zoo has a ZooBlog" ("connecting you with the keepers")...10 postings since late July.

Half a Rhino

Half a Rhino
Originally uploaded by tr1307.

Less than half, actually.

Appears to me to be a southern white, like those at the North Carolina Zoo.

Wilhelma, Stuttgart, Germany.

Sylvan Heights Opened

Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park & Eco-Center opened today.

So pleased to tour the new center yesterday. The many, many species in the large, "Multi-National" pond, just off the back deck of the new Eco-Center, were getting along famously. The little ruddy ducks, tail feathers reaching for the sky, were circling the pond as a gang...not looking for trouble...just proud to be in each others company, amongst the other handsome species of waterfowl.

The various other areas and ponds represented most of the continents. The "Endangered" complex featured white winged wood ducks which regularly flew up from their little pond to the upper limbs of a fallen tree. Groups of three or more birds in other enclosed "continental regions" would fly from grassy parts of their habitat to the pond and back again.

Many aviaries and fenced exhibits also featured birds other than ducks, geese and swans (emus, African crowned cranes, parrots, toucans and many others).

I had the honor of representing the North Carolina Zoo Society in the pre-ribbon-cutting remarks. Also speaking were author, penguin-expert and photographer Frank Todd; best-selling author and pediatrician Dr. Mel Levine; internationally-renowned waterfowl breeder Peter Kooj, of Holland and South Africa; Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park & Eco-Center Board chair and whopping crane expert Walter Sturgeon; Scotland Neck mayor Robert Partin; and Sylvan Heights founder (also world-renowned) Mike Lubbock.

Elephants Move On

Lion Country Safari, Florida, is in the process of moving its African elephants to zoos that are better prepared to handle them, Ivette M. Yee reports, for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. (Link)

"While a few parks and zoos are participating in the AZA's elephant conservation program by donating their elephants, including the Dallas Zoo and the Albuquerque Zoo, some zoos are upgrading to meet AZA standards.

"A 2005 AZA survey found that 40 of its 210-member facilities are planning to expand or build elephant exhibits in the next five years."

The North Carolina Zoo is well into an $8 million expansion of its elephant and rhino exhibits. Expect a full opening in 2008.

Face Painting & Marmosets Don't Mix

Interesting.

Twycross Zoo (UK) authorities have decided that visitor children who opt for blue face painting can not be allowed in the tropical house. It upsets the marmosets. (Link to ThePeople.co.uk)

John Cleese - Zoo Man

John Cleese, "legendary actor, comedian", known for his work with Monty Python, will make a gratis appearance at Western Plains Zoo, New South Wales, reports Emily Wheeler, for Australia's "Daily Liberal". (Link)

At the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) conference in Tampa last week, we were shown a TV ad featuring Mr. Cleese, explaining AZA's relationship to its 200-plus member institutions. (AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums represent just about 10 percent of those institutions certified by U.S.D.A.; AZA institutions host 143 million visitors annually.)

Watch for it in the near future. (Mr. Cleese "mistakenly" introduces himself as Meryl Streep at the start; you can't miss it.)

U.N. Might Approve Elephant Ivory Sale

But does that just continue a market for a "product" that should not be for sale? (Link to Associated Press story.)

"Conservationists argue that any ivory trading threatens elephant populations by creating commercial incentives for poachers. Advocates of the sales say that trading in ivory from well-managed herds can benefit local populations and help pay for conservation efforts."

Open Daily...

The Roar
Originally uploaded by EGaston.

at the Pittsburgh Zoo.

Photo by EGaston.

Waterfowl Park Opens

Here is the full media release about the grand opening of Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park & Eco-Center:

SCOTLAND NECK, N.C.— A two-year project to build a world class eco-tourism facility here will come to fruition Oct. 7 when the Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park and Eco-Center opens to the public after a grand-opening ceremony that culminates with a ribbon-cutting at noon.

“We are quite excited about the opportunities the new facility offers for creating fun ways to learn about conservation,” said Mike Lubbock, Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park and Eco-Center executive director. “The Center allows us to share our years of experience working to preserve some of the world’s most endangered waterfowl.”

The experience Lubbock points out refers to his work and the work of others at the Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Breeding Center. With more than 2,500 birds representing 170 species, the breeding center has become the world’s leading breeder of endangered waterfowl. The breeding center’s pioneering work includes South American Magellanic steamerducks, African and Indian pygmy geese, African white-backed ducks, Australian freckled ducks and many other species. The breeding center conducts breeding programs for 17 of the 44 waterfowl species listed as globally threatened by Birdlife International, and Lubbock has achieved 17 world and 12 North American first-breeding awards – an accomplishment unsurpassed by any other person.

The Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park and Eco-Center is the “public side” of the breeding center. It offers visitors an avian conservation, education and recreation experience centered on six aviaries representing birds and plants from different continents and one aviary representing endangered species. The center also offers aviaries featuring kookaburras, brush turkeys, macaws, parrots, cockatoos and other exotic birds as well as a wetland walkway where visitors can experience a fragile ecosystem and a playground for younger visitors.

In addition, the eco-center includes a gift shop, offices, library and multi-purpose room for educational programs. The eco-center has developed 15 educational programs and continues to expand its relationship with schools and other groups to tailor meaningful conservation education opportunities.

This focus on conservation and education led the North Carolina Zoological Society to partner with Sylvan Heights in 2004 to begin planning the Waterfowl Park and Eco-Center. The N.C. Zoo has partnered with Sylvan Heights Waterfowl programs since 1997. The Zoo Society has so far raised more than $1.4 million toward a $1.8 million goal. The goal includes plans for a second phase of the project that will include a tree house, amphitheater and more exhibits.

“Everything Sylvan Heights and the new Waterfowl Park and Eco-Center are about compliments the Zoo Society’s mission to save a piece of the world for its wildlife,” said Russ Williams, N.C. Zoo Society executive director. “The new facility advances the cause of conservation by offering visitors a unique experience that is not only fun, but also reinforces the importance of preserving our fragile natural resources.”

Lubbock and Williams will speak at the grand opening and will be joined by Robert Partin, mayor of Scotland Neck; Dr. Mel Levine, world-renowned pediatrician and best-selling author; Frank Todd, photographer, author and ornithologist; Peter Kooj, international waterfowl breeder; and Walt Sturgeon, President of the International Wild Waterfowl Association and Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park and Eco-Center Board chair. A special ceremony after the ribbon-cutting will honor the Lowe’s Foundation’s contribution of the playground.

The first 100 people to enter the center will receive a free t-shirt. Admission after the ceremony will be $7 for adults and $5 for seniors and children under 12. Children under 2 are admitted free. One-year passes will be available through membership in the Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Society.

Amazing Close Call

If it were written in a novel or somehow filmed for a movie, you would be inclined to say: "Impossible".

Mike Loomis reports on his very close call with an African elephant in Cameroon.

"At that point, we were face-to-face and about three feet apart. Since an elephant's eyes are far to the sides of its head, I was now in his blindspot and he couldn't see me."

It Is a Girl

The Zoo Atlanta baby giant panda that is.

Sleepy Chimp

Sleepy Chimp
Originally uploaded by russlings.

Stephen "Beach Bum" Wilmoth has made this new North Carolina Zoo chimpanzee photo available.

Three Thousand Reasons

The grand opening of Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park & Eco-Center, Scotland Neck, NC, Saturday will offer the chance to see thousands of ducks, geese, swans and other birds. "The tiny Halifax County town is home to the largest waterfowl center on the continent, and some endangered species are getting a new shot at survival," reports WRAL-TV, which offers video too.

I'll be going down Friday for the Board of Director's meeting prior to Saturday's opening.

"There are 3,000 birds and more than 170 species at the center. There are only eight species of swan in the world, and all eight are there. North Carolina State University veterinary students are there, too -- to study and learn."

Wild Animals at Zoo

As I topped the hill into the North Carolina Zoo for work this morning there were four, native, white-tailed deer just inside the entrance road fence.

They were outside the perimeter fence that serves as secondary or tertiary containment for the wild, exhibit animals of "North America".

They headed into the wooded area of what had been the "Interim Zoo" when the North Carolina Zoo was just starting...staging for what is following.

Louisiana Pine Snakes Born

Three female Louisiana pine snakes have been born at the North Carolina Zoo. The endangered snakes will add to a depleted population, reports The Midden, newsletter of the NC chapter of the AAZK (American Association of Zoo Keepers), compiled by Anna Kopaniasz.