Happy News!

"Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park will REOPEN tomorrow, January 1st. Repairs to the park's aviaries have proceeded quickly, but some exhibits may be temporarily closed [by snow damage] while we finish construction." [from Sylvan Heights Waterfowl facebook page]

Spy Cams & Polar Bears

Snow cam, blizzard cam, snowball cam and ice berg cam capture polar bears and vice versa (hat tip: Valerie Abbott on facebook):

3 Tiger Cubs + Snow

Three Bronx Zoo Amur (Siberian) tiger cubs enjoy snow for the first time:

Ambulance Layout (Spots)

Ambulance Layout (Spots)
Originally uploaded by russ williams iii

NC Zoo plans to wrap the older ambulance donated for use by veterinary personnel as shown.

"Snow"

A flickr set of photos by KGipple detailing snow and ice damage and repair efforts at Sylvan Heights Waterfowl, Scotland Neck, NC, Dec. 27-29.

siberische tijger

siberische tijger
Originally uploaded by belgianchocolate

Zoo Antwerp in recent European snow photo by belgianchocolate.

"Sad Day"

WRAL-TV covers the Sylvan Heights Waterfowl snow damage story:

Power Down 4 Polar Bears

3-minute, how-to video by Asheboro (NC) High School Zoo School students:

Hayley & Justin Help

Check out the photo of NC Zoo Society staffers Hayley McWilliams and Justin Richardson, with Brent Lubbock, cleaning up after major snow damage at Sylvan Heights Waterfowl, Scotland Neck, NC.

"Lubbock said the park has weathered hurricanes and tornadoes since it began, but never has seen so much damage." (Don't forget an oil spill!)

The animal rescue part of this "repair project" is especially challenging. "Lubbock said rescue workers have to know what they are doing and be careful. It’s not a situation where you can just go in and pick up the bird. In the breeding center, they are as close to wild as you can get without letting them go.

“The breeding birds are not acclimated to people,” he said. “It takes more time for the rescue. They may injure themselves.”"

Expert help is coming to Scotland Neck, NC from as far away as Disney Animal Kingdom in Florida and New York.

Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Damage

Elephant Plays in the Snow

12 photos from the Berlin Zoo. He(?) really seems to like the white stuff!

Update on Sad Snow Story

"The damage at the [Sylvan Heights Waterfowl] Park was significant but surmountable and should be completed by the end of the week. Fifteen birds at the breeding center [adjacent to the Park] have died but there is only one confirmed death at the Park.

"One of the only 3 female Black Headed Ducks in the country died as a result of injuries sustained in the incident. The other two survive at Sylvan Heights. “We can’t determine a final number lost at this point, however,” said Assistant Director Ali Lubbock, “because stress from the trauma could result in more deaths.”

"A few birds were injured by the collapsing pens and some were buried under the snow that ranged from 12 to over 15 inches in depth. Lubbock added, “It was amazing that the flamingos survived the collapse of the netting … staff managed to herd them all into the building without any flying off.”

"Answering a call for help, Disney's Wild Animal Kingdom and a zoo in New York have committed to send several waterfowl husbandry professionals to assist the small staff. Also helping with the clean-up and care of the birds are volunteers from the NC Zoo Society." [from NC Zoo Society media release prepared and sent for the overworked Sylvan Heights Waterfowl team today]

Far from Home

A sugar glider was recently found in High Point, NC. That's a long way from its native Australia and vicinity.

It was taken to Wildlife Care of Guilford County, which found, after a little research, that it had been brought a flying squirrel from half-way round the world.

[hat tip: Hacky Pitts via High Point Enterprise clipping]

Football Teams Face Off at Zoo

The University of Nebraska and University of Washington football teams both visited the San Diego Zoo yesterday. They are in town for the Holiday Bowl.

Sea World today.

Big game: Thursday.

Sad Snow Update

Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park, Scotland Neck, NC, will be closed until the end of the week while damage from heavy snows yesterday can be assessed and repairs started.

The bulk of the damage occurred at Sylvan Heights' non-public breeding center. The full staffs of the public Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park and the breeding center are working throughout the daylight hours to get the birds safely secured and start working on rebuilding the breeding aviaries.

The damage at the Park was significant but surmountable and should be completed by the end of the week. Amazingly, no Park birds were injured or killed.

A few breeding center birds are missing or killed by collapsing pens. The damaging snow ranged from 12 to over 15 inches in depth.

Requests for help have gone out to various zoos that have qualified staff and former interns of the Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Avian Husbandry program have been called in to help.

Pigeons Beat Humans...

...in dealing with the "Monty Hall Dilemma".

Humans over think it. Pigeons learn from experience. Older, more educated humans are worse than younger ones. "Education, it seems, actually worsens our performance at the Monty Hall Dilemma."

"By the final trial...[13 university students] had edged towards the right strategy but they were a long way from the ideal approach of the pigeons. And by the end of the study, they were showing no signs of further improvement." This is especially amazing because, once you recognize that "Monty" will always show you a "goat", the odds advantage of switching your choice are really quite clear.

By making your first random choice of a door, you have assured that there is a two out of three chance that the winner is not your choice. By revealing one of those other doors (always a "goat"), "Monty" has assured that there remains a two out of three chance that the winner is behind the remaining other door. (It is that simple.)

[@edyoung209 RT @DrJudyStone]

"No Pictures, Please!"

Polar bear wrecks $200K in video equipment. [Valerie Abbott facebook post says: "The last photo is a must see."]

"Late to the Party"

More on that bumble bee research by very young researchers. [@BoraZ]

"...they trained bees to recognize a color pattern in order to be rewarded with sugar." Through variations and "control" testing the young researchers "were able to show that the bees recognized a combined color/pattern combination, but that when the color was changed, or the flowers were rearranged in a different pattern, the bees were not able to recognize the reward flowers."

Here is their "Science is cool and fun" finding, within more context than in my prior post: "Before doing these experiments we...also did not think about the fact that without bees we would not survive, because bees keep the flowers going. So it is important to understand bees. We discovered how fun it was to train bees. This is also cool because you do not get to train bees everyday. We like bees. Science is cool and fun because you get to do stuff that no one has ever done before. (Bees—seem to—think!)"

Magical Holiday Season!

Wishes from Vancouver Aquarium [@edyoung209]:

"No fish were made to wear real hats in the making of this video."

Otter Latrines

Otters do not foul their waters. They do opt to poo near beavers, however. [@Dr. Bondar via @BoraZ]

"Apparently, several distinct attributes make up the perfect otter-outhouse: it has to be an area with large, prominent rocks next to deep-water pools, and has to be shaded with a rock overstory and in close proximity to beavers. Yes, beavers."

At Last!

U.S. bans shark finning. [@BoraZ]

Researchers: "Science Cool & Fun"

Original, published research on bumble bees is offered by very young researchers. [@BoraZ]

"A scientific paper published today in the prestigious Royal Society journal Biology Letters reveals that "bumble-bees can use a combination of colour and spatial relationships in deciding which colour of flower to forage from.""

"...the authors, while researching the behaviour of bees, "also discovered that science is cool and fun because you get to do stuff that no one has ever done before"."

"The research was "conceived, carried out, summarized and written up by a class of 8 to 10 years olds" from Blackawton Primary School in Devon." [guardian.co.uk]

Police Nab Monkey...

...take it to Detroit Zoo.

A female marmoset, kept illegally as a pet, is confiscated as "...the family would be moving and did not want to take the animal."

"Authorities say marmosets can become unpredictable, aggressive and dangerous to humans when they mature."

Wild animals make poor pets. And it is usually no fun for the animal either.

Alaska Also Studies the Problem

Alaska's Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development is paying $400,000 for a grant to study climate change impact on polar bears there.

Alaska Sues U.S.A....

...over Polar bear protection.

"They have opposed every Endangered Species Act listing to date"

Total Lunar Eclipse December 21, 2010

Total Lunar Eclipse December 21, 2010
Originally uploaded by bkushner

Brian E. Kushner, Nikon D7000, Nikon 600 F/4.

Open wide(r)

Open wide(r)
Originally uploaded by ucumari

Ucumari photo and title from the 2010 Churchill, Manitoba series.

Pride of DC's National Zoo!

Seven African lion cubs!

Plan Your Trip to Churchill...

...Manitoba for Polar bear watching.

"All vehicles and houses are left unlocked, so if you do meet an animal...take cover immediately."

2 African Elephants!

Two species that is! (Not Asian and African, but Asian and two species of African elephants.)

Forest and savanna elephants: "as evolutionarily different as lions and tigers are from one another."

Again Gathering Gear

This morning, Mark MacAllister picked up a box delivered to our office explaining that it was again time to gather gear for another field research trip to Cameroon by NC Zoo lead veterinarian Mike Loomis.

Mark co-ordinates the NC Zoo Society website Field Trip Earth as it follows Dr. Mike and other researchers around the world.

Mike will be back in Cameroon early next month.

"Considerable Effort..."

...can save the Polar bear. That's the opinion of "a study published online last week in the journal Nature." [Washington Post]

"...there is something that can be done to save polar bears. This problem is not irreversible.""

Do Chimps Play w/ Stick Dolls?

More on the topic.

Youngster & Snow

Three photos of a young Asian elephant in the snow reminds me of how my boys got caked in the white stuff when they were that age.

Girls Will Be Girls and...

Young chimpanzee "girls" and "boys" are observed playing with "toys" in gender-specific ways. Results of a 14-year study of one chimp community in Kibale National Park, Uganda finds that females tend to use stick toys for "maternal play". The boys less so. [RT @animaltourism]

"Current Biology" offers the study: "In human and nonhuman primates, juvenile females
demonstrate a greater interest in infants, and males in rough-and-tumble play. This sex difference in activity preferences parallels adult behavior and may contribute to differences in toy play."

Dallas Zoo Enjoys "New Setup"

Things looking up since "going private".

Tundra Buggy Tire Change

Three-photo capture by ucumari recently in Churchill, Manitoba, with polar bears providing the extra challenge.

Non-Profit to Manage Zoo

Tulsa Zoo changes management. (City still owns Zoo and its assets.)

24K Cod Liver Oil Pills

Edinburgh Zoo order for penguin preening and breeding.

de zoo

de zoo
Originally uploaded by belgianchocolate

belgianchocolate's-Antwerp-Zoo-in-the-winter photo features this chilly work of art.

Debut of Orphan Bears

Involved in their late mother's fatal mauling of campers, the young grizzly bears are now on exhibit at ZooMontana.

"Snow Leopard Catching Machine"

Researcher catches (and quickly releases) more elusive snow leopards than any other.

"Two hours after being detained in our world the snow leopard melted back to her own, having received the antidote...she weighed 79lb, her body was 45in long and her tail 38½in. Her age was put at between four and six, she had suckled, though not recently, and the data now being sent back by her collar will be of untold benefit to the long-term conservation of this beleaguered species." [The Telegraph]

"Courtesy of this tail the snow leopard in motion is as finely balanced as a gyroscope, and as stealthy as mist. Dr Sharma showed me footage of one walking. Inadvertently it sets a stone rolling with one paw, and in the same movement bats the stone to a standstill so as not to make the slightest noise."

Head hunter

Head hunter
Originally uploaded by ucumari

Ucumari. Churchill, Manitoba. Her title too.

Jack's Namesnake

The Columbus Zoo has named its new python Hanna for its celebrity keeper Jack Hanna.

"Hanna the snake was acquired last month from the same private breeder who had sold the zoo her mother, Fluffy. At 24 feet, Fluffy was the longest snake in captivity when she died in October..."

Hanna (Jack's name snake), a reticulated python, is a mere 18 feet long.

Still "Doing Stupid Things"

It was a bad idea to kidnap a meerkat from the Kansas City Zoo. It was also a bad idea to brag about it on Facebook.

As an earlier post on this topic quoted from an earlier article about it: "You can’t keep stupid people from doing stupid things".

Bleak Day...

...for red wolves. [@tdelene]

"There is only one spot on the whole globe today where wild red wolves live: a 1.7 million acre area on the Albemarle peninsula of North Carolina. There are 65 radio-collared red wolves here, plus 42 puppies were born this spring (39 of these pups are uncounted among the collared population). They are considered one of the most endangered canids on earth by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and they were among the very first batch of species to be listed under the Endangered Species Act when it was signed into law in 1973."

rode panda

rode panda
Originally uploaded by belgianchocolate

Belgianchocolate photo of red panda at Blijdorp Zoo, Rotterdam.

G'day mate

G'day mate
Originally uploaded by ucumari

Ucumari title & photo in the Churchill, Manitoba series.

Nori Prefers Fruits

"Nori doesn't get any special chimp baby food. Because chimps are so closely related to humans, human infant formula is a good substitute for her mother's milk. Nori gets... 5 bottles a day and at each feeding she gets a bowl of baby cereal mixed with baby food. Like all babies, she prefers the fruits to the vegetables!" [NC Zoo's Jennifer Hamilton Ireland about the Zoo's newest chimpanzee]

Nori Living with Chimps

"Last week we introduced Nori to 2 adult female chimps, Maggie and Ruthie. They were doing so well after a few days we then added Nori's mother, Maki to the group. Yesterday we added another female, Amy." [Jennifer Hamilton Ireland in NC Zoo facebook discussion today; Nori is the Zoo's newest chimpanzee and had been raised by human keepers since her natural mother did not provide sufficient mothering.]

"Nori doesn't seem to recognize Maki as her mother and Maki has shown little maternal interest in Nori. She does try to engage Nori in play, but it is Maggie that makes sure Nori is safe."

"They Aren't Yet Doomed"

Polar bears are threatened by sea ice retreat, but that "ice is unlikely to collapse in spectacular fashion" as "the media exaggerated fears" of a "tipping point" several years ago.

"But while models may need to improve, basic physics show that the Arctic ice will decline, scientists said. Polar bears may [be] the most visible and, at least abstractly, lovable creatures harmed, but there are many other species, like the ringed seal, that are at risk." [New York "Times"]

Against the wind

Against the wind
Originally uploaded by ucumari

Ucumari titled this in her Churchill, Manitoba series. (I might call it "Pointer".)

Climate Change Threat to Wolverine

Just a few hundred left.

"Mother wolverines dig elaborate snow caves for dens."

Times Square Polar Bear Ad

Just back from Times Square and vicinity. (No sound, of course.)

Crop-Raiding Elelphants Are Stressed

Seem to understand risk involved.

"Scientists found high levels of glucocorticoid metabolites in dung..."

Many crop-raiding elephants are killed by humans. Dr. Mike Loomis and the NC Zoo and NC Zoo Society have long worked mitigate this problem facing the humans and elephants in Cameroon and elsewhere.

Zoo Cuts Jobs & Exhibits

Brookfield, IL.

Now Expected in Jan.

Fringe-eared oryx are now expected to arrive at the NC Zoo in late January.

Expecting

The NC Zoo expects that a female giraffe and two male waterbuck will arrive next Wednesday.

Nori, May I Introduce...

NC Zoo 17-week old chimpanzee Nori is being introduced to two adult females in the large chimp troop here. The hope is that she will bond with one or both and find herself one day one of the full troop.

Nori has been with the two Zoo chimps “24/7 for two days now”, general curator Ken Reininger reported early this a.m.

Human keepers are still feeding Nori by bottle to assure good nutrition.

Also in Quarantine...

...at the NC Zoo:

. six blue-naped mouse birds;

. a mate for the green wood hoopoe;

. a mate for the fairy bluebird;

. a male golden-headed mannikin;

. a pair of Mexican beaded lizards;

and more, according to NC Zoo general curator Ken Reininger.

Stripes Arrive

The expected arrival of a male zebra and four Thomson's gazelles at the NC Zoo has come to pass.

The zebra and four little, side-striped antelope are now in quarantine.

Bigfoot lives!

Bigfoot lives!
Originally uploaded by ucumari

Ucumari title and Churchill, Manitoba photo.

Handsome!

Photos of Nikica

Photos of Montenegro's AWOL zoo hippo.

"But the soldiers have nothing to worry about with the friendly hippo." [Note: "Nothing to worry about"?! Look at the photo of the gaping mouth below this quote; I'll keep my distance, thanks!]

Dangerous Again

Flooding in Montenegro has that zoo hippo on the loose again. Hippos are aggressive and dangerous by nature. This again needs careful watching.

Hope it turns out for the best again.

Penguins Nervous about Snow

The Dublin Zoo’s 14 Humboldt penguins hail from "the milder climes of the Western coast of South America.” The “snow actually causes these penguins quite a bit of anxiety.”

The European cold spell has increased their appetites, however. They usually eat “eight small fish or sprats.” That has doubled.

Like Dublin Zoo’s “penguin cam”, the Edinburgh Zoo “cam” also got much increased interest during the cold snap. Their Emperor and Gentoo penguins were short-lived “Internet superstars”.

Chimp Portrait

NC Zoo chimp by tonyadcockphotos.

Bright & Colorful Composition

At NC Zoo by tonyadcockphotos. Mister, vegetation and sky.

Ididamile

Ididamile
Originally uploaded by ucumari

Ucumari photo and perfect title from her recent visit to Churchill, Manitoba.

Zoo Animals Enjoy Snow

At Berlin Zoo. [Video]

Presents for Polar Bears

At Central Park Zoo, NYC.

4 Heads are Better...

NC Zoo giraffes captured by tonyadcockphotos.

Alaskan Officials Acknowledge Global Climate Change Despite P. Bear Suit

Are they in big trouble? [Washington Post]

"The report, called "Climate Change Strategy," says warming temperatures could affect Alaska's bodies of water, leading to changes in sport fishing and subsistence opportunities."

Romeo in the Snow

Mourning dove at NC Zoo's Valerie H. Schindler Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in today's snow.

Hoover!

As in ant vacuum, I believe.

Bronx Zoo's baby aardvark is now on exhibit:

Not Extinct!

Two more Sierra Nevada red fox sightings have been confirmed. Federal wildlife biologists believe these two are related to another photographed this summer near Yosemite National Park.

Best news is that DNA samples (scat?) suggest a "fairly strong population" of the animals may be doing quite well...out of sight, in rugged mountains south of Reno. [from "Wire Reports" - "News & Record", Greensboro, NC]

It appears that the DNA samples showed enough diversity between individual Sierra Nevada red fox to rule out dangerous inbreeding.

NC Zoo Zebra

Strong Tony Adcock portrait. Sharp stripes against soft fall colors.

Giant Weighs 2.2 Pounds

ZooAtlanta's one-month old giant panda has grown to 2.2 pounds. (See photos)

He should grow to 300 lbs.

Cute squared

Cute squared
Originally uploaded by ucumari

Another ucumari Churchill photo and title.

Miracle Mali

Tacoma's zoo says 6-month old Sumatran tiger cub has recovered after nearly dying.

Mike Helped Snowflake

Tom Gillespie's (NC) Zoo Tales on Barcelona Zoo's late albino gorilla Snowflake reminded me that the NC Zoo lead veterinarian Dr. Mike Loomis was flown to Spain to aid in a 1996 procedure on Barcelona's beloved gorilla.

Mike's way was paid to assure that anesthesia went flawlessly as Snowflake's skin lesions were assessed. (Snowflake would eventually die of skin cancer many years later - see Zoo Tales - The Courier-Tribune, Asheboro, NC, 12/3/10.)

"Piggy" Back?

Is that the right phrase when it is polar bear cub on polar bear mom? ("Polar Bear" Back?)

Dr. Jon Aars, polar bear scientist at the Norwegian Polar Institute says the behavior "may not be as uncommon as the scientists have believed until now". The explanation for the behavior may be simple: "This could be potentially important because it means that the cubs get exposed to less water. If they are in the water they would have to swim and very small cubs are very badly insulated in water," he says.

'Nother Plastic Polar Bear

This one is made of milk cartons. (Parker polar bear is 7 feet long.)

Reminds me of the NC Zoo keepers' big plastic bag bear.

Not Toys

"Taking Live Penguins Into a Hot, Crowded, Noisy Shop is Shocking and Irresponsible By Philip Knowling Torquay, UK - Penguin experts at a zoo in Devon have criticized Hamley's toy shop in London for plans to bring live penguins into their Regent Street store. Elaine Hayes, the Director of Living Coasts Aquarium, said: "It is very bad for their welfare and will be incredibly stressful for them. I had hoped the days of the performing circus animal were over. Live penguins are not cuddly toys."" [Zoo and Aquarium Visitor facebook page]

So Sorry, Ucumari

Sweet Bandit
Originally uploaded by ucumari

So sorry for the loss of "your" Andean bear, Bandit, November 29. This is my favorite photo by you of your sweet, National Zoo friend.

When I put this photo up over two years ago, I said it was clear you loved Bandit. I feel I see in her eyes that she loved you.

Baby's 1st Snow

Especially significant when the baby is an African elephant. Schoenbrunn Zoo.