Infanticide & Chimps

"...infanticide is a recurring feature of their complex social lives...both in captivity and in the wild", says Jason G. Goldman in Scientific American opinion piece triggered by the recent LA Zoo chimp infanticide witnessed by Zoo visitors.

"If the keepers had intervened, it is possible that journalists would be reporting the death of the keepers in addition to the young infant."

In a zoo, a "group of social primates can intimately observe the lives of a second group of social primates."

 "Zoogoers need to remember that nature is not all rainbows and unicorns."

"One of the most impressive examples of cooperation in chimpanzees is the way they work together in intricate choreography as they hunt colobus monkeys...at times nature is indeed “red in tooth and claw,” as Tennyson famously wrote."

"Zoos can be fun, educational, awe-inspiring places. Curated and presented correctly, they can inspire children and adults to appreciate and learn more about the natural world." "But we cannot expect animals to act anything other than naturally..."

"More predictable critters can be found at Disneyland..."

Sylvan Heights on VA Radio

Seven minute Richmond (VA) TV interview with Brent & Mike Lubbock (and some birds, of course) of Sylvan Heights Bird Park, Scotland Neck, NC:

Smoke Signal

Gabon burned its stockpile of seized elephant tusks and carved ivory to "call on the international community to join us in this fight" against smugglers and buyers.

The stockpile came from over 800 elephants.

Stem Cells Help Zoo's Animals

Stem cell injections aim to "promote faster healing" of Houston Zoo big cats.

A similar, fall procedure aided the Zoo's babirusa.

Chimps Attack Student

US student studying chimpanzee behavior in South Africa suffers "frenzied" attack. Dragged 1K, he is in critical condition.

More Project: Polar Bears Progress

Project Polar Bear July, a photo by russlings on Flickr.

Taken late afternoon today. Design staff input is now easily seen. (Hot out there! But humidity could be much worse.)

Chimps, Visitors & Staff Grieve

A baby female chimpanzee is killed by an adult male chimp at the LA Zoo. Some visitors see it happen.

"Zoo patron...said she was "furious" at zoo staff..."

"...it's something that primatologists are accustomed to seeing regularly", says a USC professor about chimp infaniticide, "in captivity and in the wild".

"They can be very nasty animals. They abuse females, and they attack babies..."

But chimps can also be amazingly co-operative.

JoJo's In; Ramar's Out?

More about  the 32-year-old silverback gorilla who is moving across Chicago, from Lincoln Park Zoo to Brookfield Zoo.

It is hoped that he will breed with one or both of two adult females, as he joins them and a younger female in one habitat.

Ramar, 44, a silverback who started his zoo career at the NC Zoo will transfer to another Brookfield habitat.

Lincoln Park loses JoJo, but retains Kwan, the silverback born at the NC Zoo, March 1, 1989.

Art in the Park

My recollection is that it was an out-of-state expert on public art who told Greensboro leaders that the NC Zoo had "arguably, the best public art collection" in the State.

I'll share visuals and history, of the NC Zoo art collection (almost exclusively funded by individuals, giving through the NC Zoo Society), as I offer eight Friends of the Zoo luncheons for long-time members/Zoo "ambassadors" this late summer and fall.

Hope to make Zoo Curator of Design Ellen Greer proud of my offering of "her collection".

At first the plan was to offer Friends a different program - an update on the Zoo's "change in governance", but that effort has now been delayed by at least a year.

Snakes: Free Pest Control

A recent article on the rise in snake sightings and in "demand for pest-control services" in the Charlotte Observer.

What did the "pest-control" folks recommend? Pest Control Authority owner Rich "Seifert finds himself giving one piece of advice over and over - do nothing...leave it alone."

"The snakes control the rodent population, and mice breed a whole lot faster than snakes do...I think of snakes as free pest control," reports Vince Seda, owner of Snake Removal.

[Hat tip: Hacky Pitts]

Arctic wolf

Arctic wolf, a photo by ucumari on Flickr.

"An amazingly beautiful animal. It was so hot (40+C/100+F) that these guys found shade under the bridge and decided to stay there all day." Photo, quote, title by ucumari. Taken 6/19/12, Rouge, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.

Least We Can Do

Members of US armed forces now have "free access to more than 2,000 public lands, including all national parks..."

I have the non-military "Senior Pass". For $10, this US senior has a lifetime pass to the national parks and federal recreational lands. This came available to me on my 62nd birthday. (The normal, annual pass costs $80!)

Hybrid vs. Hybrid

The NC Zoo Society 2010 Toyota Prius reports that it has gone the last 5000 miles getting 56.1 miles per gallon.

Too bad there are vehicles out there claiming to be "hybrids" that are great gas-guzzlers.

In conversation with others, the fact that the Society Prius had averaged over 54 mpg for its first 50,000 miles came up. One of the group shared that this person's vehicle was also a "hybrid", with other "Drive" technologies working for it. (No mpg numbers were mentioned.)

A google-search revealed that this vehicle reports 19 mpg city and has a reported "combined mpg" of 22!

Improved Appearance

"Polar Bear Expansion – Construction is moving along with work on the Den. Banners giving information about the project and the polar bears are going up along the construction fence to keep visitors informed and to improve the appearance of the site." [NC Zoo senior staff meeting notes]


Saw yesterday that many of the new graphics are up and much improve the look near the North American entrance.

Good Info Here...

...on C'Sar's eyesight.

Back to Yabassi

Dr. Mike will catch us up on the last few days soon. For now, he shares that they returned to Yabassi yesterday.

Today, they travel to Limbe, again by way of the Douala traffic jam.

Births & Hatchings

• "New births include a...vampire bat making 23 bats in the colony."
• "The Aviary staff recorded a first hatching of [three] Blue-Crowned Laughing Thrushes which are endangered with only 1000 known in the wild." 
• [from NC Zoo senior staff meeting notes]

"uromastyx leptieni" "spiny-tailed lizard"

"uromastyx leptieni" "spiny-tailed lizard" "dornschwanzagame", a photo by belgianchocolate on Flickr.

Like this guy! Photo and heading by belgianchocolate.

Two-Year Pregnancy

Elephant gestation lasts up to 680 days.

"Elephants are born with an advanced level of brain development which they use to recognize the complex social structure of the herd and to feed themselves with their dextrous trunks." [Hat tip: Guy Lichty]

"Pretty Devastating"

Chicago Tribune reports on Lake Superior Zoo (and Duluth) flooding.

"We can all look out and see half of the zoo under water." (More on Zoo on page 2.)

Zoo "Escapees" Moved

Como Zoo will take in the Lake Superior Zoo polar bear and seals which escaped flood waters and, briefly,  Duluth's flooded zoo.

"...the brown bears and lions will be moved to quarantine..."

Back on the Line

Field Trip Earth is back in touch with the Elephants of Cameroon team and Dr. Mike Loomis.

No elephant collared to date due, in part, to "steep hikes...poor trails" and very rainy weather.

Polar Bear & Seal Escape...

...flood waters in Duluth's Lake Superior Zoo. Happy news there, but some not as lucky. [Hat tip: Courtney Singleton]

Young One

kudu calf, a photo by russlings on Flickr.

Day old @ NC Zoo. North Carolina Zoo keeper Amy McGuire holds kudu calf as zoo vet resident Dr. J.B. Minter performs a routine physical exam. (NOT my photo; NC Zoo's)

Still Trending!

This video was the main "must see" offering on my Yahoo home page moments ago. More on how NC Zoo African elephant C'Sar might get contact lenses.

Kudu Calf

Keepers at the NC Zoo's African Plains today announce the birth of a female kudu. She will soon join two female fringe-eared oryx calves born in recent weeks.

Why No Updates...

...from the elephant team in Cameroon? Answer at link.

Hoping for something by tomorrow.

Getting It Right

News & Record (Greensboro, NC) reports here that the NC Zoo is "considering" contacts for C'Sar, the African elephant which has benefited from cataract surgeries, yet has other vision trouble. (Other media are reporting on this as if the contact lenses will be employed, regardless.)

The longer version of this story in my morning N&R quotes Zoo vet Dr. Ryan De Voe as he lists pros and cons of contacts. (Cons include the dangers of anesthesia and putting a huge, older, standing animal down.)

NPR re: Jumbo Contacts

Now National Public Radio (NPR) has picked up the story of C'Sar's possible fitting for contact lenses. [Hat tip: Gary Williams]

Jumbo Contacts

Now trending: NC Zoo elephant C'Sar to be fitted with contact lenses?

"My gut says that there won't be a dramatic improvement with contacts, but if you had asked me before the second surgery, I'd have said the same thing..."

Returning Soon?

When Dakota flooding caused a Minot, N.D. zoo to send exotic animals to many other zoos last June, the plan was that they would return to Roosevelt Park in a month or so.

Read why some are yet to return.

Wolves Kill Keeper

Very sad report from Sweden.

Fun with Mud!

Baby African elephant needs a little help from pachyderm friends in getting out of the (mud) bath. [Hat tip: mcarriker]

A good face washing starts the day off right!

A good face washing starts the day off right!, a photo by ucumari on Flickr.

Louisville Zoo photo by ucumari.

Hold Your Nose & Wait?

The "corpse flower" at Franklin Park Zoo, Boston, should fully bloom today. ("...Amorphophallus titanum, a rare 4-foot-tall, 200-pound flower...")

If you missed it, the wait will be a long one. The smelly flower blooms about every 15 years.

R.I.P.

Alice.

Fun with "Venom"!

Dinosaur-5(LR), a photo by russlings on Flickr.

"Alize Cole (L) & Kristal Smith get sprayed with "venom" from a juvenile dilophosaurus at the North Carolina Zoo Friday. Luckily for the girls, it's only water from one of the zoo's 15 animatronic dinosaurs, part of the temporary exhibit Dinosaurs! now at the zoo through November. The girls were visiting the zoo with their Girl Scout Troop 264 from Fairlawn, Va." (NC Zoo photo by Tom Gillespie; NOT russlings)

Little Leopards

Snow leopard cubs are new to the Cape May (NJ) Zoo (recently, surprisingly voted third favorite in the US by Trip Advisor):

 

Schooling

schooling, a photo by russlings on Flickr.

Hat tip to James K Gimzewski. By Semarnat on Facebook; NOT russlings on flickr.

"Worthless" Swampland...

...was also one of my earliest Russlings posts.

The Elephants

The Elephants, a photo by 75Central on Flickr.

At the Dallas Zoo. By 75Central.

Shell Shock @ Zoo

115-year-old tortoises "just can't stand each other" anymore, Klagenfurt (Austria) Zoo official reports.

Known to live 150 years or more, the tortoises might yet reconcile.

Early Russlings

My second blog post (the first with any real content) was posted 2/26/05 and it too dealt with Dr. Mike Loomis and "African elephants in Cameroon".

My sixth, "Rhino-proof Fence", 3/5/05, explained early work in preparation for the upcoming "$6.75 million" (oops, it was over $8 million that the Society provided in the end!)  Watani Grasslands.

Yabassi!

Dr. Mike and team did sleep in Yabassi last night (after two hours stuck in a "pretty polluted" Douala traffic jam.

With luck, they hike into their Ebo basecamp tomorrow.

Expedition Has Begun

Dr. Mike Loomis has already put up three Elephants of Cameroon field diary entries (June 8, 9 & 12) as he starts two months on the African continent.

He has already dealt with being locked out of his own equipment crates. He is excited by the prospect of working in Ebo Wildlife Reserve for the first time, but concerned to have just learned that poachers are very recently active and "successful" there.

With luck, he has made it through the Douala traffic jam and is spending tonight in Yabassi.

Brilliant!

Major Elephant Corridor

elephant_corridor, a photo by russlings on Flickr.

As Dr. Mike Loomis prepares for another expedition aimed at aiding African elephants and people in Cameroon, here is one of his earlier photos showing what a "major elephant corridor" looks like there.

A bale a day keeps the doctor away

A bale a day keeps the doctor away, a photo by ucumari on Flickr.

Milwaukee Zoo rhino photo and title by ucumari.

Unfortunate Toy

Rotterdam Zoo polar bear drops the brick it is playing with and breaks its viewing glass causing zoogoers to scramble, as i would have. Unfortunate choice of a toy, but also an unfortunate heading and brief write-up on this at YouTube which would make it seem that the bear was "angry" and threw the brick.  (Did someone also edit in a "polar bear growl"?) [Hat tip: ucumari]

Detroit's Otter Pups

Couple minutes of video of three otters pups - new @ Detroit Zoo.

This is the first time in almost 50 years for otter pups there.

Repro Advisor

"Our new advisor on reproduction, Dr. Linda Penfold, will be starting her work this week. The focus will be on elephants and rhinos, but she will also be looking at other species..." [NC Zoo senior staff mtg. notes of 6/6/12]

Project Polar Bear

Polar Bears International has "Project Polar Bear" and the NC Zoo Society has "Project: Polar Bears".

Should we sue?

Nope. Happy to share the concept. (Maybe we should give them our "s"!?)

In our case we named the capital campaign Project: Polar Bears, in 2007. It follows Project: Pachyderms and Project: North America. The latter was named in 1985.

Polar Bears International uses the title for any of a number of varied, North American projects aimed also at helping folks better understand and conserve these rare Arctic specialists.

Can't Wait...

...for the little 6-footer...@ NC Zoo.

Dr. Mike Departs Again

NC Zoo lead veterinarian Dr. Mike Loomis heads again to Cameroon to collar, study and help African elephants. Field Trip Earth will send us reports.

Beautiful

30 Dirty Activities

We can't expect future generations to respect and value nature if they are afraid to go out into it and even get dirty doing so.

Here are "30+ Dirty Kid Activities".

Check out "Mud Painting", brought to you by "Camp Slop". Also "Jump in a Mud Puddle".

[Hat tip: @NCCAN1]

NC Zoo Totem

NCZoototem, a photo by russlings on Flickr.

A 15-foot addition to the NC Zoo art collection was assembled in 19 pieces last evening.

Montgomery Community College instructors and students created and donated a work representative of "our ecological system".

Photo by Tom Gillespie/NC Zoo (not russlings!).

Sorry for Moka's Loss

Baby gorilla dies @ Pittsburgh Zoo. Survived by mother, Moka, and father, Mrithi.

Reintroduction to the Wild

With just 25-40 Amur leopards left in the wild, zoos must breed and reintroduce from their joint collection of 300.

Red wolves and American bison were down to similar numbers in the wild when zoos (including the NC, for red wolves) improved those situations. The bison reintroduction is the older (and especially successful) one.

Monkey Family Stolen

Seven endangered Emporer tamarin monkeys were reported stolen today by Opole Zoo, Warsaw, Poland.

Two adults and their five offspring are gone.

Two New Lemurs

Two baby lemurs "have just joined the Madagascar exhibit" at the Bronx Zoo:



One is a Coquerel's sifaka (in video) and one is a collared lemur.

Plan for Tomorrow's Weather

Put this reaction to proposed NC legislation on Facebook about 24 hours ago. Meant to get it on twitter and here. [Hat tip: Sally Cranford Steele]

"... exactly like saying, do not predict tomorrow’s weather based on radar images of a hurricane swirling offshore, moving west towards us with 60-mph winds and ten inches of rain. Predict the weather based on the last two weeks of fair weather with gentle breezes towards the east."

True Value

Markets must value our environment; legislation must protect it. [Hat tip: @bjkingape]

Tool usage

Tool usage, a photo by ucumari on Flickr.

Ucumari photo and title, Columbus Zoo bonobo.

Ucumari adds: "It was very interesting and amazing to watch this mother teach her young one how to use tools. I just hope no one ever gives them power tools :o)"

Check out ucumari's photo series on this topic.

Lots Accomplished in 2 Years

John Ball Zoo, Grand Rapids, "increases the Zoo footage by 43%".

"It took roughly 2 years of planning and construction for what will be a $12.8 million investment."

Much more is planned.
 

Timed Entry @ Zoo Exhibit

You must make a reservation to tour Denver Zoo's new Elephant Passage.

Zoo Commissions Climate Play

A children's theater company is touring NYC this summer with "If You Really Love Polar Bears", a play commissioned by the Bronx Zoo.

"The show aims to highlight the various small ways children can change their habits and conserve energy."

After one performance "a 6-year-old girl...came home from the show and gave her neighbors a talking to after seeing all the lights in their apartment switched on.

"“She started yelling out, 'You’re hurting the polar bears! You need to turn off all your lights!”...“There is a link there that it is connecting.”"