Zoo News Digest 9th - 15th October 2011 (Zoo News 790)
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Peter Dickinson
Dear Colleague,
And then the rains came. It seems it has never stopped raining since I left Thailand. Friends and 'family' in my adopted home severely affected by the floods and rising waters. I do hope there is a break in the clouds soon. If you lose a little when you don't have a lot you lose a lot more than if you do.
I was delighted to see the common sense statements made by Robert Buchanan and Dr. Randi Meyerson over the Polar Bears in Toronto Zoo. There are a couple of 'zoo experts' whose opinions I covered recently in relation to another species of carnivore who really need to read what they have to say.
It's not often that advertising has an effect on me but the idea of World Porridge Day did. I can't recollect when I last ate a bowl. It was quite some years ago...But I will eat one today.
Can you believe the lengths that some will go to avoid the shark finning laws? It makes me want to puke, I am so sickened.
White Tigers again. It is all very noble going to the bother and expense that they are but I really don't reckon it is worth it. I am sure it is a much loved animal but probably Euthanasia is the kindest option. There is a bit of a rumour going round that I hate white tigers...I don't. I believe they are beautiful animals but I see them for what they are. Deliberately produced freaks that have no value to conservation.
I am so glad that the Dutch government have seen sense and have not pandered to the demands of the Animal rights. Perhaps 'Happy Feet' would still have been happy if the powers that were had not tried to keep them happy.
A few new vacancies. Get in an apply quickly before the positions close. Don't delay, do it today.
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Rhino escapes at Zoo MiamiOfficials at a Florida zoo said an Indian rhinoceros escaped its enclosure and was on the loose for about 25 minutes, but never entered any public areas.
Zoo Miami officials said Juanpur, a 21-year-old rhino on loan from Louisiana's Baton Rouge Zoo, set off a "Code Green" about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday when he walked through a gate mistakenly left unsecured by a zookeeper, The Miami Herald reported Thursday.
Ron Magill, communications director for the zoo, said Juanpur, nicknamed "Johnny" by zoo staff, never left the adjacent service area and did not go near any public areas. He said zoo patrons were never in danger from the animal, which has poor eyesight.
"We always had a sighting of him," Magill said.
Magill said zoo staff used pickup trucks to herd the 4,640-pound rhinoceros back into its enclosure about 25 minutes after t
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2011/10/13/Rhino-escapes-at-Zoo-Miami/UPI-66761318518806/
Second polar bear cub dies at zoo after ‘rejection’
When the keepers came out for their daily chat at the Toronto Zoo’s polar bear enclosure on Thursday, people wanted to know about the cubs.
Late Tuesday night, 10-year-old polar bear Aurora gave birth to three cubs and “rejected” them. One didn’t survive, and on Thursday, the zoo announced a second had died. A third, uninjured, male cub is being monitored in an intensive care unit.
“Where is the mother?” a woman asked, watching the feeding at lunch.
“She’s in the house,” the keeper said, later explaining, “She’s just inexperienced. That happens with a lot of animals, she doesn’t know what to do.”
In a release, the zoo did not mention the cause of death but noted that “young animal mothers do not always nurture offspring, resulting in rejection and death.”
A source told the Star that Aurora tried to eat her cubs and had done so with a previous litter last year. During the feeding, a keeper noted that Aurora’s last litter was “born dead.”
“She’s never taken care of babies,” the keeper
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1069477--second-polar-bear-cub-dies-at-zoo-after-rejection
Does your collection keep Apes? Yes? Then please help with this survey.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8HLJFGB
Amanda Bania
Great Ape Keeper
Smithsonian's National Zoo
Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo hosts the Jewels of Arabia showcase
The Arab world's own animal diversity now takes centrestage with 'Jewels of Arabia,' a spell-binding showcase of aquatic and desert animals at Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo in The Dubai Mall. From October 13 to November 30, 2011, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo opens new windows of learning and insights into animal and marine species from the Gulf region.
Visitors who opt to experience the walkthrough tunnel of Dubai Aquarium and tour Underwater Zoo can revel in the sheer diversity of the Arabian fauna, and learn fascinating details about their way of life and how they adapt to the natural environment.
Gordon White, General Manager of Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, said: "The Arabian bio-diversity will captivate every nature lover with the animals demonstrating intelligent adaptive mechanisms that help them survive the harsh conditions of the desert. The seas of the Arabian Peninsula, similarly, have a wealth of aquatic animals that will charm you with their features."
He added: "Jewels of Arabia is a concerted effort by Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo to showcase aquatic animals and other species from the region. Our objective is to enhance awareness of the nature around us, and inspire visitors to respect the environment we live in, as it is home to innumerable species."
The Jewels of Arabia showcase will include aquatic animals such as the Arabian Killifish, found in UAE mountain wadis and coastal lagoons, and can withstand temperatures as high as 46 degree C; the Oman blind cave fish, one of the common native fish species; the blue-spotted ray with bright blue spots and venomous spines; the common lionfish with distinctive red and white strips and elongated fins; the common clownfish alias the Hollywood-fame Nemo; the Triggerfish Picasso, named after the globally renowned artist, Pablo Picasso; the blacktip shark and orange-spotted groupers, among others.
To mark the 'Jewels of Arabia' celebration, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo is also showcasing turtles that are tagged as part of the World Wildlife Fund Protection Fund, and will be released to their natural habitat shortly.
Diverse species from the desert are part of the Creepy Crawlies exhibit at Underwater Zoo. Spot an array of geckos - the large-headed ground gecko, the Khobar ground gecko, the frog-eyes gecko and the button-scaled gecko. Spiny-tailed lizards, many species of sand skinks, a world
http://www.ameinfo.com/277834.html
Zoologger: The toad that's part clone, part love child (Amazing!)
It's a question we all must face at some point: how, if at all, should we reproduce? In recent years humans have developed a bunch of new ways to do it, like in-vitro fertilisation and surrogate pregnancy. But even so we are a pretty staid and boring species as far as reproduction goes.
Plenty of organisms have fundamentally different ways of making babies. Many dispense with sex and clone themselves, or are male and female at the same time, or change sex over the course of their lives.
To this menagerie of animals with alternative strategies, we can now add the Batura toad. These Pakistani amphibians carry two separate genomes, which they pass on to their young in different ways. One gets jumbled up with their mate's genome, but the other simply clones itself. So each toad is
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21045-zoologger-the-toad-thats-part-clone-part-love-child.html
Zoo expansion to bring animals closer
The National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra has unveiled plans to triple its size and give visitors a more interactive experience.
The $15 million plan to turn the site into an open range zoo includes new luxury accommodation where shark tanks are part of the furnishings.
Lions, cheetahs and giraffes will also be moved to larger enclosures.
"Big cats are pretty lazy, so they don't move around a lot. They sleep about 20 hours per day," said zoo director Trent Russell.
"But our intent is to get them
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-14/national-zoo-expansion-plan/3571982?section=act
Rare Orangutan Bids Perth Zoo Goodbye
Perth Zoo is bidding goodbye to an endangered Sumatran orangutan that it has taken cared of since its birth six years ago. The animal named Semeru will be reintroduced into the jungles of Indonesia's Sumatra island to repopulate the species now numbering only 6,300.
Semeru is scheduled to be flown to Indonesia on Sunday and then released into the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park making him the first zoo-bred male orangutan in the world to be released into the wild. The zoo also made history by releasing in the same park the first zoo-bred orangutan in 2006.
"Semeru will be closely monitored and supported on a daily basis with two dedicated trackers for two years, and longer if necessary, while he adjusts to life in the forest,'' said Environment Minister Bill Marmion, according to Perth Now. The trackers will locate Semeru by following signals emitted by a radio transmitter implanted on the orangutan.
Zoo veterinarians, keepers and officials prepared Semeru
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/230954/20111014/orangutan-perth-zoo-sumatra-indonesia-bukit-tigapuluh-national-park.htm
Chimps at Edinburgh Zoo support World Porridge Day
Chimpanzees at Edinburgh Zoo have been going bananas for big portions of warm porridge to mark World Porridge Day.
The global event, which takes place every year on October 10, gives porridge enthusiasts the chance to celebrate one of Scotland’s favourite national dishes, whilst raising awareness of the life-saving work of Scottish-based charity, Mary’s Meals.
Porridge provides a delicious breakfast for people all over the UK, but for over 479,000 school-children in Malawi – who receive a daily mug of maize-based, porridge-like ‘likuni phala’ from Mary’s Meals – it is a powerful incentive to go to school and, for many, the only nutritious meal they will have that day.
And the nutritional benefits of ‘oat cuisine’ are not lost on the keepers at Edinburgh
http://www.marysmeals.org.uk/chimps-at-edinburgh-zoo-support-world-porridge-day/
Donald Dube Killed In Deer Attack: New Brunswick Farmer Attacked While Feeding Herd
A New Brunswick man who was attacked by a male deer died after a violent struggle, the RCMP said Wednesday.
Donald Dube, 55, was killed Sunday evening while feeding his herd of domesticated deer behind his home in Saint-Leonard.
RCMP Sgt. Marc Violette said investigators believe the dominant buck in the herd attacked and killed Dube with its antlers and hoofs.
Violette said there were signs of a struggle so violent that Dube was missing a boot and sock when his body was found by officers in a pen where the animals were kept.
"The animal probably stomped on him and used his antlers to rough him up and throw him around like a rag doll," he said.
An autopsy concluded that Dube suffered massive internal injuries.
Violette said the homeowner went out to feed the animals and his wife got worried when he didn't return home or answer her calls to his cellphone. She called police, who went to the rural home to find Dube's body.
Violette said it's rutting season — a time of year when
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/10/11/deer-kills-nb-farmer-with_n_1006050.html?icid=maing-grid10|htmlws-sb-nb|dl14|sec3_lnk1|103706
Elephant-poo power electrifies zoo
At Munich Zoo you can watch the courtship rituals of the banded mongoose, hear the morning song of the scarlet ibis or visit the Indian elephants, who help keep the lights on with electricity generated from their dung.
They can do this because Munich Zoo has harnessed "poo power," energy stored in animal waste, which can be converted into a fuel known as "biogas."
It works like this: The zoo has built three large containers, each capable of holding about 100 cubic meters of animal waste -- that's around a week's worth of dung collected from all the vegetarian animals in the zoo.
Once inside the containers, it's mixed with warm water and the bacteria in the dung is left to decompose in an oxygen-free environment for 30 days.
The resulting biogas, mainly comprised of methane and carbon dioxide, rises naturally through vents in the ceiling to a corrugated hut on the roof where it's collected in a "big balloon," says park supervisor Dominik Forster.
The biogas is then fed into a gas-powered engine that's used to generate electricity. Forster says that the balloon -- which more closely resembles a small Zeppelin -- can store
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/10/world/europe/elephant-dung-biogas-munich/
Climber escapes from zoo's gorilla enclosure
The Werribee Open Range Zoo is reinforcing its new gorilla enclosure, after a professional climber escaped over the fence in seconds.
The enclosure is being prepared for the arrival of three male gorillas in the next two weeks.
Climber James Kassay was brought in to test the fence.
He says he crawled under the fence and climbed along a wall to escape.
"I saw a couple of photos of it and I thought there's no chance, but I'm always up for a challenge so I thought I would give it a go," he said.
"I got in there and we were having a bit of a walk around and I spied a line that I thought I could get out from.
"I gave it a quick attempt and then a
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-11/climber-escapes-from-zoo27s-gorilla-enclosure/3496562/?site=melbourne
June 4th, 5th, 6th, 2012. The 1st International Gibbon Husbandry Conference, "The Great Lesser Ape," will be hosted by The Natural Science Center of Greensboro, North Carolina.
The conference will focus on captive gibbon husbandry and management practices, but will also encompass topics within gibbon conservation and biology. Paper/Presentation/ Poster abstract submission deadline is January 1st, 2012. Workshop sessions may be held in place of presentations for some topics. Please visit the conference website at: http://www.gibbonconference.org/ or contact Kim Clark at kclark@natsci.org for information and updates
West Java’s Taman Safari Pursues Global Recognition With the Spirit of a Tiger
Drive-thru zoo Taman Safari Indonesia is embarking on a new kind of expedition: to upgrade its facilities and human resources in pursuit of higher-quality conservation and entertainment.
The 165-hectare zoo is aiming to have the best wildlife hospital in Southeast Asia by 2016, and is also working to be reaccredited as a conservation body, a status it lost in 1990.
“Originally we weren’t aiming too high, but at the start of this year we set our goal as becoming the number one wildlife hospital in Indonesia, then in Southeast Asia,” Irawan, a Taman Safari education staff member, said on Monday.
“We decided not to make a half-hearted effort, so we raised our sights and moved our deadline back a little.” Irawan said the safari park, located in the highlands of Cisarua in West Java, perceived zoos in South Korea, Japan and Singapore as its main competition .
He said that to reach their target, the hospital would have to boost their number of doctors, nurses and paramedics.
Taman Safari has been home to a wildlife hospital since 1981. It employs six veterinarians and 12 paramedics to care for the park’s 2,500 animals of 270 species.
Its present facilities include two operating theaters, an X-ray studio, a laboratory, an autopsy room and animal care wards.
Meanwhile, the park is working with the Forestry Ministry to renew its expired conservation accreditation. Irawan said the zoo hoped to complete preparations for accreditation by November.
“[Accreditation] also includes financial security. That means if income is interrupted, for how long can we continue to provide feed for the animals,” he said.
“A conservation body must be able to continue to pay its staff and feed the animals. If it can’t [guarantee that] then it should shut.”
Taman Safari is also working on an accommodation upgrade for its star tenants: 22 Sumatran Tigers, whose cages were built three decades ago.
“These tiger cages were built in 1981,” Irawan said.
“Ideally, they should be upgraded for the well-being of the animals. We plan to be fini
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/nvironment/west-javas-taman-safari-pursues-global-recognition-with-the-spirit-of-a-tiger/470828
TAMAN SAFARI INDONESIA
The zoo ahead of its time
IN 1916, a hesitant elephant was lowered on to an open-top barge and ferried across Sydney Harbour to the newly built Taronga Park.
According to records, the 40-year-old pachyderm objected to this method of transport - but quietened down when her feet were placed on the deck.
The Sydney zoo had started life across the water at Billy Goat Swamp, now better known as Moore Park. But a bigger, better site was found north of the harbour
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/the-zoo-ahead-of-its-time-20111008-1lesf.html
Largest crocodile in captivity starts long-due study of near extinct reptile
Just one step away from being extinct in the wild, the Philippine crocodile will finallly have a long-delayed and much-deserved look from scientists starting November.
It could be the start of long-term government research on what is listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a "critically endangered" species.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will start a groundwork study next month on the population and distribution of crocodiles in the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in northeast Mindanao.
"This scientific study will hopefully provide us with the necessary baseline information on the abundance and area of concentration of crocodiles within the marsh, from which we will base our short term and long term management program for the crocodiles in the Agusan Marsh," said Environment Secretary Ramon Paje.
Hopefully, it will also be the beginning of a focused
http://www.malaya.com.ph/oct14/envi1.html
Palawan Crocodile Farm and Conservation Centre
With only spines attached, shark fins come ashore
Despite recent measures to crack down on the practice of shark finning, Costa Rican fishermen and environmentalists believe that foreign fleets are once again using methods to evade Costa Rican fishing laws and regulations.
In recent months, three Taiwanese ships landed shark fins attached only to the shark’s spine at the public dock in Puntarenas. The sharks’ flesh was shaved away from the sharks’ spines, leaving only skeletons attached to full fins.
Last year, the Costa Rican Agriculture Ministry (MAG) and the Costa Rican Fisheries Institute (Incopesca) barred foreign fleets from unloading at private docks. Instead they must land at public docks, where inspectors can enforce the law (TT, Nov. 30, 2010).
Shark finning consists of slicing off sharks’ cartilage-filled fins – worth hundreds of dollars per kilogram in some Asian markets – and dumping the still-alive sharks back into the ocean, where they bleed to death. With this technique, ships had more room to store only fins. A public backlash begun nearly a decade ago helped ban the practice in Costa Rica. However, shark fishing remains legal in the country.
Today Costa Rican regulations stipulate that only three authorized cuts can be made when shark fishing: the head, the entrails and a partial cut to allow the bending of the fin. Yet recent cases in Puntarenas have shown that the law has left grey areas that fishermen exploit.
The Taiwanese boat Wang Jia Men was the first ship discovered using the new practice of landing only skeletons. In May, the foreign-flagged ship landed
http://www.ticotimes.net/Current-Edition/Top-Story/With-only-spines-attached-shark-fins-come-ashore_Friday-October-14-2011
SHARK FIN SOUP
Hallzooween at the Minnesota Zoo
http://youtu.be/376h8gAcync
Tribute to Gorilla Alberta
http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/2011/10/14/tribute-to-gorilla-alberta/#comment-141885
Oregon Zoo Leopard gets a new car
http://youtu.be/3kql85C3_hU
Topeka council to consider settling zoo lawsuit
The acting Topeka city attorney is encouraging the city council to approve a $132,500 settlement with a veterinarian at the Topeka Zoo. Veterinarian Shirley Yeo Llizo filed a federal discrimination
lawsuit against the city after she was fired in October 2009. She was rehired in August 2010 after an arbitrator ruled the city shouldn't have dismissed her. She is currently working as the zoo's staff veterinarian.
Llizo, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Singapore, contends
http://www.ksnt.com/news/local/story/Topeka-council-to-consider-settling-zoo-lawsuit/yLqAGamcwUO_qzVRS4Vp5g.cspx
Why nuclear power plants are safer than wind farms
It’s been a bad year for safety in nuclear power, following the disaster at Fukushima and a fatality in France.
This just goes to show that renewable energy is far safer than nuclear, right?
In fact, many more people have died this year in accidents relating to wind energy.
A recent disaster at a Chinese wind turbine factory has caused five deaths including, ironically enough, a communist party official. This is the same number of people in total who have died at Fukushima (three workers killed by the earthquake and resulting tsunami, and two of suspected heart attacks) and there are likely to be few if any more.)
However, the latest wind power accident is not the only fatal accident in the industry this year – not by a long shot.
A further three people died in a Chinese factory earlier this year; a snowmobiler died in Canada when he collided with a fence surrounding
http://asiancorrespondent.com/67078/why-nuclear-power-plants-are-safer-than-wind-farms/
Not forgetting the birds and wind turbines of course which you can read about HERE
Amur leopard captured on camera in China for first time since 1949
An Amur leopard, also known as a Wild Manchurian leopard, was photographed in a forest in Wangqing county, on the border of Russia and North Korea.
The adult leopard was caught by an automatic infrared camera set up by a researcher from Peking university.
Sun Ge, the researcher, said the photograph had been a stroke of serendipity. "I am actually researching herbivorous animals in three forests around the county, and I had not expected to capture an image of an Amur leopard at all," he said.
Mr Sun had set up 40 cameras around the forest in the Spring, returning to collect the images every 20 days. The leopard was photographed on September 19.
There are fewer than 50
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8823786/Amur-leopard-captured-on-camera-in-China-for-first-time-since-1949.html
Aussie lion tamer Tamblyn Williams takes pride in her work in South Africa
SHE had answered a call for volunteers but ended up doing the lion's share of the work.
When Tamblyn Williams moved to South Africa to study wildlife, she couldn't have imagined how close she would become to her subject.
The 23-year-old from Caringbah was enlisted to take over the care of two lion cubs named Jagger and Adam after they were abandoned by their mother, who had been part of a breeding program.
Ms Williams said she quickly settled into a routine, mixing formula and bottle-feeding them before eventually moving them on to solid food. She also monitored the youngsters as they met their developmental milestones
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/aussie-lion-tamer-tamblyn-williams-takes-pride-in-her-work-in-south-africa/story-e6freuzi-1226167125405
Penis size does matter for bank voles, says study
The secret to social dominance for bank voles appears to be the size of their genitals, according to scientists.
The link was made by researchers from Europe who were studying the small brown mammals' reproductive behaviour.
The study, in Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, found dominant males had wider penis bones, also called baculum.
Although not present in humans, these bones are found in many other species of mammal but their
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/15008814
Beauty bath eel swims up man's penis
A beauty treatment ended in the emergency room for a Chinese man who bathed in live eels after one of the slippery creatures swam inside his penis.
Vain Zhang Nan, from Hubei province, central China, had heard that bathing with young eels would make him look younger because they would chew off dead skin.
But the 56-year-old got more than he bargained for when he climbed into the bath with the animals.
"I felt a severe pain and realised a small eel had gone into the end of my penis," Mr Zhang said.
"I tried to hold it and take it out, but the eel was too slippery to be held and disappeared."
Mr Zhang was taken t
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/8302371/beauty-bath-eel-swims-up-mans-penis
Greenpeace condemns Indonesia after deportation
Greenpeace on Friday accused Indonesia of waging a vendetta against the environmental group, after the head of its British branch was denied entry to Jakarta to campaign against deforestation.
Greenpeace UK director John Sauven was blocked by immigration officials on arrival at Jakarta international airport Thursday evening and was sent back that night to Britain.
"Parts of the government want to attack Greenpeace," the environmental group's Indonesia forestry campaigner Bustar Maitar told AFP. "It's obvious that some government officials are involved," he added.
In recent years, Greenpeace has run several campaigns against Indonesia-based Sinar Mas, a privately owned paper and palm oil giant which environmental groups accuse of illegally logging swathes of carbon-rich
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jT_knQGuKmT4qLDQEDjNWpckUACQ?docId=CNG.616e84a2dc96cba1c34a27f26df69be6.871
Sanctuary's rare white tiger needs life-saving surgery
He’s a rare stripeless white tiger.
And he is facing a medical procedure uncommon for his species.
Ten-year-old Snow Magic is scheduled to soon have a life-saving amputation of his paralyzed rear left leg, but it will be expensive and somewhat complicated. A special operating table must be built to fit him, and he’ll need a sterile enclosure to keep him tightly confined while he recuperates. Then, he’ll need a handicap accessible enclosure to live in.
A fundraising effort is under way to cover the costs.
The 500-pound tiger was retired from magic shows in Las Vegas about three years ago and has since lived at Serenity Springs Wildlife Center near Calhan with about 120 other big cats and other exotics.
Snow is adored by the staff and visitors. He loves swimming in a water tank and makes soft, friendly “chuffing” noises at visitors. He particularly enjoys his meals and anxiously awaits
http://www.gazette.com/articles/sanctuary-126799-saving-surgery.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
White Tiger Breeding is Not Conservation
Trouble Brews about the Zoo
A ROW has broken out after a South Lakes Wild Animal Park manager complained about the conduct of two councillors.
The park’s marketing and development manager, Karen Brewer, has written to Barrow Borough Council’s standards committee, lodging a complaint about planning committee chairwoman, Councillor Ann Thomson, and planning member, Councillor Gordon Murray.
She complained about issues from a planning committee meeting on July 26 when the zoo’s expansion plans were being heard.
Miss Brewer, who attended the meeting, said she felt Cllr Thomas made comments of an inappropriate nature, before introducing and proposing a “minded
http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/no-title-1.888164?referrerPath=news/
And then the rains came. It seems it has never stopped raining since I left Thailand. Friends and 'family' in my adopted home severely affected by the floods and rising waters. I do hope there is a break in the clouds soon. If you lose a little when you don't have a lot you lose a lot more than if you do.
I was delighted to see the common sense statements made by Robert Buchanan and Dr. Randi Meyerson over the Polar Bears in Toronto Zoo. There are a couple of 'zoo experts' whose opinions I covered recently in relation to another species of carnivore who really need to read what they have to say.
It's not often that advertising has an effect on me but the idea of World Porridge Day did. I can't recollect when I last ate a bowl. It was quite some years ago...But I will eat one today.
Can you believe the lengths that some will go to avoid the shark finning laws? It makes me want to puke, I am so sickened.
White Tigers again. It is all very noble going to the bother and expense that they are but I really don't reckon it is worth it. I am sure it is a much loved animal but probably Euthanasia is the kindest option. There is a bit of a rumour going round that I hate white tigers...I don't. I believe they are beautiful animals but I see them for what they are. Deliberately produced freaks that have no value to conservation.
I am so glad that the Dutch government have seen sense and have not pandered to the demands of the Animal rights. Perhaps 'Happy Feet' would still have been happy if the powers that were had not tried to keep them happy.
A few new vacancies. Get in an apply quickly before the positions close. Don't delay, do it today.
If you have not sent your related Bio as requested to Zoo Biology when you applied then your subscription will go no further. Read HERE for a reminder.
Lastly...when you have skipped through the links please go to the bottom of the Digest
and take a look at the buttons:
Links You May Have Missed
Dutch Government See Sense For Morgan The Killer Whale
4th TREE KANGAROO SPECIES SURVIVAL PROGRAM WORKSHOP
Elephant Protected Contact Training Workshop
International Aquarium Congress 2012
Why Do You Work In A Zoo?
4th TREE KANGAROO SPECIES SURVIVAL PROGRAM WORKSHOP
Elephant Protected Contact Training Workshop
International Aquarium Congress 2012
Why Do You Work In A Zoo?
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This blog has readers from 153+ countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote D’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Eire, England, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lapland, Lao, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Montenegro, Montserrat, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Wales, Yemen, Zambia.
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Rhino escapes at Zoo Miami
Zoo Miami officials said Juanpur, a 21-year-old rhino on loan from Louisiana's Baton Rouge Zoo, set off a "Code Green" about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday when he walked through a gate mistakenly left unsecured by a zookeeper, The Miami Herald reported Thursday.
Ron Magill, communications director for the zoo, said Juanpur, nicknamed "Johnny" by zoo staff, never left the adjacent service area and did not go near any public areas. He said zoo patrons were never in danger from the animal, which has poor eyesight.
"We always had a sighting of him," Magill said.
Magill said zoo staff used pickup trucks to herd the 4,640-pound rhinoceros back into its enclosure about 25 minutes after t
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2011/10/13/Rhino-escapes-at-Zoo-Miami/UPI-66761318518806/
Second polar bear cub dies at zoo after ‘rejection’
When the keepers came out for their daily chat at the Toronto Zoo’s polar bear enclosure on Thursday, people wanted to know about the cubs.
Late Tuesday night, 10-year-old polar bear Aurora gave birth to three cubs and “rejected” them. One didn’t survive, and on Thursday, the zoo announced a second had died. A third, uninjured, male cub is being monitored in an intensive care unit.
“Where is the mother?” a woman asked, watching the feeding at lunch.
“She’s in the house,” the keeper said, later explaining, “She’s just inexperienced. That happens with a lot of animals, she doesn’t know what to do.”
In a release, the zoo did not mention the cause of death but noted that “young animal mothers do not always nurture offspring, resulting in rejection and death.”
A source told the Star that Aurora tried to eat her cubs and had done so with a previous litter last year. During the feeding, a keeper noted that Aurora’s last litter was “born dead.”
“She’s never taken care of babies,” the keeper
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1069477--second-polar-bear-cub-dies-at-zoo-after-rejection
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Smithsonian's National Zoo
Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo hosts the Jewels of Arabia showcase
The Arab world's own animal diversity now takes centrestage with 'Jewels of Arabia,' a spell-binding showcase of aquatic and desert animals at Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo in The Dubai Mall. From October 13 to November 30, 2011, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo opens new windows of learning and insights into animal and marine species from the Gulf region.
Visitors who opt to experience the walkthrough tunnel of Dubai Aquarium and tour Underwater Zoo can revel in the sheer diversity of the Arabian fauna, and learn fascinating details about their way of life and how they adapt to the natural environment.
Gordon White, General Manager of Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, said: "The Arabian bio-diversity will captivate every nature lover with the animals demonstrating intelligent adaptive mechanisms that help them survive the harsh conditions of the desert. The seas of the Arabian Peninsula, similarly, have a wealth of aquatic animals that will charm you with their features."
He added: "Jewels of Arabia is a concerted effort by Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo to showcase aquatic animals and other species from the region. Our objective is to enhance awareness of the nature around us, and inspire visitors to respect the environment we live in, as it is home to innumerable species."
The Jewels of Arabia showcase will include aquatic animals such as the Arabian Killifish, found in UAE mountain wadis and coastal lagoons, and can withstand temperatures as high as 46 degree C; the Oman blind cave fish, one of the common native fish species; the blue-spotted ray with bright blue spots and venomous spines; the common lionfish with distinctive red and white strips and elongated fins; the common clownfish alias the Hollywood-fame Nemo; the Triggerfish Picasso, named after the globally renowned artist, Pablo Picasso; the blacktip shark and orange-spotted groupers, among others.
To mark the 'Jewels of Arabia' celebration, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo is also showcasing turtles that are tagged as part of the World Wildlife Fund Protection Fund, and will be released to their natural habitat shortly.
Diverse species from the desert are part of the Creepy Crawlies exhibit at Underwater Zoo. Spot an array of geckos - the large-headed ground gecko, the Khobar ground gecko, the frog-eyes gecko and the button-scaled gecko. Spiny-tailed lizards, many species of sand skinks, a world
http://www.ameinfo.com/277834.html
Zoologger: The toad that's part clone, part love child (Amazing!)
It's a question we all must face at some point: how, if at all, should we reproduce? In recent years humans have developed a bunch of new ways to do it, like in-vitro fertilisation and surrogate pregnancy. But even so we are a pretty staid and boring species as far as reproduction goes.
Plenty of organisms have fundamentally different ways of making babies. Many dispense with sex and clone themselves, or are male and female at the same time, or change sex over the course of their lives.
To this menagerie of animals with alternative strategies, we can now add the Batura toad. These Pakistani amphibians carry two separate genomes, which they pass on to their young in different ways. One gets jumbled up with their mate's genome, but the other simply clones itself. So each toad is
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21045-zoologger-the-toad-thats-part-clone-part-love-child.html
Zoo expansion to bring animals closer
The National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra has unveiled plans to triple its size and give visitors a more interactive experience.
The $15 million plan to turn the site into an open range zoo includes new luxury accommodation where shark tanks are part of the furnishings.
Lions, cheetahs and giraffes will also be moved to larger enclosures.
"Big cats are pretty lazy, so they don't move around a lot. They sleep about 20 hours per day," said zoo director Trent Russell.
"But our intent is to get them
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-14/national-zoo-expansion-plan/3571982?section=act
Rare Orangutan Bids Perth Zoo Goodbye
Perth Zoo is bidding goodbye to an endangered Sumatran orangutan that it has taken cared of since its birth six years ago. The animal named Semeru will be reintroduced into the jungles of Indonesia's Sumatra island to repopulate the species now numbering only 6,300.
Semeru is scheduled to be flown to Indonesia on Sunday and then released into the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park making him the first zoo-bred male orangutan in the world to be released into the wild. The zoo also made history by releasing in the same park the first zoo-bred orangutan in 2006.
"Semeru will be closely monitored and supported on a daily basis with two dedicated trackers for two years, and longer if necessary, while he adjusts to life in the forest,'' said Environment Minister Bill Marmion, according to Perth Now. The trackers will locate Semeru by following signals emitted by a radio transmitter implanted on the orangutan.
Zoo veterinarians, keepers and officials prepared Semeru
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/230954/20111014/orangutan-perth-zoo-sumatra-indonesia-bukit-tigapuluh-national-park.htm
Chimps at Edinburgh Zoo support World Porridge Day
Chimpanzees at Edinburgh Zoo have been going bananas for big portions of warm porridge to mark World Porridge Day.
The global event, which takes place every year on October 10, gives porridge enthusiasts the chance to celebrate one of Scotland’s favourite national dishes, whilst raising awareness of the life-saving work of Scottish-based charity, Mary’s Meals.
Porridge provides a delicious breakfast for people all over the UK, but for over 479,000 school-children in Malawi – who receive a daily mug of maize-based, porridge-like ‘likuni phala’ from Mary’s Meals – it is a powerful incentive to go to school and, for many, the only nutritious meal they will have that day.
And the nutritional benefits of ‘oat cuisine’ are not lost on the keepers at Edinburgh
http://www.marysmeals.org.uk/chimps-at-edinburgh-zoo-support-world-porridge-day/
Donald Dube Killed In Deer Attack: New Brunswick Farmer Attacked While Feeding Herd
A New Brunswick man who was attacked by a male deer died after a violent struggle, the RCMP said Wednesday.
Donald Dube, 55, was killed Sunday evening while feeding his herd of domesticated deer behind his home in Saint-Leonard.
RCMP Sgt. Marc Violette said investigators believe the dominant buck in the herd attacked and killed Dube with its antlers and hoofs.
Violette said there were signs of a struggle so violent that Dube was missing a boot and sock when his body was found by officers in a pen where the animals were kept.
"The animal probably stomped on him and used his antlers to rough him up and throw him around like a rag doll," he said.
An autopsy concluded that Dube suffered massive internal injuries.
Violette said the homeowner went out to feed the animals and his wife got worried when he didn't return home or answer her calls to his cellphone. She called police, who went to the rural home to find Dube's body.
Violette said it's rutting season — a time of year when
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/10/11/deer-kills-nb-farmer-with_n_1006050.html?icid=maing-grid10|htmlws-sb-nb|dl14|sec3_lnk1|103706
Elephant-poo power electrifies zoo
At Munich Zoo you can watch the courtship rituals of the banded mongoose, hear the morning song of the scarlet ibis or visit the Indian elephants, who help keep the lights on with electricity generated from their dung.
They can do this because Munich Zoo has harnessed "poo power," energy stored in animal waste, which can be converted into a fuel known as "biogas."
It works like this: The zoo has built three large containers, each capable of holding about 100 cubic meters of animal waste -- that's around a week's worth of dung collected from all the vegetarian animals in the zoo.
Once inside the containers, it's mixed with warm water and the bacteria in the dung is left to decompose in an oxygen-free environment for 30 days.
The resulting biogas, mainly comprised of methane and carbon dioxide, rises naturally through vents in the ceiling to a corrugated hut on the roof where it's collected in a "big balloon," says park supervisor Dominik Forster.
The biogas is then fed into a gas-powered engine that's used to generate electricity. Forster says that the balloon -- which more closely resembles a small Zeppelin -- can store
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/10/world/europe/elephant-dung-biogas-munich/
Climber escapes from zoo's gorilla enclosure
The Werribee Open Range Zoo is reinforcing its new gorilla enclosure, after a professional climber escaped over the fence in seconds.
The enclosure is being prepared for the arrival of three male gorillas in the next two weeks.
Climber James Kassay was brought in to test the fence.
He says he crawled under the fence and climbed along a wall to escape.
"I saw a couple of photos of it and I thought there's no chance, but I'm always up for a challenge so I thought I would give it a go," he said.
"I got in there and we were having a bit of a walk around and I spied a line that I thought I could get out from.
"I gave it a quick attempt and then a
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-11/climber-escapes-from-zoo27s-gorilla-enclosure/3496562/?site=melbourne
1st International Gibbon Husbandry Conference
Reminder!
June 4th, 5th, 6th, 2012. The 1st International Gibbon Husbandry Conference, "The Great Lesser Ape," will be hosted by The Natural Science Center of Greensboro, North Carolina.
The conference will focus on captive gibbon husbandry and management practices, but will also encompass topics within gibbon conservation and biology. Paper/Presentation/ Poster abstract submission deadline is January 1st, 2012. Workshop sessions may be held in place of presentations for some topics. Please visit the conference website at: http://www.gibbonconference.org/ or contact Kim Clark at kclark@natsci.org for information and updates
West Java’s Taman Safari Pursues Global Recognition With the Spirit of a Tiger
Drive-thru zoo Taman Safari Indonesia is embarking on a new kind of expedition: to upgrade its facilities and human resources in pursuit of higher-quality conservation and entertainment.
The 165-hectare zoo is aiming to have the best wildlife hospital in Southeast Asia by 2016, and is also working to be reaccredited as a conservation body, a status it lost in 1990.
“Originally we weren’t aiming too high, but at the start of this year we set our goal as becoming the number one wildlife hospital in Indonesia, then in Southeast Asia,” Irawan, a Taman Safari education staff member, said on Monday.
“We decided not to make a half-hearted effort, so we raised our sights and moved our deadline back a little.” Irawan said the safari park, located in the highlands of Cisarua in West Java, perceived zoos in South Korea, Japan and Singapore as its main competition .
He said that to reach their target, the hospital would have to boost their number of doctors, nurses and paramedics.
Taman Safari has been home to a wildlife hospital since 1981. It employs six veterinarians and 12 paramedics to care for the park’s 2,500 animals of 270 species.
Its present facilities include two operating theaters, an X-ray studio, a laboratory, an autopsy room and animal care wards.
Meanwhile, the park is working with the Forestry Ministry to renew its expired conservation accreditation. Irawan said the zoo hoped to complete preparations for accreditation by November.
“[Accreditation] also includes financial security. That means if income is interrupted, for how long can we continue to provide feed for the animals,” he said.
“A conservation body must be able to continue to pay its staff and feed the animals. If it can’t [guarantee that] then it should shut.”
Taman Safari is also working on an accommodation upgrade for its star tenants: 22 Sumatran Tigers, whose cages were built three decades ago.
“These tiger cages were built in 1981,” Irawan said.
“Ideally, they should be upgraded for the well-being of the animals. We plan to be fini
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/nvironment/west-javas-taman-safari-pursues-global-recognition-with-the-spirit-of-a-tiger/470828
TAMAN SAFARI INDONESIA
The zoo ahead of its time
IN 1916, a hesitant elephant was lowered on to an open-top barge and ferried across Sydney Harbour to the newly built Taronga Park.
According to records, the 40-year-old pachyderm objected to this method of transport - but quietened down when her feet were placed on the deck.
The Sydney zoo had started life across the water at Billy Goat Swamp, now better known as Moore Park. But a bigger, better site was found north of the harbour
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/the-zoo-ahead-of-its-time-20111008-1lesf.html
Largest crocodile in captivity starts long-due study of near extinct reptile
Just one step away from being extinct in the wild, the Philippine crocodile will finallly have a long-delayed and much-deserved look from scientists starting November.
It could be the start of long-term government research on what is listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a "critically endangered" species.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will start a groundwork study next month on the population and distribution of crocodiles in the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in northeast Mindanao.
"This scientific study will hopefully provide us with the necessary baseline information on the abundance and area of concentration of crocodiles within the marsh, from which we will base our short term and long term management program for the crocodiles in the Agusan Marsh," said Environment Secretary Ramon Paje.
Hopefully, it will also be the beginning of a focused
http://www.malaya.com.ph/oct14/envi1.html
Palawan Crocodile Farm and Conservation Centre
With only spines attached, shark fins come ashore
Despite recent measures to crack down on the practice of shark finning, Costa Rican fishermen and environmentalists believe that foreign fleets are once again using methods to evade Costa Rican fishing laws and regulations.
In recent months, three Taiwanese ships landed shark fins attached only to the shark’s spine at the public dock in Puntarenas. The sharks’ flesh was shaved away from the sharks’ spines, leaving only skeletons attached to full fins.
Last year, the Costa Rican Agriculture Ministry (MAG) and the Costa Rican Fisheries Institute (Incopesca) barred foreign fleets from unloading at private docks. Instead they must land at public docks, where inspectors can enforce the law (TT, Nov. 30, 2010).
Shark finning consists of slicing off sharks’ cartilage-filled fins – worth hundreds of dollars per kilogram in some Asian markets – and dumping the still-alive sharks back into the ocean, where they bleed to death. With this technique, ships had more room to store only fins. A public backlash begun nearly a decade ago helped ban the practice in Costa Rica. However, shark fishing remains legal in the country.
Today Costa Rican regulations stipulate that only three authorized cuts can be made when shark fishing: the head, the entrails and a partial cut to allow the bending of the fin. Yet recent cases in Puntarenas have shown that the law has left grey areas that fishermen exploit.
The Taiwanese boat Wang Jia Men was the first ship discovered using the new practice of landing only skeletons. In May, the foreign-flagged ship landed
http://www.ticotimes.net/Current-Edition/Top-Story/With-only-spines-attached-shark-fins-come-ashore_Friday-October-14-2011
SHARK FIN SOUP
Hallzooween at the Minnesota Zoo
http://youtu.be/376h8gAcync
Tribute to Gorilla Alberta
http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/2011/10/14/tribute-to-gorilla-alberta/#comment-141885
Oregon Zoo Leopard gets a new car
http://youtu.be/3kql85C3_hU
Topeka council to consider settling zoo lawsuit
The acting Topeka city attorney is encouraging the city council to approve a $132,500 settlement with a veterinarian at the Topeka Zoo. Veterinarian Shirley Yeo Llizo filed a federal discrimination
lawsuit against the city after she was fired in October 2009. She was rehired in August 2010 after an arbitrator ruled the city shouldn't have dismissed her. She is currently working as the zoo's staff veterinarian.
Llizo, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Singapore, contends
http://www.ksnt.com/news/local/story/Topeka-council-to-consider-settling-zoo-lawsuit/yLqAGamcwUO_qzVRS4Vp5g.cspx
Why nuclear power plants are safer than wind farms
It’s been a bad year for safety in nuclear power, following the disaster at Fukushima and a fatality in France.
This just goes to show that renewable energy is far safer than nuclear, right?
In fact, many more people have died this year in accidents relating to wind energy.
A recent disaster at a Chinese wind turbine factory has caused five deaths including, ironically enough, a communist party official. This is the same number of people in total who have died at Fukushima (three workers killed by the earthquake and resulting tsunami, and two of suspected heart attacks) and there are likely to be few if any more.)
However, the latest wind power accident is not the only fatal accident in the industry this year – not by a long shot.
A further three people died in a Chinese factory earlier this year; a snowmobiler died in Canada when he collided with a fence surrounding
http://asiancorrespondent.com/67078/why-nuclear-power-plants-are-safer-than-wind-farms/
Not forgetting the birds and wind turbines of course which you can read about HERE
Amur leopard captured on camera in China for first time since 1949
An Amur leopard, also known as a Wild Manchurian leopard, was photographed in a forest in Wangqing county, on the border of Russia and North Korea.
The adult leopard was caught by an automatic infrared camera set up by a researcher from Peking university.
Sun Ge, the researcher, said the photograph had been a stroke of serendipity. "I am actually researching herbivorous animals in three forests around the county, and I had not expected to capture an image of an Amur leopard at all," he said.
Mr Sun had set up 40 cameras around the forest in the Spring, returning to collect the images every 20 days. The leopard was photographed on September 19.
There are fewer than 50
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8823786/Amur-leopard-captured-on-camera-in-China-for-first-time-since-1949.html
Aussie lion tamer Tamblyn Williams takes pride in her work in South Africa
SHE had answered a call for volunteers but ended up doing the lion's share of the work.
When Tamblyn Williams moved to South Africa to study wildlife, she couldn't have imagined how close she would become to her subject.
The 23-year-old from Caringbah was enlisted to take over the care of two lion cubs named Jagger and Adam after they were abandoned by their mother, who had been part of a breeding program.
Ms Williams said she quickly settled into a routine, mixing formula and bottle-feeding them before eventually moving them on to solid food. She also monitored the youngsters as they met their developmental milestones
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/aussie-lion-tamer-tamblyn-williams-takes-pride-in-her-work-in-south-africa/story-e6freuzi-1226167125405
Penis size does matter for bank voles, says study
The secret to social dominance for bank voles appears to be the size of their genitals, according to scientists.
The link was made by researchers from Europe who were studying the small brown mammals' reproductive behaviour.
The study, in Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, found dominant males had wider penis bones, also called baculum.
Although not present in humans, these bones are found in many other species of mammal but their
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/15008814
Beauty bath eel swims up man's penis
A beauty treatment ended in the emergency room for a Chinese man who bathed in live eels after one of the slippery creatures swam inside his penis.
Vain Zhang Nan, from Hubei province, central China, had heard that bathing with young eels would make him look younger because they would chew off dead skin.
But the 56-year-old got more than he bargained for when he climbed into the bath with the animals.
"I felt a severe pain and realised a small eel had gone into the end of my penis," Mr Zhang said.
"I tried to hold it and take it out, but the eel was too slippery to be held and disappeared."
Mr Zhang was taken t
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/8302371/beauty-bath-eel-swims-up-mans-penis
Greenpeace condemns Indonesia after deportation
Greenpeace on Friday accused Indonesia of waging a vendetta against the environmental group, after the head of its British branch was denied entry to Jakarta to campaign against deforestation.
Greenpeace UK director John Sauven was blocked by immigration officials on arrival at Jakarta international airport Thursday evening and was sent back that night to Britain.
"Parts of the government want to attack Greenpeace," the environmental group's Indonesia forestry campaigner Bustar Maitar told AFP. "It's obvious that some government officials are involved," he added.
In recent years, Greenpeace has run several campaigns against Indonesia-based Sinar Mas, a privately owned paper and palm oil giant which environmental groups accuse of illegally logging swathes of carbon-rich
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jT_knQGuKmT4qLDQEDjNWpckUACQ?docId=CNG.616e84a2dc96cba1c34a27f26df69be6.871
Sanctuary's rare white tiger needs life-saving surgery
He’s a rare stripeless white tiger.
And he is facing a medical procedure uncommon for his species.
Ten-year-old Snow Magic is scheduled to soon have a life-saving amputation of his paralyzed rear left leg, but it will be expensive and somewhat complicated. A special operating table must be built to fit him, and he’ll need a sterile enclosure to keep him tightly confined while he recuperates. Then, he’ll need a handicap accessible enclosure to live in.
A fundraising effort is under way to cover the costs.
The 500-pound tiger was retired from magic shows in Las Vegas about three years ago and has since lived at Serenity Springs Wildlife Center near Calhan with about 120 other big cats and other exotics.
Snow is adored by the staff and visitors. He loves swimming in a water tank and makes soft, friendly “chuffing” noises at visitors. He particularly enjoys his meals and anxiously awaits
http://www.gazette.com/articles/sanctuary-126799-saving-surgery.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
White Tiger Breeding is Not Conservation
Trouble Brews about the Zoo
A ROW has broken out after a South Lakes Wild Animal Park manager complained about the conduct of two councillors.
The park’s marketing and development manager, Karen Brewer, has written to Barrow Borough Council’s standards committee, lodging a complaint about planning committee chairwoman, Councillor Ann Thomson, and planning member, Councillor Gordon Murray.
She complained about issues from a planning committee meeting on July 26 when the zoo’s expansion plans were being heard.
Miss Brewer, who attended the meeting, said she felt Cllr Thomas made comments of an inappropriate nature, before introducing and proposing a “minded
http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/no-title-1.888164?referrerPath=news/
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