Grumpy Monkey's Zebra

zebra1
Originally uploaded by Grumpy Monkey

Another February 27 zoo upload. Singapore.

Flying Tigers

Playing Leap Frog
Originally uploaded by ronboring

"Got lucky and caught momma tiger and one of her cubs in mid-air. Taken in Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa Florida," says ronboring of his Feb. 27 upload.

Polar Bear to Return to NC

"One polar bear has been taken off display but another is on the way at the North Carolina Zoo.

"Wilhelm, the N.C. Zoo’s lone polar bear for the past two years, has been taken off view while undergoing treatments for an infection that cannot be administered while he has access to the exhibit pool. No timetable for his return has been set while Wilhelm remains under constant care by keepers and veterinarians.

"Meanwhile, Aquila, a male polar bear on loan from the N.C. Zoo to the Cleveland Zoo, will be returning to Asheboro after an absence of more than six years. Zoo officials say 16-year-old Aquila could be on exhibit by early April if the transfer from Cleveland goes smoothly."

[From an NC Zoo media release of today.]

I went to the zoo and all I got was this wildlife shot!

I went to the zoo and all I got was this wildlife shot!
Originally uploaded by ucumari

"As I was leaving the wolf exhibit heading towards the Sonora Desert I heard this loud tap tap tap. I stopped and looked but could not find anything. As soon as I started walking I heard it again. This time I spied the motion and moved in to get a closer look. Much to my surprise I saw this large bright woodpecker hammering away at the tree!"

Wildlife photo taken at NC Zoo by ucumari. Her title and quote.

May well be the same pileated woodpecker who hammers on my office windows some days. Very loud!

Whistling Orangutan

First heard it on NPR. Here's an ABC News short on National Zoo orangutan who has taught herself to whistle. (NOT been taught to whistle.)

Wonder if she mimics what she saw humans do or if she accidentally made the sound and repeated the behavior. Just know it took a lot of time and practice for this human to learn to whistle knowing it could be done by others of my species.

Keeper & Curator Changes

NC Zoo general curator Ken Reininger has announced changes in animal division keeper supervisor and curator responsibilities, effective March 1.

Supervisor Chris Lasher will add African Plains (rhinos and African plains antelope) to his responsibilities for Northwoods/Prairie (bison, elk, red wolves, black and grizzly bears), while Jeff Owen will add Cypress Swamp to his Rocky Coast mammals (polar bear, seal, sea lion and Arctic fox) responsibilities.

Lasher will soon report to curator Guy Lichty, who adds Northwoods Prairie to his responsibilities. Owen will report to John Groves, who adds Rocky Coast to his.

Curator Terry Webb will add African Pavilion, Forest Glade gorillas and the mammal holding building (which remain under keeper supervisor Chris Goldston) to his.

New Zoocomer

Check out the many changing photos of the San Francisco Zoo new baby lowland gorilla, born Dec. 8.

Eyes Closed, Nose Open

I Can't See You
Originally uploaded by irishwildcat

Wilhelm the polar bear at the NC Zoo, Feb. 8, by irishwildcat.

Gorilla in Monet Painting

Gorilla
Originally uploaded by caseylowry

NC Zoo. Sept. 14 upload of caseylowry. (Link to Monet)

lonely day in the gardens

lonely day in the gardens
Originally uploaded by Captain Flexible

Like Captain Flexible's photo and title for this Durham, NC b&w.

Suggested optional title: "Nature & Right Angles"

balispreeuw

balispreeuw
Originally uploaded by belgianchocolate

We've called ours Bali mynahs at the NC Zoo. The rare Bali starling or Rothchild's mynah is captured at Zoo Antwerp by belgianchocolate. This one appears to be a juvenile.

Free Zoo Ad

The Detroit Zoo gets lots of free "impressions" as Coraline movie features a Zoo snow globe enclosing a representation of its iconic fountain.

20...Count 'Em 20...

...beautiful Polar bear photos, selected by this blogger.

fiji-leguaan

fiji-leguaan
Originally uploaded by belgianchocolate

Fiji iguana uploaded yesterday by begian-chocolate. Taken at Blijdorp Zoo, Rotterdam.

Below Polar Ice

Much is going on in Arctic and Antarctic waters.

A recent census tells us that 7,500 species live in the Antarctic and 5,500 in the Arctic.

Interestingly, several hundred of them are the same species even 'though they are separated by all that warm water in between.

""The textbooks have said there is less diversity at the poles than the tropics but we found astonishing richness of marine life in the Antarctic and Arctic oceans," said Victoria Wadley, a researcher from the Australian Antarctic Division who took part in the Antarctic survey. "We are rewriting the textbooks.""

Get Your Own Veggies

Manger, Manger (I think thats the right spelling for Eat in French!?!?!
Originally uploaded by caseylowry

Another strong Valentine's Day, NC Zoo Forest Glade, lowland gorilla portrait by caseylowry.

Nature Deficit Disorder

Speaking of Brookfield Zoo. It has recognized the wildlife and wild places contributions of Richard Louv, who coined the phrase "nature deficit disorder".

The NC Zoo Society helped bring Louv and his message to Piedmont North Carolina recently.

Zoo Queue Two

Another article about many applicants for seasonal zoo work.

Over 1000, at Brookfield Zoo, Chicago.

Wild Experience

"The Wild Experience" is a multimedia presentation on Field Trip Earth, the many researchers and research projects it details and its use as a teaching tool.

"Educators taking part in The Wild Experience will also learn about the many valuable resources designed to help implement Field Trip Earth in their classrooms: model teaching strategies, online tools for building book reviews and interviews, and interactives that allow learners to consider important conservation issues in collaboration with their peers and with field researchers at work around the world.

"Field Trip Earth is a project of the North Carolina Zoological Society. We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, as well as that of webslingerZ, the Asheboro City Schools, and the Chatham County Schools."

Swappin' Hippos

Funani, a San Diego Zoo female hippo met Otis, a transfer from the L.A. Zoo, while Jabba, who had fathered baby hippos with Funani headed to L.A.

The cute underwater photo at the link is of Funani with Jazi, one of her youngsters fathered by Jabba.

Hungry

Hungry
Originally uploaded by caseylowry

NC Zoo photo (today) and title by caseylowry.

"How Are You Folks Doing Today?"

"How Are You Folks Doing Today?"
Originally uploaded by irishwildcat

Recent irishwildcat upload (and title) of Willy (Wilhelm) approaching the underwater viewers at the NC Zoo's Rocky Coast.

Zoo Valentines May Get Lucky

Philadelphia Zoo’s “Lovin’ on the Wild Side” tour doesn’t guarantee “that the animals will have intimate moments when we see them,” but does guarantee the chance, plus champagne and brunch for $75 per person.

Adults-only Zoo Valentine’s weekend groups will be clued to the full meaning of “bats sleep together upside down” and will learn that the male rhinoceros hornbill seals his avian mate “in a hollow tree with mud then feeds her through the hole and removes excrement until the chicks are ready to fly.”

How romantic!

Zoo Queue Exceeds Few

London Zoo offers 50 seasonal jobs. About 400 queued for hours. (The norm: 120 -150 applicants.)

Big Study

The subjects weigh tons and the study area covers 50,000 square miles. The San Diego Zoo has collared about 60 African elephants in this big research project.

The study area overlaps into the African nations of Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

"The study is meant to monitor the impact of herds on various habitats from desert to riverine." It "will increase the understanding of elephant biology and help improve the management of elephants in zoos."

Willy's Group

HWW!
Originally uploaded by ucumari

"There's a new group just for Willy! Please join or just stop in and see all the photos of this wonderful bear!"
The NC Zoo polar bear has his own flickr group, says ucumari.

Introducing Elephants

Elliott, from Australia, has asked for an update on the NC Zoo's introductions of seven African elephants to each other and their seven-acre Watani Grasslands exhibit.

Our recent January weather - cold, icy, snowy, rainy - has slowed those intros. The biggest challenge is getting the mother and daughter duo well introduced to one other cow, while trying to ready that mother for a breeding introduction to one of the bulls.

A good stretch of early Spring weather would allow for lengthy periods of introduction in outdoor, off-exhibit holding areas. Sometimes all five cows might best be off exhibit to make these introductions go most smoothly.

Introductions of large, intelligent, social animals is part art and part science.

Growing Antelope Herds

The antelope population on the African Plains at the NC Zoo has grown to about 50. That is about halfway to the animal division’s goal for the 30-acre exhibit, General Curator Ken Reininger said this morning.

Growth will come from breeding and acquisitions from other zoos. The kudu and the lechewe will be the main breeders.

The antelope join seven southern white rhinos (two males were sent elsewhere in 2008 as they approached maturity) and various African plains birds on the huge exhibit.

Bungees for Birds of Prey

"If anyone has any bungee cords that are not needed, I am hoping to make some raptor swings. I am especially hoping to get 3' cords, but beggars won't be choosing." [From an NC Zoo-wide e-mail from Hannah Decker, Education Lead Animal Care Giver.]

Another NC Zoo "keeper" looking for "gifts-in-kind for her charges.

The Hard Life of Birds

"To survive the cold, birds need to eat enough during the day to have the energy needed to shiver throughout the night."

That is a hard-life fact offered in today's Associated Press story about the Audubon Society study, released today, that "found that more than half of 305 bird species in North America...are spending the winter about 35 miles farther north than they did 40 years ago."

Global warming is cited as the probable cause.

""This is as close as science at this scale gets to proof," said Greg Butcher, the lead scientist on the study and the director of bird conservation at the Audubon Society. "It is not what each of these individual birds did. It is the wide diversity of birds that suggests it has something to do with temperature, rather than ecology.""

Snake Breaks Fast

Wanna watch snake eat seemingly too large egg? Tip of hat to Greenmon.

Baby Toys for Ostriches

"The ostriches at [the African] Plains and ZOG [zebra, ostrich and giraffe exhibit] are looking for some enrichment. We are interested in baby toys like the kind that you would hang on the side of a crib. We want things that light up, sing, make noise, etc. that are hard plastic. They don't have to be in great condition." Another interesting internal, NC Zoo e-mail; this one from keeper Becky Richendollar seeks enrichment items - baby toys for big birds.

Cheap Date

Take your Valentine to the Cincinnati Zoo.

Pekin Pair

NC Zoo pekin robin pair in wonderful birdyboo portrait.

Zoo School

From "Asheboro City Schools - 2007-2008 Report to the Community": "The AHS Zoo School is one of four zoo school programs in the United States. Learning takes place in a real-life setting on the grounds of the North Carolina Zoo...one of the world's largest natural habitat zoos. It is a science focused program for up to 100 tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade students who have unprecedented access to a 1500 acre world-class facility ideal for environmental and biological exploration."

"I have learned things about our environment that I didn't used to care about," says student Travis Phillips of his AHS Zoo School experience.

Be careful Cherry Pop!!!!

Be careful Cherry Pop!!!!
Originally uploaded by Miss-D80

It seems this little red monkey visited the NC Zoo yesterday with photographer Miss-D80. Click on the photo to see the lengthy series of Cherry Pop at the Zoo pix.

"Cherry Pop knows NO fear!" adds Miss-D80 to her title for this photo. (No fear when it comes to bronze snakes, at least.)

Survival of the Weakest

Man is causing devolution of some species. Killing wild sheep with the largest horns and elephants with the largest tusks, he is "selecting" the smaller and weaker for survival.

"Since tusks get them killed, a genetic fluke in African elephants has meant that a rare 2% that have no tusks has escalated to 38% in one Zambian population and 98% in a South African group (Newsweek, Jan. 12/09)."

Unnatural selection.

Octuplets Bad for Environment

In seeing some opinion writings on the woman who has had 14 children by AI, I have not seen anyone arguing the wrong-headedness of this environmentally.

Human competition has been hard on wild things and wild places in recent times of rapid human population growth. As we live longer, a couple who have two children, who have two children, who have two children, multiply themselves during their life times, further straining the environment.

Let's assume this one woman has no more children, but they each have 14 children, who have 14 children, who have 14 children. If this madness were to unfold, she would have hundreds of grandchildren, thousands of great-grand children and tens of thousands of great-great grandchildren.

She REALLY multiplies herself! Take this out several more generations (a blink of the eye relative to our Earth's long history) and one wonders what gives her (and her "infertility" doctor) the right.

Outta my way!

Outta my way!
Originally uploaded by ucumari

Ucumari's National Zoo photo and title.

Same Birthday for "Girls" and "Boys"

The Pittsburgh Zoo's new twins (female Polar bears) are two years younger than the two males they will join later. All four were born on the same day of the year.

"The girls will greet the public during the day and the boys will pull evening duty for the time being." The girls are currently too young breed.

10 Polar Bear Gems

A slide show of ten strong photos of wild polar bears from Steven Kozlowski's popular book, "The Last Polar Bear", is offered by "The Mirror".

Leftovers

Three African elephants have just finished their Christmas leftovers. The Opel Zoo (Germany) elephants have finally eaten all 300 Christmas trees donated for that purpose.

No decorations were devoured.

Look Out!

Desert elephant matriarch charging
Originally uploaded by Olivier DELAERE

Her ears are out. Her trunk is coming up and she is coming your way. "Desert elephant matriarch charging, defending calf and herd in Damaraland rocky desert, Namibia
(Etendeka, North of Palmwag)
These Desert elephants are irritable. They killed at least 4 tourists within the last years in Damaraland," writes photographer Olivier DELAERE.

Cut Zoos, Cut Education?

Will the recession make it harder for zoos to keep inspiring young people in science?

"A new report by the National Academy of Sciences said informal learning - such as visits to zoos or other outdoor activities... - is a powerful tool in science education."

Got Old Zoo Pix?

The Virginia Zoo (Norfolk) is looking for some old photos as it has turned 100. The original elephant house, with elephant, is included at the link.

patas

patas
Originally uploaded by belgianchocolate

by belgianchocolate.

Sea Otter Recollection

Glancing at the brochure for the NC Zoo Society’s “Alaska Whales & Wilderness” trip which I will host August 8-16, one of nine wildlife and scenery photos is of a sea otter floating on its back in the “Inside Passage”.

It reminded me of the morning I woke early on another “Inside Passage” cruise. Below the stern of our smallish ship was a “raft” of sea otters, just waking.

Perhaps a dozen and a half had spent the night floating and sleeping on their backs, linked by their forelegs.

As they woke, some actually, cutely rubbed their eyes with those forepaws.

Hedgehog Counters Phil

Mr. Prickles, the Little Rock (Arkansas) Zoo's African pygmy hedgehog has predicted an early spring.

Hedgehog Day predates Groundhog Day by a good bit, as I posted Jan. 31.

Mr. Prickles "noted that Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction was made in haste and that the public should be wary of any comment made by a close relative of a rat."

Beware: At the "early spring" link, KARK4 News spells "pygmy" and "hear ye, hear ye" incorrectly. (They [or Mr. Prickles] are sorta kinda right in that a groundhog is of the order "rodentia", as are the rats...and the squirrels. The hedgehog is of the order "erinaceomorpha". Rats, however, are of the family muridae, while the squirrels...including that very big squirrel, the groundhog, are of the family sciuridae.)

Bestest friends!

Bestest friends!
Originally uploaded by ucumari

National Zoo orangutans uploaded by ucumari yesterday. Her title. Her wonderful portrait of "friends".

pinguins

pinguins
Originally uploaded by belgianchocolate

Another from belgianchocolate and allwetterzoo, uploaded today.

jachtluipaardjes

jachtluipaardjes
Originally uploaded by belgianchocolate

This is a belgianchocolate/allwetterzoo photo uploaded on flickr today!

"Do Polar Bears Get Lonely?"

I didn't know there was a book with this title when I posted on this topic recently.

"Social animals and extroverted humans may feel lonely. Solitary animals and introverted humans usually don't."

Polar Bear Exhibit "On Ice"

Calgary Zoo is postponing its planned Arctic Shores exhibit because funds are lacking.

Project: Polar Bears has seen the NC Zoo Society pledge $1.8 million and the State promise $2.7 million more for an improved Polar bear exhibit which will "focus on conservation" and breeding.

Chute & Laddernecks

NC Zoo newcomer giraffes Turbo and Tafari are making good progress in chute training.

The tall youngsters are being trained to enter their exhibit space through the off-exhibit chute. All this so, when need be, the giraffes can be restrained in the chute for preventative or therapeutic health reasons.

Another Winner

Division 1 2008 Special Mention Amphibian Awareness
Originally uploaded by russlings

Special Mention - Amphibian Awareness in the NC Zoo Endangered Species Poster Contest is 7 year-old Taylor Mabe, Seagrove, NC for his poster on African bullfrogs. (Yes, it is cropped too closely; it read "Prevent Our Extinction - Preserve Our Habitat")

Popular Baghdad Zoo

Stars and Stripes reports that Baghdad Zoo's attendance jumped to an almost unbelievable 5 million in 2008.

Donors through the NC Zoo Society, earlier this decade, allowed us to send many tens of thousands of dollars to the Zoo as it struggled back from years of wars.

New Antelope

New waterbuck are on exhibit on the African Plains at the NC Zoo and four new kudu will soon be introduced to the four other kudu. ("The Midden", January 2009.)

Anhinga to Arrive

Anhinga will be arriving soon and "will eventually go in [the] duck exhibit" at Cypress Swamp at the NC Zoo according to the January 2009 edition of "The Midden" ("all the poop fit to print") which keeper Aaron Jesue sent out late last evening, for the NC Chapter of the American Association of Zoo Keepers.