Jan 12, 8:07 AM EST
PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) -- A hippo escaped from a flooded private zoo in Montenegro on Tuesday, shocking villagers who found her strolling near their homes.
Even more shocking, the zoo owner plans to wait a bit before trying to recapture the 2-ton hippo named Nikica.
Nikica escaped as heavy rains sent water flooding through the zoo, raising the water level in her pen and allowing her to swim over the top of the cage surrounding it. The 11-year-old hippo made her way to the hamlet of Plavnica on Skadar Lake in southern Montenegro, where she was still walking around Tuesday afternoon.
"When I got out from my house to feed my cow, I saw a hippo standing in front of the stall," said villager Nikola Radovic. "I thought I was going mad."
The massive animals, which spend much of their days submerged in water, are considered one of the most dangerous animals in the world.
Hippos, native to Africa, are the third-largest land animals, after elephants and white rhinos. They can weigh up to 3 1/2 tons and are plant eaters. They are also intelligent, fiercely territorial, can run faster than the average human over short distances, and have powerful teeth and jaws.
But zoo owner Dragan Pejovic said he plans to wait until the water levels drops before he attempts to recapture Nikica.
"Of course, we will not be able to bring her back until the water recedes," he said, without further explanation. "There is no reason for panic."
"Our hippo is a peaceful and tame animal," Pejovic said, adding that she had lived in his zoo for nine years without causing any trouble to villagers.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_MONTENEGRO_HIPPO_ESCAPES?SITE=WIMIL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
(Submitted by D.R. Shoop)
Showing posts with label zoos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label zoos. Show all posts
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Monday, 11 January 2010
Cool for cats
Click to enlarge
Brother and sister Sumatran tiger cubs Emas and Wanita, born in May, play in the snow in their enclosure at Dublin Zoo yesterday. The tigers, whose species are native to the hot and humid Sumatran jungle, don't seem too bothered by the cold.
Metro Ireland, 11 January 2009, p5.
Sunday, 10 January 2010
Baby Panda Shows His Bounce Back Ability
10:21am UK, Friday January 08, 2010
Angela Barnes, Sky News Online
San Diego Zoo's newest baby panda, Yun Zi, made his media debut by showing off his bounce back ability.
The five month old giant panda cub climbed a tree branch, fell off, and promptly climbed back on.
The zoo's senior keeper, Kathy Hawk, said: "It's all part of the learning process."
She added it would help Yun Zi help get his "climbing legs going."
The cub's mother, Bai Yun, was equally unpeturbed.
She looked on proudly as her bubbly baby boy performed for the cameras.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Strange-News/The-San-Diego-Zoos-Newest-Panda-Cub-Frolics-Falls-And-Bounces-Back-During-His-Media-Debut/Article/201001215516952?f=rss
Angela Barnes, Sky News Online
San Diego Zoo's newest baby panda, Yun Zi, made his media debut by showing off his bounce back ability.
The five month old giant panda cub climbed a tree branch, fell off, and promptly climbed back on.
The zoo's senior keeper, Kathy Hawk, said: "It's all part of the learning process."
She added it would help Yun Zi help get his "climbing legs going."
The cub's mother, Bai Yun, was equally unpeturbed.
She looked on proudly as her bubbly baby boy performed for the cameras.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Strange-News/The-San-Diego-Zoos-Newest-Panda-Cub-Frolics-Falls-And-Bounces-Back-During-His-Media-Debut/Article/201001215516952?f=rss
Thursday, 7 January 2010
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Family: Edinburgh Zoo
Published Date: 04 January 2010
By JANET CHRISTIE
If you go down to the zoo today be sure you're wrapped in a warm, furry coat. And even then you might find Corstophine Hill a little on the chilly side, rather like the animals, a substantial number of whom had retreated into their nests, burrows, pens and generally cosy places when we visited.
The painted hunting dogs dozed deep among the hay, dreaming of the dog days of summer on the plains of their African homeland, the gibbons curled tight around each other like a two-for-one scarf offer in the sales and the flamingos were just a pink blush of a memory, nowhere to be seen.
Which left centre stage to the penguins, who couldn't have been happier with the cold snap. They puffed out their chests, waddled up to meet any visitors, proudly showed off their fluffy King Penguin baby, the first at the zoo in five years, flapped along to the end of their diving board and took turns to do a will-I-won't-I routine, then flopped into the icy water and performed underwater aerobatics with an exhilaration we've never seen them display in summer. They were looping the loop and kicking their height with delight, loving every minute. We could have watched them all day, if we hadn't lost the feeling in our feet and fingers after half an hour and retreated to the monkey house where a warm welcome awaited us.
Cheeky little monkeys of various varieties performed on the ropes and beautiful big Drills, with Cheryl Cole cheekbones and a steady gaze held ours. "They look sad," said my daughter, aged six (pictured left). But with so few left in just a tiny area of the Congo, they're a perfect example of the argument for keeping animals in captivity in order to protect the species, and to engage in conservation and research. That can also be said of the pygmy hippos whose pen we visited next to see the baby born this summer. With so few people visiting the zoo, now is the perfect time to engage the keepers in conversation and we heard of their excitement when the newborn hippo was found in the pen, and that they're one of only two breeding pairs in the UK.
Back out on the hill, by the time we'd reached the place where the big cats live I was ready to climb in beside the tigers and leopards for a cuddle but, after a quick count of spots and stripes, we headed instead for the Budongo Trail, where Edinburgh Zoo's chimps hang out in their new state-of-the-art home. As we thawed and watched their antics, we also learnt a bit about the Royal Zoological Society's work with chimps in Uganda and then before we knew it, it was chucking out time. It had happened again – time had been gobbled up like a croc chewing on a wildebeest and we hadn't seen half of the animals we'd intended to visit and we left, saying as always: "We'll be back."
Edinburgh Zoo, 134 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh, EH12 6TS, 0131-334 9171, www.edinburghzoo.org.uk, open every day, November to February 9am to 4.30pm, tickets adults £14, children 3-15, £9.50, under threes free, concession £12, family tickets from £29.
• This article first appeared in the Scotsman on Saturday 2 January, 2010
http://living.scotsman.com/features/Family-Edinburgh-Zoo.5952245.jp
By JANET CHRISTIE
If you go down to the zoo today be sure you're wrapped in a warm, furry coat. And even then you might find Corstophine Hill a little on the chilly side, rather like the animals, a substantial number of whom had retreated into their nests, burrows, pens and generally cosy places when we visited.
The painted hunting dogs dozed deep among the hay, dreaming of the dog days of summer on the plains of their African homeland, the gibbons curled tight around each other like a two-for-one scarf offer in the sales and the flamingos were just a pink blush of a memory, nowhere to be seen.
Which left centre stage to the penguins, who couldn't have been happier with the cold snap. They puffed out their chests, waddled up to meet any visitors, proudly showed off their fluffy King Penguin baby, the first at the zoo in five years, flapped along to the end of their diving board and took turns to do a will-I-won't-I routine, then flopped into the icy water and performed underwater aerobatics with an exhilaration we've never seen them display in summer. They were looping the loop and kicking their height with delight, loving every minute. We could have watched them all day, if we hadn't lost the feeling in our feet and fingers after half an hour and retreated to the monkey house where a warm welcome awaited us.
Cheeky little monkeys of various varieties performed on the ropes and beautiful big Drills, with Cheryl Cole cheekbones and a steady gaze held ours. "They look sad," said my daughter, aged six (pictured left). But with so few left in just a tiny area of the Congo, they're a perfect example of the argument for keeping animals in captivity in order to protect the species, and to engage in conservation and research. That can also be said of the pygmy hippos whose pen we visited next to see the baby born this summer. With so few people visiting the zoo, now is the perfect time to engage the keepers in conversation and we heard of their excitement when the newborn hippo was found in the pen, and that they're one of only two breeding pairs in the UK.
Back out on the hill, by the time we'd reached the place where the big cats live I was ready to climb in beside the tigers and leopards for a cuddle but, after a quick count of spots and stripes, we headed instead for the Budongo Trail, where Edinburgh Zoo's chimps hang out in their new state-of-the-art home. As we thawed and watched their antics, we also learnt a bit about the Royal Zoological Society's work with chimps in Uganda and then before we knew it, it was chucking out time. It had happened again – time had been gobbled up like a croc chewing on a wildebeest and we hadn't seen half of the animals we'd intended to visit and we left, saying as always: "We'll be back."
Edinburgh Zoo, 134 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh, EH12 6TS, 0131-334 9171, www.edinburghzoo.org.uk, open every day, November to February 9am to 4.30pm, tickets adults £14, children 3-15, £9.50, under threes free, concession £12, family tickets from £29.
• This article first appeared in the Scotsman on Saturday 2 January, 2010
http://living.scotsman.com/features/Family-Edinburgh-Zoo.5952245.jp
Zoological Survey stall a huge draw
Staff Reporter
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Tarantula spider, kept in a sand-filled glass case, was centre of attention at the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) stall at the Pride of India Exhibition organised on the sidelines of the ongoing 97th Indian Science Congress.
Most visitors tapped and stroked the glass case trying to evoke some response while the exhibitors requested them to leave the creature in peace.
Tarantulas are found in tropical and desert regions and are mostly harmless to humans.
The spider was the only live specimen on display at the stall. Preserved exhibits of rare moths, dragonflies, butterflies, fish varieties and small reptiles endemic to the Western Ghats were drawing crowds. Preserved specimens of ‘atlas moth,’ the largest moth species in the country; the rare ‘pig nosed frog, also called ‘living fossil,’ etc were on display.
“It is called living fossil because molecular studies show that this species has not had any morphological changes since two million years. Which means that it has lived with the dinosaurs,” said K.P. Dinesh, zoological assistant at ZSI, Kozhikode.
The Giant Earth Worm, another species endemic to Nilambur in Kerala, is another interesting display. This worm can grow up to a metre in length.
Taxidermy of a large size anteater was another interesting sight at the stall which also had on display lively pictures of the flora and fauna from the Western Ghats.
http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/05/stories/2010010550530200.htm
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Tarantula spider, kept in a sand-filled glass case, was centre of attention at the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) stall at the Pride of India Exhibition organised on the sidelines of the ongoing 97th Indian Science Congress.
Most visitors tapped and stroked the glass case trying to evoke some response while the exhibitors requested them to leave the creature in peace.
Tarantulas are found in tropical and desert regions and are mostly harmless to humans.
The spider was the only live specimen on display at the stall. Preserved exhibits of rare moths, dragonflies, butterflies, fish varieties and small reptiles endemic to the Western Ghats were drawing crowds. Preserved specimens of ‘atlas moth,’ the largest moth species in the country; the rare ‘pig nosed frog, also called ‘living fossil,’ etc were on display.
“It is called living fossil because molecular studies show that this species has not had any morphological changes since two million years. Which means that it has lived with the dinosaurs,” said K.P. Dinesh, zoological assistant at ZSI, Kozhikode.
The Giant Earth Worm, another species endemic to Nilambur in Kerala, is another interesting display. This worm can grow up to a metre in length.
Taxidermy of a large size anteater was another interesting sight at the stall which also had on display lively pictures of the flora and fauna from the Western Ghats.
http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/05/stories/2010010550530200.htm
Mammoth Task As London Zoo Takes Stock
2:49am UK, Tuesday January 05, 2010
Laura Bundock, Sky News Online
From the tallest giraffes to the tiniest spiders, London Zoo is carrying out its annual animal stock take.
Zookeepers there will spend the day counting every creature.
Which is easy if you're in charge of the slow-moving sloths, but slightly trickier if you're Rachel Jones, the aquarium manager.
With 5,500 fish to count, it can get confusing.
"There are some that spend their lives living in the rock and occasionally you'll see a little face poking out, and you have to be quick to count it," she said.
"Others bomb all over the place and are really hard to catch up with."
It's not just the fish which are counted. Every coral, snail and starfish is also added up.
London Zoo is home to 752 species and, with several new exhibits, this year's stock take will be the zoo's biggest ever.
Last year, they counted 15,107 animals. This time around, there are giant Galapagos tortoises, aardvarks, a new Komodo dragon and newborn lion cubs to include.
And with births, deaths and even disappearances each year, the annual roll call is vital for keeping tabs on the zoo's inhabitants.
"On the whole we've got a good idea of how many animals there are, especially if they change tanks or we move them, but the count does give us a clear picture of exactly who's where," added Rachel.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/London-Zoo-Starts-Stock-Take-Of-All-Its-Animals-Insects-And-Aquatic-Creatures/Article/201001115514283?f=rss
Laura Bundock, Sky News Online
From the tallest giraffes to the tiniest spiders, London Zoo is carrying out its annual animal stock take.
Zookeepers there will spend the day counting every creature.
Which is easy if you're in charge of the slow-moving sloths, but slightly trickier if you're Rachel Jones, the aquarium manager.
With 5,500 fish to count, it can get confusing.
"There are some that spend their lives living in the rock and occasionally you'll see a little face poking out, and you have to be quick to count it," she said.
"Others bomb all over the place and are really hard to catch up with."
It's not just the fish which are counted. Every coral, snail and starfish is also added up.
London Zoo is home to 752 species and, with several new exhibits, this year's stock take will be the zoo's biggest ever.
Last year, they counted 15,107 animals. This time around, there are giant Galapagos tortoises, aardvarks, a new Komodo dragon and newborn lion cubs to include.
And with births, deaths and even disappearances each year, the annual roll call is vital for keeping tabs on the zoo's inhabitants.
"On the whole we've got a good idea of how many animals there are, especially if they change tanks or we move them, but the count does give us a clear picture of exactly who's where," added Rachel.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/London-Zoo-Starts-Stock-Take-Of-All-Its-Animals-Insects-And-Aquatic-Creatures/Article/201001115514283?f=rss
Monday, 4 January 2010
Ivory Power
A forensic zoologist has devised a smart way to limit the world trade in illegal ivory. Under EU law, only antique ivory from before 1947 can be traded legally but there was no accurate way to date ivory... until now.
Dr Ross McEwing from Edinbugh Zoo has devised a technique to test for levels of the carbon 14 isotope in bones and tusks. The higher the level, the more likely it is to originate for the post-1947 era. Testing begins this summer.
Metro, 4 January 2010, p9.
Dr Ross McEwing from Edinbugh Zoo has devised a technique to test for levels of the carbon 14 isotope in bones and tusks. The higher the level, the more likely it is to originate for the post-1947 era. Testing begins this summer.
Metro, 4 January 2010, p9.
Saturday, 2 January 2010
'Chicken' frog saved from pot
Tuesday, December 29, 2009, 09:12
PAIGNTON Zoo has joined a global conservation project with the arrival of a rare species.
It is now home to a giant frog which has two misfortunes — it is both tasty and large enough to be a meal.
The mountain chicken, or giant ditch frog, is one of the largest frogs in the world weighing in at more than 2lbs.
A zoo spokesman said: "The mountain chicken might be one of the most-confusing animals in the world. It is not a bird and it doesn't live in the mountains but it is certainly one of the most endangered."
Disease and the threat is human consumption has contributed to its decline.
"The national dish of Dominica, the mountain chicken was so-called because of its large size and because its meat is said to taste like chicken.
"Its importance to Dominican culture is reflected in its inclusion in the national coat of arms.
"On Montserrat, in the Caribbean, the eruption of the island's volcano destroyed vital habitat."
It is listed as critically endangered and there are only about 160 individuals in captivity anywhere in the world
Now Paignton Zoo has taken receipt of its first mountain chicken, a four-year-old female has from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust at Jersey Zoo via the Zoological Society of London.
She is being kept under strict bio-security conditions to protect against the spread of disease.
Mike Bungard, curator of lower vertebrates, said: "We want to get used to the basic husbandry of the species before we take on more.
"The plan is for us to act as a holding station for first generation zoo born.
"The plan is to release these frogs into the wild, although that relies on overcoming the problems in the wild that caused the decline in the first place."
The wild population has declined by 80 per cent in the last 10 years and the species is now critically endangered.
There are thought to be just 8,000 individuals left, and the species is found on the Caribbean islands of Dominica and Montserrat, though its range formerly extended to Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Zoological Society of London are leading the conservation work.
Paignton Zoo head reptile keeper Rod Keen is going to Jersey Zoo at the end of the month to train to work with the species.
http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/news/Chicken-frog-saved-pot/article-1654505-detail/article.html
PAIGNTON Zoo has joined a global conservation project with the arrival of a rare species.
It is now home to a giant frog which has two misfortunes — it is both tasty and large enough to be a meal.
The mountain chicken, or giant ditch frog, is one of the largest frogs in the world weighing in at more than 2lbs.
A zoo spokesman said: "The mountain chicken might be one of the most-confusing animals in the world. It is not a bird and it doesn't live in the mountains but it is certainly one of the most endangered."
Disease and the threat is human consumption has contributed to its decline.
"The national dish of Dominica, the mountain chicken was so-called because of its large size and because its meat is said to taste like chicken.
"Its importance to Dominican culture is reflected in its inclusion in the national coat of arms.
"On Montserrat, in the Caribbean, the eruption of the island's volcano destroyed vital habitat."
It is listed as critically endangered and there are only about 160 individuals in captivity anywhere in the world
Now Paignton Zoo has taken receipt of its first mountain chicken, a four-year-old female has from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust at Jersey Zoo via the Zoological Society of London.
She is being kept under strict bio-security conditions to protect against the spread of disease.
Mike Bungard, curator of lower vertebrates, said: "We want to get used to the basic husbandry of the species before we take on more.
"The plan is for us to act as a holding station for first generation zoo born.
"The plan is to release these frogs into the wild, although that relies on overcoming the problems in the wild that caused the decline in the first place."
The wild population has declined by 80 per cent in the last 10 years and the species is now critically endangered.
There are thought to be just 8,000 individuals left, and the species is found on the Caribbean islands of Dominica and Montserrat, though its range formerly extended to Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Zoological Society of London are leading the conservation work.
Paignton Zoo head reptile keeper Rod Keen is going to Jersey Zoo at the end of the month to train to work with the species.
http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/news/Chicken-frog-saved-pot/article-1654505-detail/article.html
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