Stu at the zoo

10/11/2022

01/11/2022

BREAKING NEWS

Taronga Zoo - Sydney

An emergency situation occurred this morning at Taronga Zoo Sydney when five lions were located outside their enclosure.

The Zoo has strict safety protocols in place for such an incident.

All persons on site were moved to safe zones and there are no injuries to guests or staff.

All animals are now in their exhibit where they are being closely monitored.

The Zoo will be open as normal today. Further details will be provided when possible.

29/09/2022

😂😂😂

29/08/2022

Spring is coming to Australia… In a suburb near you.

23/08/2022

Greater Vancouver Zoo - Canada

Sadness and Joy are the mixed emotions felt at this Canadian zoo when a runaway wolf pup was safely located after four days on the run, but another was found dead along a road.

Conservation officers and zoo staff in British Columbia have spent the last week searching for the runaway wolves after mysterious break-in freed a pack of the predators from the popular zoo.

In a statement officials at the Greater Vancouver Zoo said Tempest, a one-year-old grey wolf, had been found and was “back with her family”. She had been located near the zoo, the statement said. But the news came a day after the zoo announced that another escaped wolf, Chia, had died, probably after being hit by a car.

The zoo announced last week it would not be opening to the public. It later acknowledged that a pack of grey wolves had escaped after “suspicious” damage to the fence of their enclosure. The zoo said the incident was probably the result of “malicious intent”.

15/08/2022

India’s National Highway 44 - A blueprint for the future.

The construction of the elevated stretches along the Seoni-Nagpur highway has come in for a lot of praise recently. The elevated stretch that runs through the Pench Tiger Reserve benefits not only tigers in the region but also helps protect animals thriving around the National Highway (NH) 44.

The new structures have ensured that the animal corridors in the reserve and their movement remain connected in the long stretch that runs between Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

According to a report in the Economic Times, there are five underpasses and four bridges on the 37-km stretch. They have ensured the safe and smooth movement of wild animals thriving in the region.

The animals include tigers, leopards, wild dogs, chitals, Indian bison, wild pigs, jungle cats and porcupines. Camera traps have captured 5,450 images over a six month period.

This has come as good news to researchers of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) confirming that 11 tigers are regularly using the newly constructed structure.

Due to the success of this initiative a second project has been authorised in the country. National Highway 54 in Assam’s Lumding will be upgraded to have two elephant passes and two bridges.

14/08/2022

Adelaide Zoo - South Australia.

Ravi a red panda that escaped from Adelaide Zoo is back after sparking a two day search.

The seven-year-old escaped from his enclosure on Friday, just one week after arriving from a zoo in Queensland.

He was found up a fig tree at the nearby Botanic Park on Sunday.
Despite the best efforts of zoo keepers Ravi was not enticed down with food and eventually keepers had to use a tranquilliser to retrieve him.

Ravi will now be monitored as keepers work out how he escaped.

07/08/2022

Toledo Zoo - Ohio

Get ready to enter the splash zone when visiting the orangutan enclosure at Toledo Zoo.

As part of the orangutan’s enrichment program the zoo has recently installed a button, that when pressed by the orangutans, will spray water at people visiting the enclosure.

Enrichment programs are an important part of the management of animals at zoos . To read more about how zoos try to prevent animals from getting bored - follow the link below.

https://stuatthezoo.com/2013/05/02/do-animals-get-bored-in-zoos/

01/08/2022

Turtle poos plastic for 6 days…

A tiny turtle who was rescued by the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, pooped plastic for six days.

When he started to defecate, "No f***s came out, just pure plastic."

Sarah Male a veterinary nurse from Taronga zoo says that the little turtle was rescued from a nearby beach with a back flipper "chomped" off.

According to the Taronga Zoo website, the hospital rehabilitates and releases over 80 marine turtles every year.

They also treat other native animals and have released over 50,000 animals back into the wild since they opened in the 1970s.

WWF estimates half of all marine turtles have eaten plastic.

Humans dump roughly eight million tonnes of plastic into the sea every year, with the WWF saying that the amount of plastic in the world's oceans is projected to outweigh fish by 2050.

The WWF also states that 90% of seabirds have digested plastic.

At the end of 2021, a non-profit launched called The Ocean Cleanup, an organisation dedicated to cleaning our oceans from plastics.

Their last mission brought back 32 tonnes of rubbish.

27/07/2022

Today the Queensland Government revealed that $2.7 million of tax payer’s money that was put aside for a koala conservation and research facility was instead used to fund a roller coaster.

25/07/2022

The monarch butterfly—The iconic subspecies common to North America and introduced to Australia in the 1870's, was declared endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The IUCN added the monarch butterfly for the first time to its "red list" of threatened species and categorized it as endangered.

"We are really sad about this. It is another data driven, science based wake-up call that we need to be better stewards of our planet," said Tony Tucci, chair and co-founder of Citizens for Los Angeles Wildlife.

The monarch population has declined by approximately 90% since the 1990s

21/07/2022

This week’s fact sheet is the rainbow lorikeet. No surprise what a group of lorikeets are called - For more interesting facts about Lorikeets and other animals, follow the link below.

https://stuatthezoo.com/2020/04/08/animal-fact-sheets/

18/07/2022

Blackpool Zoo - United Kingdom

Animals at Blackpool Zoo have been treated to cold showers and ice treats as keepers try to keep them cool during the current heatwave.

As temperatures rise, penguins and sea lions were treated to blocks of ice dropped into their water enclosure.

Keeper Khaled Fawzy says: "They will spend the majority of their time in the nice cool water, we will do a water change as well today and when we add the ice it is really nice for them.

"The penguins have a misting system as well to keep the air around the pool at a nice temperature."

Meanwhile the elephants were showered down with cool water and encouraged to take a dip to cool off, while other animals in the park were given fruit flavoured ice blocks.

14/07/2022

To celebrate the life of Tricia, the 65 year old female Asian elephant that passed away last week - This weeks animal fact sheet is all about elephants.

New Fact sheet every week . For more animals follow the link below https://stuatthezoo.com/2020/04/08/animal-fact-sheets/

13/07/2022

Why do wolves howl at the moon?

Actually they don’t ! It is a popular myth that wolves howl at the moon! Howling may be heard at night, but it is not directed at the moon. It is used as a social rally cry, a call to hunt or as a territorial expression.

Full transparency- I did the post so that I could show-off this picture I took of the moon last night.

Have a great day…

11/07/2022

Great Plains Zoo - South Dakota

Charles, Jenny and Marshmallow, three black bears at the Great Plains Zoo are getting a new home.

The renovated habitat includes larger dens and updated climbing structures and landscaping. There are also features for the bears to voluntarily participate in wellness and health checks, including a scale area to weigh the bears.

Great Plain Zoo press release -

"We are excited to have our bears in their new home," Great Plains Zoo President and CEO Becky Dewitz said in a release. "This project was developed with the aim of providing our animals with the highest quality for their wellness. The habitat was designed to meet the species-specific needs of our black bears, as well as their whole-life needs."

A ribbon-cutting event for the new space is scheduled for 8:30 a.m., Friday, July 15.

10/07/2022

Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden’s

Lola, a 11-year-old critically endangered female Sumatran tiger, has given birth to two healthy cubs.

In a statement the zoo said Lola and her cubs were doing well and had reached critical milestones, including nursing and feeding.

In a few weeks, a veterinary team will examine the cubs to weigh and measure them, according to the release. They will also find out the cub’s s*x.

"Lola has proven to be an extremely attentive and nurturing mother to these new additions to our animal family," said Tyler Boyd, the zoo's curator of carnivores. He said throughout her pregnancy, she has participated in ultrasound monitoring and training sessions and has allowed caretakers to be prepared for the cubs arrival.

Lola is an experienced mother, having given birth to triplets on her own birthday in 2017, according to the zoo. Days later, she was given a fourth newborn to care for. Zoya, an Amur tiger, was born at the Philadelphia Zoo, but her mother didn't have the maternal instincts to care for her. It was the first documented case of cross-fostering tigers of a different subspecies among the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA org).

08/07/2022

Glance & Learn

The Cassowary is the largest native land animal in Northern Australia, and the heaviest bird in Australia, weighing in at 85 kilograms- For more fun facts about the Cassowarry or many other animals, keep on checking in on our Glance & Learn page. New animal every week .

Follow this link for more animals

https://stuatthezoo.com/2020/04/08/animal-fact-sheets/

06/07/2022

Perth Zoo Tricia the Elephant - Dies aged 65

Last night, Perth Zoo matriarch Tricia, one of the oldest Asian elephants cared for by a zoo in the world, has passed away after a rapid deterioration of her health.

Tricia passing will mark the end of the elephant enclosure at Perth Zoo with the remaining two elephants being transferred to larger enclosures around Australia

Perth Zoo Official Statement...

"At 65-years-old, Tricia was one of the oldest elephants in the world, and while we knew the time to say goodbye was approaching, it’s still heartbreaking.

Tricia was an icon of Western Australia. She was cheeky and loved sneaking up on people when she was out walking around the Zoo, and had everyone wrapped around her trunk!

Her impact on the millions of people who visited her over the years will certainly not be forgotten. Since her arrival at Perth Zoo in 1963, she has helped generations develop an appreciation for elephants and wildlife conservation.

In her honour, we have set up the Tricia Tribute to Conservation Fund. We kindly ask that in lieu of sending flowers to offer your condolences, please consider contributing so we can continue our vital conservation work and protect elephants in the wild.

This is a sad time for the Zoo family, but your love and support is greatly appreciated".

About Tricia...

Tricia arrived at Perth Zoo in January 1963 as a young six-year-old from Ho Chi Minh City via Singapore and she was named after Tricia Resche, Miss Australia 1962.

Then in 1992, Tricia was joined by three young elephants, which were gifts from the Malaysian Government.

Tricia was also able to help support efforts to save elephants in the wild as funds from Tricia’s artwork and elephant experiences help protect the critically endangered Sumatran Elephants.

Memorial Walk for Tricia
In Tricia’s memory, a special Memorial Walk will open this Sunday, 10 July 2022, at Perth Zoo.

13/03/2022

We are back !

09/12/2020

This once in a lifetime photo was taken by Ernie Serediak in Kelowna, BC. November 29, 2020. Outstanding!!

22/09/2020

Happy World Rhino day...