Animals, zoo stories and things to share

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 6:50 am

Me, too! I've seen those people and they're as tiny and fun to hear as the little fellow in the film. The Zulus can SING and make those sounds! I don't know how it's done...there are ELEVEN separate "clicks" in the San language. I was able to do only three.

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 7:52 am

Again, this is not an appeal for money! I wanted to share the site with you because it's a fine example of how a small group of dedicated people can begin to make a difference! These people are friends of mine and I'm proud as can be of them and their accomplishments!

Take a look.... www.islandfox.org

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 7:59 am

Oh, I have heard of them. They do wonderful things to preserve the island fox.

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 8:03 am

(Imagine, Chonsi...30% of the people my friends've spoken with don't know we have channel islands, let alone Island foxes! :rolleyes: There's a LOT of work to be done!)

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 8:07 am

Good grief, there are islands out there!

I never got to go to any of them, I always wanted to visit the mamoth dig and visit Catalina.

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 1:20 pm

(There's still time?

)

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 1:05 pm

http://pishmo.com/macro/

AMAZING!

cherandbuster · Post by **cherandbuster** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 2:08 pm

Wow! :guitarist

That really is amazing!

ARgi · Post by **ARgi** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 3:57 pm

fascinating! ...i hope you can add more stories soon.

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 5:56 pm

I'm glad you enjoy them, ARgi. When I get back from Jordan, I'm having a surgery which'll keep me in the house for awhile. Maybe it'll be time to post.

What interests you?

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 3:44 am

Diuretic;442044 wrote: I saw a report that a zoo here is about to release an Orang into the wild. I think she's about 13 or so. They have assured everyone that there will be a programe supporting the animal when she is released but she was born in captivity, as was her mother. Lulu how do you think she will go? I know, a big, if not unfair, question. Has this been done before? I know Orangs are seriously endangered - I suspect habitat destruction is the culprit - so is this wise?
Don't I remember correctly that orangs are more solitary animals? I would imagine social animals would be more difficult to release back into the wild, since the wild group has to be persuaded to accept them. I don't remember ever hearing of a natural enemy of orangs, so as long as she knows how to forage for herself, I suppose she should be fine.

But I run a warehouse, not a zoo.

cherandbuster · Post by **cherandbuster** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 4:03 am

Accountable;442200 wrote: But I run a warehouse, not a zoo.

Yeah

But it doesn't mean you're not a bright, inquisitive soul :-4

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 4:18 am

cherandbuster;442205 wrote: Yeah

But it doesn't mean you're not a bright, inquisitive soul :-4
Not very damn bright. I have a masters degree and run a frickin warehouse.

cherandbuster · Post by **cherandbuster** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 4:21 am

Accountable;442221 wrote: Not very damn bright. I have a masters degree and run a frickin warehouse.

Oh Acc

Life works in strange ways, doesn't it?

You're probably more of a bright, inquisitive soul *because* that part of you is not satiated at work. :-6

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 4:23 am

cherandbuster;442225 wrote: Oh Acc

Life works in strange ways, doesn't it?

You're probably more of a bright, inquisitive soul *because* that part of you is not satiated at work. :-6
:yh_youkid Oh go on!

..........................

No really. Go on.

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 7:48 am

(And on?) :wah:

++++++++++ Diuretic, there are several release/rehab facilities in Sumatra and Borneo. Most of them are centered around orphans.

Accountable's right....orangutans are the only "non-social" ape. Probably because there's not enough fruit in any one place at any given time to support large troops of large animals, they've evolved into a culture where the only lingering bond is that of mom-child, which lasts about 8 years. (It takes a long time to learn what mom needs to teach--where the "good" trees are, how to judge what's ok to eat, etc.) When babies are taken for the pet trade (which means mom has been murdered, by the way) they've missed out on all that training.

Rehab facilities need to carefully and patiently train them on how to live in the forest. It doesn't always work, despite the best intentions and efforts. The orphans don't have the "aunties" who might adopt/train them if they were chimps, for example, and humans can't be climbing through the trees to demonstrate. What USUALLY happens is that they are fed at the facility and then encouraged to venture out into the forest and find their own food, through trial/error. Many will disappear, eventually and find their destinies. Many just hang around (PUN INTENDED) the facility or show up with babies, etc.

Now, DIURETIC, my guess is that YOUR orangutan is considered a good genetic candidate for release. She's probably not needed in your local gene pool and she's probably got a good personality to explore/do well in the wild. I've not heard of an animal of breeding age being released, but I do know this--all orangutans are endangered and a zoo-raised animal is under the administration of many people who have her welfare in mind. I assure you she won't be just DUMPED into a forest somewhere and given a little map to some durian trees! :wah: Genetic diversity is a hugely important factor in a rapidly dwindling wild population. There's undoubtedly a "dance card/sexy stud" figuring somewhere in her future!

The problems faced by people who try to save species in the wild are horrific! My pal, Raffaella Commitante spends half her year in Borneo, working with the government to try to stop the pet trade and try to increase the eco-tourist trade. She's hopeful some days and cynical on most all others.

Edited to add some info on Raffaella, because she is one of my heroes and you'd all love her, too! http://www.orangutans.com.au/volunteers.htm

http://www.pressbox.co.uk/detailed/Medi ... _9500.html

The biggest problem is habitat loss. Old forests are cut down to create palm oil plantations. Palm oil is in food, cosmetics, manufacturing and just about any technology existant. It's a huge part of the economy and oranguans are just in the way of that. Even though some protected areas exist, if there's no CONNECTIVITY between them (wildlife corridors)...small populations begin inbreeding and that's a problem, too.

Your concern for this animal touches my heart! The concern of people world-wide touches my heart and gives those of us who do what we do the courage to go on and just try to save the world.

Environmentalists are just people who are trying to save the world! That's all. Not such an enormous agenda, is it? :rolleyes:

cherandbuster · Post by **cherandbuster** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 7:52 am

Lulu2 :-4

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 9:52 am

(Thanks, Cher! Now, think of some animals you'd like to discuss.)

ARgi · Post by **ARgi** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 8:46 am

Lulu2;441904 wrote: I'm glad you enjoy them, ARgi. When I get back from Jordan, I'm having a surgery which'll keep me in the house for awhile. Maybe it'll be time to post.

What interests you?

i hope it's not a serious operation

...i heard that penguins stink like rotten fish. is that true?

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 7:44 am

(Bleary with jet-lag....) The birds don't smell as much as their habitat does. After all, they don't have little hands to clean up the area, do they? :wah:

zinkyusa · Post by **zinkyusa** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 8:03 am

Welcome back Lu, did you bring my camel?

CARLA · Post by **CARLA** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 8:04 am

LULU2 welcome back how was Jordan..

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 9:07 am

People often ask me about this.

Is it a shark? A cobra? Hippo?

Actually, the creature considered most dangerous to humans is small, unassuming and directly connected to water.

MOSQUITOS kill over a million people annually because of diseases transmitted through their bite. World health agencies estimate 40% of the human population lives with the threat of malaria. Other mosquito-borne diseases include yellow fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever, various forms of encephalitis, elephantiasis and West Nile virus.

BUT--before you grab a can of RAID, stop to think! Mosquitos are a favorite prey of birds, fish, amphibians, dragonflies, spiders and bats. Some bats can eat 600 mosquitoes in an hour! (Are you listening, Zinky?

And not all mosquitoes are on the predatory prowl. Only females ready to lay eggs require a blood-feast. Non-breeding females and male mosquitoes feed on plant fluids.

It takes four to seven days for a mosquito to grow from egg to adult, and most remain within one mile of their breeding site. The life cycle of these insects requires stagnant water. Remove standing water from around your home and you'll get the upper hand on the world's most dangerous animal!

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 8:22 am

From a friend in St. Louis--they're pretty proud of their newest baby.

PEEK-A-BOO, LITTLE â€˜ROO!

First-ever birth of a Matschieâ€™s tree kangaroo at St. Louis Zoo

A baby Matschieâ€™s [match-eez] tree kangaroo has started to peek out of its momâ€™s pouch in its habitat at the Emerson Childrenâ€™s Zoo. This is the first-ever birth of a tree kangaroo at the St. Louis Zoo.

The joey, named â€œLittle LaRoo,â€ was born six months ago about the size of a lima bean and quickly moved into its motherâ€™s pouch. First-time mother â€œKasbethâ€ has nurtured the baby, which has grown to the size of a small cat. It will not be known if the baby is a male or female until it fully emerges from the pouch in January. The joey will continue to nurse from the pouch until it is about one year old.

Dad â€œIriâ€ is also a first-time parent and will continue to live in a separate habitat nearby until the youngster is older. Kasbeth is from Riverbanks Zoo, and Iri came from the Kansas City Zoo. The pairing was recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariumsâ€™ Species Survival Plan for tree kangaroos.

The endangered Matschieâ€™s tree kangaroo is a small marsupial found only in the thick, mountainous forests of Papua New Guinea, an island just south of the equator, north of Australia. A relative of larger kangaroos, the reddish-brown and cream-colored tree kangaroo also retains the legendary ability to jump. The tree kangaroo can jump up to 30 feet from a tree to the ground.

Little is known about tree kangaroo behavior in the wild, though itâ€™s thought that they live a solitary lifestyle. Females and males have non-overlapping ranges, and the only strong social bonds are between a mother and her young.

Matschie's tree kangaroos and other unique flora and fauna of Papua New Guinea are threatened by mining, logging and over-hunting. The St. Louis Zoo WildCare Institute, along with its conservation partners, is working to conserve habitat in Papua New Guinea and to provide new opportunities for sustainable development for the landowners of the region. The Zoo sponsors field studies on tree kangaroos and rare long-beaked echidnas. It also educates clans with a goal of establishing a refuge for endangered wildlife.

The St. Louis Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Zoo will be closed December 25 and January 1 and will close at 3 p.m. on December 24 and December 31. Admission to the Zoo is free. Admission to the Childrenâ€™s Zoo is free from 9-10 a.m. and $4.00 after 10 a.m. Children under two are free.

dubs · Post by **dubs** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 11:04 am

Whenever you've posted about different animals Lulu, I always check out the pictures on the Beebs Science and Nature site....This is the one for the Matschies kangaroo...www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/3079.shtml

It's good for checking out the Planet Earth series Too! I hope you've been watching it, it's absolutely stunning, the photography is amazing...Sunday nights, I've been sitting watching, with my jaw hanging open...Fantastic!

As an aside, the BBCs Culture show has been conducting a poll, to find out who Brits consider is our greatest living Icon, and Sir David Attenborough was the winner!:)

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 12:29 pm

Thanks, Dubs...it's good to know someone reads & enjoys these stories. If you're in the business, of course, you want to convert the entire world to environmentalism!

Sir David has been my hero for years! He and Alistaire Cooke shaped my ideas of how to use language.

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 6:36 pm

Parthenogenesis is an interesting method of producing young without sperm. Many insects and simple reptiles can do it...but this is the most complex reptile to do so, at least, to our knowledge.

Look here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16298548/