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Animal Blog Find out about the animals and "Behind the Scenes" information of the Blank Park Zoo from the Zookeepers that care of the animals.
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Spring time at the Zoo |
Apr 23, 2008 |
A lot is happening around the Blank Park Zoo these days:
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The Japanese Macaques have now taken up residence in their new state-of-the-art holding building.
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The newly remodeled Safari Grill is being finished up in the next couple of weeks.
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Repairs are being made to the railroad track and the train engine.
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New people barriers are being installed around the tortoise exhibit.
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Repairs are being made to the African Boardwalk and the Sea Lion Deck.
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The new Sea Horses are on display now. The permanent display will open in a few weeks.
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New signage replaces some of the old "school" signage that hadn't yet been replaced.
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Much, Much More!
Thanks to all the volunteers who came out last Saturday to help clean up the Zoo! |
07:32 AM
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Animals on the move in the fall |
Oct 03, 2007 |
Fall is the time of year zoos do the majority of their animal transfers. In the fall we can avoid hot weather and get transfers done before temperatures get too cold.
An animal transfer is when one zoo sends an animal to another zoo. The mode of transportation depends on the size of the animal that is traveling. Most birds, small mammals, and small reptiles can be shipped on airplanes, usually on a regular passenger flight. Blank Park Zoo received 6 green-winged doves in September that way. The special containers in which the birds traveled were stowed in the cargo hold with the luggage and other parcels.
Larger animals can be shipped in special crates in a cargo plane. A few years ago the Blank Park Zoo picked up a snow leopard at the Kansas City Airport. The cat flew in a special crate from Virginia on a cargo jet.
Large hoofstock travel in special trailers built to accomodate them. Recently we sent our yearling giraffe, Jabulani, to the Niabi Zoo in Coal Valley, Illinois, near the Quad Cities. The trailer he traveled in was 13' 6' high. This gave him plenty of head room and made loading easier as Jabu is around 10' tall.
A few days previous we sent our yearling bongo, Radi, to the Virgina Zoological Park in Norfolk, Virginia. The trailer Radi traveled in looked much like a standard stock trailer, but the sides were solid and special air vents had been installed. Antelope species, such as bongo, will quiet down and travel better in a dark envirionment. Virginia Zoo reported that Radi was relaxed and lying down when the trailer was opened for unloading.
There are many different ways of moving animals, all with the focus on the safety and comfort of the animal that is traveling. |
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10:37 AM
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Former Pets at the Zoo? |
Oct 02, 2007 |
Ring. Ring.
“Hello, the Blank Park Zoo, how may I help you?”
“Yes. I have python. He has grown too large for my house, I am wondering if you would like him for an exhibit?
“Yes. I have a lion … a green iguana … a parrot … a bear.”
The list goes on and on. Several times a week, the phone will ring at the Blank Park Zoo, and someone will have an animal that they can no longer handle and are surprised to find out that a zookeeper is unable to come right over to their house and pick it up.
The reasons the Zoo is unable to accept these animals are many. In the case of larger animals, the Zoo simply doesn’t have the proper enclosures and space ready made to accept a large animal such as a bear. Enclosures to handle potentially dangerous animals have to be well thought out for the safety of the viewing public and the animal. Many times an enclosure that a private citizen might use in the country will not stand up to the many buildings codes that are enforced in the city which makes building an exhibit very expensive.
Many of the animals at the Blank Park Zoo are part of an SSP or a species survival plan. These plans track the ancestry and the genetics of animals in all zoos and make recommendations on which animals should go to other zoos for breeding purposes. This will ensure the species will continue on and not become extinct. Animals without the proper ancestry are therefore not allowed to mingle with the SSP animals. So if the Zoo were to take a former pet bear, for example, it wouldn’t be able to bring in other bears and breed them to ensure future generations would have bears, it would just be able to keep that single bear in an expensive enclosure all by itself.
A third reason the Zoo can’t take pets is because if it did, it would just encourage the practice of taking WILD animals as pets which would mean the problem of what to do with these animals would grow larger.
So remember when you go to the Zoo, you might want to think of the disclaimer they say on TV, “Don’t try this at home.”
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04:18 PM
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Feeding the Giraffe |
Jun 26, 2007 |
Feeding the giraffe is one of the coolest things visitors can do during a trip to the zoo. It''s really impressive when a 14' tall 2000lb. animal walks to within a couple feet, where a visitor is standing, and lowers it's head for a treat. That's why the zoo created the program to give visitors interesting facts about giraffe and the opportunity to actually feed the animals. The treats are ry-crysp crackers and the giraffe readily take them from the visitors' hand through a barrier.
Some visitors give in to the temptation to tear off branches from trees and shrubs to offer to the giraffe from the Boardwalk. And our giraffe know how to work a crowd. We ask that you not do this for a couple reasons. First, it distracts the giraffe from going to the feeding station for the scheduled programs. Secondly, visitors may unknowingly offer the animals a plant that may be toxic. And lastly, with over 325,000 visitors coming to the zoo each year, if everyone took a branch from the surrounding trees there would little if any shade left!
On your next visit to the zoo, please stop by the giraffe feeding station at 11:00. 1:00 or 3:00 and get an up close experience with the world's tallest animal. |
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05:16 PM
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Farm animal babies are arriving! |
Jun 12, 2007 |
Everyone enjoys the antics of new babies...and the Blank Park Zoo has plenty! This spring and summer, the BPZ's original "Contact Area" is being converted into the all new "Kid's Kingdom". The first phase was to re-build the animal interaction aspect and through a partnership with Boarding House Farms new animal feeding experiences abound! the famous Koi Dock is still the main attraction, but now you can feed a 1500 pound Hindu Brazilian Zebu, a miniature horse, miniature donkeys, Gulf coast sheep and Nigerian Dwarf Goats! And...you can even "pan" for emerald stones in a new mining sluice! With the new design, the goats can travel from pen to pen over bridges up above visitors heads. In keeping with new health guidelines, the animals are more contained and the visitor decides how much "interaction" there should be...no more goats in the strollers! The second phase, coming June 20 - 24th, is a community-build animal themed playground. We feel these improvements may make the Kid's Kingdom the most popular place at the zoo for young families!
But I mentioned babies...in the last 7 days, we've had 3 trumpeter swan cygnets, 7 piglets, and twin Nigerian goats all come to life! Plus we are expecting even more goat and possibly a camel birth in the days to come! You can see them all in the new Kid's Kingdom... |
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09:21 AM
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Cold Weather/Tigers/Blank Discovery Center |
Jun 08, 2007 |
2/7/2007
The recent cold weather makes caring for outside animals more difficult for the zookeepers...however, some animals that are adapted to Northern environments exhibit behaviors only seen at this time of year! Japanese Snow monkeys, Snow leopards, sealions...and of course, the Siberian Tigers are out and about...in fact, January -April is the breeding season for the tiger. Our pair (Kavacha - male; Goldy - female) have a recommendation to reproduce from the Tiger Species Survival Plan (SSP) committee. All tigers in American Zoo and Aquarium (AZA) accredited zoos manage their tigers as one population. Pairings are determined by the committee to ensure that genetic variability and equal representation of the original founder animals is maintained. When the female is in estrous (about 5 days/cycle) she will spend about an hour with the male twice a day...male and female tigers naturally live separately their entire lives except during this time. Recently, we let the pair out in the exhibit together...quite a sight in the white snow! It is important to know that this pair has not been able to successfully reproduce before and we are currently doing fecal hormonal analysis to determine if indeed the female is ovulating...time will tell...everyone is hoping for an eventual successful pregnancy and birth of a cat speices at Blank Park! We have an excellent facility for this as the Tom and Jo Ghrist Great Cat Complex opened in 1999.
I encourage folks to visit the zoo in the winter...the crowds are less and the outside viewing is special. You can always warm up in the tropical Blank Discovery Center (a normal 75 degrees!). Inside we've recently added new species of free-flight birds...one in particular, the Rothchild's peacock pheasant, has never been exhibited at Blank before! More on the birds later...
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12:35 PM
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Upcoming animal transactions |
Jun 08, 2007 |
Upcoming animal transactions
3/12/2007
Mid-March's warmer weather means....soon we will be able to ship live animals by air (day time temp has to be above 45 degrees)! We have several transactions in the works for this spring. Some are SSP (species survival plan) moves: one of our male gibbons will go to the Indianapolis Zoo to be paired up for breeding and we'll receive a male ring-tailed lemur to add to our display group. As an AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) facility, we participate in several national breeding programs. Rare animals managed by an SSP committee are usually not bought and sold, as they are owned collectively by all AZA zoos. However, transportation and pre-shipment test costs are often significant. Other transactions in the works: we'll send a pair of Weid's marmosets to the Alexandria Zoo, three pairs of green-winged doves from the San Diego zoo, two alligators from Gatorland, and six blue poison dart frogs from the Como Zoo.
Plus, the surprise for the summer...two Bald Eagles! The Blank Park Zoo has not displayed a large bird of prey in over 20 years! The two adult, non-releasable eagles will be coming from the Baltimore Zoo on loan from the US fish and Wildlife Service.
Plus...there are always a few babies born right here at the zoo...I'll keep you posted!
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12:34 PM
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