The Little Rock Zoo Dumps another animal

Then maybe they shouldnt be having all of these huge apes in such a tiny confinement. Why let mom have another one. Gorillas will cover hundreds of miles per day and here they are stuck in tiny little cages at night (I have seen their cage and actually held this baby gorillas hand) and then during the day about 1/2 acre. No wonder these gorillas die of heart attacks at young ages. They get no excersize!!!!! They already had a Gorilla die, in the past 2 years. This is abuse as far as Im concerned. They give us this bullshit that they are perserving the species. Don't they understand that they are preserving nothing if they can't live the way they are sppose to.

Primate Keeper Daphne Pfeiffer and Kristin Harris were the keepers there when we arrived with our chimpanzees, Mikey and Louie. Daphne was one of the keepers that were "SUPPOSE" to be taking care of our little Chimp Louie, who passed away THERE at the age of 6 years old. These people do not know what they are doing with the Apes. Most of them have no education in the species they care for. I hold Little Rock Zoo, Daphne Pfeiffer and Kristin Harris responsible for the death of a very healthy little chimp. OUR CHIMP! LOUIE!

Daphne Pfeiffer is also the one that insisted that we let our chimps out of their carry cages so her and Kristin could see the chimps. More like play with them. Daphne walked all around the dungeon they call a inside habitat (actually under the ground) with Mikey my 7 yr old on her back. She walked and showed him all around. They were giving each other kisses on the mouth and playing. While Daphne was having fun with Mikey, Kristin had Little Louie (NOW DEAD), and was playing with him.

Now you tell me. Does this sound like people that are professionals or people that work there because they like to play with the animals but then on their other side of their face, they tell the public that Chimps should not be pets. Um.......

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The first gorilla to be born at the Little Rock Zoo is leaving home.

Zoo officials say 5-year-old Mosi will eventually start to challenge his father, Fossey, for dominance in the family group and must be moved to keep the peace.

Primate keeper Daphne Pfeiffer told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://bit.ly/GQlDWP) Mosi probably won't really challenge his father until he is 8 or 9, but employees are beginning to see some irritation on the part of the females toward him. He'll be 6 on Oct. 10.

Primate keeper Daphne Pfeiffer told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Mosi probably won't really challenge his father until he is 8 or 9, but employees are beginning to see some irritation on the part of the females toward him.

Officials are going to ship him off to the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, where he'll join a bachelor group.

Gorillas live in family groups consisting of a mature male, several females and their young.

Mosi' mother, Sekani, will have a baby this fall.
Story Credit Here

The Little Rock Zoo is Predjudice against adopted children

By: Lauren Trager, KARK 4 News

Updated: March 18, 2012

A mother claims her family was discriminated against at the Little Rock Zoo Sunday because her children are of mixed race and adopted.

Dana Newman, who is white, says her family drove more than three hours from Salem, AR to visit the zoo. Her family includes two adult biological children and 9 adopted children, only 1 of whom is white, the rest are of other races.

When they arrived at the zoo gate, Newman says, because her kids don't look like her, they were told they couldn't use the family pass without proving they were really a family; the employee at the gate even asked to see adoption decrees.

Newman says they were held up for more than half an hour, their children growing more upset as other families were let in around them.
"There was a couple behind us and I asked them, are you going to ask for a birth certificate for that child? I mean, that's insane," Newman said.

Eventually, a supervisor allowed them in. Zoo officials say they've been having a problem with day care centers abusing the family pass system, so employees may have been trying to verify that the Newmans were not in fact a business.

We spoke with the Zoo Director. He apologized and said they would likely be doing some sensitivity training for employees in the future.
Story Credit and video Here

The Little Rock Zoo Made the worst Zoo List - Yeah

For those of you readers that are new to this site The Little Rock zoo had 2 of my ex-chimps, one if which, Louie at the age of 7 passed away in their care!  He was still a baby. Never sick one day in his short little life. We love you Louie Louie. I have been trying to get the other one out of there (have a place for him) before he dies also. In the past 3 years they have has 2 infant chimps die, one adolescent, and a gorilla. I hope  this brings awareness to not only the elephants but also the Chimpanzees!
I HATE this zoo for allowing my little chimp to die. He was cared for with a vet that specializes in Reptiles! For Goodness sake/ if you scroll down you can read all of the posts about our little Louie and the uncaring way they told us about him. Our hearts are broken to say the least. We thought they would be well taken care of. My other chimp, Mikey is still being housed all by himself after 2 years. I believe they have no idea what they are doing. Sometimes it just seems as though no one cares. I even contacted Bruce Wagman of the aldf (whom I thought was a friend of mine and cared for all animals,) BUT he wasn't interested in helping me get Mikey out of there where he could be safe and with other chimps. The place where he should be I have been there dozens of times and actually placed a monkey there who is thriving with his female friend.

If anyone can help my little chimp who I love soooo much please contact me through this blog. The writer of this article, if you would like to know some of the real truth about this zoo, I'm the one to tell you. I would be more than happy to tell you everything from my own experience and things that were told to me by one of the caretakers of the zoo. Just google my name for my history.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Catherine Doyle, 323-301-5730, Catherine@idausa.org

Little Rock, Ark. (January 17, 2012) – The 2011 list of the Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants, released yesterday by In Defense of Animals (IDA), once again exposes the hidden suffering of elephants in zoos, where lack of space, unsuitably cold climates and unnatural conditions condemn Earth’s largest land mammals to lifetimes of deprivation, disease and early death. The list is in its eighth year.

A promising trend toward the closure of inadequate elephant displays continued in 2011 and includes zoos that have appeared on IDA’s annual list. The most recent are the Central Florida Zoo and Southwick’s Zoo in Massachusetts. The Toronto Zoo’s appearance on the 2009 list sparked a campaign that led to the closure of that exhibit in 2012. This brings the number of zoos that have closed or will close their elephant exhibits to 22, and zoo experts expect that number to rise.

The Little Rock Zoo appears for the first time on IDA’s list with the following entry:

Little Rock Zoo (Arkansas) – Two’s not a crowd. After the death of Mary in 2011, IDA urged the zoo not to seek a cage-mate for remaining elephant Ellen but to instead close its outdated exhibit and send Ellen to a spacious, natural-habitat sanctuary. Instead, the zoo recklessly rushed in two older elephants acquired from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus – even though Ellen and one of the elephants were predictably incompatible – in order to meet the required AZA minimum of three elephants. Ellen died less than a month later, and the zoo found itself with two elephants and again out of compliance. With a shortage of elephants in zoos, it’s only a matter of time before this zoo is forced to end its elephant program. It should save Little Rock taxpayers some money and the elephants a lot of misery by ending its elephant program now.

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park (California) earns yet another dishonorable mention, and the San Antonio Zoo (Texas) becomes the newest inductee into the Worst Zoos for Elephants Hall of Shame, a special honor reserved for the worst repeat offenders.

Another result of IDA’s relentless advocacy for elephants in zoos has been the creation of an historic management policy by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The new policy calls for an end to handling that requires keepers to share the same unrestricted space with elephants. If the AZA is serious about enforcing this policy, it will facilitate an end to the use of the bullhook, a weapon used by keepers to threaten and often inflict painful physical punishment.

“IDA’s Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants list illustrates the many serious problems that condemn elephants to lives of misery in zoos,” said IDA Elephant Campaign Director Catherine Doyle. “These include abnormal repetitive behaviors, hyper-aggression, social isolation, and deadly conditions such as foot and joint disease caused by lack of space and movement.”

“Scientific research has shown what elephants need: space to walk miles every day, large families with whom to spend their lives, and rich natural environments,” said Doyle. “Caging elephants in zoo displays is not humane and it is not conservation.”

For more information, please visit www.HelpElephants.com.


Contact: Catherine Doyle, 323-301-5730, Catherine@idausa.org

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization located in San Rafael, Calif. dedicated to protecting animals’ rights, welfare, and habitat through education, outreach, and our hands-on rescue facilities in India, Africa, and rural Mississippi.
Story credit here



_____________________________________________________________________________



IN DEFENSE OF ANIMALS • 3010 KERNER BLVD. • SAN RAFAEL, CA 94901 • 415-448-0048

Is Little Rock Zoo Hiding Something? Is Steve Ross a fake!

Well folks as can read from previous e-mails, we entrusted the Little Rock Zoo with both our juvenile chimps, Mikey and Louie. Louie has passed away at the age of 7 years old!!!!! How in the world does a small chimp that we raised from 6 months old, DIE? He was such a healthy chimp. God, chimps in the wild don't even die from what they said he had. Mikey is in a cage all by himself. They haven't even gotten him in with a chimp family yet. For goodness sake private owners could have had that done already.

We contacted the State Attorney General of the state of Arkansas, and they refuse to give us the information? Why do you suppose that is when they are "suppose " to honor all FIOA's. Perhaps the little rock zoo had something to do with that? Hiding something Little rock zoo?

There have been 2 main caretakers for the Chimps, one of which is named Kristin.
She was "suppose" to give us an update on the chimps whenever we asked for one. It was an agreement that we had made BEFORE we even allowed the chimps to go there. So... for the first year Kristin would give me those updates. Then all of the sudden she stops. We accepted the fact that perhaps she was tired of it. THEN, Louie dies and we get a very unemotional e-mail telling us because she knew I would hear it through the media. So why was that promise broken? We didn't even get a phone call when Louie was sick.

I tried to get Mikey transferred out of there through Steve Ross. I had a really nice sanctuary that was willing to take him that have other chimps. I have been to this sanctuary dozens of times. If you don't know who Steve Ross is google him. He use to experiment on chimps and now he thinks he's this great scientist, writing books about their behaviour. What about all of the chimps you infected with diseases, that you watched day in and day out sit in tiny little concrete cages with no enrichment, house by themselves and tortured. Now why would he have the right to have a different view about the chimps. You either love them or you don't. Steve Ross has increased his career on people like myself, Jeanne Rizzotto and other private owners. Steve Ross told me that if I helped out their cause with not owning Chimps as pets that I would be apart of the SSP's special program. (I am not going to write the name I don't want him getting any recognition anymore from me.) I was excited about this program because it would have been with other private chimps. I agreed since my chimps were gone. UM I wonder if he promised Jeanne Rizzotto the same thing?

My husband wrote to Kristin at the little rock zoo on her PERSONAL e-mail account, not her's at the zoo on November 4th. We get an e-mail back from the director at the Little Rock Zoo named Mike Blankey stating that Kristin doesn't work there anymore. First off, how did her e-mail get to him? Did she send it to him? Secondly, is it true that Kristin isn't working there anymore? or did Mike Blankey lie? If Kristin isn't there doesn't it seem odd that after working at the Little Rock Zoo for many years, why would she leave a short 2 months after Louie passes away. So... Was Kristin fired? did she leave because of Louie? Is Mike Blankey lying?, and if so Why?

My next post will give you information on the day we dropped the chimps off, who got bit, and what little chimp got a few of his toes bitten off when in transfer from one zoo to the Little Rock Zoo. Stay tuned. You see I just don't care anymore about telling the truth of the secrets I hold when it comes to the entire placing Mikey and Louie at the Little Rock Zoo. I will also go more into detail about the type of person Steve Ross is, along with posting some of his uncaring e-mails to me during our bereavement time.

Here are the e-mails from Mike Blakely at the Little Rock Zoo



From: Blakely, Mike [@littlerock.org]


Sent: Monday, November 14, 2011 3:30 PM

To: Gregg Harrison

Subject: FW: Chimp Response Mr. Harrison, I just wanted to let you know that Kristin is no longer a keeper at the Little Rock Zoo. By the way, Mikey is doing fine. Mike Blakely





From: Blakely, Mike

Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2011 3:15 PM

To: 'gharrison@amsred.com'

Subject: Chimp Response Mr. Harrison, The Little Rock Zoo is appreciative of the donation of Mikey and Louie to the Zoo. Both have received the best of care while in our custody. It is very unfortunate that Louie passed away, but his death was not due to any lack of care from our Zoo staff. The Zoo will continue to provide excellent care for Mikey, just as it does for the other chimps and all our animals at the Zoo. Thank you for your interest in Mikey’s welfare and for your support of the Little Rock Zoo. Mike Blakely, DirectorLittle Rock Zoo

The Little Rock Zoo has no answers for us about our Chimp Louie dieing! Nor do they care!

So many questions and no answers
by Greg Harrison

It has now been over 2 weeks since we received the email informing us of Louie’s passing, and while the grief, emptiness, and sadness is still unbearable at times, in those moments when we have some time to ponder lucid thoughts, all we are left with are many, many questions….and no answers.

Judie has always given you, her readers across the globe, the opportunity to probe and discuss while learning about apes and monkeys ion ways no other site on the internet provides. Her point of view is like no other, as we have owned primates, worked with primates, and when challenged with the ultimate questions that have confronted so many private owners before us – “What do you do when you know they can’t be with you any longer?” – We answered with what we thought at the time was the correct thing to do – and we placed them.

Here is a link to the story that was posted on the internet - fed by a press release by the PR folks at the zoo – and not really reported on. Take a quick second to read the link below, and then save the link so you can follow along with the tale:

http://www.katv.com/story/15298888/zoo-sadly-reports-loss-of-louie-the-chimp

Now that Louie has passed on from this world, and we have begun the grieving process, this blog would like for you readers to take a few minutes and ponder the questions that are running through our collective brains today:

1. Why weren’t we informed that Louie was sick? Why weren’t we asked for any of the “gen etic records” that the press release claims that could have “aided in the diagnosis” of Louie’s disease?

2. The zoo knew where the chimps were born. We discussed that with them at length before they went there. Why didn’t the zoo veterinarian call the facility, or us, to discuss her needs?

3. What resources did the vet tap into across the world for help with Louie’s condition? Did she call the CDC? Did she call the NIH? Was there any investigation into this condition?

4. The following link, easily found in a 30 second search on the internet, quotes a world renowned researcher, Dr. Alessio Fasano at the University of Maryland “"Apes, monkeys and chimpanzees rarely develop autoimmune disorders…” – so why was the zoo veterinarian convinced that what Louie had developed was indeed an AID?

http://www.physorg.com/news171565111.html

5. Was there an environmental trigger at the zoo that, if Louie had been born with this condition would have triggered his response? We find it very coincidental that this same zoo, in the past three years, has had three infants die, and now 7 year old Louie die. Chimps are very hearty, durable animals. Louie had maybe had two colds in his whole life before he got to Little Rock. He had a great appetite, was as strong as an ox, and in this picture taken at the zoo in June (found on Flickr by us last month) he looks pretty good – maybe even a little heavy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30866950@N07/5915794195/sizes/o/in/photostream/

6. Lastly – we have asked the USDA to investigate the treatment and care that Louie received from the zoo in the past several months. Now we know by reading this blog that this poorly run governmental agency has had its own disagreements with Judie and I – but we must try to find a way within ourselves to trust the system to do the right things and investigate his death the right way. We promise to keep you readers informed of the progress of things from here on out, and we are going to be working on a tribute site to Louie where readers will be able to see many pictures of Louie, his media work, and some real good stories that we will share with you.

Thank you all for your readership

Louie Our Chimpanzee Dies at the Little Rock Zoo

My husband Greg wrote this for Louie. I still can't write anything. The tears come down so hard I can't see.

"Our youngest son died yesterday morning. He was a week and a day short of his eighth birthday. The email said that he had an auto immune disorder that he had been fighting for several weeks, and that the doctors and the care staff had made every effort to save his little life, but, as they said in the email, it just wasn’t meant to be.

So sad that these people that had truly come to know our son would seem so indifferent to the only mother and father he had ever known when they described his passing to us. They fed, played, and cared for him for almost three years, and I believe in my heart that they had come to love him too, but not like Judie and I did.

We met Louie on Christmas Eve in 2003. The owners of the facility where we had adopted his brother, Mikey, sent us an email with a picture attached of a fuzzy little baby boy. He was 4 months old at the time. They said in the email that we just had to have him – that he was going to be small and was very lovable. We fell in love that cold Christmas Eve, and three months later he was home with us.

Louie was a very special son. He was smart, kind, gentle to all living creatures, and had a wonderful disposition. He loved his Vitamin Water and his Saturday morning pound cakes. He loved puppies and his big brother. He loved bellies – fat or skinny, old or young – he never met a belly he did not love. He bottle fed bear cubs, baby monkeys, and even a few children. But most of all, he loved Judie and I. He touched tens of thousands, maybe millions of lives. He performed at schools, nursing homes, colleges, people’s backyards, and on the television. He worked with Conan, Human Giant, All Time Low, and for Oprah. He was the face of Monkey Butt Powder, Citizens Bank, and at times the powerful Philadelphia radio station WMMR.

But in our lives, he was just our little Boo-Boo – the cutest little snaggle- toothed sweetest chimpanzee that anyone will ever know. Judie and I loved him with all of our heart, and all of our soul. In the last few months that the chimps lived with us, our hearts were broken because we knew that as they got older and stronger, our ability to keep them safe from harm and all of the world’s dangers were quickly coming to an end and that we needed to find for them a place where the dangerous world we live in would not bring them harm, and Little Rock Zoo offered them a sanctuary of sorts. They would be safe, and they would be together, and they would never have to leave. That was less than three years ago. Now Louie is gone to this mysterious disease, and Mikey is left all alone, missing his baby brother. Our hearts ache for the loss of our Louie, but they ache more for Mikey’s loss of his true best friend and his companion of over seven years.

I missed Louie every day as I went about my life since the chimps left, as familiar things I would think of or see would bring back the sweet memories of our time together. Just walking through a grocery store would take me back to things they love, and then it would take hours sometimes to shake off the emptiness that I would feel after seeing a simple container of pudding on a shelf. It has been said that losing a child is the hardest thing any parent will ever have to face, and now we understand. The hurt is profound, and the sense of loss is unbearable. We love you little Boo Boo, and we always will. Please watch over your big brother as he searches for your soul in the wind. We are sorry we couldn’t have been there to help you in your time of pain and suffering, and for that I will never forgive the people that we entrusted your care to – as they never even told us you were sick. We will cross our celestial paths once again in whatever lives there are beyond this one, and I will look for you to give me your biggest hug and shake your little butt for me as you did here on earth.

Louie My Chimpanzee has died at the Little Rock Zoo SOOOOOOO SAD!!!

This is probably the hardest and the most hurt we have ever felt in our entire lives. This to us is like losing a child. A child that was only 7 years old and had at least 40 more years with his brother Mikey.

This will be brief, for now. My husband and I will be doing a nice segment on Louie when we are able to stop feeling such great lose and hurt. Please check back.

One of the two loves of our lives has passed away at the Little Rock Zoo.

I entrusted this zoo to take care of Louie and Mikey, my ex-chimps, but now Mikey is alone and Louie at the age of 7 years old is gone and Mikey is still not with the troupe even after 3 years.

I am working on some angles with Mikey which at this point I can't disclose.

Because Mikey and Louie did allot of jobs in the media, they met allot of people that loved them. I'd like to give anyone the opportunity to e-mail us with your comments, stories of yourself and Louie or just to say goodbye to a wonderful, sweet little chimp.

You can e-mail us at

louiethechimp at gmail dot com

or you can post a comment here on this post. Thank you.

We love you Louie and you will always be our hearts.

Any media that would like to interview me I would be more than happy to tell you their story at the Little Rock Zoo. You can e-mail me at the same e-mail addy listed above.

Oklahoma City Zoo has problems keeping their Male Chimp in his enclosure!

This chimp has escaped his enclosure a few times already to end up in a dry moat. I always thought that moats were "suppose" to be filled with water! Chimpanzees really hate the water which would probably stop this dominant male from going in there. When chimps, either male or female are being attacked by another member of the troupe they get so frightened that a fence is NOT going to stop them. When will this zoo do something about this before he or another member actually gets out in the public? Where are their safety precautions?
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Dispute sends Oklahoma City Zoo chimp into moat again

Mwami, the alpha male chimp at the Oklahoma City Zoo, spent about half an hour in the moat surrounding his habitat after a fight among the chimp troop.
A male chimpanzee at the Oklahoma City Zoo jumped over an electric fence and into the dry moat surrounding his habitat Friday afternoon.

Dispute sends Oklahoma City Zoo chimp into moat again Zoo officials issued a code red about 11:20 a.m. Friday, zoo spokeswoman Tara Henson said. A code red is issued when a dangerous animal is out or has the potential to be out of its exhibit.

Some zoo visitors were escorted indoors until officials determined Mwami could not escape the moat and therefore was not a threat, Henson said.

Mwami was allowed to use a cargo net to climb back into the chimp habitat.

The entire incident lasted about half an hour, she said.

Mwami went into the moat four other times between Aug. 30 and Oct. 8. He has never had the ability to escape, Henson said.

Each incident was preceded by fighting in the chimp troop.

Zookeepers have been monitoring the chimp troop even more closely since Mwami began going into the moat, said Jennifer Davis, supervisor of the zoo's Great EscApe. Officials have been rearranging the chimps into smaller groups to observe their interactions.

Mwami is the dominant male in the group, but breeding issues have sparked disagreements within the strict social hierarchy, Davis said.

Mwami is recommended to breed with two females in the troop: sisters Abby and Kito.

He prefers Kito, the younger of the sisters, Davis said. This angers dominant female Abby, who then lashes out at Mwami and sometimes enlists the help of other chimps.

Davis said she thinks Abby might be put on birth control to tame her anger and dull her desire to breed with Mwami.

The good news, Davis said, is that chimps are quick to forgive. The animals will reconcile and even hug after fights.

“They're quick to make up,” she said. “It's incredible to see.”
Story credit Here

Baby Sloth and Patas monkey born at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo

Syracuse, NY – The Rosamond Gifford Zoo is pleased to announce the birth of its 44th Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth. Ocabo (Oh-cob-oh) was born on February 9; he is the son of Bite Lip and Beauregard. The name, Ocabo, comes from a Latin American word meaning “head,” and was chosen because of the young sloth’s exceptionally large skull. After some initial supplementation from zoo staff, Ocabo is thriving and can be seen on exhibit with the other sloths.

Because the zoo maintains a hands off approach with primates, it was several weeks before officials were able to determine the gender of the baby patas monkey born on January 7. The long-awaited answer? It’s a girl! She has been named DJ in memory of a long time zoo employee who recently passed away.

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park is among the top 10 percent of zoos in the country as an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and is focused on conserving, exhibiting and interpreting a living animal collection in order to promote public recreation, understanding of the relationships between animals and people, and action to sustain the environment we share.

To view Rosamond Gifford Zoo's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to: http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-473-Rosamond_Gifford_Zoo

Committed to conservation, the zoo actively collaborates with Friends of the Zoo to save endangered Asian elephants, Amur tigers, golden lion tamarins and amphibians, which are facing a global crisis due to the Chytrid fungus. Other projects include studies on Chittenango ovate amber snails, Turkmenian markhors and Humboldt penguins.
Story Credit here

Haloko the 44 year old Gorilla Dies at the National Zoo- So sad!

The National Zoo's western lowland gorilla, Haloko, died today. She was 44.
Haloko, the western lowland gorilla.
Haloko was the zoo's oldest gorilla, and the only one born in the wild, the zoo said in a news release. She was euthanized because of declining health that compromised her quality of life.

She had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure after a routine physical exam on Dec. 1. That condition means the heart can no longer pump enough blood through the body, and is common in western lowland gorillas, the zoo said.

"Over the past two days, the keepers noted that Haloko's condition deteriorated significantly, and Zoo veterinarians along with curatorial staff made the difficult decision to euthanize her," the news release said.
The zoo provided the following background:
Haloko came to the Zoo in December 1989 on loan from the Philadelphia Zoo after having lived at the Bronx Zoo. In 1992, she gave birth to the Zoo's only silverback, Baraka, although a different female, Mandara, in the family group raised him. Haloko's cargivers considered her to be a very complex character who was self-sufficient, patient and very tolerant of the antics of the juveniles in the group.

(Photo: National Zoo)
The Zoo's western lowland gorillas live in one group at the Great Ape House. The Zoo currently has three males and three females on exhibit, including a female baby born Jan. 10, 2009. Western lowland gorillas, which are native to tropical forests of West and Central Africa, are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, primarily due to habitat loss and fragmentation and poaching. In captivity, gorillas can live up to 56 years of age; median life expectancy is closer to 30 years of age.
Story and Photo Credit Here

Jack Hanna the Director at the Columbus Zoo has baby gorilla die

CAN YOU SAY EXPLOITATION? When entertainers as what I use to do do something like Jack Hanna does PETA and other animal welfare groups are all over us, though a director at a zoo can do it. CAN YOU SAY HYPOCRITE? I CAN BIG TIME!!!!!!!

Information;
John Bushnell "Jack" Hanna (born January 2, 1947) is an American zookeeper who is the Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. He was Director of the zoo from 1978 to 1993, and is viewed as largely responsible for elevating its quality and reputation. His media appearances have made him one of the most notable animal experts in the United States. Hanna, nicknamed “Jungle Jack,” is known for his khaki safari outfit, deep tan, and Southern accent.

 Life and career Hanna was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. He grew up on his father's farm outside Knoxville, and volunteered for a veterinarian when he was 11. He attended The Kiski School, an all-boys boarding school in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, for high school, graduating in 1965. He majored in business and political science at Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio, where he got in trouble for keeping ducks in his dorm room and a donkey in a shed behind his fraternity house (The M.A.C.E. Club).

His senior year, Hanna married Suzi, a cheerleader at Muskingum, and graduated in 1969. Though unable to secure zoning as a zoo for his father's farm, the two opened a pet shop and petting zoo. In 1973, a three-year-old boy was mauled by a lion at Hanna's farm and lost his arm. Hanna settled the subsequent lawsuit out of court, shut down the petting zoo, and moved his family to Florida[citation needed]. He then worked for a wildlife adventure company and directed the small Sanford Zoo and Central Florida Zoo from 1973 to 1975. When he was offered the position at the Columbus Zoo in 1978, one of the reasons he accepted was because he believed the Children's Hospital in Columbus had the best treatment available for his daughter Julie's leukemia. She recovered by the age of six, though she needed to have a brain tumor removed later in life.

At the time he became the zoo's director, the grounds of the zoo were unkempt and the facilities run down. Hanna initially struck many as a "zealous" zoo director, often traveling around the zoo grounds after closing to personally pick up trash. He also realized the importance of increasing the profile of the Columbus Zoo in central Ohio to get more public support and funding, and the "everyman"-seeming Hanna proved to be very well-suited to public relations for the zoo. From 1981 until 1983, Hanna hosted a television show called "Hanna's Ark" that aired on the local CBS affiliate in Columbus, WBNS. Hanna's live animal demonstrations on Good Morning America and both of David Letterman's talk show incarnations brought national attention to the Columbus Zoo as well as to Hanna himself. Over the course of Hanna's tenure as director, the zoo made the transition from cage-like enclosures to habitat environments, and the grounds were significantly expanded. The annual attendance of the Columbus Zoo increased by over 400% during this time.

Jack Hanna poses for a photo with Skulls Unlimited International's Michelle Hayer.Hanna has published an autobiography, Monkeys on the Interstate in 1989, as well as many other books for children. He has been the host of the syndicated television show "Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures" since 1993. Hanna also occasionally contributes commentary as an animal expert on various local and national news programs, and has done guest spots on other shows such as Larry King Live, Nancy Grace, Maury, and Hollywood Squares. He was also named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" by People magazine in 1996 http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20122069,00.html. Hanna also appeared in Neal McCoy's 2005 music video for "Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On" with a Hyacinth Macaw, a sloth and an albino burmese python. Hanna, along with Emmy-award winning musician Mark Frye, released an album through Virgin Records in 1996 entitled Jack Hanna's World.

Hanna and his wife, Suzi, have three daughters: Kathaleen, Suzanne, and Julie. He spends much of his time at his home in Montana, where he expects to retire soon. Hanna has been granted honorary Ph.D.s from Muskingum College, Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio, and Capital University in Columbus, Ohio.
Facts found here
Article about the baby Gorilla that died at his zoo

Baby Gorilla dies at the Columbus Zoo-Jack Hanna

This is the zoo that the great and mighty Jack Hanna works. As you can tell I don't care for him too much. First off if any one's ever watched him on David Letterman and he is asked questions, some of the time he either doesn't know the answer or it's incorrect. He pays people like I use to be to meet him places with their animals so he can show off and make money for their appearances. Notice how he always has baby animals. Why aren't those animals with their mothers? I know because entertainers live off of the money these people will pay to see them for ratings for their shows. Alan Green wrote a book that tells in detail all about Jack Hanna

Now, about this baby gorilla. First off I don't understand why the Louisville Zoo couldn't make accommodations for this little gorilla and her mother! Instead they take her away from her mother, send her to the Columbus Zoo with no mommy and not knowing anyone. That in itself is so sad. Then  she gets sick with "flu like symptoms " on March 3rd, now 14 days later she dies!????? I don't understand why some of these zoos wait sooooooo long when they see an Ape sick to get the vet in there. The vet should be called immediately and should be out there the next day. For god sake this is 2 for them this year so far and it's only March. Maybe someone should be checking up on this Zoo and their vet and care staff!
Just look at her sweet face. What a shame a real shame!

Here's just one bad thing about Jack Hanna and you can certainly find more on the net. What does this tell us about the quality of the zoo employees, caretakers and upper management. If you really want to know the truth about animals in the entertainment and zoos, you really should read the book Animal Underworld. I found some of the information in there that I had actually seen in person, and have met some of the people mentioned in his book.
Jack Hanna here

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Misha, the baby gorilla who was brought to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium for special care after she lost a leg, died this morning.

Zoo veterinarians and "people" doctors operated on the year-old gorilla yesterday. She became ill with flu-like symptoms March 3, and condition worsened, said zoo spokeswoman Patty Peters.

Surgeons found and repaired a perforated bowel but Misha died several hours later.

Peters said a necropsy -- animal autopsy -- will be performed, but doctors said an intestinal infection likely caused the bowel perforations.

Misha was born Feb. 6, 2010 at the Louisville Zoo and lost part of her left leg during an interaction with other zoo gorillas there. She moved to Columbus in May, and in August she was placed with Pongi, a female gorilla who became her surrogate mother.

Misha's hip was injured a week later when she became stuck in a climbing structure. When that healed in October, she returned to live with Pongi and a group of gorillas.

Misha is the second Columbus Zoo gorilla to die this year. In January, Lulu died at the age of 46 after she began having seizures.
The zoo now has 15 gorillas.
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Baby Langur born at Sydney's Taronga Zoo

He's about six weeks old, bright orange and very inquisitive.

Sydney's Taronga Zoo's latest family member makes his first public appearance. He's a baby leaf eating monkey called Keo-Co

Taronga Zoo in Sydney on Wednesday presented the latest addition to its Francois Langur monkey family, a baby male called Keo-co (pronounced Key-co).

Born to mother Saigon and father Hanoi, Keo-co made his public debut by exploring his outdoor enclosure and was brave enough to move about a metre away from his mum.
"When the keepers are around and he's in his den he'll stick his head out and have a look."

Keo-co's bright orange fur is quite a sight but he won't retain that vibrant colour forever.

"His colour will gradually start changing, starting with his extremities, his tail, his toes, the tip of his head until eventually - at about six months - he will be completely black with just a tiny bit of white on his face," Ms Pellatt said.

Little Keo-co is lucky that his mother has taken to him.

Just two years ago Saigon gave birth to a female Langur and things didn't turn out quite so well.

"Unfortunately Saigon didn't know what it was and she was scared of the baby. The keepers had to step in and raise it," Ms Pellatt said.
"We called her Elka and she lives in another enclosure now with a male we imported from Beijing, Bobo.

However, Saigon had some help this time from another female Langur called Meili.
"The two mothers take care of him - Saigon is the primary care giver but when she needs a break Meili takes over, they take it in turns," Mr Pellat said.

"Consequently, we have named the infant `Keo-co' which is a traditional game of tug-of-war played in the villages of Vietnam," she said.

The monkeys are native to Vietnam and China and Sydney's Taronga Zoo, is the only zoo in Australia that has the species.

"He's amazing to look at and it's not often you would get to see a mother Langur with her baby in captivity," Ms Pellatt said.

An endangered species,there are potentially less than 1,000 Francois Langur monkeys left in the wild.

"They are still hunted for bush meat and they're also used in traditional medicine," Ms Pellatt said.
Story and Photo Credit Here
This is a full grown Langur:

Mike the Chimpanzee passes away at the Hamilton Zoo- SO SAD

A chimpanzee at Hamilton Zoo passed away after undergoing major surgery yesterday in an attempt to save his life.

The chimpanzee named Mike had his right arm amputated during a five-hour surgery, after the limb was discovered to be infected.

Hamilton Zoo director Stephen Standley said the infection occurred after the tip of the middle finger on Mike’s right hand was bitten off during an altercation with another male chimp last week. This altercation is part of typical chimp behaviour as the males of the troop compete to prove who is more dominant.
“Staff first suspected Mike had sustained an injury last Wednesday [9 March] after noticing that he was not using his right hand when he returned to the chimp house to go to bed that night. While the keeper was unable to view the extent of Mike’s injury at that time, the next morning the chimp was examined by the zoo veterinarian who confirmed that he had lost the top of his right middle finger, including the nail bed,” he said.

The vet prescribed a course of antibiotics and pain relief, however the wound became infected and this infection soon spread, meaning amputation of the right arm was required. While gas gangrene was confirmed, the causal agent is unlikely to be determined since Mike was on antibiotics.

Mr Standley said while it initially appeared hopeful that Mike would come through yesterday’s surgery, he wasn’t able to fully recover from the anaesthesia and passed away about 8.15pm.

“Mike is a much loved member of the Hamilton Zoo family and it has obviously been a distressing time for us to firstly see him go through this major surgery and then secondly be unable to recover from the surgery as we would have hoped,” he said. Hamilton mayor Julie Hardaker said Mike’s loss will be felt strongly by many at this time.
“Mike is going to be sorely missed by staff and visitors, and certainly by the other members of the chimpanzee troop,” she said.

This morning the chimpanzee troop will be given access to Mike’s body so they can spend time with him, recognise that he has passed away and go through the natural grieving process.

The vet will then do a full post mortem on Mike before his body is cremated. Mike was born on 10 October 1973 at Taronga Zoo in Sydney and transferred to Auckland Zoo in June 1982, before moving to Hamilton in October 2004. Together with long-term partner Lucy, Mike parented the zoo’s other two male chimps, Lucifer and Luka.

Mike’s death comes just months after the passing of another Hamilton Zoo chimpanzee, Suzie, who died in November, aged 46.
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Lio, Male Chimp gets 2 new females at the Chapultepec zoo

A female chimp gazes adoringly at her mate.

Kenya and Aby at Chapultepec Zoo
She is one of two shy female chimpanzees who were presented to an outgoing male chimp at Mexico City's Chapultepec Zoo this week in the hope they will breed.

Fourteen-year-old Kenya and 15-year-old Aby were brought from Wameru Zoo in the Mexican city of Queretaro. They will stay with a 26-year-old male chimp, called Lio, at the zoo for a period of five years.

Lucky Lio has been living at Chapultepec Zoo since 1996.

Environment Minister Marta Delgado told reporters the female chimps are in excellent health and have shown great enthusiasm and interest in Lio. She is optimistic the threesome will successfully breed.

"The coupling has been successful. It's not easy. A chimpanzee who has lived alone for many years, or with other companions, now receives two new mates," she said. "It's a complex process which has been monitored carefully by zoo personnel and fortunately they have now become a new family."

The coupling has been closely monitored by veterinarians. Both female chimps have now become romantically attached to the male.
Any births resulting from the mating will be shared between both zoos.

"The first-born will belong to Chapultepec Zoo and the second one will belong to Wameru Zoo and so on. This agreement is valid for five years, but it could last longer. If it's successful and we see there is reproduction of these animals, we'll probably extend it," said the director of the capital-area zoos and wildlife, Jose Bernal Stoopen.

Chimpanzees are genetically the closest living relatives to human beings. They share more than 98 percent of our DNA.
Scientists believe the precursors to chimps and humans split off from a common ancestor about 7 million years ago.
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New baby Bolobus Monkey born at the Illinois Zoo

The Niabi zoo is celebrating an addition to its family. The zoo in Coal Valley, Illinois released this photograph Monday of a baby black and white Colobus monkey, born on February 9th. It's the third baby for the mother.

The new baby has been named Hank by the zookeeper staff. They say the other monkeys in the troop have started to serve as baby sitters.

You can see baby Hank for yourself, weather permitting, when the zoo opens for the season on March 14th.

Also, look for an appearance by several zoo animals during an interview Friday on the News at Noon.
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North Texas Zoo has intruder and dead monkey found

GAINESVILLE — A small monkey was found dead at a North Texas zoo following a break-in by vandals over the weekend.

Gainesville police spokesman Sgt. Belva McClinton said Tuesday that authorities don’t know what caused the death of the cotton-top tamarin at Frank Buck Zoo.

She says police have identified three juvenile suspects in the vandalism, but are still investigating and have made no arrests. The intruders broke in sometime after closing Friday at the zoo about 70 miles north of Dallas.

Zoo director Susan Kleven tells the Gainesville Daily Register that the vandalism included oil poured on all-terrain vehicles, a discharged fire extinguisher and damage to some exhibits. She says a turkey vulture had broken feathers.

Kleven says a necropsy will determine the monkey’s cause of death.
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Suco, the 21 year old Chimpanzee escapes and now resides at the Kansas City Zoo

Readers, this chimpanzee was bred and sold by Connie Casey Braun of the Missouri Primate Foundation. I also have to chuckle when I type foundation because Connie Casey braun is strictly a Chimpanzee breeder and taking the poor babies to birthday parties. in other words folks, Connie lives off of her chimpanzees, they support her even though they are in small indoor cages. ( I have photos of her inside enclosures)

This Chimp was bred from Susie and Coco the chimpanzees. Well if you remember, years ago Susie was the one that Jason Coats in Missouri shot dead! Coco, the breeder was brought over from Africa and breed all of the females until he died a few years ago at the Missouri Primate Foundation. When he died Connie Casey Braun buried him in her yard along with a Zebra that hung itself because they put it in a chimp cage with netting. There are many other chimps buried out at that property. I know that Coco and Susie were her breeders, both of my ex-chimpanzees father was also Coco. So you see folks nothing ever comes out good when it comes to the babies that are stolen by Connie Casey Braun. For some examples, Mikey and Louie, my ex-chimps, Travis, Timmy, Susie, Connor, Kramer and Moe. This is why they should not be bred, babies stolen from their moms, forced to live like humans and ones dieing from either boredom, child birth or sickness.
SHAME ON YOU CONNIE CASEY BRAUN, GET A HEART AND A CONSCIENCE!!!!!! Better yet get a real job, go out and make money off of yourself and give those chimps sanctaury.

For the people that want their chimp back, do some reading on the Travis case and don't think your chimp isn't capable of doing the same thing, because she is!!!!

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When Sueko arrived at the Kansas City Zoo in October she was overweight, accustomed to a human lifestyle.

The adult chimpanzee rode along with a trucker and his girlfriend and apparently enjoyed a diet heavy on people food.

Sueko carried quite a pot belly when she arrived at the zoo in October.

Now she’s eating fruits and vegetables — and has lost weight.

“She looks good now,” said Liz Harmon, general curator at the zoo. “She looks like our other girls. She was pretty chunky.”
But Sueko remains in a tug-of-war between Kansas City and the people who claim her.

The city confiscated the animal after she escaped from Mark Archigo in October and ran rampant in a residential neighborhood near 78th Street and Indiana Avenue. It was not the first time Archigo was in trouble because of Sueko.

The city has charged Archigo and Deborah Kaumans with keeping or harboring a nonhuman primate within the limits of Kansas City. But Archigo and John Michael Oyer, who claims to own Sueko, want to get back the chimpanzee they have raised since she was a baby.

The zoo is a much different life from the one Sueko had been living. She reportedly was toilet-trained and traveled with Archigo, sleeping on a second-tier bunk in the cab of the semi, police have said.

Despite Sueko’s new diet, the 21-year-old still has a long way to go before fitting in with the rest of the chimpanzees at the zoo. Officials won’t try to assimilate her until her legal status is resolved. They’ve been down that road.
“Because of the strong social bond and how difficult it is to get chimps together, it’s equally hard on them to separate them,” said Zoo Director Randy Wisthoff. “We wouldn’t even think about that process until we knew for sure whose property she was.”

Sueko has spent time at the zoo before. She was sent there in 1995 after being accused of biting people. Zookeepers introduced her to a young male and reported that she was making progress.

But Archigo threatened legal action, and the city returned Sueko to him after he promised to keep her outside the city limits.

After that, Oyer said, Archigo gave up his half-ownership in Sueko, leaving him as full owner. Archigo could not be reached for comment.

Oyer believes the city has “illegally confiscated his property” and that her time in the zoo is “undoing years of hard work and training.”

Oyer and Archigo bought the chimp in 1989 to start a tree-trimming service called Monkey Tree Service. Oyer said city codes at the time allowed “temporary animal display acts,” which he believes made it legal to keep Sueko in the city. But five years later, Oyer said, the city changed its codes to outlaw chimps without a special permit, and the city refused to grant him a permit.

“We already had her here,” he said. “We should have been grandfathered in.”

Oyer said the city is “forcing him to file a lawsuit” to get back the chimp, whose name he said is spelled “Suco,” a combination of her parents’ names of Susie and Coco.

Now, as zookeepers wait for a new court date, they report that Sueko — the spelling in city files — is doing well.

“We have seen no health issues with her,” Harmon said. “We’ve not seen any behavioral issues with her.”

It only took about 10 days to get Sueko to start eating vegetables.

She works well with her keepers, presenting her hands and feet for inspection when prompted. She still prefers to sleep on a blanket instead of building a nest of hay as the other chimps do, but that’s not a big deal, Harmon said.
The real test will come if and when zookeepers are confident the chimp is at the zoo to stay. Then they can try to introduce her to the others. Integrating her could take weeks, months or even years.

Assimilation among chimps is not just a matter of introducing new playmates. The powerful apes have strict social hierarchies and are aggressive in enforcing them.

“Chimps can kill each other,” Harmon said.

The Kansas City Zoo has 15 chimpanzees, not counting Sueko, that live in two groupings. Two older females keep each other company and the rest are part of a single troop on exhibit. Sueko would not only have to find her place within that troop but also learn what is — and isn’t — expected of her.

“They’ve got a very complex social structure, and she doesn’t know what all that stuff is,” Wisthoff said. “She’s sort of in a reversal of the boy who lived with wolves.”
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Need your pet exotic animal to be placed somewhere? March 12th the Zoo Miami will take them

I certainly hope that this zoo will not put primates back in the hands of private owners regardless if they have a USDA license!!!!

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​Riptide recently moved, and as with every move came a long hard look at our possessions: what were we taking with, what was being donated somewhere, and what was to be shown the dumpster. Of course, as we understand is normal, we stressed over what to do with our vast private collection of exotic animals. Do we really need that Capuchin monkey anymore? Was it time to downsize our inventory of Burmese Pythons from six to just two? And what about the Fennec Foxes we keep in the guest room? Luckily for people having similar problems Zoo Miami will take those extra exotic pets off your hands on March 12th.

In conjunction with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Zoo Miami will host an event on March 12th between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in which citizens can surrender unwanted exotic pets.
The aim is to keep the animals from being otherwise released into the wild and messing up Florida's delicate ecosystem.

In turn, most healthy animals surrendered will be available for adoption by qualified owners.
The Sun-Sentinel reports that at the event held last year, about 70 animals were surrendered including 8 Burmese pythons, 16 red-eared sliders, two parrots and a monkey.
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Baby Lion Tamarin Monkey born at the Santa Barbara Zoo

A bright orange golden lion tamarin has been born at the Santa Barbara Zoo. This is the second viable birth at the Zoo of this small endangered species of monkey from the Brazilian rainforests (called “GLTs” by keepers).

Adult GLTs weigh about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds and are roughly ten inches tall, with tails up to 15 inches long. The infant is currently about the size of a C-battery and spends most of its time clinging to its mother’s back. It appears to be in good health and will be examined by the Zoo veterinarian when it is old enough, to determine its sex, weight and other medical details. The Zoo has exhibited GLTs since 1983.

This is the second birth for a new female GLT, who arrived last year from the Potowatami Zoo (Indiana), and the Zoo’s resident male. A male offspring was born in June 2010. The golden lion tamarin family are on view in their exhibit near the Train Station. They have free access to their inside, off-exhibit area and may not be visible at all times.

“We are thrilled to be able to contribute to growing the captive population of GLTs,” said Sheri Horiszny, Director of Animal Programs. “This also gives last year’s offspring a chance to learn how to care for a newborn, which helps prepare him for future offspring of his own.”

About Golden Lion Tamarins
Golden lion tamarins were first described to the European world by the Jesuit Pigefetta, chronicler of Magellan’s voyage who described them as “beautiful simian-like cats similar to a small lion.” But they aren’t lions – they are small monkeys.

GLTs have silky, golden coats and manes around a dark face, giving the lion-like impression. They live in the forest canopy, above the forest floor, in the lowland forests of southeastern Brazil. They face huge challenges in the wild as more than 99 percent of their forest habitat has been cut down for lumber, agriculture and housing.

Adults are monogamous and share in the care of their young. Upon birth, the young climb atop their mother’s backs, leaving only to nurse. An infant does not have to leave its mothers back to nurse – her teats are almost under her arm pit, so they just slide under her arm. Both parents are involved in raising the young, who are weaned at approximately 12 weeks.
GLTs are among the most endangered mammals on earth. Deforestation and habitat loss have relegated the golden lion tamarin to a small region in eastern Brazil. In fact, almost all golden lion tamarins found in U.S. zoos, including those at the Santa Barbara Zoo, are actually considered to be on loan from the Brazilian government.

Golden lion tamarins are part of a Species Survival Plan (SSP) organized by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums in which accredited member zoos and institutions collaborate to manage the population of endangered species.

In addition, golden lion tamarins were one of the first species that zoos were able to successfully reintroduce to the wild. Captive breeding by zoos was integral to the success of the reintroduction effort. Though the Santa Barbara Zoo’s infant GLT isn’t identified to go to the wild, “this birth brings attention to their story in the wild,” adds Horiszny.
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