It's almost time to commit that compulsory act of capitalism to show the person you're sleeping with that you'd spiral into a dark cellar of self-remorse if they ever left you! Sure, you could pick something up for Valentine's Day at your favorite, locally-owned and operated bodega, but to make the holiday really special, you need an exoskeleton. This year, the Bronx Zoo is yet again charging $10 to name one of their Madagascar hissing cockroaches, but for $15 you can buy an edible "Cocoa-Roach." 100% guaranteed to do something to your libido!
Just What Valentine's Day Needed: Hissing Cockroaches
Zoo York City: The Best Animal Stories Of 2011
Thankfully, 2011 wasn't only stuffed full of natural disasters, Bloomberg's nannying, global protest movements and sketchy politician scandals—it was also filled with adorable animals! Whether they were a terrifying creature washed ashore on Long Island Beach, sitting snuggly in a Baby Bjorn or being serenaded by a Mariachi band, some of our favorite stories of the year were about animals. Click through to check out some of our favorite critters of 2011.
Video: Bronx Zoo's Adorable Baby Okapi, The Result Of Painstaking Matchmaking
Today, the Bronx Zoo heralded its baby okapi, which was born five months ago, after a long, painstaking animal husbandry process. Okapis, who make their home in Congo's rain forest, are "giraffid artiodactyl" mammals—a child described one as a "zebra horse" in the NY Times, due to their half-striped bodies but they are more closely related to giraffes—and they are very close to being endangered.
Video: Adorable Baby Giraffe At The Bronx Zoo
If you head to the Bronx Zoo for some fall festivities, you may also see a super cute baby giraffe named James Marjani! According to the zoo, he was born on September 14 and "was approximately six feet tall at birth and estimated to weigh more than 100 pounds." Big baby!
Creepy Crawlies Invade Bronx Zoo For Halloween!
Halloween is just around the corner, and if you don't already have your costume prepared, step right this way for some natural inspiration. Check out these creepy crawlies who make their home at the Bronx Zoo, and remain diligently prepared for All Hallow's Eve, all year round. And check out the special "Boo at the Zoo" events all month, which include a maize maze, costume parade and pumpkin decorating (with bears?), and vote for the creepiest bugger on their site. The current winner? It's a dead heat between the African whip scorpion and the Goliath bird-eating spider—vote now!
Watch Bronx Zoo Bears Get Into The Fall Spirit, With Pumpkins
When we think of fall we think of a lot of things: Apples, cooler weather, leaves changing color and, of course, animals adorably playing with pumpkins. And what do you know! Just in time for the first day of fall (tomorrow), the Bronx Zoo has gone and released a new adorable video of some of its brown bears doing what they do with a batch of fresh pumpkins. Are you ready to see some really cute pumpkin eating, rolling and splashing?
UPDATE: Bronx Zoo Zoologist And Her Alligator Aren't Seeking Roommate
[UPDATE BELOW—turns out, it's not real]: A Bronx Zoo zoologist posted a Craiglist ad this morning, and it turns out you must love alligators if you want to move in to her Hoboken pad. While you'd only be sharing the apartment with one human, there is another roommate: A gator. A cayman from Zimbabwe named Keomba, who lives in a tank with about 24 inches of water.
Best Birthday Present For A Tiger: Meatsicle Or Calvin Klein Obsession?
When faced with the daunting task of buying a birthday present for a tiger cub, you may feel overwhelmed—would they really use a Waring blender? Have they seen Breaking Bad season 3 already? But when it comes to the Bronx Zoo's tiger cubs, no need to worry about which Stephen King novel to hastily giftwrap, since they can tell you exactly what these cubs really want: a delicious meatsicle! Or a knucklebone! Or...Calvin Klein Obsession!
More Rare LEGO Block Animals Spotted At The Bronx Zoo!
More photos of the Bronx Zoo's rare and exotic LEGO animals have popped up! The zoo has just unveiled their LEGO Wildlife Expedition, and it really is pretty amazing—click through for a look at their flamingos, a giraffe, and some frogs. Do they really make pink LEGOs now? Yes, yes they do—kids have it all these days.
The Bronx Zoo Gets Hip To The LEGO Craze
Everyone's getting LEGO'd lately, and now The Bronx Zoo has tamed their wild animals, by turning them into LEGO sculptures! Over the weekend the zoo unveiled their LEGO Wildlife Expedition, where visitors "can journey around the park with a Zoofari passport and enjoy special LEGO building activities and displays, with guidance from LEGO Master Builders on select weekends." You can get inspired by their own LEGO sculptures of tigers, spray toads, flamingos, gorillas, penguins, and more (but don't expect any library lions).
Black Mamba Wanted For Questioning In Woman's Death
Like Henry Walton Jones, we're not very fond of snakes—we're particularly terrified of finding one in the toilet. So why anyone would willingly live with them, let alone sleep mere feet away from them, boggles our minds. But one Putnam County couple did just that, living with 75 snakes, including 56 poisonous ones—and now, police suspect that one of those snakes killed one of the owners. “One of the strangest things I’ve ever dealt with since becoming sheriff of Putnam County,” Donald Smith told CBS.
Posada Sorry For Diva Behavior, Yankees Won't Punish Him
After sitting out Saturday's game, Yankees catcher Jorge Posada apologized to the Yankees organization. Posada was upset about being placed ninth in the lineup (his performance hasn't been great lately), but he apparently felt awful about his stunt— yesterday, he told nearly tearfully told reporters, "I just talked to [manager Joe] Girardi. I kind of apologized to him. I just had a bad day (Saturday) and, reflecting on it and stuff, it's all the frustration, it came out. I'm trying to move on."
Peahen Back In Captivity, What Will Escape The Bronx Zoo Next?
As we noted earlier, the Bronx Zoo peahen—after enjoying a couple days of freedom—has been recaptured by the zoo's handlers. Though as she explained on her Twitter, "I let them capture me so I didn't have to walk back." The Wildlife Conservation Society sent along this photo as proof that she's back in their care, pictured with Zoo Director Jim Breheny and Dr. Paul Calle, WCS Director of Zoological Health. They say she's "home safe and sound."
Bronx Zoo Peahen Still on The Lam Found!
[UPDATE BELOW] Yesterday a peacock, or as it turns out peahen, escaped the Bronx Zoo, and as of this morning it's still on the loose! HIDE YOUR FLOWER PETALS (because that is what they eat). This is the second escapee the zoo has seen this year, with Mia the cobra disappearing back in March. Following the snake's lead, the feathered one has started a Twitter (@BronxZooPeacock), saying: "The cobra gave me some escape tips. I'm a peahen with dreams of fame and fortune (seriously, Broadway, here I come!) that will not stand for nets and cages!" (Also, hide your cobras, because as it turns out, peafowl also eat reptiles.)
Peacock Escapes Bronx Zoo, Foils Would-Be Captors
Has the Bronx Zoo cobra Mia been a bad influence on her fellow jailed animals? A female peacock has now escaped the confines of the zoo and has been wandering the city since noon. According to the Daily News, three zoo workers have been chasing her down with a net but have thus far failed at capturing the bird. The trio did come close at Morris Park Avenue, just blocks from the zoo, where one handler hid in the grass and nearly netted it. A passerby told the paper, "This is so exciting. It's like I'm watching Animal Planet."
Video: Baby Zebra Terri At The Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo just shared a photograph and video of its new Grevy's zebra goal—her name is Terri and she was born earlier this year. Terri is the first zebra born at the zoo since 2003 and the zoo says, "She spends her time running around her exhibit but never strays too far from her mother, Tara, and her father, Jimbo. Zebra's stripes are brown at birth and gradually turn black as the animal matures." Aww.
When Will Bronx Zoo's Cobra's Adoring Public Be Satisfied?
Ok, enough is enough. Her escape from her cage was clearly a cry for attention, but how hard will she have to work for your love? The Bronx Zoo's formerly escaped Egyptian cobra, Mia, made her debut at the Reptile House yesterday, and apparently it was just too lackluster for some. "I'm disappointed there's not a Twitter terminal next to the cage," bitched one visitor.
Debutante Bronx Zoo Cobra Will Be Introduced To Society Today
You thought it was over when she was found. You thought it was over when she got a name. But no, the saga of the Bronx Zoo's cobra will never end...until she makes her formal debut to society. The Bronx Zoo will officially reopen the Reptile House today, and she'll get her own plaque. Will these 15 minutes never end?
That'sss All Folksss: Bronx Zoo Cobra Officially Named "Mia"
It was barely two weeks ago that the Bronx Zoo Cobra escaped from her cage and slithered her way into our hearts. Since then, we've had a lot of fun keeping track of her Twitter updates, making snake puns, and trying to come up with a name for her. The results of that naming contest are now in, and she will forever more be known as...Mia. As in "missing in action." Hey, at least it wasn't Wanda. She tweeted her lukewarm response to the news: "So, the vote is in. They want to name me Mia. But in my heart I'll always know that my true name is Mrs. Justin Bieber."
Cobra Naming Contest Down To Five, None Of Which Are "Wanda"
After getting over 28,000 submissions for names, the Bronx Zoo and the Daily News have narrowed the competition to name the Bronx Zoo's formerly-escaped Egyptian cobra down to five names. The good news is Wanda didn't wind up in the mix, but the bad news is that nobody went for Hissni Mubarak. Here are your choices:
C'mon, Wanda Is The Best Cobra Name You Got?
Yesterday, the Bronx Zoo and the Daily News announced they were conducting a naming contest for the Egyptian cobra that "escaped" from the Reptile House and straight into our hearts. And so far, the names are pretty lame. Suggestions include Loosey, Twitter and Wanda, "because of her travels." Zoodini ain't bad, but what else is out there?
And Now It's Time To Play Name That Snake!
When you start pulling April Fools jokes with Ryan Seacrest it's definitely a sign your 15 minutes are almost up, but the Bronx Zoo's cobra isn't going down without a fight! Or at least a name. As we noted last week, the Egyptian cobra that went missing within the Reptile House doesn't have a name, and apparently our nickname of "Everyone's Nightmare" didn't catch on, so the Bronx Zoo is running a naming contest with the Daily News.
Fangs For The Memories: Bronx Zoo Cobra Returns Home
After nearly a week of panic and pun-filled stories, Cobra Watch 2011: Black Adder's Revenge—A Bronx Zoo Tale! has finally come to an end. The Egyptian Cobra who had gone missing last Friday was found "alive and well" yesterday by Bronx Zoo employees inside a nonpublic area of the zoo’s Reptile House, not far from where she disappeared. The two-foot-long lady is back in her cage now, but she wrote us that she was plotting her escape once again: "I plan to rally my Bronx Zoo Cobra Nation and send a clear message that I, even while incarcerated, can reach outside this Reptile House and make my presence known."
What Animals Should Escape From The Bronx Zoo Next?
Now that the Bronx Zoo Cobra has been found, there are probably going to be plenty of other zoo animals that want to escape after hearing her tales from the outside... even if she never made it very far. So with that, here is our pre-approved list of animals that can escape the zoo for a few days.
UPDATE: Missssssssssssssing Bronx Zoo Cobra FOUND!
It's been a long and harrowing six days of Cobra Watch 2011: Asp-ergers Syndrome—Escape From Bronx Zoo!, but the vigilante cobra who left a city paralyzed with fear has now been found! Wildlife Conservation Society officials are expected to announce that they have recovered the 20-inch long Egyptian cobra that escaped last Friday, a source told Fox 5. [Update Below]
Missing Cobra Still Missing, But Everyone's Mostly Cool With It For Now
We're now on Day 6 of Cobra Watch 2011: Crisis In The Bronx—Zootopia Shrugged! Ever since a deadly, black, 20-inch Egyptian Cobra went missing from the Bronx Zoo last Friday, people have been terrified of the prospect of a live snake slithering through the city, as well as bemused by its charming Twitter account. But between the hilarious headlines and maps of her celebrity tour of NYC (which you can see below), are we all developing a collective case of sssstockholm ssssyndrome?
Bronx Zoo's Cobra Will Only Emerge For Marketing Opportunitites
Bronx Zoo staffers are apparently trying to lure the missing Egyptian cobra out of her hiding space by creating "warm spots" and setting traps baited with live mice. But did they really think that after this much attention she'd emerge for mice? No, this girl won't be happy until she's a brand. Some entrepreneurs have already started an "I Egyptian Cobra New York" line of clothing and accessories on CafePress, so that's a start, but come on CBS, where's the pilot for "Two and a Half Cobras"?
Well, Someone's Touchy They Can't Find Their Missing Cobra
It's been four days and the Bronx Zoo's Egyptian cobra is still venomous, and still missing. And now that the story is national news, the zoo's PR is all pissy! In an updated statement, they write, "We understand the interest in this story and that everyone wants us to find the missing snake. Right now, it’s the snake’s game. At this point, it’s just like fishing; you put the hook in the water and wait. Our best strategy is patience, allowing her time to come out of hiding." Aww, it's a girl!
Bronx Zoo's Escaped Cobra Has A Face!
In case you were wondering, that Egyptian cobra is still missing from the Bronx Zoo, but now we at least know what it looks like! The zoo recently uploaded this photo to their press release about the Reptile House closure. Cute little guy! We've contacted the zoo to see if he has a name, but for now we'll just call him "Everyone's Nightmare." And now you can follow him on Twitter!

