Finally, something to fill the Tazo-sized hole in our hearts: the Prospect Park Zoo debuted three new otter pups to Brooklyn! And they're adorably roly-poly, as you can see in the video below:
1
Results tagged “zoo”
Video: Three ADORABLE Roly-Poly Otter Pups Debut At Prospect Park Zoo
Cute Babydoll Lamb! Also, NYC Zoos Launch Spring-Summer Hours Weekend
March is almost over, which means that the Wildlife Conservation Society's zoos and aquarium will be starting their spring-summer hours! Here are the times:
The Bronx Zoo Closes Down The 111 Year Old Monkey House
The Monkey House at the Bronx Zoo is now officially closed. If you are sad about that, maybe recalling that the Monkey House used to house an actual human being will help those tears dry up (yes, in 1906 a Congolese pygmy named Ota Benga was part of the exhibition there). Anyway, the zoo closed the doors to the Monkey House after 111 years of activity; it's the second oldest building on their grounds (and it's landmarked, so you don't have to worry about it getting torn down).
Videos: You Know You Want To Watch These Animals Opening Presents At The Zoo
It's the most wonderful time of the year... when we get to see animals opening up colorful Christmas presents at the city's zoo. Last year we saw a polar bear in Central Park open up a gift box containing fishsicles and fruit (what, no bloodsicle?), and this year the Wildlife Conservation Society offers up the below videos. They show Prospect Park's dwarf mongooses unwrapping gifts of mealworm treats, and bears in the Queens Zoo digging into their specially wrapped peanut butter!
Move Over Meatsicles, Tigers Like To Cool Down With Bloodsicles
If you're a tiger, or a vampire, there is one way to cool down while getting nourishment: bloodsicles! While at the Bronx Zoo they're enjoying meatsicles and blocks of ice, Today reports that bloodsicles are all the rage at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and the Minnesota Zoo. A supervisor at the latter says, “It's kind of gross, but they like it."
Is Gus The Widowed Central Park Polar Bear Sad?
Can everyone go and give Gus the polar bear a little love this week? The Central Park Zoo bear lost the love of his life, Ida, last week, and he's already been depressed enough in the past, being dubbed the "bipolar bear." Now CityRoom reports that Gus is all alone, and and expert tells them, “For any animal that forms a close bond with another one, there would be some sense of loss.” Ida was his companion for 24 years.
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."
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.
Code Red: Leopard Vanishes At NJ Zoo
Yesterday morning at about 10:45 a.m., an Amur leopard named Megan went missing at New Jersey's Turtle Back Zoo in Essex County. According to NJ.com, the animal hid out of sight and her caretakers couldn't find her anywhere, so a "code red" was issued and zoo gates closed, as patrons were moved to safe areas. Turns out she was just hiding behind a retaining wall in a zoo service building, and was never amongst the general public. She was spotted there about 45 minutes later, and the zoo was opening their doors again by 11:30 a.m. Megan the leopard, who has been at the zoo for four years, was then sedated and taken to an animal hospital for evaluation.
Video: Budget Cuts Could Leave Animals In Charge
Forget the British and American versions of The Office, the Wildlife Conservation Society wants to show what an animal-run office is like. As a follow-up to their viral hit last year, featuring a porcupine getting laid off after budget cuts, they present: "A Beaver Took My Job."
Alert: Cute Baby Goat In Central Park Zoo!
Usually any goat news we hear about has to do with one of the animals wandering around the streets of New York. But today the NY Post reports that the Central Park Zoo has just welcomed a cute new baby goat to its family.
Queens Drug Den Discovered to be Wild Animal House
A drug bust in Springfeild Gardens led cops to a homemade zoo inside a home housing three geckos, two marmosets, three tarantulas, a monitor lizard, a snake, a baby caiman and two iguanas. Animal control was called in to bring in the illegal animals along with seven adult pitbulls, a bulldog and a puppy pitbull with cropped ears. An 84-year-old man who lives nearby said, "This is a nice block. Sometimes things like this happen, but I'm not leaving." [via NYDN]
Bronx Zoo Gets First Hyenas in 30 Years
Despite rumors of animal layoffs, the Bronx Zoo has actually added two new animals: the first hyenas they've housed in 30 years. CityRoom reports that the brother and sister were shipped from the Denver Zoo in May, and are now available for viewing. They note, "The hyenas are also part of a managed program. The 17-month-old twin cubs were born on March 3, 2008, in Denver to parents named Ngozi and Kibo. The female hyena’s name is Kubwa, Swahili for 'Big,' because her head is bigger than her brother’s. The male’s name is Kidogo, Swahili for 'Small.'" They are being housed next to the African wild dogs, who allegedly used to be confused for hyenas by visitors, even though the Zoo curator says hyenas are more closely related to cats. Yes, just think of them as 250 lb, 4-foot-tall cats.
Bronx Zoo, NY Aquarium Face Layoffs
There's more bad news for New York's animals, and the humans that take care of them: The Daily News is reporting that Bronx Zoo and New York aquarium staffs are facing layoffs in light of the proposed budget cuts. "As many as 130 staffers could be laid off," they told the paper, who reiterates that "The Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs the facilities, is facing $15 million in government funding cuts from its $103 million annual budget this year, and the state will cut off all funding in 2010." The layoffs will hit everyone (and the porcupine was already let go), from administration to sales to groundskeeping—sending both union and non-union employees to the unemployment office. The news was delivered to staff yesterday by WCS President Steven Sanderson, who told the paper that, in the end, if they can't afford to keep the animals, "then we have to try to find a better place for them."
Happy Halloween from NYC Zoo (and Aquarium) Animals
Happy Halloween! Warning: These videos of various animals at the Wildlife Conservation Society's facilities may be too distractingly cute.
Landlord Want to Evict Tenant Over "Zoo Conditions"
Move over Crazy Cat Ladies of New York, a West End Avenue tenant may just have you beat. The Post reports that court papers have been filed by a building owner against 71-year-old tenant Jacqueline Bartone, calling her apartment a "zoo" and listing the pets that reside with her -- including three dogs, several reptiles and cats, "and as many as a dozen birds, including an African Grey parrot and a macaw parrot."
« Previous
1
Next »
send a tip
tips@gothamist.comsubscribe
Use an RSS reader to stay up to date with the latest news and posts from Gothamist.