The Z-Letter Archive » Zoos

THE LEOPARD AND THE MOUSE

Matthew Cobb — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:33:22 +0000

These photos were taken early in summer 2009 by photography student Casey Gutteridge at the Santago Rare Leopard Project in Hertfordshire, England. The leopard – a female called Sheena – discovered a visitor in her enclosure:

Intrigued by the mouse, the cat sniffed the visitor:

The mouse didn’t seem too concerned and carried on eating:

Although we generally think of mice as granivores, many rodents will eat virtually anything (plastic, candle wax etc), and are quite happy to eat meat, although not necessarily under the gaze of a leopard…

h/t: Cathy McCrohan and Jo Butler

ANOTHER ON-LINE MUSEUM

Matthew Cobb — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:56:54 +0000

November 2007

The University of California Museum of Paleontology has loads of material on-line. Well worth a mooch around. Try identifying the mystery fossil!

HAPPY ORANGS, GRUMPY HUMANS?

Matthew Cobb — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:23:36 +0000

September 2007

I hope you were impressed by the new Orang house at Chester Zoo. I thought it was fantastic, and the Orangs seemed happier (that was also the impression of the Birmingham Uni final year project students who were studying their behaviour after the change of enclosure). But the public is apparently unhappy – the Zoo has had loads of complaints that they aren’t marooned on their island any more, so you have to wait a few minutes to see them….

BLUE PLANET SUICIDE

Matthew Cobb — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:09:20 +0000

September 2007

You may remember the massive Amazonian Arapaima (callled Harry) from your visit to the Blue Planet Aquarium. Well this year, it wasn’t there. A couple of months ago it managed to escape by jumping out of its tank – all 2m of it! – and sadly died, flopping on the floor. It has been sent to the Natural History Museum in London, where it turned out to be a female… Click here if you don’t know what I’m talking about.

BELUGA BIRTH!

Matthew Cobb — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:50:10 +0000

September 2007

Does what it says on the tin! BBC news video – may not play outside UK.

AHHH – MORE BABY ANIMALS

Matthew Cobb — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:46:04 +0000

March 2007

A tabby tiger. Honest. BBC news video (may not play outside UK).

AAHH. MORE CUTE BABY ANIMALS

Matthew Cobb — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:24:58 +0000

March 2007

Twin baby giraffes. BBC news video here (may not work outside UK).

GETTING ZOO ANIMALS TO MATE

Matthew Cobb — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:04:37 +0000

March 2007

Radio 4 programme about the difficulties faced by captive breeding programmes, in particular for the white rhino. Can be downloaded as MP3.

CUTE BABY PANDAS

Matthew Cobb — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:02:32 +0000

March 2007

Skanky baby pandas, multiple baby pandas, sneezing baby panda.

FATAL FROG FUNGUS

Matthew Cobb — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:47:44 +0000

February 2007

This from Annya Smyth, currently on placement:

“I stumbled across this article all about a mysterious killer fungus which is rapidly wiping out frog populations around the globe. I am working with frogs (albeit dead frogs, ) and I saw this. I had no idea the devastation this fungus was causing and just thought that as it is a hot topic at the moment it would be good to broadcast!!”