Stories related to: zoo

New Cub Could Out-Cute Knut

Der Spiegel  |  Jan 14, 08 1:50 PM CST

(Newser) - There’s a new polar bear in Germany, and Knut had better watch his back, reports Der Spiegel , because the Nuremberg zoo’s 2.4-kilo baby bruin is drawing international attention for being so gosh darn cute. Fans have sent 15,000 name suggestions since Friday, but for now she’s called “Flocke,” German for "snowflake." More »

New Cub a Web Sensation

Associated Press  |  Jan 11, 08 7:45 PM CST

(Newser) - The Nuremberg zoo's cuddly new polar bear cub still doesn't have a name, but it does have a website—and a fast-growing legion of smitten fans. "We're getting 15 emails with name suggestions every minute," said a city spokesman. For the time being, zookeepers have dubbed the cub Flocke, German for flake, the AP reports. More »

Zoo Will Raise Polar Bear Cub After All

Der Spiegel  |  Jan 9, 08 9:17 AM CST

(Newser) - The Nuremberg Zoo has reversed its wildly unpopular policy against hand-rearing polar bear cubs, reports Der Speigel . The zoo took the remaining cub away from its mother yesterday after she appeared nervous and started walking around her enclosure with the tiny animal in her mouth. Two other cubs died and were apparently eaten by their mother earlier this week, after the zoo refused to intervene. More »

Lawyer: Tiger Area Couldn't Hold a Tabby

San Francisco Chronicle  |  Jan 8, 08 10:20 AM CST

(Newser) - The lawyer for two brothers mauled in the Christmas Day tiger attack at the San Francisco Zoo has gone on the attack, the Chronicle reports. Mark Geragos yesterday slammed the zoo's "character assassination" of the brothers, claiming an employee warned the zoo that the moat around the tiger grotto "couldn't hold a house cat."  More »

Zoo Will Let Polar Cubs Die, Rather Than Raise by Hand

Der Spiegel  |  Jan 6, 08 6:06 PM CST

(Newser) - Officials at a Nuremburg zoo have vowed not to rescue the cubs of two polar bears who gave birth about a month ago, even though one is showing signs of disinterest in her offspring, leaving them to cry plaintively for long periods of time. Zoo officials say they don't want to replicate "Knutomania"—the public obsession with Berlin's celebrity polar bear orphan, reports Der Spiegel , and will let the cubs die rather than intervene. More »

Zoo Tiger Escapes, Kills Visitor

San Francisco Chronicle  |  Dec 25, 07 10:03 PM CST

(Newser) - A tiger escaped from its cage at the San Francisco zoo today and killed a visitor, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Two other visitors were attacked during the rampage, but they survived. The extent of their injuries was not immediately known. Police shot the tiger dead as it attacked patrons of a zoo cafe. Officials aren't sure how the tiger escaped.  More »

Thugs Skin Tiger in China Zoo

Associated Press  |  Dec 23, 07 7:45 AM CST

(Newser) - Officials are searching for the thugs who skinned and beheaded a rare Siberian tiger at a zoo in central China. The female carcass—missing its head, legs and skin—was found outside its pen in Yichang City in Hubei province. Four homemade anesthetic rifles lay nearby. "It is highly possible that the killers anesthetized the tiger, opened the cage and then dragged the animal out and butchered it," said one official. More »

Kidnapped Gorillas Go Home

BBC  |  Dec 1, 07 9:29 AM CST

(Newser) - For four rare gorillas who were illegally smuggled from their home in Cameroon five years ago, the long journey has finally come to an end, the BBC reports. The one male and three female Western Lowland gorillas are returning to the Limbe Wildlife Sanctuary in Cameroon after being sedated and crated for an 18-hour air trip from Johannesburg, South Africa. More »

Panda Couple a Model of Fertility

Associated Press  |  Nov 26, 07 10:35 AM CST

(Newser) - Suggesting that quality does best quantity, two of the most reproductively successful pandas in captivity meet—and mate—but once a year, the AP reveals. Since 2003 the San Diego Zoo's Bai Yun and Gao Gao have produced three cubs, a great feat for the endangered species. The youngest is to be named today, when she reaches 100 days old, following Chinese tradition. More »

'I Spy' With My Little Eye: an Elephant

Associated Press  |  Oct 31, 07 7:27 PM CDT

(Newser) - Robert Culp, best known for his 1960s TV show "I Spy," in which he starred with Bill Cosby, has sued the Los Angeles Zoo and accused it of being cruel to elephants. He seeks to stop the zoo from building a $40-million elephant exhibit.  A judge allowed Culp's suit to proceed, and his lawyer called it "a great day for elephants." More »

Lions and Tigers and Bears—Oh, My!

LiveScience  |  Sep 21, 07 2:16 PM CDT

(Newser) - Surprise, surprise—the deadliest animal is the mosquito! Carrying diseases like malaria, skeeters cause over 2 million deaths a year. LiveScience tells you what else to keep an eye peeled for: Mosquito Asian cobra Australian box jellyfish More »

Happy First Birthday, Mei Lan!

Atlanta Journal-Constitution  |  Sep 7, 07 3:16 AM CDT

(Newser) - Atlanta's Panda cub Mei Lan celebrated her first birthday yesterday, and her keepers invited local fans and Chinese dignitaries to her party. The guest of honor napped through the hoopla, even when the zoo president called the big day "one of the most significant" in the zoo's 118-year history. The festivities drew birthday wishes from as far away as London. More »

Panda Fever Takes Vienna

Associated Press  |  Aug 24, 07 5:58 AM CDT

(Newser) - After Berlin's paroxysms over the polar cub Knut, now it's Vienna's turn: the giant panda Yang Yang has given birth to a 3.5-ounce cub, the first born in Europe in 25 years. The birth was a complete surprise; Yang Yang had shown no signs of pregnancy during a recent ultrasound, but zookeepers detected squealing from her compound yesterday. More »

Snakes on a Plane! Almost!

Associated Press  |  Aug 12, 07 9:21 AM CDT

(Newser) - Flyers could have found themselves reliving the scenario of cheesy horror classic "Snakes on a Plane" had security agents failed to nab a passenger with carry-on bags of live snakes headed for a jet leaving Cairo. Agents found a large number of reptiles, including at least one cobra, after a puzzling security scan, AP reports. More »

'Male' Panda Gives Birth to Twins

Reuters  |  Aug 9, 07 3:18 PM CDT

(Newser) - A giant panda once thought to be male gave birth to twin cubs this week in China. Jinzhu was believed to be male at birth, but the panda showed zero sexual interest after being shipped to Japan in 2000 to breed with a female. When scientists attempted artificial insemination, they discovered that Jinzhu had no penis, Reuters reports. More »

Panda Attacks Zookeeper

Associated Press  |  Aug 7, 07 8:06 AM CDT

(Newser) - A zookeeper in northwestern China needed more than a hundred stitches after being scratched and bitten by a panda. The keeper was feeding the 2-year-old from outside the cage when the lovable bear grabbed his arms and started biting. The panda—Lan Zai —had recently been transferred from another zoo, and wasn't yet used to the keeper. More »

Zebrula Kills at German Zoo