Freitag, 23. November 2012

T-Day Treat for Axhi and Jim...




 Gestern war Thanksgiving Day in Amerika, für Jim und Axhi, 2 Grizzly Bären im Brookfield Zoo gab es deshalb etwas Besonderes. Die beiden Bärenbrüder wurden 1995 als Waisen gerettet, kamen erst nach Angoon/Angoon Alaska und leben nun in der "Great Wilderness Exhibit" im Brookfield Zoo.-

Jim, a 17-year-old grizzly bear at Brookfield Zoo seems to be enjoying his own turkey this Thanksgiving Day. Jim, and his brother Axhi, were orphaned in 1995 and were rescued through a cooperative effort among the zoo, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and residents of Angoon, Alaska. The two grizzly bears can be seen at Brookfield Zoo's Great Bear Wilderness exhibit.
 

 Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving Day in the US...

Source:
All photos: Brookfield Zoo

Sonntag, 18. November 2012

Sonntagsausflug....Bears & Boats

Young Grizzly seen at Katmai National Park in Alaska

Heute ist Sonntag und deshalb beschäftigen wir uns heute mal mit Bootsausflügen. Nicht nur in Alaska gibt es Grizzly Bären, die wie oben Lust auf eine Bootspartie haben. Auch Sergey Gorshkow traf einen in Russland, doch es sieht ganz danach aus, als ob er seinen Ausflug verschieben musste.-

Today is Sunday and what better thing to do than a boat ride? Not only in Alaska there are grizzly bears with a liking for outings like this. Sergey Gorshkow met one too in Kurile Lake in Russia, but it looks as if this one had to postpone his boat trip... .

Photo: Sergey Gorshkow

Photo: Sergey Gorshkow

Photo: Sergey Gorshkow

Kurile Lake, in Kamchatka, Russia

This fishing camp is brown bear territory and and dogs live there in the summer to guard territory.Bears like to investigate the boats. They used to be made from rubber but that was changed after bears would pop them with their razor sharp claws. The bears are the boss here and there is constant conflict with the guard dogs.


Russia has the largest brown bear population in the world, and the grizzly is one of the most widespread, well-known and popular animals in the country. With more than 100,000 brown bears in existence, Russia has as many brown bears as the rest of the other countries combined. Five subspecies of brown bear are found throughout Russia, with the European Region north-west of Russia, Kamchatka peninsula and the coastal regions of the Pacific having the highest density of these animals.
 (source)

Five subspecies of brown bear are found throughout Russia, with the European Region north-west of Russia, Kamchatka peninsula and the coastal regions of the Pacific having the highest density of these animals.
The Grizzly bear is not a vicious animal and prefers in the main to stay out of the way of humans, but when an attack occurs it can be lethal, as bears are so huge and  their claws so sharp.
While many dogs will instinctively harass, or at least annoy, grizzly bears they come across, the size of this one might have put off many. But it looks as though these two have no fear at all.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2175443/Huge-grizzly-bear-swims-lake-looking-food-scared-pint-sized-dogs-Russia.html#ixzz2CXkkwBu9
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
With more than 100,000 brown bears in existence, Russia has as many brown bears as the rest of the other countries combined. 
Five subspecies of brown bear are found throughout Russia, with the European Region north-west of Russia, Kamchatka peninsula and the coastal regions of the Pacific having the highest density of these animals.
The Grizzly bear is not a vicious animal and prefers in the main to stay out of the way of humans, but when an attack occurs it can be lethal, as bears are so huge and  their claws so sharp.
While many dogs will instinctively harass, or at least annoy, grizzly bears they come across, the size of this one might have put off many. But it looks as though these two have no fear at all. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2175443/Huge-grizzly-bear-swims-lake-looking-food-scared-pint-sized-dogs-Russia.html
19 juli


Would you bear-lieve it? Huge grizzly swims across a lake looking for food only to be scared off by two pint-sized guard dogs http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2175443/Huge-grizzly-bear-swims-lake-looking-food-scared-pint-sized-dogs-Russia.html

Freitag, 9. November 2012

Congrats, Mrs. President!!!



"Die USA haben gewählt und entschieden, dass Barack Obama weitere vier Jahre der Präsident der Vereinigten Staaten sein wird. Ein Ergebnis, das die meisten Europäer begrüßen, auch deshalb, weil er den Klimaschutz als ein wichtiges Ziel in seinem Wahlkampf herausstellte und das obwohl  dieses Thema für viele Amerikaner in der Wirtschaftskrise und bei hoher Arbeitslosigkeit keinen so hohen Stellenwert hat.  Also ist dieses Wahlergebnis auch für die Eisbären eine gute Nachricht.

Auch die “Präsidentschaftswahl” des Alaska Zoos ist entschieden. Dort sah es lange so aus, als ob der Wolf Denali den Sieg davontragen würde. Doch in den letzten Tagen hat die Eisbärin Ahpun ihn überholt und am Ende deutlich mit 2129 Stimmen gegenüber 1822 Stimmen für Denali gewonnen. In den letzten Wochen hatte der Zoo einen weiteren Bewerber für das Präsidentschaftsamt des Zoos vorgestellt: Yertle, ein weißes Alpaka. Sie erhielt 605 Stimmen.

Natürlich bedankt sich auch die neue Präsidentin des Alaska Zoos bei ihren Wählern für ihre Unterstützung: 

“Es war eine wilde Kampagne. Pfote an Pfote… die ganze Zeit. Es ist eine Ehre, als die erste Präsidentin der Tiere des Alaska Zoo gewählt zu werden. Ich möchte allen meinen Unterstützern danken und auch denjenigen, die für meine Gegner gestimmt. Am Ende haben wir den Auftrag des Alaskas Zoo unterstützt, die Erhaltung der Arktis, der Subarktis und der Tierarten in diesem Lebensraum  voranzubringen durch Bildung, Forschung und Umweltschutz.“

Am Ende hat der Alaska Zoo durch diese Aktion über 4.500 Dollar an Spenden eingesammelt." (source)

 

 
"It was a wild race, but in the end, the bear made a stunning comeback for victory.
After trailing much of the election, Ahpun (ah-POON') the polar bear fended off a spirited campaign by Denali the gray wolf to be elected first "president" of the Alaska Zoo.

"It was paw to paw," said zoo development director Aileen Floyd. "Denali more often than not was on top. It was a bit of a surprise that Ahpun pulled it out."

The campaign was a fundraiser for the zoo in Anchorage. It began Sept. 5 with a press conference and photo op. Ballots were $1 and zoo patrons were encouraged to stuff the ballot boxes with dollars for their favorite animal.As late as Monday, Denali held an eight-vote lead, according to totals updated daily on the zoo website. But Ahpun surged ahead on Election Day and was named the winner with a final tally of 2,129 to 1,822 votes.

Denali's chances may have been hurt by a third candidate. The Anchorage Midtown Rotary Club sponsors Yertle, an alpaca, and made her a write-in candidate. Yertle took in 605 votes.

Ahpun, 14, has been at the zoo since she was 3 months old. She was found orphaned near Point Lay on the Chukchi Sea coast about 700 miles northwest of Anchorage. She weighs about 700 pounds but isn't the biggest bear in her own cage. She shares space with another polar bear, Louie, a male that's about 1,200 pounds.

Denali, 6, and his siblings were brought to the zoo as 2-week-old pups from a den near McGrath about 275 miles southwest of Fairbanks. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game had planned predator control for the area, a program to boost moose numbers, and Denali may have been spared death by trapping by moving to the zoo.

Inauguration Day for Madam President Ahpun, Floyd said, will be Dec. 9 at the zoo's "Christmas for the Animals" event, when patrons can bring treats for animals.

The election drew votes from outside the state and even outside the country, Floyd said."It really got the zoo out there," she said.The finally tally was $4,556 taken in. The money raised with support the zoo's operating budget."
Wo wir gerade bei Präsidenten sind, auch Bo Obama bleibt 4 weitere Jahre im Amt und, wie es aussieht, sogar unangefochten. Presseerklärungen zufolge wird es keine Einmischungen seitens kleiner Welpen geben, Bo bleibt der Kopf im Weißen Haus!-

Speaking of presidents, also Bo Obama gets 4 more years, and his position as head of the White House seems stronger than ever before. No other puppy will meddle with him during the upcoming 4 years.
Puppy Power- Bo Obama with Obama, Clinton & Burmese Opposition Leader Aung San Suu Kyi in the Oval Office on September 19
 
Er kennt sich aus in Diplomatie, weiß sich in wichtigen Sitzungen zur Geltung zu bringen und Aufmerksamkeit zu erlangen, und exklusiven Quellen zufolge wissen wir, dass Bo Obama es sich zur obersten Priorität gemacht hat, Ahpun und ihrem Vize Denali dabei zu helfen erfolgreich im Amt zu bleiben und einflussreiche Persönlichkeiten zu treffen.-

He has learned everything about diplomacy and important meetings and due to some exclusive sources we know that Bo Obama has made it top priority to give Ahpun and her vice Denali some useful hints about how to stay in power and meet influential people.
 President Ahpun one day after the election

Unterstützung aus dem Weißen Haus kann nicht schaden, denn auf dem Weg zur Erhaltung des arktischen Lebensraums und seiner Bewohner gibt es Hürden, die Ölindustrie ist eine davon, die der neuen Tierpräsidentin Ahpun im Alaska Zoo mit Sicherheit noch Kopfzerbrechen bereiten wird.

Auf die kommenden 4 Jahre sind wir sehr gespannt und wünschen allen Amtsinhabern alles Gute und viel Erfolg!-
Support from the White House could come in handy, because on the way to preserve the Arctic and its inhabitants, there are obstacles with the oil industry just one of them, which might cause some headache for the newly elected Animal President Ahpun of the Alaska Zoo.

As to the coming 4 years, we are very excited and we wish all office holders all the best and success!

Sources:
- Alaska Zoo: Ahpun gewinnt die Zoo-Präsidentschaft/ Ulli J's Eisbärblog 07.11.2012, read also here
- Bo helps with the diplomacy/Daily Mail 14.10.2012
- Bo Obama gets 4 more years/ DogTimes 07.11.2012

Related:
- Meet Bo Obama/16.04.2009 
-Happy Birthday, Mr. President/ 04.08.2011
- Alaska Zoo Geschichten/Ulli J's Blog 2012

Crocodiles - Feeling the Unfeelable

Herr Ober, bitte noch mehr Nüsse!....A bear with restaurant manners


Sie heißt Huanca, ist eine 5 jährige Brillenbärin und lebt im Duisburger Zoo.-
Her name is Huanca, she is a 5 year old Spectacled Bear and lives in Duisburg Zoo in Germany.


Und wenn ihr die Nüsse ausgehen, weiß sie, auf sich aufmerksam zu machen.-
And when she is running out of nuts, she knows how to make herself understood..




Leider gab es weder Fotos vom "Ober", noch Bilder, die belegen, dass die Bestellung auch geliefert wurde.-
Unfortunately we don't see the "waiter", we just hope that he delivered promptly...)


 Source:

Samstag, 3. November 2012

With and without pumpkin....Halloween Nachlese


 Kürbishöhle mit Überraschungen im Nashville Zoo-
Pumpkin cave, surprises included
source

 Seen at Memphis Zoo
OK, ich gebe zu, aus dem sibirischen Zoo in Krasnoyarsk hätte ich vor allem gerne Commander Sedov mit Kürbis gesehen, aber auch Almaz lässt sich sehen....

 This year we have even a giraffe with a pumpkin, seen at London Zoo
source

 San Diego Zoo's Californian Condors are celebrating too...maybe less the rats inside the pumpkin...

Raja, a Komodo Waran at London Zoo enjoying a pumpkin too

But now to the bears....
Where are the surprises???
source

Working on it...
posted by Bears With Us on facebook

Polar bear Hudson at Toronto Zoo traditionally with pumpkin too
source
 Whereas in San Diego the polar bears got toys matching the event

Tatqiq with Frankenstein made it even into the BBC news

Sources:
- Zoo animals receive Halloween treats/ World Zoo Today 25.20.2012
- Polar bear drowns Frankenstein/ Discovery 31.10.2012
- Wie Tiere im Zoo Halloween feiern/Spiegel Online Panorama Fotostrecke 31.10.2012

Mittwoch, 31. Oktober 2012

Little Bat Orphans...Kleine Flughundwaisen


Dieses Foto fand ich vor kurzem hier auf facebook, und da wir noch immer im 2. Internationalen Jahr der Fledermaus sind und es nun Halloween ist, dachte ich, ein paar mehr Fotos und links könnten nicht schaden.-

This photo I found last week on facebook, and since we are still in the 2nd International Year of the Bat with Halloween around the corner, I thought a few more photos and links would come in handy.


Baby bottle-fed fruit bat orphans
source

Es gibt eine ganze Reihe von Ursachen, die dazu führen, dass kleine Flughunde Waisen werden. Zumeist ist die Mutter entweder gestorben (z.B. durch die von einer Zeckenart übertragene Erkrankung, die unbehandelt zu Lähmung und Tod führt, Stacheldrahtverletzungen, Stromschläge durch Stromleitungen, Verfangen in Netzen, andere Trauma), Ablehnung des Jungtiers (zB.wg. Geburtanomalien) oder andere unbekannte Gründe.Zyklone sind eine große Gefahrenquelle für Flughunde, einmal wegen der Wetterbedingungen selbst und andererseits führen Zyklone zu Nahrungsmittelmangel, der sie aus Hunger von den Bäumen treibt, wodurch sie leicht Opfer von anderen Tieren (Katxen z.B.) und Krankheiten werden können. -

Young flying foxes may be orphaned in a number of different ways - the mother has either died (eg tick paralysis, barbed wire, net entanglement, electric shock on power lines, other trauma), rejected the baby (eg birth abnormalities) or for unknown reasons.Cyclones are a major source of risk for bats, both because of the weather conditions themselves, but cyclones lead to food shortages, the hunger drives them out of the trees, so they can be easy prey for other animals (eg Katxen) and diseases.


Sky, Abinger, Bell and Elsa and Hercules get comfortable for a snooze.
Photo: Bruce Magilton/ Herald Sun


Immer, wenn es einen Sturm oder heftige Regenfälle gibt, können solche Bilder gefunden werden, vor allem in Australien.Glücklicherweise gibt es Projekte wie die Australian Bat Clinic, das Wildlife Trauma Center und das Tolga Bat Hospital, die sich um die Jungtiere kümmern.Die Babys werden mit der Flasche gefüttert, an Wäscheleinen gehängt oder kommen in die Intensivstation, bis sie bereit sind, wieder zu fliegen, was meist vier Wochen dauert.

"Wenn Flughunde herunterkommen um sich auf dem Boden zu ernähren, sind sie anfällig. Es ist kein natürliches Vorkommen und zeigt, dass es Probleme in der Umwelt gibt. Sie sind ein Barometer, und zeigen, dass etwas in der Umwelt nicht stimmt. Sie sind unsere Kanarienvögel in der Zeche."
 
Whenever there is a storm or torrential rains, then pics like the ones above can be found especially in Australia. Fortunately there are projects like the Australian Bat Clinic, the Wildlife Trauma Centre and the Tolga Bat Hospital who care for the young. The babies will be bottle fed and kept hanging on clothes lines or in intensive care units until they are ready to fly again in about four weeks.

When bats are coming down to feed on the ground, it "makes them vulnerable. It's not a natural occurrence and shows there is trouble in the environment. Bats are a barometer to what is going on in the environment. They're our canaries down the coal mine."
Bubs on the ground

The delicate tiny wings of little Lil Drac, a hand raised fruit bat bub in Texas
 Red Flying Fox entangled in barbed wire


Die vergangenen Monate waren hart für Flughunde in Australien. Seit September dürfen im Bundesstaat Queensland Obstbauern Flughunde wieder töten, eine Praxis, die vorher als unmenschlich verboten war. Dann im Oktober stießen die Mitarbeiter des Tolga Bat Krankenhaus auf 108 kleine rote Flughunde, die verstrickt in einem fast 2.5 km langen Stacheldraht waren.

The past few months have been rough on flying foxes in Australia. In September, the state of Queensland reinstated fruit-growers' right to kill flying foxes, which had been prohibited as inhumane. Conservation groups are urging the state to reconsider. Then in October, the Tolga Bat Hospital encountered 108 little red flying foxes entangled in a 1.25-mile stretch of barbed wire fencing.
 
 
 The Tolga Bat Hospital in Australia

Das Tolga Bat Hospital ist "eine Community-Gruppe in Australien, die für die Erhaltung von Fledermäusen und ihrem Lebensraum arbeitet, aktiv seit 1990, dem Jahr in dem Zeckenllähmung bei Flughunden in den Atherton Tablelands entdeckt wurde. Man arbeitete ursprünglich mit den Bebrillten Flughunden (Spectacled Bats) die im Tolga Scrub vorkommen, daher der Name.Mittlerweile arbeiten sie nun mit allen Arten von Fledermäusen, Mega- und Microbats, egal auch wenn sie in anderen Gegenden heimisch sind, es kommen auch Fledermäuse aus Zoos in die Station, zumeist nach Verletzungen oder um ihren Ruhestand dort zu verbringen."

The Tolga Bat Hospital is " a community group in Australia working for the conservation of bats and their habitat, active since 1990, the year tick paralysis was discovered in flying foxes on the Atherton Tablelands. They originally worked with the Spectacled flying foxes resident at the Tolga Scrub, and hence their name. They now work with any bat, megabat or microbat, from anywhere. Bats come to them for rescue from hundreds of kilometres away, and they also take bats for sanctuary who are being retired from zoos."

More on bats and bat orphans can be found on the excellent web site of the Tolga Bat Hospital in Australia.
Sources & more:
- Going into Bat for Orphans/Cruxcatalyst January 2011
- Regional bat conservation issues: Australia and SW Pacific Islands/Lubee Bat Conservancy
- Bat-friendly fences for Australia/Bat Conservation International October 2012
- Tolga Bat Hospital: About Tick Paralysis
- Tolga Bat Hospital: About barbed wire injuries

Heute mal Vampire....Happy Halloween 2012



Sie wiegen nur 15 bis 50 Gramm und doch fürchtet man sich vor ihnen. Sie sind die einzigen Säugetiere, die sich ausnahmslos von Blut ernähren.Sie sind nachtaktiv und man weiß, dass sie Tollwut übertragen können, Rinderzüchter in Südamerika würden sie lieber tot als lebendig sehen. Dabei sind die "Blattnasen" höchst faszinierende Tiere, die im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen Fledermäusen auch auf dem Boden laufen und hüpfen, und spinnenartig sogar senkrechte Wände erklimmen können.Wenn sie rennen, schaffen sie bis zu 7.9 km/Std.
Vampirfledermäuse leben in Gruppen, die aus bis zu 100 Tieren bestehen können. Insbesondere der Gemeine Vampir hat ein hoch entwickeltes Sozualverhalten entwickelt, zu dem die gegenseitige Fellpflege und auch das Heraufwürgen des verzehrten Blutes gehört, das er mit weniger erfolgreichen Artgenossen seiner Kolonie selbstlos teilt.Und sie sind die einzige Fledermausart, die Jungtiere adoptiert, wenn der Mutter etwas zustößt.-


They weigh only 15 to 50 grams, yet they are feared a lot. They are the only mammals who solely feed on blood.They are nocturnal and everybody knows that they can transmit rabies, cattle breeders in South America would rather see them dead than alive.

Yet, the "leaf-nosed bats" as they were grouped are most fascinating animals that can walk contrary to many other bats on the floor and jump, and can even climb vertical walls like spiders do.On top of it one has found out that they are even capable of running at speeds of up to 7.9 km per hour (4.9 miles per hour).

Vampire bats live in colonies, which can consist of up to 100 animals. In particular, the common vampire has developed a sophisticated social behaviour including mutual grooming and sharing food selfflessly with less successful members of his group by regurgitation of ingested blood. A vampire bat can only survive about two days without a meal of blood, yet they cannot be guaranteed of finding food every night. This poses a problem, so when a bat fails to find food, it will often "beg" another bat for food. The "host" bat may regurgitate a small amount of blood to sustain the other member of the colony.
Vampire bats are believed to be the only bat species to adopt another young bat if something happens to the bat's mother, a sign also how stong the family bond is with the members of theirt colony.

Und noch etwas, was sie von allen anderen unterscheidet, zu Halloween sind sie die Einzigen, die wirklich kein Kostuem brauchen...:))-
 
And as to Halloween....they are the only ones who really do not need a mask...:))




More on vampire bats
- Wärme führt Jäger zur Blutmahlzeit/Spiegel 04.08.2011
- Vampirfledermäuse auf wikipedia
- Vampire Bats on wikipedia


Related:

Alles nur eine Frage der Perpektive...Just a matter of perspektive

found on facebook

Samstag, 13. Oktober 2012

Stop the Eviction of Animals Asia's Bear Sanctuary in Vietnam....Sign the Petition



Animals Asia’s Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre and sole sanctuary for bears in Vietnam faces eviction and relocation. The director of Tam Dao National Park, Do Dinh Tien, has successfully lobbied the Ministry of Defence to issue an order to evict the sanctuary and its 104 rescued bears.

It is believed that he intends to hand the land over to the Truong Giang Tam Dao Joint Stock Company, of which his daughter is one of the owners. The company intends to build commercial property, including hotels, and a tourism park.

The closure would see 104 bears that have been rescued from the bile industry evicted, 77 local Vietnamese staff made unemployed, and financial losses to Animals Asia of more than US $2 million.

Beside the troubling effects on the bears which would cause a relocation, starting a new centre would take years. 

Only last month on September 13, the inaugural bears' day was celebrated in Vietnam, and here you can see a video where the same park director who causes now so much distress had commented positively on the importance of the bear sanctuary when it was opened.





Photo: EPA/Barbara Walton

Here is "Mara, a moon bear rescued from a bear bile farm where she had a life in a small cage, enjoying a hammock and a branch with leaves, in the bear enclosure at the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre, operated by international organization Animals Asia, in Tam Dao national park, about 70 kms north of Hanoi, Vietnam, 19 September 2012. Vietnam's Ministry of Defence ordered the eviction of the bear sanctuary from the national park on the grounds of ' national defence '. The Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre hosts 104 bears confiscated from bile farms or given up by pet owners. The sanctuary has been hailed as one of the most successful conservation stories in the South-East Asian country, which is known for a brisk trade in animal products."

Two little Moon bear cubs, Lai Chau and Sin Hoe, were just rescued from smugglers in September.

The two rescued bear cubs getting used to their new home
Photos & more: Animals Asia

Animals Asia is fighting this eviction notice every step of the way, appealing directly to the Vietnamese authorities, enlisting help from the international community, the media and other NGOs. But most of all they need our help.

How you can help

Please write to the Prime Minister of Vietnam, and appeal to him to allow Animals Asia’s Vietnam bear sanctuary, which he previously approved and endorsed, to continue operations, and expand, in line with the government’s original agreement.

1. Email Prime Minister Mr Nguyen Tan Dung
Alternatively, to mail/fax the Prime Minister click here

2. Sign our online petition

3. Spread the word

Learn more on the Stop the Eviction site of Animals Asia or in articles like this one



Sources:
- Stop the Eviction /Animals Asia 
- Bear sanctuary faces eviction /Bulgarian News Agency 09.10.2012

Related:
- Vietnam celebrates inaugural bear day/ WSPA International 13.09.2012


See also:
- Rescue Center for Bears Opens in Vietnam - video on YouTube (2008)

This is a video from the 2008 opening of the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre. Our friends Jill Robinson and Tuan Bendixon comment on the importance of the sanctuary and its mission. Interestingly the Director of the Tam Dao National Park who has since caused the facility such grief is filmed here commenting on the its very important work.( Thanks for sharing, Else!)

Previous article on the K-files about the project in Vietnam:
- The sad news at the end of February - Kleines Kragenbärchen Tiger...Moon bear cub Tiger RIP/28.02.2010
 
- End Bear Bile Farming/Animals Asia

...
Vietnam: 104 gerettete Bären in Gefahr: Bären als lebende Gallensaft-Spender missbraucht - weiter lesen auf FOCUS Online: http://www.focus.de/panorama/welt/vietnam-104-gerettete-baeren-in-gefahr-baeren-als-lebende-gallensaft-spender-missbraucht_aid_835703.html