ScienceDaily (Sep. 21, 2011) — An angry glare from the family goldfish might not be the result of a missed meal, but a too-humble abode. Fish in a cramped, barren space turn mean, a study from Case Western Reserve University has found. Ornamental fishes across the U.S. might be at risk, all 182.9 million of them.
"The welfare of aquarium fishes may not seem important, but with that many of them in captivity, they become a big deal," said Ronald Oldfield, an instructor of biology at Case Western Reserve. Why, then, has the welfare of pet fishes been overlooked among the scientific community?
Oldfield is the first to scientifically study how the environment of home aquariums affects the aggressive behavior of ornamental fishes. The results are published in the online Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, volume 14, issue 4.
Oldfield compared the behavior of Midas cichlids (Amphilophus citrinellus) in a variety of environments: within their native range in a crater lake in Nicaragua, in a large artificial stream in a zoo, and in small tanks of the sizes typically used to by pet owners.
The study focused on juvenile fish to remove aggressive behavior related to mating. Also, resources such as food and shelter were removed prior to observation to eliminate direct competition.
Along with environment size, Oldfield tested the complexity of an environment and the effects of number of fish within tanks.
The addition of obstacles and hiding places using rocks, plants, or other similar objects can increase the complexity of the aquarium environment.
He found that an increase in tank size and complexity can reduce harmful aggressive behaviors, and make for healthier fish at home.
Oldfield quantified aggressive behavior as a series of displays and attacks separated by at least a second. Displays are body signals such as flaring fins. An attack could be a nip, chase, or charge at another fish.
In aquariums, these behaviors can lead to injury and in extreme cases to death.
Aggressive behavior was not correlated with small-scale changes in either group size or habitat size alone. However, a significant difference was observed in environments sufficiently large and complex: fish spent less time exhibiting aggressive behavior.
"This more natural environment elicits more natural behaviors, which are more interesting to observers," Oldfield said.
And, for the fish themselves, their lives can be vastly improved with these simple changes to their environments.
"If we are going to try to create a society as just as possible, we need to do everything we can to minimize negative effects," Oldfield said.
But why should anyone beyond fish enthusiasts care about fish behavior?
Minimizing negative effects extends beyond the treatment of ornamental fishes. Interactions between humans and other species could apply.
Humans have intimate relationships with a variety of fishes. They provide food and sport for many people. Some are used for decoration, and others are well-loved pets or may become addicting hobbies.
Additionally, conditions for animals in the rapidly growing field of aquaculture and on factory farms are issues of contention.
Oldfield is not trying to support any extreme agendas. "I'm not trying to ban human use of animals- I just think that if we are going to interact with them then we should be as informed as possible."
Relatively simple fish behavior can also serve as a basic model for more complex behaviors.
In the future, Oldfield said, "This study might help us to better understand how human behavior changes when people are placed in different social environments." Violence in prisons might be linked in part to the smaller space and reduced stimuli.
Until then, the 182.9 million ornamental fishes in the United States may benefit from this study. The family goldfish can swim in peace, enjoying the remodeled space.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922102241.htm
Showing posts with label aquariums. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aquariums. Show all posts
Friday, September 23, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Zoo's Dolphin Habitat Celebrates 50th Anniversary
March 25, 2011
Kane Farabaugh | Chicago
More than two million people each year visit the Brookfield Zoo’s Seven Seas exhibit in suburban Chicago. The exhibit, celebrating its 50th anniversary, is the oldest inland dolphin habitat in the United States. It focuses on the Chicago Zoological Society’s efforts to promote marine conservation.
Fifty years ago, the only way people in the US. Midwest could see dolphins up close was by visiting the coastline. The Chicago Zoological Society wanted to bring that experience closer to home.
"This was a very groundbreaking facility," said Rita Stacey, curator of the Seven Seas exhibit at Brookfield Zoo. She's worked with dolphins at the zoo for twenty years. "It was the first inland Dolphinarium. It was the first one to use artificial saltwater. We now create our own man-made saltwater here."
That technological advance allowed the zoo to create a permanent habitat for marine mammals far from the ocean. The exhibit, which Stacey said is as close to their natural environment as possible, attracts millions of visitors every year, even when temperatures are below freezing outside.
"This is actually our second building," said Stacey. "Our first building was operated for close to about 25 years. And in that 25 years, we had estimated about 11.5 million people had gone into that facility and saw the dolphins there."
Stacey said the Chicago Zoological Society, which runs the Brookfield Zoo, is one of the leading institutions promoting a better understanding of marine life. She said some research, including how dolphins breed and communicate, is a product of studying dolphins at the zoo.
"There is so much that we have learned in the last 50 years about caring for the dolphins, about the inner workings of their society and their relationships with each other, as well as about anatomy and about how dolphins actually work," said Stacey.
Melissa Zabojnik is a senior keeper at the Seven Seas exhibit. She has been working with dolphins for 10 years, and helps show the mammals to the public.
"We can use the dolphins as ambassadors to teach the public," said Zabojnik. "The zoo’s mission is to inspire conservation leadership, so that’s something that we try to portray in our dolphin shows as well."
The Zoo’s conservation efforts were tested during last year’s Gulf Oil spill. The Chicago Zoological Society’s Dolphin Research Center in Sarasota Florida, a sister facility, saw some changes in the dolphin population in the Gulf.
Zabojnik said their history with the mammals is helping them track the long term environmental effects of the disaster. "Because we’ve gotten to know these animals so well in the past, it helps us in the future by determining if the oil spill has any effect on the future of them….. where the animals spend their time, if they migrate for any reason, if there’s any difference of their health and population year after year because of the oil spill."
The Brookfield Zoo now works with six other U.S. facilities that also are away from coastlines. Together, they promote a better understanding of the world under the sea.
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/environment/Zoos-Dolphin-Habitat-Celebrates-50th-Anniversary-118679504.html
Kane Farabaugh | Chicago
More than two million people each year visit the Brookfield Zoo’s Seven Seas exhibit in suburban Chicago. The exhibit, celebrating its 50th anniversary, is the oldest inland dolphin habitat in the United States. It focuses on the Chicago Zoological Society’s efforts to promote marine conservation.
Fifty years ago, the only way people in the US. Midwest could see dolphins up close was by visiting the coastline. The Chicago Zoological Society wanted to bring that experience closer to home.
"This was a very groundbreaking facility," said Rita Stacey, curator of the Seven Seas exhibit at Brookfield Zoo. She's worked with dolphins at the zoo for twenty years. "It was the first inland Dolphinarium. It was the first one to use artificial saltwater. We now create our own man-made saltwater here."
That technological advance allowed the zoo to create a permanent habitat for marine mammals far from the ocean. The exhibit, which Stacey said is as close to their natural environment as possible, attracts millions of visitors every year, even when temperatures are below freezing outside.
"This is actually our second building," said Stacey. "Our first building was operated for close to about 25 years. And in that 25 years, we had estimated about 11.5 million people had gone into that facility and saw the dolphins there."
Stacey said the Chicago Zoological Society, which runs the Brookfield Zoo, is one of the leading institutions promoting a better understanding of marine life. She said some research, including how dolphins breed and communicate, is a product of studying dolphins at the zoo.
"There is so much that we have learned in the last 50 years about caring for the dolphins, about the inner workings of their society and their relationships with each other, as well as about anatomy and about how dolphins actually work," said Stacey.
Melissa Zabojnik is a senior keeper at the Seven Seas exhibit. She has been working with dolphins for 10 years, and helps show the mammals to the public.
"We can use the dolphins as ambassadors to teach the public," said Zabojnik. "The zoo’s mission is to inspire conservation leadership, so that’s something that we try to portray in our dolphin shows as well."
The Zoo’s conservation efforts were tested during last year’s Gulf Oil spill. The Chicago Zoological Society’s Dolphin Research Center in Sarasota Florida, a sister facility, saw some changes in the dolphin population in the Gulf.
Zabojnik said their history with the mammals is helping them track the long term environmental effects of the disaster. "Because we’ve gotten to know these animals so well in the past, it helps us in the future by determining if the oil spill has any effect on the future of them….. where the animals spend their time, if they migrate for any reason, if there’s any difference of their health and population year after year because of the oil spill."
The Brookfield Zoo now works with six other U.S. facilities that also are away from coastlines. Together, they promote a better understanding of the world under the sea.
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/environment/Zoos-Dolphin-Habitat-Celebrates-50th-Anniversary-118679504.html
Friday, February 18, 2011
Weymouth welcomes giant Japanese spider crab
 |
| The crab was caught by fishermen in Suruga Bay, southwest of Tokyo |
A Japanese spider crab believed to be the biggest seen in Britain has gone on display.
Named Crab Kong, he has a claw span of more than 8ft (2.4m), weighs 15kg (33lb) and is 30-40 years old.
The male spider crab was caught earlier this month by fishermen in Suruga Bay, south west of Tokyo.
The crab is on display at the Weymouth Sea Life Park but will be transferred to a permanent home at a Sea Life centre in Munich, Germany, at Easter.
The crabs are commonly found in the Pacific in 1,000 ft (300m) deep waters but have
been known to live deeper.
Sea Life biologist Robin James, who visited that part of Japan, was contacted by the fishermen.
"Getting in an animal as impressive as Crab Kong is the aquarium equivalent of signing Ronaldo.
"Giving people a chance to witness first hand one of the many wonders of the deep oceans helps boost support for marine conservation," he said.
In the wild, Japanese spider crabs can achieve a leg-span of over 12ft (3.7m). They can weigh as much as 19kg (41lb) and may live 100 years.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-12462694
(Via Dark Dorset)
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
What fish? Oh, that's a humuhumunukunukuapua'a! Aquarium staff welcome unprounceable new Hawaiian arrival
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 11:25 AM on 2nd February 2011
There's one fish you are unlikely to find on the menu in British chippy - because there isn't a wall long enough to write its name on.
And even if there was, no-one would be able to order the national fish of Hawaii by its proper name.
Even experts at the Hastings Blue Reef Aquarium in East Sussex, which has just welcomed the new addition to their collection, can't wrap their tongues around the word humuhumunukunukuapuab'a.
Aquarium manager Kate Buss said: 'He's a beautiful-looking fish but none of us have got the faintest idea how to pronounce his name and it's proving a little embarrassing when we do our public talks and feeding demonstrations as he's the one fish in the toxic reef display that everyone always asks us about.
'We got someone to write it out phonetically but that really wasn't any clearer and we tried just calling him a wedge tail triggerfish, which is an alternate name, but no one's letting us get away with that either.
'Apparently the name was also included in a scene from the Russell Brand comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which was partially set in Hawaii.'
Even in its home waters the name proves a challenge.
Hawaiians use the fish to check if a new face is truly a native - if they can't pronounce it, they are not to be trusted.
Although it may look pretty, the fish is equipped with razor sharp teeth and is aggressive in the wild, often giving divers a nasty nip if they get too close. It is believed to be highly toxic if eaten.
And along with its piggish nose, the fish makes a disgruntled snorting sound when taken out of the water.
Despite the fish's growing fame at the aquarium, the triggerfish initially failed to make much of an impression on visitors.
'We had only had him on display for a couple of days when he disappeared entirely,' said Miss Buss.
'Apparently he had hidden himself behind rockwork at the back of the display and we only found him at feeding time when he came up to the surface and began begging our senior aquarist for food.
'He has a lot of personality and he rushes around the tank, eating and filtering sand and always looking like he's on a mission to get somewhere.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1352753/Aquarium-staff-welcome-unprounceable-Hawaiian-arrival-Humuhumunukunukuapuaa.html
Last updated at 11:25 AM on 2nd February 2011
There's one fish you are unlikely to find on the menu in British chippy - because there isn't a wall long enough to write its name on.
And even if there was, no-one would be able to order the national fish of Hawaii by its proper name.
Even experts at the Hastings Blue Reef Aquarium in East Sussex, which has just welcomed the new addition to their collection, can't wrap their tongues around the word humuhumunukunukuapuab'a.
Aquarium manager Kate Buss said: 'He's a beautiful-looking fish but none of us have got the faintest idea how to pronounce his name and it's proving a little embarrassing when we do our public talks and feeding demonstrations as he's the one fish in the toxic reef display that everyone always asks us about.
'We got someone to write it out phonetically but that really wasn't any clearer and we tried just calling him a wedge tail triggerfish, which is an alternate name, but no one's letting us get away with that either.
'Apparently the name was also included in a scene from the Russell Brand comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which was partially set in Hawaii.'
Even in its home waters the name proves a challenge.
Hawaiians use the fish to check if a new face is truly a native - if they can't pronounce it, they are not to be trusted.
Although it may look pretty, the fish is equipped with razor sharp teeth and is aggressive in the wild, often giving divers a nasty nip if they get too close. It is believed to be highly toxic if eaten.
And along with its piggish nose, the fish makes a disgruntled snorting sound when taken out of the water.
Despite the fish's growing fame at the aquarium, the triggerfish initially failed to make much of an impression on visitors.
'We had only had him on display for a couple of days when he disappeared entirely,' said Miss Buss.
'Apparently he had hidden himself behind rockwork at the back of the display and we only found him at feeding time when he came up to the surface and began begging our senior aquarist for food.
'He has a lot of personality and he rushes around the tank, eating and filtering sand and always looking like he's on a mission to get somewhere.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1352753/Aquarium-staff-welcome-unprounceable-Hawaiian-arrival-Humuhumunukunukuapuaa.html
What fish? Oh, that's a humuhumunukunukuapua'a! Aquarium staff welcome unprounceable new Hawaiian arrival
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 11:25 AM on 2nd February 2011
There's one fish you are unlikely to find on the menu in British chippy - because there isn't a wall long enough to write its name on.
And even if there was, no-one would be able to order the national fish of Hawaii by its proper name.
Even experts at the Hastings Blue Reef Aquarium in East Sussex, which has just welcomed the new addition to their collection, can't wrap their tongues around the word humuhumunukunukuapuab'a.
Aquarium manager Kate Buss said: 'He's a beautiful-looking fish but none of us have got the faintest idea how to pronounce his name and it's proving a little embarrassing when we do our public talks and feeding demonstrations as he's the one fish in the toxic reef display that everyone always asks us about.
'We got someone to write it out phonetically but that really wasn't any clearer and we tried just calling him a wedge tail triggerfish, which is an alternate name, but no one's letting us get away with that either.
'Apparently the name was also included in a scene from the Russell Brand comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which was partially set in Hawaii.'
Even in its home waters the name proves a challenge.
Hawaiians use the fish to check if a new face is truly a native - if they can't pronounce it, they are not to be trusted.
Although it may look pretty, the fish is equipped with razor sharp teeth and is aggressive in the wild, often giving divers a nasty nip if they get too close. It is believed to be highly toxic if eaten.
And along with its piggish nose, the fish makes a disgruntled snorting sound when taken out of the water.
Despite the fish's growing fame at the aquarium, the triggerfish initially failed to make much of an impression on visitors.
'We had only had him on display for a couple of days when he disappeared entirely,' said Miss Buss.
'Apparently he had hidden himself behind rockwork at the back of the display and we only found him at feeding time when he came up to the surface and began begging our senior aquarist for food.
'He has a lot of personality and he rushes around the tank, eating and filtering sand and always looking like he's on a mission to get somewhere.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1352753/Aquarium-staff-welcome-unprounceable-Hawaiian-arrival-Humuhumunukunukuapuaa.html
Last updated at 11:25 AM on 2nd February 2011
There's one fish you are unlikely to find on the menu in British chippy - because there isn't a wall long enough to write its name on.
And even if there was, no-one would be able to order the national fish of Hawaii by its proper name.
Even experts at the Hastings Blue Reef Aquarium in East Sussex, which has just welcomed the new addition to their collection, can't wrap their tongues around the word humuhumunukunukuapuab'a.
Aquarium manager Kate Buss said: 'He's a beautiful-looking fish but none of us have got the faintest idea how to pronounce his name and it's proving a little embarrassing when we do our public talks and feeding demonstrations as he's the one fish in the toxic reef display that everyone always asks us about.
'We got someone to write it out phonetically but that really wasn't any clearer and we tried just calling him a wedge tail triggerfish, which is an alternate name, but no one's letting us get away with that either.
'Apparently the name was also included in a scene from the Russell Brand comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which was partially set in Hawaii.'
Even in its home waters the name proves a challenge.
Hawaiians use the fish to check if a new face is truly a native - if they can't pronounce it, they are not to be trusted.
Although it may look pretty, the fish is equipped with razor sharp teeth and is aggressive in the wild, often giving divers a nasty nip if they get too close. It is believed to be highly toxic if eaten.
And along with its piggish nose, the fish makes a disgruntled snorting sound when taken out of the water.
Despite the fish's growing fame at the aquarium, the triggerfish initially failed to make much of an impression on visitors.
'We had only had him on display for a couple of days when he disappeared entirely,' said Miss Buss.
'Apparently he had hidden himself behind rockwork at the back of the display and we only found him at feeding time when he came up to the surface and began begging our senior aquarist for food.
'He has a lot of personality and he rushes around the tank, eating and filtering sand and always looking like he's on a mission to get somewhere.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1352753/Aquarium-staff-welcome-unprounceable-Hawaiian-arrival-Humuhumunukunukuapuaa.html
Monday, January 24, 2011
Croc swallows phone and starts ringing
January 24, 2011 - 10:36AM
Workers at a Ukrainian aquarium did not believe it when a visitor said a crocodile swallowed her phone. Then the reptile started ringing.
The accident in the eastern city of Dnipropetrovsk sounds a bit like Peter Pan, in which a crocodile happily went "tick-tock" after gulping down an alarm clock.
But Gena, the 14-year-old croc who swallowed the phone, has hardly been living a fairy tale: he hasn't eaten or had a bowel movement in four weeks and appears depressed and in pain.
Gena noshed on the Nokia phone after Rimma Golovko dropped it in the water. She had stretched out her arm, trying to snap a photo of Gena opening his mouth when the phone slipped.
"This should have been a very dramatic shot, but things didn't work out," she said.
Employees were sceptical when Ms Golovko, a mother in her 20s, told them what happened.
"But then the phone started ringing and the sound was coming from inside our Gena's stomach and we understood she wasn't lying," said an employee who declined to give her name.
Since then, Gena has been refusing food and has been listless. He also won't play with three fellow African crocodiles, despite being the leader of the group.
"His behaviour has changed," the employee said. "He moves very little and swims much less than he used to."
Doctors tried to whet the crocodile's appetite this week by feeding him live quail rather than the pork or beef he usually gets once a week. The quail were injected with vitamins and a laxative, but, while Gena smothered one bird, he did not eat it.
Dnipropetrovsk chief veterinarian Oleksandr Shushlenko said the crocodile would be taken for an X-ray this week if he continued to refuse food. Surgically removing the phone would be a last resort, he said, since incisions and stitches usually take at least three weeks to heal in reptiles and the procedure is dangerous for the animal and the vets.
"Everything will depend on where the foreign body is located," Dr Shushlenko said. "We don't have much experience working with such large animals."
The crocodile with the ticking stomach in Peter Pan was on the hunt for Captain Hook after getting a taste for the pirate's flesh by eating one of his hands. But luckily for Hook, he could always hear the crocodile coming.
Ms Golovko has about as much hope of retrieving her phone as Hook did of retrieving his hand. But she does want to get back the phone's SIM card, which holds her precious photos and contacts.
See video at: http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/croc-swallows-phone-and-starts-ringing-20110124-1a1lc.html
Workers at a Ukrainian aquarium did not believe it when a visitor said a crocodile swallowed her phone. Then the reptile started ringing.
The accident in the eastern city of Dnipropetrovsk sounds a bit like Peter Pan, in which a crocodile happily went "tick-tock" after gulping down an alarm clock.
But Gena, the 14-year-old croc who swallowed the phone, has hardly been living a fairy tale: he hasn't eaten or had a bowel movement in four weeks and appears depressed and in pain.
Gena noshed on the Nokia phone after Rimma Golovko dropped it in the water. She had stretched out her arm, trying to snap a photo of Gena opening his mouth when the phone slipped.
"This should have been a very dramatic shot, but things didn't work out," she said.
Employees were sceptical when Ms Golovko, a mother in her 20s, told them what happened.
"But then the phone started ringing and the sound was coming from inside our Gena's stomach and we understood she wasn't lying," said an employee who declined to give her name.
Since then, Gena has been refusing food and has been listless. He also won't play with three fellow African crocodiles, despite being the leader of the group.
"His behaviour has changed," the employee said. "He moves very little and swims much less than he used to."
Doctors tried to whet the crocodile's appetite this week by feeding him live quail rather than the pork or beef he usually gets once a week. The quail were injected with vitamins and a laxative, but, while Gena smothered one bird, he did not eat it.
Dnipropetrovsk chief veterinarian Oleksandr Shushlenko said the crocodile would be taken for an X-ray this week if he continued to refuse food. Surgically removing the phone would be a last resort, he said, since incisions and stitches usually take at least three weeks to heal in reptiles and the procedure is dangerous for the animal and the vets.
"Everything will depend on where the foreign body is located," Dr Shushlenko said. "We don't have much experience working with such large animals."
The crocodile with the ticking stomach in Peter Pan was on the hunt for Captain Hook after getting a taste for the pirate's flesh by eating one of his hands. But luckily for Hook, he could always hear the crocodile coming.
Ms Golovko has about as much hope of retrieving her phone as Hook did of retrieving his hand. But she does want to get back the phone's SIM card, which holds her precious photos and contacts.
See video at: http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/croc-swallows-phone-and-starts-ringing-20110124-1a1lc.html
Croc swallows phone and starts ringing
January 24, 2011 - 10:36AM
Workers at a Ukrainian aquarium did not believe it when a visitor said a crocodile swallowed her phone. Then the reptile started ringing.
The accident in the eastern city of Dnipropetrovsk sounds a bit like Peter Pan, in which a crocodile happily went "tick-tock" after gulping down an alarm clock.
But Gena, the 14-year-old croc who swallowed the phone, has hardly been living a fairy tale: he hasn't eaten or had a bowel movement in four weeks and appears depressed and in pain.
Gena noshed on the Nokia phone after Rimma Golovko dropped it in the water. She had stretched out her arm, trying to snap a photo of Gena opening his mouth when the phone slipped.
"This should have been a very dramatic shot, but things didn't work out," she said.
Employees were sceptical when Ms Golovko, a mother in her 20s, told them what happened.
"But then the phone started ringing and the sound was coming from inside our Gena's stomach and we understood she wasn't lying," said an employee who declined to give her name.
Since then, Gena has been refusing food and has been listless. He also won't play with three fellow African crocodiles, despite being the leader of the group.
"His behaviour has changed," the employee said. "He moves very little and swims much less than he used to."
Doctors tried to whet the crocodile's appetite this week by feeding him live quail rather than the pork or beef he usually gets once a week. The quail were injected with vitamins and a laxative, but, while Gena smothered one bird, he did not eat it.
Dnipropetrovsk chief veterinarian Oleksandr Shushlenko said the crocodile would be taken for an X-ray this week if he continued to refuse food. Surgically removing the phone would be a last resort, he said, since incisions and stitches usually take at least three weeks to heal in reptiles and the procedure is dangerous for the animal and the vets.
"Everything will depend on where the foreign body is located," Dr Shushlenko said. "We don't have much experience working with such large animals."
The crocodile with the ticking stomach in Peter Pan was on the hunt for Captain Hook after getting a taste for the pirate's flesh by eating one of his hands. But luckily for Hook, he could always hear the crocodile coming.
Ms Golovko has about as much hope of retrieving her phone as Hook did of retrieving his hand. But she does want to get back the phone's SIM card, which holds her precious photos and contacts.
See video at: http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/croc-swallows-phone-and-starts-ringing-20110124-1a1lc.html
Workers at a Ukrainian aquarium did not believe it when a visitor said a crocodile swallowed her phone. Then the reptile started ringing.
The accident in the eastern city of Dnipropetrovsk sounds a bit like Peter Pan, in which a crocodile happily went "tick-tock" after gulping down an alarm clock.
But Gena, the 14-year-old croc who swallowed the phone, has hardly been living a fairy tale: he hasn't eaten or had a bowel movement in four weeks and appears depressed and in pain.
Gena noshed on the Nokia phone after Rimma Golovko dropped it in the water. She had stretched out her arm, trying to snap a photo of Gena opening his mouth when the phone slipped.
"This should have been a very dramatic shot, but things didn't work out," she said.
Employees were sceptical when Ms Golovko, a mother in her 20s, told them what happened.
"But then the phone started ringing and the sound was coming from inside our Gena's stomach and we understood she wasn't lying," said an employee who declined to give her name.
Since then, Gena has been refusing food and has been listless. He also won't play with three fellow African crocodiles, despite being the leader of the group.
"His behaviour has changed," the employee said. "He moves very little and swims much less than he used to."
Doctors tried to whet the crocodile's appetite this week by feeding him live quail rather than the pork or beef he usually gets once a week. The quail were injected with vitamins and a laxative, but, while Gena smothered one bird, he did not eat it.
Dnipropetrovsk chief veterinarian Oleksandr Shushlenko said the crocodile would be taken for an X-ray this week if he continued to refuse food. Surgically removing the phone would be a last resort, he said, since incisions and stitches usually take at least three weeks to heal in reptiles and the procedure is dangerous for the animal and the vets.
"Everything will depend on where the foreign body is located," Dr Shushlenko said. "We don't have much experience working with such large animals."
The crocodile with the ticking stomach in Peter Pan was on the hunt for Captain Hook after getting a taste for the pirate's flesh by eating one of his hands. But luckily for Hook, he could always hear the crocodile coming.
Ms Golovko has about as much hope of retrieving her phone as Hook did of retrieving his hand. But she does want to get back the phone's SIM card, which holds her precious photos and contacts.
See video at: http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/croc-swallows-phone-and-starts-ringing-20110124-1a1lc.html
Friday, January 21, 2011
Paul the Octopus gets memorialized
Tentacled tipster immortalized by aquarium
Thursday, 20 Jan 2011, 6:11 PM EST
BERLIN (AP) - Paul the celebrated octopus has finally got his tentacles wrapped around a soccer ball.
The Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen on Thursday unveiled an outsized memorial to the World Cup's most unlikely star: A 6 1/2-foot (2-meter) tall plastic replica of Paul clutching a ball in his eight arms.
Aquarium spokeswoman Tanja Munzig says Paul's cremated ashes were placed in a gold-leaf-covered urn inside the ball. Paul died three months ago and Munzig says fans around the world had asked for a memorial.
Paul correctly tipped the outcome of all seven of Germany's games at last year's World Cup plus the Spain-Netherlands final. He made his predictions by opening the lid of one of two boxes, each containing a mussel and bearing a team flag.
http://www.myndytv.com/dpps/strange_news/strange/paul-the-octopus-gets-memorialilzed-wd11-tvw_3701711
Thursday, 20 Jan 2011, 6:11 PM EST
BERLIN (AP) - Paul the celebrated octopus has finally got his tentacles wrapped around a soccer ball.
The Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen on Thursday unveiled an outsized memorial to the World Cup's most unlikely star: A 6 1/2-foot (2-meter) tall plastic replica of Paul clutching a ball in his eight arms.
Aquarium spokeswoman Tanja Munzig says Paul's cremated ashes were placed in a gold-leaf-covered urn inside the ball. Paul died three months ago and Munzig says fans around the world had asked for a memorial.
Paul correctly tipped the outcome of all seven of Germany's games at last year's World Cup plus the Spain-Netherlands final. He made his predictions by opening the lid of one of two boxes, each containing a mussel and bearing a team flag.
http://www.myndytv.com/dpps/strange_news/strange/paul-the-octopus-gets-memorialilzed-wd11-tvw_3701711
Paul the Octopus gets memorialized
Tentacled tipster immortalized by aquarium
Thursday, 20 Jan 2011, 6:11 PM EST
BERLIN (AP) - Paul the celebrated octopus has finally got his tentacles wrapped around a soccer ball.
The Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen on Thursday unveiled an outsized memorial to the World Cup's most unlikely star: A 6 1/2-foot (2-meter) tall plastic replica of Paul clutching a ball in his eight arms.
Aquarium spokeswoman Tanja Munzig says Paul's cremated ashes were placed in a gold-leaf-covered urn inside the ball. Paul died three months ago and Munzig says fans around the world had asked for a memorial.
Paul correctly tipped the outcome of all seven of Germany's games at last year's World Cup plus the Spain-Netherlands final. He made his predictions by opening the lid of one of two boxes, each containing a mussel and bearing a team flag.
http://www.myndytv.com/dpps/strange_news/strange/paul-the-octopus-gets-memorialilzed-wd11-tvw_3701711
Thursday, 20 Jan 2011, 6:11 PM EST
BERLIN (AP) - Paul the celebrated octopus has finally got his tentacles wrapped around a soccer ball.
The Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen on Thursday unveiled an outsized memorial to the World Cup's most unlikely star: A 6 1/2-foot (2-meter) tall plastic replica of Paul clutching a ball in his eight arms.
Aquarium spokeswoman Tanja Munzig says Paul's cremated ashes were placed in a gold-leaf-covered urn inside the ball. Paul died three months ago and Munzig says fans around the world had asked for a memorial.
Paul correctly tipped the outcome of all seven of Germany's games at last year's World Cup plus the Spain-Netherlands final. He made his predictions by opening the lid of one of two boxes, each containing a mussel and bearing a team flag.
http://www.myndytv.com/dpps/strange_news/strange/paul-the-octopus-gets-memorialilzed-wd11-tvw_3701711
Monday, July 12, 2010
Oracle octopus gets own World Cup for winning streak
By Erik Kirschbaum
BERLIN | Mon Jul 12, 2010 2:04pm BST
BERLIN (Reuters) - Paul the oracle octopus was given a replica of the World Cup on Monday as a reward for his perfect eight-for-eight record in picking matches as worldwide collected their winnings based on his selections.
The two-year-old octopus with possible psychic powers turned into a worldwide celebrity for accurately predicting the winner of Germany's five World Cup wins as well as their two defeats. Paul also tipped Spain to beat Netherlands in Sunday's final.
"We've had a lot of offers for Paul but he will definitely be staying with us and returning to his old job -- making children smile," Sea Life spokeswoman Tanja Munzig in Oberhausen told Reuters after presenting Paul with the World Cup replica.
"There's no rational reason why he always got it right."
Bettors around the world made small fortunes based on Paul's uncanny picks, said Graham Sharpe, media relations director at William Hill in London.
"I've seen a lot of things in my lifetime but this is the first time I've ever seen people making their picks based on what an octopus tells them," Sharpe told Reuters.
"We had people coming in saying they didn't know how to place a bet but heard about this German octopus and wanted to bet with him. It's ludicrous. But he kept getting it right," said Sharpe. "It's one of the finest tipping feats ever."
Sharpe said that anyone who had placed a 10-pound accumulator bet on Paul's picks from the start of the World Cup would have won 3,000 pounds by the end of the tournament.
Paul's home at Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen has been inundated with visitors and media from across Europe. Many networks broadcast his picks live. Hundreds were on hand to watch the World Cup replica lowered into his tank on Monday.
WINNING BETS
"Paul now wants to say good-bye to the whole world," Daniel Fey, a supervisor at Sea Life, told Reuters. "He really enjoyed all the media attention but now he's returning to his old job."
Yet interest in the 50-cm long octopus remained intense, especially after his last two picks on Friday were once again accurate. Germany won Saturday's match for third place and Spain won Sunday's final -- as Paul had called it on Friday.
Last week Germans were shocked and distraught when he picked Spain to beat Germany in the semi-final after tipping German wins over Argentina, England, Ghana and Australia.
And after Spain beat Germany, many wanted to publicly grill him. Sea Life installed extra security to protect their octopus.
"We have to remember he's quite old now -- 2-1/2 years is quite old for an octopus," Fey said.
Probability experts were quoted in media reports saying the likelihood of getting eight consecutive picks right is 1/256. Sharpe said the odds of getting eight straight right was over 1/300. Humbled professors were quoted saying Paul got lucky.
The octopus, considered by some to be the most intelligent of all invertebrates, had a choice of picking food from two different transparent containers lowered into his tank -- each with a national flag on it.
The container Paul opened first was regarded as his pick.
Sharpe at William Hill said he had at first been sceptical about the oracle octopus. But he became a believer.
"I suspect that Paul's predictions could have made about a half a million pounds," Sharpe said, adding he estimated William Hill paid out 100,000 pounds on his picks at its 2,300 outlets.
"We had people coming in asking who Paul had picked before they placed their bets," Sharpe said. "I'm sure there were a lot more people too who were too embarrassed to tell you they made their bet based on what the octopus said."
He said it was the first time in 30 years of work that he had seen "such widely orchestrated use of a non-human tipster."
Sharpe said he, unfortunately, did not follow Paul's advice. "It'd have been too embarrassing," he said. But Sharpe said he was going on holiday soon. "I'm going to the seaside and intend to eat as much octopus as I can cram down as revenge," he said.
(Editing by Paul Casciato)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6673H820100712
BERLIN | Mon Jul 12, 2010 2:04pm BST
BERLIN (Reuters) - Paul the oracle octopus was given a replica of the World Cup on Monday as a reward for his perfect eight-for-eight record in picking matches as worldwide collected their winnings based on his selections.
The two-year-old octopus with possible psychic powers turned into a worldwide celebrity for accurately predicting the winner of Germany's five World Cup wins as well as their two defeats. Paul also tipped Spain to beat Netherlands in Sunday's final.
"We've had a lot of offers for Paul but he will definitely be staying with us and returning to his old job -- making children smile," Sea Life spokeswoman Tanja Munzig in Oberhausen told Reuters after presenting Paul with the World Cup replica.
"There's no rational reason why he always got it right."
Bettors around the world made small fortunes based on Paul's uncanny picks, said Graham Sharpe, media relations director at William Hill in London.
"I've seen a lot of things in my lifetime but this is the first time I've ever seen people making their picks based on what an octopus tells them," Sharpe told Reuters.
"We had people coming in saying they didn't know how to place a bet but heard about this German octopus and wanted to bet with him. It's ludicrous. But he kept getting it right," said Sharpe. "It's one of the finest tipping feats ever."
Sharpe said that anyone who had placed a 10-pound accumulator bet on Paul's picks from the start of the World Cup would have won 3,000 pounds by the end of the tournament.
Paul's home at Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen has been inundated with visitors and media from across Europe. Many networks broadcast his picks live. Hundreds were on hand to watch the World Cup replica lowered into his tank on Monday.
WINNING BETS
"Paul now wants to say good-bye to the whole world," Daniel Fey, a supervisor at Sea Life, told Reuters. "He really enjoyed all the media attention but now he's returning to his old job."
Yet interest in the 50-cm long octopus remained intense, especially after his last two picks on Friday were once again accurate. Germany won Saturday's match for third place and Spain won Sunday's final -- as Paul had called it on Friday.
Last week Germans were shocked and distraught when he picked Spain to beat Germany in the semi-final after tipping German wins over Argentina, England, Ghana and Australia.
And after Spain beat Germany, many wanted to publicly grill him. Sea Life installed extra security to protect their octopus.
"We have to remember he's quite old now -- 2-1/2 years is quite old for an octopus," Fey said.
Probability experts were quoted in media reports saying the likelihood of getting eight consecutive picks right is 1/256. Sharpe said the odds of getting eight straight right was over 1/300. Humbled professors were quoted saying Paul got lucky.
The octopus, considered by some to be the most intelligent of all invertebrates, had a choice of picking food from two different transparent containers lowered into his tank -- each with a national flag on it.
The container Paul opened first was regarded as his pick.
Sharpe at William Hill said he had at first been sceptical about the oracle octopus. But he became a believer.
"I suspect that Paul's predictions could have made about a half a million pounds," Sharpe said, adding he estimated William Hill paid out 100,000 pounds on his picks at its 2,300 outlets.
"We had people coming in asking who Paul had picked before they placed their bets," Sharpe said. "I'm sure there were a lot more people too who were too embarrassed to tell you they made their bet based on what the octopus said."
He said it was the first time in 30 years of work that he had seen "such widely orchestrated use of a non-human tipster."
Sharpe said he, unfortunately, did not follow Paul's advice. "It'd have been too embarrassing," he said. But Sharpe said he was going on holiday soon. "I'm going to the seaside and intend to eat as much octopus as I can cram down as revenge," he said.
(Editing by Paul Casciato)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6673H820100712
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Psychic octopus predicts Spain to beat Germany
July 6, 2010 5:00 PM
A "psychic" octopus with an uncanny ability to predict the result of World Cup football matches has tipped Spain to beat Germany in the semi-final.
Paul the octopus, from he Sea Life Aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany has so far correctly predicted all the games involving the national team.
His predictions involve handlers at the attraction putting two boxes of tasty mussels into his tank, each with the flag of one team on the front.
The mussels he goes for first are then taken to be his "psychic" prediction and bookies claim many people even place bets on the back of them.
However, the creature has a less then perfect record when these two teams meet - during Euro 2008 he wrongly picked Germany as the victor against Spain. If he is right this time he could end up in a paella.
LINKS
SeaLife
http://newslite.tv/2010/07/06/psychic-octopus-predicts-spain.html
A "psychic" octopus with an uncanny ability to predict the result of World Cup football matches has tipped Spain to beat Germany in the semi-final.
Paul the octopus, from he Sea Life Aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany has so far correctly predicted all the games involving the national team.
His predictions involve handlers at the attraction putting two boxes of tasty mussels into his tank, each with the flag of one team on the front.
The mussels he goes for first are then taken to be his "psychic" prediction and bookies claim many people even place bets on the back of them.
However, the creature has a less then perfect record when these two teams meet - during Euro 2008 he wrongly picked Germany as the victor against Spain. If he is right this time he could end up in a paella.
LINKS
SeaLife
http://newslite.tv/2010/07/06/psychic-octopus-predicts-spain.html
Sporting a mullet pays off at Pittsburgh Zoo
Jul 6, 6:58 AM EDT
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Mullet conservation efforts are under way in Pittsburgh - the hairstyle, not the fish.
The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium gave reduced admission Monday to those sporting the business-in-front, party-in-back look.
The tongue-in-cheek promotion kicked off a week of discount gimmicks at the zoo.
Stuck in the '60s? A tie-dye shirt will get you in the gates for $5 on Thursday. On Friday, the zoo's Facebook friends can get the lower price.
On Monday, the person with the best mullet won a behind-the-scenes zoo tour.
And the prize for the runners-up? A chance for a free haircut.
---
Online:
The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium: http://www.pittsburghzoo.com/
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ODD_ZOO_MULLET_CONSERVATION
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Mullet conservation efforts are under way in Pittsburgh - the hairstyle, not the fish.
The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium gave reduced admission Monday to those sporting the business-in-front, party-in-back look.
The tongue-in-cheek promotion kicked off a week of discount gimmicks at the zoo.
Stuck in the '60s? A tie-dye shirt will get you in the gates for $5 on Thursday. On Friday, the zoo's Facebook friends can get the lower price.
On Monday, the person with the best mullet won a behind-the-scenes zoo tour.
And the prize for the runners-up? A chance for a free haircut.
---
Online:
The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium: http://www.pittsburghzoo.com/
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ODD_ZOO_MULLET_CONSERVATION
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
VIP treatment for jet-setting sharks
By Penny Timms
29 June 2009
There will be two unusual additions to the passenger list of a flight from North Queensland to Melbourne next week.
The final preparations are being made to fly two leopard sharks from Townsville to the Melbourne aquarium.
They will be driven from the Townsville aquarium to Cairns and then put on a flight to Victoria next week.
Stephen Menzies from Reef HQ says there is a lot of work to do before then, including completing a self-sustaining tank.
He says to maintain water quality the sharks will not be fed for about two days before the flight.
"That's always fun when you unload some sharks after a long transport; that first feed, because they do feed with a bit of passion," he said.
The sharks are part of a captive breeding program designed to cut the number of animals taken from the wild.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/29/2939672.htm
29 June 2009
There will be two unusual additions to the passenger list of a flight from North Queensland to Melbourne next week.
The final preparations are being made to fly two leopard sharks from Townsville to the Melbourne aquarium.
They will be driven from the Townsville aquarium to Cairns and then put on a flight to Victoria next week.
Stephen Menzies from Reef HQ says there is a lot of work to do before then, including completing a self-sustaining tank.
He says to maintain water quality the sharks will not be fed for about two days before the flight.
"That's always fun when you unload some sharks after a long transport; that first feed, because they do feed with a bit of passion," he said.
The sharks are part of a captive breeding program designed to cut the number of animals taken from the wild.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/29/2939672.htm
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Paul the octopus is a sucker pundit
By Josh Layton 26/06/2010
England's World Cup hopes have been dealt a blow - by a psychic octopus.
Paul the octopus has correctly predicted all of Germany's wins and defeats in the World Cup so far - and he is tipping them to beat Fabio Capello's team tomorrow.
To get his predictions, food is lowered into Paul's tank in two containers with the flag of each country on the front. The one he goes for is his tip to win.
For this last 16 clash in Bloemfontein, Paul opted for a mussel in a glass of water marked with the black, red and yellow flag of our fierce rivals.
To rub salt in England's wounds, twoyear-old Paul lives in Oberhausen Sea Life centre in Germany but is originally from Weymouth, Dorset.
The centre's Tanja Munzig, who looks after the creature, said: "For the European Championship in 2008 Paul's success rate was more than 80% for Germany games.
"And for this World Cup, he has had a 100% success rate so far." She'll probably shell out a few squid on the result.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/06/26/paul-the-octopus-is-a-sucker-pundit-115875-22361809/
(Submitted by Mark North)
England's World Cup hopes have been dealt a blow - by a psychic octopus.
Paul the octopus has correctly predicted all of Germany's wins and defeats in the World Cup so far - and he is tipping them to beat Fabio Capello's team tomorrow.
To get his predictions, food is lowered into Paul's tank in two containers with the flag of each country on the front. The one he goes for is his tip to win.
For this last 16 clash in Bloemfontein, Paul opted for a mussel in a glass of water marked with the black, red and yellow flag of our fierce rivals.
To rub salt in England's wounds, twoyear-old Paul lives in Oberhausen Sea Life centre in Germany but is originally from Weymouth, Dorset.
The centre's Tanja Munzig, who looks after the creature, said: "For the European Championship in 2008 Paul's success rate was more than 80% for Germany games.
"And for this World Cup, he has had a 100% success rate so far." She'll probably shell out a few squid on the result.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/06/26/paul-the-octopus-is-a-sucker-pundit-115875-22361809/
(Submitted by Mark North)
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Bald penguin gets sunburn protection wetsuit
June 15, 2010 5:10 PMA bald penguin at a UK wildlife centre have been given a specially designed wetsuit to protect him getting sunburn over the summer.
Ralph, a ten year old Humboldt penguin suffers from a moulting problem which causes him to lose all of his feathers within a couple of days.
This means that unlike other penguins - who moult as new feathers grow - his pink skin is left exposed and he could easily get sunburn.
A spokesperson for Marwell Wildlife in Hampshire said the wet suit is made from neoprene, has velcro fastening and was made to measure… well even we didn't think you could buy penguin wetsuits in the average surf shop.
Dave White, Head Keeper for the penguins added: "The stretchy material lets Ralph move around normally.
"The added benefit of the Velcro means that as his new feathers grow through we will be able to adjust it’s size, so it’s always comfy for him.
"At the moment he is sitting on two eggs with his partner Coral and she seems happy enough with his new look."
LINKS
Marwell Wildlife
http://newslite.tv/2010/06/15/bald-penguin-gets-sunburn-prot.html
Monday, June 7, 2010
NY couple weds in shark tank, wearing wet suits
7 June 2010
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. — A New York couple has taken the plunge inside a shark tank.
April Pignataro and Michael Curry were lowered in a steel cage into the tank to exchange their wedding vows at Atlantis Marine World in Riverhead, N.Y, on Sunday.
She wore a white wet suit; he wore a black one.
The experienced divers spoke their vows into radio headgear transmitted to a minister outside the tank. About 75 guests watched from behind glass.
The tank is part of the Lost City of Atlantis shark exhibit.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gbNoQyItOReazqEjzBZ_4ab-lI-AD9G6D6280
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. — A New York couple has taken the plunge inside a shark tank.
April Pignataro and Michael Curry were lowered in a steel cage into the tank to exchange their wedding vows at Atlantis Marine World in Riverhead, N.Y, on Sunday.
She wore a white wet suit; he wore a black one.
The experienced divers spoke their vows into radio headgear transmitted to a minister outside the tank. About 75 guests watched from behind glass.
The tank is part of the Lost City of Atlantis shark exhibit.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gbNoQyItOReazqEjzBZ_4ab-lI-AD9G6D6280
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Giant Crab May Have Pinched Record Title
2:57pm UK, Wednesday April 21, 2010James Davies, Sky News Online
A giant deep-sea crab snared by a Cornish fisherman could be the largest ever found in British waters, experts have said.
The rare box crab, normally found at depths of up to two miles, was caught 80 miles west of the Isles of Scilly by skipper Matthew Keast who was fishing for turbot.
The creature has been nicknamed Spud because of its potato-like body.
At more than 3ft 3in long, it is believed to be only the eighth of its kind to be brought up from the depths since 1900.
The species is the largest found in the UK, and can reach lengths of up to 6ft 6ins.
The Blue Reef Aquarium, in Newquay, Cornwall, is now looking after the crab in a specially chilled tank, where staff are feeding him on a diet of rotten starfish.
The aquarium's manager, David Waines told Sky News: "It's one of the oddest crabs I've ever seen.
"It looks like something from another planet.
"It has weird eyes on stalks which look like bicycle handlebars and a strange pair of backward facing pincers."
He explained: "A crab like this would normally be found very deep on the edge of the continental shelf which runs from Morocco to Ireland at depths of 3,000 metres."
Due to the great depths at which they lurk, relatively little is known about giant box crabs but it is thought they feed on dead fish they find on the seabed.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Strange-News/Giant-Deep-Sea-Crab-Caught-By-Cornish-Fisherman-May-Be-Largest-Ever-Found-In-British-Waters/Article/201004315611964?f=rss
Friday, April 16, 2010
Painting whale
16 April 2010 16:30 GMT
A Chinese water park has a new attraction - an artist whale.
Keepers at Qingdao Polar Ocean World now charge hundreds of pounds for a portrait from Xiao Qiang, a Beluga whale who started painting after a visitor accidentally left behind a brush.
Trainer Zhang Yong said: "He showed a lot of interest in painting right from the start so now all we have to do is give him the brushes and hold the paper while he paints with his mouth."
According to experts, Xiao Qiang is able to work on his artistic talents because his species have a lot more soft tissue around their mouths than others, which allows him to manipulate a brush.
http://entertainment.stv.tv/showbiz/170750-painting-whale/
See video here: http://www.reuters.com/news/video/story?videoId=66184503&videoChannel=4
A Chinese water park has a new attraction - an artist whale.
Keepers at Qingdao Polar Ocean World now charge hundreds of pounds for a portrait from Xiao Qiang, a Beluga whale who started painting after a visitor accidentally left behind a brush.
Trainer Zhang Yong said: "He showed a lot of interest in painting right from the start so now all we have to do is give him the brushes and hold the paper while he paints with his mouth."
According to experts, Xiao Qiang is able to work on his artistic talents because his species have a lot more soft tissue around their mouths than others, which allows him to manipulate a brush.
http://entertainment.stv.tv/showbiz/170750-painting-whale/
See video here: http://www.reuters.com/news/video/story?videoId=66184503&videoChannel=4
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Deadly new attractions at Blue Planet Aquarium
by Julian Hamilton. Published Fri 26 Feb 2010
Dozens of the animal kingdom’s most dangerous creatures have arrived at the Blue Planet Aquarium in Cheshire Oaks.
Entitled 'Venom,' the new editions will feature everything from black widow spiders and venomous lionfish to stinging jellyfish and vipers in a series of innovative new displays – including ‘Tarantula Tower’ where visitors will be able to step inside a Perspex tower surrounded by more than 50 giant spiders.
The new feature contains so many potentially deadly creatures that staff have had to undergo emergency first aid training and bring in life-saving anti-venom kits.
Blue Planet Aquarium’s Paul Renolds said: “Venom will contain one of the highest concentrations of venoms, toxins and poisons anywhere in the UK.
“Every member of our zoological team that will come into contact with the animals has undergone specialist training and will wear protective clothing to ensure their safety,” he added.
A number of the new arrivals are deemed so dangerous that Blue Planet Aquarium will have to notify officials at each local authority through which they will be transported en route to the aquarium.
Venom will be divided into three sections featuring marine creatures, spiders and insects, and reptiles.
Other displays will be home to stonefish – considered to be one of the marine world’s most lethal fish, venomous vipers including the eyelash viper and white lipped tree viper, scorpions, giant tarantulas, golden web spinning spiders, assassin bugs and a whole host of other venomous creatures.
http://www.clickliverpool.com/living/family-fun/128177-deadly-new-attractions-at-blue-planet-aquarium.html
Dozens of the animal kingdom’s most dangerous creatures have arrived at the Blue Planet Aquarium in Cheshire Oaks.
Entitled 'Venom,' the new editions will feature everything from black widow spiders and venomous lionfish to stinging jellyfish and vipers in a series of innovative new displays – including ‘Tarantula Tower’ where visitors will be able to step inside a Perspex tower surrounded by more than 50 giant spiders.
The new feature contains so many potentially deadly creatures that staff have had to undergo emergency first aid training and bring in life-saving anti-venom kits.
Blue Planet Aquarium’s Paul Renolds said: “Venom will contain one of the highest concentrations of venoms, toxins and poisons anywhere in the UK.
“Every member of our zoological team that will come into contact with the animals has undergone specialist training and will wear protective clothing to ensure their safety,” he added.
A number of the new arrivals are deemed so dangerous that Blue Planet Aquarium will have to notify officials at each local authority through which they will be transported en route to the aquarium.
Venom will be divided into three sections featuring marine creatures, spiders and insects, and reptiles.
Other displays will be home to stonefish – considered to be one of the marine world’s most lethal fish, venomous vipers including the eyelash viper and white lipped tree viper, scorpions, giant tarantulas, golden web spinning spiders, assassin bugs and a whole host of other venomous creatures.
http://www.clickliverpool.com/living/family-fun/128177-deadly-new-attractions-at-blue-planet-aquarium.html
Trainer's death reopens debate on dangerous animals in captivity
Dawn Brancheau, 40, had just finished a show with Tilikum, a 12,000-pound killer whale, when the animal grabbed her by her ponytail and dragged her underwater.
The Orlando Sentinel
By KEITH MORELLI The Tampa Tribune
and RAY REYES The Tampa Tribune
Published: February 25, 2010
The debate has raged for years.
Animals used in theme park shows are important in educating the public on particular species, some say.
Then again, these shows are fraught with danger and people should not share the same tank or cage with aggressive animals, others say.
The old arguments flared up again after orca trainer Dawn Brancheau died Wednesday at SeaWorld in Orlando. Brancheau, 40, had just finished a show with Tilikum, a 12,000-pound killer whale, when the animal grabbed her by her ponytail and dragged her underwater.
Autopsy results show Brancheau most likely died from multiple traumatic injuries and drowning after the whale pulled her into a pool, authorities said.
Chuck Tompkins, the corporate curator of zoological operations for SeaWorld, said all procedures were followed and the death of Brancheau was a tragic accident. Orca shows have been suspended indefinitely.
But the park has been offering marine mammal shows for 46 years and the programs are an important part of learning about the animals, Tompkins said.
"Obviously, we need to evaluate our safety procedures and how we work with these animals, Tompkins said. "But we need to move forward knowing these animals are an incredible, valuable tool for us to learn about them."
Robert Rose, the curator of the Miami Seaquarium, agreed.
"These animals serve a very specific purpose," he said. "They're ambassadors to animals out in the wild. Through parks like ours, you can be entertained and learn about these animals."
But Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist with The Humane Society of the United States, said the image presented by the theme parks that the animals are "happy performers" is not true.
As long as orcas are used in interactive shows, incidents involving injury and death are "absolutely going to happen again," Rose said. Orcas, she said, are large predators, "unsuited to permanent confinement, often exhibiting neurotic behaviors in these settings."
Whales and dolphins are intelligent, socially-complex predators that often hunt in pods, Nancy Black, a marine biologist and orca expert with the Monterrey Bay Whale Watch in California said.
"We know so much about their intelligence, their social structures," Black said. "We know they need a lot of space. Living in a tank only stresses them. They are too intelligent for that."
She rejected arguments that parks with orcas in captivity offer educational opportunities and do research into the species. Black promotes excursions into whales' natural habitats.
"There are so many opportunities to see these animals in the wild," she said. "And it costs just as much to go whale watching than go to SeaWorld."
Tompkins agreed that orcas are social animals but said Tilikum exhibited no strange behavior before he pulled his trainer into the water.
"Everything seemed absolutely normal with him," Tompkins said. "There was no abnormal behavior with any other killer whale in the environment, so nothing would lead me to believe that there was anything different in the environment or wrong."
SeaWorld said Tilikum will be kept in isolation and not released into the wild. Russ Rector, a former dolphin trainer at Ocean World in Ft. Lauderdale, said Tilikum won't be set free because the orca would probably attack beachgoers.
"Once an animal kills, it's going to kill again," Rector said.
As for the orca's isolation, Rector said it's because Tilikum is used in breeding and he's worth millions to the theme park.
"If this was a big cat or an elephant that hurt somebody, it would be put down," said Rector, who left the industry after he became vocal about how trainers and marine mammals were treated. He is now a marine animal activist and a rescuer who founded the Dolphin Freedom Foundation.
"This industry is a monster with a happy face," Rector said.
Robert Rose, the Seaquarium curator, said the care and wellbeing of the animals is the trainers' top priority.
"This is what we do for a living," Rose said. "We care for these animals 365 days a year, building a relationship and rapport."
Tompkins said orca trainers at SeaWorld parks are highly specialized.
"Obviously, you don't step in front of a whale on your first day," he said. "It's years before you interact with these killer whales. They're taught about the animals; how to train, how to handle themselves, how to react in just about every environment."
Rector said it doesn't take much to become a marine animal trainer who starts with dolphins and move up the ranks.
"If you look good in a bathing suit, you can do it," he said.
Marine theme parks also downplay the daily injuries trainers receive from agitated or aggressive animals.
"They hurt trainers every day. You just don't show your bites," Rector said. "Captivity dements dolphins. They get tired of people. They go crazy when you put them in pools and make them do stupid pet tricks."
Robert Rose said aquatic parks have an enormous amount of safety protocols in place and trainers form strong bonds with animals to be able to sense when something is wrong.
But Rector said there's only one reason why humans even risk getting in the same tank with megaton predators that dwarf them.
"One word: money," he said. "Orcas are worth more than people. It's a cash cow."
There are 24 orcas in parks across the U.S. and 42 in captivity around the world, said Naomi Rose, the marine mammal scientist from the Humane Society. The last wild capture of an orca was in 2005 when Russia netted a pair, she said.
"Both died within a month," she said.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/feb/25/trainers-death-reopens-debate-dangerous-animals-ca/news-breaking/
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