Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
A day at the zoo
#1
I had an unexpected day off so I decided to give myself an outing. I went to the zoo. It is very pretty there in the winter.
It snowed all day, but that made it look pretty.


[Image: 4HgfHmIVVdh5Hq4jbBMOyjYsMPCDF7UHjx3c6oJQ...=w363-h275]The three white lions were out enjoying the day.
The rock they are lying on is heated.


[Image: NAah9wIuzQA38kC25NM2LQD94cdb3HfxsgBVsHIr...=w155-h275]The polar bears were actually dripping wet so they must have just come out of the pool.


[Image: CFKvT7P2XVDENY0-vYeuJsYPSBsbWWbvB5ZLhT46...=w155-h275]All the paths were like this. There are a lot of native trees and plants. It was very still and quiet.


[Image: enlBhKCW3GZF57Tek0UbNkRa8BTY1ql3u1-wE4dQ...=w262-h275]The Arctic Wolves were very happy with the weather.


[Image: NVwHeV2oWIeAH3xU4Z6gAEQXOauRRAmkcMNRL6pd...=w220-h275]The two Arctic Foxes have a den, but they prefer to sleep out in the snow.

Even I had to go inside after a while.


[Image: xNxBrx-M5rZpLMokB3NHgHX50j3sS7JjPB3dHIuz...=w290-h275]

[Image: QsHz1NtknuLVQaNc6w1c9ooOC_BV-L-uTfHzf6QO...=w264-h275]
There were a number of warm buildings with big terrariums and free flying birds.
It was beautiful day. I needed a day of fresh air and walking. I will certainly sleep tonight.
[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]
Catherine

Reply
#2
It looks as if there is more snow in that sky.
But oh yes, it is lovely.
I am glad there's a heating pad for the Lions. They aren't really designed for snow. Wolves of course and Polar Bears will love it! Did you see a Wolf? I would very much like to see a Wolf. The nearest I got to that was a Wolf-dog hybrid, a lovely girl. But the scent of her on me upset Misty....

It's so nice for you to be able to get out and have a good walk about. That plus a hot dinner....perfect winter combination! Sleep peacefully!
Reply
#3
The lions like to be out if it is not too cold. The rock structure they were sleeping on is manufactured and the stone pad they are lying on is heated. Also most wind comes from the west and the den faces east. The outdoor rock cave is a short distance from their warm indoor quarters. That door is hidden, but they know where it is. On a snowy day it is not too cold.

You were right about there being more snow. It is still snowing off and on and will do so for days to come.

If you go back to the picture where I mention wolves, there are two wolves in the picture. They are arctic wolves so they are fluffy white.  I wish my pictures would post bigger. Right now this is the size that will post.  I don't know why. 


[Image: enlBhKCW3GZF57Tek0UbNkRa8BTY1ql3u1-wE4dQ...3-h1509-no]

Catherin Becket 

I might have figured it out. You can see the wolves now.


[Image: 4HgfHmIVVdh5Hq4jbBMOyjYsMPCDF7UHjx3c6oJQ...4-h1665-no]
Catherine Becket • Only you

Now you can see the lions. There are three of them. The male is resting his head on the two females so his mane is keeping them warm.





[Image: PRg7UdKhL2pL19AKYWLaIrLhywMmalZhT7CZwnBj...5-h4080-no]

Now you can see the bears. They are two young males, Hudson and Humphrey, brothers.







[Image: NVwHeV2oWIeAH3xU4Z6gAEQXOauRRAmkcMNRL6pd...92-h863-no]
Catherine Becket • Only you

The foxes are two balls of fluff. The one in front is still partly brown. The one on top of the shelter is pure white. These are the arctic foxes so they change from brown to white in the winter. Even partly white gives good camouflage.




[Image: xNxBrx-M5rZpLMokB3NHgHX50j3sS7JjPB3dHIuz...2-h1844-no]
Catherine Becket • Only you

These frogs are part of a major frog conservation program. The zoo is breeding them to keep the species going. In the wild a fungus is killing them. If they can find a cure they can then release zoo born frogs back to the wild. 


[Image: QsHz1NtknuLVQaNc6w1c9ooOC_BV-L-uTfHzf6QO...2-h1742-no]
Catherine Becket • Only you

So far they are having success getting the frogs to breed. If you look closely at the pictures you will see what I mean.

Solving the fungus problem is going to be harder. These frogs are from South America.  Many species of frogs are having a problem. The only way to save some populations of frogs was to bring them in from the wild and treat them. 

I am proud of the work Toronto Zoo does towards conservation in this and many other areas.













Catherine Becket • Only yo
[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]
Catherine

Reply
#4
Oh I see what you mean about the Arctic Wolves now. They were well camouflaged and tricked my eyesight! In the first picture I thought the Wolf was a big stone! lol

The Lions look very contented on their heated rock, snuggled up together. That rock overhang will give them a feeling of being in a warm cave, if it shelters them from the prevailing wind. I wish my garden had been under an overhang like that today! The West wind was wicked with a negative wind chill.

Zoos are apparently not what they used to be. Toronto is doing some good work indeed. Thumbsupsmileyanim
Reply
#5
The big accredited zoos are not like the zoos we grew up with.  They are involved in conservation and species survival. The lions are actually white lions and they are a breeding group. Their offspring will help keep the strain of white lions going. Who knows some day they may be part of increasing the wild population. A number of species only escaped extinction because there were some of them left in zoos. The zoos organized to make sure the population increased and stayed healthy. There are herds of Prezwalskis horses in the wild now, but at one time there were just a few in zoos. Toronto has a fine herd and we have enough land to give them a good area to live.

The wolves are very good at hiding when they want to. I have been there a few times when the wolves choose to howl. It is an amazing sound. There are more than two wolves in the pack, but they are often spread out. Their enclosure is a long hill and they use both sides and all  levels of it. They have trees and dens and room to run. Where the two wolves were sleeping was sheltered from the wind. 

I know what you mean about wind chill. It can really be nasty. The zoo did a much better job of building shelters for the animals than our transit system did building bus shelters. They are one wall with a slight overhang and they don't stop any wind at all because they don't go right to the ground. The wind blows up under the wall and chills waiting bus riders. The lions look much warmer with their cozy cave.

My conclusion, the zoo values its lions more than the transit system values its riders.
[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]
Catherine

Reply
#6
I still don't understand the whole "conservation" of white lions. They're not a separate species. They're just African lions expressing a recessive gene. So you can't really call them "rare", because the trait isn't meant to be common.

Speaking of the fungus. It's called Chytrid fungus or Chytridiomycosis. I read the other day that researchers in Australia may have come up with a solution using salt. Very early stages of testing, but apparently adding small amounts of salt to the water can reduce the transmission rate and increase survival.
Hopefully it is a solution because this disease is causing global frog extinctions.
Reply
#7
Quote:Speaking of the fungus. It's called Chytrid fungus or Chytridiomycosis. I read the other day that researchers in Australia may have come up with a solution using salt. Very early stages of testing, but apparently adding small amounts of salt to the water can reduce the transmission rate and increase survival.

That would be fantastic if they have found a way to deal with the Chytrid fungus. It is a global frog emergency. Frog numbers were already in trouble. The fungus is able to wipe out whole populations. Salt! I hope it works. If it is showing any results then they are at least on the right track.

Congrats to the Australian researchers. If it works they will go down in history as the people who saved the world's frogs.
[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]
Catherine

Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)
Created by Zyggy's Web Design