November 2003
November
26, 2003 - Oregon
Zoo's Senior Zoomobile Visit Seniors
November
25, 2003 - Oregon
Zoo Animals Gobble Thanksgiving Treats
November
21, 2003 - Chendra
The Elephant Helps Kick Off 16th Annual Zoolights Holiday Festival
November
17, 2003 - After
Nearly 100 Years, Highly Endangered California Condors Return
To Oregon Nov. 20
November 14, 2003 - Visitors
Go Behind The Scenes To Make Elephant Activities
November
13, 2003 -
Oregon
Zoo Hosts Annual Turkey Trot Fun Run
November 3, 2003 - Mysteries
of Behind the "Zoo" Scenes Revealed During Giraffe Tour
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November 26, 2003
Oregon
Zoo's Senior Zoomobile Visit Seniors
PacifiCare awards a grant to Oregon Zoo to fund ZooMobile program for seniors
PORTLAND, Ore.- Many seniors are unable to visit animals at Oregon Zoo so the
zoo is coming to them. The Oregon Zoo and PacifiCare Foundation bring the Senior
ZooMobile to 25 residents at Hillside Residence, a nursing and long-term care
facility, on Dec. 5 at 10 a.m.
The ZooMobile will bring several small animals and a slide show of recent events
to seniors who are unable to visit the zoo. ZooMobile animals include opossums,
chickens, rabbits, ducks, and snakes. The ZooMobile begins visiting seniors
each fall and plans to visit 54 facilities and more than 1,600 seniors in Oregon
for the duration of the annual program.
Francine Stroud, Activities Director at Hillside Residence, was present last
year when the ZooMobile visited. She described the experience fondly
as, "Fantastic! The zoo even waited to bring out the snake 'till
the very end so residents who were uncomfortable could leave if they wanted
to. Only one person left and everyone wanted to pet the animals and enjoyed
the experience." Stroud also talked about how "the duck was
very cute. It was quacking and didn't want to get back in the crate
when it was time to go."
PacifiCare Foundation, the non-profit philanthropic arm of PacifiCare Health
Systems, Inc. awarded a grant of $4,500 to Oregon Zoo to fund the program. PacifiCare
is the first corporate sponsor of the Senior ZooMobile.
"
PacifiCare and Oregon Zoo share a mutual commitment to making a positive difference
in the lives of seniors," said Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "Many
nursing-home residents are unable to leave their facilities. PacifiCare's
generous support will allow the ZooMobile to bring a piece of the zoo to
them."
According to a study recently published in the Journal of American Geriatric
Society, seniors who interact with animals show better-than-average physical
health and mental well being compared to seniors who have no interaction
with animals.
"
The ZooMobile is an innovative and unique program that touches so many people's
lives," said David Hansen, vice president and general manager of PacifiCare
of Oregon. "PacifiCare has a rich history in Oregon serving the
health care needs of seniors. By contributing this grant to the Oregon
Zoo, we have a unique opportunity to support a program that enhances the physical
and mental health of seniors through contact with animals. The ZooMobile
reinforces PacifiCare's belief that caring is good, doing something is better."
PacifiCare, media, and Hillside residents' families are invited to attend
the event. Refreshments will be served at 10 a.m. followed by the slide
show and animal presentation at 10:30 a.m.
The PacifiCare Foundation, a not-for-profit, philanthropic arm of PacifiCare
Health Systems, is sponsoring the holiday party in support of the Oregon Zoo's
Senior ZooMobile program. Senior ZooMobile is a unique initiative that brings
volunteers and pettable zoo animals to long-term care and assisted living facilities.
Founded in 1887, the award-winning Oregon Zoo is the oldest zoo west of the
Mississippi. The zoo is a service of Metro and is committed to conservation
of endangered species and their habitats-both locally and around the globe.
The zoo is a center for wildlife preservation and field research; its education
programs serve schools and senior centers around the region. More than 1.2
million people visit the zoo each year.
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November
25, 2003
Oregon
Zoo Animals Gobble Thanksgiving Treats
PORTLAND, Ore.- Animals at Oregon Zoo will celebrate Thanksgiving a day early.
Leopards and meerkats will tear apart large turkey-shaped piñatas
while polar bears feast on turkey-shaped cream cheese murals on Wednesday,
Nov. 26 between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Kids who participated in an overnight ZooSnooze decorated the piñatas. They
have been invited to witness the meerkats and leopards stomp or play with their
turkey-shaped creations.
Zookeepers will paint turkey-shaped cream cheese murals on the windows in the
polar bear exhibit. The murals will be placed high and low so the polar bears
have to stretch and crawl to taste their treats as visitors watch. The
polar bears seek out these treats through sight and smell.
"
It's amazing to watch huge polar bears lean against the glass to get at the
cream cheese," said JoEllen Marshall, senior marine life keeper.
The turkey-shaped piñatas and cream cheese murals serve as enrichment
for the animals. The zoo uses enrichment, a tool used to keep animals
mentally stimulated, to encourage natural hunting and foraging behaviors.
According to Tony Vecchio, zoo director, "Animal Enrichment is very important
to the health and well-being of the animal; however, it is often done behind
the scenes. This opportunity allows visitors to watch animals interact with
their Thanksgiving treats."
Other Thanksgiving Day related activities at the Oregon Zoo include Turkey
Trot, Nov. 27. The Oregon Road Runners Club (ORRC) organizes this annual Thanksgiving
Day event for runners and walkers of all ages. A portion of the proceeds
from the Turkey Trot will go to the Oregon Zoo to fund animal care and conservation
programs. The zoo's Cascade Grill will offer traditional Thanksgiving foods
like turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy in addition to their regular
menu.
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November
21, 2003
Chendra
The Elephant Helps Kick Off 16th Annual Zoolights Holiday Festival
PORTLAND, Ore. - On Saturday, Nov. 29 at 5:10 p.m., Chendra the Oregon
Zoo's 10-year-old Asian elephant will flip the ceremonial switch to
kick off the 16th annual ZooLights festival. This family tradition,
presented by The Boeing Company, will feature more than 500,000 lights,
illuminating life-sized animal silhouettes, trees, buildings, walkways,
and the zoo train.
"
The beautiful animated animals, the decorated train and all the new
colorful displays are sure to make this year's ZooLights the best ever," said
Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "It's become a great tradition for
our visitors. I spoke with several families last December who come
back year after year to ride the train and see the lights. Some parents
who visited as children are now bringing their children," he added.
As visitors approach the zoo entrance, swinging siamangs and diving
dolphins greet them. A large, rotating mobile featuring aquarium animals
will dominate the zoo's entry plaza. Deeper inside the zoo, an
anaconda is re-created in lights at the Amazon Flooded Forest exhibit
and a gingerbread house, complete with candy cane fence, lights up
the Crossroads.
Many new silhouettes can be found throughout the zoo. Three life-sized,
three-dimensional hippos will graze near a river of lights on the zoo's
concert lawn. The meandering river of LED lights is 180 feet long and
16 feet wide. Two life-sized, three-dimensional crocodiles closely
watch the hippos as they graze; one crocodile has a motorized mouth
that opens when visitors tap a switch. Just below the river of lights
are submerged hippos and crocodiles. Nearby, an African fish eagle
swoops down and scoops up a fish from the river. At Butterfly Way there
is a caterpillar that turns into a chrysalis, before emerging as a
beautiful butterfly. Inchworms have also been added to butterfly way. Lastly,
three California condor silhouettes have been added to help celebrate
the zoo's participation in the California Condor Recovery Team.
The zoo's popular costumed characters and elves will be on hand to
greet zoo visitors and pose for pictures. Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer
will be joined by Buddy Beaver, Honey Bear, Eliza Elephant, Lulu Lemur,
Nate the Eagle, Rock E. Goat, Sandy Sea Otter and Titus Tiger. Visitors
can also see some of the zoo's resident animals, including bats, mountain
goats, elephants, primates, and a rambunctious herd of pettable pygmy
goats.
The sounds of the season will fill the zoo as more than 100 schools,
churches, and professional groups perform holiday musical selections. Several
local dance troupes will also be featured.
Favorite light displays from previous years will also return, including
trumpeting elephants, tobogganing polar bears and swinging monkeys.
Lions can be seen chasing a herd of impalas, while a giraffe grazes
nearby. An ostrich gets startled and runs away, hiding its head in
the sand. Flying macaws fly from tree to tree. A 35-foot-long dragon
mysteriously floats above the walkway. At Steller Cove, a sea lion
and dancing sea star greet visitors. Close by are white swans that
swim in a garden pond and penguins that dive in arctic waters. A baby
kangaroo jumps out of its mother's pouch and begins to hop around.
And darting red and green amphibians play a lively game of leapfrog.
In addition to the lights, characters and music, the Tualatin Valley
Model Railroad Club will show off its enlarged NTRAK train display.
And children of all ages are sure to enjoy family entertainment every
evening in the zoo's elephant museum, including a conservation-themed
puppet show Thursday through Sunday evenings.
The Artist's Market will feature recycled, animal and earth friendly
art. And, for last minute shoppers, the zoo's gift shop, Cascade Outfitters
is bursting with animal-related gifts. The zoo's Cascade Grill will
offer a nightly holiday buffet. This traditional feast will cost $12.50
for adults and $7.50 for kids. Holiday treats will be available at
food locations throughout the zoo.
ZooLights runs from Nov. 29 through Dec. 28. Hours are 5 to 8 p.m.
on Sunday through Thursdays, and 5 to 8:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
The lights and other activities will continue for one hour past the
gate closing time. The festival is closed Dec. 24 and 25.
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November
17, 2003
After
Nearly 100 Years, Highly Endangered California Condors Return To
Oregon Nov. 20
Only 219 condors are left in the world; Oregon Zoo hopes to breed condors
for release to the wild
PORTLAND,
Ore. - Nearly two hundred years ago Lewis and Clark saw California
condors in the Columbia River Gorge. One hundred years later the condors
were extinct in Oregon. On Thursday, Nov. 20, 2003 the rare birds
will
return to Oregon where they will reside in the Oregon Zoo's new off-site
Condor Creek Conservation Facility in Clackamas County. The zoo will
soon be breeding condors for eventual release back to the wild.
The
Oregon Zoo is only the third zoo in the nation to be invited to join
the California Condor Recovery Program. Twelve of the rare birds
will come from team members at the Los Angeles Zoo, San Diego Zoo's
Wild Animal Park and The Peregrine Fund's World Center for Birds
of Prey in Boise.
The Oregon Zoo's condor facility is located on Metro-owned open space.
The facility is designed to minimize the exposure of young condors
to people in order to increase the chances for captive-hatched
birds to survive and breed in the wild.
"It's important that condors not bond or associate with humans," said
Jan Steele, zoological curator and condor project manager. "If
they become unafraid of people, they put themselves in jeopardy
when released into the wild."
It is hoped that the Oregon Zoo's condor pairs will eventually
produce two eggs per year. The first egg will be incubated artificially,
which
will induce the condor to lay a second egg. Staff wearing hand
puppets that resemble adult condors will raise the first condor
chick. Mature
condors will raise the second chick. This process is known as double
clutching and allows the normally slow reproducing condors to produce
two chicks per breeding season.
The last condors were seen in Oregon in 1904, near the town of
Drain, in southwest Oregon. Condors held out a little longer in
California,
but in 1987, there were only 17 left in the wild. In an attempt
to save the species, biologists decided to place all the remaining
condors
into a captive breeding program. When Congress passed the Endangered
Species Act in 1973, the California condor was one of the original
animals included on the list. Today there are 219 California condors
in captivity and the wild.
Condors have a long history in Oregon. Archeologists have unearthed
nine thousand year old condor bones from Native American middens.
"For thousands of years native people described the condor as Thunderbird," according
to Tony Vecchio, zoo director.
The condor was a common design motif of the Wasco people, who lived
along the Columbia River from The Dalles to Cascade Locks-the condor
was considered a helper to the native peoples and a key character
in many myths.
"I can't think of any species that connects conservation, Oregon history
and culture as strongly as the condor," added Vecchio.
Lewis and Clark first saw condors along the Columbia River on Oct.
28, 1805.
"In their journals, Lewis and Clark described condors flying high above
the Columbia River," said Vecchio. "They referred to
them as the beautiful buzzard of the Columbia. I would love to
someday
see condors soaring above the cliffs of the Columbia and other
regions throughout Oregon again."
The Oregon Zoo is the newest member of the California Condor
Recovery Program. The recovery goal for the condor is to establish
a captive
population of 150 birds and two separate wild populations of
condors, one in California and the other in Arizona. California
condor captive
breeding programs are operated at San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal
Park, Los Angeles Zoo, The Peregrine Fund's World Center for
Birds of
Prey and now at the Oregon Zoo's off-site Condor Creek Conservation
Facility.
US Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Condor Recovery
Program coordinate and implement the recovery program and provide
oversight
of all program partners.
The Oregon Zoo Foundation has raised $1.35 million for the $3
million condor project. An additional $1.65 million is needed
to complete
the second and third phases of construction, including more holding
space,
a separate flight aviary, and a veterinary clinic. The plan also
includes an educational condor exhibit at the zoo. Once the remaining
two phases
have been completed, the Condor Creek Conservation Facility will
house 16 pairs of condors producing up to 32 young a year.
Condors, like their smaller turkey vulture cousins, are carrion-feeders,
which means they only eat animals they find dead. Because of
this, their reintroduction into the wild has been much less controversial
than other species such as wolves and grizzly bears.
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November
14, 2003
Visitors
Go Behind The Scenes To Make Elephant Activities
PORTLAND,
Ore. - Did you know an elephant's trunk weighs 400 pounds and contains
approximately 40,000 muscles? Visitors will learn about
Asian elephants and create activities for the elephants during
the Oregon Zoo's Behind the Scenes Encounter, Sunday, Nov. 23, from
10
a.m. to 11 a.m.
Elephant
keepers will help visitors make "enrichment
items" for
the zoo's four female elephants. The zoo is internationally renowned
for its innovative environmental enrichment program, which is
designed to keep the animals active and mentally stimulated.
During
the encounter, visitors will watch and learn about the
value of training and the purpose it serves to keep the elephants
engaged. They
will also learn how the zoo is playing a leadership role in Asian
elephant conservation.
"Our
elephants have become symbols for elephant conservation," according
to Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "We hope people come
away from these encounters with the realization that elephants
are a crucial
part of the environment. People must connect with animals
if they're to care about their future."
This
tour is open to participants 12 and older and requires pre-registration. The
cost is $34 for members and $40 for non-members; price includes admission. A
portion of the proceeds helps fund the zoo's animal conservation
programs.
For more information go to the Oregon Zoo's web site located
at www.oregonzoo.org or call 503-220-2781. Gift certificates
for Behind the Scenes Encounters
are also available. If you want to sponsor an animal at the
zoo or find out what you can do to help animal conservation,
visit
the zoo
Web site.
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November
13, 2003
Oregon
Zoo Hosts Annual Turkey Trot Fun Run
PORTLAND, Ore. - The Oregon Zoo invites runners and walkers of all
ages to the annual Turkey Trot on Thursday, November 27. The annual
Thanksgiving
Day event, organized by the Oregon Road Runners Club (ORRC), includes
a 4-mile run and fitness walk beginning at 8 a.m. and a 1-kilometer
Tot Trot beginning at 9:30 a.m. A portion of the proceeds from the
Turkey Trot will go to the Oregon Zoo to fund animal care and conservation
programs.
"The
Oregon Road Runners Club has encouraged thousands of people to take
steps to improve their health by walking and running over the
past 33 years," said Margie Mace, Oregon Road Runners Club president. "This
traditional walk and run, prior to sitting down to a big Thanksgiving
Day meal, has become a real annual tradition and a favorite event among
Oregon families and their relatives visiting from out of town over
the holiday."
All
events are noncompetitive and do not include awards. However, all
participants will receive a chocolate turkey from
JaCiva's for participating
(while supplies last). There will be a clock at the start and finish
line for self-timing. Each event will start across from the zoo at
the World Forestry Center and finish inside the zoo by the concert
amphitheater.
Early
registration is available by mail through Nov. 21. Flyers are available
at local running stores. Online registration
is also available
through Nov. 25 via the Oregon Road Runners Club Web site at www.orrc.net. Fees
for the 4-mile run and fitness walk are $24 (ORRC members receive a
$4 discount off the early registration amount). Long sleeve cotton
shirts are $10 extra and must be reserved by Nov. 21. The Tot
Trot for children under 11 years of age is $10 and includes a shirt
if the child is registered by Nov. 21. The family rate
is $50 for two adults and up to three children. Registration fees after
Nov. 21 and on race day are $30 for ORRC members and non-members, $65
for families, and $15 for kids.
Parking
is limited so participants are encouraged to ride Max. Tri-Met's
Washington Park Light Rail Station
is just steps from the registration
area and the start and finish lines. Drop bags will be provided at
registration to check extra clothing. Tri-Met timetables are
available at www.tri-met.org.
No
pets or roller blades are allowed in any of the events. Strollers
and child carrier backpacks are allowed
only in the 4-mile fitness
walk and must start at the back of the group.
Volunteers
wishing to help on this benefit run can call ORRC at 503-646-7867
and leave
your name and phone number.
ORRC,
a non-profit organization, was founded in Seaside, Oregon in 1970,
as an outgrowth of the Trail's End Marathon,
the first marathon
in the Pacific Northwest. ORRC is a member of the national Road
Runners Club of America (RRCA), and is one of the largest RRCA running
clubs in the United States with roughly 1,000 members. The Club conducts
races and developmental programs for children, adults, runners and
walkers, and plans and organizes over 15 running races in the Portland
vicinity.
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November
3, 2003
Mysteries
of Behind the "Zoo" Scenes Revealed During Giraffe Tour.
Visitors
can hand-feed giraffes during special tour.
PORTLAND,
Ore. - Did you know a giraffe's neck bones are a foot long or that
their heart weighs 25 pounds? Oregon Zoo keepers will
introduce this big-hearted animal to visitors during the zoo's
Behind the Scenes Encounters, Saturday, Nov. 15, from 10 a.m. to
11 a.m. During
the tour visitors will hand-feed the giraffes.
"Behind
the Scenes Encounters offer amazing experiences with exotic animals," says
Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "Having
the chance to hand-feed a giraffe is an incredible moment;
something people will
never forget."
Visitors
will tour the exhibit from the inside and learn how giraffes get
their nails done, what it
takes to give them their
shots, and discover
some of the challenges keepers face when caring for them.
They will also learn about the zoo's conservation efforts to preserve
crucial
African habitat.
According
to one visitor who had the opportunity to preview the tour, "I
fed the giraffe carrots through the fence and it licked
me with its big, black tongue-which must have been two feet long!
It's
amazing
to watch them bend their heads way down to get a good look
at
you before biting into their carrot."
Behind
the Scenes Encounters are held three times per month. This tour is
open to participants 16 and older and requires
pre-registration.
The cost is $85 for members and $100 for non-members;
price
includes admission.
The
next tour is the Elephant Enrichment Encounter, Sunday, November
23. The enrichment is designed
to keep the elephant's minds and bodies active. For example,
an elephant may receive a ball filled with raisins; the raisins
fall out of small holes when
the elephant
rolls the ball. This promotes curiosity and forces
the elephant to figure out how to get the treats inside.
For
the elephant tour, visitors will create enrichment
items and then watch the elephants play with them. This
tour is open to participants 12 and older and also
requires pre-registration. The cost
is $34 for members and $40 for non-members; price
includes admission.
For
more information go to the Oregon Zoo's web site
located at www.oregonzoo.org or call 503-220-2781.
Gift certificates
for Behind the Scenes Encounters
are also available. Condors
return to Oregon after a near 100-year
absence with the help of a challenge grant.
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