Welcome to Niki the rhino!
As you may have heard, the Oklahoma City has a new face: Niki. The Indian rhino arrived Thursday. In honor of her joining the zoo, I’ve collected some of our best Oklahoman photos of rhinos at the Oklahoma City Zoo.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper – gift horses’ mouths
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today -
- Senate votes take teeth out of law on horse dentists. (state capitol)
- “Lion King” deserves roar of applause. (Oklahoma City)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Zoo looking for teen volunteers
The Oklahoma City Zoo is hosting an open house for its Junior Curator program.
The open house will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Rosser Conservation Education Center at the zoo.
The program is open to volunteers ages 14-18. Students work with animals, help at special events and assist with other work at the zoo. Each year, 35 Junior Curators are chosen, and they each volunteer 100 hours at the zoo. Applications will be available in the zoo guest relations office and online beginning May 15.
For more information, call 425-0275.
Below, check out a collection of Oklahoman photos of junior curators working at the Oklahoma City Zoo. (Click on the pictures to make them bigger.)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Afghan pig locked up in solitary confinement
Today’s not a good day to be a pig in Afghanistan.
Actually, probably no day is a good day to be a pig in Afghanistan because you’re the only pig in the entire country. But today must be especially bad because fears of the swine flu.
The nation’s only pig has been moved off exhibit at the Kabul Zoo because people are afraid the porker could give them swine flu. Officials there built him his own room to live in for now until the swine flu hubbub dies out.
The sole Afghan pig was originally a gift from China. Pigs are considered illegal in the Muslim nation, where the animals are considered irreligious.
With his new habitat, the Afghan pig is probably even more lonely than he already was.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Wonderful zoo photos
Boston.com, the Boston Globe’s Web site, has a wonderful photo gallery of pictures from zoos around the world. Lions, tigers,, leopards, bears, foxes, primates, frogs, hippos, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, dolphins, kangaroos, camels and plenty more are featured in the gallery. Many of the pictures are of babies. Here is my favorite, of a cute Chinese leopard cub growling at photographers.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Adopt an Easter bunny or just watch once on TV
We’ve talked about it ever year on Pet Show, and for some reason this national problem hasn’t been solved! I’m talking about people who buy their kids bunnies and chicks for Easter, only to return them some time before Memorial Day because the kids can’t take care of them or lose interest.
How bad is the problem? As many as 95 percent of Easter bunny pets are dumped within the first year, according to the Found Animal Foundation.
Well, this year is no different: Easter pets aren’t a good idea. However, if you’re one of the few – one of the VERY FEW! – who have thought this plan all the way through and have decided that an Easter bunny is right for you, here’s something else to consider:
Adoption.
Looks at those little faces. These are all furry, fuzzy, lovable, adoptable faces of rabbits that need homes. I mean, come on. How cute is THAT? Ridiculously cute, I say.
But where can you find such fantastic and homeless bunnies? Here’s a great option: PetSave.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today, Sunday and Saturday -
- Baby elephant makes its debut. (Ohio)
- Judge’s decision sends Michael Vick scrambling. (Virginia)
- Hunger or poison blamed after owl dies. (Noble)
- Dogged volunteering defines Realtor of the Year. (Oklahoma City)
- Group will build homes for canines. (Oklahoma City)
- Urban coyote attacks are alarming residents. (Colorado, Sunday, page 10a)
- Two shakes of a bunny’s nose. (Connecticut, Sunday, page 10a)
- Rare Irrawaddy dolphins found. (Bangladesh, Sunday, page 13a)
- Wildlife advocates named. (statewide, Sunday, page 17a)
- Groups saddle up for companionship. (Piedmont)
- Airport to get bird nets. (Texas, Sunday, page 18a)
- Elephant joins Dallas zoo. (Texas, Sunday, page 18a)
- Last polar bear dies in St. Louis. (Missouri, Sunday, page 18a)]
- Prairie chickens close to being endangered. (Kansas, Sunday, page 20a)
- Bear, antelope and elk seasons created. (statewide)
- Prairie chicken conservation focus of festival. (Woodward)
- Moose art joins other. (Medicine Park)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
One cute monkey
Not much to say about this video of a delightfully cute 4-day-old monkey born at the Taronga Zoo in Auzstralia. Well not much to say except “Awwwwwwwww.”
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Check out the Sooner Lake eagles
In case you haven’t heard, there is a spectacular live camera on an eagle’s nest at Sooner Lake, which is, oddly enough, near Stillwater.
The eaglets and their parents are adjusting to their new life as a family, and the view is amazing. Right now both adults are in the nest, and I’m not sure what they’re doing besides being blown by the Oklahoma wind. Regardless, the footage is amazing.
You can watch the eagles here, or you can check out the main site here. The camera is run by the folks at the George Miksch Sutton Avian Research Center. But be patient – the video takes a few seconds to load. It’s worth the wait.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper
Check out these animal stories from The Oklahoman today, yesterday and Saturday:
- Make your pet a video star in NewsOK.com contest.
- Bug Fest has creepy-crawlie stars. (Norman)
- Mailed jailed in doe shooting. (Vermont)
- Equine dentist law has teeth. (statewide)
- State park just made horse sense. (Wagoner)
- Zoo welcomes baby elephant. (California)
- Condor suffers from gunshot. (California)
- Oil soaks pelican, Australian beach. (Saturday, page 7a)
- Don’t make impulse bunny buy. (statewide)
- Oklahoma City Zoo exhibit revives dinosaurs.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
