Oklahoma City Zoo announces campaign for new veterinary hospital
The Oklahoma City Zoo sent out this press release about plans to raise $4.5 million capital campaign to build a new veterinary hospital. (You’ll be able to watch some animal surgeries. Gross.)
The Oklahoma Zoological Society announced the Commitment to Care capital campaign, a $4.5 million dollar fundraising campaign coupled with $4.5 million from the Oklahoma City Zoo to build a new veterinary hospital at the Oklahoma City Zoo. A new veterinary hospital is critical to protect and care for animals in the Oklahoma City Zoo and will be named the Joan Kirkpatrick Animal Hospital in honor of the late Joan Kirkpatrick, an avid animal lover and strong zoo supporter.
“We have adopted a bold vision that will showcase the very best treatment of the unique and fascinating wild animals entrusted to our care. The new Joan Kirkpatrick Animal Hospital is the first priority in our 10 year master plan and it is a pleasure to work together with the Oklahoma Zoological Society and our community to make this happen,” Dwight Scott, CEO/Director of the Oklahoma City Zoo said.
The current Joan Kirkpatrick Animal Health and Welfare Complex, located behind-the-scenes, has served admirably for the last 32 years. Yet at the last accrediting visit by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums the Zoo was cautioned that the current facility compromises the world class standards the Zoo strives to uphold.
“Technology has improved quite a bit in medicine since the last hospital was built. We have really outgrown our current facility and there are actually a few things we are limited in doing which hinders us a little bit in providing the enhanced quality of care that we know we can provide,” said Dr. Jennifer D’Agostino, Director of Veterinary Services. “Right now we can’t take certain animals to the hospital because they’re too big or we don’t have the space or the equipment.”
The new Joan Kirkpatrick Animal Hospital will provide veterinary staff the tools and space needed to provide the very best treatment to the wild animals entrusted to the Oklahoma City Zoo’s care. The new animal hospital will be located on Zoo grounds, will allow access to visitors and give them an unprecedented look into a suite where exams, surgeries, medications and treatment procedures are taking place. This new state-of-the-art animal hospital will ensure the Oklahoma City Zoo remains one of the nation’s leading authorities in zoological animal care and demonstrates the Zoo’s Commitment to Care.
Dana McCrory, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Zoological Society stated, “Since the day it was founded, the Oklahoma Zoological Society has worked hard to fulfill its mission to support and promote the Oklahoma City Zoo. This partnership between the Oklahoma City Zoo and the Oklahoma Zoological Society truly showcases how the public and private sectors can work together for the greatest common good. We invite everyone to be a part of this campaign, whether through a traditional or non-traditional gift, there are many ways to show your Commitment to Care!”
To make a donation to the Commitment to Care campaign visit zoofriends.com/commitment-to-care or call 405-425-0611.
OZS was created in 1954 to support and promote the Oklahoma City Zoo and its four purposes of education, conservation, zoological research and recreation. OZS does this through membership drives, fund-raising, capital campaigns, marketing, special events and public relations.
Tiny okapis? Little giraffe? Yes, please!
If you haven’t read about the cuteness happening at the Oklahoma City Zoo yet, it’s time. In a half-word: adorbs.
Oklahoma City Zoo tiger cub bobbing for apples
Pumpkin eating at the Oklahoma City Zoo
For the next two weekends, animals at the Oklahoma City Zoo will enjoy some Halloween-themed treats. It’s free to check out these animal feedings with admission. The pumpkin chompin’ will be Saturdays and Sundays. Here’s the schedule:
SATURDAYS:
10:30 a.m. African Wild Dogs (Wild Dog Drive)
11:00 a.m. Children’s Zoo (Barnyard)
1:15 p.m. Elephant Behavioral Presentation (Elephant Pavilion)
1:30 p.m. Andean Condor & Harpy Eagle (across from picnic pavilions)
1:30 p.m. Great Apes (Great EscApe Building)
2:00 p.m. Upper Aquarium (Noble Aquatic Center)
2:30 p.m. River Otters (Oklahoma Trails)
3:00 p.m. Grizzly Bears (Oklahoma Trails)
3:00 p.m. Sea Lion Habitat (Noble Aquatic Center)
3:30 p.m. Indian Rhino
4:00 p.m. Alligators (Oklahoma Trails)
SUNDAYS:
10:30 a.m. Giraffes
11:00 a.m. Children’s Zoo (Underground)
11:30 a.m. Galapagos Tortoise (Island Life)
1:15 p.m. Elephant Behavioral Presentation (Elephant Pavilion)
1:30 p.m. Andean Condor & Harpy Eagle (across from picnic pavilions)
1:30 p.m. Great Apes (Great EscApe Building)
2:00 p.m. Lower Aquarium (Noble Aquatic Center)
2:30 p.m. River Otters (Oklahoma Trails)
3:00 p.m. Grizzly Bears (Oklahoma Trails)
3:00 p.m. Sea Lion Habitat (Noble Aquatic Center)
3:30 p.m. Indian Rhino
4:00 p.m. Turkey Vulture (Oklahoma Trails Aviary)
Harpy eagle is feeling good
The Oklahoma City Zoo vet reported yesterday afternoon that an ailing harpy eagle has recovered. Here’s an excerpt from a story about the zoo trust meeting:
A male harpy eagle that was acutely ill has recovered, said Jennifer D’Agostino, director of veterinary services. The bird had stopped eating and was lethargic. “Hopefully it was just a passing bug we took care of,” D’Agostino said. The eagle was caught in the wild as an adult and has been at the Oklahoma City Zoo since the 1970s.
Bring a honey badger to Oklahoma City
I”ve started a movement. I’ve never started a movement before, but anyone who knows me won’t be surprised I’m leading the way on a new effort to bring a honey badger to Oklahoma City. And I’m willing to tattoo myself for the cause.
A honey badger, also known as a ratel, is a species related to weasels that lives mostly in Africa and the Middle East. Adult males can reach 35 pounds, but what makes this creature special is it compensates for its small size with an unparalleled vicious demeanor. It has been named by the Guiness Book of World Records as The Most Fearless Animal on the Planet. It is known to fight off leopards, lions and other large predators despite its small size and often feeds on extremely venomous snakes like cobras and adders. As its name implies, it is also fond of honey. It feeds on honey and bee larvae despite having no immunity to bee stings. It merely takes whatever the bees can dish out while it raids their hives. 
I first saw a National Geographic documentary about the honey badger about 10 years ago when I was in college. It immediately became my favorite animal and the mascot of all of my fantasy sports teams. Recently, the honey badger has become a bit of an online craze because of a Youtube video using some clips of the National Geographic documentary with humorous and profane commentary by a guy named Randall. This video has more than 17 million views. As a long time fan of the honey badger, I could not be happier about its newfound fame.
I got to thinking the other day that it is time the Oklahoma City Zoo added a honey badger to its collection. So I started a Facebook page for the cause and began amassing supporters. I’m not totally sure what would need to be done to make this happen, but I figure building a groundswell of support is a good start. I’m willing to raise money for the cause, and I hope I can convince zoo officials that a honey badger would be a welcome addition in Oklahoma City.
To help promote the effort, I have pledged to get a honey badger tattoo on my upper left arm when my Facebook page amasses 500 likes. If you want to see a honey badger in Oklahoma City, or if you’d just like to see me tattoo a picture of a 35-pound weasel on my arm, join the movement now.
Viva Honey Badger!
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Oklahoma primate rescue worker condemns film director
Film director Cameron Crowe has a film coming out soon called, We Bought a Zoo, that features all kinds of wild animals. Well, that has at least one Oklahoman ticked off. Bob Ingersoll, the president of the Newcastle-based Mindy’s Memory Primate Sanctuary, sent this letter to Crowe.
September 20, 2011
Cameron Crowe, Director
We Bought a Zoo
Dear Mr. Crowe,
My name is Bob Ingersoll. You may have heard of the recent documentary Project Nim, by Academy Award winners James Marsh and Simon Chinn. In part, the film chronicles my relationship with Nim Chimpsky, a chimpanzee. I met Nim in September of 1977 and became a lifelong advocate for him and other captive primates and continue to do that work to this day. For almost 15 years now, I’ve served as president of Mindy’s Memory Primate Sanctuary in Newcastle, Oklahoma, where we provide a permanent home for almost 100 monkeys, many of whom come from situations similar to Crystal’s.
By now you’ve read the several other letters explaining why it is a bad idea to use live monkeys in movie projects. I don’t need to reiterate what my colleagues have written in their letters, except perhaps to point out that your use of Crystal perpetuates a problem that we have been trying to both bring to an end and provide a solution for, for many years. And I’ll add that in my opinion, computer-generated imaging has made using live animals entirely unnecessary and hopefully soon obsolete.
In my experience, monkeys that come to us from entertainment and pet situations are the most difficult to resocialize with members of their own species, since they’ve had little or no social experience with other monkeys. Being around humans may be fun and cute and entertaining for the humans, but it’s psycholo-gically devastating for the animal. The laughs for the brief moment in a movie or television show are not worth the suffering that animal generally will have to endure. Also, it is not unheard of for entertainment animals to end up in invasive medical research when their entertainment days are through, often in a few short years. The people that make a buck on the use of their animals for entertainment seldom have qualms about making a buck on them when they outlive their cute stage and enter the dangerous stage.
Another problem is that use of monkeys in movies stokes the public’s desire to own a monkey as a pet, thereby perpetuating more sales of captive primates. These monkeys are sold to people who are unequipped to provide for the magnitude of care needed for a primate’s physical and mental well-being over the decades of the monkey’s life. A capuchin can live to be 50 years of age. That’s a long time. Neeko spent eight years in a dog carrier, in a diaper, in an apartment. Abu ended up in a windowless tool shed in a backyard for a number of years before he was rescued by us. There are many more examples at our sanctuary alone, but you get the point. The bottom line is, using monkeys in entertainment ultimately just leads to many more monkeys in bad situations.
Capuchin monkeys are social animals, and they deserve the opportunity to live their lives as the monkeys they are, with members of their own species. They shouldn’t have to spend their lives being trained to do tricks for humans’ entertainment.
Thanks for taking the time to read this letter. Feel free to contact me directly if you would like. My number is (415) 609-4856; e-mail is newtrogs@hotmail.com.
Regards,
Bob Ingersoll, President
Mindy’s Memory Primate Sanctuary
Newcastle, Oklahoma
Baby elephant debutes in Houston
Pets in the paper – Mr. Ed’s joint doctor
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman since Saturday -
- Animal chiropractor helps from head to tail. (Oklahoma City)
- For many students, it’s a zoo out there. (Oklahoma City)
- Metro students work alongside zoo experts. (Oklahoma City, Edmond)
- Lead sickens rare baby bird. (California)
- Wild fishing industries exploring strategies. (Gulf of Mexico)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper – gorilla fans come to OKC
Holy smokes! We have some catching up to do! Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today -
- City zoo to play host for gorilla conference. (Oklahoma City)
- Pet tales: Everybody loves Sammy. (Yukon)
- Bill updates: Pet fund. (state capitol)
- Shark tales always come with teeth. (Jenks)
- Cuts urged on season, bag limit. (southeast Oklahoma)
- Wolf law could change. (Montana)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
