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What’s Up with Zoos Considering Evicting Their Residents?

This week there’s been some disturbing stories in the news about zoos considering evicting some of their residents. In particular, the Los Angeles Zoo might evict it’s only elephant, Billy, and the Berlin Zoo is considering ousting what only two years ago was its superstar attraction, Knut the polar bear. Bye Bye Billy? Poor Billy is the center of one heck of a controversy and he doesn’t even know it. It all started when the Los Angeles Zoo started construction on a new enclosure for Billy. Nay, it was to be more than an “enclosure.” It was going to be … Continue reading →

Florida Airport Going to the Dogs and L.A. Zoo’s Newest Attraction

Southwest Florida International Airport is going to the dogs. Make that “A” dog. A very smart border collie named Radar to be exact. The 9-year-old pooch earned his name by helping airport officials patrol the runway. Radar’s job: chase away birds and other critters that could be sucked into aircraft engines. It’s a serious task and one Radar has effectively mastered since being hired back in 2001. Airport administrators say border collies like Radar scare the birds but don’t harm them. Only, airport workers say they can’t take credit for coming up with the pooch patrol idea. The military was … Continue reading →

A New Source for Antibiotics: Alligators

As part of an ongoing effort to discover new medications for drug-resistant superbugs, researchers are looking in very strange places. Like inside alligators. A study from McNeese State University and Louisiana State University is looking at extracts of alligator blood. Why alligator blood? Researchers say that alligators have the ability to automatically fight germs, bacteria, and viruses without prior exposure. Their immune systems can launch a defense quickly and effectively. The researchers took peptides (a kind of protein) from alligator blood. Just like white blood cells in humans, these alligator peptides are part of the immune system response. In laboratory … Continue reading →

Living Large in L.A. on a Budget

When I was planning our family’s annual vacation to Hawaii a few months ago I seriously considered breaking up the grueling 14-hour trip with a 3-day layover in Los Angeles. I figured it would be a great chance to visit friends and check out the local kid-friendly attractions. In the end I nixed the idea because I couldn’t find an affordable way (airfare-wise) to fit in the mini-vacation within our regularly scheduled vacation. However, I did find some great deals on hotel rooms in the Los Angeles area. If you looking for a place to stay in L.A. on a … Continue reading →

Cool Ice Skating Spots

Tomorrow morning my 3-year-old daughter will strap on ice skates for the first time. But, only time will tell if she’ll remain upright during our historic skating adventure. She’ll have me to cling onto, not to mention three of her playgroup pals, so I’m sure she’ll be fine. Fingers crossed. Yes, it’s that time of year again… winter sports season. And if you have children then you will likely be looking for any and all outdoor activities to combat cabin fever. Though, in most cases you don’t have to travel far to find a decent ice skating rink. For those … Continue reading →

Celebrity Animal Attraction

It’s the awards show my 3-year-old dog-loving daughter would love front row tickets to–the Fido Awards. Britain’s first-ever awards to honor canine cinematic excellence were handed out Sunday and caused quite a scene at London’s South Bank arts center. The show, billed as the world’s first-ever international awards ceremony for canine screen stars, was packed with howling performances by four-legged stars. But, at the end of the night only a handful of pooches walked away with the award for “top dog.” And the winners were… Drum roll please… The tail-wagging stars from the Oscar-winning film “The Queen.” Poppy, Anna, Alice, … Continue reading →

Planning a Trip To L.A.

If you read my previous blog then you know tourism officials in Southern California are desperately trying to get the word out to travelers that the region is on the road to recovery following the latest round of wildfires. In places like San Diego execs at the Visitors and Convention Bureau are going on the offensive actively encouraging visitors to stick with their original travel plans and not avoid the area. In Los Angeles where only a handful of major tourist attractions were shut down last week, the goal is to get back to business as usual. With that in … Continue reading →

National Wildlife Day: How You Can Help

Last month I wrote about National Dog Day sponsored by the Animal Miracle Foundation. Today is another AMF sponsored day, National Wildlife Day. What It’s About Initially the woman who created these days, Colleen Paige, was going to have this one fall on June 6th. However, she changed it to September 4th to honor “the last day that Steve Irwin graced this planet.” The goal is to raise awareness of the non-domestic creatures those of us who are urban dwellers may forget about. The ones who are endangered or otherwise threatened, but who can be saved with a little help … Continue reading →

Reggie Update

In a previous blog I encouraged you to visit the Los Angeles Zoo to view one very special alligator—Reggie. Apparently, Reggie doesn’t like visitors. No, it’s not what you think. Reggie didn’t take his frustrations out on zoo guests. In fact, it seems Reggie doesn’t want anything to do with zoo visitors… or his new home. Just days after the L.A. Zoo hosted a massive celebration welcoming the 71/2-foot gator to his new digs, Reggie bolted. I know; it’s hard to imagine how a nearly 8-foot alligator weighing more than 115 pounds could elude zookeepers. Leave it to Reggie to … Continue reading →