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Polar Bears Overrun Churchill, Manitoba

I have always thought polar bears were beautiful animals. That doesn’t mean I want one in my backyard. That seems to be the plight of people in the town of Churchill, Manitoba. Granted, Churchill is known as the “Polar Bear Capital of the World” because the polar bears migrate from the inland to the icy shore during the fall months. This has resulted in quite a bit of tourism to Churchill. People can ride buses known as tundra buggies to see the bears. Now, this tiny town (pop. 923) has had to create what they call “bear jails” to keep … Continue reading →

Polar Bear Tours

No, not at your local zoo. I’m talking about the real deal—larger than life polar bears in their natural environment. It doesn’t sound as if it would be very tough to arrange, but once you learn that there are only a few places on the face of the earth where you can see polar bears roaming free and, even then, for just a brief window of time, perhaps you will be inspired to act fast. Polar bear lovers are already making their travel plans to Manitoba. According to nature tour guides, during the last weeks of autumn — usually from … Continue reading →

Halloween Family Travel: Fun and Freaky

Halloween is a family-friendly holiday. However, if you have a number of kids spanning a wide age range, it can be challenging to find a Halloween-themed event that can be enjoyed by the entire clan. Fortunately, there are quite a few travel attractions that feature thrills and chills appropriate for kids of all ages, including: LOWRY PARK ZOO BOO The “family-friendly fright zone” at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo features Halloween fun for young and old alike. Older kids will love navigating haunted houses, spooky trails, and a creepy Egyptian tomb, while younger trick-or-treaters can satiate their sweet tooth by collecting … Continue reading →

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 →

American Eskimo Dog

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The American Eskimo dog is a Nordic breed that shares ancestry with the Keeshond, the Pomeranian, and various Spitzes. Until 1917, it was called the American Spitz; these days, you can call it the Eskie. Why the name change from American Spitz to American Eskimo dog? Experts aren’t really sure. Some believe that the name “Eskimo” was included to emphasize the dog’s cold-weather origins. “Spitz” doesn’t quite evoke the same image of thickly-furred dogs. The breed rose to popularity during the 19th century, when the small white dogs were used in circus acts. The Eskie excelled at performing thanks to … 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 →