Happy New Year!
Welcome in 2010 With a Walk through the Zoo.
Weather
forecasters
are predicting cold temperatures throughout January, but the Zoo
will be open and many of the North American animals, especially,
seem to enjoy the cold. Count on seeing active and playful bears --
Polar (of course) but also Black and Grizzly. The Cougars, Harbor
Seals, Sea Lion and Arctic Foxes will likely be content with the
weather, too!
And, when you are ready to warm up, drop into the Aviary—it will feel
like a tropical paradise.
Cato Patas Island to become Cato Lemur Island
The
Zoo will soon be exhibiting two new species—Red-ruffed Lemurs and
Ring-tailed Lemurs. Individuals belonging to both species will go on
exhibit sometime this spring. Currently Zoo staff is busy refurbishing
the exhibit where the Patas Monkeys used to stay, in order to make it
comfortable for the Lemurs.
Park Update
The Park staff is mostly busy keeping the animals warm and getting the Park ready for next year's busy season.
At the Zebra, Ostrich, Giraffe exhibit, the
new
Giraffe Deck is closed for the winter. It will reopen in the
spring. Keepers will continue working with the giraffes to get them
acclimated to approaching the deck. When the deck reopens, the Zoo will
begin charging admission: $1 to enter or $2 to enter and receive some
browse to offer to the Giraffes.
At the Africa Plains,
the White Rhinos have been taken off the large plains exhibit for the
winter, but they will be visible to visitors on warm days. Just look to
the back of the upper Elephant exhibit to see the Rhinos.
At the Gorilla Exhibit,
Zoo
staff continues to mourn the deaths of two female Gorillas. Both
Gorillas were in their twilight years (Katie was 36 and Donna was 42),
and both had been undergoing treatment
for cancer.
In their efforts to treat both Gorillas, the
Zoo's veterinary staff consulted with other veterinary experts at N.C.
State University College of Veterinary Medicine and with several top
medical doctors—oncologists at Duke University Medical Center and the
Carolina Center for Reproductive Medicine in Cary. The two Gorillas
were humanely euthanized (Donna on December 14 and Katie on Dec. 15)
after Zoo veterinarians could no longer control the Gorillas' pain
levels and conceded that all treatment
options had failed to halt the cancers.
The Zoo’s 18-year-old
male Gorilla, Nikosi, remains on exhibit and is in excellent health.
Zoo officials are making plans to bring two young female Gorillas here
in 2010. These transfers were scheduled sometime ago by experts working
with the Gorilla Species Survival Plan, a conservation program operated
by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.
Help the Zoo Step Up to Its Plate
Become a charter owner of one (or more) of our exclusive Zoo Society license plates. Begin by
downloading an application form, filling it out and mailing it, with a $30 payment,
to the N.C. Zoo Society. (If you prefer, you can make your payment
online by
clicking here; you will still have to mail in your application.)
Or, step into a Zoo Society gift shop and make your purchase
there. Once we have 300 applications, DOT will press out and deliver
the special tags.
So
far we have sold 107 plates. We have until May 1, 2010, to sign up 300
buyers; but after that we may lose the right to print this specialty
license tag. So, please, sign up now.
With your help, the Zoo Society will make sure that the Zoo gets a chance at this plate.
Society Launches Project: Polar Bears
The
N.C.
Zoo is planning a $4.7 million dollar expansion to its Polar Bear
exhibit and the Zoo Society has pledged to raise $2 million to support
that expansion. We have already raised more than $1.4 million toward
that pledge and announced the public phase of this fund-raising effort,
Project: Polar Bears, in
November.
The
exhibit changes will add considerable space to the Polar Bear exhibit
and will position the N.C. Zoo to become a leader in conservation
programs to help this endangered species.
Asheboro Zoo School Students support Project: Polar Bears with their own Pennies for Polar Bears campaign
Students from Asheboro High School's Zoo
School threw their support behind Project: Polar Bears by helping Society staff work with the faculty, students and parents from 11 area schools to collect $8,075.29 in donations. In all, the students collected: 296,317 pennies;
6,922 nickels; 9,808 dimes; 4,410 quarters; 3 half dollars; 29 coin dollars; and
$1,423 in bills. Students raised an additional $1,129.68 by operating a dunking booth at the Asheboro
Fall Festival, and Zoo School student Robbie Aderson added $100 that he collected for his Senior Project.
Ms. Dunn’s 3rd Grade Class from Tabernacle Elementary
School raised $424.47—the top amount for any class—to win a special behind-the-scenes tour at the Zoo.
To learn more or to donate to Project: Polar Bears, click here.
Help Us With the Buzz!
If
you have visited our new Honey Bee exhibit, we want to hear your
thoughts on the signs and the experience. We've put together a short
survey (only nine questions) to help us evaluate our work. Just
click here to take the survey and, when you finish, click the "done" button, and it will direct you right back here.
Travel 2010
All prices are based on double occupancy. Unless otherwise stated, air fare is not included in the quoted prices.
Adventure to India $9,995
April 8 - 21
Travel
with Zoo Director David Jones to visit Bandhavgarh and Panna and view
wildlife from safari vehicles and elephant back. This luxury tour
travels through cities, rural villages, ancient forts, temples and
palaces.
Click here to learn more.
Cocos Island $2,291April 12 - 18
Set
sail on the
Pacific Explorer to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site
that Jacques Cousteau once called "the most beautiful island in the
world." Lying off the coast of Costa Rica, Cocos Island occupies the
epicenter of the world's largest population of Hammerhead Sharks and
intersects with the ranges of 90 species of birds.
Click here to learn more.The Best of Kenya $3,495
May 31 - June 11
This
safari will have Giraffes eating out of our travelers' hands at the
AFEW Nature Center, and will visit the Maasai Mara during the Great
Wildebeest Migration. Other stops include Samburu Reserve, the Great
Rift Valley and Lake Nakuru National Park.
Click here to learn more.
Family Dinosaur Adventureto the Rocky Mountains July 3 - 9
Adult $3,195 Child $2,650Looking
for fossils at Split Rock, Colorado; taking a horseback (or wagon ride)
to the edge of the 10,000-foot Uncompahgre Plateau; hiking along the
"trail through time" to see dinosaur fragments from 145 million years
ago; and rafting down the Colorado River! A dream trip for anyone who
loves dinosaurs, learning and the wild, wild west. Led by a National
Geographic palentologist! Fun for the whole family.
Journey to Ecuador& The Galapagos Islands $3,595
September 17 – 25
Join
Zoo Society Executive Director Russ Williams to visit Quito and the
Ecuadorian Highlands before boarding the
MV Santa Cruz to visit the
island chain that inspired Darwin's theory of natural selection.
Travelers can snorkel with Fur Seals; follow the antics of Sally
Lightfoot Crabs, iguanas, Blue-footed Boobies, Magnificent Frigatebirds
and Waved Albatrosses; and add an optional extension to Sacha Lodge in
the heart of an Amazonian Rainforest.
Click here to learn more.
America’s National Parks $3,967 (Includes air fare)October 1 - 16
Think about it -- a Rocky Mountain Autumn.
Travel
with the Zoo Society to see some of America's most breathtaking sights.
The tour visits Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Arches, Monument Valley,
Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion.
Click here to learn more.For more information, contact Stephanie Gee at 336-879-7253 or e-mail sgee@nczoo.com.
Keep in Touch!
Let's BBFF! Follow us on Twitter@NCZooSociety or become a fan of the NC Zoo Society on Facebook at
http://tinyurl.com/nrgl8m .
The
Zoo has launched some social media sites, too. You can visit these
sites to learn the latest news about the Zoo's animals, exhibit
openings, special events and all other happenings. To visit the Zoo on
face book, go to
http://facebook.com/nczoo . To read tweets from the Zoo, go to
http://twitter.com/nczoo . In addition,
The Zoo FileZ,
a long-running zoo television series now seen on 12 broadcast stations
and three cable systems statewide, is also available on YouTube at
http://youtube.com/nczoo .
Our Vet Camps are Back and Better Than Ever!
We have added behind-the-scenes tours and even more hands-on activities to 2010's camps—including first-aid training
for small animals (dogs and cats). Campers will learn CPR, and more,
working with sophisticated mannequins that breathe and have a pulse.
Veterinary
Camp - A fun place to mingle with the Zoo's veterinarians, our camp
counselors - all currently top students at N.C. State Veterinary School
- and other campers who share a passion for animals. To apply or learn
more, click here.
Day Camps for Students, Ages 12 up to 15
The
cost for day camps is $230 for Zoo Society members and $279 for
non-members. (Payments may be scheduled over two months.)
Want to Know More?
Find who is eligible and how to apply by clicking here.
Learn details about camp counselors, staff and facilities by clicking here.
Download a draft schedule to see how our campers will be spending their time.
Want to Apply? Just complete two easy steps:
Fill out an online Day Camp Application by clicking here.
Download, complete and mail in a Health Form for your camper.
Three-day, Overnight Camps for Students, Ages 15 - 18
Girls Only, 9 a.m., Friday, July 16 - 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 18
Boys Only, 9 a.m. Friday, July 30 - 4 p.m. Sunday, August. 1
Cost is $539 for Members $579 for Non-members (Payments can be scheduled over three months.)
Want to Know More?
Find who is eligible and how to apply by clicking here.
Learn about our camp dates, our counselors and staff by clicking here.
Download a draft schedule to see how our campers will be spending their time.
Want to Apply? Just complete two easy steps:Fill out an online Application by clicking here.
Download, complete and mail in a Health Form for your camper.
Planning a Legacy
If you have any
questions or would like to discuss your gift plans, please contact Russ
H. Williams at 336-879-7252 or at rwilliams@nczoo.com.
Check Out Our Monthly Feature Articles:
Your Estate Plan Check-In
Do
you have an estate plan? Does it reflect your current situation and
wishes? Our checklist will help you make sure your plans are on track.
More
5 Moves to Make After Age 50
If you are 50 or older, there are key steps you should take to prepare for your future.
More
What You Need to Know to Protect Your Children's Inheritance
One
of the most important steps you can take toward providing security for
your children and peace of mind for yourself is to update your will.
More
Savings Bond Magic: How to Make the Taxes Disappear
Your
savings bonds, when left to heirs, are subject to income
tax on the accumulated interest. When left to us, however, we will
receive the full value of the bonds.
More
Send questions and comments about this Web site or Z-mail content to Jayne Owen Parker, Ph.D. at jparker@nczoo.com.
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, please email Carolyn Parks at cparks@nczoo.com and type “unsubscribe” in the subject line.
Our
mailing address is: North Carolina Zoological Society, 4403 Zoo
Parkway, Asheboro, N.C. 27205. Phone 336-879-7250, toll free
888-244-3736. Web address: www.nczoo.com.
Thank you for your continued support of the North Carolina Zoological Society. Send questions and comments about this Web site or Z-mail content to Jayne Owen Parker, Ph.D. at jparker@nczoo.com.
