Jaime Green/The Wichita Eagle
More random thoughts about bartending
11 years ago
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
You're Invited To a Penguin Splash
You're Invited To a Penguin Splash at The Living Planet Aquarium
By Angie HydeSandy, UT - After months of anticipation, excitement and exhibit building, The Penguin Encounter opens Friday, March 26, 2010 at The Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy, Utah.
There are 17 species of penguins in the world, and The Living Planet Aquarium is happy to welcome Gentoo penguins to Utah! Gentoo penguins live in a cool climate in the Falkland Islands, just off of the south-east coast of South America. They eat fish, love to swim, and live in colonies (or groups of penguins).
The Penguin Encounter exhibit will be home to 11 captive raised Gentoo penguins. When guests enter the exhibit they will find themselves immersed in a “Falkland Island Research Station” where they will have the chance to observe the unique behaviors of these aquatic birds as they splash, dive and "fly" underwater in their naturalistic habitat. On land, penguins are not very graceful, but you’ll soon understand why everyone says these birds really “fly” underwater. With paddle-like wings providing propulsion, and their feet and tail providing steering and braking, these animals will amaze everyone with their agility and speed below the water.
Gentoo penguins can swim up to 17 miles per hour, declaring them the fastest species of penguins.
Guests will also have the opportunity to view these penguins very selectively choosing the best pebbles for nesting materials and mating rituals. The expectation is at some time in the future these pairs will provide hours of fascination when eggs are laid, hatched and baby penguins are reared by their parents. ”We could expect breeding from the adult penguins within a year or sooner. The younger penguins won’t be ready to breed for 2-3 more years” Said Deana Walz, Aviculturist. This will make The Penguin Encounter not only a must see exhibit . . . it will be a “must see again and again” exhibit.
The Penguin Encounter will be a fun and educational experience in several other ways as well. Video displays will teach guests why penguins gave up the skies for the ocean, why penguins molt, and behaviors to look for in the Gentoo colony. Interactive components will include a touch screen that explains why penguins are allowed to live as aquatic animals, and visitors will also be able to compare themselves to life-sized models of several different penguin species. Lively graphics throughout the exhibit will also teach about predators of penguins, and will also include a “research board” with regularly updated information about the resident penguins at the aquarium.
Penguins waddle into our hearts in popular movies and television programs. They adorn our t-shirts, line our bookshelves and appear in our holiday cards. They stand upright and march along in single file. They huddle together when cold, and they swim beautifully. They love to dress formally, and they mate for life (well, sometimes!). In other words, penguins remind us of ourselves. That makes them a natural--and powerful--choice to help explain how the changing climate conditions around us affect our precious wildlife...and us. By bringing excitement and fun to The Living Planet Aquarium, the penguins will help raise awareness of the issues facing these and the other 16 species of penguins in their natural environment. Since penguins are specialized for swimming and diving in the oceans, human-induced changes to their environment affect them more than other seabirds. Oceanic changes worldwide are causing habitat deprivation and decline in penguin populations. The survival of penguins and all other wildlife depends on our ability to protect them and their habitats. ”Unfortunately, 12 out of the 17 species of penguin are experiencing rapid population decline. If we become more aware of our actions, we can help protect the environment so the natural beauty is preserved for our children’s children.” said Walz. If we are successful in protecting the penguins' environment, we are ensuring a healthier environment for ourselves and for our children.
While Gentoo penguins are not endangered, the birds that will be on display at The Living Planet Aquarium are captive raised and are no taken from the wild. These birds will be acquired from Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas and transported to Utah via air.
Aquarium members will be allowed into the facility 1 hour early at 10am Thursday, March 25 for an exclusive “Members Only Sneak Peek” of the new exhibit. The ribbon cutting ceremony will begin at 10:30am with Brent Andersen, aquarium Founder/CEO, Mayor Tom Dolan, and representatives from the Sandy City Chamber of Commerce. Light refreshments will be served.
The Penguin Encounter is included with regular aquarium admission of $9 adult; $8 senior (65+), military and student (full-time college, with I.D.); and $7 children 3-17. Children under 3 are admitted free of charge. Annual memberships are available. The aquarium is located on 725 E 10600 S in Sandy. It is open Sunday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10am-8pm. More information about The Living Planet Aquarium is available online at www.thelivingplanet.com; or by calling (801) 355-FISH (3474).
The Living Planet Aquarium is dedicated to celebrating life on Earth by fostering a greater awareness and knowledge of Earth’s diverse ecosystems and creating a deeper understanding of our place in the global system of life.
To view The Living Planet Aquarium's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to: http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-128-Living_Planet_Aquarium
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Thursday, March 18, 2010
Image of the Day
King Penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), Salisbury Plain, South Georgia Salisbury Plain contains the second largest King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) on South Georgia, with an estimated 250,000 birds during moulting season.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Austin
It is with great sadness to let you guys know we've lost one of our dearest penguin friends.
Austin was 12 years old and in the wild they live to about 7. He was much loved by the staff, loved education visits and meeting people and often Sue Best (one of our rangers) would bring him up to our offices to meet us all. A sad week for the staff!
Austin was 12 years old and in the wild they live to about 7. He was much loved by the staff, loved education visits and meeting people and often Sue Best (one of our rangers) would bring him up to our offices to meet us all. A sad week for the staff!
Location: International Antarctic Centre, Christchurch, NZ
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Monday, March 15, 2010
Lookit ME!
Seal Bomb in Penguin Photo: Real or Photoshop?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 03.15.10
Cute Overload
So many boring pictures of penguins on TreeHugger lately, they have even taken to hipster architect black to get our attention. This one is enlivened by a smiling seal; the alt text on the cute overload posting is "No, I did not photoshop this." We are not so sure.
Our Antarctic correspondent suggests that "to get a seal head at that angle, it'd have to be lying down and roll up into the picture. which it can do. But it'd mean the photographer was right on top of the seal while it was lying down, and that seems really unlikely."
What do you think?
Thank you for voting!
Tanganyika Wildlife Park hopes baby penguins are a hit
BY BECCY TANNER
The Wichita Eagle
Jaime Green/The Wichita Eagle
Matt Fouts, assistant director at Tanganyika Wildlife Park , holds two African penguin chicks that were born there in January. They are the first African penguin chicks born in Kansas. The warm-weather penguins currently weigh about four pounds each.
As the Tanganyika Wildlife Park near Goddard begins its second season, it hopes to draw visitors with new exhibits — and baby penguins.-
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Tanganyika Wildlife Park
Hours: The park will open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through Sunday for spring break. After that, it will be open the same hours Fridays through Sundays until May 1, when it will be open daily until September.
Where: 1037 S. 183rd St. West, between U.S. 54 and Maple. Take Maple west of 183rd.
How much: Admission is $11.99, or $8.99 for senior citizens, $7.99 for ages 3 to 12, and free for ages 3 and younger.
For more information, go to www.twpark.com or call (316) 794-8954.
"We have a lot of the same animals we did last year — a lot of interactive exhibits," said Matt Fouts, assistant director of Tanganyika.
One of the new exhibits this year will allow visitors to feed Indian rhinos. For now, Fouts said, the exhibit is under construction.
Visitors will also get to see the park's new snow leopard exhibit. Last year, the leopards were on limited display.
Fouts said other exhibits that will open this year include the Malayan tapir and warthog.
But perhaps the biggest draw will be the two African penguins that hatched earlier this year.
The chicks, now weighing nearly 4 pounds each, are the first hatched in
One other baby that may capture people's attention is a 3-month-old right-handed gibbon, a primate that is native to the rainforests of Southeast Asia. The baby's parents, Gilligan and Mary Ann, live on an island at the park.
The park has been operating since 1986 but first opened to the public in August 2008. Last year marked its first full season, and more than 80,000 people visited, Fouts said. It is privately owned and, unlike the Sedgwick County Zoo 13 miles to the northeast, does not receive taxpayer support.
"Our attendance was what we hoped for and expected," Fouts said. "Zoos nationwide saw that people are looking for an economical way to entertain kids or do stuff and they are not taking as many family vacations long distance. They are staying close to home.... We did all right."
One-quarter of the park's exhibits allow visitors to interact with animals.
"The number of interactive exhibits are unprecedented for zoos," Fouts said. "We really try to get people as close as safely possible to the animals so they can experience them — not just see them."
Why allow people that close?
"It's like watching animals on TV — you can see them and that's great, but when you can get a foot from it or come in actual contact, it becomes more personal," Fouts said. "People feel that bond. We strive for people feeling more connected and hope they take up the cross and become more conservation minded, either by wanting to give to our organization to help species or another."
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