Zoo Animals & Zoos

Climate change is with us to stay for quite some time. Animals within the zoo need to have their needs considered. Primarily this is shade, water and minimum disturbance.

Each year we celebrate World Chimpanzee Day on July 14th. This particular day was chosen to celebrate and think about our closest relative as on this day in 1960 was when Dr. Jane Goodall arrived in Gombe National Park.

Most people are probably aware that their comments on social media play a large and increasing part in whether they are selected for interview when they apply for a zoo job. Today your social media comments are almost a secondary CV and a very important one.

Zoo Keepers are the oil which ensure that the Zoo engine runs efficiently. Their dedication to duty cannot be surpassed.

World Otter Day was first established in 2014 by the International Otter Survival Fund and has taken place on the last Wednesday of May each year since. In 2022 this takes place on the 25th. Most of the thirteen species of otters are under some sort of threat.

World Bee Day has been observed and celebrated on the 20th May since 2018. Bees are important to all of us. Something in the region of 35% of the foods we eat are dependent on bees for their pollination. Without bees the variety you see on the supermarket shelves would be much

World Binturong Day takes place each year on the second Saturday in May. In 2022 this is on the 14th May.

World Saiga Day has been celebrated each year since 2011 but has been observed locally in schools in Uzbekistan since 2008. The early date in May corresponds with the birth of the springtime calves. In 2022 World Saiga Day is on the 6th May.

The fourth of May was chosen as International Tarsier Day. A day to celebrate one of the smallest primates and the only one which is purely carnivorous. This tiny South East Asian primate is under threat from habitat loss, the pet trade and killed as a 'snack food'.

World Veterinary Day takes place on the last Saturday in April each year. In 2022 this takes place on the 30th. It has been a recognized event since 2001 when the the World Veterinary Association gave the date official recognition.

27th April is World Hyaena Day. It is unfortunate that the Hyaena gets some bad press, often depicted as scavenging cowards whereas the opposite is true. They are accomplished hunters with strong social bonds. Take some time out today to learn more about these wonderful animals.

April 22nd is Narwhal Appreciation Day. A day chosen to draw our attention to another unique creature which is being threatened by climate change.

Bat Appreciation Day was started by Bat Conservation International and the designated day was chosen as April 17th. Bats are important for our world.

The first International Beaver day took place on the 7th April 2009 and continues to this day. The choice of date was to honor Dorothy Richards who spent over fifty years studying the North American Beaver.

World Rat Day first appeared on the 4th April 2002. It is really a celebration of the 'Pet Rat' which are so very popular. Rats are very intelligent, can be trained and make good pets. It is however this very intelligence which have made them a problem too. They have spread widely through the world.

The fourth Wednesday of March is Manatee Appreciation Day. In 2022 this takes places on the 30th March. The Manatee is in trouble and this wonderful, harmless marine mammal needs our consideration and care.

The 19th March is National Aardvark Day. This is the day we celebrate the Aardvark or 'Earth Pig' (Orycteropus afer). A nocturnal African species quite unlike any other

February was chosen as the month to draw attention to the Vulnerable Fishing Cat Prionailurus viverrinus. Why February? Well in the same month we have World Wetland Day and the wetlands of South and South East Asia are the natural habitat of these attractive little Felids.

International Hoof Care Week takes place every year in the third week of January. The week is designated to raise awareness of the extreme importance of the proper care of hooved animals. The maintenance of a healthy hoof goes a long way towards keeping an animal healthy.

International Red Panda Day takes place each year on September the 17th (third Saturday in September). This day of celebration first took place in 2010 and was launched by the Red Panda Network to draw attention to the importance to the conservation issues surrounding the Red Panda Ailurus fulgens.

International Giant Panda Day takes place each year on the 16th March. This is to draw attention to the most iconic and colorful of bears. Everyone is familiar with the Giant Panda but few give it the attention it deserves.

The first Saturday in March is Platypus Day. A day to celebrate what is probably the strangest mammal on earth. The day was first proposed in 2012 by Disney with reference to one of their cartoon characters but interest waned.

World Pangolin Day takes place each year during the third week of February. The main aim of the day is to draw the World's attention to the extreme threat that this interesting and harmless little creature is facing today. The most trafficked animal on the planet.

World Hippopotamus Day takes place every year on February 15th. The day celebrates the third largest land mammal on earth. There are just two species of Hippopotamus, and both populations declining. They need us to think about them on their special day.

Arabian Leopard Day was first proposed to take place on the 10th February every year from 2022. The Arabian Leopard is classed as Critically Endangered. There may be as few as 100 Arabian Leopards remaining in the wild.

World Sparrow Day was first celebrated in 2008 from an initiative by French and Indian nature organizations. the day is to raise awareness of the Sparrow and threats it may face. World Sparrow day takes place every year on March 20th.

World Pig Day has been celebrated on the 1st March since 1972. It draws attention to an extremely intelligent animal to which man owes so much.

World Ostrich Day was first celebrated in 2020 to raise awareness of the two remaining species of Ostrich. The second day of the second month was chosen because the Ostrich has just two toes on each foot.

The very first World Bonobo Day was in 2017. It is appropriate to share the day with Valentines Day with the Ape which believes in making love, not war. Bonobos are our closest cousins with whom we share 98.7 % of our genetic makeup.

International Zebra Day is celebrated on the 31st January each year. We need to celebrate our Equines and make the world aware of the threats that these beautiful animals are facing in the wild.

International Squirrel Appreciation was created to make us more aware of Squirrels. It takes place on the 21st January each year, Sometimes a nuisance but always a joy to watch. They are one of natures gardeners planting our forests and so under threat from deforestation.

Hedgehog Day takes place every year on the 2nd February, It shares this day with Groundhog Day in the US and Canada. As there are no Hedgehogs in the Americas immigrants took that tradition with them from Europe. It is all about predicting the weather.

The first of February 2022 is officially the first day of the Year of the Tiger. This is in accordance with the Chinese Zodiac and welcomes in the Spring Festival. It is a time of great celebration that will last around two weeks.

The Arabian Gulfs only freshwater turtle, the Caspian Turtle, occurs only in small populations in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. It is under threat by development and is in need of protection.

Oklahoma city Zoo Safari Lights, Beautiful New Festive light event around Christmas time , Drive-Thru and walk in.

Many people, and a lot of the media, believe that all Giant Pandas belong to China. As today all Pandas are rented out to zoos for short duration it is an easy assumption to make. But it is not true.

Animal painting in zoos is a popular enrichment activity. Productions vary in appeal but there are people who collect this work. Definitely something different and occasionally unique to hang on your wall.

International Monkey Day takes place on the 14th December of each year. it has been celebrated each year since 2000 when it was created and made popular by two artist students from Michigan State University. The day is for all non human primates to draw attention to habitat loss and poaching.

Walrus Awareness Week was first established back in 2016 to draw attention to a species which is under threat because of Climate Change. The ice is melting and the Walrus is losing its home.

Same sex pairings in Penguins are extremely common. Given a fertile egg and an opportunity they will incubate and if it hatches will usually rear successfully.

National Llama Day takes place on the 9th December each year. It was first domesticated around 4,500 BC and continues to be an important animal in rural life as a beast of burden, source of both wool and meat.

The third of December has been designated as World Coati Day. The Coati is a medium sized carnivore which ranges widely over South and Central America.

Around 48 years ago we had a Griffon Vulture escape from the zoo. It was a balmy Spring day and the bird quickly caught a thermal before soaring to great heights and drifting off over the Lincolnshire marshes. Working on the supposition that the bird would...

Sri Racha Tiger Zoo at Chonburi in Thailand has closed down. There is a question as to what has happened to the Tigers.

The Japanese Macaque is the Northernmost non human primate. Found solely on some Japanese Islands it ranges from subtropical forests to cold freezing environments.

Cheetahs are under threat from poaching from the wild. Many cubs die or end up in the hands of irresponsible people as status symbols. The Cheetahs need better protection to ensure they do not become extinct in the wild.

Although the aardwolf resembles the hyena in appearance, it is a shy, timid animal. Using its long, sticky tongue with amazing speed, it picks up its main food source of food, the termite, in the hundreds.

Tigers have been known to live in areas where crocodiles inhabit, including the Savuti River basin in Kenya, Tanzania, Southern Thailand, and the Natron Bay crocodile in Egypt.

Cheetah are frequently used as ambassador animals in zoos and by some as exotic pets because they are not considered dangerous. Where man and animal come in contact there is always a risk and it is no less so with Cheetah. They are dangerous.