Happy National Zoo Lovers Day!

Each year people across the nation celebrate National Zoo Lovers Day on April 8th. Today is the perfect day to plan a trip to a zoo in your area. Enjoy this "unofficial" holiday with the 175 million other people who visit zoos each year. The first public zoo in the United States was opened in 1874 in New York's Central Park. Today the United States has over 350 zoos! Here is a look at some fun things you can do at zoos all over the world!

At Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Florida you can play tug-of-war with a tiger. 

At the Keikyu Aburatsubo Marine Park in Japan you can shake hands with an otter.

At the Oregon Zoo an Asian elephant named Chendra likes to take morning walks with her handlers. She sometimes likes to visit some of the other animals, especially Gus the sea lion.

A Few Staff Animal Photos

Here at The Jungle Store we have a great love for all animals, ok maybe not spiders, and that means we love taking photos of animals. Here are a few photos our staff have taken from their trips all over the country.

This photo was taken at Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary located in Hot Springs, South Dakota. The sanctuary is home to over 600 wild mustangs which have been named America's Luckiest Wild Horses. They offer a variety of tours that can last from two hours to three days, you can even reserve a cabin.

These photos were taken at the Albuquerque BioPark Aquarium in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The aquarium is part of the Biopark which includes a zoo and botanical garden right next to the Rio Grande.

These photos were taken at the Kansas City Zoo located in Kansas City, Missouri. The zoo opened in 1909 and is now spread across 202 acres. In the fall of 2013 the Kansas City Zoo opened its penguin plaza with interactive learning stations and panoramic viewing windows. The zoo is also planning to add a tiger trail, orangutan canopy and giraffe feeding station in the years to come.

One Hungry Lion, Two Nervous Parents!

A video that’s been making the rounds lately shows a family visiting the lion area at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado. Their 1 year-old son is quite interested in being up close and personal with a lioness, who seems just as interested in him! With only an inch of safety glass between lion and baby, it’s no wonder his parents were a little nervous!

Lioness - Photo: Schuyler Shepherd

Penguin Gets New Shoes

A Santa Barbara Zoo-based penguin named Lucky finally got some relief recently after being fitted with a special protective boot made by adventure footwear company Teva, according to Noozehawk.

The one-year-old Humboldt penguin was born with an impaired foot, which is not uncommon according to zookeepers. As young penguins spend much of their time huddled beneath their parents, they can often develop splayed feet. However, when Lucky did not respond to treatment the zoo took action, enlisting Teva to create a specialized boot to allow him to get around more easily.

Lucky has responded well to the new footwear, and is now able to swim and socialize with no issues. 

Lucky the penguin (photo: Chuck Graham)

Mexican Gray Wolves Come to Seneca Park Zoo

A trio of Mexican Grey Wolves were introduced at the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, New York today, according to local news. The three wolves, all four-year-old brothers, are slated to become a permanent fixture at the zoo.

The Mexican Grey Wolf is the smallest wolf in North America. Only 50 of them are known to still exist in the wild.




Mexican Gray Wolf

                                                                  

Need a Giraffe? Zoo Animals Look for Place to Live

Our economic turmoil has reached a new low. Two state-funded zoos, Boston’s Franklin Park Zoo and Stone Zoo, may have to close due to an over 50 percent budget cut imposed by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. They originally were granted $6.5 million for the 2010 year, but now that number has dropped to $2.5 million. If the zoos don’t get that money back, they will have only two options: to either send animals off to other zoos or to euthanize them! Lawyers are looking into getting the $4 million back, but if they don’t, the zoos will need to find new homes for over 1,000 animals. Of course, there are cutbacks at other zoos too, so my guess is they will not find enough places for these animals to go. While a zoo is usually thought of as a place that protects animals, now the exact opposite may happen.

What do you think about budget cutbacks at zoos? Please comment below.