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LONDON — Animal campaigners are calling for a ban on the public sale of fireworks after a baby red panda was thought to have died from stress related to the noise. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), a conservation charity that runs Edinburgh Zoo, said Wednesday that it was likely Roxie, a three-month-old red panda kit, "died due to stress caused by fireworks being let off across the city centre." RZSS says the red panda's mother also died just five days earlier and that death could also be related to fireworks noise. "Very sadly, she choked on her vomit on bonfire night and our vets believe this was probably a reaction to fireworks," Supple said. Edinburgh City Council this year became the first Scottish local authority to ban fireworks in some areas, with four districts under a ban on privately-bought fireworks between Nov. 1 and Nov. 11.

Persons: Roxie, Guy Fawkes, Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak, RZSS, “ Roxie, Ginger, Roxie’s, Keir Starmer Organizations: Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh Zoo, Scottish Locations: United Kingdom, Edinburgh

☆ Baby red panda died after being stressed by fireworks, zoo says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Fireworks likely caused the death of a baby red panda at Edinburgh Zoo after she became so stressed that she choked on her own vomit, experts from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) said on Thursday. Roxie’s mother Ginger had died a few days earlier but the baby red panda “was responding well to specialist care from our expert team and was feeding independently,” said RZSS deputy chief executive Ben Supple in a statement. RZSS, a wildlife conservation charity that runs Edinburgh Zoo, is now calling for tighter restrictions on fireworks given the risks they pose to animal welfare. Like Roxie, a baby zebra died after being spooked by the sounds of fireworks at Bristol Zoo in November 2020. This would help avoid devastating consequences for animals like Roxie while ensuring that people can still enjoy traditional celebrations,” he said.

Persons: Roxie, Roxie’s, Ginger, ”, Ben, “ Roxie, Roxie's, “, Siobhian Brown, doesn’t Organizations: CNN, Edinburgh Zoo, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, RSPCA, Bristol Zoo, Edinburgh, Department for Business, Trade, Scottish Locations: Scottish

☆ Menendez family Los Angeles mansion is the new ‘dark tourism’ hot spot
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-09 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —This week in travel news: why true crime buffs are heading to Beverly Hills, a look at the world’s only Michelin-starred ice cream restaurant and the reaction to a “makeunder” of one of Italy’s star attractions. Ice, ice babyThis -40 °C pastry dessert at Minimal is served with a side of gelato. MINIMALWe all scream for ice cream — and “we” includes the Michelin guide, which recently awarded one of its coveted stars to Minimal, an ice cream restaurant in Taiwan. Not-so-bella vistaVideo Ad Feedback They replaced the Trevi fountain and tourists are ‘disappointed’ 01:17 - Source: CNNThe Trevi fountain might be the most famous tourist attraction in a city packed to the brim with tourist attractions. However, recent visitors to the famous fountain were less than impressed with what they found.

Persons: Menendez, Lyle, Erik Menendez, Jose, Kitty, “, I’m, Toni Ricci, “ We’re, Arvin Wan, ”, gua bao, Trevi, you’ve, Haggis, Moo Deng, There’s, George Clooney, Alicia Park Organizations: CNN, Michelin, Netflix, Beverly Hills, Edinburgh Zoo, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland Locations: Beverly Hills, Beverly, Argentina, Guatemala, Colombia, Sweden, United States, Taiwan, Taichung, Rome, India, Costa Rica, It’s, Lake Como, Jaywalking, New York City

☆ Moo-ve over Moo Deng: New baby hippo 'Haggis' challenges for the cuteness crown
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-06 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Ap-Live-Blog-Byline-Image.Png | The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The Edinburgh Zoo launched a cuteness contest between Haggis, its newborn pygmy hippo, and Moo Deng, the adorable mini hippopotamus that became a viral sensation at a Thailand zoo this summer. Moo deng is a type of meatball that means “bouncy pork” in Thai. A two-month-old female pygmy hippo named "Moo Deng" at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand, on Sept. 16, 2024. “We were wrong to pit Haggis and Moo Deng against each other,” the zoo said in a later post. “There is space in this world for two beautiful pygmy hippo divas and we should celebrate them all.”

Persons: Haggis, Moo Deng, “ Moo Deng, deng, They’re, Moo deng, Deng, Athit Perawongmetha, Gloria, Otto, wee Haggis, “, Moo, ” Organizations: Edinburgh Zoo, Scottish, Zoo, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland Locations: Thailand, Scotland, Thai, Chonburi, Khao, West Africa

☆ Infinite Monkey Theorem: Monkeys will never write Shakespeare, new study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-01 | by ( David Hodari | David Hodari Is A London-Based Editor. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The Infinite Monkey Theorem hypothesizes that, given a typewriter and an infinite amount of time, a monkey could in theory produce the full works of William Shakespeare. According to Open Source Shakespeare, a web page containing all of the bard’s plays, poems and sonnets, there are 884,421 words in the entire works of Shakespeare. While the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust says the writer introduced more than 1,700 words into the English language, "banana" was not one of them. Other academics were less incredulous, suggesting that the paper was a wild goose chase — a phrase itself invented by Shakespeare. It may be time for the theorem to exit popular usage — pursued, unsuccessfully, by a monkey.

Persons: William Shakespeare, Franklin, ” Stephen Woodcock, “, ” Woodcock, it’s, Woodcock, Jay Falletta, Shakespeare, George — “, ”, ” Ian Stewart, ” Martin Hairer, Daniel Simmonds, Simmonds, — Organizations: Galaxy, University of Technology Sydney, university’s, Mathematical, Physical Sciences, NBC News, Trust, Warwick University, Imperial College London, London Zoo, Zoological Locations: Australia, Zaire

☆ Monkeys killed by soil infection at Hong Kong zoo, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong Reuters —Melioidosis, a bacterial infection, was responsible for killing at least nine monkeys at a Hong Kong zoo, authorities said, as a further two died over the weekend, taking the total to 11 in the past week. Part of the zoo, built in 1860 and the oldest park in Hong Kong, has remained shut since October 14 when authorities reported the first batch of monkey deaths. Autopsies found a large amount of the melioidosis-inducing bacteria in the monkeys organs, which likely came from soil near the monkeys habitat, they said. Visitors look at a buff-cheeked gibbon at Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens after 11 monkeys died of sepsis following melioidosis infection in the past week, in Hong Kong on October 21, 2024. Tyrone Siu/ReutersKevin Yeung, the city’s culture and tourism minister, told local public broadcaster RTHK that works at the zoo required digging up the soil near where the monkeys lived.

Persons: Hong Kong Reuters —, gibbon, Tyrone Siu, Kevin Yeung, “, ” Organizations: Hong Kong Reuters, Authorities, Hong Kong Zoological, RTHK, Workers Locations: Hong Kong, Hong

☆ 9 monkeys who died in Hong Kong zoo had been infected with melioidosis, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-19 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG — Nine monkeys who died in Hong Kong’s oldest zoo in two days this week had been infected with an endemic disease, possibly after some digging work near their cages, officials said on Friday. Another possibility is that some infected monkeys had close contact with other monkeys, he said. “The incubation period for melioidosis in primates is about a week and this matched with the period after the soil digging work,” he said. Edwin Tsui, the controller of the center, said the incident only happened in a single zone and its impact on Hong Kong residents would be very low. The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens — the oldest park in the former British colony — fully opened to the public in 1871.

Persons: Kevin Yeung, melioidosis, Yeung, “ We’re, ”, Edwin Tsui Organizations: Culture, Hong Kong Zoological, Botanical Gardens, International Union for Conservation of, Hong Kong’s Center for Health Protection, Leisure, Cultural Services Department, Agriculture, Fisheries, Conservation Department, Department of Health Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong’s, Hong, Hong Kong, Central

☆ Nine monkeys die mysteriously at Hong Kong zoo
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-15 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

HONG KONG — Zoo authorities in Hong Kong are keeping a close watch on a monkey that is behaving unusually a day after the ninth death this week of one of the animals while hastening tests to find out what killed them. “Government departments will speed up autopsy and toxicological testing,” the government said in a statement, as officials scrambled to pinpoint the cause of the deaths. The ninth monkey, belonging to the white-faced saki species, died a day after Sunday’s deaths of a De Brazza’s monkey, a common squirrel monkey, three cotton-top tamarins and three white-faced sakis, the statement added. Built in 1860, the territory’s oldest park houses about 158 birds, 80 mammals and 21 reptiles in roughly 40 enclosures. “The health conditions of all 80 animals in the HKZBG are normal,” the government said, while officials held an urgent meeting on Tuesday.

Persons: saki Organizations: HONG KONG — Zoo, Botanical, “, Animals Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong

☆ The Panda Factories
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-15 | by ( Mara Hvistendahl | Joy Dong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +30 min

They show that, from the beginning, zoos saw panda cubs as a pathway to visitors, prestige and merchandise sales. Panda keepers with cubs at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, in China, in 2022. A Chinese giant panda at the Panda Park in Al Khor, in Qatar, in 2022. Smithsonian Institution Archives A panda wakes up from anesthesia in March 1999 during a seminal study by American and Chinese researchers into panda breeding. Smithsonian Institution Archives Giant panda Mei Xiang taken out of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong, Sichuan Province, in 2000, for shipment to the National Zoo in Washington.

Persons: Ariana Drehsler, Kati Loeffler, “, ’, Loeffler, Kimberly Terrell, ”, Terrell, Soraya, Xin Bao, zookeepers, Richard M, Nixon, Pat Nixon, Annalisa Meyer, Melissa Songer, Heather Bacon, Bacon, Don Kohlbauer, JoGayle Howard, Darting, Howard, Ping Ping, Thomas Hildebrandt, Dr, Hildebrandt, Lei Lei, Meyer, Lung Yuan Chih, Lung, James Ayala, . Hildebrandt, Ayala, interjected, Mei Xiang, Ken Cedeno, Tian Tian, Xiang, David Wildt, Mei, Mei Xiang vomited, Qi Ji, Agnes Bun, scrawled, Pierre Comizzoli, Mads Frost Bertelsen, Meng Lan, Su Weizhong Organizations: Zoo Washington, Factories, Chengdu Research Base, Archives San Diego Zoo, The New York Times Chengdu Research Base, China, National Zoo, New York Times, Smithsonian Institution, Times, Pandas, Agence France, Memphis Zoo, Tulane University, Smithsonian, San Diego Zoo, The New York, Smithsonian . Pandas, Zoo, Associated Press, University of Central, Bear Care Group, China Conservation and Research Center, San Diego Union Tribune, Feature, Future Publishing, Getty, U.S . Fish, Wildlife Service, ”, Leibniz Institute for Zoo, Wildlife Research, National Zoo Washington, Institution Archives Chengdu Research Base, Breed, The New York Times, Beijing Zoo, Tsinghua University, Animal Studies, Visitors, New York Times China Conservation and Research Center, Smithsonian National, Associated, Smithsonian’s, and Wildlife Service, National, Fujifilm, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Reuters, Smithsonian Channel, “, Copenhagen Zoo Locations: China, Chengdu, Sichuan, Archives San Diego Zoo California, Washington, Louisiana, Japan, San Diego, San Francisco, Indonesia, Qatar, Al Khor, University of Central Lancashire, England, U.S, San, Fuzhou, United States, Feature China, Sichuan Province, Beijing, Berlin ., Wolong, Taiwan, American, estrus, New York Times China, Europe, Washington ,, Washington , DC, Beijing Zoo Beijing

☆ Zoo Atlanta bids farewell to pandas after 25 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Kelly Bowman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Atlanta CNN —After a quarter-century hosting giant pandas, Zoo Atlanta is saying goodbye to its beloved residents. The zoo announced its four giant pandas: Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun and Xi Lun will head home to China mid-October. Zoo Atlanta says the total number of giant pandas is still low for maintaining a viable population. Kelly Bowman/CNN“Panda-Palooza”And if you want to wish the Zoo Atlanta pandas farewell the zoo will be sending them off in style with a “Panda-Palooza” event on October 5, 2024. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is an international non-profit conservation organization divided in two parts: the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Persons: Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun, Xi Lun, They’ve, Sam Rivera, Rivera, Adam K, Kelly Bowman, CNN “ Organizations: Atlanta CNN, San Diego Zoo, Smithsonian National Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, Atlanta, Animal Health, Zoo, International, Georgia Tech, Thompson, World Wildlife Fund, Pandas, CNN, Smithsonian National, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, San Diego, Safari, Wildlife Fund Locations: Zoo Atlanta, China, Washington, Atlanta, San Diego, United States, Africa, Asia, Central, South America, San

☆ Komodo dragons have iron-tipped teeth, new study shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Komodo dragons, the world’s largest species of lizard, have iron-tipped teeth that help them to rip their prey apart, according to new research. Komodo dragons are native to Indonesia and weigh around 80 kilograms (176 pounds) on average. LeBlanc analyzed teeth from museum collections as well as from a Komodo dragon named Ganus, which lived at London Zoo until it was euthanized last year. Analysis showed that iron was already present when the teeth erupted from the gum tissue, and was also present despite Ganus having a very different diet to wild Komodo dragons, he added. The findings may help us understand how carnivorous dinosaurs, which had curved, serrated teeth similar to Komodo dragons, would have killed and eaten their prey, LeBlanc said.

Persons: Charlotte Ellis, Aaron LeBlanc, LeBlanc, ” LeBlanc, ”, “, Ganus, Benjamin Tapley Organizations: London CNN, Zoological Society of London, King’s College London, CNN, King’s College London “, London Zoo Locations: London, Indonesia

☆ CNN anchor: ‘As long as there are sharks in the ocean, I’ll be diving in’
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-30 | by ( Boris Sanchez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Yet, there are arguments that the potential problems caused by shark feeding tourism are outweighed by the benefits. When it comes to migratory patterns, the science is limited but points to shark feeding having a negligible effect on their movement. As long as there are sharks in the ocean, I’ll be diving in – hoping to cherish them in person. CNNOpponents of shark feeding will also point to several fatal accidents during shark dive tours, including one late last year. As long as there are sharks in the ocean, I’ll be diving in — hoping to cherish them in person.

Persons: Boris Sanchez, Anderson Cooper, you’re, I’m, it’s, I’ve Organizations: CNN, Central, Tiger, chum, Zoological Society, Saturn Locations: Washington , DC, Bahamas, bonito, –, Australia, —

☆ Wolves attack woman who went jogging in French safari zoo
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Xiaofei Xu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A woman staying at a French safari zoo was attacked by several wolves on Sunday after she entered a part of the zoo usually accessible only by car. “Luckily the medical staff intervened very quickly and we were able to save this person,” the zoo’s CEO Christelle Bercheny told a press conference. The attack took place at about 9.30 a.m. at the Thoiry zoological park in Yvelines, approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) west of Paris, French affiliate TF1 said. After staying the night at the park, the woman, 37, went out jogging and accidentally entered the safari zone, TF1 reported, adding the area was a seven-hectare space where animals, wolves and bears roam freely. The woman was treated at the nearest hospital and her condition has now “stabilized” TF1 reported.

Persons: Christelle Bercheny, ” Organizations: CNN, TF1 Locations: Yvelines, Paris, French

☆ From Ukraine, Two Enormous Passengers Are Trucked and Flown to Safety
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Marc Santora | Emily Anthes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It was a whale of an evacuation. As Russian aerial bombardments of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, have intensified, the evacuation of Plombir, a 15-year-old male, and Miranda, a 14-year-old female, came just in time, marine mammal experts said. “If they had continued in Kharkiv, their chances of survival would have been very slim,” said Daniel Garcia-Párraga, director of zoological operations at Oceanogràfic de Valencia, who helped lead the rescue. Belugas, whose natural habitat is the Arctic, need cold water to survive. The devastation of the power grid in Kharkiv meant that the aquarium there had to rely on generator power, making it challenging to keep the waters cooled.

Persons: Miranda, ”, Daniel Garcia, Párraga, Oceanogràfic de Valencia Organizations: Oceanogràfic de Locations: Kharkiv, Ukraine, Valencia, Spain, Russian, Ukraine’s, Plombir

☆ The Ukraine war is forcing migrating eagles to change their flight paths, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Greater spotted eagles are already a species under threat. Listed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, greater spotted eagles have been largely eradicated from western and central Europe, according to the study. On March 1, 2022, a week after Russia invaded Ukraine, the first of 21 tagged greater spotted eagles crossed into Ukraine on its usual migration, according to researchers from the UK and Estonia. The researchers observed no difference in migration performance and deviation patterns outside of Ukraine, according to the study. Russell said the war in Ukraine is “really raising the profile of some of the environmental issues caused by conflict.

Persons: ”, Charlie Russell, Russell, ” Russell, “, Nathalie Pettorelli, Pettorelli, ” Pettorelli, “ ecocide ” Organizations: CNN, Eagles, International Union for Conservation of Nature, “, UK’s University of East, Zoological Society of London Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Estonia, UK’s University of East Anglia, “

☆ Why experts are studying how to improve tablets for parrot use
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

By designing a balloon-popping tablet game and collecting data from 20 pet parrots, the researchers found that birds’ interest in the game indicated mental stimulation could be a potential benefit. Each parrot popped virtual balloons by using its tongue and beak, with eyes often very close to the screen. Rébecca KleinbergerResearchers designed the tablet game to be used by a parrot in collaboration with the bird's caretaker. One bird showed more interest in playing the game after researchers adjusted the tablets to only account for one tap per 300 milliseconds, she added. Mobile games for parrot enrichmentIf a parrot owner is looking to introduce tablets into a pet’s schedule, it’s important to remember that the activity should be collaborative between the owner and the bird, Pepperberg said.

Persons: Rébecca Kleinberger, ”, Kleinberger, Irene Pepperberg, Pepperberg, Rébecca, ” Kleinberger, Gabriel Miller, Kurt Sladky, Sladky Organizations: CNN, ACM, of Computing Machinery, Computing Systems, Northeastern University, Boston University, University of Wisconsin, Madison’s, of Veterinary Medicine, Mobile Locations: Boston

☆ Scientists name newly discovered ancient amphibian species after Kermit the Frog
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scientists have discovered a new species of proto-amphibian that lived 270 million years ago. They have named it the Kermitops gratus, after "The Muppet Show" character Kermit the Frog. The new discovery should help scientists understand how these ancient species evolved. AdvertisementScientists say they have discovered a new species of proto-amphibian that lived 270 million years ago — and they've named it after "The Muppets Show" character Kermit the Frog. "Because this animal is a distant relative of today's amphibians, and Kermit is a modern-day amphibian icon, it was the perfect name for it," he said.

Persons: Kermit the, —, they've, Nicholas Hotton III, Hotton, Arjan Mann, Mann, gratus, Calvin So, Kermit Organizations: Service, Smithsonian National Museum of, Smithsonian, Zoological, George Washington University Locations: Texas

☆ Authorities Seize Alligator Being Held Illegally in Home Near Buffalo
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Claire Fahy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The alligator’s name was Albert Edward. He was 11 feet long, 750 pounds heavy and 34 years old, and until this week, he lived in a pool house attached to his owner’s home in Hamburg, N.Y., about 13 miles south of Buffalo. The alligator’s owner had built an addition to his house where Albert lived in an in-ground swimming pool, according to the department. It is illegal to own an alligator in New York unless you have a license, according to a statement from the department. But those licenses are only for “scientific, educational, exhibition, zoological or propagation purposes,” the department’s website said.

Persons: Albert Edward, Albert Organizations: New York State Department of Environmental Locations: Hamburg, N.Y, Buffalo, New York

☆ Bunny the 'talking' dog's owner says the skepticism from the scientific community hurts the most
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Melissa Malamut | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Devine says Bunny knows 100 words — but many in the research world doubt she can really verbalize. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . But "people liked looking at a beautiful, black and white sheepadoodle," Devine told Business Insider, adding: "It was a bright spot, and that's one of the reasons it took off." She said the two had conversations using recordable buttons on a soundboard known as an augmentative- and alternative communication device. "We all know that dogs can learn words," Devine said.

Persons: Alexis Devine, Bunny, Devine, she's, —, soundboards, Federico Rossano, UC San Diego who's, KPBS, who's, Rossano, There's, Norma, Mila, I'm, Jules Howard, Howard, Hans Organizations: Service, University of California, of Cognitive Science, UC San Diego, BBC Locations: San Diego

☆ Britain Says Bye-Bye to Its Only Pandas as They’ll Soon Depart for China
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Eduardo Medina | More About Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Wednesday, crowds gathered to say goodbye and catch one final look at Yang Guang and Tian Tian, who for 12 years have enraptured millions of visitors and residents of Edinburgh. “We’ve flown up for the day; we must be mad,” Lauren Darling, who recently visited the zoo, told The Telegraph. But American zoo officials and scientists said that it came down to biology, or “panda time,” since the three pandas should be going back to China because they are at an advanced age. A similar reason was cited by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. The pandas, the zoo said, arrived in Edinburgh in December 2011 as part of a 10-year arrangement between the organization’s charity and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, which allowed them to keep the pandas an extra two years because of the pandemic.

Persons: Yang Guang, Tian Tian, “ We’ve, ” Lauren Darling, It’s, Rebecca Plant Organizations: Telegraph, National Zoo, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, China Wildlife Conservation Association Locations: Edinburgh, Britain, Washington, China

☆ Britain bids farewell to its only giant pandas after 12 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Zookeepers have spent the last few weeks making sure the two pandas, Yang Guang and Tian Tian, are used to crates in preparation for their long journey, expected at some point in early December. [1/4]Yang Guang, one of the giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo, eats bamboo stalks in its enclosure, in Edinburgh, Britain, November 29, 2023. REUTERS/Lesley Martin Acquire Licensing Rights"Yang Guang and Tian Tian have had an incredible impact by inspiring millions of people to care about nature," he said in a statement. The return of the Edinburgh bears to China comes as a number of giant pandas have also headed home from the U.S., part of a fading legacy in which giant pandas served as animal ambassadors. That began in 1972, when the government of China presented two giant pandas as gifts to the U.S. after President Richard Nixon's historic Cold War visit to the communist country.

Persons: Zookeepers, Yang Guang, Tian Tian, David Field, Lesley Martin, Richard Nixon's, Washington's, Sarah Young, Jan Harvey Organizations: Edinburgh Zoo, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, China Wildlife Conservation Association, REUTERS, Edinburgh, Thomson Locations: China, Edinburgh, Britain, U.S, Memphis, San Diego

☆ Naming a species after a celebrity may do more harm than good
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

But it's very difficult to change a species' scientific name, and that can lead to regrets. The list of species named for celebrities is lengthy and includes everything from flies (Beyoncé) to lichen (Oprah Winfrey) to lizards (Lionel Messi). An eponym is a scientific species name based on a person, either real or fictional. AdvertisementAdvertisementUniversity of Oxford biologist Katie Blake and her co-authors found that species with celebrity names had almost three times as many page views on Wikipedia as non-famously monikered control species. AdvertisementAdvertisementSome examples include Adolf Hitler, Cecil Rhodes, and George Hibbert, all of whom have species named after them.

Persons: —, Taylor Swift, Leonardo DiCaprio, David Attenborough, Oprah Winfrey, Lionel Messi, Jimmy, Sericomyrmex radioheadi, Tarantobelus, roundworm, Jeff Daniels, Taylor Swift's millipede, Katie Blake, cuvier, Georges Cuvier, Andre Seale, Blake, Hitler, Christopher Bae, Adolf Hitler, Cecil Rhodes, George Hibbert, Sergio Pitamitz, Bae, Cecil John Rhodes, There's, heidelbergensis, CESAR MANSO, Rhodes, bodoensis, Bodo D'ar, Jimmy Buffett’s “, Hal Horowitz, Hibbert, George Rinhart, Stephen B, Heard, Charles Darwin's Barnacle, David Bowie's Spider Organizations: Service, Virginia Tech, University of Oxford, VW, Getty, University of Hawai'i, American Ornithological Society, NPR Locations: Mano, Slovenia, Africa, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Right, Spain, AFP, Ethiopia

☆ Starfish bodies are really just heads, new research says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The heads of most animals are easily identifiable, but scientists haven’t been able to say the same for sea stars until now. But new genetic research suggests the opposite — that sea stars are largely heads that lack torsos or tails and likely lost those features evolutionarily over time. There, they go through a process that transforms a bilateral body into a star shape, or pentaradial body. But echinoderms also share a common ancestor with bilateral animals, which adds to the puzzle researchers are trying to solve. Specific molecular markers act like body plan blueprints, directing each cell to the body region where it belongs.

Persons: haven’t, It’s, ”, Laurent Formery, “ It’s, Christopher Lowe, Jeff Thompson, “, ” Lowe, Formery, Chan Zuckerberg, Dr, Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg, Laurent Formery “, ” Thompson, Daniel Rokhsar Organizations: CNN, Stanford University, University of California, University of Southampton, NASA, National Science Foundation, Leverhulme Trust Locations: Berkeley, San Francisco

☆ Giant chicken frog faces extinction due to a deadly amphibian fungus
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The mountain chicken frog was once so abundant in Dominica, with thousands found across the island, that it became a national delicacy, supposedly tasting of chicken. Chytridiomycosis is a fungal infectious disease that affects more than 500 frog species across the world. A research team spent 26 days searching for the mountain chicken frog in Dominica. The research team spent hundreds of hours searching for the chicken frog during the months of July and August. “There are many things that people can do to prevent the spread of chytrid and help protect frogs,” Kaganer said in an email.

Persons: Chytridiomycosis, Andrés Valenzuela Sánchez, ZSL, Sánchez, Jeanelle Brisbane, “, Alyssa Wetterau Kaganer, ” Kaganer, chytrid, Kaganer, … Organizations: CNN, Zoological Society of London, & Conservation Biology, Cornell Wildlife Health Lab, London Zoo Locations: Dominica, Caribbean, Montserrat, ” Brisbane, Dominica —

☆ One-third of the world's captive orcas are in the US, and no one can agree on what to do with them
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Erin Heger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

There are 18 captive orcas in the US. Captive orcas can also show signs of chronic stress. Captive orcas can suffer a number of health problems including severe tooth damage. The history of releasing captive orcas in the USOnly one captive orca in the US has ever been released back into the ocean — Keiko, the orca who starred in the 1993 film "Free Willy." Captive orcas can't thrive in small tanks but may not thrive in the wild, either.

Persons: Naomi Rose, Rose, Marcos del Mazo, Monika Wieland Shields, Tilikum, Shields, aren't, Chris Dold, Dold, Keiko, Willy, Colin Davey, Keiko wasn't, Mark Palmer, Palmer, Little Grey, White, Aaron Chown, Lori Marino, Marino, Paul Harris, we've, Serge MELESAN, orcas Organizations: SeaWorld, Animal, Service, Animal Welfare Institute, Orca Behavior, Magnolia Pictures, Miami Seaquarium, Miami Herald, Tribune, Getty, Mammal, PETA Locations: SeaWorld, SeaWorld Orlando, Florida, Mexico City, Oregon, Iceland, Norway, Washington, Caribbean, Nova Scotia

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