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☆ She’s obsessed with baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng. So she flew across the world to see her
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-06 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —When baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng appeared on Molly Swindall’s social media feed for the first time, it was love at first sight. Soon, the baby hippo was an internet sensation, a status cemented last week when Moo Deng became the subject of a skit on Saturday Night Live. Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty ImagesOnce Swindall committed to flying to Thailand to see Moo Deng, she knew she had to go ASAP. Others were confused, assuming Moo Deng was a music artist or a long-distance partner. It’s been very, very fun to be able to connect with all these different people over it.”Since her Moo Deng adventure, Swindall’s follower count has ballooned, with one Moo Deng TikTok garnering over 5 million views.

Persons: Deng, Molly, Swindall, She’s, Moo Deng, Moo, “, ”, I’m, Lillian Suwanrumpha, Swindell, ’ Swindall, Molly Swindall Swindall, Taylor Swift, Taylor, “ They’re, Swift, Moo Deng ” –, ” Swindall, Moo Dang, it’d, Swindall’s, she’s, it’s, It’s, Moo Deng TikTok, that’s, Molly Swindall, “ I’m, There’s Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, Getty, Swindall, Washington Post, Melbourne Locations: Khao, Thailand, New, AFP, New York, London, Amsterdam, Bangkok, TikTok, Melbourne, Australia

☆ A crypto trading platform that recruited users through prayer circles was a pyramid scheme that made $1 billion for its 'Reverand CEO,' lawsuit says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-09 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Now, the New York attorney general says NovaTechFx is just a front for a $1 billion pyramid scheme. The lawsuit also names as a defendant AWS Mining Pty, a crypto mining platform previously run by the Petions. The lawsuit accuses the couple of targeting Haitian immigrants in New York City to recruit them into the pyramid scheme using local prayer circles. After founding NovaTechFx in 2019, Cynthia Petion rebranded herself as the "Reverend CEO," claiming that her company was "God's vision," the lawsuit says. The Petions also operated the NovaTechFx website, which the lawsuit says is where investors would go to invest in cryptocurrency through the company, according to court documents.

Persons: —, NovaTechFx, Leticia James, Eddy Petion, Cynthia Petion, mindlessly, James, Renold Julien, Konbit Organizations: Service, New, New York, New York Supreme, AWS Mining, Business, Yorkers, Mining Locations: New York, New York City, cryptocurrency, Haitian, United States

☆ South Koreans mourn as country’s first celebrity panda, Fu Bao, heads to China
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Fu Bao fandomBorn to parents Ai Bao and Le Bao in July 2020 as part of China’s “panda diplomacy” program, Fu Bao is South Korea’s first naturally-bred panda. Some South Koreans said Fu Bao provided them with moments of joy during the pandemic. In one video, Fu Bao clings tightly to Kang’s leg, unwilling to let go, as he spins gently around the room. The other short video shows Fu Bao clinging to Kang’s arm while relaxing on a wooden bench. Once Fu Bao departs for China, there will be four giant pandas left at Everland – Fu Bao’s mother Ai Bao, father Le Bao, and their twin babies Rui Bao and Hui Bao, who were born last July.

Persons: Fu Bao, Fu, Fu Bao’s, Ai Bao, Le Bao, ”, you’re, zookeeper, grandpa, Kang Chul, ” Kang, 판다월드, Everland, Rui Bao, Hui Bao Organizations: CNN, South Korea’s, South, YouTube, China Conservation and Research Center, Samsung, China Wildlife Conservation Association Locations: South, Yongin city, South Korea, China, Everland, Sichuan Province

☆ How a quick-thinking flight attendant and several passengers helped save 6 flamingo eggs aboard a flight
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Christina Maxouris | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Six flamingo eggs from Atlanta’s zoo were chosen to be transported to the Woodland Park Zoo, in Seattle, which had older flamingos that were past their breeding age. The plan was simple: a Woodland Park zookeeper would transport the six eggs from Atlanta to Seattle on a roughly six-hour flight, using a portable incubator to keep the eggs warm. “The flamingo eggs would not have survived in a non-functioning portable incubator for five hours,” Joanna Klass, a Woodland Park Zoo animal care manager, said in a news release. A flamingo named ‘Sunny’The six Chilean flamingo chicks were the first to hatch at the Woodland Park Zoo since 2016, the zoo has said. May and her granddaughter met the the flamingo chicks at Woodland Park Zoo last year.

Persons: Amber May, ”, May, ” Joanna Klass, “ We’re, –, ’, Bernardo, Magdalena, Amaya, Rosales, Gonzo, Jeremy Dwyer, Lindgren Organizations: CNN, Alaska Airlines, ”, Zoo, Sunny Locations: Seattle, Woodland, Atlanta

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Carole Baskin, who became a pop culture sensation due to Netflix’s docuseries “Tiger King,” has asked the Florida Supreme Court to review an appellate court's ruling that said she isn't protected from a defamation lawsuit brought by a former assistant. Baskin last week asked the high court to reconsider its earlier denial of her appeal in the defamation case brought by Anne McQueen, a former assistant to her missing husband. A provision of the Florida Constitution and the U.S. Constitution conflicts with the appellate court's ruling, Baskin said in her filing with the Florida Supreme Court. The “Tiger King” documentary was about Joseph Maldonado-Passage, also known as “Joe Exotic,” a former Oklahoma zookeeper. Baskin also was a contestant on the show, “Dancing With The Stars” in 2020.

Persons: — Carole Baskin, ”, Baskin, Anne McQueen, McQueen, Joseph Maldonado, Joe Organizations: Florida Supreme, Florida Constitution, Oklahoma zookeeper Locations: TALLAHASSEE, Fla, Florida, U.S, Oklahoma

Walnut, a white-naped crane and internet celebrity, has passed away at age 42. That preference continued when she came to the institute; she showed no interest in breeding and even attacked male crane suitors. Photos You Should See View All 45 ImagesBut white-naped cranes are considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. And as the offspring of two wild-caught cranes, Walnut’s genes were not represented in U.S. zoos. Once Crowe had gained her trust, he was able to artificially inseminate her using sperm from a male crane.

Persons: Chris Crowe, Walnut, ” Crowe, “ I’ll, Chris, Crowe Organizations: WASHINGTON, Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoo, International Crane Foundation, International Union for Conservation of Nature . Locations: Front Royal , Virginia, U.S, Mongolia, Siberia, Korea, Japan, China, Wisconsin

☆ Here's how Singapore Airlines airlifted a giant panda cub and sent it on its journey home to China
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Singapore's first giant panda cub, Le Le, traveled to China on Tuesday. AdvertisementSingapore Airlines was given a monumental task in January: They were put in charge of sending Le Le, a 2.5-year-old giant panda cub, to China. Born in August 2021, Le Le was Singapore's first giant panda cub. Le Le, however, has to be separated from his parents. The giant panda cub was also served a special in-flight meal during his journey — bamboo, bamboo shoots, fruit, pellets, and water.

Persons: Le Le, Le, —, Kai Kai, Jia Jia, Gajandran Sokayan, Riding, Le didn't Organizations: Singapore Airlines, Service, Mandai, Boeing, Cargo, SIA, China Conservation and Research Center Locations: China, Singapore

☆ Timothée Chalamet makes an otherwise middling 'Wonka' worth watching
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Kirsten Acuna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Timothée Chalamet and Hugh Grant are the best part of the Willy Wonka prequel. AdvertisementThe new "Wonka" movie is a mixed bag of sweets and duds. AdvertisementHugh Grant is an underutilized firecrackerTimothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka and Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa in "Wonka." Throughout "Wonka," Chalamet oozes infectious optimism and childlike wonder as he takes us on a journey packed with magical moments and simple joys, including a heartwarming rendition of "Pure Imagination." It's almost enough to get us to believe in even the most ridiculous plotlines — but it's still no "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory."

Persons: Wonka, Chalamet, Hugh Grant, Willy Wonka, —, Roald Dahl's, Charlie, He's, who's, Paul King, Dahl, Fox, Gene Wilder, Olivia Colman, it's, Miss Hannigan, Annie, Keegan, Michael Key, Barnum, Grant, King, Willy, Oompa Loompas Organizations: Service, Warner Bros, Chocolate

LIMA, Peru (AP) — The first two leopard cubs born in captivity in Peru began climbing trees inside their cages at a Lima zoo Wednesday in their first appearance before the public. The cubs’ parents, Leo and Mali, are 3 years old and were brought to Peru in 2021 from a municipal zoo in Leon, Mexico. The zoo plans to hold a contest for the public to decide what to call them. Panthera pardus leopards — the newborns' species — are classified as a vulnerable species on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The four are the only leopards known to be living in Peru.

Persons: Leo, ”, Giovanna Yépez, — Organizations: Parque, International Union for Conservation of Nature Locations: LIMA, Peru, Lima, Mali, Leon , Mexico, las Leyendas

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Upon spotting a zookeeper laden with a bucket full of fruit-flavored ice pops, black spider monkeys in Rio de Janeiro’s BioParque gracefully swung their way towards him on Friday, chattering excitedly. The ice pops are part of the monkeys’ well-being program. For the monkeys, the ice pops are watermelon, pineapple or grape flavored. But for Simba, the zoo’s lion, the ice treat is made up of blood or minced meat. To cool her down even more, a zookeeper sprayed Koala with a hose.

Persons: chattering, it's, it’s, ”, zookeeper Tadeu Cabral, Simba, Daniel Serieiro, Carlos Acuña Organizations: RIO DE, National Institute of Meteorology Locations: RIO DE JANEIRO, Rio de, Brazil, Sao Paulo, Costa Rica, Bahia

☆ Apple iPhone 15 Pro review: Lighter weight makes a huge difference
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

In addition to the Pro models, Apple also offers two cheaper options, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, which cost $799 and $899 and up. Here's what's new and exciting about the iPhone 15 Pro phones:What's goodTitaniumThe "natural titanium" finish is the most noticeable new iPhone color. The iPhone 14 Pro is in the back and the iPhone 15 Pro is in the front. On the right: 5x zoom photo taken with the iPhone 15 Pro Max Kif Leswing/CNBCIt's also a reason to reach for the bigger iPhone 15 Pro Max over the cheaper but lighter and smaller iPhone 15 Pro. ConclusionThe iPhone 15 Pro on the left, the iPhone 15 Pro Max on the right.

Persons: CNBC I've, I'd, Here's, isn't, it's, Max, Kif, Max Kif Leswing, CNBC It's, you'll, iPhones, Apple CarPlay, they're, It's Organizations: CNBC, 1TB, Max, Apple, Apple Watch Locations: 1TB, Francisco's, Nice

☆ Rhino crushes Salzburg zookeeper to death
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

VIENNA, Sept 12 (Reuters) - A rhinoceros crushed one zookeeper to death and injured another at Salzburg's zoo on the outskirts of the Austrian city on Tuesday, zoo officials said. The incident happened during the morning rounds in which the animals are fed and treated with insect repellent, Salzburg Hellbrunn Zoo director Sabine Grebner told a news conference. "We do not know exactly how it happened," Grebner said, adding that the female zookeeper who was killed had suffered chest injuries. The injured male zookeeper was rushed to hospital but his life is not in danger. The female zookeeper, a German from the state of Bavaria, was very experienced and specialised in rhinos, while the male colleague was in charge of animal feed.

Persons: Sabine Grebner, Grebner, zookeeper, Francois Murphy, Ed Osmond Organizations: Salzburg Hellbrunn Zoo, Thomson Locations: VIENNA, Austrian, Salzburg, Bavaria

CNN —A zookeeper in Austria has died and another has been seriously injured after being attacked by a rhino, Salzburg police said on Tuesday. The rhino attacked a 33-year-old female animal keeper while she attended to her early morning work in the animal’s enclosure at Salzburg Hellbrunn Zoo, police said in a press release. According to its website, the zoo is home to 150 species and 1,500 animals – including white rhinos. White rhinos are the second-largest land mammal and they can weigh between 3,080 and 7,920 pounds, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. With fewer than 16,000 white rhinos left, their status is near-threatened.

Persons: zookeeper, Ulrike Ulmann, “, Ulmann Organizations: CNN, Salzburg Hellbrunn Zoo, Salzburg University Hospital, Fund, Nature Locations: Austria, Salzburg, Tamu, Athos

☆ Baby gorilla almost died before a zookeeper held him close. Now he has a new adoptive mom
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“It’s been a hell of a journey.”Kaius holds onto Chad Staples as they walk around the zoo. Eventually, Kisane put down the baby and zoo staff rushed in to grab him. Chad Staples/Mogo Wildlife ParkA fight to stay aliveKaius, then still just a day old, was diagnosed with sepsis pneumonia. Kaius moved from Staples’ house – which is inside the zoo – to the gorilla enclosure, in a pen neighboring G-Anne, his new adoptive mom. But resettling a baby gorilla comes with tremendous risk.

Persons: Australia CNN —, Chad Staples, ” Staples, Kaius, you’ve, ”, “, Staples, Anne, “ It’s, ” Kaius, Kipensi, Kisane, Kriba –, “ We’re, ” “ He’d, Hilary Whiteman, she’s, “ I’m, it’s, I’m, It’d Organizations: Australia CNN, CNN, Kaius, ” Zoo Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Staples, New South Wales

☆ Sun bear: World's smallest bear finally has its time in the sun. But is that a good thing?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Hong Kong CNN —The world’s smallest bear is finally having its moment in the sun – thanks to a viral video that sparked a conspiracy theory on Chinese social media. “With all the media attention surrounding the (sun bear videos) we have a good opportunity to further educate ourselves to save this species.”Taronga Zoo is not alone. A sun bear inside at the Vietnam bear rescue centre, in Tam Dao national park, Vinh Phuc, Vietnam, 09 July 2019. Cubs are especially cute and docile and can be easily tamed compared to bigger and more aggressive bears, said bear expert Dave Garshelis, chair of the IUCN SSC Bear Specialist Group. Will the viral videos actually help save these amazing bears?

Persons: Angela, ”, Wong Siew Te, Wong, Taronga zookeeper Logan Dudley, “, ” Afiqah Nasir, Bosco Chan, ” Chan, Minh Hoang, Dave Garshelis, Thomas Stamford, Garshelis, Shao Zhenzhen Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Sun Bear Conservation Center, Taronga Zoo, Singapore Zoo, World Wildlife Fund, Cubs, IUCN SSC Bear Specialist Group, Thomas Stamford Raffles, Singapore Locations: Hong Kong, Hangzhou, China, Sabah, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Sydney, Australia, Vietnam, Tam Dao, Vinh Phuc, British, Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore

☆ At sweltering Phoenix Zoo, showers for owls and icy treats for monkeys
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Liliana Salgado | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Liliana SalgadoPHOENIX, July 21 (Reuters) - On Day 22 of temperatures in Phoenix exceeding 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius), a Eurasian eagle owl enjoyed a prolonged shower on Friday while monkeys and horses ate icy treats, some laced with Gatorade. The Phoenix Zoo has come up with myriad ways to cool off animals in the historic record-breaking heat wave, including hose-downs, mister lines, cooling pads, ponds, mud water, fans and air-conditioned buildings. So this is one of the ways that we help them cool down in this heat," said zookeeper Leslie Lindholm. And over in Monkey Village, tiny squirrel monkeys pulled frozen treats out of buckets. Reporting by Liliana Salgado in Phoenix; Editing by Mary Milliken and Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Archie, Liliana Salgado PHOENIX, Lizzie Newman, zookeeper Leslie Lindholm, Jake, zookeeper Jyl Purdy, Amy Dietz, Liliana Salgado, Mary Milliken, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Phoenix Zoo, REUTERS, Gatorade, The Phoenix, Thomson Locations: Arizona, U.S, Phoenix, Europe, Asia, Belgian, Monkey

CNN —A giant panda at a South Korean zoo has given birth to the country’s first twin cubs. The palm-sized female pandas were born at the Everland Resort theme park southeast of the capital Seoul on July 7, the zoo said in a statement Tuesday. The twins’ birth is considered rare – there’s less than a 50% chance of pandas giving birth to twins – and in the wild, they struggle to survive as mothers can often only care for one of their cubs. A caretaker carries panda cub Fu Bao, about 100 days after her birth in 2020. It is estimated that around 1,800 pandas remain in the wild, mostly in the mountains of Sichuan, western China.

Persons: Ai Bao, –, Fu Bao, JUNG YEON, ”, Kang Cheol, Le Bao, Jung Dong Organizations: CNN, YouTube, Getty, South, Everland Locations: Korean, Seoul, Korea, China, Beijing, South Korea, Sichuan

☆ How to Talk to Someone With Alzheimer’s
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Catherine Pearson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The family of Jack Hanna, the celebrity zookeeper and media personality, has opened up about his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, offering an intimate look at the challenges of communicating with a man who no longer remembers who most of them are. “My husband is still in there somewhere,” Suzi Hanna, his wife of 54 years, told The Columbus Dispatch in a story that follows Mr. Hanna as he asks several dozen times if the dog has been fed. He also listens to a family conversation, unaware that his daughter is discussing the pain of being forgotten by him. Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia, affects 6.7 million adults over 65 years old in the United States. It not only slowly destroys a person’s memory but also diminishes communication skills, eroding the ability to understand the meanings of words or to find the right ones.

Persons: Jack Hanna, Suzi Hanna, Hanna, Brent P, Forester, “ Organizations: Columbus Dispatch, Tufts Medical Center Locations: United States, Boston

☆ How to See an Owl Like Flaco - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Jennifer Ackerman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The ear tufts of some species disrupt the round identifiable shape of an owl head, so it blends better with its woody surroundings. The quiet flight of owls is an act of biomechanical stealth that still challenges science. I once experienced the stealth of a great gray owl up close. I could barely make him out against the tree bark, and even in this enclosed space, his partner was invisible. Google “owl silent flight,” and you’ll find a dramatic video of an experiment by BBC Earth some years ago comparing the flight noise of a pigeon, a peregrine falcon and a barn owl.

Persons: Percy, soundlessly Organizations: grays, Google, BBC Locations: Skansen, Stockholm

☆ An Asian elephant learned to peel her own bananas with her trunk — and may have figured it out after watching her caretaker do it for her
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An elephant named at the Berlin Zoo really likes peeling her bananas. The study said Pha would only engage in peeling if handed a yellow banana with brown spots. When given a green or yellow banana, she will eat the entire thing, peel and all, similar to other elephants. In that setting, she will typically eat spotty yellow bananas whole, just like everyone else — except for one. Though elephants have been documented using their trunks in many interesting ways, researchers said peeling bananas appeared to be a rare behavior.

☆ Bear is fatally shot after escaping an exhibit and attacking a Florida zookeeper
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A bear escaped an exhibit at a Florida zoo and attacked a zookeeper before being fatally shot by workers, officials said. The escape in a behind-the-scenes area happened just after 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. A zoo curator told Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office investigators that when he arrived at the habitat he saw the bear “actively attacking” the zookeeper. Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in Jacksonville, Fla. Google MapsThe bear went back into the enclosure after the shooting, where it died. Multiple workers moved in to assist the victim until rescue workers arrived, the report said.

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