OKC Zoo

[Dubya61]

Will the zoo be getting any pandas? Specifically plutonic pandas.

If they've got cougars, you can bet they've got plutonic pandas.

[Dustin]

What elephant in the room? For OKC Zoo, the more the merrier | The Seattle Times

[Laramie]

What elephant in the room? For OKC Zoo, the more the merrier | The Seattle Times

The turmoil in Seattle barely registered here, said City Councilman John Pettis Jr., whose ward encompasses the city’s “Adventure District,” with the zoo, a casino, a racetrack — and, nearby, the arena where the former Seattle SuperSonics play basketball. A few local pundits riffed on what else Oklahomans should steal from Seattle. But in a city famed for oil and cattle, there was no public hand-wringing over a couple more elephants.

I knew there was a way they would tie this to the NBA Seattle vs. Supersonics debacle.

Steal?

$350 million looks like a bargain discount by Professional Basketball Club LLC (Clayton Bennett) now that NBA franchises have increased their original worth from 2006 to 2015. The Thunder ranks 13th among NBA teams with a value of $930 million.

The Business Of Basketball - Forbes

[Laramie]

Bad weather forces Woodland Park Zoo elephants on a detour to San Diego

Woodland Park Zoo’s two elephants will stay at the San Diego Zoo after severe weather forced the elephants’ caravan to change its route on the way to their new home at the Oklahoma City Zoo.

Bad weather forces Woodland Park Zoo elephants on a detour to San Diego | The Seattle Times

[ljbab728]

An update on the Asia II exhibit.

NewsOK Videos | Zoo Expansion Asia II

[David]

https://twitter.com/okczoo/status/642380123031756801

We are so very grateful & truly excited for the grand opening Saturday, Sept. 12. #wildaboutwellness #vetcarewith

[John1744]

Has the zoo updated their master plan guidelines recently? I found this link but I didn't know that the Asia exhibit had been postponed, I was under the impression it was the next major change. Instead it was pushed back apparently. I think Aquatics needs to be moved up and I hope at least they plan on renovating right. The aquatics center is getting embarrassing in looks and quality.

[Dustin]

The Asia Exhibit II is in the final planning stages and should start construction soon.

[ljbab728]

The Asia Exhibit II is in the final planning stages and should start construction soon.

Yes, please see post number 61.

[David]

Oklahoma City Zoo saddened, shocked at sudden death of beloved elephant

It is with profound sadness that the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden reports the death of beloved 4-year-old, female Asian elephant, Malee. She died in the early morning hours on Thursday, October 1, 2015.

Zoo keepers noticed slower than normal movements on Wednesday which continued into the afternoon, however she was eating and otherwise normal. Around 4:30 p.m., concern grew as zoo keepers noticed discoloration in her mouth. At that time, they initiated protocol treatment for EEHV (elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus), although it is not confirmed as the cause of death. Following a prescribed protocol, a second treatment was given around 1 a.m., October 1. Her condition had not changed at that time. Despite the aggressive treatment, she declined rapidly and passed away at approximately 4 a.m.

A necropsy (animal autopsy) will be performed to determine exact cause of death. Results may not be known for some time. All other Zoo elephants are doing well at this time.

Malee was the first elephant born at the Zoo in 2011 and quickly became a Zoo favorite.

As more news becomes available, updates will be delivered via the Zoo’s website at www.okczoo.com and social media. Please keep the Zoo family, particularly Malee’s care team, in your thoughts at this very difficult time.

- okczoo –



Media Note: Dr. Dwight Lawson, Oklahoma City Zoo executive director/CEO, will be available for interviews Thursday, October 1, between 10 a.m. and noon. Please make arrangements with the Zoo’s Public Relations staff to set up in advance.

[HangryHippo]

That's very sad. Malee was adorable.

[Urbanized]

Crud.

[king183]

Terrible, terrible, terrible news. She was an amazing elephant.

[CCOKC]

This just put a real damper on my day. I am planning to go to the zoo on Sunday for Pistol Pete's B-Day party but also to see the new elephants. I have been looking forward to it for weeks. Now I just feel sad.

[jccouger]

Incredibly sad day for OKC. RIP Malee.

[Dustin]

Elephants are extremely smart and have emotions just like us. I can't imagine what her mother is going through.

This day has sucked so far.

[zookeeper]

It was such a big deal when Malee was the first elephant ever born at the Oklahoma City Zoo in 2011.
We went out and saw her and felt a connection. An elephant born in Oklahoma City(!) This is really sad news.

[poe]

Very sad. Also sad: PETA has been attacking the zoo on Twitter.

[Urbanized]

Yeah, I was guessing that would happen. Also wondering how long it will be before Seattle people start trolling.

[HangryHippo]

Also wondering how long it will be before Seattle people start trolling.

This is what I've been waiting on as well.

[catch22]

Yeah, I was guessing that would happen. Also wondering how long it will be before Seattle people start trolling.

That's unfortunate.

I think PETA is too far left of the spectrum for me. I am 100% for animals being treated with respect, I am against hunting for sport, against animal neglect and abuse, and am not a fan of industrial animal farms where conditions are deplorable.

I cannot support them that zoos are prison captivity. The zoos in America are very good, and especially the OKC Zoo which to my knowledge, correct me if I am wrong, has won numerous awards for the humane treatment of animals and cleanliness of facilities.

Zoos are necessary for education and awareness. They are great to teach children about animals they would not normally ever be exposed to. The animals in their science books are real, not made up. They can see them up close, and hopefully grow fond of wild animals and learn to respect their place in our world.

I'm sad that we lost Malee, but death is a completely natural phenomena, it happens in the wild and it happens in zoos. PETA needs to understand that. They are treating it as if they allowed poachers to shoot it from the fence line. It's a disease. All of us get diseases, some fatal. Including elephants in the wild and in zoos.

[AP]

^I guess I kind of look at it as captivity in almost any setting is unethical. Animals in the wild are free to make their own decisions at all times and in zoos that is just not the case. You're framing you argument such that everything in this world should be used to give humans some sort of lesson or perspective, as if everything here was design for our consumption. I guess it would be a matter of beliefs, but I can't agree with that.

To your last point, I'll have to look up the citations but I believe the PETA argument is that the diseases are actually happening alarmingly more frequently in captivity than in the wild.

[shawnw]

Also some animals, such as Bengal tigers I believe, are down to 3-4000 individual animals in the wild vs 30-40,000 in zoos. Right, wrong, or otherwise, some animals may well go extinct in the wild but will be preserved by humanity for humanity's future generations to learn from and about, in zoos. Due to unfortunate aspects of humanity, those extinctions would happen with or without zoos. Better to have them than to not I'd think.

[AP]

If they are in captivity though, there is absolutely no difference to not having them. What benefit are they giving the world other than entertainment when in captivity?

Again your whole argument here is that we should preserve animals in zoos for our benefit so that we can look at them.

[shawnw]

I'm not sure I agree with that. Captivity programs have previously returned species previously extinct in the wild back to the wild. I agree it isn't ideal, but it's better than losing them all together.