Posts Tagged ‘animals’

I am a very active zoo visitor; I often go more to a zoo in a week than most people do in year. In all my zoo visits I have learned that animal behavior isnt limited to across a watery moat, steel fencing, or glass window. It goes on everyday in the crowds of visitors which come to the zoo.

There has always been an ongoing argument about the educational value of the zoo compared to the animal suffering in the cages. An argument which, of course, wont be solved here but will give you a lot more to the think about in the end.

Yes, I do agree with all those that say, Animals should be free in the wild. I do not feel that we have the right to lock up animals for our own use in this manner. Animals like humans in prison will and do develop mental problems, behavior usually gets worse over time, and nothing good come out of it.

In all my years of going to the zoos I have found few people get any educational value from the visit. No one reads the signs, people past exhibits so fast they miss the animal, and most do not even stop long enough to really take a good look and reflect about the animal they are viewing. Many people spend the day speed walking, dragging one or more child, and wishing they hadnt promised to go to the zoo that day. I dont see must educational value to visitors or a reason to make animals suffer if people act that way.

Then you wonder about the school field trips, yes kids do get to see animals they might never see in the wild. They do hear, at least, some interesting facts about the animals. Do they really learn anything? I doubt it very much, most kids in those groups are too excited to just be free from the burden of school and having to sit still all day they cant pay attention to learning. Did you ever hear anything at the zoo field trips? I never did. Once the kids have a quick run through the zoo, they are fed like cattle and shoved back on a bus. How much educational value did the child get from the trip? I know the teachers would rather be in a pit of live snakes than go on a field trip with ten thousand screaming kids.

The sad thing is the adults really. Going to the zoo all the time, I have over heard some very interesting conversations between adults. Things said that convince me that the human race overall has a low IQ. One of the most common things I hear is people seeing a mother and her baby, and then calling the mother a he. I didnt know males got pregnant (No, I didnt forget about certain species, we dont want to get that complicated here).

Often adults cannot even pronounce the name of the animal. They usually get by calling it whatever name they know close to it. I can understand the Latin scientific names can be pretty hard, but Orangutan does not have a g at the end of it. Yes, the little things can lead to much bigger problems. How can you care about an animal to help save it from them becoming extinct (which we are causing), which probably has a higher IQ than you, if you cant even pronounce the name us humans gave to it?

What is the educational value of the zoo to the overall human population; Very little, in my opinion.

There are however, those cases and individuals from which the lack of a zoo might not have made them into the person they are today. Those people are now on the leading forefront of trying to save from the human race the very right for these animals to exist. So while most people get little to no educational value, hopefully just enough seeds are sparked to keep anymore animals from going extinct.

Do I like seeing a Polar Bear in a cage? No, but if it sparks enough people to help save all the polar bears from extinction at the hand of the human race then it is worth it. We can however make that Polar Bears life active, interesting, and fulfilling.

So what do we do now? Do we close all the zoos and set the animals free in the wild? Do we design the zoo a bit better forcing people to learn? The last time I looked, almost every sign at the zoo had the word Endangered on it. Oh well, after all the animals go extinct, man will be next.

World Zoo Today is a global news site dedicated to zoos, aquariums, wildlife, and conservation. Sara’s motto is “One World One Zoo”, this world on which we live is one giant zoo, we are the current zookeepers.

Africa is a whole different world, and its somewhere that a lot of people will not get to see. But as well as some of the superb attractions in Africa, there are also some deathly animals around the entire continent. So let us take a look at some of the deadliest and fierce animals around.

Lions

There are lions throughout the whole continent of Africa, but the fiercest place that you could probably go has to be Tsavo in Kenya. This is where a lot of people lost their lives by Lion attacks. Which is in reality rather strange as Lions do not hunt for humans, but a few of them, particularly the male ones tend to attack a vast amount of people.

Crocodiles

The crocodiles in Africa actually have quite powerful jaws. Attacks by crocodiles in the continent are said to be on the advance. Crocodiles kill their prey and kill humans within seconds by dragging them under the water.

Elephant

Although you may not feel that elephants could ever be harmful, they are probably one of the vicious animals around. It is said that when an Elephant is on Musth, they become very dangerous to humans and have to be avoided at all times. Their weight and size will break down any living thing, including the Lions.

Mosquito

These belittled little insects may seem to be harmless. But they have actually caused the most deaths in Africa and continue to do so. One of the main reasons for the mosquitos deadly streak is simply because they spread the deadly Malaria virus. Malaria is responsible for killing almost three thousand children every single day. In some of the countries it kills more people than AIDs and cholera does. If travelling to countries such as Africa, you should make sure that you get the needed vaccinations in place.

Fabulous Safari Holidays outstanding Namibia Holidays and Botswana Holidays I can guarantee you will be truly delighted and come back a happy person.

Sports gambling is a popular pursuit because everyone understands the basics of how teams win and lose and why. Horses, meanwhile, are an entirely different animal”no pun intended. It is a complex discipline unto itself, and a sound background in handicapping sports doesn’t insure success, or even mediocrity in handicapping the ponies. In fact, the history of sports betting is replete with successful gamblers that had a weakness for horse betting, with an emphasis on the word weakness. Most notable, perhaps, is the former resident handicapper at CBS, Jimmy The Greek Snyder. The story goes that The Greek was a first rate sports handicapper, but he couldn’t pick the winner of a one horse race when playing the ponies. The bad news for The Greek is that he enjoyed playing the ponies nonetheless, and often frittered away the money he won at the other end of the sportsbook.

The information below is the bare bones basics of what you need to know to enjoy a day at the horse track. If you’re interested in becoming a serious horse handicapper, you’re best advice to start with one of the countless books or DVDs that deal specifically with the discipline.

Do your reading: When you arrive at the horse track you should purchase a copy of the Daily Racing Form (DRF for short) and the track program. The DRF is basically the ‘bible’ of horse race handicapping, and offers morning line odds, horse, trainer, jockey statistics and information on each race at every major track across the country. The track program offers similar information for that individual venue, often in more ‘user friendly’ form.

You’re not playing against the house: One thing to keep in mind when playing the horses that is drastically different from sports betting is that you’re not playing against ‘the house’, you’re playing against other betters. The track just accepts and pays bets, taking out a cut (called the ‘takeout’) for their services. The track odds are determined by the money bet on each horse. Long odds on a horse doesn’t necessarily indicate a ‘bad horse’ but just one that for whatever reason isn’t attracting bettor interest.

So where do odds in the newspaper or program originate? These are known as the ‘morning odds’ or ‘morning line’ and is basically an educated guess as to where the betting will go. They can be helpful as a handicapping tool, but may or may not reflect what will happen in the actual betting.

Horse handicapping basics: This is where horse racing gets complex–there are countless theories about how to handicap a horse race. Some handicappers consider the breeding lineage of the horse, while others are more concerned with past performance. Still others put more weight on the training a horse has received, or its workout performance.

Once a bettor reaches a conclusion about what he thinks will happen in a given race, it is still subject to the odds that are available when betting. This is similar to sports gambling, where an underdog may be more attractive due to an excessively high payback potential than he would ordinary, or, conversely, a clear favorite becomes an unattractive wagering proposition due to a prohibitively high price. Its all a matter of the math”if I could speak to the teenagers of America, Id try to impress upon them the importance of doing well in math for no other reason than its importance in all forms of gambling.

Training and bloodlines: Handicappers often focus on a horse’s breeding lineage, considering the quality of the bloodlines and the racing pedigree of his parents and grandparents. Others put great focus on a horse’s trainers. An ‘A-list’ trainer can often get the most out of a horse much in the same way an elite level NFL coach can cause a team to ‘over perform’.

The horse’s jockey: Jockeys are free agents, meaning that they get paid on their performance. In theory, this means that they’ll do their utmost to win in every given race. While there are a few exceptions, many serious horse handicappers downplay the importance of the jockey. Assuming the horse’s ‘mount’ is competent, there are much more salient factors to consider when handicapping a race than the jockey.

Dedication and Discipline: There’s not a set formula for successful horse handicapping, so try different things and find what works for you. And, as always, don’t go overboard with the money you wager and particularly until you get a feel for what you’re doing. If you’re interested in learning more, check out the Daily Racing Form website.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer who has written on sports betting and how to successfully bet on NFL football. He has appeared as a guest on TV and radio talking about boxing, cricket and NFL pointspreads. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a lynx.

Seattle Slew died on May 7, 2002 at the age of 28. One of only 11 winners of horse racing’s prestigious ‘Triple Crown’ he is by default considered among the all time greats in thoroughbred racing. Of the eleven horses to win the Triple Crown, he is the only one to do so with an undefeated record. He was also notable due to his humble beginnings, and is the only Triple Crown winner to have been purchased at public auction. He retired to stud in 1978 and sired over 100 stakes race winners including 1984 Kentucky Derby champion, Swale. Slew’s offspring have earned a combined $76 million dollars at the race track. Slew wasn’t the most majestic looking creature by the lofty standards of race horses, but was possessed with the heart, toughness and courage of a professional prizefighter.

The Seattle Slew story began very modestly at a public auction in Lexington, Kentucky. The Keeneland Summer Yearling sale wasn’t supposed to be the marketplace of champions, and the idea that this particular horse would ever amount to anything other than a farmhand was downright laughable. Slew looked clumsy, due primarily to a right forefoot that splayed outward and resulting in a shuffling gait at a trot. He also wasn’t a majestic beast like his predecessor by a few years, Secretariat. Slew was borderline ugly. So ungainly a creature was he that he was given the less than inspiring nickname “Baby Huey” by the Keeneland staff. He was purchased by two couples (Karen and Mickey Taylor and Jim and Sally Hill) for $17,500. What wasn’t apparent at the yearling sale was the intangibles that make up a championship thoroughbred–poise under pressure, love of competition, toughness, heart and desire. The Taylor’s and Hill’s had stumbled onto an equine Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan who’s competitive fire quickly became apparent to the trainers that worked with him and the jockeys that rode him. His first race came at Belmont in 1976, and the three races he entered–and won–as a 2 year old gave a hint of what was to come.

Slew became the Kentucky Derby favorite by winning his three prep races as a three year old, including prestigious Wood Memorial. In the Derby, Slew got off to a terrible start as he stumbled from the gate much like War Emblem did in the 2002 Belmont. Unlike 2002’s Triple Crown contender, however, Slew was able to recover from that miscue and basically force his way through a pack of other horses to position himself at the front of the field at the quarter mile pole. Slew would win the Derby by a length and 3 quarters. He took another tough victory at the Preakness before clinching the Triple Crown with a 4 length victory in the Belmont Stakes.

Slew ran in a few races as a 4 year old but in the pre-Breeders’ Cup days there wasn’t as many opportunities for an older horse. He retired to stud in 1978, where he sired champions such as the aforementioned Swale and 1992 Belmont Champ AP Indy.

Slew was in someways overshadowed during his prime by his predecessor–and arguably the greatest thoroughbred race horse in history–1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat. In hindsight, however, it has finally been noted what an exceptional horse he really was. Jockey Angel Cordero, who rode Slew during the twilight of his career noted “If I had a chance to take any horse in the world, if someone said your life is depending on riding one horse to win, I would take (Slew). I rode 44,000 horses, but he was special, he was different. He was muscled, like a wrestler. He ran different than any other horse. It was like he came from another planet.”

After his death in 2002, Slew was buried at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Lexington, Kentucky under a statue in his image.

Ross Everett is a staff handicapper for a number of offshore sports books and an authority on horse race betting . He’s a well known and widely published expert sports handicapping theory, as well as stock market investing. He contributes to a number of online media outlets providing insight on how to bet on NFL football, MMA and boxing.

Churchill is on the shoreline of the west coast of Canada. Recently this holiday has become more and more popular. Does this mean that it could be damaged climate change?

Churchill is most famous for its population of Polar bears, who visit every year around autumn to escape the receding ice flows. The polar bears then ram around as they want to, taking over Churchill. Because of this Churchill has been named the Polar Bear capital of the world. This has helped boost the tourist industry around the area, and now tour operators offer Canada tours dedicated to this area, to show people the stunning environment.

Churchill is also a very rare area; this is because it is an Ecotone. An Ecotone is a environmental phenomenon where there is an abrupt change in environmental circumstances. Basically it stands on a border between three very different environments. To the southern region is the Boreal Forest, towards the north west you will find the Tundra like conditions, and directly to the north is the Hudson Bay area. It is also a perfect location to see the Aurora Borealis. Not only does this area have all these attributes, it is also home to the Beluga whales in summer, over 57,000 of them, and has a very extensive amunt of bird fauna that cover the whole area.

Churchill has become extremely reliant on the tourism industry, but how long will it be able to support tourists. The simple way to put it, is that Churchill is on the border between three dramatic climate and environmental differences. The tourism industry will fail. Canada holidays benefit greatly from this environmental phenomenon, but how much longer will it last. Alaska Cruises also circle round to this area, so maybe that holiday is better sooner rather than later.

If you are thinking about what to do in San Diego there is one top place that ranks as one of the best of most lists. The famous San Diego Zoo, located in Southern California is one of the best zoo’s in the United States and is also highly rated internationally. Along with the San Diego beaches and San Diego Seaworld the San Diego Zoo is one of the top reasons to visit San Diego.

The Zoo houses nearly 4,000 animals for visitors to see. Among the animals on display at the Zoo, the entertaining pandas are no doubt the best known attraction. They are one of the main reasons why the Zoo is so popular. Everybody loves watching the cuddly and playful pandas. It is best if you enquire when their feeding times are scheduled so you can see them at their most active.

As well as the pandas, the Zoo has an impressive variety of animal species on display. There are giraffes, lions, leopards and more from Africa. There are snakes from Asia and camels from the Middle East. Pretty much any creature that you can think of will be represented.

The animals themselves have plenty of space to live in their enclosures. The San Diego Zoo is well known for its natural habitat enclosure designs in which the animals live. The Zoo is located in spacious Balboa Park, one of the best public parks in the world. Both the animals and the people who come to see them enjoy the attractive gardens of the Zoo.

You can view the animals in several ways. You can ride on the overhead cableway that gives a wide overview of the zoo from above. If you are keen on photography the view from the upper level of the double decker bus tours gives you an unobstructed view right into the animals enclosures. You are, of course, free to walk about the Zoo as you wish, but it is more entertaining to be there for the scheduled feeding times of the various animals.

Even if you are looking forward to a beach vacation in San Diego, you should set aside time to spend a few hours at the Zoo. Especially if you are holidaying with your family, a visit to the San Diego Zoo will be a great family experience.

Lions hardly attack humans. Most of the noted attacks have only been as a result of aggravation or starvation. Attacks are always immenet to happen so you have to be prepared to come out of it well. This guide documents the best practices to avoid lion attack and have incident free safaris

Always make sure you are aware of your surroundings. It is very difficult to know if you are encroaching on a lion’s territory but there are usually lion prides close to safari holidays resorts and lions can sometimes have very large territories so it’s a safe bet to assume you are.

It is a lot safer to be among tree rather than out in the plains as lions do not like hunting were there is think undergrowth or obstacles that they risk injuring themselves on. This is the reason why you should only stay in areas on high plant growth. One tip to remember is that lions are very poor climbers and are unlikely to follow you up a tree.

If you spot lion in the wild do not approach under any circumstances. If the lion does not actually realise that you are then then you should quickly look at moving away. You should not start to run if you see a lion as you will end up making noise and alerting the lion you are there.

If the lion is aware of you presence you should still move in the opposite direction but walk slowly backwards keeping your eyes on the lion. It worth being aware that if the lion is female (has no mane) there is a very high probability there will be other lionesses around…they hunt in groups. If the lion follows you then up your pace, trying to keep an equal distance from it.