Franklin Park Zoo

The un-a-wimoweh

adamg — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 23:07:25 -0400

Tom Ulrich visits the Franklin Park Zoo.

How did a gazelle wind up in a tree, dead, at the Franklin Park Zoo?

adamg — Fri, 30 May 2008 07:48:58 -0400

Photo, with no explanation, taken May 18.

Did Easter decorations kill Mandy the Mandrill?

adamg — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:13:34 -0400

Michael Pahre notes the passing of the Franklin Park Zoo's Mandy, but wonders if she really just died of old mandrill age. He and his daughter visited the zoo the day before her death and noticed how all the exhibits were decorated for Easter. He doesn't remember anything in particular about the unmemorable mandrill display, but:

... If there turn out to have been Easter decorations introduced to the mandrill exhibit, I expect that the investigation by the Franklin Park Zoo into the mandrill's death may have to look at the possibility that she ate something inedible. As noted by the Globe ... Mandy had a history of "chronic uterine ailments," but her death nonetheless appeared to be sudden and surprise the zookeepers. ...

Ever wonder what a saltwater crocodile would look like with snow on its back?

adamg — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 20:02:33 -0500

Jef Taylor takes a walk around the Franklin Park Zoo today and takes photos of various animals in the snow/sleet, including a crocodile:

... And the coating of snow on this saltwater croc slowed him down enough for me to photograph him safely! ...

When hippos get small

adamg — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 09:40:47 -0500

The Urban Pantheist discusses Cleopatra, a pygmy hippopotamus now at the Franklin Park Zoo's Tropical Forest building. For a plant eater, she sure has some sharp teeth.

Wildebeest being born at Franklin Park Zoo, right now!

pos7ed — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 20:54:27 -0400

Was at the Franklin Park Zoo this afternoon and on the way out someone pointed out that one of the Wildebeest was giving birth. We didn't get to see the whole event as we got kicked out at 5:30, the zoo closes at 5:00pm. I enjoyed the trip to the zoo and it was well worth the $11 to get in. The tigers are beautiful.

Our secret weapon in a war against invaders: Giraffes

adamg — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 10:03:01 -0400

Jennifer Forman Orth reports from the front lines of the battle against the Japanese knotweed that is choking off native plants in Franklin Park and elsewhere in eastern Massachusetts:

Turns out zookeepers harvest the stuff in the park and feed it to the giraffes, who respond to it like kids at a self-service softserve machine. In fact, zookeepers credit the knotweed with helping save the life of one giraffe who had come down with a wasting disease - it was the only thing he'd eat.

It's a Snuffleupagus, dagnabbit

adamg — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 17:58:04 -0400

Mike the Mad Biologist is not liking the Franklin Park Zoo's decision to name that revived baby tapir Seamus:

Do we have to name everything Seamus? ... He's a Snuffleupagus, not a Seamus.

Sad Little Joe

adamg — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 09:04:29 -0500

Carpundit watches video of Little Joe repeatedly smashing into the windows of his new maximum-security home at the Franklin Park Zoo and doesn't like what he sees:

Watching TV news footage of this gorilla, I got the sense he's pretty unhappy. ... [I]f Little Joe gets out again and decides to kill every person he meets, I wouldn't blame him.