From the First Mate's Photo Album - Zoo Pics

"Lets Go to the Zoo!"

Here are a few pictures taken at the Louisville Zoo on 24 Aug 2012... there are a lot of photos, click on one of them (suggest the bear above) to get another window with larger images of all in this blog.  The duck below was just a few inches from my leg when I took this photo!

The below photo was the best that we saw of the botanical gardens at this zoo on this trip.

Above left is a giant turtle... these guys are big & heavy!  This is a close-up of a sea lion just before the big show.  Upper left shows Becky making contact with this big guy.  Upper right is a very nice looking jaguar... just beautiful!  Below is one of Louisville's young Polar Bears.

 And in the middle of the zoo is a Pioneer Cemetery and here is a list of who is buried there.  An African and an Asian Elephant working together for a very nice show that we were lucky enough to catch.

That cannot be me with angel wings... it is not me, it is Indiana Bones who might be an angel! Wrestling a Kamoda Dragoon is not what an angel would do, but TSGS Director Becky West is not a typical angel... she is my wife!  Below is Evansville's Mesker Park Zoo photos... taken on Monday, 20 Aug 2012.  Look at the botanical garden near the zoo entrance and close to the Amazonia Exhibit.

 Above is some kind of Spoon-billed bird.  Below to the right is a wild snake crawling around in the temporiarily closed Praire Dog exhibit.  And just look at the teeth of that small gator!

 

 One of my favorite exhibits since I was just a little kid when it had monkeys on it, is Mesker Park's "Monkey Ship!"  They use it now for kiddie bumper boat rides.  Great new use for one of the zoo's older great exhibits!!!  OK, how many of you can have a leaf with your name on it as adopting a Zoo animal?  Anyone can... it only takes $25 for the smallest donation.  Actually, I represented the Ohio Valley SAR Chapter in adopting an American Bald Eagle and they put my name on the leaf instead of the Chapter - that will be corrected tomorrow!

 Below is one of the two most playful otters at the zoo... a favorite with the kids and for me and Becky.  The Jaguar is young and not yet full grown, but is a nice looking animal.





 

Above in these last four photos in upper left is a beautiful Tiger, then to the upper right is an old Rhino with missing tusks.  Lower left is one of the Gibbons monkeys that just love to swing around showing off!  Here are two large, but not giant turtles, posing for my camera.

- Photos taken by JGWest & Becky West.

Plaque/Marker/Monument Monday

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Mesker Park Zoo and Beetles...

 [Click on photos to get a larger image to read plaque above.]

Collection of M.C. Berry of Evansville, Indiana

The Entomology Collection is in the Discovery Center at Mesker Park Zoo.

- Photos taken and submitted by JGWest.

"Earth Day at the Zoo" 22 April 2012

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Earth Day...

the one day a year that we give a little attention to home!

This year we can celebrate the planet earth at the Zoo with its "Rain Barrel Decorating Program Auction Event" on Sunday 22 Apr 2012

[Click on sign below to better read the details.]

Today as Becky & I were walking at Washington Square Mall, we came upon this display of rain barrels decorated for Earth Day! We seem to find all kinds of things when we go on our walks. This reminded me of the times that Judi Reininga & I would oversee our Vanderburgh County 4-H Conservation Club's Earth Day Booths in Garvin Park with about 8-12 4-H members.
These two photos give a view of these neat rain barrels that will be auctioned off on Sunday.
Here is another view below... the music ones are neat!
Below is my favorite painted Red, White & Blue.
Becky's favorite is this one "Peace at Home" with its white picket fence.
We both liked the one below... "Saving the Earth, One Drop at a Time!"
Throughout history, man (our ancestors) have defended their land & homes, as well as, their country land; however, we have been short on protecting our world. Earth Day is a great opportunity for us to remember that this old planet is our home and we need to take care of it. Most of us had ancestors that were farmers. I had ancestors that were tobacco farmers in North Carolina that migrated in the early 1800's to Kentucky to obtain land to raise tobacco crops. Like many who raised tobacco for a living, they planted their crops and harvested the leaves to feed & support their families, but little nutrients were added back into the soil and after a time the soil was depleted of nutrients and became barren land for productive crops. In the very early years of the 1900's, it was obvious by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that something was needed to help all of these farmers learn good agriculture practices of fertilizing the soil for better & continued crop production. One way was the creation of the 4-H Clubs as a way to teach kids that in turn would teach the parents to be better at using the land.

Conservation efforts for our natural resources is important to replenish the earth's quality of land, air, water, wildlife & plants. Our future descendants are depending on us to keep their home a nice planet to live on.

- Written by JGWest - Photos taken & submitted by JGWest

Marker/Plaque/Monument Monday - Evansville Zoo

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Evansville Mesker Park

Zoo

Discovery Center

[Click on photo to enlarge image]

- Photo taken & submitted by JGWest

From the FIRST MATE's PHOTO ALBUM...

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A colorful sign at the Mesker Park Zoo in Evansville promoting the zoo's "Adopt an Animal" program. My Ohio Valley Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution have been adopting an American Bald Eagle for the last five years. One of the local DAR chapters followed our lead and are adopting an eagle, as well. The "adoption" program offers several levels of donating to the zoo to help raise money for the zoo. The donors/adoptees recieve a certificate and get a paw-shaped sign with their name that is placed on a larger board and promently displayed at the zoo.
- Photo taken by JGWest

"Help Me Wish Donna, Happy Birthday!"

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Happy 60th. Birthday!!!

John Stuteville feeds Donna the Hippopotamus a watermelon treat on Friday afternoon at Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden. Donna, who turns 60 on Aug. 7, is the oldest living Nile Hippopotamus in captivity and will be celebrating her birthday July 8 with a party & cake for her visitors with a special frozen treat for herself.

Photo taken by ERIN McCRACKEN / Courier & Press

Below outside photo of Donna when she was 58 years old!

[Photo Courtesy of Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden]

According to the Courier & Press article [July 9, 2011 in the Local Section, Page 4A "Mesker Zoo to celebrate hippo's happy birthday" by Samm Quinn] ~ Donna is the oldest Nile hippo in captivity, followed by her sister Julie (who will be 50 this year) at the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee. The article mentions that the the oldest known recorded Nile hippo died at the age of 61. Donna came to Evansville's zoo in 1956. go to Mesker Zoo and wish Donna a very Happy Birthday!!!

- Compiled by JGWest

Mesker Park Zoo - Evansville

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[Day 6 Lion's Head Location Clue/Hint: We know the lion's head is at Mesker Park Zoo... all we need to do is discover where. It is on the outside (exterior wall). Its location on the building is in some way related to my name John West, but different! If you go out one of the exits of this building you will see a huge round grinding stone lying flat to be used like a bench... you will be very close to where the lion is mounted on the wall. Check the previous daily clues. See TSGS Cruiser Blog ~http://tsgsblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/guess-where-this-lions-head-is-located.html]

You can support the zoo by adopting an animal at the zoo. My Ohio Valley Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution has adopted a Bald Eagle each of the last 5 years. The DAR has started adopting an eagle, as well.

From the First Mate's Photo Album... Mesker Zoo

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[Day 5 Lion's Head Location Clue/Hint: By now, most have figured out that the building with the lion's head is somewhere inside of Mesker Park Zoo... I am pleased that so many were able to get that close to solving the mystery concerning this lion's head. It is not the Kley building where Donna resides (she being the oldest hippo in captivity... she will be 60 this year!). The Knecht Building was torn down about 1989... it held the "big cats" and was the original building for this lion's head. We need to discover which building has the lion's head, now. We also need to know where in or on the building it is. The location is somewhat obscure. I just accidently found it. Check the previous daily clues. See TSGS Cruiser Blog ~http://tsgsblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/guess-where-this-lions-head-is-located.html]

Evansville's Mesker Park Zoo...

This is the old fish pond (no longer in existence).

In the center of the wall you can see another lion's head that water flowed from its mouth. This fish pond was so nice. It was a favorite part of visiting the zoo when I was a kid. I took a picture of the lion's head when I was about 15-17 years old... I have it somewhere!

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An AFROTC buddy of mine from Evansville College (now University of Evansville), Tyrone Bragg figured out that this mystery lion's head was originally on the Knecht Building (named for Karl Knecht, newspaper editorial cartoonist, who was instrumental for getting a zoo started in Evansville). Ty, you are the closest as of this morning!

History of a Monkey Ship

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Mesker Park Zoo...

has a neat ship that is known as the Monkey Ship that is well known by zoo visitors!

Click on photos to enlarge images... the sign is easy to read when enlarged.
History of the Mesker Park Zoo's Monkey Ship is written on this sign posted near the ship.

- Photos taken & submitted by JGWest

Marker/Plaque/Monument Monday

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Evansville's Mesker Park Zoo...
Amazonia Dedication Plaque!

Took our grandkids to see the new Amazonia exhibits on Saturday and saw this plaque as you go into the Amazonia doorways. It commemorates two mayoral administrations as "Planning" & "Dedication."

- Photo taken & submitted by JGWest