Zooper Saturday Featuring Rhinos and a Barn Party This Weekend at the Buffalo Zoo

The Buffalo Zoo will hold a Zooper Saturday event featuring the Indian rhinos and Delta Sonic Heritage Farm on Saturday, July 6. Learn all about the Buffalo Zoo’s endangered Indian rhinos during a keeper talks, animal enrichments, and a rhino raffle. Then stop by the Delta Sonic Heritage Farm for their first ever barn party! There will be animal trainings, and musical performances. Zooper Saturday events are free with regular Zoo admission. July’s Zooper Saturday is part of Report Card Weekend sponsored by Winning Smiles. A full schedule of activities follows:

 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. - face painting

11:00 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. - rhino raffles

11:00 a.m. - rhino keeper talk & enrichment

 11:30 a.m. - rhino keeper talk & enrichment

12:00 p.m. - rhino keeper talk & enrichment

12:30 p.m. - rhino keeper talk & enrichment

1:00 p.m. - rhino keeper talk & enrichment

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. - Barn Party at Delta Sonic Heritage Farm

1:30 p.m. - pig training

2:00 p.m. - early american traditional folk musical performance

2:30 p.m. - mule training

For more information about the Zooper Saturday event, call (716) 837-3900 or visit
www.buffalozoo.org

Zooper Saturday Featuring Lions & Tigers This Weekend

The Buffalo Zoo will hold a Zooper Saturday event this weekend, featuring the lions and tigers.

Learn all there is to know about the lions and tigers at the Zoo from our keeper talks, and enrichment activities at the lion and tiger exhibits from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. There will also be face painters in the TOPS Eco Station from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Zooper Saturday events are free with regular Zoo admission.

For more information about the Zooper Saturday event, call (716) 995-6133 or visit www.buffalozoo.org
 
Activities in the tiger exhibit are sponsored by Perry’s Ice Cream.

Spring Nature Camp 2013 Registration is Now Open!

It’s time for Spring Nature Camp at the Buffalo Zoo! Join us as we celebrate the season along with our animal friends. Each day of Spring Nature Camp is filled with adventures ranging from arts, crafts, and games to live animal demonstrations, exhibit visits, and behind the scenes talks! Spend just one day with us or all five – either way, you’ll have a ROARing good time!

Days: Monday through Friday
Dates: April 1st through April 5th
Times: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Explorer Groups:
Giraffes: Ages 5 - 6
Rhinos: Ages 7 - 8
Elephants: Ages 9 - 12

Spring Nature Camp Topics:

Monday, April 1: Nature’s Tricksters
Some animals are great at playing tricks. Whether it is copying another animal, blending in to surroundings, or doing a little acting, it’s all about survival. Learn some “tricks of the trade” from our resident animals and see if you have what it takes to survive in the wild!

Tuesday, April 2: Gentle Giants
Some of the biggest animals on the planet are also the most gentle. During this workshop we will explore the lives of gentle giants and uncover the softer sides of some of our largest predators.

Wednesday, April 3: Monkey Business
Unleash your inner monkey! Monkeys may seem like they spend all day being mischievous but all of their actions are an important part of the business of being a monkey. Spend the day monkeying around at the Zoo and watch our resident primates in action

.

Thursday, April 4: Scavengers
Lazy, sneaky, despicable – some think scavengers are the worst animals, but we know
better. Scavengers are true survivors! Spend the day with the scavengers at the Zoo and learn some incredible (and sometimes gross) survival strategies.

Friday, April 5: Boneheads
Today all of the skeletons are coming out of the closet! Spend the day examining skeletons from animals large and small and discover all of the animal mysteries that can be solved by exploring bones.
 

General Information
Arrival/Departure times are 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. respectively. Campers must arrive at the ZOO SCHOOL DOORS on Meadow Drive by 9:00 a.m. and be picked up at the same entrance at 3:00 p.m. Campers will not be allowed to leave the Zoo without a parent or guardian signing for their child. Please be prepared to show ID upon request.

To better accommodate the needs of our campers’ parents, we do offer a fee-based Before and After Care Program between the hours of 7:45 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.  Please be respectful of the drop-off and pick-up times of this program. NOTE: After Care ends at 5:00 pm sharp. Parents will be assessed a fee of $5.00 for every 5 minutes past 5:00 that their child remains at the Zoo.

Appropriate clothing must be worn.  This includes; Spring and/or Winter boots, hats, scarves, mittens/gloves and Spring and/or Winter jackets.  All outerwear should be labeled with the camper’s name. 

Activities will include a combination of exhibit visits, animal information, games, songs, stories, activities and live animal contact. Students will have the opportunity to interact with a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and arthropods from our Education Department animal collection.  This provides each camper with the experience and thrill of live animal contact under well supervised conditions.

NO LUNCHES or SNACK ARE PROVIDED due to individual food preferences, allergies and dietary restrictions.  Campers must bring a small snack and a bag lunch each day.  If your child has any special dietary needs, please inform us of specific food exposure restrictions.
 

Registration Information
To register for the Spring Nature Camp, complete the application indicating whether you are registering for one day, or many days. Be sure to indicate all of your choices.

Become a Zoo Member and save on Spring Nature Camp fees. For information on Zoo Membership, call 995-6131.



How to register…
a) Mail your registration - Payment MUST accompany your registration and may be made in cash, by check, American Express, MasterCard, Visa or Discover. Please make checks payable to the Zoological Society of Buffalo. Mail the completed form and registration fee to:

Spring Nature Camp
Buffalo Zoo
300 Parkside Ave.
Buffalo, NY 14214-1999

- OR -

b) Fax your registration - You may also fax completed registration with credit card payment to (716) 834-1106.

- OR -

c) Download an On-line registration form
Click here to download form (Adobe Acrobat needed)
b) Register on-line - CLICK HERE
To provide the campers with individual attention, group size is limited. Register early to save your camper’s spot!

Any additional questions or information should be directed to the Education Department at (716) 995-6128.

 

Jungle Love Tickets Now Available!

Join Buffalo Zoo President/CEO, Donna M. Fernandes, Ph.D., on Saturday, February 9, 2013 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. to learn more about crimes of passion in the animal world.

The cost of the program is $15 for non-members and $12 for Zoo members. Pre-registration and pre-payment are required. Wine and light refreshments will be provided in the Zoo’s Children’s Resource Center. Please note that this program is only open to mature audiences (ages 21 years and older). Tickets are non-refundable. Register online at www.buffalozoo.org or call (716) 995-6133 today!

Zooper Saturday Featuring M&T Bank Rainforest Falls & Reptile House This Weekend

The Buffalo Zoo will hold a Zooper Saturday event this weekend, featuring the reptile house and M&T Bank Rainforest Falls.

Come in out of the cold, and warm up with your favorite animal friends in the reptile house and M&T Bank Rainforest Falls exhibit! Learn all there is to know about these exotic species from our keeper talks, feedings, enrichment activities and much more! This event is free with Zoo admission and will run from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. on January 5. A full schedule of activities follows:

• 11 a.m – 3 p.m. Face painting
• 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. M&T Bank Rainforest Falls keeper talks & animal enrichments
• 1 p.m. Hellbender keeper talk in reptile house
• 1:30 p.m. Uromastyx encounter in reptile house
• 2 p.m. Carpet python encounter in reptile house
• 2:30 p.m. Puerto Rican crested toad encounter in reptile house
• 3 p.m. Indigo snake feeding in reptile house

The Buffalo Zoo’s reptile house is sponsored by Goya Foods.

For more information about the Zooper Saturday event, call (716) 995-6133 or visit
www.buffalozoo.org

Another Zooper Saturday!

The Buffalo Zoo will hold a Zooper Saturday event this Saturday, December 1 featuring the snow leopards and reindeer. Come visit some animals at the Zoo who are happy to welcome winter to Buffalo! Our two snow leopards, Annapurna and Dwaine will enjoy animal enrichments while visitors enjoy keeper talks and training sessions from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. The reindeer have a few weeks until Santa needs them, so come visit them from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. for enrichments and docent talks in front of the reindeer exhibit. A complete schedule of activities follows.

•  11 a.m. snow leopard enrichment
•  12 p.m. snow leopard training demonstration
•  1 p.m. snow leopard enrichment
•  1:15 p.m. reindeer docent talk
•  1:45 p.m. reindeer enrichment
•  2:15 p.m. reindeer docent talk

Zooper Saturday events are free with regular Zoo admission, and are sponsored by Wells
Fargo Advisors, LLC.

For more information about the Zooper Saturday event, call (716) 995-6133 or visit
www.buffalozoo.org

Tickets Now Available For Breakfast With Santa and the Animals at the Buffalo Zoo

The Buffalo Zoo invites you and your family to celebrate the holidays with Santa and the Zoo animals!

The Zoo will host its annual Breakfast with Santa events on December 8, 9, 15, and 16. There will be two seatings each day at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Prepaid, nonrefundable tickets are required due to limited seating. Ticket prices for non-members are $14 for adults and $12 for children. Members will receive a $3 discount. Children under the age of 24 months will be admitted for free.

Tickets include a buffet breakfast provided by CJ’s Catering, family-friendly activities,and a visit with Santa!

For more information, or to reserve tickets, please call (716) 995-6133 or visit www.buffalozoo.org.

New Arrivals at the Buffalo Zoo.

The Buffalo Zoo is pleased to welcome new animals to their collection. 

Among the new arrivals are a rhinoceros, a giraffe, and seven leaf frogs.

A male giraffe named Moke arrived in Buffalo in September from the Dickerson Park Zoo in
Springfield, MO. The year-old Rothschild giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschild) was
brought to Buffalo to breed with the Zoo’s two female reticulated giraffes.

George, a male Asian one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is another new Buffalo
resident. Owned by the National Zoo in Washington D.C, he came to Buffalo via the Bronx
Zoo as part of a cooperative breeding program. The three-thousand-pound rhino will not
reach sexual maturity for at least another two years, when he will be introduced to the
Zoo’s female rhino, Tashi. He is expected to reach between five and six-thousand pounds.
The Zoo recently completed updates to the existing rhino barn and yard to accommodate
the rhino bull.

Zookeepers are also excited to add seven Solomon Islands leaf frogs (Ceratobatrachus
guentheri) to the Zoo’s collection. What makes these frogs special is that they hatch as
froglets, skipping the tadpole stage entirely. The leaf frogs will be on exhibit in the Zoo’s
reptile house after their quarantine period. The frogs came to Buffalo from the Dallas Zoo.

Visit the Buffalo Zoo and meet the new residents! The Zoo recommends calling before you
visit to find out when the animals will be on exhibit. For information about the Zoo’s hours
of operation, please call (716) 837-3900, or visit buffalozoo.org.

Buffalo Zoo Says Goodbye to Beloved Kodiak Bear, “Toby”

Buffalo, NY -- The Buffalo Zoo is sad to report that Toby, a 22-year-old Kodiak bear, was euthanized on Sunday morning.

Toby was being treated with anti-inflammatory medications for age-related degenerative joint disease characterized by progressive osteoarthritis. Last year, he was taken off the multi-level terrain of his public exhibit and moved to an off exhibit area to keep him more comfortable on an even surface with a pool to provide relief for his joints. As his condition worsened, the difficult decision to euthanize him was made.

The largest subspecies of brown bear, the Kodiak bear is found on islands of the Kodiak Archipelago in southwestern Alaska. Currently, the Kodiak bear population is stable. However, with increasing human populations brown bear habitats are often adversely affected in many areas. (Grizzly bears, for example--another subspecies of the brown bear family--are listed as a threatened species in the United States.)

Estimated to have been born in 1990, Toby was placed at the Olympic Game Farm in Washington State. He was later transferred to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in Montana in August 1993 where he was housed with Fred, a grizzly bear.

Toby and Fred both came to the Buffalo Zoo in 2002 so that the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center would have room to house four “nuisance” bears including a mother and cubs. Brown bears that reside at accredited zoos are considered to be a rescue population. If they breed in captivity, this prevents orphaned or nuisance brown bears from being rescued in the wild since there would be no space for them in zoos.

While bears are typically solitary in nature, Toby and Fred had become used to being around one another. At the Buffalo Zoo, Toby and Fred resided in the same exhibit and delighted visitors, who loved watching them play together in their pool. Fred was euthanized in 2010 after age-related neurological changes resulted in paralysis.

Although not part of the Buffalo Zoo’s long-term collection plan, the Kodiak and grizzly bears helped educate the public about their species by serving as conservation ambassadors. The Buffalo Zoo also exhibits polar bears and Andean (spectacled) bears.

When the Zoo’s master plan was revised in 2004, the Zoo made the decision not to acquire any younger bears until a new state-of-the art polar bear facility, currently in design, is completed. The only exception made to this decision was allowing three young grizzly bears to temporarily reside at the Zoo while Utah’s Hogle Zoo completes its new bear exhibit. The young bears will be transferred to the Hogle Zoo in Spring 2012.

The Buffalo Zoo’s remaining bears are all at the end of their lifespan (generally 20-25 years) with the exception of Anana, the Zoo’s 11-year-old female polar bear, who will be the centerpiece of the new exhibit. Anana’s mate, Nanuq, who is 24 years old, was acquired on breeding loan from Madison, Wisconsin in 2009.

Four Andean (also called spectacled) bears also reside at the Buffalo Zoo: Mischief, age 16; Bernard, age 21; Fernando, age 25; and Diana, age 33. Diana ranks as the oldest of her species in a North American zoo and has developed some age-associated changes, including arthritis and some hair loss.

“While the majority of our bears are certainly showing signs of age-related issues, the Buffalo Zoo remains committed to providing high quality care for them for the duration of their lives,” said Dr. Donna M. Fernandes, President/CEO of the Buffalo Zoo. “All of our bears are beloved by our staff and visitors. Toby, especially, will always have a special place in our hearts and will be greatly missed.”

Zooper Saturday, February 4

Family Valentine’s Day!
Saturday, February 4, 2012


Spend some quality time together at the Buffalo Zoo’s Family Valentine’s Day event! You will enjoy animal demonstrations and enrichment activities, and you may decide to make a Valentine’s Day card for a family member, friend or even your favorite animal at the Zoo!

The event runs from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., and activities are free with Zoo admission.

For more information, please call the Events Coordinator at (716) 995-6133 or visit www.buffalozoo.org.

The event schedule is as follows:

11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Valentine’s Day card-making crafts; Face Painters (Activities will take place inside the education department’s Children’s Resource Center.)

11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Hot Chocolate/Coffee inside the Children’s Resource Center (while supplies last)

The following animals are receiving a special Valentine’s Day enrichment at their exhibit (please arrive promptly):

11:00 a.m. Sea Lions

11:30 a.m. River Otters

12:00 p.m. Addax

12:30 p.m. Gorillas

1:00 p.m. Macaw Keeper Talk (Inside The Living Tree House)

1:30 p.m. Meerkats

2:00 p.m. M&T Bank Rainforest Falls

2:30 p.m. Snow Leopards

This event is part of the Zoo’s new “Zooper Saturdays.” On the first Saturday of every month, different areas of the Zoo will be highlighted for visitors to enjoy. Join us for activities, including animal enrichments, health fairs, raffles and more each month! These events will combine some of your old favorites and even spice them up with new offerings, too, so be sure you don’t miss out! The next Zooper Saturday event will be held on Saturday, March 3 and will feature the river otters and big cats.

Grants Boost Erie Canal Education, Preservation, and Tourism

In front, from left:

Beth Sciumeca, Erie Canalway Executive Director, Robert McDonnell, Erie Canalway Heritage Fund Board Member, Donna Fernandes, Buffalo Zoo President/CEO, Melissa Brown, Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society
In rear, from left: Tom Blanchard, Erie Canalway Heritage Fund Board Chair, Congressman Brian Higgins, Clint Brown, Erie Canalway Commissioner

The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission, in partnership with the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, awarded $43,700 in grants to assist organizations with canal-related education, preservation, and tourism projects.

Seven organizations from Albany to Buffalo received funding, including one in Western New York: The Buffalo Zoo (Buffalo), Albany Institute of History and Art (Albany), Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum (Chittenango), Erie Canal Museum (Syracuse), New York Folklore Society (Schenectady), Schenectady Museum & Suits–Bueche Planetarium (Schenectady), and The Public Broadcasting Council of Central New York/WCNY (Syracuse).

“Distributing grants is critical to helping organizations develop new programs or advance their missions, especially in tight economic times,” said Judy Schmidt Dean, Commission Chair. “We are thrilled to be able to fund these worthy projects in 2012.”

“We are extremely proud to be named one of the recipients of these grants,” said Dr. Donna M. Fernandes, Buffalo Zoo President/CEO. “Our goal with the Delta Sonic Heritage Farm is to depict life on a small family farm located along the Erie Canal in the 1850s. Support from the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, and our partnership with the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, will allow us to develop programming that combines environmental education with Canal history to engage thousands of school children each year.”

The Buffalo Zoo, in partnership with the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, received $5,500 to develop a new education program to focus on the interconnectedness of people, the local environment, and the Erie Canal, both past and present. The program will challenge students to consider how the Erie Canal affected (and continues to affect) not only people and society, but also domestic animals, wildlife, and natural habitats in New York State.

“With the help of these federal funds Western New York’s rich Erie Canal history comes to life in a fun, interpretive way for families,” said Congressman Brian Higgins. “I commend the Historical Society, the Zoo and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission for creating this partnership that will educate future generations of the Erie Canal’s critical role in the great rise of our region.”

“What a unique learning experience students will have through this program,” said Tom Blanchard, Chair of the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund. “Providing this type of hands-on learning for youth will help bring to life the rich Erie Canal history that is all around us in Buffalo.”

SEE BELOW FOR FULL 2012 GRANT PROGRAM AWARD DESCRIPTIONS; PHOTO AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST


The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor spans 524 miles across the full expanse of upstate New York, encompassing the Erie, Cayuga-Seneca, Oswego, and Champlain canals and their historic alignments, as well as more than 230 canal communities. Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission, in partnership with the National Park Service, collaborates with government agencies, communities and organizations to protect and promote the canal corridor for all to use and enjoy. The Erie Canalway Heritage Fund is dedicated to charitable, educational, and civic purposes within the confines of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

www.eriecanalway.org

####

2012 Grant Program Awards

The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor awarded $43,700 in grants in 2012 to assist organizations with canal-related planning, preservation and education projects.

Albany Institute of History and Art
Project Name: Erie Canal Lesson Plan
Description: The Institute will develop a lesson plan that uses art and artifacts from the Institute’s collection to help students explore the history and use of the Erie Canal. The program will be offered via video conferencing and hosted on the Institute’s website.
Amount: $5,500
Type: Education
Location: City of Albany
County: Albany
Canal: Erie Canal

The Buffalo Zoo
Project Name: Erie Canalway Connections
Description: The Buffalo Zoo, in partnership with the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, will develop a new education program to focus on the interconnectedness of people, the local environment, and the Erie Canal, both past and present. The program will challenge students to consider how the Erie Canal affected (and continues to affect) not only people and society, but also domestic animals, wildlife, and natural habitats in New York State.
Amount: $5,500
Type: Education
Location: City of Buffalo
County: Erie
Canal: Erie Canal

Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum
Project Name: Cultural Landscape Report
Description: The report will provide recommendations and strategies for enhancing Chittenango’s dry-docks and historic character within the context of the museum’s long-term plans. In particular, the report will document critically needed repairs and improvement projects, including the rehabilitation of the existing dry dock, its gates, and visitor walkway.
Amount: $7,000
Type: Preservation of Historic and Cultural Resources
Location: Village of Chittenango
County: Madison
Canal: Erie Canal

Erie Canal Museum
Project Name: The Locks of the Erie Canal (Exhibit)
Description: This project will fund the preparation and exhibition of 57 original pen and ink drawings of Erie Canal locks and other canal structures by Syracuse artist Ray Sax. Work will include matting, framing, proper storage, and temporary exhibition for the exhibit.
Amount: $6,156
Type: Interpretation and Orientation
Location: City of Syracuse
County: Onondaga
Canal: Erie Canal

New York Folklore Society
Project Name: Music of the Erie Canal Symposium
Description: The New York Folklore Society, in partnership with the Erie Canal Museum, will present a two-day symposium exploring the connections between the Erie Canal and traditional music in New York State. The symposium will involve panel discussions, musical performances, and the development of a post-symposium interactive website.
Amount: $7,000
Type: Interpretation and Orientation
Location: City of Schenectady
County: Schenectady County
Canal: Erie Canal

Schenectady Museum & Suits–Bueche Planetarium
Project Name: Erie Canalway Audio Tour
Description: The museum will develop a mobile audio tour exploring the history and impact of the Erie Canal in downtown Schenectady. The tour will highlight the technological development that enabled the canal’s construction, the canal’s impact on the lives of the people who lived near it, and how the canal brought growth and new businesses to Upstate New York.
Amount: $6,030
Type: Interpretation and Orientation
Location: City of Schenectady
County: Schenectady Counties
Canal: Erie Canal

The Public Broadcasting Council of Central New York (WCNY)
Project Name: The Erie Canal: 21^st Century Minutes
Description: WCNY will produce six interstitials focused on people who tell the story of the canal as it is today. WCNY plans to air the interstitials on television and radio, upload them to its website, and make them available to affiliates from across New York State.
Amount: $6,531
Type: Interpretation and Orientation
Location: Various Locations
County: Onondaga (Council Location)
Canal: Erie Canal

ELECTRONICS RECYCLING DAY!

ELECTRONICS RECYCLING DAY…AND THE BUFFALO ZOO’S VERY FIRST ZOOPER SATURDAY EVENT!

January 7, 2012

Buffalo, NY– If you received new electronics for the holidays and you need somewhere to take the old or broken ones, bring them to the Buffalo Zoo as part of the Electronics Recycling Day on Saturday, January 7, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.!

The event is being hosted by the Buffalo Zoo, Foit-Albert Associates and Sunnking Electronics Recycling. By recycling your old items, you’ll not only help the environment, but you’ll also be supporting the Buffalo Zoo as the Zoo will earn revenue for each pound of electronics collected!

Accepted items include laptops, televisions, monitors, printers, copiers and more. Please note that gas powered equipment, household hazardous waste and items containing Freon (air conditioners, de-humidifiers, refrigerators, etc.) will not be accepted. All hard drives and private information will be securely wiped and destroyed in accordance with all HIPAA, FACTA, GLB and Sarbanes Oxley regulations, as well as Sunnking’s EPA R2 Certification.

Members of the community are invited to drop off their old electronics in the Buffalo Zoo’s parking lot (located at Parkside Ave. and Jewett) this day ONLY from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Each individual who recycles an item will receive a $1 off admission to the Buffalo Zoo (valid for this day only).

A list of acceptable materials for recycling can be found at www.sunnking.com/acceptable-materials. Question regarding what can or cannot be accepted can also be directed to info@sunnking.com. Additional information about Sunnking’s data security practices can be found at www.sunnking.com/data-destruction. For more information about the actual event, please contact the Buffalo Zoo at (716) 837-3900 or visit www.buffalozoo.org.

About Sunnking, Inc.
Founded in 2000, Sunnking Inc. is New York State’s first EPA R2 Certified Electronics Recycling, Data Destruction, & Asset Management company dealing in end of life electronic equipment. Their facilities located in Buffalo, Rochester, and Brockport, NY, specialize in collecting, refurbishing, reselling, and recycling electronic products from residential and commercial suppliers throughout New York State and surrounding areas. For more information, visit www.sunnking.com.

About Foit-Albert

Foit-Albert Associates, Architecture, Engineering & Surveying, PC has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with the Buffalo Zoo and has participated in the development of every exhibit at this institution over the past decade, completing all of the first phase Master Plan improvements and initiating work of its later phases. This includes the Sea Lion Cove, Otter Creek, Vanishing Animals and EcoStation exhibits, the expansion of the elephant holding and veterinary hospital facilities, the construction of the Children’s Zoo with a local Erie Canal farm theme, and the acclaimed M&T Bank Rainforest Falls.

AND!!!!!!!!!

ZOOPER SATURDAY, Saturday, January 7, 2012

While you’re doing your part in helping the environment by recycling your electronics on January 7, be sure to use your newly-acquired $1 off admission coupon to visit the Buffalo Zoo and take part in our very first Zooper Saturday event!

New for 2012, the Buffalo Zoo will be showcasing a variety of our animal groups throughout the year as part of Zooper Saturdays!

On the first Saturday of every month, different areas of the Zoo will be highlighted for visitors to enjoy. Join us for activities, including animal enrichments, health fairs, raffles and more each month! These events will combine some of your old favorites and even spice them up with new offerings, too, so be sure you don’t miss out!

For our very first Zooper Saturday event on January 7, come in out of the cold, and warm up with your favorite friends in the Reptile House and M&T Bank Rainforest Falls exhibit! Learn all there is to know about these exotic species from our keeper talks, feedings, enrichment activities and much more! This event is free with Zoo admission and will run from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. For more information, please call (716) 995-6133 or visit www.buffalozoo.org.

The schedule is as follows:

11:00 a.m. Giant anteater enrichment/keeper talk (M&T Bank Rainforest Falls)

11:30 a.m. Tamandua keeper talk/encounter (M&T Bank Rainforest Falls balcony)

12:00 p.m. Red-footed tortoise keeper talk/encounter (M&T Bank Rainforest Falls Visitor Center)

12:30 p.m. Macaw keeper talk (M&T Bank Rainforest Falls)

1:00 p.m. Animal enrichment (Reptile House)

1:30 p.m. Venomous species keeper talk/demonstration (Reptile House)

2:00 p.m. Amphibian keeper talk/feeding (Reptile House)

2:30 p.m. 2^nd Birthday celebration with the hellbenders (Reptile House)

3:00 p.m. Hellbender feeding (Reptile House)

For more information about January’s Zooper Saturday, please call (716) 995-6133 or visit www.buffalozoo.org.

PUERTO RICAN CRESTED TADPOLES SHIPPED FOR RELEASE INTO WILD

BUFFALO, NY—On Tuesday, November 15, the Buffalo Zoo’s herp keepers gathered up 46 threatened tadpoles and prepared to ship them to Puerto Rico, where they were released into one of several sites in southern Puerto Rico on Thursday morning.

Found only in Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican crested toads have rough, warty skin and are

olive green and brown in color, with shades of yellow on their heads.  As their name implies, they

also have a high bony ridge on their heads, which forms a “V” shaped structure.

In 1984, the Puerto Rican crested toad became the first amphibian to be placed in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is designed to help a species maintain a healthy and stable population. For more than 20 years, the Buffalo Zoo has been dedicated in working to save the Puerto Rican crested toad, which has become endangered due, in large part, to habitat loss. In recognition of the Reptile Department’s long-standing breeding efforts, the Buffalo Zoo was honored with the AZA’s Edward H. Bean Award in 1985, and was one of 22 zoos to receive the North American Conservation Award in 2004 for the Puerto Rican Crested Toad Species Survival Program Conservation Partnership.

Currently, 28 AZA institutions house Puerto Rican crested toad populations. The Buffalo Zoo is one of only a few zoos this year to hatch tadpoles. This is the first time since 2006 that the Buffalo Zoo has sent tadpoles to Puerto Rico to be released into the wild

High Five For the Military Discount at the Buffalo Zoo

Veterans Day, November 11, 2011

The Buffalo Zoo is offering a “High Five For the Military” discount on Veterans Day, November 11, 2011. Members of the United States military and their group of up to six people will be admitted to the Buffalo Zoo for $5.00 total. A valid military ID must be presented at the admission gates to receive this discount. The Buffalo Zoo thanks all members of the military for their service!