8/28/2014 We share a lot with other animals—emotionally, cognitively, and neuro-chemically—but many humans still use outdated linguistic distinctions that put animals in their (allegedly inferior) place. By Vicki Croke Humans speak. Animals vocalize. We love. They bond. We form friendships, they maintain social bonds. We feel jealous. They resource guard. We have sex, they copulate. … Continue reading Animals Do Have Emotions, But What Should We Call Them?
Author: Vicki Croke
Cincinnati Rhino Needed In Sumatra
8/26/2015 Ohio zoo sending “Harapan” to Indonesia in hopes he’ll mate and help save his species. By Vicki Croke In order to help save his species, Harapan, the only Sumatran rhino living outside Southeast Asia, is going home—even though he’s a big-city American-raised rhino who’s never even seen “home” before. Members of the Cincinnati Zoo … Continue reading Cincinnati Rhino Needed In Sumatra
Take The Bat Man, Dracula, And Tequila. Mix Well.
8/8/2015 How a famous biologist spent his career saving ‘the tequila bat’ and rectifying the image drawn in Bram Stoker’s classic story. By Vicki Croke On the nights that the teenage Rodrigo Medellin didn’t have enough cow’s blood stored in the freezer’s ice-cube trays to feed the 10 pet vampire bats he kept in the … Continue reading Take The Bat Man, Dracula, And Tequila. Mix Well.
The Half-Captive, Half-Wild Elephants Of Myanmar: A Quirky Road To Survival
11/12/14 Have Myanmar's highly endangered Asian elephants been saved in a counter-intuitive way —in part, by keeping them employed in logging camps? By Vicki Croke As President Obama touches down in Myanmar today and many people talk of human rights and democratic reform, conservationists also see an urgent agenda: the future of elephants. Here is … Continue reading The Half-Captive, Half-Wild Elephants Of Myanmar: A Quirky Road To Survival
Spying On The World’s Most Famous Hawk: Pale Male
11/6/2014 If any bird can be considered an iconic New Yorker, he's it. At 24, a venerable age for a hawk, Pale Male has lived the lyrics of the famous song--he's done it his way. By Vicki Croke If any bird can be considered an iconic New Yorker, I’d say he’s it. Handsome. Successful. Tough, … Continue reading Spying On The World’s Most Famous Hawk: Pale Male
For Rescued Baby Clouded Leopard, It’s Nursery Then Jungle Camp
8/24/2015 IFAW-run wildlife rehab center in India develops a kindly curriculum to get orphaned big cats back into the wild. By Vicki Croke Scared, sick, and tiny, the orphaned clouded leopard cub has made it to safety. So far, experts don’t know how he was separated from his mother or who took him from the … Continue reading For Rescued Baby Clouded Leopard, It’s Nursery Then Jungle Camp
Treetop Kangaroos? Who Knew?
9/4/2015 After 18 years of patient study, of course Lisa Dabek knew, but she never really saw exactly what they were up to ...until now. By Vicki Croke For 18 years, the very patient and determined field biologist Lisa Dabek has been traveling to Papua New Guinea to study the mysterious Matschie’s tree kangaroo. These … Continue reading Treetop Kangaroos? Who Knew?
Stalking The Night Stalkers
12/9/2013 CAPTURING TINY SAW-WHET OWLS AS THEY MIGRATE By Vicki Croke It’s 8:45 in the woods of Lincoln, MA, and we’ve got our first Northern saw-whet owl of the night. She’s no bigger than a kitten—about 7 inches tall and weighing less than a stick of butter. The brown and white ball of feathers, talons, … Continue reading Stalking The Night Stalkers
After Dark, Giraffes Carry A Tune
9/22/2015 New study from the University of Vienna reveals nighttime humming in the giraffe house. By Vicki Croke Scientists have usually described giraffes as tall silent types. But a new study from the University of Vienna shows that that description was only half right. It turns out that under cover of darkness, zoo giraffes do … Continue reading After Dark, Giraffes Carry A Tune
MassArt students create toys big enough for elephants
8/24/2013 Listen to the story here: By Vicki Croke and Christen Goguen NEW BEDFORD, MA — Considering that there is no store called “Elephants-R-Us,” where can a zoo find toys for the biggest, smartest and most playful animals in their care? For the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford, the answer has come from an … Continue reading MassArt students create toys big enough for elephants