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Idaho Gives - Tautphaus Park Zoological Society
May 2nd will be a very special day for Idaho. From 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. we will all be engaged with Idaho Gives. Idaho Gives is a day for philanthropy across Idaho. A day for nonprofits to tell their stories and share with you how their work enhances communities throughout our state. A day for Idahoans to come together with one voice of support for our nonprofits, big and small. A day for you to find your passion and share it! As members of the Tautphaus Park Zoological Society, we all have a passion for the Tautphaus Park Zoo, the best little zoo in the west. We love our animals, our species survival programs, the open space, the educational opportunities, the landscaping, the family experience, and the diversity of people who recognize our Zoo is special. We need to show our love and passion through donations large and small on May 2nd. The funds we raise through this special day will be used to make much needed improvements to the otter exhibit and our goal is to raise at least $5000. No donation is too small and frequent donations throughout the day may provide us an opportunity to win prize money that has been donated to the Idaho Nonprofit Center. These donations will help multiply your gifts! Click here to show your support on the Idaho Gives website. Idaho Gives is like crowd funding for the whole State of Idaho so mark your calendars, create some buzz and show your support for the Best Little Zoo in the West…Tautphaus Park Zoo! (April 26, 2013)
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Grin and BEAR It 4-K Fun Run
In support of Bear Aware Day on May 25th, the Tautphaus Park Zoo will be hosting a new event: the "Grin and BEAR It 4-K Fun Run." This new event will start at 8:00 a.m. at the front of the Zoo, take fun runners through scenic Tautphaus Park and then into the Zoo where they will run by the Asian sloth bear exhibit and finish at the Tent on the Green. Be sure to look for Pria and her cubs as you dash by! All runners will receive metals, goodie bags and free admission to the Zoo for the day. Family members there to cheer-on runners, will get 1/2 price admission to the Zoo for the day. The Zoo's costume characters Percy the Penguin and Gerry the Giraffe will also be out to encourage the runners and have fun.
Runners and walkers can register online with Personal Best Performance at www.pb-performance.com, download an application here, or pick up a paper registration form at the Zoo's Explorer Station Gift Shop or at Teton Running. Register EARLY! The cost is only $20.00 per person and $60.00 for a family through April 30th. From May 1st through the day of the race, the cost will be $25.00 per person and $75.00 for a family. The funds raised from this fun run will go to Wildlife SOS which works to conserve sloth bears in India. (April 15, 2013)
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TPZ Welcomes Two New Sloth Bear Babies!
The staff at the Tautphaus Park Zoo is pleased to announce that early in the morning of Thursday, November 29th, two sloth bear cubs were born. The cubs were discovered by zoo staff when they arrived to work on Thursday morning. “The keeper actually heard them before he saw them.” said Beth Rich, Zoo Superintendent. “Then he peaked in the window of the cubing den and saw the adult female holding the cubs. Ironically, we were planning a repeat ultrasound for that morning!”
The Zoo staff examined the cubs very quickly on Friday, November 30th. There was one male and one female. The male weighed 510 grams and the female weighed 425 grams. “They both had full bellies, were well hydrated and very vigorous. All of which are very good signs.” said Rich. “We are cautiously optimistic at this point, but we know we are not out of the woods yet. The cubs are still very small and we’ll all feel much more at ease when they get a bit bigger.”
The birth of these cubs is significant. Sloth bears are considered vulnerable in the wild. Their native range is Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The wild Sloth bear population is estimated to be less than 10,000 adult animals, it is estimated that their population in the wild has decreased by 30%-50% in the last 20 years due to habitat loss. In the United States, only 14 zoos house sloth bears and of those only 3 have breeding pairs. “So every cub born is a step away from extinction.” says Rich. The cubs have not been named as of yet. The Zoo plans to have a naming contest in the spring when it reopens for the season. (December 5, 2012)
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TPZ Working on Updated Serval Exhibit
While the zoo is closed for the winter, the staff at the Tautphaus Park Zoo will be making updates to the serval exhibit in the Zoo. “The current exhibit was becoming older and dilapidated and needed a face lift,” said Beth Rich, Zoo Superintendent. The pair of servals that live in the exhibit are being housed in another part of the zoo until construction is finished. The entire fence has been removed from the exhibit and new posts and fencing will be replaced as the weather allows. The building itself is fine. We’re sure that the servals will appreciate the updates as well. (December 2012)
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New Tiger Makes Her Debut!
Officials at the Tautphaus Park Zoo are pleased to announce that their new Amur tiger, “Basha” now has access to her exhibit. “Basha arrived last Thursday” said Beth Rich, Zoo Superintendent. “However, we always give new arrivals several days to settle in and get familiar with their new surroundings and keepers.”
“Basha”, which means “beauty” in Russian, was born at Utah’s Hogle Zoo in February 2003. The Tautphaus Park Zoo worked with the Amur tiger Species Survival Plan and Hogle Zoo to coordinate the transfer. Amur tigers are endangered in their native Russian habitat due to habitat loss and poaching. (May 21, 2012)
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