Cited:  Los Angeles Times

First, it was with a 268-pound guy, and, I admit, he was cute.

Despite his youth, he was gray and wrinkled. But there were others as the day wore on. One had a face like a horse. Another was nice-enough looking, but that neck — oh, heavens, that neck. And yet another was way too fast for me.

Oh, baby.

Or, more correctly, babies. These were all animal babies — an African elephant, a zebra, a giraffe and a cheetah, respectively — I saw on a two-hour photo caravan at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park. I developed innumerable critter crushes on my February visit, and with the advent of spring, there are even more objects of my affection.

San Diego Zoo director Charles Schroeder, a.k.a. “Mister Zoo,” began dreaming of a new kind of zoo in 1959. He envisioned wide-open spaces that would provide a breeding ground to help populate the world’s zoos and to avoid depopulating the wild. Schroeder theorized that happy animals with a lot of space — in this case, 1,800 acres — would be more apt to do what comes naturally.

Randy Rieches, curator of mammals at the Wild Animal Park, which opened in 1972, says captive breeding has helped several endangered species, not only here but at other facilities as well (see sidebar). Among the species and the progeny from the Wild Animal Park:

Arabian oryx: 324 babies since 1973. In the late 1960s, the world population of these antelope cousins was fewer than 20. Oryx from this program have been returned to a preserve in Senegal and introduced to the deserts of Oman and to reserves in Amman, Jordan.

Simitar horned oryx: 500-plus babies in the zoo and Wild Animal Park. They are no longer found in the wild, but some offspring have been returned to a preserve in Senegal and sent to zoos in Cape Horn, South Africa.

Przewalski’s wild horses: 142 babies to date. They have been reintroduced into native habitats in Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia.

Addax: 474 babies. The park is helping reintroduce these large, whitish antelope into their native homelands in Tunisia.

Chinese dholes: eight babies in the last year. Few institutions will work with these Asiatic wild dogs (nicknamed “Whistling Hunters”) because they are difficult to manage and can take down prey much larger than they. The dholes are not currently on display. (The Wild Animal Park also funds conservation efforts in Asia.)

Rhinos: 163 babies (92 Southern white rhinos, 59 Indian rhinos and 12 East African black rhinos). The Wild Animal Park has become the world’s leading breeding authority on rhinos, thanks to the temperate climate, the large rhino habitats and a staff that knows the nuances of rhino husbandry, Rieches said. “The Southern white rhino population was down to 100 animals in the world in the 1960s,” he said. “Now there are about 18,000 in the wild. It’s one of the biggest conservation success stories out there for a species that was never listed as endangered.”

Indian rhinos are especially rough courters, Rieches said, so keepers are prepared to intervene if necessary. “They use tusks for fighting, and sometimes we have to use vehicles to separate them,” he said. Indian rhinos in the wild number about 2,400 in India and about 300 in Nepal.

The black rhino population has been hit hard by poaching throughout Africa, Rieches said. About 3,000 black rhinos remain in the wild, victims of poachers who want their horns, which consist of matted hair and keratin (similar to a human fingernail). Chinese apothecaries use ground rhino horn, and some dagger handles in the Middle East are made from the horns.

“There isn’t any rhino species that is safe,” Rieches said. “Poachers will kill rhinos in a reserve in the middle of the day or night.”

Condors: About 300 condors have been hatched at the Wild Animal Park, and 180 have been released into the wild. By the early ’80s, only 20 California condors remained in the wild. By ‘91, they were being reintroduced into the wild, about half of those hatched at the animal park.

Elephants: 14 babies, one Asian, 13 African elephants and two more babies on the way — one in June and other next year.

“Spring is a busy time of the year for us because it is the time of year when we have the most babies born and hatched,” Rieches said. “But because animals all have different gestation and breeding cycles, we have animals born almost every day of the year, so any day is a good day to visit.”

Oh, baby.

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My Take: I’m a huge fan of babies and I don’t mean human ones either. Don’t get me wrong, I love to see little girls in their infant hair bows. But put a flower hat on a baby monkey and it’s just a heart stopper for me. I hope the park continues to have a baby boom, because it means they are being treated well and they have good homes.

Speaking of homes, did you know you can work with property management companies and they will help you find a house to rent if you think you might want to move there? They have pictures of homes for rent on their web sites that you can take virtual tours of. If you are an owner, they will work with you to help rent your home out quickly.

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Other Resources

Nature and Trees

There is specialized training or pruning practices that may be applied to certain plants, such as roses, fruit trees and grapevines. Different trimming techniques may be deployed on herbaceous plants than those used on perennial woody plants. Hedges, by design, are usually maintained by hedge trimming, rather than by pruning. However, in nature, meteorological conditions such as wind, ice and snow, and seawater mist can cause plants to self-prune. This natural shedding is called abscission. Everyone knows nature also caused more problems than it is when you will need Highland MI tree removal service to solve them.

Dump the wreck
Wrecked cars are useless eyesores on your property. You can exchange your wrecked cars for cash and now you can do it quickly with the click of a mouse. Several online sites are available to help you get rid of your car. Donations to charities are just one of your options.

Your First Stroller

Strollers are an essential item for new parents. Luckily, the stroller industry has anticipated all of your needs. Buying a baby stroller today has become as time-consuming as buying a car. Until you begin shopping around, you don’t realize how many styles and features are out there and what factors you need to consider when searching for that perfect twin stroller to hold your little bundles of joy. Before you decide on a getting a standard stroller, make sure you research lightweight strollers to learn about the pros and cons of each kind. Always make sure you test out the stroller before purchasing one.

Welcome To the New York Inn

This New York Bed and Breakfast is located just minutes away from Columbia University and City College campuses. City College is just a 5 minute walk and Columbia University is just a short train ride away. The Inn is located in the Hamilton Heights/Sugar Hill and West Harlem neighborhood. Historically and architecturally, it is one of New York City’s richest and most diverse neighborhoods. It is an understated role that bed and breakfast owners across our great nation play in restoring and maintaining not only the physical historic homes and buildings but also documenting and sharing their importance in our history.

Cited: AP

On January 18, this country and new England lost to little bit of history and a very old tree. New England’s champion elm was there when this country began over 200 years ago and succumbed to Dutch film disease. “Herbie”, as Yarmouth Maine called it, was a massive tree that stretched into the sky 110 feet and captured the imagination of the residence that lived around it. “Herbie” earned the title of New England’s champion elm before it was cut down after a long battle with Dutch elm disease.

Assisted by a massive crane, chainsaw-wielding workers, on that fate full Monday, took the proud tree down, limb by limb, as residents and the tree’s 101-year-old caretaker gathered to bid it farewell. Even with its massive limbs removed, the tree’s 10-ton trunk was so heavy that it shook the ground when it fell with a thud.

Among those witnessing the tree’s historic passing was Frank Knight, the town’s former tree warden, who cared for the beloved American elm for a half-century.

“It’s been a beautiful tree. I’m sorry to see it go. But nothing is forever,” Knight said. “It’s pretty near my turn. And it’s just a fact of life that life is going to end. And that’s for people, for trees, for everything. I thank the good Lord every day that we had him in his glory and beauty for so long.”

Crowd gathers around tree

Delayed for 24 hours because of a winter storm, the crew quickly set about dismantling Herbie in methodical fashion under steady snowfall January 19. Its top limbs were 30-40 feet long, as big as typical trees. The final cut that brought down its trunk was made by a man wielding a 5-foot-long chain saw.

Afterward, Knight was greeted with a round of applause as he joined a crowd that gathered around the tree’s stump. Steadied with a cane, Knight watched as a state official count the tree’s ring.

Herbie was originally estimated to be 240 years old. But a preliminary count of growth rings by Peter Lammert of the Maine Forest Service indicated it was 212. A precise age will be announced after the stump is sanded smooth and examined under magnification, Lammert said.

Based on the revised age, it’s now believed Herbie sprouted around 1798, not long after the 13 original colonies gained their independence and shipbuilding had taken root on the shores of Yarmouth. Over the years, generations of residents passed under the shade tree.

The tree became well known among local townsfolk as one of a handful of large elms that survived after Dutch elm disease arrived in the late 1950s.

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Knight, Yarmouth’s volunteer tree warden, realized he couldn’t save the town’s elms, which were dying by the hundreds from the fungal disease. So he focused his efforts on one tree — the giant elm with a straight trunk and sturdy branches at the corner of East Main Street and Yankee Drive.

14 rounds of Dutch elm disease

Nicknamed Herbie by resident Deborah Felker and her friends when they were kids, the tree survived 14 rounds of Dutch elm disease, thanks to Knight’s efforts. Knight oversaw selective pruning of Herbie’s diseased limbs, as well as application of insecticides and injections of fungicide.

Over time, Herbie eventually became New England’s greatest elm — believed to be its largest and oldest, and known as much for its resilience as its grand size.

Mary Ellen Bradford, who took her 4-year-old grandson to see Herbie’s demise, said there was a sense of loss for many who live in Yarmouth.

“It’s kind of a sad day, but we have great memories,” she said. “We’ve always taken pictures of our kids in front of it, over the years.”

According to Jan Ames Santerre, Maine’s tall tree coordinator, Baltimore County MD has a taller elm tree and it is possible that Ohio may be able to claim a new champion elm, which will be crowned this year by American Forests. Kirby may not have been the biggest or the tallest elm in the nation, but Herbie will be remembered all.

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My Take: It is a shame that they were not able to say that tree. Even though it wasn’t old enough, it was still part of our history. I think they should take the wood from the trunk of the tree and make wood doors for the City Hall of the town. They may not be the fancy mahogany front door that many City Halls have, but it will still be a piece of history.

I wonder what a property management company would charge for rent on a home that had doors made from that tree. Can you imagine what homes for rent would go for if they did? But then again, that is the mercenary in me is talking. I really do think that they should make something from the wood of Herbie.

I do know that if they took pictures of Herbie and put them on T shirts, they might be able to help other elm trees fight off Dutch elm disease. They could get someone to create tee shirt designs specifically for that purpose. It would save the town and county money on caring for the other elm trees!

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Other Resources

A Friendly Bed and Breakfast

Looking for a fancy bed and breakfast for two? Hotel chains want you to think that providing that morning meal will turn your stay at their hotel into a New York bed and breakfast experience. All that is missing from your hotel stay are the beautiful unique surroundings in an historic building. Staying at a New York Inn you also get an iPod docking station, a PC with Internet access, complimentary Wi-Fi, LCD TV, delicious homemade breakfasts, the chance to meet other travelers and an innkeeper who does not treat you like a room number and upon request housekeeper service.

Transforming Your Yard

You can transform that ordinary yard into a terrific one! This Commerce MI tree service specializes tree trimming and tree removal in Oakland County MI area for over 10 years! They help residents attain the kind of beautiful properties they have always dreamed of. They are renowned throughout the region for their commitment to quality and outstanding service. When you hire the Commerce MI tree trimming crew to create a new construction for your property, they will work alongside you to insure it looks exactly the way you envisioned it would. After all, it is your yard and should look just the way you want it to.

Your Choices

All folding bikes are designed to ride as well as, if not better than, comparable non-folding bikes. By creating some of the most versatile bikes anywhere, these foldable bikes give you the split-second ability to choose just how you want to move. This does not mean you have to decide between driving or riding your bike to work. It means you now have the freedom to do both. Stuck in a traffic jam or a crowded train on a beautiful day? Pull out your folding bike and ride the rest of the way in. Isn’t it wonderful to have an alternative option?

Mowing Your Lawn

Mowing practices are as important as soil care in an organic turf program. One San Antonio TX landscape design company believes proper mowing is the single most effective way of controlling weeds without herbicides. Mower blades must be sharpened on a regular basis. Dull blades tear and stress the plant inhibiting its natural resistances and aggressive growth. The plant spends more energy recovering from being mowed and less on competing with weeds, insects and disease. Lawns should always be mowed high and often, never removing more than one third of the total height. San Diego TX landscaping provides the proper attention to every lawn.