Lions and Otters and Bears, Oh My! by Cherie Davich
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THE TM 911 Franklin Street Weekly Newspaper Michigan City, IN 46360 Volume 23, Number 21 Thursday, May 31, 2007 Lions And Otters And Bears, Oh My! by Cherie Davich A view from the walkway of the new Washington Park Zoo exhibit with trees, grass and a waterfall. Note the protective mesh covering. These carnivores are now the new exhibit at the living in a small space just to be observed, with no Washington Park Zoo in Michigan City. The twist room to get adequate exercise. to this exhibit is that there are no bars, no concrete The lion and bear exhibit has grass fl ooring in- fl ooring for the animals, and more public access. stead of concrete for them to walk on. Through ex- The new version has panes of glass that separates tended study and research, the zookeepers deter- the animal from the visitors, rather than metal bars mined that the concrete is bad on the animal’s joints or a pit, both requiring a safe distance. and the pads of their soft feet. In the wild, they run What the new exhibit does offer is glass as the and walk on soft grass, not hard cement. protective barrier so visitor can safely get as close The animals now have the sunlight shining down to the animals as possible. In addition, the three upon them because the top of their “cage” is open “cages” are actually simulations of each animal’s with mesh covering to ensure openness and that real life indigenous environment. they do not escape. These nature exhibits contain trees, grass, and There is a walkway so visitors can go behind the even a waterfall in the otter and lion den. This is to exhibit to view the bears and lions. It appears as portray a habitat as if the animal was living in the if the animals would be able to climb right up, but wild. One important aspect is that the animals are the rocks have been designed so they are not able to free to roam around and play. They are no longer climb up and escape. Zoo Continued on Page 2 THE Page 2 May 31, 2007 THE 911 Franklin Street • Michigan City, IN 46360 219/879-0088 • FAX 219/879-8070 In Case Of Emergency, Dial e-mail: News/Articles - [email protected] email: Classifieds - [email protected] http://www.thebeacher.com/ PRINTED WITH Published and Printed by TM Trademark of American Soybean Association THE BEACHER BUSINESS PRINTERS Delivered weekly, free of charge to Birch Tree Farms, Duneland Beach, Grand Beach, Hidden 911 Shores, Long Beach, Michiana Shores, Michiana MI and Shoreland Hills. The Beacher is also Subscription Rates delivered to public places in Michigan City, New Buffalo, LaPorte and Sheridan Beach. 1 year $38 6 months $21 3 months $13 1 month $6.50 Zoo Continued from Page 1 There is a walkway so visitors can go behind the exhibit to view the bears and lions. It appears as if the animals would be able to climb right up, but the rocks have been designed so they are not able to climb up and escape. Zookeeper Elizabeth Myers stated that the zoo staff has “protected contact” with these animals, which are not trained or domesticated animals. The zookeepers have no physical contact with the ani- mals. Momma mountain lion… Zookeeper Elizabeth Myers looks over the new North American Carnivore exhibit. The North American Carnivore Exhibit and baby makes two. Lions, Mountain Lions The two mountain lions are mother and daugh- ter. In the zoo, the average mountain lion will live to be 18 years old, in the wild their life expectancy is only around 8 years. They are endangered species. One surprising fact is that mountain lions are also indigenous to Indiana, not just California, but due to poaching and urban development, they mi- Otters, River Otters grated west. Everyone, especially the kids, can climb through Until the tender age of six months old, mountain a tunnel to watch through clear plastic the otters lion kittens have spots. playing in water. Imagine the otter’s feet and tail in These naturally solitary animals tend to be more your face, as if you are swimming with them. social with public since they are now in an environ- The kids can pretend they are like the otters on ment that is innate to them. the newly built play area right near the otter exhib- They are also known as the cougar, puma, and it. The kids can slide down on their bellies, imagin- panther. ing they are an otter. THE May 31, 2007 Page 3 Open ‘til 6 p.m. Evenings www.littlehousefashions.comElegant Apparel for the [email protected] Conscious Woman Women’s Apparel SPRING SALE Buy 1, Get 1 There’s clear plastic inside this tunnel so kids can crawl through and observe the otters. 1/2 Price This furry, playful creature is also from Indiana, (of equal or lesser value) but due to past poaching (the otter fur trade has now declined) and with the loss of the wetlands they became part of the endangered species list. There 3/4 Length is a program in place that is reintroducing the otter back to Indiana rivers and waterways. Stadium In the zoo environment, river otters are expected Coat by to live 23 years, it is unknown their lifespan in the Nuage - wild. You'll love the Zoo Continued on Page 4 beautiful quality and versatility of this spring classic. Made of water-resistant soft polyester. It's lightweight, but has the luxurious look and feel of twill satin. Zip and snap closure, double collar, turn up cuffs, plus two Otters love to play in the water. zippered pockets. Washable. $94 The Tent Is Up! 50% plus another 30% off! 409409 Alexander Alexander Street Street, LaPorte,LaPorte, IN IN 326-8602326-8602 On Hwy 35 - 5 Blocks South of Lincolnway TurnTurn Rightright on AlexanderAlexander Monday-FridayMonday - Friday 10 am 9:30 to 6 topm 7 Saturday Saturday 9:30 9:30 am to to 5 5 pm An otter checks out his new digs. THE Page 4 May 31, 2007 Zoo Continued from Page 3 not eat. They survive on the body fat they stored up Bears, Grizzly Bears in the summer. The two bears who live in the exhibit are sisters. The hump on their back is a mass of muscle that Bears that live in captivity are expected to live lon- is primarily used for digging and moving large ob- ger, 47 years rather than the 25 to 30 years that jects such as boulders. they usually live in the wild. The bear’s fi rst night in the new open space was There is a heated fl oor inside their den that is spent outside. They, of course, had always been in turned on to coax the bears out into the open. Ac- cage or behind bars with little room to roam. Fresh cording to zookeeper Myers, who has been with the sod and trees had been planted to emulate their zoo for nine years, bears do not actually go into a natural habitat. The bears had fun fl ipping the sod deep sleep during hibernation. The bears do slow and uprooting the trees, they had never been able to down during the winter and are not as active. Their be so free. Wood chips were laid down instead over body temperature and pulse slow down and they do the dirt. Sister act. The better to see you! Diggin’ in the dirt. Hello-o-o out there! The Future In the near future, the zoo’s new direction is to continue upgrading the current areas. The zoo plans to fi x up its facilities that are outdated and create a more positive home for the animals to live. The carnivore exhibit is the fi rst of its kind at the zoo. The next project is to renovate and update the Primate House, then move onto Lemur Island for the Ringtail Lemurs. The zoo’s mission statement is not just a paragraph of words. It actually took its statement and actual- ized its mission by creating the North American Carnivore Exhibit. “The Washington Park Zoo is dedicated to providing fun recreational family experiences; and promoting the appreciation of wildlife through public display and educational programs, while meeting the biological and psychological needs of the animals in our care.” THE May 31, 2007 Page 5 E LIST IPL ING LT S U E M R V I C E 6 OF LAPORTE COUNTY INC. REALTY Listi ew ng N Sand Castle #206 Fabulous beach and Lake Michigan views from the private balcony, great room and master suite. Upgrades include expanded lakefront windows, all new lighting, solid core doors, countertops and sinks, cooktop and oven, dishwasher, furnace and AC, plus freshly painted. This 3 bedroom lakefront condo is an excellent buy at $399,000 RENTALS ~ SALES ~ RENTALS ~ SALES ~ RENTALS ~ SALES ~ RENTALS Rebecca Miller Judy Crawford Judith Dillon-Farley Broker/Owner Realtor Realtor Specialists in Beach Area Condominiums! (219) 872-0588 • (800) 578-6777 THE Page 6 May 31, 2007 PNC Opens Edwin H. Levitin Exhibit 9th Annual High School Rodeo Purdue University North Central 2006-07 Odys- Some seventy high schoolers will head to the La- sey Arts and Cultural Events Series is presenting Porte County Fairgrounds June 8 & 9 to compete an exhibit of paintings by Michigan City artist Ed- in the 9th Annual Indiana High School Rodeo spon- win H. Levitin that will run through June in the sored by Michigan City Exchange Club.