Tag: animal

CONSTRUCTING NATURAL HABITATS (Part 2)

  • This grizzly at the St Louis Zoo is displayed in an exhibit that mimics its natural habitat. A whole industry has emerged to manufacture these exhibits.

At your local zoo – if you can suspend disbelief for a moment – you might find yourself in the middle of a tropical rainforest. Or a dusty African plain, watching the animals in their natural habitat. Of course, those wild settings are merely a façade. Clever construction techniques covering up concrete cages. In the second of a two-part series, the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports… the thought and planning behind the displays can be nearly as intricate as nature itself:

Computing Better Fuel Efficiency

Automotive researchers say a newly developed computer-controlled fuel system could help make SUVs more fuel efficient. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Tom Borgerding has more:

‘SPECIES AT RISK ACT’ QUESTIONED

People often associate Canada with wildlife. Beavers, moose and grizzly
bears are among the better-known residents. So it may come as a
surprise that endangered species are not federally protected. The
Canadian government is hoping to change that with a new bill called the
Species at Risk Act. But environmentalists say the plan is too weak.
The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Karen Kelly reports:

Vets Work to Reduce Euthanasia

Estimates are, as many as six million cats and dogs are euthanized
each year. In the past, humane societies and other groups have fought
to
reduce those numbers. But as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s
Wendy Nelson reports, now some future veterinarians are learning about
the problem… and the role they can play in helping to prevent it:

Livening Up Zoo Life

Animals in the wild have plenty to do to keep busy-like foraging for
food…or fighting off predators. But it’s a different story for animals in
captivity. So zookeepers and researchers are constantly looking for ways to
keep the animals occupied and improve their quality of life. And
increasingly, they’re becoming more scientific about it. The Great Lakes
Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson reports:

Controlling Feral Cat Populations

Across the country, there’s a homeless population you may not have
heard a lot about. It’s not people…but cats. And as the Great Lakes
Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson reports, there’s a growing movement
underway to help them:

Responsible Pet Ownership?

According to the Humane Society and the American Bird
Conservancy, hundreds of millions of small animals and birds are killed
each year by domestic cats. The two organizations are working together
in an effort named “Cats Indoors! The Campaign for Safer Birds and
Cats.” But Great Lakes Radio Consortium commentator, Julia King,
wonders just how safe is too safe:

Urban Trapping

As human populations grow and sprawl out from cities, the number of
human/animal conflicts increases. But it’s creating a healthy demand
for a growing industry. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson
reports:

The Horse Whisperer

It may be that we’re entering a kinder, gentler era when it comes tohow we interact with animals. These days, more and more anglers catchand release fish…Dog training is moving away from dominance and towardcooperation…And a method of working with horses is bucking the traditionof "breaking" them. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelsonreports: