If you were hoping for a South African vacation that includes petting some adorable baby wild cats, you’ll have to change those plans: tourists will be barred from touching the animals at a suburban wildlife park in Johannesburg, after “going out of fashion” due to negative publicity. [More]
zoos
Zoo And Museum Gift Shop Operator Confirms Details Of Payment Data Breach
By 10.15.15
Back in July, we shared the news that there was a possible payment data breach at numerous zoo and museum gift shops run by Service Systems Associates, a company that designs and runs cafeterias and gift shops for cultural institutions. The company has finally confirmed the breach and the dates that it happened: if you picked up a stuffed lion between March 24 and May 20 of this year, keep an eye on your credit card bills. [More]
Payment Information From Zoo Gift Shops Breached, May Include Names And CVVs
By 7.9.15
Have you bought a cuddly stuffed animal or another souvenir recently during a visit to the zoo? If so, keep an eye on your credit card statements. According to reports from financial institutions and an announcement from one affected zoo, a company that manages zoo gift shops recently had its systems breached. [More]
Why Does The New England Aquarium Breed Jellyfish As Currency?
By 9.12.14
When zoos first began in this country, there was nothing wrong with going shopping for the animals that they wanted to have in their collections. Explorers would capture critters from all over the world and bring them back for Americans to gawk at. After the passage of the Endangered Species Act, that changed, and institutions now only barter or donate animals. So where do new animals come from? [More]
Zoo Visitor Claims She Lost Part Of Her Finger After Trying To Pet A Lion
By 7.31.14
Here’s the thing about zoos: Despite the fact that those wild animals are behind bars, they’re still wild animals. So no matter how fuzzy and furry that lion looks, it’s not a good idea to pet it unless a zookeeper says to go ahead and do so. But one Michigan woman claims that after she was allowed into a lion’s cage, she ended up losing part of her finger.. [More]
Zoo Bans Visitor Because It Isn’t A Good Idea To Climb Into The Lions’ Den Armed With Cookies
By 6.24.14
While we’re unaware of any existing maxim that says lions can be tamed with a package of sweet treats, the Memphis Zoo is definitely against any plan involving visitors hopping enclosure barriers to offer up cookies to the big cats. That’s why the zoo has banned one woman, who allegedly climbed into the actual lions’ den while singing and bearing snacks. [More]
Lost Bronx Zoo Cobra Found
By 3.31.11
The misplaced cobra at the Bronx zoo has been found, coiled and hungry in a dark secluded corner of the reptile house, CNN reports. After the snake went missing, zoo officials closed down the snake exhibit and started searching ceaselessly for the missing creature. Though the zoo kept stressing the cobra was probably within the reptile house, that didn’t stop the deadly snake from setting the public’s imagination on fire, with national media coverage, a keyboard-playing appearance on Conan, and a 200,000 follower strong satirical Twitter account. [More]
Cobra Gets Loose At Bronx Zoo
By 3.28.11
Sick of the whole captivity for the entertainment of humans thing, a cobra at the Bronx Zoo apparently slipped out of its enclosure and went missing Friday, causing management to shut down the facility over the weekend. [More]
Want Your Name On A Building? Now It Costs Less
By 10.11.09
Have you always dreamed of having your name on a building to honor your philanthropy and general awesomeness, but just didn’t have the cash on hand? You may be in luck: the threshold for building or wing names at colleges, hospitals, and other nonprofits is falling as charitable giving slumps. If you have money, now may be the best time for immortality.
