Friends of Manila Zoo

A letter to the President

sachac — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:00:49 +0000

Thank you, Joshua, for writing such a nice letter!

Will Mali have a new elephant friend soon? Sri Lanka to gift baby elephant to Manila Zoo

sachac — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:53:59 +0000

From this Sept 16 article in ColomboPage, a Sri Lanka Internet newspaper:

Sri Lanka is to gift a baby elephant to Philippines’ Manila zoo to mark 50 years of bilateral relations between the two countries, the government said Thursday.

Government spokesman and Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said Thursday that the Cabinet has approved a proposal presented by the Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne to donate the baby elephant from the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage to the Manila zoo.

In addition, Sri Lankan Embassy in Philippines has organized a series of events to mark the golden jubilee celebrations to be held in Manila on the 3rd week of September.

Mali also came from the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. To learn more about Mali and some of the people who take care of her, check out this elephant love story.

Thanks to Unica Policarpio for sharing photos!

sachac — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 15:43:21 +0000

Check out Unica Policarpio’s close-up photos of zoo favourites. Here’s one below.

You can find more pictures on Unica’s blog. Want to share yours? Leave links in the comments!

Zoo volunteer updates, meeting at 9:30 AM on Sunday, Aug 7 at the Canon Learning Center

sachac — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 14:01:12 +0000

Things are happening at the Zoo! Here’s what people are planning:

Zoo bicycle patrol: Volunteers will go around on bicycles to keep an eye on zoo visitors and stop them if they are abusing the animals (throwing rocks, littering, etc.) Donations of bicycles will be much appreciated. Please contact John Chua (john.magiceye@gmail.com).
Manila Zoo to work with National Architect Bobby Mañosa and his family to redesign Manila Zoo.
Official volunteer liaison: Abbey Miranda (Manila Zoo vet) will be working closely with volunteers.

There’s an exploratory Zoo volunteer meeting at 9:30 AM on Sunday, August 7, at the Canon Learning Center (former Bahay Kubo). If you want to come earlier, you can help feed Maali the elephant – John Chua will be taking care of Maali at 8:15 AM. Check out the event on Facebook and invite other people who might be interested. Have fun!

Thanks to Jimmy Domingo and the photojournalism students from La Salle!

sachac — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 13:54:17 +0000

Looking forward to your pictures and stories!

Thanks to the volunteers who came last Sunday!

sachac — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 13:52:39 +0000

Thank you to last Sunday’s volunteers, who came despite the rain! If you were there, please feel free to share your name and link in the comments below. =)

Manila Zoo: More than just Maali the elephant!

sachac — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:50 +0000

Maali might be the star of the show at Manila Zoo, but there are other great animals to get to know, too. Here are some photos from Mykz78‘s six-part series:

Thanks to Union Galvasteel Corp. for fixing Maali’s roof!

sachac — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:30:56 +0000

Maali’s new roof will keep her dry during typhoons. Thank you, Union Galvasteel Corporation!

Volunteer meetup this Sunday, July 31, 9 AM – 10 AM near Maali!

sachac — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 01:16:39 +0000

UPDATE: The meetup is on Sunday, not Saturday.

Faith Salazar (@p0yt) is organizing a volunteer meetup this Sunday, July 31, 2011, from 9 AM to 10 AM near Maali the elephant in Manila Zoo. Join her and other volunteers to feed animals, clean up the surroundings, and plan how volunteers can help Manila Zoo become even better. Coming? Add your name to the Facebook event!

Suman Latik: Manila Zoo Memories

sachac — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:39:20 +0000

Over on Suman Latik:

Because we had gotten to know the trainers and caretakers, I was able to go around back to see the tigers and lions. Not just see them as they were being fed, but see a tiger nuzzle its trainer (who took care of him since he was a cub), including close its mouth on her hand (or was it her neck????). Scary… but the tiger was really very gentle.

…

When you speak to the handlers and trainers, you know they’ve grown attached to the animals. It is no longer just a job for them. Being with the animals has become their life. Yes, there is always danger because no matter how you try to “domesticate” them, they still have the instincts of the wild. But for as long as they do not feel threatened, for as long as they know the humans around them mean no harm, they are not going to demonstrate “beastly” behavior.

…

Because they do serve a purpose. While it may not be their natural habitat, to see a real live tiger, hippo or elephant is an eye-opener. Children and even adults are often in awe even when they just see these animals at a distance. But they are real, living and breathing. And the opportunity is there to educate humans about animals. How they live. What they eat. How they behave. And how they relate.

Read more over at Suman Latik: Manila Zoo Memories!