WASHINGTON (AP) — Betty White is headed to Washington to see the wildlife — not the donkeys and elephants on Capitol Hill, but the animals in the National Zoo.

After a stop at the Smithsonian on Thursday, White will visit the zoo one day later to indulge her passion: animal watching. She’s looking forward to viewing the fertility-challenged pandas and a harmonica-playing elephant, among other animals.

“My interest in animals started in the womb,” the 90-year-old actress told The Associated Press. “I think my mother’s and father’s started in the same place. They were animal nuts long before I came along.”

When White was young, her family had pet Pekingese — an “unappreciated little toy dog” that is incredibly intelligent, she said.

During the Depression, her father starting building radios to make some extra money. But most people couldn’t afford to buy radios, she said, so her father would trade them — usually for more dogs. At one point, they wound up with 11 dogs in the house.

“Now the radios didn’t eat, but the dogs did,” White said. “It was not really his best business venture.”

Even at 90, White continues to keep a busy schedule. Her NBC show “Off Their Rockers” about seniors playing pranks on young people was just renewed for another season. She also has a TV Land sitcom, “Hot in Cleveland.”

White lives in Brentwood, Calif., with her golden retriever named Pontiac, who used to be a guide dog.

“I like to think of it as the Indian chief and not the car,” she said of her pet’s namesake. “As a matter of fact, when the car company went out of business, I sat him down and I said, ‘Oh Pontiac, it wasn’t anything you did, sweetie.’”

In Washington, White will visit a sold-out crowd Thursday at the Smithsonian Associates, an educational division of the museum complex. And she will sign copies of her book, “Betty and Friends: My Life at the Zoo.”

It’s a mostly picture book compiled over the years with facts about animals. Since 1974, White has served as a trustee of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association. So she gives readers a tour of animals at the Los Angeles Zoo and many other leading zoos across the country.

She closes her book with parting shots of a giraffe’s behind, followed by a bear’s behind.

When White has a chance to visit a zoo, she said she likes to stay for a long time and watch the animals relax. She wrote her book to let people know about all the good zoos do.

“So many people say, ‘Oh, I hate zoos. I want all the animals to be back in their natural habitat,’” she said. “Well, you know what we’ve done to their natural habitat.

“Without zoos, we would have lost already so many species.”

White says she’s fascinated by nearly every creature, even snakes, and has a hard time naming favorites. She does love elephants, bears and poodles, though, to name a few.

On Friday, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo will roll out the red carpet to give White a look at their research efforts behind the scenes. She will also sign copies of her book.

Zookeepers plan to show her the Asian elephants up close, including Shanthi who plays harmonica with her trunk, as well as the popular pandas, the great apes and the Panamanian golden frog. The zoo is leading an effort to fight a fast-spreading fungus blamed for wiping out dozens of amphibian species.

Zoo spokeswoman Pamela Baker-Masson said the scientists and animal keepers are excited to host White.

“It’s very personal for us because she’s beloved by millions,” she said. “For my colleagues to know that someone who actually cares about them and cares about their work conserving species is coming here … We’re really honored, quite frankly.”

First there was penguin cam, then there was panda cam, and now Edinburgh Zoo has launched squirrel monkey cam!

Online viewers can now get live ‘fly on the wall’ access to the squirrel monkeys in Edinburgh Zoo’s Living Links exhibition.  A 20 strong boisterous troop of lively little monkeys, there’s never a dull moment in their enclosure.

Following the success of penguin cam, which launched in June 2009, Edinburgh Zoo launched panda cam at the end of 2011.  Astoundingly panda cam has just this week reached over a million hits!  Squirrel monkey cam is the latest online 24/7 window into the lives of the animal inhabitants at Edinburgh Zoo.

Extremely playful, social and packed full of energy, look out for dominant male 11 year old Rio – easily recognisable as he’s the biggest squirrel monkey by far; and curious babies Orla, Freya, Zipi and Eduardo born in November last year – not shy, these bossy youngsters are making their mark within the group and have been spotted trying to dominate their older siblings already.

Native to the rainforests of South America, the character-packed monkeys are instantly identifiable due to their bright yellow legs and arms. They can be found living in groups of up to 300 monkeys.

Squirrel monkey cam is currently available exclusively for Edinburgh Zoo Facebook fans http://www.facebook.com/EdinburghZooScotland, but goes live on the Zoo’s website on Thursday 17^th May http://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/monkeycam.html

What do dads really want for Father’s Day? It’s not a tie or a socket set, it’s the chance to hang out and have fun with their kids! Cleveland Metroparks Zoo makes it easy with half-price admission for all dads on Sunday, June 17 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., making tickets just $6.25.

The Zoo has special activities planned throughout the day including a heavy equipment display near the African Savanna and chances to Meet the Keepers.

There will also be a Cans for Conservation aluminum can drive that day. All proceeds from the cans collected benefit Bat Conservation International. Later in the day, all the cans that have been collected so far will be crushed with a steamroller near the Sarah Allison Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine!

Don’t forget to visit some of the animal dads while you’re at the Zoo, including Travis the Masai giraffe and Tyram the Bornean orangutan, and check out Professor Wylde’s Live Animal Show in the Savanna Theater, too.

Northeast Ohio’s most-visited year-round attraction, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with hours extended to 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Admission is $12.25 per person, $8.25 for kids ages 2 to 11 and free for children younger than 2 and Zoo members. Parking is free. Located at 3900 Wildlife Way, the Zoo is easily accessible from Interstates 71, 90 and 480.

To learn more, visit clemetzoo.com or call (216) 661-6500.

A host of new species have stomped into Bristol Zoo today as preparations get underway for the Zoo’s new dinosaur exhibition.

A giant tyrannosaurus rex, triceratops and other ancient creatures will be taking up residence alongside the Zoo’s 400 animal species, ready for a summer exhibition which opens later this month (Friday May 25th).

Today the dinosaurs started arriving at the Zoo in giant crates transported all the way from Texas, USA. Over the coming days, the new residents will be placed around the Zoo and brought to life using mechanical technology and animatronics.

The exhibition, called DinoZoo, will then be open every day from Friday, May 25 until Sunday September 2 2012, and is free with Zoo admission. It will give visitors the chance to get up-close to amazing, moving, roaring, hissing, growling and even water-spraying creatures they’ve only read about in books or seen in films.

This unique exhibition will even offer budding young palaeontologists then chance to embark on their own mini fossil dig and find out about Bristol’s own dinosaur – Thecodontosaurus.

Dr Bryan Carroll director of Bristol Zoo, said: “It’s fantastic that the dinosaurs are finally here and it’s amazing to see them close-up in all their glory – they are quite a spectacle. We are sure that DinoZoo will be a fantastically popular new attraction that will take our guests on a journey that started over 200 million years ago.”

He added: “As well as being fantastic fun, this exhibition also presents a great opportunity to tell our guests about the very real extinction threat facing many species in the Zoo and around the world.”

To see a video of the dinosaurs arriving at the Zoo, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcFZXSntL-s&feature=youtu.be

In celebration of its new prehistoric residents, Bristol Zoo is selling dinosaur-related toys and gifts in its shop, and has even re-named one of its food outlets the ‘Snackosaurus’.

This August Bristol Zoo will be holding an open-air showing of the popular film, Jurassic Park, in the ground of the Zoo. Guests will be able to enjoy the film while surrounded by the Zoo’s prehistoric residents! Tickets will soon go on sale, visit www.bristolzoo.org.uk/whats-on for more details.

Bristol Zoo Gardens is a conservation and education charity and relies on the support of its guests to fund its animal conservation work in the zoo and with endangered species around the world, which help save wildlife from going the same way as the dinosaurs – extinct.

To find out more about DinoZoo at Bristol Zoo, visit www.bristolzoo.org.uk/dinozoo or phone 0117 974 7300.

In this photo provided by Skazka Zoo, taken May 6, 2012, four white cubs, including a rare albino tiger are seen at the Skazka Zoo in Yalta, Ukraine. A beautiful white tigress was the symbol of Yulia Tymoshenko's presidential election campaign, representing her ferocious resolve.(AP Photo/Skazka Zoo)

By MARIA DANILOVA, Associated Press

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — A beautiful white tiger that became a symbol of Yulia Tymoshenko’s presidential campaign has returned to the spotlight by giving birth to four cubs, including a rare albino one.

Activists hope the birth of the cubs in a zoo on Sunday will lift the spirits of Tymoshenko since she is now in prison and she had used the tigress, Tigryulia, as a symbol of ferocious resolve.

For nearly three weeks, Tymoshenko was on a hunger strike after prison officials allegedly beat her, and she ended it on Wednesday when a German doctor was allowed to supervise her treatment for severe back pain at the clinic in the eastern city of Kharkiv, where her prison is located.

“These are really very rare tigers,” said Oleh Zubkov, head of Ukraine’s biggest zoo, where Tigryulia is kept in the Black Sea resort city Yalta. “All the zoos in Ukraine and in the world dream of having such tigers born.”

In this handout photo provided by Skazka Zoo, taken May 6, 2012, a female white albino tiger, Tigrylia is seen with her newborn cub at the Skazka Zoo in Yalta, Ukraine. Tiger gave birth to four cubs, including a rare albino tiger. A beautiful white tigress was the symbol of Yulia Tymoshenko's presidential election campaign, representing her ferocious resolve. (AP Photo/Skazka Zoo)

Since Tigryulia, a 3-year-old white Bengal tiger, successfully delivered the cubs she has been reluctant to nurse them, apparently distracted by zoo visitors and her partner, a 6-year-old tiger from France named Patrice. Zoo workers are helping out by nursing the cubs from bottles.

Zubkov, whose wife works at the zoo, said she “has completely disappeared from my life — she feeds them every two hours.”

Tigryulia’s path to fame started in the summer of 2009, when the then 4-month-old tiger was bought at a Swiss zoo and presented to Tymoshenko, the charismatic Orange Revolution heroine, at a children’s festival.

Tymoshenko, who then served as prime minister and was running for president, fell in love with the tiger and made the animal a key image of her campaign, with posters of Tymoshenko tenderly holding Tigryulia dotting the country. Afterward, Tigryulia was placed in the Yalta zoo and a Tymoshenko ally brought in the Bengal tiger, Patrice, from France to keep her company, but the two didn’t hit it off at first.

“Both Tigryulia and Patrice have very difficult personalities — to put it mildly,” Zubkov said. “At first we were afraid they would simply kill each other.”

Zoo workers separated the tigers by a metal fence, allowing them only to sniff each other, then moved them closer together. Finally the tigers got used to being in the same enclosure and they mated.

But as Tigryulia’s star rose, Tymoshenko became much less fortunate.

She lost the 2010 presidential election to her longtime foe, the Orange Revolution nemesis President Viktor Yanukovych, and was sentenced to seven years in prison in October on charges of abuse of office. The trial was condemned by the West as politically motivated.

Yanukovych has resisted strong pressure from the European Union and the United States to release Tymoshenko, and she has become the target of new charges and investigations.

Zubkov said the zoo has launched a contest to name the four cubs, but there is one rule: each name must contain the sound “Yu,” like Tymoshenko’s first name.

In the meantime, he has sent photographs of Tigryulia and her cubs to Tymoshenko in prison.

The zoo hopes Tymoshenko “will enjoy these photos at such a difficult period of her life and that they will cheer her up,” Zubkov said.

Copyright © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

The resident Japanese macaque (snow monkey) troop at the Highland Wildlife Park recently welcomed new arrivals when a trio of babies were born.

The three latest additions belong to mums Mang, Djangal and Angara. Still only 3 weeks old, the babies are staying close to their mums and it will be a while yet before they venture further on their own. (All three infants were born between the 21st and the 25th of April 2012)

There are now 21 Japanese macaques living at the Highland Wildlife Park.

Angara is the dominant female of the group, and also a first time mum, making her new arrival a very important addition to their social group. It will be a while yet before keepers are able to tell what sex the babies are, so they won’t be named until then, but keepers are already noticing their different characters starting to come through, with one in particular being a little more boisterous than the others!

Japanese macaques are found throughout Japan, living in large troupes in woodland and sub-tropical forests. Instantly recognisable due to their bright red faces and white fur, these primates are fully adapted to seasonal climate changes as temperatures in Japan can plummet to as low as -15°C in the winter, making their Scottish Highland home ideal.

Silver Stars Scheduled to Provide Musical Entertainment

HealthSpring and the Nashville Zoo announced today they will present the eighth Senior Day at the Zoo to allow seniors ages 65 and older free admission to the Zoo on Friday, May 11 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Additionally, seniors will receive a $3 coupon that can be used for purchases at the Zoo’s food and retail locations.

The young and young-at-heart can also enjoy rides on the Wild Animal Carousel, visits to Lorikeet Landing and an adventure through the Zoo’s limited engagement exhibit, DinoTrek (additional fees apply). Visitors will have an opportunity to enjoy games, prizes, entertainment and attend informational sessions. Zoo keepers will also be on hand to present educational talks at various animal exhibits throughout the day.

“HealthSpring is very pleased to once again offer seniors a chance to experience a free day at the Nashville Zoo,” said Greg Allen, president of HealthSpring of Tennessee. “We are always looking for ways to support both the community and our members; this great event achieves that aim by encouraging seniors to be healthy and active by enjoying the sights of our local Zoo.”

Guests will be treated to a rousing performance featuring HealthSpring Silver Stars at a concert from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Jungle Terrace. Performing on Senior Day at the Zoo will be trumpeter David Balph, 2011 Silver Star winner, and blues/gospel singer and guitarist Rev. Robert Shipp, 2010 Silver Star winner. Silver Stars is a talent competition designed by HealthSpring specifically for people age 60+ (www.hssilver.stars). Information about the 2012 Silver Stars talent competition will be available at a booth at the Zoo.

A free “Basics of Medicare” educational seminar will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Croft Building. Additionally, seniors will be able to obtain information about other relevant health topics at designated booths onsite.

“We are excited to continue our partnership with HealthSpring to offer Senior Day at the Zoo,” says Jim Bartoo, marketing and public relations director for Nashville Zoo. “A day at the Zoo is enjoyable for people of all ages, and this is a great opportunity to share all the Zoo has to offer with Nashville’s valued senior community.”

Senior Day at the Zoo is the result of a partnership between Nashville Zoo and HealthSpring. There is a $5 parking fee per vehicle.

HealthSpring, a Cigna company, is based in Nashville, Tennessee, and is one of the country’s largest Medicare Advantage coordinated care plans. HealthSpring currently owns and operates Medicare Advantage plans in Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. HealthSpring also offers a national stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan. For more information, visit www.healthspring.com.

Nashville Zoo is accredited by the prestigious Association of Zoos and Aquariums, assuring the highest standards of animal care and husbandry. Attracting more than 640,000 visitors annually, the Zoo is considered one of the top things to do in Nashville. The Zoo is a non-profit organization located at 3777 Nolensville Pike and is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. The mission of Nashville Zoo is to inspire a culture of understanding and discovery of our natural world through conservation, innovation and leadership. For more information about Nashville Zoo, call 615-833-1534 or visit www.nashvillezoo.org.

A male black-necked swan swims with three hatchling swans called cygnets in Heart Lake at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo.

Bronx, NY –

These cygnets will stay close to their parents for almost a year after hatching. While they are small, they ride on the backs of their parents for warmth, transportation, and protection from predators. Carrying cygnets is most pronounced in black-necked and mute swans, but all true swans are known to do this behavior.

Swans have several adaptations that accommodate their omnivorous diet, including a long neck and serrated bill which allow it to forage on submerged vegetation.

Black-necked swans are native to South America and can be found along coastal areas and on inland lakes in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Brazil. One characteristic of black-necked swans is that they are the most aquatic of any swan and are often found in marine areas. Their legs are located farther back on the swan’s body to accommodate this more aquatic existence, and hence, make them very ungainly on land.

The Bronx Zoo exhibits four species of swans in different areas of the park – black-necked swans, trumpeter swans, whooper swans, and coscoroba swans.

Heart Lake is a habitat that supports several species of water fowl and is located on the western side of the zoo between the Southern Blvd. entrance and the Birds of Prey exhibit.

The Wildlife Conservation Society works within the South American range of the black-necked swan to save wildlife and the habitats they depend on for survival.

The Bronx Zoo is not the only WCS zoo or aquarium with animals born this spring. Among the additions are a baringo giraffe calf at the Bronx Zoo, a lamb at the Central Park Zoo, a golden lion tamarin at the Prospect Park Zoo, pot-bellied seahorse fry at the New York Aquarium, and an alpaca at the Queens Zoo. Everyone is invited to vote online for their favorite newborn at bronxzoo.com. New choices will be added to the poll throughout the spring and a finalist will be chosen in June when the winners of each round go head-to-head in a best-of-four competition.

Fun and Entertaining

Kansas City Zoo: Its Mom’s day for TLC – so bring her to the Zoo and check out all our
animal moms. On Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 13 treat your Mom to free admission at the
Kansas City Zoo plus a free ice cream/fruit bar treat compliments of Hy-Vee and Blue Bell,
while supplies last.

Head over to Asia to learn about the special motherly bond between orangutans Kalijon and
her surrogate mother, Jill. Bonds between orangutans are extremely important because much of
their behavior is learned by watching, experiencing and examining. Find out more about the
orangutans plight in the wild and what you can do to help.

Looking for some breakfast on Mother’s Day? Join our Pancakes for Penguins breakfast from
9 – 11 a.m. This is a fundraiser to help bring penguins to the Kansas City Zoo. Pre-registration
is preferred at www.kansascityzoo.org. The cost is only $8 for Friends of the Zoo (FOTZ)
Members and $13 for Non-FOTZ Members; children ages 2 and under are free. Registration
includes pancakes and sausage by Chris Cakes, Roasterie coffee and a commemorative photo
celebrating penguins and Moms. Pancakes for Penguins will be held at the tent behind Tropics
featuring entertainment from Stonelion Puppets and the Unlimited Blues Band – high school
students enjoying music.

Mom’s in the animal kingdom are important – see how they rule their “roosts.”

South Korea’s largest aquarium opened at the 2012 Yeosu Expo site on Friday, about a week ahead of the official kickoff of the three-month-long international fair.

Hanwha Engineering & Construction Corp., which built the aquarium, said the Aqua Planet is a four-story building covering 16,400 square meters and equipped with a 6,000 ton main tank.

The overall size of the aquarium is two to three times larger than existing facilities in Seoul and Busan and will remain on the site after the Yeosu Expo ends.

The builder said a total of 33,000 marine animals from 280 species will be on display, including endangered animals as beluga whales, Baikal seals and sea dragons. The Aqua Planet will have the country’s first “dome aquarium” feature to give visitors a 360-degree view of a underwater environment, it added.

In addition, the facility will have an Amazon eco-terrarium and country’s largest jellyfish tank, the company said.

The Yeosu Expo, accredited by the Paris-based Bureau of International Expositions, is slated to run from May 12 through Aug. 12 in the southern port city of Yeosu, 455 kilometers south of Seoul.

Source: GNA