Six of the ‘world's most endangered' wolves are born at TN zoo. See them snuggle
An adorable video posted on Facebook shows the red wolf pups snuggling after making their debut at Zoo Knoxville.
'There are only about 20 red wolves known to remain in the wild, and fewer than 300 in managed care,' Terry Cannon, curator of carnivores and Kids Cove at the zoo, said in a May 8 news release. 'Every birth is critical. These pups are part of the future of the species.'
The little ones were born to mom Cirilla and dad Buckeye. The two were paired together to try to 'ensure genetic diversity among the small population of red wolves remaining,' according to the wildlife park.
Red wolves, which can grow to be about 80 pounds, have been called the most endangered wolf species on Earth. They once lived across parts of the southern and eastern United States but nearly disappeared at one point, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
'After being declared extinct in the wild in the 1980s due to habitat loss and hunting, they were reintroduced in limited numbers in North Carolina,' the zoo wrote. 'Despite decades of conservation efforts, red wolves remain critically endangered, facing ongoing threats and confusion with coyotes in the wild.'
As part of the zoo's effort to protect the rare species, it welcomed its litter of pups on Earth Day, April 22. The video shared on social media showed the newborns getting their medical checkups, and some Facebook users said they couldn't get enough of the cuteness.
'The pups were closely monitored during their first week to ensure healthy development and weight gain, but now the animal care team is stepping back to let the parents raise them,' the zoo wrote. 'Cirilla, who had one previous litter before coming to Zoo Knoxville, has shown strong maternal instincts.'
As of May 8, zoo visitors aren't yet able to see the babies in person.
'They're currently living in the wolf dens under the care of both mom and dad,' JJ Jones, media manager for the zoo, told McClatchy News via email. 'They're still quite small and have just started to open their eyes, so they're not visible to the public at this time. We have six pups in total — three boys and three girls. They have not been named yet, and it's still too early to share any insight into their individual personalities.'
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USA Today
01-08-2025
- USA Today
Ariel and Moana are racing to see who swims farther. Disney is tracking them.
Hundreds of spectators gathered near Disney's Vero Beach Resort in Florida over the weekend for a very special send-off. They waited patiently as one by one, a green sea turtle named Ariel and a loggerhead turtle named Moana slowly made their way back to the ocean on July 26, after laying eggs on the beach the night before. Freshly affixed with transmitters to track their location and other data, Ariel and Moana joined the nonprofit Sea Turtle Conservancy's annual Tour de Turtles, a friendly competition to raise awareness about issues impacting these species. Over the next three months, the Disney-sponsored turtles will race against sea turtles swimming on behalf of other organizations to see who travels the furthest. Fans can follow along on the tour's website, but Disney and its partners hope the public's care for these creatures continues long-term. Where do sea turtle nest? Disney's Vero Beach Resort sits along the southern end of the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, a roughly 20-mile stretch of beach that U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service describes as the 'most significant area for loggerhead sea turtle nesting in the world and the most significant area for green turtle nesting in North America.' 'If you go back several decades, these turtles were really in bad shape. Their populations were really struggling,' said Disney Conservation Director Dr. Zak Gezon. Disney has helped monitor and protect sea turtles near its Vero Beach Disney Vacation Club property since 2003. 'We've estimated that over 1.8 million sea turtle hatchlings have come out that we've been monitoring there over this time,' Gezon said. 'This year, we already have over 1,000 nests.' What are the different kinds of sea turtles? Three different sea turtles species nest near Disney's Vero Beach Resort: leatherbacks loggerheads and green sea turtles, like Crush and Squirt from 'Finding Nemo.' All of them are protected under the Endangered Species Act, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Dr. Mark Penning, vice president of Disney's Animals, Science & Environment, said turtles who come to Vero Beach likely hatched there, too. 'It's why, for us, it's important that we're not just protecting these sea turtles from hatching out and going to the sea,' he said. 'We're protecting this coastline so that those babies can come back in 30, 40, 50 years from now and lay their eggs as they need to continue the cycle.' What are the things that harm sea turtles? Humans are among the greatest threats to sea turtles, whether directly through boat strikes, fishing entanglements and harvesting meat and shells or indirectly contributing to pollution and threats to sea turtle habitats. Each Tour de Turtles competitor represents a different sea turtle cause. Ariel, who's sponsored by Disney Cruise Line, is helping raise awareness for beach erosion. Moana, who is sponsored by Disney Conservation Fund, is drawing attention to light pollution. "If you watch 'Moana,' her connection to the ocean and nature begins with her as a toddler out on the beach, helping a sea turtle get back out to the ocean,' Gezon said. 'And then as an adult ... she's a master wayfinder, navigating open oceans by looking at the stars and the moon, and she wouldn't be able to do that if there was huge amounts of light pollution.' During nesting season, Disney's Vero Beach Resort uses dimmed lighting to avoid confusing hatchlings who rely on the moonlight to guide them to the water. 'Just think if there was a light up at the hotel that looked like the moon. Then they're going to go the wrong way ... and probably not survive their journey," Penning said. Story continues below. Where do sea turtles go? Like fellow sea turtles in the wild, Tour de Turtles competitors go where they please after laying their eggs. 'Of course, the turtles don't know they're in a competition of any kind,' said Sea Turtle Conservancy Executive Director David Godfrey. 'They're just doing their thing, and we're watching them.' There are actually two different races in the tour: a leatherback race and a hard-shell race. Disney is taking part in the hard-shell race. They're broken up by category because leatherback nesting is earlier and leatherbacks travel further, by nature, so would always win. "They never really stop swimming," he said. "All the other hard-shelled species of sea turtle typically goes to a primary foraging ground, and takes up residency there." Godfrey noted it doesn't really matter who wins. "People are logging onto the Tour de Turtles website, and they're learning about these animals, and we're feeding them information about the threats they face." A Disney-sponsored sea turtle, Ebb, won last year's hard-shell race. While Gezon was proud to finally win, he said, "Being able to have a positive impact on nature and have fun and be an inspiration, that's what it's all about." How to protect sea turtles Beachgoers can help protect sea turtles by taking care of the beach, picking up litter, clearing obstacles like sandcastles that could encumber hatchlings, and not using bright lights near the shoreline at night during nesting season. For beachgoers lucky enough to see a sea turtle coming up to nest, Penning suggested staying away. "Let her do her thing and be respectful of the fact that this is a very important event for her. Let's leave her to it.' Godfrey said people who care about sea turtles can also support businesses and organizations that support these creatures. He recommended using Charity Navigator's website to find top-rated charities. 'There are small, local organizations that work with turtles. There are larger organizations. People can do their own research online and find out what groups are doing,' he said. Disney Conservation Fund has funded Sea Turtle Conservancy for 25 years and donated millions of dollars to supporting sea turtle conservation worldwide. Not just for thrills: The real-life magic Disney is working to save animals What's the best time to see sea turtles? Florida's sea turtle nesting season runs from March through October, according to Florida State Parks. Leatherback turtles nest on the early side while hard-shell sea turtles like loggerheads and green turtles nest later. Eggs hatch about two months after they're laid, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which maintains a list of public sea turtle walks and state-approved sea turtle facilities for people interesting in viewing. Penning said the Tour de Turtles is the best time to see sea turtles at Disney's Vero Beach Resort because guests can 'come up close and know you're not doing any harm.' Disney World guests can see loggerhead and green turtles all year-round at EPCOT's Seas with Nemo & Friends. Is Vero Beach close to Disney? Vero Beach is about 100 miles away from Walt Disney World, on Florida's Atlantic coast.
Miami Herald
30-07-2025
- Miami Herald
Lottery player checks Jurassic Park ticket — and discovers ‘T. rex sized prize'
A lottery player checked her Jurassic Park scratch-off ticket — and discovered a 'T. rex sized prize.' 'I was shaking,' the $200,000 prize winner told the South Carolina Education Lottery. The lucky player said she 'had been hoping for a big win.' But she didn't expect her ticket to be worth six figures, lottery officials wrote July 30 in a news release. The woman hit the jackpot after a stop at the Chris Corner store in Saint George, a roughly 55-mile drive northwest from the popular tourist destination of Charleston. While there, she tried her luck on the Jurassic Park game. She said she was drawn to the lucky ticket because of the price, not the dinosaur-themed movie franchise. 'I had an extra $5,' the winner told lottery officials. 'So, I said 'Give me that ticket!'' It turns out, her ticket beat 1-in-540,000 odds to score a top prize in the game. The woman — who wasn't identified publicly — kept $139,000 after taxes, lottery spokesperson Holli Armstrong told McClatchy News via email. It's not the first time an unexpected ticket has made someone richer. Two other South Carolina lottery players aren't Clemson fans, but they both won big in the school's game, McClatchy News previously reported.
Miami Herald
27-07-2025
- Miami Herald
Riders dangle in midair after spinning ride stalls at California amusement park
A ride malfunction left Knott's Berry Farm visitors briefly dangling in midair on a spinning ride at the California amusement park, news outlets reported. A video shows about 20 riders hanging sideways on the stopped Sol Spin ride Saturday, July 26, KTLA reported. Some of the riders are heard screaming in the video, KABC reported. Officials at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park told McClatchy News in a statement that the ride was stopped for about five minutes. The ride reopened after a full safety inspection. 'The safety of our guests is a top priority,' the park said. 'Today the ride did not complete a full cycle as a safety precaution.' Sol Spin sends riders six stories in the air on one of six spinning arms, Knott's Berry Farm said. In November, 22 people were stranded in midair on the ride for about three hours, KTLA said. Buena Park is about a 20-mile drive southeast from downtown Los Angeles.
