Gizmodo: zoo

Robot Polar Bears: Less Dangerous Than Real Bears, For Now

Chris Jacob — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST

Instead of replacing the St. Louis Zoo's deceased polar bears with live ones, zoo officials put robots up in their place. This slightly-better-than-average yard display will surely be remembered as the humble beginning of the robot bear uprising.

The robot polar bears are part of the zoo's holiday exhibit, and it's unclear if they'll be around after the season is over. Let's face it, though. These would have to be some damn good robot bears to convince me to see them over live polar bears.

PETA is encouraging the zoo to keep developing the animatronic animals, but listen PETA, hear me out. Sure, you're trying to keep animals out of captivity. You're also promoting the creation of an advanced, highly mobile robot bear army.

I encourage you to rethink your position. [Inhabitots via Inhabitat]

Japan Prepares for a Rhino Attack with Two Dudes in a Rhino Suit

Adam Frucci — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:40:00 EDT

In the spirit of Halloween, I wanted to show you this absolutely amazing video of Tokyo's Ueno Zoo training for an escaped rhino by dressing up two guys in a big rhino costume. Instead of candy, they're dressing up for safety.

Watch! As the "rhino" walks slowly towards the security force! Listen! To the very dramatic music! Look incredulously! As the "rhino" is pushed aside by small poking sticks! Laugh! As two guys in a rhino costume are shot with tranquilizer darts from a van! I only wish all emergency preparedness drills were this hilarious. [Arbroath via Neatorama]

Meerkats - Better at Acting in Nature Shows than Photography

msparkes — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 03:36:45 EDT

Ian Turner is a zookeeper at Longleat Safari Park. He is also rather forgetful. After taking some pictures of his meerkats for a new zoo brochure, he left his Canon EOS in their enclosure. Apparently the alpha male, Monty, secretly harbors a gadget obsession, and jumped at the chance to snap a few shots of his family for posterity. Have a look at his sub-par photos below.

While this may be quite clever by meerkat standards, Monty still has no grasp of basic composition techniques. [Telegraph]

Cellphone-Thieving Monkeys Foiled Again

Travis Hudson — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 15:10:35 EDT

Sick of constantly being photographed, the monkeys in the London zoo have began snatching up patron's cellphones to make long-distance calls on your minutes. To stop the monkeys and their thieving ways the staff of the London zoo have began coating old cellphones with an unpleasant sticky substance that makes them actually seem—gasp—unappealing. Don't worry, the monkeys have returned to their usual habits of eating bananas and throwing fecal matter.

Cheeky monkeys learn their lesson [BBC via PhoneyWorld]