Showing posts with label Animals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Animals. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Gung Hee Fat Choy

Cute, with big eyes and a smile
Happy New Year! It is the Year of the Snake, which is a symbol of wisdom, intuition, transformation, cunning and stealth. Snakes are also linked to wealth, good luck, and prosperity.

The lunar New Year is the most celebrated holiday in Asia, yet the snake is a difficult animal to make appealing.
It’s the biggest holiday on the calendar, and a time to ring up big sales.

But it’s tough to build a marketing campaign around a coldblooded, sometimes venomous creature with no arms or legs...

The years of the Dog, Sheep and Rabbit offer huggability. The pig has Peppa Pig to lend it cuteness and star power. Even the rat can bask in the reflected glory of Mickey Mouse. Cows have eyelashes.

For designers, the only options are extreme: Present the snake as a different, cuter animal dressed up in a snake outfit. Or go all the way and give the snakes arms, legs or ears. Lose the forked tongue. And definitely tone down the scaliness.
One aspect of the lunar New Year that never seems to go out of style, regardless of one's feelings toward the zodiacal animal, is the receiving of money-filled red envelopes (Cantonese: lai see; Mandarin: hong bao). Now that our elder status has put us on the giving end of the red-paper custom, I have a partial answer to that age-old question: can money buy affection? The answer is yes, if one is content with a superficial, short-lived expression of the same.

Gung Hee Fat Choy!

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Mange: the Last Straw

In California citizens with a license can hunt coyotes. However, the general rule is limited because firearms, including archery equipment, cannot be discharged within 150 yards of occupied structures. An exception to the exception is that an owner or his agent may hunt coyotes on the owner's property.

Coyote hunting may be further restricted by local ordinances. San Francisco, not surprisingly, bans coyote hunting and their trapping and relocating. Coyotes have been steadily encroaching on humans, and it would not be surprising if people who are worried about attacks on pets and children start pushing back.

Coyote with mange (Presidio Trust/Chronicle)
There's another reason to stay away from canis latrans:
Wildlife officials in San Francisco are warning that a rise in sarcoptic mange among local coyotes could pose a threat to domestic pets.

The highly contagious skin condition, caused by microscopic mites, can easily spread from coyotes to dogs, the Presidio Trust said in an advisory to residents. While rare, the disease could also affect humans.

Wildlife experts are advising pet owners to leash dogs and keep them away from wild animals and to report any sick or injured coyotes to authorities.
Your humble blogger senses that the pro-wildlife anti-urban branch of wokeness has peaked. The Santa Cruz wharf collapsed because repairs were not permitted during the nesting season of unendangered seagulls. Protection of the endangered delta smelt has been blamed by President-elect Trump for Los Angeles not having the water needed to fight fires. With their human advocates soon to be in retreat, wild coyotes' days appear to be numbered.

Monday, December 30, 2024

Santa Cruz Wharf

Debris from the partial collapse (CBS/YouTube)
The Santa Cruz Wharf experienced a partial collapse after being buffeted by large waves on December 23rd. Repairs had been planned since 2014 but were stymied by environmentalists to protect seagulls (who are not endangered): [bold added]
Strict permitting requirements and lengthy litigation by environmental activists have stalled efforts to fortify the pier that could have helped it withstand the storm, current and former city officials say.

At the center of the delays: seagulls.

It was for the benefit of the western gull, commonly known as the seagull, that the city of Santa Cruz delayed the most critical part of the repair work, installing new timber piles — the columns that hold up the wharf — until September, because gulls and another bird, the pigeon guillemot, make their nests in the wharf’s wooden beams.

The protections for the birds are imposed by the state Coastal Commission, from which the city must obtain a permit before it can do repairs. Most major construction — including replacing the piles — must take place between September and March to avoid the nesting season.

Our work window is a very narrow six months over the winter time when we tend to have storms and big waves,” said Tony Elliott, director of Parks and Recreation, which oversees the wharf. “The wharf is a 110-year-old structure, and it requires a lot of work. … It takes more than six months out of the year to maintain it effectively.”

Neither the western gull nor the pigeon guillemot are endangered species, yet the Coastal Commission says federal and state laws protect their nesting areas.
One can see thousands of seagulls in San Francisco and down the Peninsula in Foster City. They swoop into the stands at the end of Giants games, looking for scraps. They are ubiquitous, far from endangered, and, frankly, hazardous to human and animal health. Somehow I think the seagulls will adapt if they couldn't nest at the Santa Cruz Wharf over several summers.

The blame for the wharf collapse rests squarely on the shoulders of the California Coastal Commission, which refused to modify its protection of the nesting areas of a species called by many as flying rats.

Thursday, December 19, 2024

Squirrelly Behavior

Vole aka "meadow mouse" (Sonja Wild/UC Davis/SFGate)
Aa a beginning grade school reader in the 1950's my first reading material was the classic Golden Books. I moved on to the "Mother West Wind" series by Thornton W. Burgess (1874-1965), who populated the Green Meadows with over a dozen animal characters. My favorite was Danny Meadow Mouse, who frolicked with Jerry Muskrat, old Mr. Toad, Jimmy Skunk, and Chatterer the Squirrel.

A recent discovery revealed that Thornton W. Burgess' Green Meadows is red in tooth and claw, and we're not even talking about predators like coyotes and cougars: [bold added]
Squirrel eating vole (Sonja Wild/UC Davis/SFGate)
In June 2024, Jennifer E. Smith of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire received a disturbing report from her research team conducting fieldwork at Briones Regional Park in Contra Costa County. It’s a sprawling expanse of grasslands and oak woodlands known for scenic trails, views of Mount Diablo and a thriving bird-watching scene. However, Smith’s students had documented something far more unsettling than a rare bird or damage on a trail: an unsettling description of a California ground squirrel actively hunting, killing and ripping apart the bodies of tiny California voles...

For squirrels observed consuming their kills immediately rather than carrying the carcass back to a den, the behavior followed a grimly methodical pattern. In every case, the squirrels “first removed the head of the vole” before pulling meat from the torso. They then “stripped fur from each of the body parts” before devouring the exposed flesh, organs and even cartilage, behavior that was reminiscent of a more seasoned predator.
The scientists speculate that a spike in the vole population induced the squirrels to switch to an easier, abundant source of protein. What was remarkable was how quickly the mainly granivorous ("relying primarily on seeds, grains and vegetation") squirrels became skilled predators.

Danny Meadow Mouse needs to be more careful about who he hangs out with.

Sunday, October 06, 2024

Blessing of the Animals 2024

Today the church celebrated the Feast of St. Francis (the official Feast day is October 4th), who many regard as the greatest post-Biblical saint in the history of Christianity.

St. Francis turned his back on his family's wealth in favor of a lifetime of poverty and service. He is the patron saint of animals and the environment.

Pets and their owners came forward to be blessed at the altar. This afternoon, as we have for the past 20 years (interrupted by COVID in 2020 and 2021), the church set up a table at the Foster City Dog Park to say a prayer for pets and owners who came forward.

Included in St. Francis' legacy is the composing of the second most-recognized prayer in Christendom:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury,pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

Saturday, September 28, 2024

California's Official Slug

Banana slug (Chron photo)
You've got to hand it to Governor Newsom. Amidst all the problems California is facing--crime, homelessness, a multibillion-dollar budget deficit, businesses fleeing the state--he still found the time to name three new state symbols.
The state now recognizes the Dungeness crab as its official crustacean, the banana slug as its official slug, and the black abalone as its official seashell.

“California has some of the most biodiverse environments in the world — with over 5,500 plants, animals, and other life forms,” Newsom said in a statement. “From the majestic California redwood down to the delicate California quail, every organism matters here — and it’s time we celebrated our less cuddly friends before they get too crabby.”
The abalone and the Dungeness crab are more well-known, but your humble blogger finds the banana slug especially appropros to California: [bold added]
Neon yellow banana slugs that are synonymous with UC Santa Cruz make their home in the region’s lush redwood forests. The slugs, which can grow to 7 inches and longer, have both male and female reproductive organs. This gives them unique mating abilities, including the option to reproduce asexually, though extremely rare.
According to ChatGPT California is the second State to have designated an official slug, the first being Tennessee's coneflower slug in 2023. California used to be first in woo-woo stuff like biodiversity, but it's losing its edge, beaten out by a red state no less. Well, California's slug is non-binary, so there.

Monday, September 23, 2024

Return of the Wild

St. Mary's Park, San Francisco
Coyotes have taken over some areas in San Francisco. Some residents have taken to outfitting their dogs with spiked vests:
This is how it goes in San Francisco, where over 870,000 people and tens of thousands of dogs are learning to live in harmony with about 100 coyotes on 49 square miles of land. Coyotes in particular are highly visible in the patchwork of green spaces that break up this densely populated concrete expanse. Sightings are common, and confrontations occasionally occur, especially when dogs are involved.

...Beyond dog safety, there’s been concern recently about coyotes and children. In July, a coyote bit a 5-year-old girl who was attending a day camp in the San Francisco Botanical Garden. In response, U.S. Agriculture Department trappers shot and killed three coyotes in the park, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials confirmed using DNA testing that one of the animals was the one that nipped the child.
One hundred years ago San Francisco was determined to rid itself of coyotes and did so:
There was a period when coyotes were fully eradicated from San Francisco. “There were coyote killing competitions and bounties and poisoning,” [UC-Davis PhD candidate Tali] Caspi explained, as well as the runoff effects of urbanization destroying habitats. The last coyote spotted and officially recorded in San Francisco in the 20th century was in 1925 in Golden Gate Park.

But thanks to changing attitudes, new laws were passed that banned state and federal agencies from incentivizing animal killings. By the 1970s and ’80s, the coyote population began inching up again in California. In 2002, coyotes began to return naturally to San Francisco, initially in the Presidio, and thrived. After all, while San Francisco may be a big city of concrete and speeding cars, it’s also prime coyote habitat, with pockets of overgrown green spaces and an abundant and novel food supply.
The situation is untenable. It's easy to foresee more attacks on dogs and children and the public outcry that will result.

Posting warning signs will only delay the inevitable.

Friday, September 06, 2024

SF Zoo: Improvement Requires a Candid Assessment

2011 was the last time we commented about the San Francisco Zoo. The post was about the 2007 incident where an escaped tiger mauled a young man to death and injured two of his friends. Police killed the tiger, and the two injured young men received a $900,000 settlement from the Zoo. Although they taunted the animal into an enraged state, they were not held responsible because the Zoo's tiger enclosure wasn't 100% secure.

The grizzly was caught on video entering the zookeeper's area
Recent investigations into the Zoo's policies and procedures have uncovered incidents that could have resulted in more tragedies but luckily didn't. The most dangerous was one involving a grizzly bear.
One Saturday morning last May, a keeper at the San Francisco Zoo heard footsteps behind him in the grizzly bear grotto. Believing it was a co-worker, he turned, only to see the hulking brown form of Kiona. He thought he’d safely locked her in her den, but the door, which is operated from an adjoining room, had an unusual feature: Its lock could be fastened even without the door being securely closed.

The zookeeper began to run, and with Kiona in pursuit, he circled the grotto, according to people familiar with his account. He then sprinted through the door into the keeper area, according to surveillance video. When Kiona stopped briefly, the keeper escaped through a gate and closed it behind him.

At that point, the almost 500-pound grizzly ambled into the keeper area and was separated from the public by a gate, a regular door and a chain-link barrier, said Travis Shields, then the assistant curator of the zoo’s carnivores department, which includes the bears. Shields was away at the time but was briefed by workers who were involved or listening on the radio.

Zoo employees who came to the keeper’s aid found him in a panic and the grizzly roaming the keeper area, Shields said. The zookeepers managed to coax Kiona into her other outdoor habitat and locked the doors.
It's healthy that the San Francisco Zoo is undergoing an audit. It will need substantial improvements in public safety and animal welfare before the pandas come. From April of this year:
“San Francisco is absolutely thrilled that we will be welcoming giant pandas to our San Francisco Zoo,” Breed said in a statement Thursday from Beijing, where she signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese wildlife officials regarding the panda plan.

No timeline was given for the pandas’ arrival. The announcement said it depended on the completion of an enclosure for the animals at the zoo. The number of pandas was also not specified, though pandas often have been sent in pairs...

Owned by the city, the zoo is run by the nonprofit San Francisco Zoological Society. In addition to the estimated $1 million annual price tag to rent the pandas, it could cost an estimated $25 million to build housing for them at San Francisco Zoo, Peterson told ABC News in February. That would be on top of the cost of maintenance and upgrades needed for the facility’s aging structures, some of which date to the 1930s.

Monday, January 22, 2024

Jeepers Creepers where'd ya get those peepers

(Nan Knighton / WSJ)
I missed this lighthearted animal story from America's biggest city last year:

Flaco the Famous New York City Owl Has Become a Peeping Tom
...her feathered visitor was Flaco, an orange-eyed Eurasian eagle-owl who became a New York celebrity after he escaped a zoo in February and turned leafy Central Park into his home. He’s drawn binocular-toting crowds who couldn’t help but root for a creature, like them, trying to make it in the big city.

Over time, though, Flaco’s behavior has shifted. He’s become a true nosy New Yorker, a bit of a hoot and a real owl about town.

Flaco is a gawker, flying out of Central Park and around Manhattan, sometimes standing outside windows with his beak to the glass, and his large round eyes peering inside.
With a large fan base keeping an eye on his movements, Flaco seems to be fine. Animal authorities will leave him alone unless he shows signs of distress.

Speaking of movements, examination of his droppings shows that his diet includes rats. A win-win for the city that never sleeps.
I wanna wake up in that city, that doesn't sleep
And find I'm king of the hill, top of the list
You're that a number one, king of the hill
Oh, little town blues, they have all melted away
And I'm gonna make a brand-new start of it, right there in old New York
You better believe it, bro
You always make it there, you make it anywhere
Come on, come through, New York, New York

Tuesday, January 09, 2024

Mountain Lions: the Facts Have Changed

The Mercury News runs a front-page story about the over-estimation of the mountain lion population "by several thousands": [bold added]
The total number of mountain lions is estimated to be between 3,200 and 4,500, which is thousands fewer than previously thought. The count was conducted by state and university scientists who used GPS collar data and genetic information from scat samples to model population densities across the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Mojave Desert and Southern California’s patchwork of weedy, fire-stripped wilderness...

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife had for decades estimated that the state’s mountain lion population was roughly 6,000 — even despite relentless vehicle strikes, wildfires and encroachment by land-hungry humans throughout their range.

That old figure was just a back-of-the-envelope calculation without much data to support it,” Dellinger said. “The new, more accurate information we collected will be used to conserve and manage mountain lions more appropriately.”
The updated population numbers increase the likelihood that cougars could be classified as "threatened":
If the state Fish and Game Commission agrees, the state Department of Transportation would not be allowed to build or expand highways in core mountain lion habitat without implementing adequate measures to ensure linkages and safe passage over them.

In addition, large-scale residential and commercial development could be prohibited or limited in mountain lion habitats within a region covering roughly a third of the state.
Two years ago the tony town of Woodside attempted to thwart a State law that mandated denser housing by its claim that such construction would endanger mountain lions. Woodside backed down when threatened by State officials.

If environmentalists are serious about the importance of species protection, this new mountain-lion population report should cause them to back Woodside when and if it tries to halt housing construction again.

It will be very interesting if the State ultimately values housing construction over animals, because that will show that the Endangered Species Act is not absolute, which opponents will exploit not only in California but throughout the nation.

Saturday, December 30, 2023

A Dog's Life

Demand for a $500 "dog bed for humans" has exploded:
a huge padded oval that looks like a plush life raft. It sits on the floor and is big enough for people to lie in for naps or reading, nearly 6 feet long...

Interest in the cozy beds jumped 1,650% in 2023, Google said—not entirely a coincidence since they made their debut in the last month of 2022...

Plufl is quickly taking on a Snuggie-like cult stature. It comes in multiple colors, weighs 25 pounds, is machine washable and includes straps for easy transport. It’s often on sale.
Lying in a dog bed looks very, very comfortable.

Of course, a dog bed is nothing compared to Snoopy's doghouse.

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Nature, Red in Tooth and Claw

A coyote approaches seals at Point Reyes (Mercury photo)
A marine scientist has found what's causing the decapitation of seals on the California coast:
So when his camouflaged cameras captured coyotes attacking harbor seal pups, [Frankie] Gerraty wasn’t shocked. “Coyotes are underappreciated predators in shoreline ecosystems, and marine mammals are the largest and most calorically rich nutrient parcels in the ocean, and really anywhere in the world,” Gerraty said.

Why they only eat the pups’ heads, however, is still unclear.

The coyotes’ taste for marine mammals could be genuinely new, or it could be that researchers are just beginning to notice it. It might also be the resurrection of a habit that existed when large predators from coyotes to Grizzly bears freely roamed the California coast before they were hunted down by ranchers determined to protect their livestock.
Through the first half of the 20th century both seals and coyotes were killed and/or driven off by California hunters and ranchers. Now that both populations are coming back because of legal protections, we may be witnessing the rebirth of ancient interactions:
Whether the coyotes’ behavior is new, a resurrection of old relationships, or something scientists have simply just noticed, it is providing researchers with a unique opportunity to study the interaction between two native species. “
The natural world isn't a petting zoo.

Saturday, November 11, 2023

Who's Rescuing Whom?

Having a dog helps mental health, too.
Research has confirmed what pet owners have long suspected: Dogs Help Us Lead Longer, Healthier Lives

Resistance to Allergy
A considerable body of research has found that young children who grow up with dogs in their households are less likely to develop allergies, eczema or asthma, which often occur together as part of what’s called the allergic triad.

The theory, according to allergists, is that early exposure to dog dander could induce a high-dose tolerance to allergens. By stimulating their immune system not to react to dog dander and other microbes carried by canines, growing up with a dog helps kids develop a greater tolerance for certain germs and airborne allergens, thus preventing potential allergies from developing.
Pain Management
When it comes to pain, having a dog doesn’t make you impervious, but it can make the discomfort more bearable. This is partly because having a canine companion provides a continuous source of meaning, connection and support.

Research led by Mary Janevic of the University of Michigan School of Public Health examined how older adults with chronic pain felt their pets affected them. Participants reported that their dogs motivated them to get up and get moving, which helped alleviate their pain. The pets distracted people from their pain and generally improved their moods.
Cardiovascular Health
Research also suggests that having a dog is associated with lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, a reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes and reduced physiological responses to stress. These effects may partly explain why dog ownership is associated with a 31% decreased risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

Across various age groups, multiple studies have found that our heart rate, blood pressure and stress levels tend to be lower when there’s a dog around.
What the studies cannot yet show is how taking care of a dog can give purpose to one's life. It is a reason to keep on living.
your relationship with your dog may alter your attitude toward health and life in general. If you want to be around as long as possible to take care of your beloved canine companion, you may feel inspired to improve your lifestyle and stress-management habits.
"For it is in giving that we receive."--St. Francis

Sunday, October 01, 2023

Blessing of the Animals 2023

The priest will be going on a two-week leave, but he wasn't going to miss the Blessing of the Animals at the Dog Park. After one year in his new post, he said that this was the community event he liked best. However, as the owner of two English bulldogs, he is somewhat biased.

Thirty (30) dogs and their owners came by for a blessing, a Christian tradition that started centuries ago to honor St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

We spent a pleasant couple of hours talking with members of the community--none of whom were church members, by the way--about their beloved animals.

One lady opened her purse and asked if she could make a donation. I quickly ran through the possible answers, finally saying "No, thank you, though. Enjoy." (They never put me in charge of fund-raising.)

This just may be my favorite community event, too.

Friday, September 29, 2023

Mystery Ducks

In the fountain by the Apple Store a mother duck and nine ducklings splashed merrily.

I wonder where they came from. The nearest body of water is Laurel Creek, a quarter-mile away.

The ducks would have had to traverse parking lots, busy streets, and a major shopping center.

While the ducklings have feathers, flying here would be hazardous. And the chance that they would settle in a man-made fountain seems remote.

Frankly, I wonder if they were placed there. Ducklings mature in 2-3 months, at which point this family should join the ducks and geese in the Bay marshlands four miles east. Yet ducks seem to show up regularly, else why go through the trouble of making a sign?

Their presence is a mystery.

Friday, September 15, 2023

Musings at the Dog Park



At the Foster City Dog Park dogs who are 25½ pounds are out of luck. They are neither "small" (25 pounds or less) nor "large" (26 pounds and over), so they have nowhere to go.

I blame the signmaker, who may have thought that weight was only measured in whole numbers. He probably has never been on a diet.

On the other hand, there were no visible weight-patrol officers in the Dog Park, or even a scale to verify entrance requirements.

Measurements like weight are not objective but a man-made construct. If a small dog identifies as large, he's entitled to his truth.

Don't be species-ist.

Thursday, August 31, 2023

P or Not P

Dr. Nirao Shah
Stanford researchers have found the specific cells in the brains of male mice that activate sexual desire. They were able to manipulate desire through the application of a protein called "Substance P."
[Nirao] Shah and his team found buried in mice brains, a bit above the roof of the mouth, tiny neural connections that are tasked with processing information from the outside world.

They tell a male mouse whether another mouse is female, and feeling flirty.

If so, this good news is relayed to an adjacent set of brain cells, located on the same circuit. Then a small protein, called Substance P, issues a call to action — like a Marvin Gaye groove.

The team focused on a set of genetically distinct neurons in the amygdala that do something special: They secrete a small and slow-acting peptide dubbed Substance P.

Then the scientists watched a different set of neurons in the preoptic hypothalamus that had receptors for this Substance P. Those two groups of neurons work together, like lock and key.

When Substance P binds to these receptors, it gradually sensitizes the neurons so they become increasingly active...

Normally, male mice are slow to warm up, taking 10 to 15 minutes before mounting. Afterwards, they take a five-day break before regaining interest.

But when the researchers directly infused Substance P into mice brains, the animals turned into love junkies.

Rather than waiting to mate, the mice were ready instantaneously. They even fell in love with lab equipment, mounting plastic tubes adorned with the tail end of a toy mouse bought on Amazon.

They could also become prim, proper and prudish. When researchers silenced the neurons and switched off the circuit, dialing down production of Substance P, the mice lost desire.
We're years away from determining if there's a similar mechanism in the brains of human males and whether the human version of Substance P can be administered (or turned off) safely. If that can be achieved, the control of man's biggest sex organ, the brain, is around the corner.

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Pickleball: a Danger to San Francisco's Way of Life

Presidio Wall courts near Pacific Heights (Chron)
First world problem: the exploding popularity of pickleball has caused some San Francisco homeowners, bothered by the noise, to petition to shut down pickleball courts. [bold added]
In the petition, [Holly] Peterson argues the sound of yellow-plastic-ball-meets-paddle “isn’t just grating” but that it’s “altering our way of life and the wildlife of our cherished Presidio.”

She and another neighbor, Mary Tesluk, demand that the city suspend all pickleball play until a full environmental study can be completed on the sport’s impact on everything from wildlife to parking.
It took only a few mouseclicks to discover that Holly Peterson lives in an 8-bedroom, 11,320 sq. ft. mansion that's being listed for $36 million. The twist is that her home has a private pickleball court.
There is custom millwork throughout as well as bold colors. The kitchen, for example, has a blue La Cornue range as well as matching blue cabinets and blue leather stools. The primary suite has a balcony and two large dressing rooms. Off the kitchen and family room is a deck with an outdoor kitchen. A steel staircase connects the deck to a large garden terrace and a pickleball court.
The super-rich are different: disco balls and private pickleball (WSJ photo)
Personally, I admire her nerve for trying to suspend pickleball for San Francisco's little people, that is, those who don't have their own courts. I also appreciate the petition's argument that pickleball is antithetical to wildlife and the environment. (It's reminiscent of the City of Woodside trying to halt housing development because of the danger to mountain lions.)

It's really noisome when environmental rules that were meant to stymie evil industrialists are used to thwart what supporters of these rules want for themselves. That's not what we meant!

Monday, August 28, 2023

Shell Shock

CDC tweet
From the age of 4 to 17 I always had one or more pet turtles and/or tortoises in the house. Somehow I made it to adulthood without this warning from the CDC:
The federal agency is telling pet owners not to “kiss or snuggle” their turtles, or eat and drink around them, to avoid possible [salmonella] infection.
Turtles can't catch you, but you can catch something from turtles.

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Oakland Zoo

Diana, 44, seems to like being hosed down.
After nearly 50 years of living in the Bay Area I visited the Oakland Zoo for the first time.

The initial impression was favorable.

The Zoo looks well-designed and well-maintained. Wherever we wandered on the 100-acre property a staff member or volunteer was always in sight. On a Wednesday afternoon most of the customers were families with children.

It needs to be mentioned that the Zoo is in the Oakland hills. The Zoo is close to regional parks and golf courses; it's only ten miles from crime-ridden downtown Oakland, but it may as well be in a different world.

Though we (try to) exercise regularly, we had enough after a couple of hours in the 88°F heat and the hilly terrain. In contrast we have spent the entire day in the flat, cool, sometimes foggy environment of the San Francisco Zoo.

We wanted to see more, so we upgraded to an annual family membership. We'll come back in the fall.