Myanmar unveils zoo in remote new capital
Wed Mar 26, 3:59 AM ET
Wed Mar 26, 3:59 AM ET
Myanmar's military rulers opened a zoo in their new capital Naypyidaw on Wednesday, bringing a rare attraction to the isolated city which emerged from scrubland in 2005. About 420 animals including rare wallabies, white tigers and penguins were moved from the former seat of government Yangon in February and trucked to the 612-acre (247-hectare) Naypyidaw Zoological Gardens. 'We are very proud as we have constructed this international standard zoological garden within seven months', Tin Aung Myint Oo, a senior junta member, said in his opening speech.
'Not only local visitors, but also foreign tourists can study here', he told gathered ministers, diplomats and junta officials.
He did not explain how foreign tourists -- currently banned from the new capital by the secretive generals -- would visit the zoo, which is on the Yangon-Mandalay highway about 400 kilometres (250 miles) north of Yangon.
About half of the animals residing in the 102-year-old Yangon Zoological Gardens including elephants, crocodiles, tigers, deer, leopards and monkeys were loaded into trucks and driven up to Naypyidaw.
'No animal was killed when transferring them from Yangon to Naypyidaw. All are in good health now. They are enjoying it here', a senior official at the new zoo told AFP.
Tens of thousands of people flocked from nearby villages to visit the zoo, which was free to the public on its opening day.
'We are very happy. We have never been to a zoo before', said a 50-year-old woman from a nearby village as she queued in hot weather with her children.
'This is a good chance for us to see animals. Now I'm waiting to see the white tigers'.
But some at the opening ceremony worried that the oppressive heat of central Myanmar might not suit the menagerie.
'The weather is so hot here', said one Yangon-based diplomat. 'I am worried whether the animals can stay in this weather. They will have to plant many trees for the animals here'.
The military regime surprised the world in 2005 by suddenly shifting its capital from Yangon to this remote town in the mountains.
Since then Naypyidaw's population has grown to more than 900,000 people, according to official statistics. Residents are mostly government and military officials ordered to move from Yangon.
The city will be site of a grand military parade on Thursday to mark Armed Forces Day.
News: Reality bites tails of 'Attack'
REALITY BITES
TAILS OF 'ATTACK
TAILS OF 'ATTACK
March 25, 2008 -- WHAT a purrrrrrfectly big kitty cat.
Once I get out there, I believe I will be steering clear of most other animals for at least 10 years. Yes, I agree, I almost lost my mentor out there a few times during Rogue Nature, because scarier things happened behind the cameras (especially with the elephants and in Sharks: Are they Hunting Us?) If you don't mind big cats, then you are welcome. Did you know that Dave's co., Triosphere is responsible for the documentary Meerkat Manor? Yep! They filmed/produced the entire thing. Apparently they were into the less scary stuff first. Yes, to go and say to the camera and say that is the stupidest thing you have ever done, I think it is more as a way of showing the viewers how much worse it is in reality, when you are the one there. Do you agree? It may cause some heart attacks at the viewers end, but for the next few years at least, I think Dave will be alright. Rest assured, and good luck with those pictures. So which was your favourite RN? I loved the Lion RN and then probably the elephant and hippo/croc come in at 2nd place. March 20, 2008 5:28 PM >>> Yeah, I did get the impression that the elephant episode was the closest call. Maybe I'm wrong, but it felt that way. Sharks, well, they are always a close call. And I say that with the outmost respect, because they just magnificent, a wonder of evolution. Don't you love shark week? I have a true fascination for these creatures.
>>> I think that, by admitting that you've done the stupidest thing ever, you show that you are... human, after all. Which means, you may know a lot, but still reality is something else. When I saw that hippo episode, I thought, my God!, why?! Why to experience that first hand?! If you know by a fact that the whole thing is that dangerous, why?! Even for the sake of science. And saying that the whole thing was stupid – exposing himself to such a dangerous situation, unnecessarily – was a great moment. It was like, I know a lot, I've seen a lot, I'm very curious, I want to know more, but this is too much. You don't need to go that far. You don't need to cross the line. And this is the very first rule of the survival guide. For anything. Anywhere.
>>> Which, by the way, makes me think of all those discussions, when people compare Dave Salmoni to Steve Irwin or Thimoty Treadwell. And, you know what?, it's not the same thing. It's not the same thing at all. Not the same style, not the same philosophy, not the same attitude. I lived in Austrália for a while – three and a half years -, Irwin was a big personality by then and I used to watch his show. Really, not the same thing. Dave is not the new Irwin at all. Not the new Treadwell. I don't think he sees himself as in control, all the time, or as just another member of the herd. Even when Dave seems to expose himself to certain situations, to some very risky situations, I don't get the feeling that he truly believes he is completely safe, in a sort of archemedean point of observation, totally detached from the situation itself. And I guess that, by showing a certain degree of fear, you are also showing some due respect too. Yes, you're absolutely right, people will see the real thing is much worse than one might think.
>>> Well, I have a thing for felines. In fact, I'm the proud human owned by generations of cats. I'm a cat person and cat country is my land. Felines come first, always. Small and cute, big and majestic, it doesn't matter, they always come first. So, the favourite RN episode must be the lions one, no contest about that. It was great. Besides, Dave was very confortable doing it, which is a plus. But I also like elephants, especially the African ones, and that episode was very well done. It gave us a good idea of how dangerous these creatures become when pushed to a limit situation. Moreover, I liked it when Dave interviewed that veterinarian and she talked about the elephants, and the whole growing up without social structure, without their mothers' and aunts' guidance. The chimp episode did surprise me. I had no idea whatsoever that chimps could be that way. So, the chimp RN was very instructive. Crocs and hippos, a very imminent heart-attack one. The squid episode, very bizarre. The whole food frenzy was bizarre. This one should get the 'weird and instructive' first place. You've got to love Rogue Nature.
>>> My Holy Grail nowadays is a good version of Animal Face-Off. Dave took part in a number of episodes and, despite some very silly moments, the whole idea behind the show was interesting. Maybe I get lucky, I don't know. Thanks anyway!
"Province not sold on plan for tiger at barPosted March 20th, 2008
Yes, I'd say it felt all that and more, I suppose!
Well, Dave is my mentor and I am following in his footsteps, so one day I will be there and be able to do those things - maybe I'll be able to come back here, and let you know, Ana? Or you could come out and be the photographer instead of having to take screencaps? = )
Africa is a place of timeless beauty, and it will hopefully go undisturbed so that this will always remain.
Indi
P.S. Do you have screencaps or any other good pictures of Dave's other docos?
March 19, 2008 5:15 PM
>>> Oh, well, I wish! It would be fun... I mean, to take pictures of all those amazing animals. But you would have to promise me to stay clear from crocs and hippos and mad elephant mums trying to stomp you all over. Or, at least, to keep a safe distance. Those Rogue Nature episodes take my breath away and not in the good way, I'll tell you. Like, don't go on a tiny trunk boat to face a river full of hippos and then confess, to the cameras, that this is the most stupid thing that you have ever done. When your mentor does that kind of stuff, he gives me a heart attack.
>>> I'm trying to take more screencaps but whatever else I have has been recorded in a DVD recorder and the quality is not quite the same. When you freeze to capture, the result is poor. But I working on it. As soon as I get reasonably good images, I'll be posting them here, no doubt. I would be happy to take good caps from that shark enchanters documentary. Who knows?
The documentary is amazing, you are right. And there is nothing better than taking pictures of such beautiful animals. I have the documentary, but the moments seem that more special when 'frozen in time', don't you think? Indi March 18, 2008 11:29 PM >>> Absolutely! And Africa is a perfect place for that. The whole natural african scene seems to be as old as time - you don't need much to capture this timeless quality, really. Just a camera. It's very special, indeed. The whole 'frozen in time' thing takes you to a diferent world, to a different reality. I wonder how it must have felt to be there and do that. To live the experience. Brave, crazy and wonderful, I suppose. 1 Comment -
May I ask where you found these pictures? Thank you for them - they are beautiful. Indi = )
March 17, 2008 4:49 PM
Meet 10-monthold Keera, a 51-pound mountain lion who recently paid a visit to The Post along with Animal Planet's Dave Salmoni, a professional big-cat handler and the host of After the Attack (tonight at 9). Keera, who eats about 6 pounds of meat a day, was born at a wildlife sanctuary in Florida and lives there with her parents, Sierra, a 110-pound female and Junior, who at almost 150 pounds is freakishly large for a mountain lion. On After the Attack, Salmoni - who has been bitten, scratched and clawed several times in his career - meets with people who have survived deadly confrontations with wild animals. Salmoni is helped by a team of animal and behavioral experts, who investigate the stories behind each attack and try to aid the survivors through the healing process.
You've got to love Rogue Nature
"Stay away from crocs!"
Once I get out there, I believe I will be steering clear of most other animals for at least 10 years. Yes, I agree, I almost lost my mentor out there a few times during Rogue Nature, because scarier things happened behind the cameras (especially with the elephants and in Sharks: Are they Hunting Us?) If you don't mind big cats, then you are welcome. Did you know that Dave's co., Triosphere is responsible for the documentary Meerkat Manor? Yep! They filmed/produced the entire thing. Apparently they were into the less scary stuff first. Yes, to go and say to the camera and say that is the stupidest thing you have ever done, I think it is more as a way of showing the viewers how much worse it is in reality, when you are the one there. Do you agree? It may cause some heart attacks at the viewers end, but for the next few years at least, I think Dave will be alright. Rest assured, and good luck with those pictures. So which was your favourite RN? I loved the Lion RN and then probably the elephant and hippo/croc come in at 2nd place. March 20, 2008 5:28 PM >>> Yeah, I did get the impression that the elephant episode was the closest call. Maybe I'm wrong, but it felt that way. Sharks, well, they are always a close call. And I say that with the outmost respect, because they just magnificent, a wonder of evolution. Don't you love shark week? I have a true fascination for these creatures.
>>> I think that, by admitting that you've done the stupidest thing ever, you show that you are... human, after all. Which means, you may know a lot, but still reality is something else. When I saw that hippo episode, I thought, my God!, why?! Why to experience that first hand?! If you know by a fact that the whole thing is that dangerous, why?! Even for the sake of science. And saying that the whole thing was stupid – exposing himself to such a dangerous situation, unnecessarily – was a great moment. It was like, I know a lot, I've seen a lot, I'm very curious, I want to know more, but this is too much. You don't need to go that far. You don't need to cross the line. And this is the very first rule of the survival guide. For anything. Anywhere.
>>> Which, by the way, makes me think of all those discussions, when people compare Dave Salmoni to Steve Irwin or Thimoty Treadwell. And, you know what?, it's not the same thing. It's not the same thing at all. Not the same style, not the same philosophy, not the same attitude. I lived in Austrália for a while – three and a half years -, Irwin was a big personality by then and I used to watch his show. Really, not the same thing. Dave is not the new Irwin at all. Not the new Treadwell. I don't think he sees himself as in control, all the time, or as just another member of the herd. Even when Dave seems to expose himself to certain situations, to some very risky situations, I don't get the feeling that he truly believes he is completely safe, in a sort of archemedean point of observation, totally detached from the situation itself. And I guess that, by showing a certain degree of fear, you are also showing some due respect too. Yes, you're absolutely right, people will see the real thing is much worse than one might think.
>>> Well, I have a thing for felines. In fact, I'm the proud human owned by generations of cats. I'm a cat person and cat country is my land. Felines come first, always. Small and cute, big and majestic, it doesn't matter, they always come first. So, the favourite RN episode must be the lions one, no contest about that. It was great. Besides, Dave was very confortable doing it, which is a plus. But I also like elephants, especially the African ones, and that episode was very well done. It gave us a good idea of how dangerous these creatures become when pushed to a limit situation. Moreover, I liked it when Dave interviewed that veterinarian and she talked about the elephants, and the whole growing up without social structure, without their mothers' and aunts' guidance. The chimp episode did surprise me. I had no idea whatsoever that chimps could be that way. So, the chimp RN was very instructive. Crocs and hippos, a very imminent heart-attack one. The squid episode, very bizarre. The whole food frenzy was bizarre. This one should get the 'weird and instructive' first place. You've got to love Rogue Nature.
>>> My Holy Grail nowadays is a good version of Animal Face-Off. Dave took part in a number of episodes and, despite some very silly moments, the whole idea behind the show was interesting. Maybe I get lucky, I don't know. Thanks anyway!
News: poor Robbie...
"Province not sold on plan for tiger at barPosted March 20th, 2008
Plans to include a tiger from a Toronto-area zoo as part of a massive entertainment spectacle at a Calgary bar are creating controversy and have drawn the attention of the provincial government. Snatch Rock 'n Roll Lounge is staging a show called Adrenaline 2008: Hollywood Meets Calgary. Throughout show, Robbie the tiger from the Bowmanville Zoo will be on the stage in a large caged enclosure. However, officials with the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission told CTV Calgary on Wednesday they hadn't even been approached for permission for the event and had yet to decide whether to allow it.
Robbie has been an honorary mascot for the CFL Hamilton Tiger Cats and has appeared on several television shows, including CTV's Canada AM and the CBC's The Hour.
On the latter, trainer Dave Salmoni told host George Stroumboulopoulos that Robbie was a rescue cat who had been owned by a stripper, and that he takes the animal around to various events in an effort to educate the public.
Late in February, a magazine photo shoot at the Bowmanville Zoo ended abruptly when a lion named Leo pounced on a woman demonstrating martial arts.
Gitanjali Kolanad suffered four broken ribs and a bruised lung in the incident which was caught on video and posted to the Internet.
Officials at the Calgary bar told CTV that Robbie always travels with at least one trainer and up to four handlers.
They said they are confident none of the patrons or the animal will be put at risk, noting that if Robbie becomes distressed or agitated, he would be removed from the venue.
Robbie has been an honorary mascot for the CFL Hamilton Tiger Cats and has appeared on several television shows, including CTV's Canada AM and the CBC's The Hour.
On the latter, trainer Dave Salmoni told host George Stroumboulopoulos that Robbie was a rescue cat who had been owned by a stripper, and that he takes the animal around to various events in an effort to educate the public.
Late in February, a magazine photo shoot at the Bowmanville Zoo ended abruptly when a lion named Leo pounced on a woman demonstrating martial arts.
Gitanjali Kolanad suffered four broken ribs and a bruised lung in the incident which was caught on video and posted to the Internet.
Officials at the Calgary bar told CTV that Robbie always travels with at least one trainer and up to four handlers.
They said they are confident none of the patrons or the animal will be put at risk, noting that if Robbie becomes distressed or agitated, he would be removed from the venue.
Stay away from crocs!
Well, Dave is my mentor and I am following in his footsteps, so one day I will be there and be able to do those things - maybe I'll be able to come back here, and let you know, Ana? Or you could come out and be the photographer instead of having to take screencaps? = )
Africa is a place of timeless beauty, and it will hopefully go undisturbed so that this will always remain.
Indi
P.S. Do you have screencaps or any other good pictures of Dave's other docos?
March 19, 2008 5:15 PM
>>> Oh, well, I wish! It would be fun... I mean, to take pictures of all those amazing animals. But you would have to promise me to stay clear from crocs and hippos and mad elephant mums trying to stomp you all over. Or, at least, to keep a safe distance. Those Rogue Nature episodes take my breath away and not in the good way, I'll tell you. Like, don't go on a tiny trunk boat to face a river full of hippos and then confess, to the cameras, that this is the most stupid thing that you have ever done. When your mentor does that kind of stuff, he gives me a heart attack.
>>> I'm trying to take more screencaps but whatever else I have has been recorded in a DVD recorder and the quality is not quite the same. When you freeze to capture, the result is poor. But I working on it. As soon as I get reasonably good images, I'll be posting them here, no doubt. I would be happy to take good caps from that shark enchanters documentary. Who knows?
Timeless
The documentary is amazing, you are right. And there is nothing better than taking pictures of such beautiful animals. I have the documentary, but the moments seem that more special when 'frozen in time', don't you think? Indi March 18, 2008 11:29 PM >>> Absolutely! And Africa is a perfect place for that. The whole natural african scene seems to be as old as time - you don't need much to capture this timeless quality, really. Just a camera. It's very special, indeed. The whole 'frozen in time' thing takes you to a diferent world, to a different reality. I wonder how it must have felt to be there and do that. To live the experience. Brave, crazy and wonderful, I suppose.
"Images: Living With Tigers (caps)"
May I ask where you found these pictures? Thank you for them - they are beautiful. Indi = )
March 17, 2008 4:49 PM
>>> Thanks, Andy. These are actual screencaps taken from the DVD Living With Tigers. I'm a bit of a caps buff - love it. They do look very nice, don't they? Not perfect yet, but... well... I'll get there. Eventually. In truth, the amazing thing is the documentary. Totally worth it.
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