January 30, 2012

Portland’s Zoo Railway (Feb, 1959)

Looks like this train, plus two others are still going strong at the Portland Zoo.

Portland’s Zoo Railway

HAPPY tots and smiling adults ride around the new $3,859,000 Portland, Ore., zoo on America’s latest railway—the Portland Zoo Railroad Co. The rocket-styled, Diesel-powered Zooliner hauls three gleaming Skydome coaches and a luxurious club car which tote 99 adults or 132 kids. The pike is headed by famed Pacific Northwest author and historian, Stewart H. Holbrook, Chairman of the Board, and John H. Jones, President. All aboard!

January 13, 2012

NEW for the ZOO (Mar, 1950)

NEW for the ZOO

Lemur, rarely seen in this country, was adopted by Harf Hoogstraal on recent expedition into Madagascar. Monkey-like creature has 14-inch tail, drinks beer and champagne, will aid medical research.

$2500 Pig is no common variety of pork-on-the-hoof; he’ll be going Hollywood, soon. Porky is four years old and was born with only two legs, but he has learned to use them well. Piggie’s sponsor is a California carnival man, Charles Simpson.
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December 16, 2011

From Jungle to Zoo on the Wild Animal Trail (Jun, 1931)

Filed under: Animals — @ 12:32 am
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jun, 1931
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From Jungle to Zoo on the Wild Animal Trail

as told by FRANK BUCK
Famous Animal Collector

One of the most thrilling jobs in the world is that of Frank Buck, who captures wild animals for zoos all over the globe. He tells of some of his perilous experiences in this article. With Edward Anthony, he is author of “Bring ‘em Back Alive,” a fascinating book of his animal collecting adventures.

FOR eighteen exciting years I have been gathering live animals, reptiles and birds for the zoos, the circuses and dealers. I have brought back to America thousands of specimens. I have had more than my share of thrills, including narrow escapes from the fangs of venomous serpents and the claws of man-eating tigers.
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July 1, 2011

Surgical Boots Help Baby Elephant Support His Weight (Aug, 1929)

Surgical Boots Help Baby Elephant Support His Weight

THIS TINY elephant at right—he is tiny for an elephant—is the baby of the Kensington Gardens Zoo in London. At the time the photo was taken he weighed close to 300 pounds and his legs were not yet strong enough to permit him to gambol about the zoo in healthy elephant style. Read the rest of this entry »

October 5, 2010

Chimpanzee Plugs in and Gives Wrong Numbers on Zoo Switchboard (Dec, 1929)

Filed under: Animals — @ 12:59 am
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Dec, 1929
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Chimpanzee Plugs in and Gives Wrong Numbers on Zoo Switchboard

DICK, one of the chimpanzee residents of the Luna Park Zoo in Los Angeles, California, paid a call to the zoo office the other day and while there he made friends with the telephone operator. When invited to try out the switchboard, Dick pushed and pulled plugs, particularly enjoying using the plugs when a light flashed on the board. He dispensed wrong numbers with carefree abandon and gibbered back at irate phone users who tried to “bawl him out” for his carelessness. He was removed from the chair, however, before he had an opportunity to raise a mob of protesting callers.

June 17, 2010

Oiled Balloons Limber up ‘Gators (Sep, 1931)

Filed under: Animals — @ 12:15 am
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Sep, 1931
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Oiled Balloons Limber up ‘Gators

TRAINERS at the Los Angeles alligator farm have originated a new and unique method for exercising their century old saurian charges. A few balloons liberally smeared with fish oil and then floated over the pool do the trick. Read the rest of this entry »

June 30, 2007

MURALS MAKE BEAVERS FEEL AT HOME (Jun, 1936)

Filed under: Other Animals — @ 12:33 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jun, 1936
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Wait. That’s a zoo? I thought it was the Alaskan wilderness!

MURALS MAKE BEAVERS FEEL AT HOME
Beavers in a den at the Belle Isle Zoo, in Detroit, Mich., now cavort amid scenes resembling their natural habitat. To minimize the artificial appearance of the surroundings, an artist reproduced a colorful forest panorama, complete with pine trees, scrub brush, streams, and lakes, upon the concrete walls of the open beaver pit. Visitors are attracted by the novelty of viewing the animals against a woodland background.

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