Tag Archives: San Diego Zoo

November 5, 2009 · 9:30 AM

Las Vegas Extreme Makeover: Ape Edition

Apes everywhere are likely celebrating their new digs planned for Las Vegas.  Reportedly, there will be an ape exhibit containing six apes in a new Las Vegas habitat in the next few months. ape

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is also probably going Ape Ga-Ga (vs. Lady Gaga, who is also coming to Las Vegas shortly) over the announcement- highly endangered apes are his favorite animals. 

Representatives from the San Diego Zoo were in Las Vegas last week at the Las Vegas Zoo and announced a donation of $15,000 for the improvement of the ape and desert tortoise exhibits.  

Zoo officials are asking the public for donations to help build the new exhibit, which will provide a more natural-looking habitat for the animals.  Each will cost $50,000.

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October 1, 2009 · 9:36 AM

San Diego Zoo Helps Las Vegas Desert Tortoises

The San Diego Zoo is showing off work it is doing at a Las Vegas center to help repopulate an endangered species of desert tortoise. The zoo took over the Desert Tortoise Conservation Center in rural Clark County in Nevada in March. deserttortoise

Since then, business has apparently been booming– they have hired five full-time and five seasonal employees. 

The zoo plans to study, breed and raise tortoises, train new researchers and educate the public. 

The facility was established in 1990 on more than 11,000 acres managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took it over in 2007. 

It takes in about 1,000 tortoises abandoned as pets or found injured in the wild each year. Up to 4,000 tortoises already live there.

Since it opened, the center has released 8,000 tortoises into the wild.

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