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World famous gay penguin dies

<p>One half of the world famous gay penguin couple at Sydney's SEA LIFE Aquarium has died. </p> <p>In 2018, Gentoo penguin Sphen made international headlines when he coupled up with another male gentoo penguin, Magic.</p> <p>Shortly after meeting, the two male penguins began making a nest together out of pebbles ahead of breeding season, so the aquarium staff gave them a foster egg to care for.</p> <p>Sphen and Magic raised two foster chicks, Sphengic (Lara) in 2018 and Clancy in 2020, and are among the most strongly bonded gentoo penguin pairs at the aquarium.</p> <p>The penguins have inspired books, documentaries, new studies in the NSW syllabus and even featured on a float at the Sydney Mardi Gras parade. </p> <p>Earlier in August, Sphen passed away at the age of 12, which is considered a long life for a gentoo penguin. </p> <p>In order to help process the loss, the aquarium staff took Magic to see his partner's body to help with the understanding that Sphen would not be returning.</p> <p>He immediately started singing, which was reciprocated by the colony.</p> <p>"The loss of Sphen is heartbreaking to the penguin colony, the team and everyone who has been inspired or positively impacted by Sphen and Magic's story," SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium's general manager, Richard Dilly, said in a statement.</p> <p>"Sphen and Magic's love story captivated the world and it's been an honour to welcome local and international fans, some of which travelled long distances to see them in real life."</p> <p>"The team's focus is now on Magic, who will soon prepare for his first breeding season without Sphen."</p> <p><em>Image credits: SEA LIFE Aquarium Sydney </em></p>

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How captive animals are coping with the sudden emptiness of the world’s zoos and aquariums

<p>More than 700 million people visit zoos and aquariums each year <a href="https://www.waza.org/">worldwide</a>, so human visitors are usually a constant presence for the animals that live there. But the COVID-19 pandemic has forced these places to close to the public, plunging resident animals into an empty silence.</p> <p>Instead, zoos have been opening virtually during the lockdown, allowing people to see behind the closed doors from the comfort of their living rooms. Chester Zoo in the UK hosted an online tour so popular that it “<a href="https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/relive-chester-zoos-first-ever-18006186">broke the internet when it went viral</a>” according to one zookeeper, with hundreds of thousands of people worldwide flocking to the zoo’s Facebook page.</p> <p>Zoo workers have described how animals are greeting the isolation during COVID-19 closures. One zoo in India reported that animals were “<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/call-of-the-wild-quiet-brings-out-animal-instincts-at-zoo/articleshow/75665638.cms">loving the quiet spell</a>” – foxes were “frolicking around”, the hippopotamus was happily splashing in its pool and even the tigers were enjoying a dip. In other zoos, animals seem to be <a href="https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/animals-twycross-zoo-are-missing-4119435">missing people</a>. Twycross Zoo’s curator reported primates looking for zoo visitors, for instance.</p> <p>Some zoo animals are forgetting all about their previous lives, with garden eels at one Japanese aquarium hiding when staff members approached their enclosure. Workers have asked the public to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/01/japanese-aquarium-urges-public-to-video-chat-eels-who-are-forgetting-humans-exist">make video calls to their eels</a>, to try and prevent them from seeing visitors as a threat when the aquarium reopens. Meanwhile, some animals are enjoying the freedom of daily zoo walks, like the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVfTGFBJ8a8">penguins at the Shedd Aquarium</a> in Chicago, which were let out to wander the empty halls and look into the other enclosures.</p> <p>Is this reprieve from regular visitors healthy for zoo animals? And how will they respond to people suddenly flooding back once zoos reopen? Researchers and animal charities are worried that our pets will develop <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/dogs-trust-separation-anxiety-pets-coronavirus-lockdown-a9477541.html">separation anxiety once their owners return to work</a>. The opposite might happen among zoo animals. Will captive creatures be desperate for the public to return or have they adapted to a slower, quieter life?</p> <p><strong>When zoos reopen</strong></p> <p>As zoos that have closed for months <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/coronavirus-lockdown-europe-austria-pools-zoos-opened-a4426021.html">reopen their doors</a>, we have an opportunity to study how visitors influence the lives of zoo animals. While we can’t predict the future, previous research on how zoo animals have responded to changes in visitor schedules might give us some idea of what to expect.</p> <p>During the night, zoo animals are used to relative peace and quiet. For many, beyond the odd security warden, there are no visitors. But before COVID-19, some zoos did open their doors outside of normal opening hours, for <a href="https://www.colchester-zoo.com/event/starlight-safari-night-2/">late-night tours</a> and <a href="https://twycrosszoo.org/events/twycross-zoo-safari-sleepover-camping-experience/">overnight camps</a>.</p> <p>Typically, we study animal behaviours to understand how they may be feeling and try to make judgements about their experiences. From that, we can say that zoo animals have tended to show mixed responses to evening events. A <a href="http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/pdf_files/142/1422582743.pdf">study</a> at a zoo in Germany found that elephants sought comfort from others in their herd during an evening firework display, but they didn’t retreat into their indoor enclosures. <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/vmi/2017/6585380/">Researchers</a> at London Zoo noticed no changes in the behaviour of lions during sunset safaris, on evenings when the zoo was open for visitors until 10pm, compared to their behaviour during normal opening hours.</p> <p>Across the board, changes in the usual routines of zoo animals affect different species in different ways. The quiet caused by vanished visitors might mean more animals performing attention-seeking behaviours to try and interact with visitors more than normal, as keepers have reported chimpanzees doing <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/life-covid-19-animals-zookeepers-maryland-zoo/story?id=70422788">during lockdown</a>, as they reach out towards workers who would usually feed them by hand. It may also cause them to be overly skittish to human visitors when they return, like the garden eels in Japan.</p> <p>This is the longest time many zoo animals will have gone without the public, and zoo staff will have to help them transition back to normal life. Most zoos are planning <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-52493750">phased reopenings</a> of animal houses to prevent the sudden changes in noise disturbing the animals.</p> <p>Some animals, especially those born during the COVID-19 lockdown, will never have experienced life in the public eye. Many up-close animal encounters <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-zoos-must-change-to-keep-great-apes-safe-from-coronavirus-134692">will have to change</a>, particularly as <a href="https://theconversation.com/transmission-of-diseases-from-humans-to-apes-why-extra-vigilance-is-now-needed-134083">humans can transmit coronaviruses to great apes</a> in captivity.</p> <p>On your next visit, <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-behave-at-a-zoo-according-to-science-73873">be cool, calm and collected</a>. Keepers and other zoo staff will be on hand to guide you, helping enforce social distancing and supporting you on how best to behave around the animals. Your local zoo will need visitors more than ever when they reopen. But remember, zoo animals will be experiencing their own post lockdown fuzz, and, just like you, they may need time to adjust.</p> <p><em>Written by Ellen Williams and Jessica Rendle. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-captive-animals-are-coping-with-the-sudden-emptiness-of-the-worlds-zoos-and-aquariums-138668">The Conversation.</a> </em></p>

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Sydney to lose one of its most-loved attractions

<p>Sydney is set to lose another one of its most-loved attractions, as Manly Sea Life Sanctuary made the shock announcement that it would be closing at the end of the year.</p> <p>The aquarium has been an iconic attraction on the Northern Beaches, serving as the home to sharks, penguins, turtles and fish of all shapes and sizes for 50 years.</p> <p>Merlin Entertainments Group, the conglomerate that runs the tourist attraction, reportedly believes the aquarium is no longer a viable business in a building that has seen better years. 40 staff members will be affected by the news.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fmanlysealifesanctuary%2Fposts%2F1253543741369252%3A0&amp;width=500" width="500" height="485" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></p> <p>The group will also be looking for new homes for the sea life in the aquarium, with 107 sharks and rays, 2000 fish, 500 invertebrates, as well as 19 penguins and 11 reptiles, expected to be distributed to other aquariums around Australia.</p> <p>Divisional director Rob Smith told <a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/manly-daily" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Manly Daily</strong></em></span></a> it was not an easy decision, “As a building it’s not a viable investment to keep on running it as an aquarium.</p> <p>“From 1965 (when works begun to build the first aquarium on the site) to now, it has had lots of different additions, different elements added, which has overall impacted the lifespan of the building as an aquarium.”</p> <p>Are you saddened by this announcement? Have you ever been to Manly Sea Life Sanctuary? If not, now might be the time to go!</p>

International Travel

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Meet the goldfish with a “wheelchair”

<p>While it’s not uncommon to see dogs using custom wheelchairs to help them walk, a goldfish with one is certainly not something you see every day. An inventive aquarium worker named Derek has become an online sensation, after he crafted a makeshift “wheelchair” to help a goldfish. The cute little aquatic critter was brought into the shop by its owner, who said it was struggling to float upright due to a bladder disorder.</p> <p><img width="499" height="665" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/34289/image__499x665.jpg" alt="fish (1)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Derek sent the sweet photo to his friend, Taylor, who then shared it to Twitter, where it has been retweeted more than 25,000 times and received over 75,000 likes.</p> <p>Chatting to <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/tanyachen/goldfish-wheelchair" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">BuzzFeed</span></strong></a>, Derek revealed how he created the clever apparatus. “I got some airline tubing that people usually use in their tank and just placed it around the goldfish. I added some valves to the bottom of it, which acted as a ‘chair’ to prop him up. I added weights to the bottom of the ‘chair’ and something to keep him afloat on top (Styrofoam), and slowly removed pieces until I achieved just the right buoyancy to make it easy for him to swim around without feeling like he’s dragging around a chair.”</p> <p>Yesterday, Taylor issued an update to the goldfish’s many new fans, writing, “just wanted to let you guys know wheelchair fish is still doing well and got an even more comfortable wheelchair.”</p> <p><img width="498" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/34290/fish-wheelchair_498x245.jpg" alt="Fish Wheelchair" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><em>Images: @taylorndean / Twitter.</em></p>

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Inky the octopus makes daring aquarium escape

<p>In something that seems like a scene from <em>Finding Nemo</em>, an octopus has made an escape from the National Aquarium of New Zealand, breaking out of its tank before sliding down a 50 metre drainpipe before eventually disappearing into the sea.</p> <p>Inky, who is a common New Zealand octopus, was given an inch and took a mile when he found out his aquarium door was left slightly ajar overnight.</p> <p>But as you see in the pictures below, Inky’s escape was no walk (or slide) in the park.</p> <p><img width="500" height="624" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/18554/octopus-in-text-_500x624.jpg" alt="Octopus In Text -" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p> </p> <p>Rob Yarrell, national manager of the National Aquarium of New Zealand said, “Octopuses are famous escape artists. But Inky really tested the waters here. I don’t think he was unhappy with us, or lonely, as octopus are solitary creatures. But he is such a curious boy. He would want to know what’s happening on the outside. That’s just his personality.”</p> <p>Inky was brought to the aquarium by a local fisherman a number of years ago. </p> <p>According to Mr Yarrell, Inky  was an “unusually intelligent” octopus.</p> <p>Mr Yarrell said, “He was very friendly, very inquisitive, and a popular attraction here. We have another octopus, Blotchy, but he is smaller than Inky, and Inky had the personality.”</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/02/vintage-photos-capture-pure-innocence-of-children/">Vintage photos capture the pure innocence of children</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/02/how-to-bring-up-a-happy-child/">22 tips for bringing up a happy child</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/02/heartwarming-photos-that-prove-every-child-needs-a-pet/">15 heartwarming photos that prove every child needs a pet</a></em></strong></span></p>

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Sleep with the fishes in a Paris aquarium

<p>Are you a lover of all things aquatic? Then this Airbnb listing may be for you. Like Luca Brasi in <em>The Godfather</em>, these people got to “sleep with the fishes” – but don’t worry, this experience doesn’t include cement shoes.</p> <p>The Shark Aquarium in Paris offered two lucky (?) people the opportunity to sleep among some of the world’s fiercest marine creatures, separated only by a transparent wall. Three pairs of winners were treated to a night each in the circular “apartment” boasting 360-degree views the likes of which have never been seen in the world of tourism before.</p> <p>Host Fred Buyle, a free diver, said the competition was a chance to educate people about sharks. “Sharks are really, really misunderstood … People need to understand that sharks are not dangerous, there are only dangerous behaviours with sharks [...] You can be with sharks and nothing bad happens, but also that we need to protect the sharks because they are like crucial for the ecosystem. If sharks disappear, we disappear, basically.”</p> <p>Over 63,000 people entered the competition and three couples were selected each from the US, the UK and China. After the aquatic accommodation experience, the apartment will be transformed into a research hub.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/accommodation/2016/04/stay-in-hamlets-castle-on-airbnb/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">You can stay in Shakespeare’s Hamlet’s castle for $10</span></strong></em></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/accommodation/2016/04/best-beach-houses-on-airbnb/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">3 of the best beach houses on Airbnb</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/accommodation/2016/04/colourful-reversible-destiny-loft-on-airbnb/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">You can rent this crazy and colourful loft on Airbnb</span></em></strong></a></p>

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Sleep with the fishes in a Paris aquarium

<p>Are you a lover of all things aquatic? Then this Airbnb listing may be for you. Like Luca Brasi in <em>The Godfather</em>, these people got to “sleep with the fishes” – but don’t worry, this experience doesn’t include cement shoes.</p> <p>The Shark Aquarium in Paris offered two lucky (?) people the opportunity to sleep among some of the world’s fiercest marine creatures, separated only by a transparent wall. Three pairs of winners were treated to a night each in the circular “apartment” boasting 360-degree views the likes of which have never been seen in the world of tourism before.</p> <p>Host Fred Buyle, a free diver, said the competition was a chance to educate people about sharks. “Sharks are really, really misunderstood … People need to understand that sharks are not dangerous, there are only dangerous behaviours with sharks [...] You can be with sharks and nothing bad happens, but also that we need to protect the sharks because they are like crucial for the ecosystem. If sharks disappear, we disappear, basically.”</p> <p>Over 63,000 people entered the competition and three couples were selected each from the US, the UK and China. After the aquatic accommodation experience, the apartment will be transformed into a research hub.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/accommodation/2016/04/stay-in-hamlets-castle-on-airbnb/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">You can stay in Shakespeare’s Hamlet’s castle for $10</span></strong></em></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/accommodation/2016/04/best-beach-houses-on-airbnb/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">3 of the best beach houses on Airbnb</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/accommodation/2016/04/colourful-reversible-destiny-loft-on-airbnb/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">You can rent this crazy and colourful loft on Airbnb</span></em></strong></a></p>

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Three Siberian tigers born at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

<p>Three tiny Siberian tigers were born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, Ohio, late Wednesday night.</p> <p>Aware from the glare of visitors and in their private den, this intimate footage captures the furry felines snuggling up to their 11-year-old mum, Irisa.</p> <p>Based on the observations from this remote camera, the triplets appear to be healthy but their genders are still unknown.</p> <p>“Welcoming tiger cubs at the Zoo is always exciting but it is also a time when we proceed with cautious optimism,” zoo president and CEO Tom Stalf said in a statement.</p> <p>This is the second little for Irisa, with the father of this one being eight-year-old Jupiter, who arrived at the zoo from the Czech Republic last March as part of the European Endangered Species Program.</p> <p>There are now seven Amur tigers at the Columbus zoo. However, fewer than 400 of the big cats, also known as Siberian tigers, are believed to be living in the wild in their native forests of the Russian Far East.</p> <p>Check out the raw CCTV footage of the new cubs in the video above.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/11/interspecies-animal-friendships/">15 unlikely friendships that will melt your heart</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/11/funny-dog-snapchats/">11 funny snapchat pictures that only dog lovers appreciate</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/10/why-dogs-so-happy-to-see-you/">The science behind dogs being so happy to see you</a></em></strong></span></p>

International Travel

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Beluga whale gives audience a wet shock at aquarium

<p>During a recent heatwave at the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise aquarium, one sea mammal took it upon themself to provide heat relief: the star attraction beluga whale blasted the audience with a squirt of “arctic sea” water. The audience can be seen flinching in reaction to the whale’s efforts.</p> <p><img width="498" height="345" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7531/2aafd9af00000578-0-image-a-70_1437420571512_498x345.jpg" alt="2AAFD9AF00000578-0-image -a -70_1437420571512" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><img width="499" height="325" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7532/2aafd9b800000578-0-image-a-72_1437420576222_499x325.jpg" alt="2AAFD9B800000578-0-image -a -72_1437420576222" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><img width="500" height="275" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7533/2aafdaf000000578-0-image-a-74_1437420579440_500x275.jpg" alt="2AAFDAF000000578-0-image -a -74_1437420579440" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2015/07/puppy-pool-party/">What happens at a puppy pool party?</a></em></span></strong></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2015/07/man-has-formal-dinner-with-cats/">This man has formal dinners with his cats when his wife is away</a></em></span></strong></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2015/07/wizard-of-oz-ruby-slipper-reward/">Wizard of Oz super-fan offers $US1 million for safe return of Dorothy’s slippers</a></em></span></strong></p>

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