|
***NEW
Fully Automated Program for making Personalized Holiday Letters*** |
|
ClickALinkBelow We are updating the whole site. It will several months for all sections to be updated. Links with a * means that section has been updated. Sign up for update notices Be notified when new stuff is added. Click above to send blank email. Child ID Kits - Gifts Exotic Cats:
Giant Panda-oldest Holidays: Pachyderms: Primates: Bears: Canine Types: Hoofed Animals: Other: Marine Animals: MORE old FUN: BIRDS:
|
Mr. Ed Is An Asian Elephant Bull At Dickerson Park ZooMeet Mr. Ed, one of the Asian elephant bulls at Dickerson Park Zoo Springfield, Missouri. Mr. Ed the Asian elephant came to Dickerson Park Zoo in 1980 when he was a 20 months old bull calf. Mr. Ed was born in Portland Oregon. Mr. Ed is very tall for an Asian elephant. he is very smart too. Mr. Ed even has a great sense of humor. Asian elephants are truly amazing animals. How sad they are an endangered specie.
The one time I have had the privilege of seeing he, he threw poop, hay and dirt at me several times. He stood there rocking back and forth like he was laughing at me. It was funny, however, it did not taste funny. I was talking and had my camera up and did not see it coming until it was too late. Later when I looked at the photo, it shows the 'stuff' flying through the air at the camera... FUNNY, NOW.... I will post those pictures for you to see later. When Mr. Ed was a baby he was taught how to throw a ball and play catch. Now he throws "stinky stuff" as a form of play...OOPS... SMILE... He got me good. It was in my hair, in my shirt pocket it was even inside my shoes!!! Uh yes I hate to admit it, but.... I got a mouthful too!! Tasted nasty like really strong really burnt mint. NOT FUNNY!! STOP LAUGHING!! Okay, Okay Okay so it is funny NOW, but then I was in shock! I am not sure who was laughing harder at the time, Mr. Ed or the folks watching. HAHAHAHA, I was not laughing, I was spitting and trying to clean my mouth out!! Mr. Ed just stood there swaying back and forth and swinging his trunk...it truly looked as if he was laughing at me... GIGGLE... GIGGLE... BIG GIGGLE... While we stood there watching him he spent a lot of effort and time gathering items to make more "mud pies". He went around gathering hay, liquids and dirt then carried it back to the pile and mixed it carefully and thoroughly. He even "patted" it with his foot to aide the mixing process. When He had it just the way he wanted it he gathered it up in his trunk and stood there swinging it back and forth pretending not to watch us. When he thought we weren't watching him he would give it a great toss toward us. It was so funny. He stood there seeming to giggle over his well planned and executed "recipe". Hey, It is a memory and a great one! Well maybe not great but definitely a unique one anyway!! By the way, you can stop laughing any time now... My kids have never let me live this one down. Every now and then they like to "share my embarrassing" moment with everyone... One of the keepers at Dickerson Park Zoo is so devoted to saving this endangered species of elephants that he has been at Dickerson Park Zoo watching over the elephants for 20 years. Elephants have long, coarse hairs sparsely covering their body. Their skin is thick and dry, and the few hairs are stiff. Skin color varies from gray to brown. The trunk of the Asian elephant has two finger-like structures at its tip that allows the animal to perform both delicate and powerful movements. The Asian elephant has been very important to Asian culture for thousands of years - they have been domesticated and are used for transportation and to move heavy objects. They were once abundant in South-central and Southeast Asia 25,000 to 45,000 Asian elephants are found in the wild. Some reports say even less than that!???? In our research we found a wide variety of number quotes as to how many Asian elephants there really are left. We have quoted one of the LARGER numbers above. Because there are so few left the Asian elephant is considered an endangered species. Also because so few zoos participate in raising Asian elephants the danger is even greater. We could in just a couple generations lose this magnificent animal. It is our responsibility, AND YOURS, to do all we can to save the Asian elephant for future generations. Remember, The Asian Elephant is an endangered specie. So breeding programs like the one at Dickerson Park Zoo are vital.
|
