Results tagged “zoo”

              

July 1st marks a big day for the Brookfield Zoo: their 75th anniversary. And the zoo is planning a big celebration coming up to mark the occasion. The zoo will allow free admission for children under 11 on June 29, 30 and July 1 as well as 75 cent hot dogs, 24 ounce fountain cokes, and ice cream novelties at the zoo’s restaurants on those same dates. As for the big day itself, plans for July 1 include a special ceremony featuring remarks from Stuart D. Strahl, Ph.D., president and CEO of Chicago Zoological Society, plenty of cake, a singing of "Happy Birthday," and a performance by Tributosaurus.

It's been a rough spring for Brookfield Zoo. Just a week ago, the zoo lost its oldest female gorilla, Alpha, and now the staff mourns the passing of Kaylee, a 15-year-old bottlenose dolphin. Kaylee had developed an abscess in one of her lungs a few years ago. A procedure to take care of the abscess helped save her life, but she was left vulnerable to other health problems because of scar tissue in the lung. Kim Smith, the zoological society's vice president of animal care, said, "Kaylee was one of our favorites, and our marine mammal staff is devastated by her death. After saving her life three years ago, we knew that there was a risk that she would always be vulnerable to recurring illness, just like a human who has suffered serious health problems." Kaylee was one of four dolphins at Brookfield Zoo; the other three are in good health. [WBBM]

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• On Sunday, DePaul PhD candidate Karen Alkolby will become the first deaf woman in U.S. history to earn a doctorate in computer science. Alkolby created a computerized dictionary that translates English to American Sign language.