Archive for the 'Animal' Category

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5 Fun Facts About Groundhog Day | Language Connections     
    
Fun Facts About Groundhog Day That Will Brighten Your Day! - Goodnet

When Did Groundhog Day Start, the first Groundhog Day celebration in 1887
The first Groundhog Day celebration in 1887.

     

On February 2, 1887, Groundhog Day, featuring a rodent
meteorologist, was
celebrated for the first time at Gobbler’s
Knob in Punxsutawney,
Pennsylvania.

The idea originated with Clymer Freas, a local newspaper
editor who declared Punxsutawney Phil as the nation’s
official weather forecaster.

According to tradition, if a groundhog comes out of its hole
on this day and sees its shadow, it gets scared and runs
back into its burrow, predicting six more weeks of winter
weather; no shadow means an early spring.

Groundhog Day has its roots in the ancient Christian tradition
of
Candlemas (below) when clergy would bless and distribute
candles needed for winter.       

the origins of Groundhog Day, blending Candlemas, German traditions, and early American adaptations        
    

Valley Girl Views: The History Behind Letting A Groundhog Predict The  Weather

Clymer H Freas (1867-1942) - Mémorial Find a Grave

The History of Groundhog Day – CN Blue ...

  
        
         
        

        
        
        
        

posted by Bob Karm in Animal,ANNIVERSARY,CURRENT EVENTS,Groundhog Day,HISTORY,weather and have No Comments

ANCIENT MASTODON SKULL UNEARTHED

Workers dig up mastodon in Iowa

Archaeologists in Iowa have unearthed an ancient mastodon
skull in pristine condition, which they hope will provide clues
about human interaction with the ancient animal.

The bones were excavated earlier this month from a creek bank
in Wayne, taking nearly two weeks to complete.

The eroding site was first brought to the attention of Office of
the
State Archaeologist, Iowa in 2022. 
FOX NEWS

Mastodon remains being examined in Iowa

Mastodon skull in Iowa


Human and a reconstructed extinct Mastodon. (Wikimedia Commons)

posted by Bob Karm in Ancient,Animal,Archaeologists,CURRENT EVENTS,HISTORY and have No Comments

ICE AGE TUSK DISCOVERED IN MISSISSIPPI

mammoth tusk in Mississippi

Eddie Templeton (pictured) found a portion of an Ice Age-
era elephant tusk exposed in a steep embankment while exploring in Madison County, Mississippi. (Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality).

mammoth tusk in Mississippi
Columbian mammoths (below) were larger than wooly mammoths that roamed the northern regions of North
America, growing up to 15 feet and weighing over 10
tons, according to the MDEQ. (Mississippi Department
of Environmental Quality)
FOX NEWS

A bull Columbian Mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) and a herd of Pronghorns (Antilocapra americana ...

posted by Bob Karm in Animal,CURRENT EVENTS,Discovery,Exploring,HISTORY and have No Comments

FIRST GORILLA BORN IN CAPTIVITY IN 1956

Cincinnati News, Weather, Traffic, Sports | WCPO.com | 9 On Your Side | WCPO-TV


On December 22, 1956, a baby gorilla named Colo entered the
world at the Columbus Zoo in
Ohio, becoming the first-ever
gorilla born in captivity.

Weighing in at approximately 4 pounds, Colo, a western lowland
gorilla whose name was a combination of Columbus and Ohio,
was the daughter of Millie and Mac, two gorillas captured in
French Cameroon, Africa, who were brought to the Columbus
Zoo in 1951.

Before Colo’s birth, gorillas found at zoos were caught in the
wild, often by brutal means. In order to capture a gorilla when
it was young and therefore still small enough to handle,
hunters frequently had to kill the gorilla’s parents and other
family members.
  

       

        
        

       

Today in History: DECEMBER 22 1956: First Gorilla Born in Captivity A baby gorilla named Colo is ...

Colo was fond of baseball caps.
Colo was fond of baseball caps.

Colo Turns 60! Oldest Gorilla in The World Celebrates Birthday at The Columbus Zoo
Colo on her 60th birthday, surpassed the median life expectancy for female gorillas in human care (37.5 years) by more than two
decades.

Colo became a mother of three, grandmother of 16, great-
grandmother of 12 and great-great-grandmother of three.

She died in her sleep January 17, 2017, less than a month
after her birthday.

posted by Bob Karm in Animal,ANNIVERSARY,BIRTHDAY,HISTORY,Zoo and have No Comments

OREGON ZOO’S PRIDE LOST A LION FRIDAY

Neka the lion explores her new exhibit at the Oregon Zoo, which Teri Dresler will temporarily run after the departures of the zoo's director and a veterinarian this week. Dresler has been leading Metro's efforts to build a 600-room Hyatt Regency at the Oregon Convention Center. Metro says its support for the so-called HQ hotel project is unchanged.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Neka, the oldest member of the
Oregon Zoo’s African lion pride, had a seizure and 
died Friday night at age 16.

Zoo officials stated that wild female lions rarely live
past 16  years old.

African lion Neka with one of her six-week-old cubs in Predators of the Serengeti. Oregon Zoo / photo by Michael Durham.
Neka with one of her cubs.

posted by Bob Karm in Animal,CURRENT EVENTS,DEATH,HISTORY,Zoo and have No Comments