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Zoo's upright bear accused of being just a guy in a suit

<p>A Chinese zoo has had to be completely trans-bear-ant about its popular sun bear, following allegations that it was actually a human in disguise.</p> <p>The Hangzhou Zoo in China gained international recognition after video footage of their sun bear standing on its hind legs and waving at visitors caused many to paws and look twice.</p> <p>Many were bear-side themselves with excitement as theories that it was a human in disguise continued to spread.</p> <p>The local Hangzhou Daily first reported on the attention that the four-year-old sun bear named Angela was receiving.</p> <p>“Because of the way they stand, some people online question whether they are ‘humans in disguise’,” they wrote.</p> <p>As Angela gained popularity, experts were summoned and had to confirm that the bear was in fact fur-real.</p> <p>Ashleigh Marshall, an expert from Chester Zoo, told <em>BBC News</em> that the animal “is definitely a real bear,” and affirmed to doubtful visitors that sun bears do often “look a lot like people in costumes”.</p> <p>The animal expert also pointed out that the folds on the sun bear’s back weren’t because the costume was loose, but its actual function is to protect the bear from predators and allow them to “turn around” and fight back if attacked.</p> <p>Various representatives of the zoo have had to come out and release statements addressing the controversy.</p> <p>A spokesperson has reportedly said that the state-run facility would never intentionally deceive people, in an audio clip circulating on popular Chinese social media platform WeChat.</p> <p>“Some people think I stand like a person,” read another social media post, written from the point of view of the bear.</p> <p>“It seems you don't understand me very well.”</p> <p>Another spokesperson for the zoo has also denied the allegations and said that a human in a fur bear suit “would not last more than a few minutes before collapsing” in the 40°C summer temperatures.</p> <p><em>Images: Twitter / WeChat</em></p>

International Travel

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American zoo apologises to disgruntled New Zealanders

<p>An American zoo has issued an apology after admitting it made a “huge mistake” that outraged an entire country.</p> <p>Footage of Miami Zoo’s paid encounters with Paora the kiwi went viral online, showing the bird being handled and passed around for pictures in broad daylights and under bright lights despite being a shy, nocturnal animal.</p> <p>The handling of their national icon had New Zealanders fired up, with a petition to save the “mistreated” animal being launched amid the video, which received more than 10,000 signatures.</p> <p>“He has been tamed and is subjected to bright fluorescent lighting four days a week, being handled by dozens of strangers, petted on his sensitive whiskers, laughed at, and shown off like a toy,” the petition read.</p> <p>“Kiwi are nocturnal animals, who should be kept in suitable dark enclosures, and minimally handled.</p> <p>“The best practice manual for kiwi states that they shouldn’t be handled often or taken out of their burrow to be held by the public. He is kept awake during the day, with only a small box in a brightly lit enclosure to mimic his natural underground habitat.”</p> <p>The zoo’s communications director Ron Magill has confirmed the attraction has been cancelled and has issued his own apology in an interview with the <em>New Zealand Herald</em>.</p> <p>“We regret the unintentional stress caused by a video on social media depicting the handling of Paora, the kiwi bird currently housed within Zoo Miami,” Magill said.</p> <p>He also told RNZ he had informed the zoo’s director that “we have offended a nation”.</p> <p>“When I saw the video myself I said we have made a huge mistake here,” he said.</p> <p>“I am so sorry. I am so remorseful. Someone asked how would you feel if we did that to your bald eagle, and you’re 100 per cent right.</p> <p>“I never want to come across as making excuses, I am here to apologise … to everyone. I feel profoundly terrible about this.”</p> <p>However, Magill noted Paora was healthy and well despite the uproar.</p> <p>“He eats like he’s on a spa day every day and he’s doing well. It doesn’t excuse what he was subjected to. But I promise it will never happen again,” he said.</p> <p>After the video went viral, the zoo was bombarded with complaints, with New Zealand’s Department of Conservation confirming it would be “discussing the situation with the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums to address some of the housing and handling concerns raised”.</p> <p>New Zealand prime minister Chris Hipkins also weighed in, claiming the ordeal “shows a lot of Kiwis take pride in our national bird when they’re overseas”.</p> <p>“The New Zealanders who witnessed what was happening there caught it pretty quickly,” he said, adding that the zoo had “made public statements of regret on what’s happened, and I acknowledge that and thank them for taking it seriously”.</p> <p>The kiwi is considered to be a Taonga species - native birds, plants and animals of special cultural significance and importance to native New Zealanders.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Name a cockroach after your ex and feed it to an animal this Valentine's Day

<p>The San Antonio Zoo is making a unique offer for scorned lovers this Valentine's Day.</p> <p>For just $14 (AUD), the Texas zoo will name a cockroach after your ex and feed it to an animal, in a brutal display of hilarious pettiness to show someone how you really feel. </p> <p>The annual Cry Me a Cockroach fundraiser will "support the zoo's vision of securing a future for wildlife in Texas and around the world" the San Antonio Zoo says on its <a href="https://sazoo.org/cry-me-a-cockroach/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>.</p> <p>For those not into bugs, you can choose a vegetable for $7, or a rodent for $35 to be fed to a hungry zoo resident.</p> <p>All donors will receive a digital Valentine's Day Card showing their support for the zoo.</p> <p>They can also opt to send their ex-partner a digital Valentine's Day Card informing them that a cockroach, rodent, or veggie was named after them and fed to an animal.</p> <p>For those who really want to make a statement, you can pay for a $200 upgrade which includes a personalised video message to the recipient showing their cockroach, rodent or vegetable being devoured by an animal.</p> <p>The annual event continues to be a hit, with Cyle Perez, the zoo's director of public relations, telling CNN last year that they received more than 8,000 donations from all 50 states and over 30 different countries.</p> <p>"Right now, we are on track to break last year's record, with 'Zach,' 'Ray' and 'Adam' being the most submitted ex-names so far," Perez said.</p> <p>To participate, you'll need to <a href="https://sazoo.org/cry-me-a-cockroach/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">submit your ex's name online</a> before Valentine's Day.</p> <p><em>Image credits: San Antonio Zoo</em></p>

Relationships

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Robert Irwin left in tears after birthday video from his dad appears

<p dir="ltr">Robert Irwin has been left in tears after he received a birthday video message from his late father, Steve Irwin.</p> <p dir="ltr">He was just two years old when his father passed away after he was stung by a stingray in 2006 at the age of just 44.</p> <p dir="ltr">Robert recently celebrated his 19th birthday but now a video has resurfaced of the Crocodile Hunter discussing Robert's birth and his hopes that Robert would follow in his footsteps.</p> <p dir="ltr">The birthday boy was surprised with the video in which it showed footage of his birth in 2003.</p> <p dir="ltr">“At that very moment I saw the light,” Steve said, in a voiceover about Robert’s birth.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is why I was put here,” he said of his children.</p> <p dir="ltr"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nYGMAY9eRHo?start=287" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">“Because I could be dead tomorrow.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So I need these blokes to come up as quick as they can, so this little bloke’s (Robert) going to have to catch the crocs with Bindi.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When they’re ready to run up our mission, I will gladly step aside.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Steve then says that it would be the “proudest moment of my life” if his children were to continue his legacy.</p> <p dir="ltr">The video then cuts to show Robert fulfilling his father's dream as he performed shows in the Crocoseum and saving crocodiles in the wild.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Then and only then will I know that I have achieved my ultimate goal and my job will be done. And I guarantee you it will be the proudest moment of my life,” a voiceover of Steve plays at the same time.</p> <p dir="ltr">When the clip ended, Robert shed a few tears and said it was a “privilege” to continue his dad’s legacy in making the world a better place.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It means the absolute world... I just think it's such a privilege, personally and as a family, to continue the legacy of dad,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He gave his life, quite literally, for wildlife conservation and to make the world a better place.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: YouTube</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Robert Irwin gets candid about health issue affecting his family

<p dir="ltr">Robert Irwin has opened up about how dementia has affected his family.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 19-year-old appeared on <em>The Project</em> as a co-host when they began discussing dementia - a disorder that can affect thinking, memory and behaviour.</p> <p dir="ltr">The son of the late Steve Irwin said that he doesn’t think there’s anyone living who hasn’t encountered a person with dementia.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think there’s no-one living who hasn’t encountered someone or has a loved one who has experienced this,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I know my grandfather on my mum’s side had a form of dementia and a lot of family friends have had that as well and it’s just, it’s devastating.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Someone you love, someone you’re close to you see going through that and just not being able to relive and enjoy the moments they had it’s heartbreaking.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But I guess it just reminds you you’ve got to spend every second with the people you love and really surround yourself with love and light and hopefully this is light at the end of the tunnel for a safe way for people to stop this.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Alzheimer’s is the merciless brain condition that slowly erodes the cognitive function and precious memories of thousands of Australians. But, a revolutionary new treatment could turn the tide in the fight against the disease. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheProjectTV?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheProjectTV</a> <a href="https://t.co/IVuMloeUN5">pic.twitter.com/IVuMloeUN5</a></p> <p>— The Project (@theprojecttv) <a href="https://twitter.com/theprojecttv/status/1599316365369901058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Robert went on to say that he will continuing his father’s legacy and how proud he is to be a part of it, speaking about a recent performance with the Wiggles.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The Wiggles are just legendary, my dad actually did a really fun collaboration project with them at Australia Zoo way back in the day 20 years ago,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So we’ve worked with them for a long time so the fact all of the original Wiggles came back to support our charity Wildlife Warriors means the world.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Dad set this up as a way to support wildlife conservation here in Australia and on the global stage and a night like that just makes us realise his legacy is alive and thriving and it’s the honour of a lifetime to keep that going.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Robert recently celebrated his <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/robert-irwin-turns-19-in-style" target="_blank" rel="noopener">19th birthday</a> at Australia Zoo with his mother and rumoured girlfriend, Scarlett Buckley, who is the niece of the late Heath Ledger.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: The Project</em></p>

Caring

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Robert Irwin turns 19 in style!

<p dir="ltr">Robert Irwin has celebrated his 19th birthday with a bunch of crocodiles (and family) at Australia Zoo.</p> <p dir="ltr">The birthday boy showed off his crocodile-feeding skills to an entertained crowd including his mum Terri and rumoured girlfriend Scarlett Buckley, who is the niece of the late Heath Ledger.</p> <p dir="ltr">After entertaining the crowd, Robert was presented with a cake in the shape of a camera, in honour of his passion for photography.</p> <p dir="ltr">His sister Bindi however was not seen in the crowd but wished him a happy birthday in an adorable post on Instagram of the pair showing off their height next to a “watch your head” sign.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Happy Birthday to the taller Irwin sibling and greatest brother in the world," she wrote.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Clma_rjhTYO/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Clma_rjhTYO/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">"You light up our lives with your hilarious sense of humour and kind heart.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I see so much of dad in everything you do and I know he would be beyond proud of you. We all are.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Thank you for being such a good uncle to Grace and fantastic brother to me and Chandler.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We love you and can't wait to celebrate today!"</p> <p dir="ltr">Robert fuelled a few rumours after he was spotted with Scarlett as the pair were pictured enjoying a sunset stroll in Queensland earlier this month.</p> <p dir="ltr">In photos published by New Idea magazine, the two are seen smiling at each other after picking up takeaway for a picnic on the beach.</p> <p dir="ltr">At one point, according to the publication, Robert pulled Scarlett in for a hug as the sun went down.</p> <p dir="ltr">While neither have spoken publicly about their blossoming new romance, Robert has been following Scarlett's private Instagram account for some time.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Sydney lions’ great escape finally explained

<p dir="ltr">The mystery surrounding the <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/five-lions-escape-from-taronga-zoo-enclosure">five lions that escaped from their enclosure</a> at Taronga Zoo has been solved, after the zoo revealed the big cats were able to roam free due to a small gap in the fence.</p> <p dir="ltr">Male lion Ato and 16-month-old cubs Khari, Luzuko, Malike and Zuri sent the Sydney zoo into lockdown last week after they got out of their enclosure.</p> <p dir="ltr">The five lions were found in an area adjacent to the main exhibit and returned to their enclosure before the zoo opened to the public.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a statement on Thursday, officials said that clamps used to join wire cables together had “failed”, leading to a cable unravelling to create a gap in the fence.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Preliminary independent engineering advice has confirmed that swages (clamps that join wire cables together) failed, enabling a lacing cable that connects the fence mesh to a tension cable to unravel,” <a href="https://taronga.org.au/media-release/2022-11-01/statement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the statement read</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">”The lions were then able to create and squeeze through a gap.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The review into the incident found that the lions were “playing and interacting” with the fence for around 20 minutes before the gap formed.</p> <p dir="ltr">While the lion and cubs took the opportunity to escape, “lioness Maya and one cub chose to remain in the exhibit”, according to officials, and were later called back into their dens by keepers.</p> <p dir="ltr">While families who were camping at the zoo overnight were taken to a safe area by staff, other Taronga Zoo employees worked to bring the lions back safely and used vehicles to “monitor and control the situation”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This enabled keepers to use their relationships with the lions, as well as their training for such incidents, to calmly call the lions back to their exhibit, ensuring a peaceful and safe outcome for all people and animals,” the zoo said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The four other cubs and adult male lion appeared to remain calm and investigated the other side of the main containment fence, remaining within metres of their exhibit, before actively trying to find their way back under the fence.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After the five lions escaped, two cubs then breached a second fence while trying to find access back into the exhibit, with one walking back to the exhibit without issue and the other needing to be tranquillised by vets and returned.</p> <p dir="ltr">The zoo concluded the statement by saying the lions would “remain in an outdoor, back-of-house holding area pending specialist engineering advice”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The ongoing review of the incident has recommended that the fence be investigated by an independent tensile-structure engineer, who would advise the zoo on how the clamps broke and how the fence can be fixed.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-bbc3bb5a-7fff-23af-6c43-dd3f90bf6372"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Facebook</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Australia Zoo insider claims Bindi Irwin never wanted to follow her father's footsteps

<p>An insider at Australia Zoo has claimed that Bindi Irwin never wanted to follow in the footsteps of her late father. </p> <p>Justin Lyons, a cameraman who was there the day Steve Irwin died from a stingray attack in 2006, said in a recent interview that Australia Zoo is almost "cult-like" with Steve's imagery looming everywhere, reminding him of the day the original wildlife warrior died. </p> <p>Among his stunning revelations, he claims the now 24-year-old Bindi initially "didn't really want" to follow in her famous dad's footsteps.</p> <p>"Bindi and I spent a lot of time together," Justin told <a href="https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/celeb-news/bindi-irwin-carries-on-steve-legacy-75512" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Woman's Day</a>. "We'd go up to Far North Queensland and while they were doing whatever, Bindi and I would go off. She'd say to me, 'I don't really like bugs', but she was expected to do all this crazy stuff."</p> <p>The allegations are a far cry from Bindi's own words, given that in 2018 she told Insider, "Ever since I can remember, I've always said, 'When I grow up, I want to be just like Dad.'"</p> <p>However, some sources close to the Irwin family say there "may be a layer of truth" to Justin's comments. </p> <p>"She couldn't have predicted it back when she was a little kid wandering around the bush with Justin, but the reality is Bindi is in a tough position," says an insider. </p> <p>"She was a big star for a time in America and for a while it looked like she was set to break the big time in Hollywood, but now she's back at the zoo learning the ropes to take over when her mother retires, and as it is currently, its glory days are long over."</p> <p>The insider claimed Bindi feels torn between two worlds, as she strives to make her parents proud with her ongoing work at Australia Zoo, but also the pull back to the US, where she has the potential to make a name for herself in her husband Chandler Powell's home country.</p> <p>"Bindi and Chandler have often toyed with the idea of moving to the States, especially now they have baby Grace, and they've barely seen Chandler's parents in recent years," says a source.</p> <p>"But Bindi feels tied to the zoo, whether she wants to be or not."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Fence and digging marks at the centre of lion’s escape

<p dir="ltr">A fence and digging marks are at the centre of an investigation into how five lions managed to escape their enclosure at Taronga Zoo.</p> <p dir="ltr">One lion and four cubs were roaming around the Sydney tourist destination prompting emergency alarms to go off and people to run to safety. </p> <p dir="ltr">A family who was sleeping overnight at the zoo as part of the “Roar and Snoar” program were ordered to run as alarms blared “code one”. </p> <p dir="ltr">Luckily no one was injured and the lions are back in their enclosure with a statement revealing what caused the animals to escape. </p> <p dir="ltr">“An initial review of this morning’s incident has confirmed that an integrity issue with a containment fence enabled five lions to temporarily exit their main exhibit,” Taronga said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The lions are now in a back-of-house holding area while a full review continues.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A full report will now be prepared for the NSW Department of Primary Industries.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Keepers and vets report all lions are doing well.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Taronga Zoo remains open and is extremely grateful to its staff and the community for their support today.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine</em></p>

News

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Five lions escape from Taronga Zoo enclosure

<p>Sydney's Taronga Zoo was placed under heavy lockdown on Wednesday morning as five lions escaped from their enclosure. </p> <p>At 6:30am on Wednesday, one adult lion and four cubs were spotted outside of their main enclosure, but were still separated from the rest of the zoo by a six-foot fence.</p> <p>When the animals were discovered, a full scale emergency response was enacted in the zoo. </p> <p>Locals from the area reported loud alarms and directions for all staff apart from the lion keepers to go to "safe havens".</p> <p>A Sydney family who were staying overnight at the zoo as part of its luxury "roar and snore" program told the <a title="" href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/taronga-zoo-put-into-lockdown-after-five-lions-escape-enclosure-20221102-p5buua.html" target="" rel="">Sydney Morning Herald</a> they were told to leave their tent and run.</p> <p>"They came running into the tent area saying, 'this is a Code One, get out of your tent and run, come now and leave your belongings'," Magnus Perri said.</p> <p>"We had to run to this building, it was only 50 or 70 metres. They counted us, then locked the door."</p> <p>Taronga Zoo's Executive Director Simon Duffy confirmed that one of the cubs was tranquillised by a veterinarian on site. </p> <p>Taronga Zoo issued a statement just before 9am confirming the lions had escaped but they had been returned to their enclosures with no further issues.</p> <p>"An emergency situation occurred this morning at Taronga Zoo Sydney when five lions were located outside their enclosure. The Zoo has strict safety protocols in place for such events," the statement read.</p> <p>"All persons on site were moved to safe zones and there are no injuries to guests or staff. All animals are now in their exhibit where they are being closely monitored."</p> <p>"The zoo will be open as normal today. Further details will be provided when possible."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Nine News</em></p>

News

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Princess Mary’s adorable 50th birthday wish fulfilled

<p dir="ltr">Princess Mary has finally received her 50th birthday present - months after announcing that the Australian animal exhibition at Copenhagen Zoo would be expanding.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Princess announced on February 5 that "Mary's Australian Garden" at the zoo would be introducing several more Aussie animals for visitors to enjoy.</p> <p dir="ltr">Among the Aussie animals already calling the Princess’ Garden home are kangaroos and Tasmanian Devils.</p> <p dir="ltr">The new facility is home to the cockatoo, the rock kangaroo, the emu and the ant hedgehog, and the bear-like wombat.</p> <p dir="ltr">The new additions include koalas, echidnas, yellow-footed rock wallabies, wombats and emus.</p> <p dir="ltr">But the most special animal to arrive at Mary’s Australian Garden is the kookaburra, described as the "Australian laughing bird" by the zoo.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We are of course happy and proud to be able to accommodate that," Copenhagen Zoo director Jørgen Nielsen said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"In the Australian Garden, we can draw guests even closer to the animals and the zookeepers' daily work, and the hope is that our commitment and efforts to look after the world's animals rub off on both children and adults.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Back in 2006, Princess Mary was gifted four Tasmanian Devils for the baptism of her son Prince Christian.</p> <p dir="ltr">Copenhagen Zoo was the first place outside of Australia to keep the animals and then went on to successfully breed a pup in 2013.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

International Travel

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Bindi Irwin's daughter Grace looks just like her famous Irwin relatives

<p dir="ltr">A recent series of images of baby Grace Warrior shared by her adoring mother Bindi Irwin has set tongues wagging as to exactly who among her famous relatives she looks most like.</p> <p dir="ltr">In particular, an image shared by grandma Terri of Bindi as a baby to mark her 24th birthday caused fans to instantly make the connection that baby Grace strongly resembles her famous Wildlife Warrior mum.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">24 years ago our lives changed for the better. I remember when you were born, Steve cried happy tears, then showed everyone in the hospital his beautiful baby girl. He loved you from the moment he met you, and I know he is so very proud of you. Happy birthday my dear Bindi Sue. <a href="https://t.co/ZmTSVdzp4a">pic.twitter.com/ZmTSVdzp4a</a></p> <p>— Terri Irwin (@TerriIrwin) <a href="https://twitter.com/TerriIrwin/status/1550978133678911489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">It has also been pointed out on numerous occasions that the newest member of the Irwin clan takes a lot of her looks from grandma Terri herself.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">One particularly touching black and white photo shared to Twitter depicts baby Grace looking into the camera, hands folded, which Terri captioned:</span></p> <p dir="ltr">"Grace Warrior Irwin Powell. A beautiful old soul resides within this perfect tiny human." </p> <p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">It didn't take a lot to realise exactly WHICH old soul resides there! Baby Grace has clearly been blessed with Terri's downturned eyes and a hint of her smile. </span></p> <p dir="ltr">Gorgeous images shared by mother Bindi at the time she turned one also show unmistakable similarities to Steve Irwin himself – a fact that Bindi is clearly very proud of.</p> <p dir="ltr">In fact, just a week prior to Grace's first birthday party, she and father Chandler took an amazing snap of the three of them at Australia Zoo with the family pup:</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgXsvtDBdz_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgXsvtDBdz_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Unsurprisingly, the now 24-year-old has posted a vast amount of throwback pics on various platforms – and it doesn't take an Ancestry expert to see there are a multitude of traits that Bindi herself shares with Baby Grace. </p> <p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">So what do you think? Who of all the dominant Irwin and Powell genes do you think Grace most powerfully possesses? That may in fact change as time passes – and we look forward to seeing how this beautiful young girl from a loving family grows and changes.  </span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"> </p>

Family & Pets

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Robert Irwin reveals hilarious details about Steve's alter-ego

<p>It’s Robert Irwin as you’ve never seen him before and crikey he looks good!</p> <p>Freshly 18, the youngest son of Australia’s beloved croc hunter Steve Irwin, has stepped out of his trademark khakis and posed for his first ever fashion shoot with Stellar magazine.</p> <p>The shoot was on location at Australia Zoo on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.</p> <p>In an emotional interview, Irwin revealed he is as much a fashion warrior as a wildlife one, telling Stellar he’s already beginning to earn a reputation in his famous family as a style-maker.</p> <p>”I’ve actually become known as the fashionable Irwin,” he revealed with his iconic enthusiasm.</p> <p>“My dad wasn’t exactly a fashion icon, but he was iconic just in the fact that he made khaki cool.”</p> <p>Robert says his interest in the transformative nature of fashion was actually something he picked up from his famous father who had rock-star level fame in America.</p> <p>“He had an alter ego called Glenn Glamour,” Robert confides.</p> <p>“He would put in false teeth, a wig, this ridiculous multi-coloured trench coat, the weirdest pants and really sketchy sneakers.</p> <p>“And that’s how he would get around the zoo and no-one would notice him because he was just wearing the most ridiculous thing. So, ironically, the more exciting and experimental you are with your fashion, the less people will recognise you – at least for me.”</p> <p>Robert, who was only 2 when his father passed away at 44, also opened up on how his he has felt his father’s absence most acutely in the last two years.</p> <p>“Because I am sort of stepping into adulthood, having turned 18, and navigating that is hard enough [but] when you are in my situation, and you don’t have a father figure to guide you through, it’s really hard.”</p> <p>The full interview and shoot can be seen inside The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), Sunday Herald Sun (VIC), The Sunday Mail (QLD) and Sunday Mail (SA) this weekend.</p> <p>Images: Instagram</p>

Family & Pets

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Robert Irwin’s awkward fan interaction

<p dir="ltr">Robert Irwin has accidentally rejected an American tourist who may be in love with him after “missing” her message. </p> <p dir="ltr">The son of the great Steve Irwin was called cute by Megan Grass after he completed a show at Australia Zoo. </p> <p dir="ltr">She shared the footage to <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@megangrass12/video/7109012062063562030?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> of her complimenting him before asking for his number to a round of laughter. </p> <p dir="ltr">Robert said he was “flattered” and proceeded to ask where she was from to which she responded Utah, America. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Utah is great. I’ll tell you what, the easiest way is literally on Instagram so my people can monitor and see where it comes from because my number is hit and miss,” he said to her.</p> <p dir="ltr">Megan then to his surprise revealed that she had in fact messaged the night before to let him know she was going to Australia Zoo. </p> <p dir="ltr">He asked for her name and said “I’ll look it up” before waving and putting his thumb up. </p> <p dir="ltr">It however appears that Robert did not “look up” Megan as she is yet to receive any form of communication from him. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I think it definitely paid off because I got the opportunity to meet Robert, which is really cool," she said on <em>The Today Show</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I definitely was not expecting it to blow up the way it did but it was a really cool experience all together and Robert was so sweet about it."</p> <p dir="ltr">When asked about what she liked about Robert, Megan said it was the fact that “he’s a great guy all together”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I just think he's literally the sweetest person ever, like I was a stranger who asked for his number and he didn't have to be polite about it but he definitely was," she continued. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Robert's also like really busy and if he sees it [her message], he sees it, and if he doesn't, it's totally okay."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TikTok/Today</em></p>

Relationships

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A new light festival is heading to Sydney Zoo

<p dir="ltr">Sydney’s newest zoo is welcoming a festival of lights that promises to rival the annual Vivid festival with dazzling exhibitions and a chance to get up close to some iconic critters.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-7e369fc9-7fff-34bd-6b21-7ab03378e625"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">GLOW will be taking over the Western Sydney zoo in Bungarribee nightly between Friday, May 13 and Sunday, June 5.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdIVzWDqMPo/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdIVzWDqMPo/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sydney Zoo 🦁 (@thesydneyzoo)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The star of the show will be the GLOW Light Walk, which takes visitors on a full tour of the zoo complete with giant glowing animal lanterns and sculptures, and past the festival’s other attractions, including a12-metre tunnel of fairy lights, and a giant glowing Ferris wheel.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-999ef17b-7fff-5aa2-77cb-1020dec7dfb5"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Fans of creepy crawlies can also enjoy the Reptile &amp; Nocturnal house - the biggest in the country - and come face-to-face with snakes and glowing UV scorpions.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/glow-1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>GLOW’s extensive list of attractions include real-life UV scorpions (left) and towering interactive installations such as Trumpet Flowers (right). Images: Sydney Zoo</em></p> <p dir="ltr">The neon festival will also include the Glow Zone, featuring an ice rink, golf course, and Octopoda, a giant statue with eight tentacle-drums that light up, as well as plenty of food and drink.</p> <p dir="ltr">GLOW has also been designed to be as accessible and inclusive as possible with no hills of steps to grapple with.</p> <p dir="ltr">Tickets start at $25 online - which you can book <a href="https://sydneyzoo.com/glow" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> - or $30 at the gate, while babies under two enter for free.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-09f693ab-7fff-720f-8380-e9042b4dbaac"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Sydney Zoo</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Taronga Zoo unveils HUGE new addition

<p dir="ltr">The Sydney zoo has welcomed a new animal to its menagerie, but it isn’t like the other residents of the zoo - it’s a giant statue of a gorilla.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ca19db92-7fff-8e07-1a3e-b37d790ed72d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>King Nyani</em>, the world’s largest gorilla sculpture, landed at Taronga Zoo after travelling all the way from New York and was brought to the zoo on the flatbed of a large truck.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CcM-E-_rm8L/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CcM-E-_rm8L/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Taronga Zoo (@tarongazoo)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The bronze statue, created by public artists Gillie and Marc Shattner, was inspired by King Kong and depicts a stretched out gorilla with hands that up to three people can sit in.</p> <p dir="ltr">The huge gorilla, which weighs 2.2 tonnes and is 30-metres long, was created to spread awareness of conservation efforts for gorillas and is the third in a series of giant gorillas.</p> <p dir="ltr">The first appeared in New York City in 2020 and now sits in Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo, while the second is due to be installed at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We decided to create three editions after seeing the unbelievable response to the original Nyani in NYC. We knew that this was a cause that many people were willing to get behind," Gillie explained.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ec851743-7fff-b6fd-5d95-8fea0a61d49b"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">"This was a chance to inspire three times as many people to protect gorillas to save them from extinction.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CcPgribhXfr/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CcPgribhXfr/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Taronga Zoo (@tarongazoo)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“We wanted to create a sculpture where the public could really get close to the silverback, both physically and emotionally,” Gillie said. “Being able to sit in his hand and look up into his gentle face, we hope they will fall in love and join the movement to save the gorillas.”</p> <p dir="ltr">King Nyani now sits next to the Centenary Viewing Platform, metres away from the zoo’s breathtaking harbour views.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-358a035f-7fff-cc08-abed-5dc98e568701"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Taronga Zoo</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Man rescues mob of kangaroos from Ukraine zoo

<p>Ten kangaroos have been evacuated to safety as Russia continues attacks in Ukraine’s second major city, Kharkiv.</p> <p>A video shows the animals being transported to a new home from Feldman Ecopark where three staff and animals including orangutans were killed after they were caught in the horrific war zone.</p> <p>A van driver fleeing with the frightened kangaroos says: 'It is one month since the war began and we keep evacuating the animals.'</p> <p>Other footage shows the peace and tranquility at the Kharkiv zoo before the war began.</p> <p>'These kangaroos are already safe,' said the zoo.</p> <p>'This is very good, because their enclosures, unfortunately, were repeatedly shelled.</p> <p>'We believe that now they will be fine.'</p> <p>A statement said: 'Many thanks to volunteers and employees who take risks to save animals, as well as to our many friends - caring people, businesses and non-governmental organisations who help us financially and make our rescue operations possible.</p> <p>'Your support truly saves lives.'</p> <p>The kangaroos were the latest to be saved from Feldman Ecopark in Kharkiv. Sadly, some have been killed in the attacks.</p> <p>'We cannot avoid tragedies,' said a spokesman.</p> <p>'Four fallow deer and three Welsh goats became victims of another barbaric shelling.</p> <p>'The list of victims of aggression among our pets is growing - it already includes large cats, primates, ungulates, marsupials, and birds...</p> <p>'Feldman Ecopark has been on the line of fire for the last month.</p> <p>'In order for the mournful list to no longer expand, we must take out all the animals.'</p> <p>Ten days ago mortar shelling by the 'Russian aggressors' destroyed the winter enclosures of great apes at the popular facility, killing two orangutans and a chimpanzee.</p> <p>Staff and rescuers have recently managed to save rare spurred turtles, along with white-nosed and blue monkeys. The turtles each weighing over 100kg.</p> <p>'For the first time in Ukraine, these Red Book giants successfully bred in our Ecopark, and we believe that everything will be fine with them.'</p> <p>Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported that the zoo had more than 300 species of animals but were repeatedly hit by Russian shelling since the 24th of February.</p> <p>Click <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/tp38yy/these_kangaroos_were_saved_from_an_eco_park_in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here </a>to see the amazing footage.</p> <p><em>Images: Reddit</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Robert Irwin's exciting news on Steve's birthday

<p>On what would have been his late father's 60th birthday, Robert Irwin has proudly shared exciting news about Australia Zoo. </p> <p>The 18-year-old conservationist took to Instagram to announce that the Koala Intensive Care Unit is now open in the wildlife hospital, following news that the native animals are now officially an endangered species. </p> <p>"Here in Australia, we pride ourselves on being home to some of the most prolific and unique species on the planet and koalas are undoubtedly the icons of our native wildlife," Robert wrote alongside a photo of himself with an injured koala.</p> <p>"But, Australia is also home to the highest mammal extinction rate of any country on earth. This upgrade in koala conservation status is yet another devastating reminder of the threats that climate change and habitat loss pose to our natural world."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaPPEHIhXW1/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px;"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent;"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaPPEHIhXW1/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Robert Irwin (@robertirwinphotography)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Robert said that Australia still has "a lot of work to do" to preserve koalas, but that the new wing of the facility was a step in the right direction. </p> <p>He also went on to thank <em>Family Guy</em> creator Seth Macfarlane for his generous $1 million donation to the centre. </p> <p>"We are so happy to be doing our part. Through the support of @macfarlaneseth we're proud to have finished construction on a purpose built, state of the art koala ICU at our wildlife hospital," he said.</p> <p>Seth made his donation following the devastating 2020 bushfires, that were responsible for the death of millions of native Australian animals. </p> <p>"Our goal is for each koala to be rehabilitated and released back to the wild. Together we can all ensure that these truly special animals are on the planet forever."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram @robertirwinphotography</em></p>

Family & Pets

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“Bail, bail, bail!”: Robert Irwin’s narrow croc escape

<p>Robert Irwin was left running for his life from a 350-kilogram crocodile in a heart-stopping clip.</p><p>After one of Australia Zoo’s crocs ignored the bait offered to him - instead making a beeline for Robert - the 18-year-old was forced to “bail” the exercise.</p><p>In the clip from Crickey! It’s the Irwins, Robert detailed one of the zoo’s “biggest and challenging moves,” switching one of their “wildest crocodiles Casper” to the “Crocoseum” enclosure.</p><p>“Before Casper makes his debut in the Crocoseum we need to do a bit of a test, just to make sure that he’s settling in nicely to this new enclosure,” Robert said.</p><p>“If he’s coming out of the water giving big strikes, that means he’s going to be ready for the Crocoseum show.”</p><p>Robert explained that one brave zookeeper would have to jump into Casper’s brand-new environment.</p><p>He shared that the croc has displayed “wild behaviour since [his late father Steve Irwin] first got Casper,” admitting that the task ahead of him was “quite terrifying”.</p><p>Robert bravely stepped into the enclosure, approaching the water with bait ready.</p><p>Suddenly, the croc leaped out of the water, snapping its jaw towards the food Robert was using as bait.</p><p>“Yeah, he’s keen, jeez he’s keen,” Robert said reacting to the croc’s speed and intensity.</p><p>Things went downhill very quickly as the croc was clearly uninterested in the bait Robert was offering.</p><p>“Bail, bail, bail, bail, bail, bail,” Robert repeated as he ran across the exhibit in a heart-stopping moment.</p><p>The clip shows Robert running from a birds-eye view, clearly showing his narrow escape.</p><p>The full video was shared on social media by Robert, and is taken from the season finale of the TV show Crickey! It’s the Irwins.</p><p><em>Images: Animal Planet </em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Australia Zoo welcomes two red panda cubs

<p dir="ltr">Australia Zoo is celebrating the arrival of two red panda cubs, the first to be born at the Queensland-based facility run by the Irwin family.</p> <p dir="ltr">Announcing their birth on social media, the zoo posted, “Our Australia Zoo family has gotten a little bigger - Introducing our 2 red panda cubs! These two adorable fluff balls are enjoying lots of snuggles from their mama. This is a first for us and a proud moment to be giving this critically endangered species a helping hand.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AustraliaZoo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AustraliaZoo</a> family has gotten a little bigger - Introducing our 2 red panda cubs❤️ These two adorable fluff balls are enjoying lots of snuggles from their mama. This is a first for us and a proud moment to be giving this critically endangered species a helping hand. <a href="https://t.co/sK1w9WKb8I">pic.twitter.com/sK1w9WKb8I</a></p> — Australia Zoo (@AustraliaZoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustraliaZoo/status/1481593303347138562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Red pandas are native to the high-altitude forests of Nepal, Burma, and China, and they usually give birth in early winter. They are considered endangered, largely as a result of habitat destruction and poaching.</p> <p dir="ltr">The zoo has also recently welcomed three cassowary chicks, and one of them, Fergo, has already become good friends with Bindi Irwin’s daughter, Grace. Irwin posted a photo on Instagram of the adorable pair last month, writing, “Two cute chickies! Meet Grace’s new best friend, Fergo, the cassowary chick. They absolutely love each other! We are so proud of our breeding program to protect this endangered species.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXrfhLVvt1c/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXrfhLVvt1c/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Irwin also celebrated the arrival of the red panda cubs, posting several photos of them with their mum on Instagram, and writing, “Welcoming the two sweetest bundles of fluff to our family. We are incredibly proud to be part of a breeding program for this critically endangered species.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CYq1lQtBz_5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CYq1lQtBz_5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

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