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It was included in an article sent out by the Naples Zoo letting people know about the Clouded Leopard kittens born at the zoo where I volunteer every Monday morning.
Part of a new article regarding the two clouded leopard kittens -
Naples Zoo is proud to be the home of two rare juvenile clouded leopards. This breeding pair of leopards were specifically matched and sent to Naples Zoo as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan® (SSP). The SSP is a cooperatively managed breeding program that works to create sustainable populations of threatened and endangered species. The clouded leopards made their grand debut to the public on Saturday, December 10, 2016.
On February 22, 2019, the SSP was successful, as Tika gave birth to two female clouded leopard kittens. The adorable kittens were named Jean and Janet, selected for an anonymous donor that supported the clouded leopard exhibit and Glass Animal Hospital. The kittens made their grand debut to the public on Tuesday, May 7, 2019.
Naples Zoo
Southwest Florida
USA
Happy Valentine's Day to all who celebrate it.
The story of Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens begins with botanist Dr. Henry Nehrling. An early conservationist, Nehrling wrote in 1904, "It is high time to protect and preserve what is still left." He first acquired the Naples site in 1919 to avoid a repetition of the disastrous freeze to his plant collection in central Florida in 1917. At that time, this portion of Naples was being sold in farm plots for agriculture.
Gardenia jasminoides, commonly known as gardenia, is an evergreen flowering plant in the coffee family Rubiaceae. It is native to parts of South-East Asia. Wild plants range from 30 centimetres to 3 metres (about 1 to 10 feet) in height. They have a rounded habit with very dense branches with opposite leaves that are lanceolate-oblong, leathery or gathered in groups on the same node and by a dark green, shiny and slightly waxy surface and prominent veins.
With its shiny green leaves and heavily fragrant white summer flowers, it is widely used in gardens in warm temperate and subtropical climates. It also is used as a houseplant in temperate climates. It has been in cultivation in China for at least a thousand years, and it was introduced to English gardens in the mid-18th century. Many varieties have been bred for horticulture, with low-growing, and large, and long-flowering forms.
The white flowers have a matte texture, in contrast to the glossy leaves. They gradually take on a creamy yellow color and a waxy surface. They can be quite large, up to 10 cm (4 in) in diameter, loosely funnel-shaped, and there are double-flowered forms. Blooming in summer and autumn, they are among the most strongly fragrant of all flowers. They are followed by small and oval fruits.
Wild Bird
Near The Gulf Of Mexico
Southwest Florida
USA
This little blue was photographed close to it's nest which was partially hidden in the shade.
From Wikipedia -
The little blue heron (Egretta caerulea) is a small heron. It breeds in the Gulf states of the US, through Central America and the Caribbean south to Peru and Uruguay. It is a resident breeder in most of its range, but some northern breeders migrate to the southeastern US or beyond in winter. There is post-breeding dispersal to well north of the nesting range, as far as the Canada–US border.
The little blue heron's breeding habitat is sub-tropical swamps. It nests in colonies, often with other herons, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs. Three to seven light blue eggs are laid. The little blue heron stalks its prey methodically in shallow water, often running as it does so. It eats fish, frogs, crustaceans, small rodents and insects.
White little blue herons often mingle with snowy egrets. The snowy egret tolerates their presence more than little blue herons in adult plumage. These young birds actually catch more fish when in the presence of the snowy egret and also gain a measure of protection from predators when they mix into flocks of white herons. It is plausible that because of these advantages, they remain white for their first year.
This Blue and Yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) welcomed us to the Naples Zoo in Naples, Florida.
Naturally found in Central and South America, these birds may live 50 or more years.
I like to visit zoos, both to see the resident animals, and to see "visiting" animals (namely, birds that fly into the zoo). Boat-tailed Grackles were seen throughout the Naples Zoo in Naples Florida. They were very aggressive and noisy, but they allowed me to get fairly close to them, until I raised my camera.
As with many bird species, the males and females are distinctively different in their colors, which are clearly shown in this picture and the next (in the first comment below).
I like to visit zoos, both to see the resident animals, and to see "visiting" animals (namely, birds that fly into the zoo). Boat-tailed Grackles were seen throughout the Naples Zoo in Naples Florida. They were very aggressive and noisy, but they allowed me to get fairly close to them, until I raised my camera.
As with many bird species, the males and females are distinctively different in their colors, which are clearly shown in this picture and the next (in the first comment below). The male is clearly a glossy black, but in strong sunlight it appears an iridescent blue.
Lions exhibit several distinct calls communicating information between members of a pride and indicating territorial ownership of an area. The roar of the lion may carry up to 3 km.
Faith...
When you come to the edge of all the light you have,
and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown,
faith is knowing one of two things will happen:
There will be something solid to stand on,
or you will be taught how to fly.
~ Patrick Overton ~
Early morning light filtered through the trees just right to add the highlights.
Naples
Florida
Naples Zoo
Steelman, the male cheetah at the Naples Zoo passed away Friday. He was close to sixteen years old when he died, making him one of the oldest living cheetahs in US zoos. This is about triple the life expectancy of cheetahs in the wild.
I had the privilege to be a docent at the zoo and to talk to guests about Steelman and the other cheetah for the past two years every Monday morning.
I do not normally put up images of zoo animals, but I felt I would do so in honor of Steelman. I will miss him. One of the reasons I volunteer at the zoo is to be close to animals found in Africa, and to enjoy seeing those animals between trips.
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