Ringling Brothers Circus to End Elephant Acts

In a surprising move Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, parent company Feld Entertainment, announced they are phasing out their elephant acts by 2018. While elephants have been an iconic part of their circus for a century, the decision comes amid growing pressure from the public over how the animals are treated.

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(Heinz Kluetmeier, PR Newswire)

Ringling Bros. has 13 performing elephants which will be taken to their Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida after their performances are phased out. The circus started the Center in 1995 to help preserve the highly endangered Asian Elephant. The company has 43 elephants in total, of the animals not on tour 29 live at the 200 acre facility and one is on breeding loan to the Fort Worth Zoo. This is the largest herd of Asian elephants in North America, and 26 elephants have been born at the facility. Each elephant costs $65,000 a year to take care of. At first the Center will only be open to researchers, caretakers, and other interested parties studying Asian elephants. But they hope to be able to allow the public to eventually visit for educational purposes and because it is so rare to see Asian elephants.

Ringling Bros Circus ap
(AP Photo/Field Entertainment Inc., Gary Bogdon)

Ringling Bros. will continue to use other animals in its shows including horses, dogs, and tigers. A troupe of Mongolian camel stunt riders was recently added to the Circus Xtreme show.

Horse:
circ7
(James Estrin/The New York Times)

Dog:
circ6
(James Estrin/The New York Times)

Tigers:
circ4
(James Estrin/The New York Times)

circ9
(James Estrin/The New York Times)

The executive vice president Alana Feld stated “There’s been somewhat of a mood shift among our consumers. A lot of people aren’t comfortable with us touring with our elephants.”

Chairman and CEO Kenneth Feld, of Feld Entertainment, stated:

…this is the most significant change we have made since we founded the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation in 1995. When we did so, we knew we would play a critical role in saving the endangered Asian elephant for future generations, given how few Asian elephants are left in the wild . . .This decision was not easy, but it is in the best interest of our company, our elephants and our customers.”

Many cities have passed anti-circus or anti-elephant ordinances making it difficult to plan tours. It is also incredibly expensive for Ringling to try and fight any of these measures in court. Past legal fights include a 14 year long battle over unproven allegations that circus employees mistreated the elephants. That settlement cost $25.2 million. The false claim was filed by a former barn helper who had been paid $190,000 to do so by animal rights groups, and found to be a paid witness lacking credibility in court. The company wants all of this time, effort, and money to actually go into the conservation of Asian elephants instead.

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(James Estrin/New York Times)

The circus will now focus more on human acts of bravery and strength.

If you want to see the last of these elephant performances check out one of the Ringling’s shows before 2018. Overall, this will be better for the preservation of Asian elephants. They will live as elephants should and bring awareness through that rather than traveling and performing in an unnatural or stressful way.

How long will it be before other smaller circuses phase out their elephant acts as well?

-Fizz

Sources:
Fox 411 – Ringling Bros. Eliminating Iconic Elephant Acts from Performances
USA Today – Ringling Bros. Eliminating Elephant Acts

Puppy Bowl and UBER Team Up

This year Puppy Bowl XI did something incredibly special and awesome! Animal Planet teamed up with UBER to bring puppies to your office! That is right, you could order a car full of puppies to play with for 15 minutes!

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UBER is a company which allows you to use a cell phone app to order a taxi, private car, or rideshare. They are prominent in the news because the company employs any qualified driver and car for use as a taxi in the face of existing taxi medallion systems and companies, and has been rapidly expanding to new areas.

Unfortunately, The Human only heard about this after the time you could try to order this service which was Wednesday February 28 from 11am to 3pm. It was also very limited due to the demand for such a service and the difficulties of moving puppies around to many play dates. Maybe, just maybe if this works out this year they will offer the same type of service in the future. It was also extremely geographically limited, available in only 10 major cities so many were out of luck to begin with.

Where, How, Why, and How Much?

Where:  Atlanta, Baltimore, Cleveland, Dallas, DC, Denver, Indianapolis, LA, Phoenix, and Seattle.

How: You had to use the UBER app and request the PUPPIES option, which could only be viewed by those using the app in the above cities.

Screenshot 2015-01-30 at 4.47.12 PM
(UBER)

This is what was displayed if all the puppies were busy:

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It was stated that puppies only be delivered to office buildings, and you had to make sure ahead of time that your office manager/building manger/boss was okay with this. You needed a room available for the puppies to go in and/or an enclosure to keep them safe and contained.

How does UBER even have puppies to drive around? They partnered with local shelters in each city. Many of the puppies that were involved were adoptable.

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Why: This event draws attention to puppies in need of a home. It also brings exposure to the shelters who participated. In most cities the puppies in the car were adoptable and the representative who traveled with the car of puppies could help. Plus, who wouldn’t want to play with a bunch of puppies while at their office?!

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Here are the participating shelters:
Phoenix – Arizona Humane Society
Atlanta – Atlanta Humane Society
Baltimore – BARCS Baltimore
Cleveland – Cleveland Animal Protective League
Dallas – Dallas Animal Services
Denver – Dumb Friends League
Indianapolis – Humane Society of Indianapolis
LA – Wags and Walks
Seattle – PAWS
DC – Washington Animal Rescue League

How Much: $30 for 15 minutes of puppy play time. All the money went to the shelter that participated in the event.

Puppies from the UBER promotion in Dallas:
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(Twitter/City of Dallas)

You can read the rules here and find out more.

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The puppies also went to schools and children’s hospitals to brighten their day!

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The Human is very sad to have missed this, but the opportunity was amazing!

– Fizz

 

Puppy Bowl 2015 is this Sunday

It is once again time for Puppy Bowl! YES!!!! This Sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY!!!!!

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Puppy Bowl is a show on Animal Planet which always airs on the Sunday of the Super Bowl. It is to show off cute puppies playing a fake game of football for your enjoyment. You can watch puppies both before, during, and after the big game. Puppy Bowl XI will air on February 1 2015 at 3 pm. It will start and end before the big game begins. However, PBXI will also replay a few more times so you can watch it instead of football or you can catch it after the game if you do not have time before.

As usual, the show features puppies from animal shelters playing with football (and other) dog toys on a miniature field inside a mini fake stadium. Puppies are switched out throughout the game and a touchdown is made any time a puppy makes it over the goal line with a toy. A ref calls penalties and makes sure that the puppies play nice. The halftime show features kittens playing. One puppy usually wins an MVP (most valuable puppy) award for playing the best. But I am not sure if that is true this year with the addition of an online fantasy draft. The point of the whole thing is to show off cute puppies to encourage people to go to their local shelters and adopt dogs in need of homes. All of the puppies featured have been adopted into new homes.

This year they are also featuring a fantasy draft, which might take the place of the mvp award.
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You go online here to sign into the site and pick three puppies for your dream team from the starting line up. The puppies are split into two teams: Team Ruff and Team Fluff. You can pick three puppies in any variation and across both teams.

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You also get to pick which team you think will win. Team Ruff is in the lead!

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Here are a couple of the puppies from the starting line up:

Aria the Labrador Retriever mix, on Team Ruff:
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Keith Barraclough/DCL

Blue the Schnauzer Poodle mix, on Team Fluff:
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Keith Barraclough

Boomer the German Shepherd mix, on Team Ruff:
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Chicklet the Australian Shepherd Mix, on Team Fluff:
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Keith Barraclough

Falcor the Clumber Spanial, on Team Ruff:
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Keith Barraclough/DCL

Fritz the Mini Schnauzer, on Team Fluff:
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Keith Barraclough/DCL

Lee the Boxer mix,on Team Ruff:
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Keith Barraclough/DCL

Panda the Pomeranian, on Team Fluff:
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Keith Barraclough/DCL

You can see the entire starting line up here. There is a great mix of beautiful and adorable puppies this year, you won’t want to miss out!

Make sure you tune in and watch all the adorable puppies this Sunday at 3 pm on Animal Planet!

– Fizz

Winnie the Pooh Exhibition

Walt Disney Archives has an international traveling exhibit that is touring around Japan featuring Winnie the Pooh. Pooh is incredibly popular in American and Japan. The original books were translated in Japanese and the Disney movies released in theaters to much popularity.

The human loves Pooh bear and has high hopes that this exhibit, or one similar, will come to the US some day. If you live in or can visit Japan you might be lucky enough to see this one as is, and if not D23 did a nice write up where you can see more pictures here.

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The exhibit features items from the Disney archives like animation cells, movie posters, maquettes, books, and toys. The goal is simply to celebrate the art, history, and legacy of Winnie the Pooh.

Here is the entry way:
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Some of the items on display:
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Books in Japanese:
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Maquettes:
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Toys:
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The Winnie the Pooh Exhibition opened in August in Tokyo, and has moved to Mitsukoshi department store in Fukuoka. The exhibit will continue traveling to different parts of Japan for the rest of the year and on into 2015.

Pooh bear is clearly a very popular and well loved bear. Don’t miss this chance to learn more and see items not usually available to the public if you are near the exhibit as it moves around Japan!

-Cola and Fizz

Don’t forget to see these photos and more on D23.com.

Shake Hands With An Otter

Otters are playful and adorable. Or so states the human, who has pictures of these creatures playing and I suppose being cute. Have you ever wanted to touch one? This is not something one gets the opportunity to do everyday.

otterpaw
(imgur)

The Keikyu Aburatsubo Marine Park in Japan has a special exhibit set up for their otters called “Otter Finger Touch, Fish Catch.” Visitors pay 500 yen, or $5, to offer a fish at special holes in the glass enclosure to lure an otter to put a paw through to possibly touch your finger and to definitely get a fish.

otterpaw2
(rocketnews24)

The exhibit opened July 13, 2014, and only runs until September 13, 2014, so if interested you need to act quickly. Visitors are encouraged to make a reservation in order to guarantee an opportunity to try for an otter hand shake. The exhibit is open for all those who enter the park to see the otters, but the touch experience has a morning and evening session with a max of 10 people. I am not sure if it is 10 each session or ten total for the day. Of course, you need to be in Japan or able to travel there for this experience.

Here are pictures from reporter Meru Rinko‘s trip to the exhibit:
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imgp3347
(rocketnews24)

Some species of otters can be vicious, people are attacked by them, so I would not advocate just trying to offer fish to wild otters. The otters in the exhibit are Asian Small Clawed Otters, the smallest species, who have little finger like toes with small claws unlike the webbed feet of the larger North American River Otter. Asian Small Clawed Otters are a vulnerable species due to habitat loss, and are now extinct in some areas which used to have large populations. You can of course see this type of otter in the US at places like Seaworld and the San Diego Zoo, but no other place offers finger touches.

Baby Asian Small Clawed Otters:
babyasianotter
(zooborns)

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(animalfactguide)

Adult:

Asian Small-clawed Otter
(zoochat)

This is a very unique opportunity for otter lovers, so take advantage of it if you can!

-Cola

You can read more here to get details of when/where/how and see even more photos of that reporter’s trip here.

2014 Belmont Stakes Saturday

The Belmont Stakes, the final race in the illusive Triple Crown, is this Saturday June 7! You can watch on NBC, the live coverage starts at 4:30 but I think the actual race takes place around 6 pm. On NBC sports you can see a show about California Chrome at noon, and then race day coverage from 2:30 on until post race coverage at 7.

Can California Chrome make racing history? Many horses have won the first two races only to fail to win the third and longest.

Chrome at Belmont Park:
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(Jason Szenes/EPA)

There are 11 horses in the race, some of which have been contenders against California Chrome since the Kentucky Derby. Wicked Strong is back for a second race against Chrome, and Ride on Curlin and General a Rod are back for their third go. Chrome will be running from the number 2 post position, which is sort of unfavorable (5 is the most favored) but the race is one of the longest, with the widest turns, and fewer horses than other races. Maybe even more important, Secretariat ran from an inside post position when he won the Belmont Stakes (even though he only had to beat 4 other horses no one is disputing his raw strength and ability).

Wicked Strong is a favorite to steal the win from Chrome because he is more fresh, placed well in his past two races, and has run best in New York. Ride on Curlin finished second to Chrome in the Preakness, who took the most favored post position number 5, could also pose a big threat. No one should forget Commanding Curve either, he raced against Chrome in the Kentucky Derby and finished in second place. The newcomer to the race which poses the biggest threat to Chrome is Tonalist, who won the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park, which has historically indicated a horse prime to place well in the Belmont Stakes.

Tonalist:
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(Chelsea Durand/NYRA)

Everything is uncertain at this point, I want Chrome to win but he has some impressive competition. It all comes down to race day, don’t forget to watch!

Interested in picking up some official California Chrome merchandise? I had no idea you could get such items, but given his popularity and the chance for a Triple Crown I am guessing this stuff is selling! Find it at the Belmont Stakes store here.
california-chrome-silks-t-shirt-white-3

– Cola

Kentucky Derby is Tomorrow

The 140th Kentucky Derby race is tomorrow May 3!  This famous horse race takes place at Churchill Downs and lasts for only a couple minutes. The winning horse is guaranteed at least $2 million.  Post time is 6:24 pm EST, but coverage begins at 4 for you to enjoy on NBC.

2014 Logo - KD140_Primary_Date_PMS_WBG (web)

The Kentucky Derby is the first of the three Triple Crown races, with the Preakness and Belmont stakes following soon after. It has been 36 years since the last TC winner – Affirmed in 1978. Will we see a Triple Crown winner this year? It is very early to say, so lets take a look at some of this years best KD contenders.

California Chrome
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(Wall Street Journal)

California Chrome is the horse to beat this Derby! He is the favorite, and it is reportedly his race to lose. He has won his last four races by a combined total margin of 24 lengths. His odds are doing so well now that if he goes to race with them he will be the biggest favorite to win a derby since Big Brown in 2008. He is an impressive animal, with strength to go and hopefully strength to finish this long and fast paced race. His jockey is Victor Espinoza, who won the Derby in 2002 on War Emblem. He also drew a perfect starting position at position 5. Of course, rarely does a favorite actually win the Derby and moreover it is his first race outside of California. How will California Chrome run in Kentucky?

Wicked Strong
Wicked Strong, Rajiv Maragh
(Boston Magazine)

Wicked Strong comes from Boston and was named in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing. The name Boston Strong was already taken, so this little guy received the appropriate Wicked Strong. If he wins, his owners will donate 5% of his winnings to The One Fund (which helps those affected by the bombing). What gives him a good chance at the Derby? His last race at the Wood Memorial was a sort of come from behind win, giving him a reputation for being able to rally at the end. Will the spirit and strength of Boston, and some come from behind speed, be the ticket to win this year? I do hope he places well!

Danza
danza06bl
(courier journal)

Danza is the winner of the Arkansas Derby creating quite a buzz for his chances at winning the Derby. Danza entered that race with 40-1 odds because it was the first time he ever ran over 7/8 of a mile and he had spent a few months recovering from a knee injury. He stayed in the leading pack the entire race and pulled off a 4 3/4 lengths win. He is a sprinter, muscular and tough. And yes, he is named after Tony Danza who tweeted with excitement about the horse’s win in Arkansas and plans to attend the Derby. Given such a strong recent performance, and how well he is training at the moment, he is a possible favorite to win.

Intense Holiday
2014 Kentucky Derby - Previews
(SB Nation)

Intense Holiday also has very good odds to win this year. He has eight races before this one, impressive given how little many of these horses run before this race. He is good when he has to work to win, keeping back a bit and then making the effort towards the end. He has placed well in his last three races. And while not truly exemplary, his stamina and strength may be just is called for tomorrow.

Samraat
samraat
(Kansas City)

Samraat has had an impressive 6 races, coming in second only once to Wicked Strong. He can go the distance, winning even as he raced longer and harder races. He can pace well, and fight well. He could be a good contender to take the win tomorrow from the more favored California Chrome.

And one final horse, one I like for his name:
Uncle Sigh
image
(Newsday)

Yes, Uncle Sigh is named after Uncle Si on the show Duck Dynasty. Love Uncle Si! So crazy to listen to, the uncle you always wanted to have. Anyways, his name is not spelled correctly because his owner did not want to go through everything you need to do to get the permission to use a living person’s name. Uncle Sigh has not been unimpressive in his races, but he did not place well in the last race he ran because he did not get a great start and was forced to run wide. For the Derby he will be in position 3, so he might actually have a very good chance to run the race the way he excels. Could Crazy Uncle Sigh win this Derby?

Watch the Kentucky Derby tomorrow on NBC!

The Butter End Cakery

I recently saw a few of the The Butter End Cakery’s creations and wanted to feature the business in a post!

The Butter End creates amazing unique cakes and chocolate sculptures (plus a lot more)! You may have heard of this bakery before, they have done a couple high profile cakes for celebrities. The company specializes in high end cakes and desserts, using only the finest ingredients like cage free eggs and real vanilla bean extract. Cake flavors range from Vanilla to Blueberry Walnut, and some can even come gluten free or vegan. Custom cake prices start at $250 and sculpted cakes start at $500. They are located in Santa Monica CA, if you are in the area and are in need of cake or dessert for a special occasion check them out.

Little dragon birthday cake:
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A pug gets a chance to help celebrate:
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Such a neat way to include your dog! This is funny and minimal. You can have an elegant cake that does not only feature your dog, but still includes them for your special day!

Chocolate Mammoth sculpture:
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Here is the full sculpture, not necessarily cute but definitely amazing:
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Another chocolate sculpture of dinosaurs:
dinocho
(all above pictures from thebutterend on Instagram)

Kermit the Frog:
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(The Butter End)
This is a groom’s cake and the body is all edible cake.

Baby elephant shower cake:
TheButterEndCakery.Shower_Cake2
(The Butter End)
The little elephant looks like a real stuffed animal!

White dragon wedding cake:
whitedragoncake
(The Butter End)
This beautiful white dragon is made of 9 and a half pounds of white modeling chocolate! Even the lace wings are edible. This cake is so elegant and charming even with it being a dragon on a wedding cake! You can see a video of the cakes creation here.

A little different angle, with different lighting:
closeupdrag
(thebutterend)
You can see all the little details in the scales and face.

To learn ever more The Butter End Cakery, or to inquire about getting a cake, please see their website here.

National Teddy Bear Day

Today, September 9th, is National Teddy Bear Day!

I know, everyday is something new really these days. I do think that celebrating the adorable and fuzzy teddy bear is a neat idea. Many people have had a special teddy bear in their lives.

Here is my oldest and most loved teddy bear:
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I got this bear as a baby and have had him ever since. I love this bear! Well, I guess that is obvious since I still have her. She is so well loved that I do not know what company she is from, but she still has her bows and a little bell in one ear.

Here is my Stieff teddy bear Molly:
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Love Steiff! Such quality, craftsmanship, and product choice. The only drawback is the cost, which is why I only have one bear.

Of course, I love Pooh Bear:
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Did you have a special teddy bear as a child? Do you collect stuffed bears now?

 


Addition:
As part of National Teddy Bear Day Boyds Bears launched a new design for their website and is having a contest. If you visit boydsstuff.com you can enter to win a teddy bear. As part of the contest you have to like and comment on their facebook page. I am not sure how they know you are the same person entering on their site and then commenting/liking their FB page, but that is how they designed the contest.

Do not know anything about Boyds Bears? They were quite a popular line at gift shops and Hallmark stores around where I live. I had quite a few of the stuffed bears and their resin figures when I was growing up (I kept them as collectibles). The company has been in business since 1979, and specializes in making high quality teddy bears with unique designs and adorable faces. The company expanded over the years to make home decor, gift items, resin figures, and toys tested for children. Check out their new website to see their current lines, a history of the outfits their bears have worn, how to care for your stuffed bear friends, and much more.

Here are some examples of the Boyd Heirloom line:
Bella Bearloom
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Greyson Bearlove
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Teddie Bearloom
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