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A Lizard's Diaries Part 4: Central Park Zoo

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Next stop on our tour schedule was a visit to the famous Central Park Zoo. It’s incredible to think that in one of the world’s most populous cites (8 million people) that a zoo exists right in the middle! Here I’m pictured with Japanese Macaques or Snow Monkeys. This species of primate is found in Japan where they can tolerate very cold conditions.

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Fun Fact: They spend the most of their time in naturally heated volcanic hot springs! (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

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The zoo is known for their famous Polar Bear residents named Gus and Ida. The bears live in an elaborate habitat complete with an arctic pool, trees, and mountainous slopes. I’m guessing this one is Ida!

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Inside their rainforest exhibit visitors can check out Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs. These critically endangered primates are only found in Madagascar. Human destruction of their forest habitat and commercial exportation contribute to the decline of this species.

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You can also check out my favorite inhabitant: the Emerald Tree Boa. This strikingly beautiful snake has a nasty reputation for being extremely aggressive. I’ve always wanted to rescue one someday…Who knows? For more up-to-date info about everything animals follow us at www.twitter/corbinmaxey

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A Lizard's Diaries Part 3: Welcome to the Big Apple

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Ah…the sights, the smells, and the sounds of the big city! New York gets to me every time! There is just something about this mega metropolitan city that is so incredible. I don’t know if it’s because I grew up in such a small community or if it’s because there are so many opportunities waiting around every corner. Here’s a sneak-peak at our media tour in the Big Apple…

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First stop was Pix Morning News. We had to wake up extra early to make the call time at 6:45am! I love this picture of Scooter waiting inside his dressing room (Too bad mine didn’t have any lights)! If Scooter only knew that he shared his dressing room with some very familiar faces including the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus.

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The segment was a success! Here’s a shot after of Tamsen Fadal, Scooter, myself and Lisa Mateo from Pix Morning News. To see the segment click on this link  http://corbinmaxey.com/http://weblogs.wpix.com/news/local/morningnews/blogs/2009/11/animal_magnetism.html

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Next stop was CBS News (which was clear across town). I could not have been more thankful for my manager Marta who knows the city inside-out. We made it just in time to appear with Cali Carlin on her popular cbsnews.com web series.

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The segment was shot LIVE in the CBS Newsroom. I was so happy Cali (pictured above) was such a good sport! She even gave up her banana for Scooter! To see the full show click here www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kNc5D-d8go

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A Lizard's Diaries: Chicago!!!

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C1 One of my favorite cities to visit every time we cross the nation is Chicago. This fantastic city is home to many award-winning attractions including the Lincoln Park Zoo. We were lucky enough to get a behind-the-scenes tour. Here’s a sneak-peak of what we saw…

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The zoo is renowned for their excellence in captive breeding critically endangered Lowland Gorillas. The exhibit called the Regenstein Center for African Apes tops my list as one of the best Gorilla habitats in the country.

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A venomous warning sign leads to an area of the zoo very few ever get to see…

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Endangered Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnakes!!! The Lincoln Park Zoo along with local wildlife agencies collected what may be the very last pair of Massasauga Rattlesnakes in Illinois in an effort to captive breed them and re-introduce them out in the wild. The zoo’s conservation efforts have attracted national media attention including the Chicago Tribune. You can read the full article here http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/apr/30/news/chi-ap-il-rattlesnakeroundu

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Out of all the zoos I’ve visited in my lifetime I have never seen lions so active! Lions sleep an average of 20 hours a day…My guess is they enjoyed the minimal crowds and comfortable temperatures.

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This is a picture of a Dwarf Caiman who shares his exhibit with a species of primate. Like the majority of AZA accredited zoos, the Lincoln Park zoo has several mixed species exhibits.

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On our way out of the zoo we made a special stop by the world-famous Harpo Studios home of the “Oprah Winfrey Show.”

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We also got a glimpse of downtown Chicago where I got a picture of the Chicago Tribune building! After a quick lunch we headed out for our final destination: New York City.

 

***A special thanks goes out to Lincoln Park Zoo for providing us with an exciting behind-the-scenes tour.

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