Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Z is for Zoology

Animals. I love them! Who doesn't?

Zoology is the branch of science to the animal kingdom, including structure, embryology, evolution, classifications, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct. Zoologists are biologists who increase scientific knowledge not only for their branch of science, but for the general public too. 

What is zoology good for? I'm close to the San Diego Zoo (home to over 3,700 animals and 360 species and sub-species. It's also one of the few zoos that house giant pandas. The San Diego Zoo partners with the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, an 1,800 acre free range park housing 2,600 animals, 3,500 species and 350 plant species. 

We have season tickets to both parks. They are great at educating the public regarding the current state of these magnificant animals shrinking habitat. If it wasn't for parks like these, many species would go extinct during out life time. They breed endangered species in hopes to bring their numbers back up.

However, it is becoming evident many species and sub species will only survive in parks like these. Left alone in the wild, they would be poached out of existance.

So my last word to you from this A to Z Challenge is to take a moment to appreciate God's greatness and creativity when it comes to animals. Soon, many will only exists in zoos and their related parks. Make it a point to take the family to a zoo this summer. You'll be glad that you did. Zoos are on the cutting edge of some truly amazing programs to help our furry friends thrive on this dangerous planet.

Question: My favorite animal is the giraffe. What's yours?


References: San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Wikipedia

13 comments:

  1. Wonderful post Stephen.I love animals and this one is right up my street.
    Thanks for a month of great post, although you had problems in the beginning everything turned out fine.
    Yvonne.

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  2. Animals are the best thing about this world. Well, animals and maybe kids.

    It's been a pleasure co-hosting the challenge with you, Stephen! Glad to see you made it through.

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  3. A great tribute to Mother Earth to end the A-Z Challenge, Stephen. I am glad your problems with google worked out!
    All the best!

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  4. And some zoos do a really great job with the animals' habitat.
    I like the predators, like wolves and tigers.
    Congratulations on finishing the Challenge and another awesome year as co-host. With all of your blog troubles, I'm sure you'll never forget this one.

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  5. i was ten when i read my first 3000 page zoology book, my mother said i would never finish... it was one of those things that will ever be my dreams to have been. i did finish... i wish the blogger-gods didn't make such a mess for you this year... fist in the air to them!

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  6. San Diego Zoo is one of the best I've seen. I'm not a zoo fan, but I know they do a lot to help protect the animals, so when they give them a habitat that closely approximates their native ones, I applaud them.

    My very favorite animal is the panther.

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  7. What a wonderful post to finish the Challenge. You're so right, we need to appreciate the amazing creatures we have all around us.

    I can't really pick a favorite animal, but I love the furry ones like wolves, lions, bears, etc. But then I also love penguins haha.

    Congrats on another great challenge! :)

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  8. I've been to the San Diego Zoo a few times. Always impressive. Don't know if they have red pandas there or not, but they are one of my favorite animals. They're so shy but really beautiful and rare. Also love the lemurs. And the big cats! Crazy how loud a lion's roar is when you're standing right in front of him. :)

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  9. What concerns me is how save the animals in zoos and safari parks will be when the poachers have run out of wild animals to kill. The rhino problem is getting so bad and Mozambique has now no rhinos because the rangers were bribed, money talks.

    JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE

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  10. I love all animals and I am really grateful to those who make such a big effort in keeping some races from disappearing completely.

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  11. I took Zoology as one of my science classes my first year of community college, and got a C+. It was pretty fun, even though it had been years since science was one of my star subjects. The professor was quite a character. Ever since then, I've been that annoying person telling people it's pronounced ZO-ol-ogy, not ZOO-ol-ogy. As the professor pointed out, it would have to be spelt Zooology to be pronounced ZOO-ol-ogy.

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  12. Hi Stephen .. I must get to London zoo - haven't been for decades ... and next time I'm in San Diego I'll look out the zoo. Zoology is essential .. and the research that has been done and recorded is amazing ...

    Warthog is my favourite animal .. congratulations on finishing after all the hullaballoo you had .. cheers Hilary

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  13. I have always loved going to zoos. Thanks for bringing back some wonderful memories. When I was a kid I often took the bus to the Detroit zoo, along with a friend, and we would spend the day there. My favorite animals were always the big cats. Loved to sit and watch them prowl their habitat, or simply sleep. It didn't matter to me if they were active or not.

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