Andrew
03-23-2007, 10:25 AM
Monterey Bay Aquarium press release
NEWS RELEASE
GET 'WILD ABOUT OTTERS' IN 2007
AT THE MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New special exhibition will feature freshwater otters and over 30
species of freshwater fishes & reptiles
Explore the fun and fascinating world of otters - from sea otters to
their freshwater cousins - when Wild About Otters opens at the Monterey
Bay Aquarium on March 31, 2007. Visitors will meet 10 feisty freshwater
otters as they enter the lush world of tropical freshwater fishes,
reptiles and plants via a multi-sensory adventure through five dynamic
galleries and an intriguing array of live exhibits and interactive
displays.
Wild About Otters features six African spotted-necked otters and four
Asian small-clawed otters in exhibits that represent their native lake
and river habitats. Both species are sleek, curious and very active.
Visitors are likely to see an entertaining range of behaviors, from
elaborate water play to ambush games.
The $3.6 million special exhibition, which is scheduled to continue into
2010, shows how wild otters - just like the aquarium's ever-popular sea
otters and like people around the world - need clean water to thrive and
survive. Throughout the exhibit, actor and wildlife conservation
advocate John Cleese narrates high-definition video clips that share
conservation messages about the global importance of clean water and how
lakes, rivers and oceans are all connected.
Wild About Otters is Monterey Bay Aquarium's first special exhibition to
feature live mammals, and its first to showcase over 30 species of
tropical freshwater fishes and reptiles - including vine snakes, exotic
frogs, box turtles, water lilies, papyrus, cichlids, bettas, catfish,
gouramis, killifish, butterflyfish, pufferfish and archerfish - all of
which share the freshwater otters' habitats in the wild.
"People already have an affinity for mammals," said Michelle Jeffries,
associate curator of mammals. "So we're starting with that connection to
teach visitors more about the world's many otter species and how they're
doing in the wild."
Visitors to Wild About Otters will meet one family and one pair of
African spotted-necked otters - Denny and Neema and their two pups
(Kazana and Ajabu) and Kipenzi and Kamili - as well as two sets of Asian
small-clawed otter brothers: Satu and Dua, and Tiga and Empat ("one,"
"two" "three" and "four" in the Malay language). The aquarium acquired
the adult otters as part of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums' (AZA)
Species Survival Plan program (SSP), a cooperative effort among
AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums to ensure the survival of threatened
and endangered wildlife species through breeding programs, research,
public education, reintroduction and field projects.
Visitors will quickly learn personal details about the lives of the
eight freshwater otters via interactive graphic panels at the live
exhibits. Each will tell the otters' personal stories through
caretaker's journals, video and still images, touchable models and other
displays.
Jaci Tomulonis, exhibit developer/writer, said the exhibition takes a
storytelling approach so visitors will learn not only about the otters'
natural history and native habitat, but also about their favorite foods,
what certain behaviors mean and details of their journey to the
aquarium.
"They'll come to know these animals personally, and hopefully learn to
care for them and their kind," she said. "We hope that the stories will
strengthen our visitors' connection to these animals."
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of only five institutions in the U.S.
to exhibit African spotted-necked otters - a species is known for its
animated water play and high-speed chases. Jeffries said she knew right
away she wanted to feature spotted-necked otters in Wild About Otters as
soon as she met Denny, Neema, Kipenzi and Kamili at the San Diego Zoo.
"I'm enthralled by their energy, their conniving minds and their
crowd-pleasing antics," she said.
While Asian small-clawed otters are more common at American zoos and
aquariums, they're always visitor favorites. Wild About Otters features
two sets of brothers - 4 and 5 years old, respectively - that are on
loan from the Singapore Zoo.
"I wanted a bachelor group because of their energy level and amazing
social behavior," Jeffries said. "These boys are active, kinetic and
very vocal."
While the focus of Wild About Otters is on freshwater otters, that
doesn't mean sea otters - the Central Coast's endearing icons - are
ignored. At the entrance to Wild About Otters, exhibits overlooking
Monterey Bay explore stories of local sea otters and highlight the work
of aquarium researchers who study sea otters in the wild. Another
exhibit illustrates the differences between sea otters and freshwater
otters.
One large and colorful gallery of interactive displays introduces
visitors to all 13 species of otters found throughout the world - from
the giant otter of South America to the feisty North American river
otter - and the characteristics unique to each species. Highlights
include a special mirror that lets visitors see themselves as a
hairy-nosed otter; a life-sized model of and audio clips of sounds made
by a giant otter; a crawl-through tangle of mangrove roots, and video
clips showing the difference between skill-building and play behaviors
in North American river otters.
Other live exhibits in Wild About Otters explore African lake and Asian
river habitats teeming with life, from feathery water plants and ferns,
to slender vine snakes, exotic frogs and a rainbow of tropical
freshwater fishes, many of which will be familiar to home aquarists -
including cichlids, bettas, tetras, catfish, rasboras and gouramis.
One sure favorite will be the archerfish exhibit. These angular silver
and black striped fish spit water to dislodge unwary prey from trees and
plants above the water's surface - sometimes scoring a hit at distances
up to four feet away! This exhibit is designed so visitors can watch
this remarkable behavior.
Another highlight: the exhibit of Asian vine snakes, where sleek, bright
green snakes live in trees but eat fish that they capture by plunging
their heads into water. This exhibit, too, is designed so visitors can
watch them hunt.
In a Discovery Art Room, visitors can create detailed scrapbooks as
souvenirs of their Wild About Otters experience using stamps that depict
images of freshwater otters and other animals that share their habitats,
like hippos, crocodiles and egrets. A live exhibit features exotic Asian
frogs, such as the Vietnamese giant tree frog, Bornean horned frog,
Chinese gliding frog, White's tree frog or Vietnamese mossy frog.
Wild About Otters is included with regular aquarium admission of $24.95
adult; $22.95 senior (65+) and student (full-time college, with I.D.);
and $15.95 children 3-12 and the disabled. (2007 rates) Children under 3
are admitted free of charge. Discounted tickets for members of the
military and their families can be purchased in advance at many
California and Nevada installations.
The aquarium is located on historic Cannery Row in Monterey. It is open
daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and in summer and major holiday periods
from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (closed Christmas Day). Summer hours include
extended weekend hours, from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and
Sundays, between May 26 and September 3.
More information about Wild About Otters and the aquarium in general is
available online at www.montereybayaquarium.org
<http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/> ; or by calling (831) 648-4888.
Advance tickets can be purchased online; by phone from the aquarium at
1-800-756-3737; and all Northern California Tickets.com outlets or by
phone at 800-225-2277. Seasonal specials, details about special events
and programs, family activities and live web cams can all be found
online at www.montereybayaquarium.org
<http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/> .
The mission of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of
the oceans.
- 30 -
Discuss here (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?p=1043702#post1043702)
NEWS RELEASE
GET 'WILD ABOUT OTTERS' IN 2007
AT THE MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New special exhibition will feature freshwater otters and over 30
species of freshwater fishes & reptiles
Explore the fun and fascinating world of otters - from sea otters to
their freshwater cousins - when Wild About Otters opens at the Monterey
Bay Aquarium on March 31, 2007. Visitors will meet 10 feisty freshwater
otters as they enter the lush world of tropical freshwater fishes,
reptiles and plants via a multi-sensory adventure through five dynamic
galleries and an intriguing array of live exhibits and interactive
displays.
Wild About Otters features six African spotted-necked otters and four
Asian small-clawed otters in exhibits that represent their native lake
and river habitats. Both species are sleek, curious and very active.
Visitors are likely to see an entertaining range of behaviors, from
elaborate water play to ambush games.
The $3.6 million special exhibition, which is scheduled to continue into
2010, shows how wild otters - just like the aquarium's ever-popular sea
otters and like people around the world - need clean water to thrive and
survive. Throughout the exhibit, actor and wildlife conservation
advocate John Cleese narrates high-definition video clips that share
conservation messages about the global importance of clean water and how
lakes, rivers and oceans are all connected.
Wild About Otters is Monterey Bay Aquarium's first special exhibition to
feature live mammals, and its first to showcase over 30 species of
tropical freshwater fishes and reptiles - including vine snakes, exotic
frogs, box turtles, water lilies, papyrus, cichlids, bettas, catfish,
gouramis, killifish, butterflyfish, pufferfish and archerfish - all of
which share the freshwater otters' habitats in the wild.
"People already have an affinity for mammals," said Michelle Jeffries,
associate curator of mammals. "So we're starting with that connection to
teach visitors more about the world's many otter species and how they're
doing in the wild."
Visitors to Wild About Otters will meet one family and one pair of
African spotted-necked otters - Denny and Neema and their two pups
(Kazana and Ajabu) and Kipenzi and Kamili - as well as two sets of Asian
small-clawed otter brothers: Satu and Dua, and Tiga and Empat ("one,"
"two" "three" and "four" in the Malay language). The aquarium acquired
the adult otters as part of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums' (AZA)
Species Survival Plan program (SSP), a cooperative effort among
AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums to ensure the survival of threatened
and endangered wildlife species through breeding programs, research,
public education, reintroduction and field projects.
Visitors will quickly learn personal details about the lives of the
eight freshwater otters via interactive graphic panels at the live
exhibits. Each will tell the otters' personal stories through
caretaker's journals, video and still images, touchable models and other
displays.
Jaci Tomulonis, exhibit developer/writer, said the exhibition takes a
storytelling approach so visitors will learn not only about the otters'
natural history and native habitat, but also about their favorite foods,
what certain behaviors mean and details of their journey to the
aquarium.
"They'll come to know these animals personally, and hopefully learn to
care for them and their kind," she said. "We hope that the stories will
strengthen our visitors' connection to these animals."
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of only five institutions in the U.S.
to exhibit African spotted-necked otters - a species is known for its
animated water play and high-speed chases. Jeffries said she knew right
away she wanted to feature spotted-necked otters in Wild About Otters as
soon as she met Denny, Neema, Kipenzi and Kamili at the San Diego Zoo.
"I'm enthralled by their energy, their conniving minds and their
crowd-pleasing antics," she said.
While Asian small-clawed otters are more common at American zoos and
aquariums, they're always visitor favorites. Wild About Otters features
two sets of brothers - 4 and 5 years old, respectively - that are on
loan from the Singapore Zoo.
"I wanted a bachelor group because of their energy level and amazing
social behavior," Jeffries said. "These boys are active, kinetic and
very vocal."
While the focus of Wild About Otters is on freshwater otters, that
doesn't mean sea otters - the Central Coast's endearing icons - are
ignored. At the entrance to Wild About Otters, exhibits overlooking
Monterey Bay explore stories of local sea otters and highlight the work
of aquarium researchers who study sea otters in the wild. Another
exhibit illustrates the differences between sea otters and freshwater
otters.
One large and colorful gallery of interactive displays introduces
visitors to all 13 species of otters found throughout the world - from
the giant otter of South America to the feisty North American river
otter - and the characteristics unique to each species. Highlights
include a special mirror that lets visitors see themselves as a
hairy-nosed otter; a life-sized model of and audio clips of sounds made
by a giant otter; a crawl-through tangle of mangrove roots, and video
clips showing the difference between skill-building and play behaviors
in North American river otters.
Other live exhibits in Wild About Otters explore African lake and Asian
river habitats teeming with life, from feathery water plants and ferns,
to slender vine snakes, exotic frogs and a rainbow of tropical
freshwater fishes, many of which will be familiar to home aquarists -
including cichlids, bettas, tetras, catfish, rasboras and gouramis.
One sure favorite will be the archerfish exhibit. These angular silver
and black striped fish spit water to dislodge unwary prey from trees and
plants above the water's surface - sometimes scoring a hit at distances
up to four feet away! This exhibit is designed so visitors can watch
this remarkable behavior.
Another highlight: the exhibit of Asian vine snakes, where sleek, bright
green snakes live in trees but eat fish that they capture by plunging
their heads into water. This exhibit, too, is designed so visitors can
watch them hunt.
In a Discovery Art Room, visitors can create detailed scrapbooks as
souvenirs of their Wild About Otters experience using stamps that depict
images of freshwater otters and other animals that share their habitats,
like hippos, crocodiles and egrets. A live exhibit features exotic Asian
frogs, such as the Vietnamese giant tree frog, Bornean horned frog,
Chinese gliding frog, White's tree frog or Vietnamese mossy frog.
Wild About Otters is included with regular aquarium admission of $24.95
adult; $22.95 senior (65+) and student (full-time college, with I.D.);
and $15.95 children 3-12 and the disabled. (2007 rates) Children under 3
are admitted free of charge. Discounted tickets for members of the
military and their families can be purchased in advance at many
California and Nevada installations.
The aquarium is located on historic Cannery Row in Monterey. It is open
daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and in summer and major holiday periods
from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (closed Christmas Day). Summer hours include
extended weekend hours, from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and
Sundays, between May 26 and September 3.
More information about Wild About Otters and the aquarium in general is
available online at www.montereybayaquarium.org
<http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/> ; or by calling (831) 648-4888.
Advance tickets can be purchased online; by phone from the aquarium at
1-800-756-3737; and all Northern California Tickets.com outlets or by
phone at 800-225-2277. Seasonal specials, details about special events
and programs, family activities and live web cams can all be found
online at www.montereybayaquarium.org
<http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/> .
The mission of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of
the oceans.
- 30 -
Discuss here (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?p=1043702#post1043702)