Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

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Spatial77
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by Spatial77 »

nebugeater wrote:Any update on the elephants

Here is what I could find on the case.

On February 6, 2016, Friends of Animals v. Ashe et. al. was filed with the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The Case Number is 1-16-cv-00216. The defendants are Daniel M. Ashe, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

Friends of Animals (FofA) Requested Relief is basically:

A. Declare that the FWS didn’t consider all the environmental impacts during the NEPA process.
B. Have the FWS decision to allow import of the elephant postponed until FWS fully complies with NEPA.
C. Prohibit the FWS from issuing a permit to import elephants until NEPA requirements are met.
D. Award Friends of Animals’ reimbursement of costs, including attorney fees.
E. “Grant Friends of Animals any other relief that the Court deems just and proper.”

As I read it (and I am not an attorney) they are saying that FWS didn’t follow the requirements of NEPA. FofA’s argument is that the environmental document submitted, an Environmental Assessment (EA) was not stringent enough, and that a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) should have been prepared. The complaint also suggests that the FWS did not take all pertinent factors into consideration.

Legal maneuvering is currently taking place. On February 26 a motion for a preliminary injunction was requested, and on February 29 a motion to dismiss were filed.

All this information was found on publically available websites. “If you torture the data enough, it will confess” (R. Coase)
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nebugeater
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by nebugeater »

Thanks

Been thinking about this status and hadn't taken the time to look for anything yet. The new comments here prompted me to ask if anyone else had.
Spatial77 wrote:
nebugeater wrote:Any update on the elephants

Here is what I could find on the case.

On February 6, 2016, Friends of Animals v. Ashe et. al. was filed with the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The Case Number is 1-16-cv-00216. The defendants are Daniel M. Ashe, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

Friends of Animals (FofA) Requested Relief is basically:

A. Declare that the FWS didn’t consider all the environmental impacts during the NEPA process.
B. Have the FWS decision to allow import of the elephant postponed until FWS fully complies with NEPA.
C. Prohibit the FWS from issuing a permit to import elephants until NEPA requirements are met.
D. Award Friends of Animals’ reimbursement of costs, including attorney fees.
E. “Grant Friends of Animals any other relief that the Court deems just and proper.”

As I read it (and I am not an attorney) they are saying that FWS didn’t follow the requirements of NEPA. FofA’s argument is that the environmental document submitted, an Environmental Assessment (EA) was not stringent enough, and that a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) should have been prepared. The complaint also suggests that the FWS did not take all pertinent factors into consideration.

Legal maneuvering is currently taking place. On February 26 a motion for a preliminary injunction was requested, and on February 29 a motion to dismiss were filed.

All this information was found on publically available websites. “If you torture the data enough, it will confess” (R. Coase)
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

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My impression is it's basically a stalling tactic even them filing this doesn't mean that FWS didn't fallow all the rules. And even if they failed somewhere during the process they could always go back and properly file.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by Brad »

Just saw a tweet from the OWH, The elephants are on the plane an heading to Omaha!!!
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by Coyote »

Omaha zoo's elephants loaded onto plane in Swaziland, should arrive in Omaha within 48 hours

Omaha World Herald wrote:The three zoos — Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, Dallas Zoo and Wichita’s Sedgwick County Zoo — released a joint statement shortly before 7 p.m. Tuesday.

“It is in (the elephants’) best interest to relocate them as soon as possible,” the statement says, “Swaziland is in a state of national disaster due to severe, historic drought that has killed tens of thousands of animals. Food throughout the region is scarce.”
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

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Savagely cunning, daaaamn.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by skinzfan23 »

MTO wrote:Savagely cunning, daaaamn.
Yeah, that is true, but glad they did it.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by PotatoeEatsFish »

Will they display them right away or let them get used to the exhibit for a few days?
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by skinzfan23 »

PotatoeEatsFish wrote:Will they display them right away or let them get used to the exhibit for a few days?
from the article:
The Omaha zoo’s CEO and executive director, Dennis Pate, has said that once the elephants arrive, they would take a few weeks to acclimate before going on display.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by Joe_Sovereign »

This is the Corporate version of it is easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by Spatial77 »

OK, I know this is not the big news of the day for the Zoo (which took me totally by surprise like the Spanish Inquisition), but on the construction front the Building Permit for the Education Building has been issued. The Master Plan had spec'ed this structure out at 25,000 square feet, but the permit is for a 42,007 sf. Additionally, plumbing permits were issued for a whole slew of projects, including: Conservation Academy with 145 fixtures (maybe the Education Building?), Canopy Trails Holding, North Ticket Entry, Program Animal Holding, and Amphitheater Holding. I am guessing these are tied into the Adventure Education portion of the Master Plan, http://www.omahazoo.com/Post/sections/1 ... cation.pdf , and the realignment of 10th street.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by skinzfan23 »

Sounds like one of the 18 elephants died before the relocation. The remaining 17 are still en route.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by PotatoeEatsFish »

skinzfan23 wrote:Sounds like one of the 18 elephants died before the relocation. The remaining 17 are still en route.
Lets prepare for animal rights groups to freak out.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by skinzfan23 »

PotatoeEatsFish wrote:
skinzfan23 wrote:Sounds like one of the 18 elephants died before the relocation. The remaining 17 are still en route.
Lets prepare for animal rights groups to freak out.
They probably will. The good news, if they read the story correctly, is that the elephant died before being transported or sedated.

It died back in December...
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by skinzfan23 »

Here is the story about it:
1 fewer elephant than expected coming from Swaziland to U.S.; Omaha still will welcome 6
the elephant died from “an acute gastrointestinal medical condition,” which the zoos said was impossible to treat.

The zoos in Omaha and Wichita are still expected to receive six elephants each, the statement said. Dallas will now receive just five.

Reilly said transporting the elephants is “hugely costly,” estimating the price at “a million U.S. dollars a day.”
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by Spatial77 »

Flight with elephants just took off from Fort Worth Alliance Airport en route to Wichita. About a 45 minute flight.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by GetUrban »

Spatial77 wrote:Flight with elephants just took off from Fort Worth Alliance Airport en route to Wichita. About a 45 minute flight.
Wonder if they had to pay extra for their trunks.
He said "They are some big, ugly red brick buildings"
...and then they were gone.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by Coyote »

GetUrban wrote:
Spatial77 wrote:Flight with elephants just took off from Fort Worth Alliance Airport en route to Wichita. About a 45 minute flight.
Wonder if they had to pay extra for their trunks.
It was a Jumbo Jet
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by nebugeater »

Coyote wrote:
GetUrban wrote:
Spatial77 wrote:Flight with elephants just took off from Fort Worth Alliance Airport en route to Wichita. About a 45 minute flight.
Wonder if they had to pay extra for their trunks.
It was a Jumbo Jet

or "Dumbo" jet ????
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by Spatial77 »

nebugeater wrote:
Coyote wrote:
GetUrban wrote:
Spatial77 wrote:Flight with elephants just took off from Fort Worth Alliance Airport en route to Wichita. About a 45 minute flight.
Wonder if they had to pay extra for their trunks.
It was a Jumbo Jet

or "Dumbo" jet ????
More importantly: Did they serve peanuts as a snack on the flight? Here is the link to the article from the Wichita Kansas newspaper.

http://www.kansas.com/news/local/article65418802.html
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by Spatial77 »

747 off from Wichita at 3:25 CST. I wonder how many frequent flyer miles one gets from Swaziland to Omaha?
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by Omaha_corn_burner »

So what airport does it land at here?
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by skinzfan23 »

Omaha_corn_burner wrote:So what airport does it land at here?
I am assuming Eppley but the zoo is about halfway between Offutt and Eppley.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

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Spatial77 wrote:747 off from Wichita at 3:25 CST. I wonder how many frequent flyer miles one gets from Swaziland to Omaha?
Is this a serious question? It depends on the airline, your elite status and possibly the price paid for the ticket and/or fare class.

If you are asking how many miles it is flying from there to here, a simple Google search will net you an answer.
JNB -> LHR -> ORD -> OMA = 19,970 miles
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

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Omaha_corn_burner wrote:So what airport does it land at here?
They flew into Eppley. Not many 747s fly into there, but its large enough for a relatively unloaded landing. Had this been the departure airport, fully loaded with fuel and 17 elephants onboard, they might have had to use the longer runway at Offutt, though....

I was tracking the flight on its way up from Wichita on flightaware.com . Wonder if there was some sort of issue. They'd filed a flight plan to fly at 27,000 feet, but after ascending to 12k, they went down to 9800 feet, and remained there until approach. I'm no aviation expert, but that would lead me to believe there may have been some sort of pressurization concern. Earlier legs of the elephant plane flew at "normal" higher altitudes.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by Brad »

They were saying 4:50 arrival, but it got here at 4:10. Would low altitude make the flight any faster?
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

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Brad wrote:They were saying 4:50 arrival, but it got here at 4:10. Would low altitude make the flight any faster?

If they had concerns they may have thrown more fuel at it and forgone efficiencies to get back to ground sooner
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by daveoma »

Spatial77 wrote:Flight with elephants just took off from Fort Worth Alliance Airport en route to Wichita. About a 45 minute flight.
I wonder what the elephants were thinking when they hit turbulence.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by RNcyanide »

daveoma wrote:
Spatial77 wrote:Flight with elephants just took off from Fort Worth Alliance Airport en route to Wichita. About a 45 minute flight.
I wonder what the elephants were thinking when they hit turbulence.
They'll be too busy dreaming about whatever it is elephants dream about. They sedate the pants of animals in cargo flights.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by Linkin5 »

Omaha_corn_burner wrote:
Spatial77 wrote:747 off from Wichita at 3:25 CST. I wonder how many frequent flyer miles one gets from Swaziland to Omaha?
Is this a serious question? It depends on the airline, your elite status and possibly the price paid for the ticket and/or fare class.

If you are asking how many miles it is flying from there to here, a simple Google search will net you an answer.
JNB -> LHR -> ORD -> OMA = 19,970 miles
It was as serious as the article stating Baxter Arena is sinking, one of these days you'll pick up on sarcasm.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by Ben »

Brad wrote:They were saying 4:50 arrival, but it got here at 4:10. Would low altitude make the flight any faster?
They departed Wichita earlier than expected. Offload must have gone quicker than they thought. The actual flight was only a couple of minutes shorter than the filed flight plan. That was primarily due to the lack of ascent/decent time. Its only like a 40 min flight, not like you can shave much time off of that.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by Omaha_corn_burner »

Spatial77 wrote:747 off from Wichita at 3:25 CST. I wonder how many frequent flyer miles one gets from Swaziland to Omaha?
If you were looking for miles flown, it looks like it would be SHO -> DKR -> AFW -> ICT -> OMA ~ 27,700 miles
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by skinzfan23 »

New mammoth sculpture was installed today near the garden of the senses:
From the World Herald:
Image
The sculpture stands 14 feet tall and weighs 3,500 pounds. It is modeled after a famous Nebraskan, Archie.
Archie the mammoth was discovered in Lincoln County, Nebraska, in 1922 and is Nebraska’s state fossil. A sculpture of the mammoth also stands outside Morrill Hall on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus, marking the entrance to the University of Nebraska State Museum, where inside, you’ll find the real Archie, the largest mounted mammoth specimen in the U.S.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by nebugeater »

Glad I read it.

At first glance I thought..... "Man, I didn't think that is how they would move the new elephants!" :;):


skinzfan23 wrote:New mammoth sculpture was installed today near the garden of the senses:
From the World Herald:
Image
The sculpture stands 14 feet tall and weighs 3,500 pounds. It is modeled after a famous Nebraskan, Archie.
Archie the mammoth was discovered in Lincoln County, Nebraska, in 1922 and is Nebraska’s state fossil. A sculpture of the mammoth also stands outside Morrill Hall on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus, marking the entrance to the University of Nebraska State Museum, where inside, you’ll find the real Archie, the largest mounted mammoth specimen in the U.S.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by nebugeater »

In case you ever need to know what to do with 30 days +/- of Elephant extract from six elephants in quarantine you can base your plan on this.


http://www.omaha.com/living/zoo/more-to ... df8fe.html

Once every two or three days, a truck leaves the zoo, pulling behind it a trailer full of elephant dung.
The trailer is about the size of a car, and it’s headed for Ashland.
The tarp-covered truck takes the load from the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium to the Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari. The trailer then tips and dumps the load, black plastic trash bags and all, into a hole in the ground.
Then it’s lit on fire, said Dr. Doug Armstrong, director of animal health at the zoo.
The reason? Parasites...................
Read the rest at the link.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by MTO »

I'd hate to be behind that trailer.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by GetUrban »

That's how Pachyderm Hill became a hill. :yes:
He said "They are some big, ugly red brick buildings"
...and then they were gone.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by Omaha_corn_burner »

MTO wrote:I'd hate to be behind that trailer.
Seems like an odd thing to say. Are you scared of the parasites floating out of the garbage bags? If you're worried about smell, cattle dung smells much worse than elephant dung.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by MTO »

Omaha_corn_burner wrote:
MTO wrote:I'd hate to be behind that trailer.
Seems like an odd thing to say. Are you scared of the parasites floating out of the garbage bags? If you're worried about smell, cattle dung smells much worse than elephant dung.
Oh I had no idea I don't go around smelling animals shít. Anyway the elephants go on display tomorrow.
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Re: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Post by iamjacobm »

Elephants go on display tomorrow! I am sure the crowds will be massive.
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