....Bryan Clay of the U.S. competes in his 1500m heat of the men's decathlon in the athletics competition in the National Stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 22, 2008.
REUTERS/Mike Blake
Fri Aug 22, 2008 10:29am EDT
BEIJING (Reuters) - American Bryan Clay outclassed the opposition to win gold in the Olympic decathlon on Friday, leading from start to finish in the two-day event.
Clay virtually wrapped up victory after the javelin, the second event of the evening, meaning he could coast home in the 1500 meters that concluded the 10 events.
Belarusian Andrei Krauchanka was second, with Cuba's Leonel Suarez producing a surging finish to sneak into the bronze medal position.
(Additional reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Keith Weir)
Friday, August 22, 2008
Clay wins decathlon gold in style
Bahrain’s First Olympic Medal, and It’s Gold
....Bahrain’s Rashid Ramzi celebrated winning the men’s 1500-meter race at the Bird’s Nest on Wednesday. (Valery Hache/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)
BEIJING – Some 91,000 fans stood up to see the red and white flag of Bahrain run up the flagpole at the Bird’s Nest and to hear “Bahrainona,” the Bahraini anthem, resound Wednesday night.
It was a new experience for anybody who had ever been to the Olympics. From the first modern Games in Athens in 1896 to the return-to-Athens Games of 2004, a total of 12,738 medals were awarded to the representatives of 139 nations. Bahrain, a 250-square-mile nation with just 708,000 people, was not on that list.
But, finally, its moment had arrived.
Thank you, Rashid Ramzi.
Ramzi had won the men’s 1,500-meter title the night before, crossing the finish line in 3:32.94, ahead of Kenya’s Asbel Kipruto Kiprop (3:33.11), New Zealand’s Nick Willis (3:34.16) and nine others.
So there he was, on the podium, all delight in the golden experience.
“I didn’t believe in my wildest dreams that I’d be Olympic champion,” he said after winning. “But the dream didn’t come from nothing. I had to work hard to achieve it. I can’t find words to describe this victory.”
So he stopped trying.
Ramzi, 28, moved to Bahrain from Morocco in 2001. He won world titles at 800 and 1,500 meters in 2005, but the victory on Wednesday has topped everything.
He lives in Bahrain for part of the year, but, he said, “It’s too hot to train there on a regular basis.” So he heads back to Morocco –- his homeland, but also that of an Olympic 1,500-meter predecessor, Hicham El Guerrouj — and trains on familiar turf. He continues to say, “I am a Moroccan, I was born a Moroccan.”
Nevertheless, it is the Bahraini flag that is hoisted, and the gold and the glory are headed for the Persian Gulf.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Tears of Joy for a Czech Champion on a Special Day
....Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic after her winning throw on Thursday. (EPA/Kay Nietfeld)
BEIJING — Barbora Spotakova’s evening ended in tears.She cried after her last throw in the women’s javelin final, she cried as the competitors did a victory lap, she cried as she put on her track suit and she cried as she sang the Czech national anthem on the top step of the podium.
After her opening throw Thursday night, Spotakova had strutted and stretched her arm above her, index finger pointing upward. The throw, 69.32 meters (227 feet 1 inch), was long but 10 centimeters (4 inches) shorter than the first-round throw of the Russian, Maria Abakumova.
As mist turned to drizzle and then to rain that puddled the apron around the track, the throws fell shorter. Sometimes the competitors fell as Britain’s Goldie Sayers did, slipping on a stripe of rain-slicked paint. Abakumova stretched her lead with a throw of 70.78 meters (232 feet 2 inches) in the fourth round, a European record.
Lying in second place, Spotakova had the penultimate throw in the last round.
‘‘Aug. 21 is a very special day for the Czech Republic — it’s the 40th anniversary of the Soviet invasion in 1968,’’ she said afterward. ‘‘I of course had a Russian competitor against me. She was winning with such a long throw,” she added, and said she wondered if she’d be able to turn the date to her advantage.
Javelin throwers say they know when a throw is right, but this seems to have been an out-of-body experience.
As Spotakova released the javelin an expression that mixed anticipation and disbelief rushed across her face. As it hit the ground, Spotakova also fell to earth. The throw was 71.42 meters (234 feet 4 inches), 11 centimeters below the world record, but enough for victory.
‘‘I don’t know how I did it,’’ Spotakova said. ‘‘I had to do a miracle.’’
‘‘I can’t remember before the throw or after the throw. Nothing.’’
Abakumova could not summon up a miracle of her own with the last throw and finished second. Christina Obergfoll of Germany was third with a throw of 66.13 meters.
Osleidys Menendez, the Cuban who holds the world record and held the Olympic title was sixth. In the men’s triple jump the lead skipped back and forth between the top two finishers. Phillips Edowu, a Briton, took the lead in the first round. Nelson Evora of Portugal overtook him in the second round. Edowu took it back in the third round with a leap of 17.62 meters but in the first round Evora went 17.67, to win.
The top four men were tightly bunched. Leevan Sands of Bahamas was third with a jump of 17.59. Arnie David Girat of Cuba was fourth, another two centimeters back.
Tiger Caught Safely After Escape From Sanctuary
The Associated Press
The Tampa Tribune
Published: August 21, 2008
WEST PALM BEACH - A Bengal tiger that escaped from its cage at a sanctuary was tranquilized and captured Wednesday morning, authorities said.
The adult tiger was last seen by caretakers at McCarthy's Wildlife Sanctuary about 11 p.m. Tuesday, said Gabriella Ferraro, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Authorities had warned residents in the area Wednesday morning to remain indoors while they searched for the cat. Three schools also were put on lockdown.
Ferraro said the tiger was captured about 11 a.m. Wednesday on the sanctuary grounds. It was tranquilized and put back in its cage.
A lion also escaped its cage at the sanctuary sometime overnight but was quickly captured, authorities said.
A person who answered the telephone Wednesday at the sanctuary said they wouldn't talk and hung up.
The facility is located about 20 miles northwest of West Palm Beach. It houses about 90 animals, including one lion, six tigers, five cougars and five leopards.
Tiger Caught Safely After Escape From Sanctuary
The Associated Press
The Tampa Tribune
Published: August 21, 2008
WEST PALM BEACH - A Bengal tiger that escaped from its cage at a sanctuary was tranquilized and captured Wednesday morning, authorities said.
The adult tiger was last seen by caretakers at McCarthy's Wildlife Sanctuary about 11 p.m. Tuesday, said Gabriella Ferraro, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Authorities had warned residents in the area Wednesday morning to remain indoors while they searched for the cat. Three schools also were put on lockdown.
Ferraro said the tiger was captured about 11 a.m. Wednesday on the sanctuary grounds. It was tranquilized and put back in its cage.
A lion also escaped its cage at the sanctuary sometime overnight but was quickly captured, authorities said.
A person who answered the telephone Wednesday at the sanctuary said they wouldn't talk and hung up.
The facility is located about 20 miles northwest of West Palm Beach. It houses about 90 animals, including one lion, six tigers, five cougars and five leopards.
Images of the Day
....
Number one: Artur Taymazov of Uzbekistan celebrates winning the gold in the men's 120kg wrestling final.
Picture: Getty Images
....Head over heels: Viktor Horvath of Hungary takes a fall in the men's show jumping for the modern pentathlon.
Picture: Getty Images
....Nailed it: Goldie Sayers of Great Britain broke the national record in the women's javelin.
Picture: Reuters
....Making a splash: Tania Cagnotto of Italy competes in the women's 10m platform semi-final.
Picture: Getty Images
....Evgeniya Kanaeva of Russia comepetes in the individual all-round qualifications for rhythmic gymnastics.
Picture: Getty Images
....Sooji Shin of South Korea competes in the all round individual qualification of rhythmic gymnastics.
Picture: Getty images
....Taking it in their stride: Competitors in the women's 20 km walk enter the stadium under thrashings of rain.
Picture: Reuters
....Fighting a losing battle: Heavy rain in Beijing forced volunteers on to the track to clear the water before the day's athletics began.
Picture: AP
....There were worrying scenes for Great Britain fans when David Davies collapsed after finishing the race...
Picture: PA
....Staying fresh: Competitors in the men's 10km marathon keep themselves hydrated in the high temperatures of the Shunyi rowing and canoeing park.
Picture: Getty Images
....All the way to the line: Great Britain's Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson celebrate taking the gold in the Star class.
Picture: Getty Images
Olympic horses fail drugs tests
....Lynch is the second Irish rider to be suspended in two Olympic Games
Four horses that contested the Olympic show jumping event have tested positive for the banned substance capsaicin.
Ireland's Denis Lynch, riding the horse Lantinus in the individual events, has been suspended from the Games.
Norway's Tony Andre Hansen on Camiro, Brazil's Bernardo Alves on Chupa Chup and Germany's Christian Ahlmann on Coster have also been suspended.
Lynch, Hansen and Alves were all scheduled to compete in Thursday's individual competition.
Ahlmann was not entered into the event.
Lynch has been competing as an individual because Ireland did not qualify for the team competition.
If the horses' B sample tests confirm their A samples, their countries will be disqualified from the team show jumping, which took place on Monday.
The announcement throws into doubt the medal order of that competition.
Norway won a bronze medal, its first ever placing in an Olympics equestrian event, while the United States took gold and Canada silver.
In its statement, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) said the four horses had been "provisionally suspended by the FEI further to doping/medication control tests that indicated the present of capsaicin in each horse".
"Capsaicin is classified as a 'doping' prohibited substance given its hypersensitising properties, and as a 'medication class A' prohibited substance for its pain relieving properties."
The development casts another shadow over the equestrian after positive drugs tests forced a medal re-allocation at the 2004 Athens Games.
Germany were stripped of the team jumping gold in Athens after the horse ridden by Ludger Beerbaum, who is a lynchpin of his country's team in Beijing, was disqualified for a positive test.
Also in Athens, the Irishman Cian O'Connor was stripped of his individual gold medal on Waterford Crystal.
BBC equestrian commentator Michael Tucker told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It's very bad news all round, particularly as two of them were highly thought of as individual medals and all four riders are world-class jockeys.
"Capsaicin is basically rubbed onto the front of the legs and it makes the horses pick up their legs.
"The testing facilities and laboratories here in Hong Kong are second to none in the world class. The B samples are going to be carried out very, very quickly indeed.
"Norway will drop out of the medals and Switzerland will come up."
US retain beach volleyball crown
....United States duo Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor retained their women's beach volleyball crown with victory over China's Tian Jia and Wang Jie.
May-Treanor and Walsh won 21-18 21-18 to maintain their record of not having lost a set in the tournament.
Walsh sealed the match with a smash to knock out the pre-event favourites in difficult rain-sodden conditions.
China's Xue Chen and Zhang Xi claimed bronze when they beat Brazil's Renata Ribeiro and Talita Rocha 21-19 21-17.
The Americans said afterwards that they used the weather conditions to their advantage.
"The rain makes it better," said Walsh. "We felt like warriors out there. The pressure of playing the hosts made it pretty intense."
"Ever since the ball dropped in Athens, we've wanted to repeat as Olympic champions," May-Treanor added.
"No one has ever done it before."
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Tropical Storm Fay: Tuesday
....A couple of teenagers decide to enjoy the early morning surf kicked up by Tropical Storm Fay early Tuesday morning. Fay made a direct hit at Cape Romano south of Marco Island. 
....A resident returns to his home on a flooded Pelton Street in Naples during the tail end of Tropical Storm Fay on Tuesday, August 19, 2008.
....Cpl Mike Nelson, left, and Cpl Ken Vila of the Collier County Sheriff's Office inspect a tree on Pelton Street in Naples on Tuesday, August 19, 2008 after it toppled from Tropical Storm Fay, taking out power lines and blocking access to the road. Greg Kahn/Staff
....The Naples pier was closed as Tropical Storm blew through in the early Monday morning. Erik Kellar/Staff
'Boomerang' Fay strengthens over Florida
By MATT SEDENSKY and CURT ANDERSON - Associated Press
8:52 p.m., Tuesday, August 19, 2008
NAPLES — Tropical Storm Fay rolled ashore in southwestern Florida on Tuesday without much fanfare, but stubbornly hung around like an unwelcome houseguest, gaining power and threatening — once again — to become a hurricane.
The storm first hit the Florida Keys, veered out to sea and then traversed east across the state on a path that would curve it toward to the Florida-Georgia border. The failure of Fay to weaken meant a whole new swath of the state had to prepare for a worse storm, and meant Florida could wind up getting hit three separate times.
"This storm is going to be with us for a while. That's obvious now. It looks it could be a boomerang storm," Gov. Charlie Crist said at a news conference.
Earlier in the day, it had appeared that Fay would simply peter out and perhaps bring nothing but heavy rains to the southeastern United States. But by late Tuesday, a hurricane watch was posted for parts of north Florida and Georgia as Fay seemed to be resurrected by the flat, swampy Everglades, increasing the chances it could still end up strengthening into a hurricane. Its top sustained winds increased during the day by 5 mph to 65 mph. A hurricane has winds of at least 74 mph.
At 7 p.m. EDT, the center of the storm was about 45 miles south-southwest of Melbourne and was moving north-northeast near 7 mph.
Tropical storms and hurricanes do occasionally strengthen while over land, said Eric Blake, a specialist at the National Hurricane Center. Forecasters are not certain why it is occurring with Fay, but the Everglades' ample warm water might have given it just the dose of energy it needs.
Blake urged people not to focus too much on whether Fay was a tropical storm or a hurricane, because either one can cause damage.
"A strong tropical storm can be very significant," he said, pointing to wind damage in the state's interior and the possibility of flooding from up to 15 inches expected in parts of central Florida.
Fay formed over the weekend in the Atlantic and was blamed for 14 deaths in the Caribbean before hitting Florida.
Though it flooded streets in Naples, downed trees and plunged some 95,000 homes and businesses in the dark, most Floridians thought they had dodged a bullet. The worst of the storm's wrath appeared to be 51 homes hit by a tornado in Brevard County, southeast of Orlando. Nine of the homes were totaled, said Brevard County Emergency Operations Center spokesman David Waters.
Two injuries were reported in the Brevard County tornado, and a kitesurfer who was caught in a gust of wind Monday was critically injured when he slammed into a building in front of the beach near Fort Lauderdale. Kevin Kearney, 28, was still in critical condition Tuesday, Broward General Medical Center officials and his family said.
The storm's surprising path came after Florida officials pulled off all the stops to get ready, prompting some grousing among state residents that they had overreacted to what was expected to be a minor storm. Crist declared a state of emergency two days before the storm even arrived, schools closed well in advance of the rain and 25,000 tourists in the Florida Keys were told to pack up their beach blankets and go home.
State officials defended the preparations Tuesday, and National Guard troops and storm supplies remained in reserve if needed.
"I don't know how that can be considered alarmist when we're just really trying to tell people 'This is Florida, you got a system out there, you've got to respect it, you've got to get ready,'" said Craig Fugate, the state's emergency management director.
In South Florida, the worst problem was street flooding. Most businesses there even opted to go without any shutters or other window protection. Of those that did, some plywood carried messages aimed at major storms from the past — "Pop Off Charley" and "Oh Wilma!" among them.
Farther north, farmers in drought-stricken North and South Carolina were hoping for a drenching from Fay but may have to keep their fingers crossed for a few more days. A high pressure system had the potential to stall the storm out over the Florida-Georgia border.
National Weather Service meteorologist Doug Outlaw said it was not clear whether the storm would track north to the Carolinas or veer west over Tennessee.
Flooding remained a concern as Fay heads up the Florida peninsula, with rainfall amounts forecast between 5 and 15 inches. The storm could also push tides 1 to 3 feet above normal and spawn tornadoes. Counties in the storm's path called off school for Wednesday and opened shelters.
___
Associated Press Writer Curt Anderson and Lisa Orkin Emmanuel reported from Miami. Associated Press Writers Brian Skoloff, Kelli Kennedy and Travis Reed reported from the Keys, Christine Armario reported in Tampa, Tamara Lush reported in Punta Gorda, Bill Kaczor and Brendan Farrington reported from Tallahassee and Sarah Larimer contributed from Orlando.
Run Away With the Circus
Big rigs carry the big top for Carson & Barnes Circus
By William Childress
Road King Magazine
Every spring since 1940, a huge, fascinating show has taken to America's highways. With 400 people and dozens of animal stars, this rolling "theater" – the venerable five-ring Carson & Barnes Circus – tours from March to November in 30 big rigs and 50 RVs, coaches, pickups and cars.
The trucks range from 1985 to 1990 models. One is a completely equipped garage for repairs on the road. Six mechanics, led by Mechanical Superintendent Randy Fulton, keep the vehicles in such top shape that inspectors often compliment them. "One thing we want folks to know is we are not a carnival," says Fulton. "We're a circus, and a family. Unfortunately, if some carny gets bad press, we're tarred by the same brush."
And get this, retired truckers: They'll happily help you run away and join the circus – as a driver. Many men and women have realized a childhood dream this way. Fulton says they also teach inexperienced drivers how to drive. Call (831) 582-4375 for details.
Ah, the romance of the circus.
Even in our sofa-bound age of TV trash, this marvelous show, one of the last of its kind, still pulls them in. Started as an actual dog and pony show in 1937 by "Mister Circus," the late D.R. Miller, the circus' home since 1940 has been Hugo, Okla. From this central location, its trucks – loaded with everything from elephants to huge drums that roll out pre-folded tons of canvas – start their long convoys in March, heading west in the colder months, east in the warmer ones.
The circus is not just a job, it's a life, and if you stay in it, you love it. "We'd better," laughs a pretty female clown. "It's the hardest work any of us will ever do."
The biggest worry? Weather. The circus is a show, and the show must go on. If a major storm hits a town before the circus arrives, elephants are often harnessed to pull the big rigs through deep mud.
This traveling village has its own cooking facilities, power generators and medical personnel. But it can be set up within two hours of arriving at its site – an amazing feat eagerly watched by local residents.
The average mind can scarcely conceive of the complexity of getting all the animals, people and vehicles on the road at once, and then transformed from a caravan into a show in a couple of hours. That's why the U.S. Army, prior to WWII, sent officials to study the way Carson & Barnes achieved the impossible – raising a 900-foot tent, performing two shows, then repacking for another show in another town – all in just 24 hours! The Army even analyzed the way they fed hundreds of people and animals – a truly gargantuan task.
Like an army, the circus is almost continuously on the move, so they must prepare for and deal with wear and tear on vehicles. "We cover half the country per year," says spokeswoman Alfrieda Wilkins. "In 2000, for example, we showed mostly in the East and South."
Each year, some 230 towns and cities play host to the Carson & Barnes Circus for one day only. Why just one day? "It's just tradition. The Carson & Barnes Circus has been on the road for 60 years, and it has always operated on one-night stands," says a circus official.
Given the large number of trucks, employee RVs, trailers, generators, animal feed trucks and other equipment that must be moved, this is little short of amazing. The Big Top alone, with its five rings, takes up a space the size of three football fields – and it's all taken down, packed up and on its way as soon as the last show ends.
So when circus posters say "One Day Only" – they mean it. And kids have to be sure that their parents or grandparents know this, or they'll miss out on one of America's grandest traditions, a day at the circus.
Controversy stalks circuses
Running the length of a city block, the Carson & Barnes Circus parade recalls the pomp, majesty and color of circus history and features the largest traveling menagerie on earth. Carson & Barnes treats its animals extremely well, and they perform well. Some female elephants have been with the circus nearly 50 years.
"In England, several animal-rights groups commissioned a study to 'prove' that circus animals were mistreated," says Wilkins. "When it was completed, the opposite happened. The independent experts commissioned for the study unanimously stated that circus animals were not only better cared for, but lived longer than either zoo animals or animals in the wild."
The USDA Animal and Plant Inspection Service, Animal Care Division, inspects the animals annually. The USDA has documented inspections of 49 different animals, including 16 elephants and two "ligers," crosses between lions and tigers and a great favorite with crowds. According to spokesperson Laura Sanchez, the USDA had "abuses" reported only three times since 1986 by animal rights activists. "The first, we ruled 'no violation' the second we declined to pursue, and the third is still being looked at."
Carson & Barnes animals are examined by various USDA vets at many sites along the road, from Santa Fe, N.M., to Pittsburgh. All the animals are carefully supervised, and ailments aren't all that's reported. Elephants, for instance, must have regular pedicures to avoid split toes. All the animals get TB shots and other needed medicines.
As anyone dependent on animals for .a livelihood knows, it makes no sense to mistreat creatures that work for you. Says one .of the animal handlers, "Animal-rights activists would know this if they weren't so full of themselves and their own warped ideas. Misguided and misinformed people donate funds to keep these fanatics going. They claim circus animals are drugged, starved and beaten. We invite the public to come and see for themselves how well we treat our animals."
Carson & Barnes not only has the biggest elephant herd in captivity (about 30, of which 17 travel with the show in special elephant trucks), but the family that owns the circus has long been active in trying to save endangered species. In 1999, their first baby elephant was born from the breeding program they share with the world-renowned Elephant Program at Washington Park Zoo in Portland, Ore.
Animal handlers have their share of stories. A couple of decades ago, the circus' bull elephant pulled loose from the heavy stake to which he was secured, then helped a couple of his sweeties uproot theirs. Away the three went, trumpeting in freedom, through the rough hill country of the surrounding Ozarks. Somewhere in the night, they plunged over a bluff – and the very costly bull broke his neck and died. The two cows survived, because they fell on the bull.
Another time, a tiger got loose. But being totally unprepared for the wide, strange world outside his cage, he ran into a barn and hid. Handlers took some food into him, and after a while, led him docilely back to his cage.
The circus is in town!
Floods and heavy rains are also problems. More than once, Carson & Barnes has helped people caught in floods to safety. Sometimes the grounds where they're scheduled to erect the Big Top are seas of mud that won't hold the 6-foot wooden "pegs" to which the tent's guy-ropes are tied. That's when the truck drivers crank their engines and circle the big rigs at the perimeter of the tent, and crews secure the ropes to the trucks. Ingenuity abounds in the circus, because it has to.
Like Santa Claus, and just as quietly, the vanguard of the circus – the tent poles and tent trucks – reaches town before dawn. Then the elephants arrive, with five that can wear harnesses and pull trucks out of or through deep mud. They will help erect the Big Top – a sight that thrills early-rising circus watchers, many of them children.
The cook truck and dining tent are parked and set up, followed by the water truck (extremely dusty places must be sprinkled, plus animals need water), the generator truck, and the ingenious tent truck.
This big box on wheels is equipped with giant rollers. The immense tents – made of plastic-coated canvas and weighing many tons – are pulled off by dozens of roustabouts as the huge drums revolve, powered by PTOs, and the truck inches forward.
Once the tent is laid out, the elephants are brought in and the raising of the tent – 61,230 square-feet of fireproof polyvinyl – begins, both inside and outside. This alone is a fabulous sight that no child or adult should miss! Weather does not stop the tent crews, and the Big Top often goes up over muddy acres. Does this dismay circus goers?
"No way!" laughs Fulton, who is in charge of all vehicles. "Some of them take off their shoes and have a ball in the mud. I couldn't believe it the first time I saw it."
Meanwhile, the trucks line up and park. They serve double-duty as ticket booths, concession stands or dressing rooms. The minute the last show ends at 9:30, truck engines roar, harnessed elephants are moved into place, and in two short hours, a city under canvas rolls on once more. *
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Animals, Exotic Performers Keep Circus Going
The Public is free to walk around and view Carson& Barnes' animals – elephants, zebras, lions, tigers, a pygmy hippo, camels and llamas. (Llamas sometimes spit on people who get too close. But who ever died from a little llama spit?)
But it's not a good idea to raise your toddler in front of the tiger's cage and say, "Pet the big kitty!" which a shocked circus employee saw a mother do. "They're well fed and not hungry," he warned her, "but they're still wild animals. Keep your children at a respectful distance."
Although television killed off most of the big rolling circuses in the 1960s, including the historic "Greatest Show on Earth," Carson & Barnes is doing very well indeed, perhaps because it's the only big show left. "We're in demand," says one performer proudly, walking off to join his troupe.
Carson & Barnes has succeeded where others failed by using good business practices and by importing great acts from abroad, like the famous Chinese Acrobats who always bring down the house. The 150 performers include 100 from China, Peru, Romania, Russia and Mexico, all superbly skilled in their arts. In addition, state-of-the-art lighting and sound shows attract younger visitors; that circus music can also set their feet to moving. For more information, visit /www.carsonbarnescircus.com.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Oregon Zoo anxiously awaits a baby elephant that could supercharge attendance
Sunday, August 17, 2008 KATY MULDOONThe Oregonian Staff
Anxiety simmers at the Oregon Zoo, and it's no wonder.
For the first time in 14 years, just as the zoo faces key decisions about its future, one of its Asian elephants -- the institution's flagship species -- is about to give birth.
If all goes well, an adorably wobbly, floppy eared calf could draw tens of thousands of extra visitors and prompt a wave of positive publicity at an opportune time: Metro, which owns the zoo, will ask voters in November to approve a $117 million bond measure to upgrade exhibits and, perhaps, buy more land for the elephants.
But as Tony Vecchio recently put it: "I am one of those people saying not to count your baby elephants before they . . . ."
Without finishing his sentence, the zoo director made his point. Elephant pregnancies seldom deliver predictability.
Stillbirths are common. Calf mortality rates run at least 30 percent, according to the zoo.
To make matters sketchier, Rose-Tu -- the last elephant born at the zoo, Aug. 31, 1994 -- is a first-time mother-to-be who never has witnessed a birth. If she delivers a healthy calf, keepers have no idea how she might react. Some inexperienced elephant mothers nurture their newborns; others neglect or kill their young.
Such an outcome might incite animal activists who campaign against captive breeding and fight to divest zoos of elephants, or push them to give the animals vastly more room to roam.
So the zoo crew plans for best-case scenarios -- and for the worst.
They expect that 7,666-pound Rose, near the end of a typical 22-month pregnancy, could deliver as early as this week or as late as Oct. 8. Tests indicate she's probably carrying a female.
Volunteers monitor her round-the-clock, watching for signs of labor. The veterinary staff draws blood daily, looking for a drop in the hormone progesterone. When it plummets, labor should start within five days.
Racing to breed
Elephants have entranced Oregonians since at least April 14, 1962, when Portland's beloved Packy arrived. All ears and wrinkles and wiry hair, 225-pound Packy was the first elephant born in North America in more than 40 years.
That year, attendance tripled.
A baby boom followed. Portland's zoo produced 27 elephant calves from the 1960s to the 1990s, more than any other North American zoo.
But like pachyderm programs nationwide, Portland's ran short of space for the burly beasts. Breeding stopped.
Zoos didn't reinvigorate their programs until a study published in 2000 delivered ominous news: Unless breeding resumed, so many Asian elephants would have died that by 2050 fewer than 20 would remain in North American zoos.
Today, programs affiliated with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums hold about 141 Asian and 150 African elephants; the Oregon Zoo's three males and three females are Asians.
Coast to coast, recent headlines trumpet breeding successes:
"Meet Li'l Miss Elephant" -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Zoo's Newest Baby Elephant Stands on Her Own Four Feet" -- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Mikki is Packing a Baby Pachyderm" -- The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.
After Mikki, an African elephant, delivered the Louisville Zoo's first-ever calf in March 2007, the zoo saw something the Oregon Zoo might expect: record-breaking attendance. Oregon Zoo attendance topped 1.5 million in the fiscal year ending June 30.
When people hit the gates," said Kara Bussabarger, Louisville's public relations manager, "they say, 'Let's go see Scotty!' . . . He's the face of the zoo now."
He's the face on the Louisville telephone book, too.
When the St. Louis Zoo's calf, Maliha, first went on exhibit in 2006, among those waiting to see her were crews from ABC's "Good Morning America" and NBC's "The Today Show."
Clearly, elephants -- charismatic megafauna, as they're known -- can be good for zoos, and their offspring an even bigger plus.
Life grows richer and bonds among a herd's females tend to strengthen when a calf arrives; they all help raise the little one, as wild cow elephants do.
"It's important to the zoo from an education and conservation standpoint," said Mike Keele, Oregon Zoo deputy director and coordinator of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums' Asian Elephant Species Survival Plan.
"It allows us to see the inner workings of a herd," he said. "Most people won't be able to go to Asia or Africa to see them in the wild. That's a special thing we can provide our visitors and, hopefully, inspire them to want to take action to conserve elephants" threatened by habitat loss, poaching and extinction.
Zoos, however, have taken heavy publicity hits over elephants. While some, such as Oregon's, expand their collections, others, such as the San Francisco Zoo, hand their elephants over to sanctuaries and close inadequate exhibits.
Even much-anticipated births have caused anguish.
In January, the 40-year-old matriarch of the Fort Worth Zoo's elephant herd went into labor and died a few days later, along with her unborn calf. Veterinarians figure a torn uterus killed her. Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo lost Hansa, a 6-year-old calf, to a herpes virus last summer. And this month, that zoo's Chai, 29, suffered a miscarriage.
"I'm not allowing the staff to spend too much time or money advertising or marketing something that is so risky," Oregon Zoo's Vecchio said. "When we're comfortable that it's successful, we might do a few things . . . but I'm reluctant to jinx it."
Worrying the details
For now, zoo employees and volunteers watch, wait and worry.
"There are like 80 million things I'm worried about," said Mitch Finnegan, chief veterinarian.
Top among them: anything other than a quick, uneventful labor and delivery.
If labor goes too long, Rose-Tu's calf could die before she can deliver. If the delivery is traumatic, Rose-Tu might be too weak to care for her newborn
Before he took charge of the veterinary crew, Finnegan attended one other elephant birth: Rose's. What no one knew was that her mother, Me-Tu, carried twins, a rare condition typically fatal to mother and calves.
Me-Tu made it.
Her second calf, born about eight hours after Rose, survived only an hour.
Finnegan and his crew have studied footage of previous births. They've gathered gear -- everything from oxytocin, a medication that speeds labor, to a human breast pump for stimulating milk production.
Their most unusual medical tool: a winch mounted to a forklift, in case they need to pull the calf out of the birth canal.
Caesarean-section is not an option; an elephant apparently never has survived one. However, veterinarians have had some success with a surgery similar to an episiotomy, making room to reach inside and try to assist the calf during a difficult birth.
When Rose's time comes, her exhibit will close to the public; it could be days or longer before it reopens, depending on how the birth and bonding processes go -- eventualities impossible to predict.
Veterinarians and keepers will stay nearby but mostly out of Rose's sight, Finnegan said, "to let her do her own thing, without hovering and stressing her."
Unlike some zoos that tether cow elephants during labor and delivery, Portland's has selected to leave Rose unchained inside the barn, along with Shine and Chendra, the zoo's other cows.
Chances are, Rose will look anxious. She could quit eating or distance herself from Shine and Chendra. As contractions intensify, she might lean into walls or stretch her legs.
If all goes well, at some point later she'll bear down. Her rear legs will bend and separate. A bulge will appear below her tail as the calf descends and emerges, covered in the amniotic sac.
Rose -- or keepers if need be -- will move the sac so the calf can breathe.
Then "all hell breaks loose," said Keele, a former elephant keeper who was on duty for six Oregon Zoo births and on call for six more.
"The females should start trumpeting and roaring," welcoming the newest member of their herd.
Katy Muldoon: 503-221-8526; katymuldoon@news.oregonian.com
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Sarah Houcke....
If you go to the Google Translator on the right and put it on English,then you can read the interview,sorry I couldn't get it to copy the english version....
Sarah Houcke porte un nom de très haute souche circassienne : son arrière grand-mère était Marcelle Rancy ; son grand-oncle Gilbert fut unanimement reconnu comme l'un des deux plus grands éducateurs de fauves du 20ème siècle ; quant à son père Sacha, il a un tel contact avec les animaux qu'en 1995, on pouvait le voir chevauchant… une girafe au Cirque Knie, en Suisse !! Une ascendance prestigieuse…pour cette jeune femme hors du commun.
Sarah, vous sentez-vous héritière de cette famille prestigieuse ?
Oui, tout à fait. Il me faut être au niveau de mes devanciers, et croyez moi, ce n'est pas simple ! C'est une exigence personnelle permanente, je ne relâche jamais la pression. Parfois je m'interroge, j'ai peur de ne pas être assez talentueuse. Mais enfin, quand mes parents me disent que je fais leur fierté, ça me rassure. J'ai une sœur, Karine, qui est encore aux Etats-Unis actuellement ; nous sommes donc deux filles, mais notre père nous dit souvent : "vous en faites plus que des garçons" !
C'est la première fois qu'on vous voit au Cirque d'Hiver Bouglione…et en France ?
Effectivement, c'est mon premier engagement au Cirque d'Hiver, et je n'ai travaillé qu'une fois en France auparavant, au Cirque Educatif de Hugues Hotier1. Mais je suis française par mon père (j'ai la double nationalité), et je me sens française. Je viens souvent à Paris2.
On vous a vue en Europe chez Knie, Fliegenpliz, Roncalli, et aux Etats-Unis chez Ringling bros & Barnum & Bailey. Alors, que représente pour vous ce passage au Cirque d'Hiver Bouglione ?
Travailler ici est un rêve pour tous les artistes du monde, car le lieu est mythique : il y a eu tant de gloires sur cette piste ! Mais pour moi, cela a un sens particulier, puisque mon grand-oncle Gilbert Houcke a foulé cette même piste avec ses tigres. Je mets mes pas dans les siens. C'est une sensation très forte, une fierté et un honneur, vraiment ! Et puis, objectivement, le Cirque d'Hiver est magnifique, et les conditions de travail y sont exceptionnelles : lumière, musique, gentillesse ambiante … tout y est ultra-professionnel, rien ne manque ; je ne me sens pas le droit à l'erreur...quel défi...
Comment s'est passé le relais entre vous et H.L. Suppmeier, qui présentait ces mêmes tigres jusqu'en janvier ?
Je n'avais jamais travaillé avec ces tigres, dont je savais pourtant qu'ils sont très stables de caractère. Chez Ringling, je travaillais avec des fauves de Jossip Marcan qui réagissent de façon très différente, plus vive. Arrivée au Cirque d'Hiver, j'appréhendais ce qui se passerait. Mais tout s'est parfaitement déroulé, la mise en place a été presque immédiate. C'est fauves sont faciles à vivre !
Quel est votre premier souvenir de cirque, et qu'est-ce qui, depuis, vous a le plus marqué ?
Je ne sais plus quel âge je pouvais avoir, mais mes premières images de cirque, c'était chez les Knie, en Suisse, où mon grand-père a travaillé 35 ans. Les Knie sont ma seconde famille. Freddy Knie Sr m'a beaucoup appris sur les chevaux et leur dressage. J'ai beaucoup aimé participer à l'aventure Fliegenpilz, et travailler chez Roncalli. Mais la vraie étape dans ma vie reste mon arrivée aux Etats-Unis, chez Ringling. J'y ai été propulsé en tête d'affiche, j'y suis devenue une vedette, au point que j'ai figuré parmi les 50 personnes les plus populaires des Etats-Unis, aux côtés de stars mondiales du cinéma ou de la chanson. Ca fait tout drôle !!
Ce qui vous permettrait aisément de faire autre chose, de changer de vie...
Oui, mais non ! J'adore la vie au cirque. J'ai travaillé dans une agence de voyages, mais le cirque a été le plus fort. Il m'attire. Il me magnétise. J'aime paraître en piste, le contact du public, mais j'aime aussi l'intimité du cirque, sa simplicité, le côté familial des relations humaines…et je ne peux pas me passer des animaux. J'aime tout du cirque !
On vous a vue présenter des chevaux, des éléphants, des tigres...
et des zèbres, des chameaux, des lions de mer et même des dauphins avec lesquels je nageais au ConnyLand des Gasser, à Lipperswil en Suisse.
Quels sont vos favoris et pourquoi ?
Très clairement, les tigres et les chevaux, parce que je me sens en confiance. Je sais exactement à quoi je peux arriver avec eux : je le sens, et cela m'indique les limites à ne pas dépasser ; alors que, par exemple, j'ai plus de mal avec les éléphants : ce sont de gros animaux, lourds, inertiels, dont l'éducation et la présentation nécessitent moins de finesse ; avec eux, la relation me semble moins individuelle.
Comment voyez-vous votre avenir, et l'avenir de la profession ?
au cirque, de toute façon. J'aimerais avoir un jour mon propre groupe de tigres. Mais ça pose des difficultés : je me sens forte, indépendante, mais seule sur la route avec des animaux, ce n'est pas évident. Et puis, il me faudrait trouver des quartiers d'hiver, des lieux de répétition, etc. Alors je caresse cet espoir, mais je vis au jour le jour, prenant les choses comme elles viennent. On verra !
Concernant l'avenir de la profession, même s'il est difficile de faire des pronostics, je trouve que la situation s'est plutôt stabilisée ces derniers temps, après une période d'attaques à répétition contre les animaux au cirque. Si donc les choses pouvaient en rester là, ce serait bien. Mais il faut toujours et encore faire la chasse… aux mauvais dresseurs, car se sont eux qui nous causent le plus de tort.
Et si tout était possible ?
Ah ! Si tout était possible… j'offrirais un cirque à mon père !
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1C'était en 1997 ; Sarah y présentait des animaux du cirque Fliegenpilz, à savoir :
une liberté avec 6 chevaux arabes
une revue exotique avec 2 watussis, 1 guanaco, 1 bœuf des hauts plateaux, 1 zébu, 1 chameau et, au final, 6 zèbres.
2Hugues Hotier, le fondateur du Cirque Educatif, rapporte à ce propos que les zèbres étaient assez indisciplinés ; Sarah avait du mal à les maîtriser. Pendant son séjour, elle a reçu la visite de son père Sacha, venu passer un week-end à Reims. Il se tenait dans un vomitoire et... les zèbres étaient remarquablement dociles. Peut-être avait-il fait une répétition avec eux un soir ? Toujours est-il qu'après son départ l'indiscipline est revenue...
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Merci à Sarah Houcke pour sa disponibilité, à l'administration du Cirque d'Hiver Bouglione, ainsi qu'à Hugues Hotier pour les précisions qu'il a apportées à cette interview.
Source : Julien Motte
Fabien Arpin-Pont - Actualités, galeries
Sébastien Bernard - Collections, agenda
François Dehurtevent - Actualités, galeries
Fabien Lacroix - Graphisme, programmation
Merci à toutes les personnes qui nous soutiennent et à celles qui nous envoient leurs documents et/ou informations.
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Oregon Coast(part 2) Yaquina Lighthouse and Sea Lion Cove
....This is where the "Locals" come to view Oregon's Marine Wildlife,our visitors end up in Newport at the docks,quite a difference....
....Newport....
....This tree is so cool....
....The view....
....I'm still looking for the damn elevator, LOL....
....Joseph walking up? or down?....
....The Lighthouse....
