Cambodian wildlife is difficult to observe in its native habitat. The jungles are thick, and because locals tend to kill and eat any creature that pokes its snout out of the forest, the animals have learned to keep to themselves.

If you want to see the vast menagerie of species that call Cambodia home, make a trip to the Phnom Tamao Zoo, an easy day trip from Phnom Penh.

The zoo, which doubles as a refuge for animals rescued from the illegal wildlife trade, is quite popular among Cambodians, but rarely makes the average tourist's itinerary. But if you ask me, a visit to Phnom Tamao is every bit as fascinating as a day at Angkor Wat, and more travelers should make the trip to see the animals.]]> Yamabushi 2008-09-05T11:00:22-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/19/13711/5082

Cute animal alert! The city of Bern plans to open the BearPark by fall of 2009, and it will be stocked with critters of the vivacious--not stuffed--variety.

The attraction will be an expansion of the existing Bear Pit, where Pedro and Tana, two brown bears, currently live. The new park will offer more terrain for the animals including three caves and a swimming pool. It will also give the bears a bit more privacy than they currently enjoy.

Though the new park will be quite posh, it'll still be free to check in on Pedro and Tana, as bears are a part of Bern's cultural heritage: Legend has it that the city takes its name from the first animal killed when the area was settled in the 12th century.

Related Stories:
· Coming Soon: A New Swiss Park for Bears [BT]
· Bruno the Bear Is Now Properly Stuffed [Jaunted]
· Bears coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of Pedro and Tana: jurvetson]]]> pbb 2008-08-19T13:08:38-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/16/142222/707

The 2008 Edinburgh Military Tattoo is in full swing, with more than 200,000 people in town to watch military bands and display teams from the British Isles and around the world perform against the backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. This year's tattoo held a special honor for one resident of the Edinburgh Zoo, as a three-foot-tall penguin named Nils Olav received a knighthood from the Norwegian King's Guard.

Sir Olav, as he is now known, is actually the third in a distinguished line of penguins who have served as honorary members of the King's Guard. The unit has a long-held tradition of visiting the zoo while in town for the Tattoo, and couldn't help but be charmed by a tuxedoed young waterfowl who considered himself a kindred spirit to the uniformed soldiers. Olav I, who was named after Norway's then-king Olav, was first made an honorary member of the guard in 1972, and he and his replacements have garnered awards and accolades ever since.

As part of his knighthood ceremony, which was held on Friday at the zoo, Sir Olav reviewed the troops and waddled around to the sound of bagpipe music. And while he's a big deal in knightly circles, it doesn't take much to get an audience. Just drop by the Edinburgh Zoo's world-renowned penguin exhibit, which first started breeding these adorable birds in 1914. The Tattoo runs through August 23.

Related Stories:
· King Penguin Receives Norwegian Knighthood [msnbc]
· Edinburgh Zoo [Official Site]
· Edinburgh Military Tattoo [Official Site]
· Animal Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: mirror.co.uk]]]> Victor Ozols 2008-08-16T14:25:11-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/16/12252/6236

A monkey escaped from the Washington Park Zoo in Michigan City, Indiana by using a garden hose to climb the walls of the moat surrounding its enclosure. The mischievous monkey quickly made it to a nearby boat dealership and jumped on a speedboat. Sadly, he was apprehended by zoo workers before making it to the water.

Zoo Director Johnny Martinez assured residents of the surrounding Chicago suburbs that there was no need to worry:

The freedom-seeking monkey is sociable and was not any danger to people.

George Lucas and Steven Spielberg need to get in touch with that zoo fast. That monkey is bound to escape eventually, and the Hollywood folks could give it an outlet for its talents as an extra in the Indiana Jones franchise.

Related Stories:
· Washington Park Zoo [Official Site]
· Monkey Uses Garden Hose to Flee Zoo [AP]
· Animals coverage [Jaunted]]]> Hunter Walker 2008-06-16T13:45:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/16/224/17410

The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta declares itself the biggest in the world, but its newest attraction is actually quite small: A rare and threatened sea dragon is pregnant and scheduled to give birth in mid-July.

Marine maniacs know it's the male sea dragons and sea horses that carry the young (take that, Pregnant Man!) and in the case of the weedy sea dragon, the aquarium had trouble getting their seven specimens to mate at all.

Now that one is confirmed pregnant, it shouldn't be too long before baby dragons populate the aquarium's tanks--a triumph for an institution still getting over the loss of a beloved beluga whale earlier this year.

Related Stories
· Endangered Sea Dragon at Aquarium Pregnant [AP, via Yahoo]
· Movie Set Travel: Meet the Browns in Atlanta [Jaunted]
· Animals coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: hamwithcam]]]> egw 2008-06-16T12:15:01-05:00 33.762271 -84.393906 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/13/91456/9911

Visitors are flocking to an animal preserve in Italy to see a mutant deer that looks like a unicorn. The animal was born last year sporting what Associated Press politely calls a "an apparent genetic flaw" that gives it only one horn. The unicorn-like mutation has made the deer a "budding media star" in Italy.

It would be so awesome if this deer joined a team of mutant superhero woodland creatures. Being a baby animal celebrity-slash-playboy media darling could be his cover and at night he'd fight forest fires with a two headed raccoon and a five legged frog. Maybe they'd even recruit some swimming bears!

Related Stories:
· Visitors Flocking to See "Unicorn" Deer [AP]
· Italy Travel coverage

[Photo: AP]]]> Hunter Walker 2008-06-13T12:35:10-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/4/23/152617/076

Valencia, the third largest city in Spain, has just opened the first phase of a $94 million, state-of-the-art zoo called Bioparc Valencia.

The zoo spans 25 acres and is home to 4,000 animals from 250 species including the old zoo favorites and stand-bys: antelope, zebras, gorillas and leopards.

Yet it's not your grandparents zoo where you walk around and point at animals in cages. The Bioparc reproduces the vegetation, terrain and sounds of the animals' ecosystem while hiding all the man-made stuff like barriers so you can feel a little less guilty about observing animals taken from their natural habitats.]]> juliana 2008-04-23T16:30:01-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/