The $1000 Gift To Animals – Day 5

It’s the last day of our zoo animals on vintage postcards fun.  Let’s continue our visit to the New York Zoological Park.  For those who’re just joining us, this is the zoo that resulted from Fordham University’s selling the land it sits on to New York City for $1000.

So far, we’ve visited elephants, brown bears, and arctic foxes, giraffes, and the hippopotamus, Indian Leopard, and Malay Tiger.  Today’s vintage postcards picture the Barbary Sheep, the Eland, and the Rocky Mountain Goat.

Eland

New York Zoological Park Eland

 

Eland are considered to be the largest of African antelopes.  They have spiral horns and white, vertical stripes on their torso.  Although you can’t see it in this postcard, they also have a crest of erect hair along the spine.  Males weigh twice as much as females, but females have longer horns.  They may be the slowest of antelopes, but are accomplished jumpers that can clear a 10′ fence from a standing position.

Barbary Wild Sheep

NY Zoological Park Postcard of Barbary Wild Sheep on Mtn Sheep Hill

 

The Barbary Sheep is the sole wild sheep of Africa.  It has been impacted greatly by hunting, and livestock.  The Egyptian Barbary Sheep is currently classified as extinct in the wild, but some believe they still exist in southeast and southwest Egypt.  This sheep has developed an exceptional ability to remain motionless when danger threatens, thus remaining unseen to predators.

Rocky Mountain Goat

New York Zoological Park Postcard of Rocky Mountain Goat and Shelter

 

The mountain goat is not threatened.  They have strong forelegs that allow it to jump quickly.  These goats are highly competitive, with the female being more aggressive than the male.

 

I hope you enjoyed your tour of the New York Zoological Park’s animals thru vintage postcards.  This tour is an example of how vintage postcards are more than just pretty pictures and pieces of old paper.  They are an adventure!

  

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The $1000 Gift To Animals – Day 4

It’s time for more zoo animals on vintage postcards fun.  Let’s continue our visit to the New York Zoological Park.  For those who’re just joining us, this is the zoo that resulted from Fordham University’s selling the land it sits on to New York City for $1000.

So far, we’ve visited elephants, brown bears, and arctic foxes, giraffes, and the hippopotamus.  Today’s vintage postcards picture the Indian Leopard, and Malay Tiger.

Malay Tiger

NY Zoological Park Vintage Postcard of Malay Tiger "Princeton"

The Bronx Zoo (formerly known as The New York Zoological Park) has another wonderful page of interesting info on this endangered animal, the tiger.  For instance – this big cat’s tail twitches when on the prowl.  I was saddened to learn while reading this page, that half of all tiger cubs die within two years.  Be sure to check out the web page of your local zoo.  It too might have pages of interesting info on it’s exhibited animals.

Indian Leopard

New York Zoological Park Vintage Postcard of Indian Leopard Cub

 

The Minnesota Zoo, my local zoo, has a wonderful exhibit on the almost extinct Amur Leopard.  I make sure to visit it each time I go.  The leopard avoids tiger territory.   The leopard is an excellent stalker and tree climber, who will descend head first (unlike most cats).  They have also been known to leap out of a tree onto their prey.  Yikes.

 

Be sure to come back for the last day of our visit to the New York Zoological Park, Wednesday 03/03/10, to find out which animals on vintage postcards will be visited.

 

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The $1000 Gift To Animals – Day 3

Ah, so you’re back again.  That’s great.  Aren’t animals fun?  Let’s continue our visit to the New York Zoological Park.  Remember, this is the zoo that resulted from Fordham University’s selling the land it sits on to New York City for $1000.

So far, we’ve visited elephants, brown bears, and arctic foxes.  Today’s vintage postcards picture the giraffe and hippopotamus.

Giraffe

Postcard of Giraffe at NY Zoological Park reaching up to man on fence.

  

The Bronx Zoo has a wonderful page full of fun facts on this tallest of animals.  What I found interesting, was the scientific research being conducted to determine how many species of giraffes exist.  This had been mentioned while I was touring Disney’s Animal Kingdom several years ago.   If found to be true, some giraffe species may be threatened, due to smaller populations, rather than the current status of “lower risk”.  One wonders if there may be subspecies of other lower risk animals we don’t yet know about, that should be protected.

 Hippopotamus

Postcard of Hippopotamus Pete at the NY Zoological Park

  

The St. Louis Zoo has a similar page of info and fun facts on the hippopotamus.  For instance - hippos can run faster than humans, and baby hippos can nurse underwater.  Be sure to check out the web page of your local zoo.  It too might have a page of fun facts on it’s exhibited animals.  (note, the hippopotamus is not on the list of exhibited animals at the Bronx Zoo at this time)

 

Be sure to come back each day, starting Saturday, 02/27/10, thru Wednesday, 03/03/10, to find out which animal on vintage postcards from the New York Zoological Park will be visited that day.

 

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The $1000 Gift To Animals – Day 2

Ah, so you’re back.  That’s great.  Let’s continue our visit to the New York Zoological Park.  Remember, this is the zoo that resulted from Fordham University’s selling the land to New York City for $1000.

Today’s vintage postcards picture the Alaskan Brown Bear, and the Arctic Fox.

Alaskan Brown Bear

New York Zoological Postcard, Alaskan Brown Bear

The Alaskan Brown Bear, or Kodiac Bear, is a threatened species found off the southeast coast of the Alaskan peninsula (Kodiak, Afognak, and Shuyak Islands) that rivals the polar bear as the largest land based predator.  It has a noticeable hump above the shoulders.  The adult male can reach a height of 8.5 feet when standing erect.  Although it cannot see very well, this bear can manage a speed of up to 40 mph.  Note, bear cubs have no fur when born.

Arctic Fox

New York Zoological Vintage Postcard of the Arctic Fox

 

The Arctic Fox, or Polar Fox, is found in the arctic and alpine tundra of Eurasia, North America, and Canadian archipelago, Siberian Islands, Greenland, inland Iceland, and Svalbard. This predator and scavenger’s status is good, but is heavily dependant on the fluctuating rodent population, mainly lemmings.

 

Be sure to come back each day, starting Saturday, 02/27/10, thru Wednesday, 03/03/10, to find out which animal on vintage postcards from the New York Zoological Park will be visited that day.

 

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The $1000 Gift For Animals

Not long ago, I was excited to discover several vintage postcards from the New York Zoological Park in a 900 postcard lot I’d just bought.  This excitement was because I’d recently become a member of the Minnesota Zoo.  I go to this zoo to relax, while watching frolicking baby otters, sleepy Red Pandas (very cute), darling Prairie Dogs, endangered Amur Tigers and Leopards (they have such BIG paws), and other animals up close.

The Gift

My membership in the Minnesota Zoo helps support these wonderful animals and the zoo’s conservation efforts.  In the 1880s, Fordham University sold most of the land another zoo sits on for $1000 to the City of New York on condition it be used for a zoo and garden.  This led to the formation of the New York Zoological Society in 1895 (WCS), one of the first conservation organizations in the U.S.

The Bronx Zoo

The New York Zoological Society’s wildlife conservation efforts led to the opening of the Bronx Zoo (originally called the New York Zoological Park) in November, 1899 featuring 843 animals in 22 exhibits.

Over the next five days, I will be featuring vintage postcards of animals exhibited at the New York Zoological Park (Bronx Zoo).  Be sure to come back each day to find out which of this zoo’s 843 animals on postcards I’ve posted.

Elephant House at the New York Zoological Park

Riding Indian Elephant, Gunda, at the NY Zoological Park

Pair of East African Elephants at the NY Zoological Park

  

 

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