Congratulations to Satch Krantz!

Palmer "Satch" Krantz is the boss at Riverbanks Zoo, and I just found out he was made the chairman of the whole AZA!!! That's Association of Zoos and Aquariums. All the best zoos and aquariums in the country are members of the AZA. It was founded in 1924. In South Carolina, Riverbanks Zoo is a member. So is the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston.

Satch gave me a tour of the entire zoo when I was four-- behind the scenes, the vet's offices, the aquarium tanks...


...and inside the elephant house. I was the first kid to see Tumpy, the new elephant.

Here is a message I got from Satch the other day to help me celebrate my 50th blog:

Let me first congratulate you on the 50^th blog posting on mossyanimals. Believe it or not, we have been following your wonderful blog for the past year or so, since it always contains such interesting and informative postings about Riverbanks Zoo. I am not at all surprised that you have had 40,000 hits.

Riverbanks is proud to be counted among your five favorite zoos. This is particularly noteworthy given your incredible knowledge about zoos and wildlife. The other four zoos on your “top 5” list are wonderful facilities. I am personally fond of the NC State Zoo and the Bronx Zoo.

I am delighted that you are still considering a career in zoos. I know you will find this a highly rewarding experience and look forward to having you join our profession. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to assist you in this exciting endeavor.

Again, congratulations. Keep on posting!

Satch Krantz
Executive Director
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden

Welcome to My 50th Post!

Today I'm celebrating my 50th post with

one of my favorite subjects: zoos!!!

I've been to some really nice zoos. The first zoo I ever went to was the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. My favorite animals were the elephants and the cheetahs.

Next, I went to a smaller zoo, the Natural Bridge Zoo. They had lots of farm animals and llamas and alpacas roaming around. But truthfully, the habitats could have been better.

Next, I went to the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk Virginia. I remember the elephant demonstration the most.

Riverbanks Zoo is the zoo I live closest to, and the one I've been to the most. I have some videos of it posted on this blog. I've met the director and top zookeeper, Satch Krantz, who has worked there since the opening in 1974. He's done a great job adding new animals and exhibits. We're lucky to have Riverbanks in South Carolina. Everyone should visit it and join.

Recently I visited the North Carolina Zoo. It was very huge, and I like the buffalo and the chimps. They are getting ready to open"Watani," a huge new elephant and rhino exhibit.

And while I was on a trip to New York City, we stopped at the Central Park Zoo. It was small, but it had red pandas, and it was in a really cool setting surrounded by tall buildings.

Zoos are great. They are fun to visit. They teach us about nature and animals and help save endangered animals. Help me celebrate my 50th post by going to the zoo. What zoos have you been to?

Endangered List Gets Longer

Scientists are reporting that life on earth is "disappearing." They say one in four mammals, one in eight birds, and one in three reptiles are in serious trouble.

The decline of the great apes is the worst and they are our closest relatives! The Western Lowland gorilla is close to extinct in the wild, and it is still being hunted for bushmeat!!!


Orangutans are also critically endangered because their habitats are being wiped out!!


Stopping the extinctions is important for all animals-- including human beings! Will you do something to help?

First, spread the word that it is a real problem. Next, support good zoos and aquariums in your area that help animals. Send some money to places that help animals, like World Wildlife Fund or others. Don't pollute, and save energy. Make your yard bird and animal friendly. Vote for people who think saving endangered animals is important. Will you do it?!

Benjamin-- The Last Thylacine

Benjamin was the last known thylacine. He died on September 1936 at Hobart Zoo in Tasmania. Have you ever heard of a thylacine?

Thylacines were carnivorous marsupials, also know as Tasmanian tigers-- but they were not real tigers. They were not wolves either. They were most likely related to kangaroos and other marsupials, and found mostly in Australia and Tasmania.

The same year Benjamin died, thylacines became protected species, but it was too late. They are believed to have gone extinct.

This part is sad. Benjamin died of neglect. It was too hot during the day, and he had no shelter during cold nights. (Hobart's Bengal tiger died the same way, the same year). When Hobart Zoo closed in 1937, no buyers wanted their lions. It was the Great Depression, and there wasn't money for animals. And so, the lions were shot. Very sad, isn't it? That is what I read in a book about Hobart Zoo. That's why I really appreciate the good zoos I've seen-- zoos that do a really good job of caring for their animals.

The thylacine was a beautiful and mysterious animal. And now it's gone forever because of hunting and ignorance. I hope we can do better for today's endangered animals.

Here is a video of Benjamin, the last thylacine.

A New Noah's Ark for Aardvarks to Zorrillas

Scientists in Texas are storing DNA of endangered species to plan for their future if they go extinct. They say they are on a mission to save the world's endangered species from extinction. They are storing frozen eggs and DNA of animals that are dangerously close to disappearing. Years from now scientists could use the DNA to reintroduce the animals. China is also trying to clone Pandas, which are very endangered and could become extinct within 25 years.

And there's this story about the Natural History Museum in London working hard to save upDNA and every single fact about all life on earth.

Even if it's too late for the Dodo Bird, the thylacine and so may other beautiful animals, it's a good idea.But wouldn't it be better if we just took better care of the earth and stopped the extinctions?

Go Binturongs, go!

My dad was reading the newspaper and saw a team called the Bearcats . So many teams are named for animals we know well-- tigers, eagles, falcons, bulldogs-- but my dad was curious to know what exactly what a bearcat was. A bear? A cat? Niether! It is known as a binturong, and here is what it looks like:

They live in Asia, and can be vicious if cornered. One interesting fact is they smell like buttered popcorn! They are "vulnerable" due to habitat destruction and poaching. I think I saw one at the Virgina Zoo a long time ago around 2000. They are related to the civet. Here is what a civet looks like:

Coming Attractions

I don't usually put commercials on my page, but this movie looks pretty good. It was sent to me in an e-mail. What do you think? I'm for anything that helps people think about animals and the environment. I will watch it when it comes to South Carolina. I hope you will too.

Hi ,

My name is Cory O’Brien, and I am the outreach manager for Guerilla PR. Currently, we are working with The 11th Hour to help promote their film, and I thought that you might be interested in this campaign for Mossy's Animals.

As you may know, The 11th Hour is Leonardo DiCaprio’s new environmental film, and includes visionary and practical solutions for restoring the planet’s ecosystems, as well as insight gathered from over 70 scientists, designers, historians and thinkers.

If I Ran the Zoo

Zoos have been around since ancient Egypt in 1500 BC. I really like zoos because they protect threatened and endangered species. And they give you a chance to see many different animals from all over the world.

Zoos also help scientists study animals up close. And when people see the animals at the zoo, they can't help but care more about them. And if they care about them, they'll do more to help save the animals.

Here's some video from my recent trip to Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina.


What zoos have you been to? What are your favorite animals?

Hello up there! It's feeding time!

Feeding the giraffes at Riverbanks Zoo is a very interesting experience. This video is from a few weeks ago. It's very exciting when the giraffe walks over to get the food. It's so big, but it's so gentle.


When its tongue grabs the food, it feels very sticky. Their slimy saliva protects them from thorns or twigs they might eat. Their tongues are almost 18 inches long and dark purple. They need their long necks and long tongues to reach leaves high up in the trees.

Giraffes are found in the savanna of Africa, and can grow up to 18 feet tall. They are related to the Okapi. I've seen pictures of its relatives during the Ice Age, like this one, and they look like deer or elk.


They can run almost 30 mph, and have a deadly kick if they need to. Uganda Giraffes are endangered, but most species of giraffes aren't endangered right now. But if habitat loss continues, they will be.

Goodbye Forever, Aldabra Snail

Driving in the car today, I heard on the radio about the latest extinction. They said this small purplish snail was the first extinction officially due to global warming.

When I got home I looked it up. The Aldabra snail may not be the most popular animal. I couldn't find a picture of it. But it made it onto this postage stamp. That's pretty good.

Scientists say this is just the beginning. Global warming threatens a million species!
Polar bears are now threatened because of global warming.

Some penguins are threatened now too.

Click here for some EASY things you can do to stop global warming and help the animals.

Lemurs of Madagascar

Lemurs are fun animals to watch. How much do you know about them? Lemurs live only on the island of Madagascar. That's off the coast of Africa. They eat primarily fruit and nuts. They are hunted by fossa, but their real threat is habitat loss.

Lemurs are primates in a family called prosimians, which include bush babies and slow lorises. Several species of the lemur are endangered due to the habitat loss and hunting. The most endangered of the lemurs would be the aye aye.

We have ring-tailed lemurs and red-ruffed lemurs at Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC. I've posted a short video I took of them recently.

It's good to know that people are working to save the lemur. Check out this site, the Madagascar Fauna Group. And here's another interesting video about Madagascar with "nearly headless Nick."

Chimpanzees-- So Like Us

Seeing the chimpanzees was one of my favorite things at the North Carolina Zoo. They are our closest relatives. They make tools, have close families, and even fight wars. Here's some video for you to check out (we're still learning to post video here).

I read Jane Goodall's book, The Chimpanzees I Love. She has an amazing story to tell. She started studying chimps in Tanzania in 1960 and taught us all about them. Here also is a film clip that shows how chimps have been so misunderstood.

Chimps are endangered, and could be extinct in the wild within 15 years! What are we doing to our planet? Do you think chimpanzees are worth saving? Please spread the word and do something to help.

Candidates, zoos and travels

It's been a busy few weeks...I visited the North Carolina Zoo. It was HUGE! Great habitats for the animals. They have chimps, rhinos and polar bears. When I have time I'll post some video I took.

And I went to the Central Park Zoo in New York City! The zoo was small, but nice. Central Park was huge, and New York City was colossal!

And my You Tube question was on CNN during the debate last week. Maybe you saw it. They showed it in the very beginning. The candidates didn't answer it, but the guy on TV said he liked my enthusiasm. But I wished they answered it so more people could understand about endangered animals. Maybe I'll try the next debate.

My favorite animals at the Central Park Zoo were the red pandas! They are related to raccoons, not to the giant panda. Red Pandas are endangered-- only 2,500 left in the world!

Help Save the Gray Wolf

This story about the killing of an endangered Mexican Gray Wolf was in my e-mail. It's upsetting that the government shot a female wolf with pups.

And another e-mail says that they will start killing even more wolves in Idaho and Wyoming.

We're supposed to help endangered animals recover, not kill them.Will you take some action? It's so easy-- just sign here. Let me know!