Letters for George: Yin and Yang

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Yin and Yang

Akilah, Tessa, and Kimba at the Cincinnati Zoo (Feb. 2009)

Dear George,

We had a tragic event at the Zoo last November. One of their three Massai giraffes, a 12-foot-tall three-year-old female named Akilah, had gotten her horns caught in some netting designed to protect young trees in their enclosure. Apparently the stress of the event caused Akilah’s heart to fail, and she was found dead shortly afterwards in a sitting position. Akilah was the most popular of the three giraffes, the first to run forward to the children at daily feeding times. Moreover, her death came less than a month after a baby Rhino died at the zoo shortly after its birth. Our zoo is a major local institution, drawing well over a million visitors each year, and the losses were mourned in the community at large.

Then, quite remarkably, the two remaining giraffes, 4-year-old Tessa and 3-year-old Kimba, produced a new six-foot-tall baby yesterday morning just in time for spring. The calf was born at 9:40 a.m., started trying to stand at 10:00, and successfully nursed at 11:10. It was the first giraffe birth at our zoo in 26 years. Mother and daughter are both doing well. Because they’re being given a high level of privacy during this bonding period, staff still don’t know the sex of the baby. Zoo director Thayne Maynard said, “It’s been a long time, but well worth the wait. Just when you think you have seen it all, something truly amazing like this comes along (and) reminds me how special nature truly is.” Amen.

Love,

Dave

P.S. Here are some first day photos of Tessa and her yet to be named baby.

Tessa, Kimba, & Baby (Apr. 2, 2011)

[Sources: cincinnatizoo.org, cincinnati.com, wlwt.com, Google Images]

G-Mail Comments

-Gayle C (4-3): Very cool. What a story :))). LOL

1 comment:

Terry OApril 4, 2011 at 6:28 PM
Hi David - About ten years ago, several women friends and I went to Kenya on a safari. The giraffes were a wonderful part of the experience and I was delighted to see their presence at your municipal zoo! Terry
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PROMINENT CINCINNATIANS

PROMINENT CINCINNATIANS

George Rieveschl was born in 1916 in Lockland, Ohio, the son of a paper mill worker and his wife. In 1933 he graduated from the Ohio Mechanics Institute and began looking for work in commercial art. With no success, he returned to study chemistry at the University of Cincinnati, earning his B.S. in 1937, an M.S. in 1939, and a doctorate in 1940. Joining the UC chemistry faculty, his research resulted in the discovery of Benadryl, an antihistamine used for allergy sufferers. Rieveschl left UC in 1943 and worked for Parke, Davis and Co. Returning to UC in 1970, he took a position as vice president of research. (NY Times; Ohio History Central)

JAZZ ALL-STARS

JAZZ ALL-STARS

Ron Carter (b. May 4, 1937, Ferndale, MI; jazz; double bass, cello, Piccolo bass, electric bass; active 1960-present; associates: Chico Hamilton, Cannonball Adderly, Randy Weston, Bobby Timmons, Thelonious Monk, Eric Dolphy, Mal Waldron, Miles Davis, Hank Jones, Houston Person, Art Farmer, Herbie Hancock; labels: Blue Note, CTI, Embryo, Milestone, Prestige, Sunnyside; 2,221 recording sessions, most-recorded bassist in jazz history; 3 Grammys; Downbeat Jazz Hall of Fame (2012). (wikipedia)

EVERYDAY FOIBLES

EVERYDAY FOIBLES

Our Sunday morning tradition of brunch at Frisch’s came to an end with the pandemic, and we finally returned a while back. The restaurant was nearly empty, and every other table had a big sign that said “Closed”. The hostess was masked, and so were we. She gave us paper disposable menus and said we should pick our own table or booth. There was a bar code on the wall which allowed one to order and pay for their meal with their cell phone, but the waitress (formerly the hostess) did come and take our order. We had plastic silverware and two jelly containers each. The food didn’t taste as good as we remembered, and the prices were much higher. It took a long time for somebody to come to the cash register at the end of our meal. We’d ventured out thinking the pandemic was over, but I’m afraid we were wrong.

TENNIS GREATS

TENNIS GREATS

Henri Cochet (b. 12-14-01, Villeurbanne, France; d. 4-1-87, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France; 5-6, right-handed (one-handed backhand); amateur, 1920-1933; pro 1933-58); 684-186 W-L (78.6%), 90 career titles; ranked No. 1 (1928); Winner US Open (1928), Wimbledon (1927, 29), French (1926, 28, 30, 32); winner of 22 majors; a member of the famous “Four Musketeers” from France (Cochet, Rene Lacoste, Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon) who won 10 titles in 11 years at the French Championships (1922-32). (wikipedia)

MENOMINEE FOUNDERS

MENOMINEE FOUNDERS

Augusta Jane Chandler was born at Freedom, Maine, on Nov. 6, 1837, and moved with her family to Flat Rock, Mich., in the early 1850’s where her father and uncle engaged in lumbering. She married William Holmes, later the mayor of Menominee, in Flat Rock in 1859 and moved to Menominee shortly afterward. According to the Evening Leader, “She is honored and beloved by all who know her, and presides over her lovely home with becoming grace.” Mr. and Mrs. Holmes were among the founding members of the First Presbyterian Church in Menominee, and they raised six children. (Menominee Evening Leader, Industrial Number, 1899, p. 21.)

FAVORITE VACATION PLACES

FAVORITE VACATION PLACES

We lived in Ann Arbor for six years in the 1960’s so return visits these days are filled with lots of nostalgia. Our number one stop is Zingerman’s Delicatessen where Katja always buys some bread and other goodies to bring home. Zingerman’s is quite near to the Kerrytown markets which offer a great thrift shop. Tne University of Michigan campus is a pleasant place for walking, and its adjacent business districts to the east and the west offer high-end shops, bookstores, and good restaurants. A great place to visit.

THE HISTORY OF YELLOW SPRINGS

THE HISTORY OF YELLOW SPRINGS

The first white residents of what is now Yellow Springs, Ohio, arrived in the first decade of the eighteenth century, but the community did not begin to grow until the arrival of followers of Robert Owen in 1825. A hundred families came to Yellow Springs, hoping to create a utopian community based on socialism, although the utopian vision never clearly developed. Yellow Springs received its name from a nearby spring with high iron content, and people from across the U.S. visited the community hoping the spring water would cure their ailments. Antioch College was founded by the Christian Church in 1852, with nationally prominent education expert Horace Mann as its first president. (ohiohistorycentral.org)

MY WEEK (Mon., 11/11 - Sun., 11/17/24)

MY WEEK (Mon., 11/11 - Sun., 11/17/24)

I finally returned to the fitness center after a month’s vacation due to my cold. I read “I’m Just Crazy About Lawrence Welk” at my last poetry class, and Katja finished Jennifer’s lit class. Iko had his annual wellness examat the vet. Trump continued with awful cabinet nominees, including Matt Goetz and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. We watched a night of boxing, culminating with Jake Paul beating Mike Tyson in 8 rounds. There was a robbery at the bank across the street, and I think the getaway vehicle was parked in our driveway. I saw the Golden Ticket show at CCAC, and we went to our first symphony concert of the season (Bernstein, Shostakovich). The Bengals made a great comeback but lost at the end to the L.A. Chargers.

JAZZ ALL-STARS

JAZZ ALL-STARS

Ron Carter (b. May 4, 1937, Ferndale, MI; jazz; double bass, cello, Piccolo bass, electric bass; active 1960-present; associates: Chico Hamilton, Cannonball Adderly, Randy Weston, Bobby Timmons, Thelonious Monk, Eric Dolphy, Mal Waldron, Miles Davis, Hank Jones, Houston Person, Art Farmer, Herbie Hancock; labels: Blue Note, CTI, Embryo, Milestone, Prestige, Sunnyside; 2,221 recording sessions, most-recorded bassist in jazz history; 3 Grammys; Downbeat Jazz Hall of Fame (2012). (wikipedia)