If you’ve lunched on one of Shedd’s terraces lately, you might have spotted our new "Please don’t feed the birds" signs. Our green practices extend to taking responsibility for the well-being of the wildlife on our grounds. Giving wild birds people food deprives them of natural nutrition and can even make them sick. It can also encourage aggressive behavior, especially in gulls, that can lead to unpleasant people-bird interactions. So not feeding the birds is a win-win situation.
Call us geeks, but the Right Bite team is fascinated by scallops. Did you know they have a strong muscle that helps them to quickly clap their shells together? The shell-clapping action allows scallops to "fly" around underwater and out of harmful situations! This strong muscle is what many seafood lovers enjoy eating.
Dr. Ilze Berzins, Executive VP of Animal Health and Conservation Education at Shedd, discussing effects on wildlife from current oil spills in both the Gulf and in Michigan on MyFox Chicago.
Cetaceans celebrating birthdays in August include four beluga whales and one Pacific white-sided dolphin. That’s one big splash party in Whale Harbor!
Beginning with the most august of Shedd’s whales, our big male, Naluark, turns 24. At least that’s our best estimate. He was 10½ feet long and about 1,000 pounds—within range for a 6-year-old—when he came to Shedd in 1992. To give you an idea of how belugas bulk up as they grow, he now carries more than a ton on a 13-foot frame. But he carries it well, with rippling horizontal "rails" of blubber along his length. Naluark, who frequently appears in Fantasea, is easily recognizable by his snowy white skin. He sired Bella, Miki and the newest calf, Nunavik.
