Dickerson Park Zoo

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Animals at the Dickerson Park Zoo got special treats today in the shape of footballs. The elephants got to pick who they thought might win the superbowl. They picked the Gaints. The Zooper event was a partnership with Ozark Food Harvest. The Zoo offered half-priced admission for all children and adults who brought a non-perishable food item to donate.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo., -- Dickerson Park Zoo is hosting its annual Zoobilee on Saturday from 10am until 2pm. The event features entertainment from Buckets and Board, the Fishin' Magicians, and Lost Hill Bluegrass. There will also be inflatables for the kids to bounce around. At 1pm, zoo officials will reveal the name of the giraffe calf born last week.  The name was voted on by Facebook friends of the zoo. Zoobilee entertainment and activities are free with your paid zoo admission.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- B.J., the youngest giraffe calf at Dickerson Park Zoo, died Tuesday morning.  The zoo reported the calf's condition was very guarded a little more than a week ago.  Because he was not nursing from his mother, zookeepers were tube-feeding B.J. and offering him grain, hay, water and milk throughout the day.   Although he seemed to show improvements over the weekend, B.J. took a sudden turn for the worse.  He showed signs of...

  BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, Mo., sold a giraffe to  the Birmingham Zoo last summer.  Dickerson Park Zoo spokeswoman Melinda Arnold says Edward is an 11-foot-tall "pre-teen" who still has a lot of growing to do.  The reticulated giraffe weighs more than half a ton.  He arrived here in September and joined the zoo's outdoor population this week in the savannah area, becoming its third giraffe. Edward arrived from Dickerson Park Zoo in a trailer -- a tall one, obviously -- and began making himself at home.

A sad note from the Dickerson Park Zoo, zoo officials confirms a baby giraffe has died while its mother was giving birth this morning. The veteranarian says the calf was dead in utero and was underdeveloped.  An autopsy is being done to determine the exact cause. This comes just five days after the zoo welcomed another baby giraffe.  Saturday morning, they named the calf "Stretch Junior. " That calf is doing just fine.

Springfield, Mo. -- There's a new addition at the Dickerson Park Zoo, and it's a girl.  Baby P.J., short for Pammy J., was born at two o'clock Monday afternoon.  P.J. 6'6" tall, and that is tall, even for a baby giraffe. "It's a very nerve-wracking time, especially until we see the nose come out, and that way we know everything's coming out the right way," said Dickerson Park Zookeeper Tracy Campbell. Campbell and other zookeepers were watching the birth very closely but said the mother giraffe did not need their help.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Dickerson Park Zoo is taking part in the nationwide Earth Day celebration by hosting a Party for the Planet this weekend.  Marketing Director Melinda Arnold was on KY3's "Ozarks Today" on Friday.  She said Party for the Planet kicks off Saturday at 10 a.m. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for kids age 3 and under.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.-- The Dickerson Park Zoo will hold a special giraffe viewing Sunday to promote its "We Love Giraffes" adoption package. For 50-dollars you can bring home a little slice of the zoo life. The package includes a special giraffe stuffed animal, an official adoption certificate, two one-day passes to the zoo and a one year subscription to WildTimes magazine. Your adoption will also help care and raise awareness for the animals. You can order your package by calling the zoo office, or visit them online.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Some caring people are stepping in to help a little one who's lost her mom.  The baby is only 8 months old and is furry on the outside with a long tail. After baby kangaroo Princess Leia's mother died last month, her keepers took a leap of faith.  They're providing around-the-clock care because they don't want to lose 7 pounds of jumping joy. “She still gets the bottle four times a day,” Dickerson Park Zoo marketing director Melinda Arnold.  “We were certainly sad to lose her mother.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A circus elephant wounded in a drive-by shooting in Tupelo, Miss., lives in the Ozarks when it's not performing.  Carol is part of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus and lives in Willard.  Her caretakers expect her to make a full recovery. The 39-year-old Asian elephant was shot between the neck and shoulder.  It happened early Tuesday while the animal was sleeping in a tent. “Never in 143 years has anything like this ever happened.  It's a lot disbelief and disappointment,” said a circus official.

"She is very strong. She was 164 pounds at birth, which is a typical giraffe calf weight, and she's pretty feisty. " said Arnold. The naming of the calf has been delayed while the staff focuses on her care.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Dickerson Park Zoo's staff has awaited the birth of the fourth calf in the giraffe herd for the fall and winter.  The mother, 13-year-old Kamili, gave birth to her seventh calf on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 16.  The 164-pound female calf was born in the giraffe yard with zookeepers and zoo guests observing. Zookeepers monitored the mother and calf to ensure the pair bonded and the calf nursed.  The animal care staff became concerned by Sunday morning when Kamili's milk production seemed to be nominal.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.-- The Dickerson Park Zoo will hold a special giraffe viewing Sunday to promote its "We Love Giraffes" adoption package. For 50-dollars you can bring home a little slice of the zoo life. The package includes a special giraffe stuffed animal, an official adoption certificate, two one-day passes to the zoo and a one year subscription to WildTimes magazine. Your adoption will also help care and raise awareness for the animals. You can order your package by calling the zoo office, or visit them online.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - People flocked to the Dickerson Park Zoo last year -- and the Dickerson Park Zoo says 2012 was its second-best year ever in terms of attendance. The zoo reported an attendance of 226,009 for the entire year, the second-best in zoo history since they started keeping records in 1975.  According to a news release from Dickerson Park Zoo, 2012 brought the highest daytime attendance to the zoo in its history. A 2004 expansion brought annual numbers up above 200,000, the zoo said.  2012 is the zoo's ninth straight year over 200,000 visitors.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Zookeepers have diligently worked with the zoo's youngest calf, B.J., born on Nov. 23, to encourage him to nurse or drink from a bottle.  This is the first calf for his mother, Emma, and initially she was anxious when the calf attempted to nurse.  However, even though she has calmed down, the calf has not consistently nursed well. To provide nutrition for the calf, zookeepers are tube-feeding him twice daily and offering grain and hay.  However, the calf's weight fluctuates from day to day, and overall he is not gaining weight.  Because the calf has not reliably nursed from his mother he has not built up a good immune system from the milk and therefore has weak immunity.  He is receiving antibiotics as a precaution.  As of Wednesday morning, the animal care staff considers the calf in very guarded condition.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A giraffe named Emma gave birth on Friday to the third giraffe born at Dickerson Park Zoo since September. The male calf was the first for 7-year-old Emma. Emma's mother, Gidget, also lives at Springfield's zoo. Gidget's eleventh calf was born two weeks ago. For the first time in the zoo's history, three generations of giraffes will be living on the grounds. Zoo employees are picking out a name for the new giraffe.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The staff of Dickerson Park Zoo chose Caley as the name of the giraffe born last weekend.  The choice was made by tallying the combination of a Facebook poll and votes by e-mail.  Caley (k¿¿ l¿) is a Gaelic name meaning slender. Caley garnered 591 votes.  The other two choices, Twiggy and Rue, received 503 and 406 votes respectively. The public can see Caley at the giraffe yard with her 8-week-old half-sister Pammy J, their mothers Gidget and Cheka, Emma, Kamili and Peperuka.