Seven lumbering elephants - four of them newcomers - are the star attractions in the San Diego Zoo's biggest, most costly expansion in its 90-plus years. ...more

June 19, 2009

Amazing fossils ...more

June 3, 2009

An elephant seized from a Balm-based circus in November died Friday. Officials with The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee said Ned, a 21-year-old Asian male elephant, died peacefully with caregivers. ...more

May 19, 2009

In honor of Mother's Day, moms got free access to Lowry Park Zoo on Sunday as long as they were accompanied by a paying son or daughter, giving visiting mothers the chance to check out some of the new animal moms and their offspring. In the past year several babies have been born. The most notable are Annakiya, a rare pygmy hippopotamus; RanDee, a baby orangutan; Tamani, an African elephant; and two Angolan colobus monkeys, Polly and Kenzie. ...more

May 11, 2009

In reference to Mr. Gates Sr's. letter, "So LongIllegals," he blames it all on just the Democratic Party. Why not start with your city and county to send illegals packing? I believe this is a majority Republican-held commission, a council that permits illegal workers to abound here. Small and big businesses use illegals. Calls go unanswered when child labor practices are reported. They are just told it ain't happening without checking. Some of our own local elected officials need to be looked at about their own personal agenda. ...more

March 8, 2009

The new band leader was impressed by the progress. Kerry Nichols stood on the podium in front of his new charges in Nature Coast Technical High School's orchestral group Thursday - his second day on the job - and tried to gauge their proficiency in scales. ...more

February 22, 2009

Dear Abby: Because of the downturn in the economy, I had to close my business. Let me tell you this - if anyone wants to know who their real friends are, here's how: own your own business. ...more

January 25, 2009

Downtown Tampa motorists could be forgiven for doing a double-take Monday afternoon. ...more

January 6, 2009

ringling bros. circus parades the elephants through downtown ...more

January 5, 2009

BUT CAN ELEPHANTS FLY? Santa Claus rode into town on an Asian elephant from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus to deliver toys Monday to a handful of Tampa Bay area children at the Florida State Fairgrounds outside Tampa, which serves as the circus's winter rehearsal grounds for the upcoming season. ...more

December 23, 2008