Fall into the GAP

No not that GAP - but the Great Ape Protection project!

GAP's purpose is to guarantee the basic rights to life, freedom and non-torture of the non-human great apes – Chimpanzees, Gorillas, Orangutans and Bonobos, the closest relatives in the animal kingdom to humans.

We have covered lots of stories here at Piece of MoJo in which non-human primates have been abused by humans, and its good to see an organization such as GAP is out there fighting for the rights of non-human primates, and at the same time protecting them.

Rights to live along with freedom is very important to me - and my fellow monkeys; just as I'm sure its important to you! Some stories have come out in the past year that would hurt non-human primates rights- so you can see why an organization like this is so important.

If you would like more information on GAP - check out their website: http://www.greatapeproject.org

Most Emailed Photo - Menari the Orangutan

(Picture from AP via Yahoo!)

Hi Everybody- Happy Friday!

This picture of a female Orangutan named Menari was the "Most Emailed Photo" on Yahoo! today. She was born on July 10th at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. The zoo announced her birth Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009 (I'm not sure why they kept it a secret) and they also said that starting Sept. 26, she will be out daily from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. to meet and greet everyone— weather permitting.

Welcome Menari!

For more on the Audubon Zoo Click Here

-MoJo

Speeder Wears Monkey Mask!

(Picture via ABC 15)

Hi Everybody!

There is a masked man in Phoenix (I KNOW!), Arizona who is pretending to be a monkey by wearing a mask, while he is driving. He is breaking the law there by going over the speed limit. But he wears a monkey mask so he can try to pin his crimes on an innocent monkey.

Nice try Mister, but that mask didn't fool me!

Cameras in Phoenix take pictures of the cars and drivers that violate the law. So he has been trying to disguise himself as a monkey so that he could not be identified. The man has done this over 3 dozen times collecting about 37 tickets and totaling over $6,700.00 in fines.

Sometimes he disguises himself as a giraffe, gazelle -not always a monkey (though its the most common disguise that he uses).

Some people agree with his tactics (of wearing a mask) because they are against the cameras. Others think that he is driving very unsafely.

I am just upset that he is trying to frame an innocent monkey! The police suspect Dave VonTesmar as the culprit, because they have spotted him putting on masks at homes - but he denies the allegation (and talks about it on his Facebook).

For more on this Story you can go here: http://www.abc2news.com/news/local/story/Man-Wearing-Monkey-Mask-Gets-37-Tickets/1N7IUgL9Ak29fDH4wG6bDw.cspx?rss=702

And here: http://www.abc15.com/content/news/phoenixmetro/central/story/Man-accused-of-wearing-monkey-mask-while-speeding/_wVFUaFf5EGEAl9XwAe0GQ.cspx?rss=1977

-MoJo

Yahoo Answers: What's easier, training a guy to act like a gentleman or training a monkey?

Click on the Image above to make it bigger.

I just think this is a silly question in my monkey opinion - but if you guys know the answer you can answer it by going here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090830194133AATubng

Thumbs UP! - ZooTV

(Live video streams from the Great Plains Zoo to Sanford Children's Hospital (Squirrel Monkeys!). Fun animal facts scroll across the screen. - Picture via USA TODAY )

Hi Everybody, its me - MoJo

I wanted to give a big Thumbs UP! to the Great Plains Zoo in South Dakota! Why? Because the Great Plains Zoo started ZooTV! ZooTV was started in March, using 14 weatherproof cameras to video tape live animals at the zoo and then beam the live feed to sick children at hospitals - whether its during hospital stays (giving them something to do and break up their stay/day) or to comfort them while going through medical procedures.

"ZooTV is one of a growing number of partnerships between hospitals and zoos to help comfort children who are, in many cases, waging life-and-death battles against cancer and other serious illnesses.

Video of tigers, monkeys, giraffes and some underwater creatures are being beamed into patient rooms in cities including Sioux Falls, Palo Alto, Calif., and Rochester, Minn."

This has inspired other Zoo's like the Houston Zoo in Houston, Texas who hopes to share their animals by adding cameras in their future expansion plans. At the same time hospitals are lining up to add ZooTV to their buildings as well.

There hasn't been any studies done yet - but it might be true that video of monkeys is especially cheerful to the children and may actually decrease their recovery time; we will have to wait and see. I mean look at the picture above - they chose to show the feed of some Squirrel Monkeys - they know a monkey a day keeps the doctor away.

For more on this Story: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-09-07-zootv_N.htm

And the Great Plains Zoo: http://www.gpzoo.org

Keep Smiling

- MoJo

MoJo Voyage Post- Universal Studios

Hi Everybody!

Just wanted to let you all know about the new posting on my Travel Blog: MoJo Voyage!

This one is about my trip to Universal Studios!

Check it Out: http://mojovoyage.blogspot.com/2009/09/universal-studios-orlando.html

Follow-Up: MoJo Phoenix in Space

Well it turns out that I was right!

NASA decided not to name the International Space Station after him. But they didn't name the toilet after him either.

They named a treadmill after him. I guess the people at NASA just couldn't do it.

"Colbert—or C.O.L.B.E.R.T.—the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill. That's the new name for this piece of hardware, known during its development as T2, the second version of the ISS treadmill"

The space shuttle carrying the treadmill launched last week and it was installed shortly after.

For more go to the following: Mission Complete! and C.O.L.B.E.R.T

I'm still waiting to see what they name after me!

-MoJo