NYCP Blog - Animals

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus 139th Annual Animal Walk

nospam@example.com (NYCP) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 07:42:14 -0500

The Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus elephants and other animals will march across 34th St sometime after midnight on Monday night (3/23).

When the circus comes to town after a long train ride, about 10 elephants, a few horses and ponies are then transported onto the isle of Manhattan by walking the elephants from the train yard in Queens through the Midtown Tunnel and across 34th St to Madison Square Garden. Because of the spectacle of half a dozen giant land mammals marching through Manhattan city streets, a large number of people gather to watch in awe or protest the alleged abuse. Either way it’s a circus appearance of a lifetime within the chaotic circus of New York City.

What you can expect out of this rare event tonight is big crowds, cold temperatures, standing for a long time, and before you know it…it’s over in a few seconds. But that's not to say it can't be fun or worth the wait.

Here are some Recommendations:

- Dress very warmly. You'll be standing there for a loooong time.

- Bring fun friends. Lots of them, no whiners. There's no telling when the elephants will come through the tunnel, and they do move a lot faster than we think. The "show" will be over in seconds, so you'll need to entertain yourselves for the 1-2 hour waiting period.

- BYO elevation. Light folding chairs or step ladders to sit/stand on. Unless you plan to stake-out a front-row spot several hours in advance you'll be behind a throng of people. If you decide to run with the beasts (and you'll have to run) you'll want something easy to carry.

- Have a good camera. Elephants are apparently light sponges. With spectators' reflective apparel and other visual "noise", if you have a basic P&S cam you'll likely end up with a big black nothing where you're expecting an elephant! So you will have to make light adjustments or edit in photoshop accordingly, etc.

Good luck, have fun and be kind to the beautiful animals as their long journey comes to an end.

Happy Groundhog Day!!!

nospam@example.com (NYCP) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 08:59:10 -0600

Staten Island Chuck and his Pennsylvania pal had some conflicting views on the future weather this Groundhog Day. After some prodding from Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a reluctant Chuck the groundhog finally came out of his home and made his annual prediction. According to the mayor, the three-year-old, 10-pound Chuck did not see his shadow – meaning spring will come early. Onlookers said they were happy with Chuck's forecast. "This was [my son's] first Groundhog's Day and I was just excited to see it and we're expecting and praying that it's an early spring," said one Staten Island resident. "I really wanted it to be spring because this winter has been really cold," said another. While Groundhog Day is a fun tradition for grownups and children, its roots go back to agriculture. "It's based on farming," explained zoo keeper Douglas Schwartz. "They wanted to know if they could plant or not, so they turned to the groundhog for advice." However, there were conflicting groundhogs this year. In Pennsylvania, Punxatawney Phil had this official forecast: Phil's official forecast as read February 2nd, 2009 at sunrise at Gobbler's Knob: Hear Ye Hear Ye On Gobbler's Knob this glorious Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2009 Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators Awoke to the call of President Bill Cooper And greeted his handlers, Ben Hughes and John Griffiths After casting a joyful eye towards thousands of his faithful followers, Phil proclaimed that his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers were World Champions one more time And a bright sky above me Showed my shadow beside me. So 6 more weeks of winter it will be. According to his keeper, Chuck has been right 84 percent of the time compared to around 40 percent for other groundhogs. "I go with Chuck, not just because I'm a Staten Islander but because Chuck's been right most of the time; Phil's been wrong most of the time," said a third local resident. City residents hope their rodent is right. *Courtesy of NY1 and The Official Punxatawney Phil Website

Parade of Elephants!

nospam@example.com (NYCP) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:41:51 -0500

Date: Tuesday, March 18th Time: 11:30pm - 12:30pm Location: Midtown Tunnel Cost: Free Well, if you want to see some elephants in the Midtown Tunnel, you better not miss it. Wow! New York City you can even see a parade of elephants in one of the busiest places in the City. Isn't that awesome? "Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus march their elephants from Long Island City to Penn Station tonight by way of the Midtown Tunnel. This tradition, born out of necessity, closes down the tunnel and vehicular traffic and is free for all. For an extra treat, try and grab the view from the less crowded Long Island City side. In Manhattan, the elephants will emerge from the north tube of the Queens Midtown Tunnel and proceed along 34th Street to The Garden.

Drinks for Lunch?

nospam@example.com (NYCP) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 08:40:12 -0500

So, you're home with nothing to do, just relaxing or bored? Well, why not get drunk on $3 screwdrivers, mimosas and Bloody Marys. It's probably the only time you can find drinks in NYC for under $5.



When:: Saturdays : 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. Sundays : 2 p.m. - 6 p.m.

View Bar

232 Eighth Ave.

New York, NY 10011

212-929-2243

Catch the circus while it’s here!

nospam@example.com (NYCP) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 01:04:00 -0500

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey

is here. Don’t miss this wonderful event as it makes its way to the Nassau Coliseum. It’s a fun activity not only for children, but for adults as well; unless you are afraid of clowns!

Image by: www.christithomas.com

When:March 12 : 7:30 p.m.: March 13 : 10:30 a.m.; March 13 : 7:30 p.m.
March 14 : 10:30 a.m.
March 14 : 7:30 p.m.
March 15 : 11 a.m.
March 15 : 3 p.m.
March 15 : 7:30 p.m.
March 16 : 11 a.m.
March 16 : 3 p.m.
March 16 : 7:30 p.m.

Price: $12-$147

Event Phone Number: 516-794-9303

Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

1255 Hempstead Tpke.

Uniondale, NY 11553

516-794-9303

"Open more animal shelters", says councilman!

nospam@example.com (NYCP) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 06:58:06 -0500

Seeing stray animals really hurts my heart, so in lieu of that, the councilman of Queens is urging the city to open more animal shelters in Queens and Bronx. "Thousands of animals being euthanized and thousands of people who want to adopt pets and no shelters in the Bronx or Queens," said City Councilman Eric Gioia. It's sad to know that so many people are willing to adopt, but don't want to go through the hassle of going to another borough to get a pet, as if the boroughs were so far apart, but that is besides the point. "I am respectfully requesting that our city government end this interminable waiting period and work to uphold the law," said Gail Buchman of the ASPCA. The councilman says that the 12 million dollars that has been allocated for this purpose has just been sitting there. "There are thousands of people out there who want to adopt pets and there are thousands of pets who want to be adopted," he said. "What the city needs to do is connect the dots." Yes! Connect the dots, or is that too much to ask for? The goal of the city is to stop euthanizing animals by the year 2015, but if they continue to move this slow, it will not happen. Read more

Which came first? Chickens or Traffic?

nospam@example.com (NYCP) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 04:14:46 -0600

livegreenstlouis.files.wordpress.com nymag.com

Yes! Which came first? Chickens or Traffic? Well, on the BQE this morning, it was the chickens. After a tractor trailer overturned this morning, drivers were actually dealing with both the chickens and the traffic. "The rig, carrying a cargo of live chickens, overturned near the Flushing Avenue exit on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway at about 2:30 a.m., spilling a flock of feathered friends onto the road. " Some of the little chicken were harmed, some killed and some were caught. The highway was closed for several hours and traffic even backed up all the way to the Manhattan Bridge. What can I say? There is never a quiet day in New York City!

Need a furry friend?

nospam@example.com (NYCP) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 03:45:50 -0600

Then hurry on over to Times Square, right next to the Virgin Megastore. There you will find a nice little shop filled with cute little puppies -that are up for adoption. The PEDIGREE Adoption Drive is trying to get New Yorkers to adopt pets, free of charge. Who doesn't need a pet? They are cute and loving and really, that's all a New Yorker wants, LOVE and since it's Valentine's season, why not adopt a pup and make a friend for life. Image provided by: www.fairequal.net Here are some adoption centers you can go to: 1. Bide-A-Wee New York , NY 10016 212 532 4455 2. Center for Animal Care & Control New York , NY 10029 212 788 4000 3. Metropolitan Maltese Rescue New York , NY 10011 212 242 1151

Here are some stats:- Over 4 million dogs enter shelters every year - The overwhelming majority of dogs adopted from shelters aren't puppies. In fact, most are 2-3 years old. - With a shelter adoption, you're saving more than one life - you're making room for another dog, or allowing another dog to be kept at a shelter for a longer period of time, giving them a better chance of being adopted, too. But make sure you hurry on over because the last day is Thursday! A New York puppy needs a loving New Yorker! Check this out: The milliondogmosaic - think24seven

Dogs Gone Crazy!

nospam@example.com (NYCP) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 09:23:41 -0600

Come see the second longest continuously held sporting event outside the Kentucky Derby! The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show first began in 1877, becoming the biggest dog show in the world, having to limit its entries to 2500 dogs! Image provided by: orlandosentinel.com The show is divided into seven categories, including: sporting, hound, working, terrier, toy, non-sporting, and herding. Happening at Madison Square Garden, Image provided by: johnnyroadtrip.com the first show was held at 8:30 a.m. this morning, with the second taking place at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow morning, Tuesday, February 12th. For more info and to order ticket($75.00), call (212)465.6073. Image provided by: english.people.com -Stefanie Botelho