KIDS / SNEAK PEEK : L.A. ZOO ZEROES IN ON ANIMAL ATTRACTION.Romance works a little differently in the animal world. The pursuit of love doesn't involve candlelight and candy hearts. It's about hormones, fur, scents and the cycle of life. The theme this weekend at the Los Angeles Zoo The Los Angeles Zoo founded in 1966, is a large zoo located in Los Angeles, California, USA. The Zoo, located in Los Angeles' Griffith Park, is home to 1,200 animals from around the world. spotlights love, animal style, just before Valentine's Day Valentine's Day: see Saint Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day Lovers' holiday celebrated on February 14, the feast day of St. Valentine, one of two 3rd-century Roman martyrs of the same name. St. . The ``L.A. Zoo Lovin' '' display Saturday and Sunday explains the birds and the bees of gorillas, snakes and gators. ``People are always fascinated when you're putting animals together,'' explains Michael Dee, curator of mammals at the zoo. He says that most creatures show their affection for each other not with flowers but with odors Odors anosmia Medicine. the absence of the sense of smell; olfactory anesthesia. Also called anosphrasia. — anosmic, adj. halitosis bad breath; an unpleasant odor emanating from the mouth. , not with notes folded and passed in class but with screeches or howls. ``The male Indian rhino pounds the female,'' he says. ``They'll bite each other. They'll honk and they'll snort and they'll carry on.'' And while two zoo hippos named Otis and Meg have been going steady for 19 years, most creatures on Earth don't spend so much time with one another. Spider monkeys spider monkey Any of four species (family Cebidae) of diurnal, arboreal New World monkeys found from Mexico to Brazil. Long-limbed and somewhat potbellied, they are 14–26 in. even form harems, with one guy and between four and 12 females. He ``breeds'' with them all, when, once a month, the ladies get romantic. ``He'll follow her around, he'll do a little bit of a courtship courtship paying attention to a member of the opposite sex with a view to mating; occurs in farm animals but is not highly developed other than estral display by the female and seeking by the male, activities that are rather more pragmatic than implied in the definition. ,'' Dee says. ``But they don't go out for drinks. He'll hang around and guard her, making sure nobody gets in there and does any breeding.'' If you see a couple of gerenuks (a type of thin gazelle gazelle, name for the many species of delicate, graceful antelopes of the genus Gazella, inhabiting arid, open country. Most gazelles are found only in Africa, but several species range over N Africa and SW Asia; the Persian, or goitered, gazelle ( ), nuzzling each others' heads, they aren't flirting. They're probably just smelling each other. But as diverse and strange as animal love can be, you can still find true romance in the wild. ``The most romantic animals,'' Dee says, ``are humans.'' The zoo in Griffith Park Griffith Park is a large public park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains. It is situated in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park covers 4,210 acres (17 km²) of land, making it one of the largest urban parks in North America. is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $8.25 for adults, $3.25 for kids. Call (213) 666-4090. Jazzopolis Storyopolis book shop and art gallery celebrates Black History Month on Saturday with a day of jazz, art and stories for all ages. A workshop and concert kick off a monthlong exhibit of jazz portraits by Morgan Monceaux. At 11:30 a.m., kids can make musical instruments and listen to storyteller Sybil Desta. Children's artist Synthia St. James will be signing books. A series of jazz and spoken-word performances begin at 6 p.m. with Ben Sidran, Everett Harp and Phil Upchurch Phil Upchurch (born 19 July 1941, Chicago, Illinois) is an American jazz and R&B guitarist and bassist. Upchurch began playing in R&B backing bands, including those of The Kool Gents, The Dells, and The Spaniels. . The event at Storyopolis, 116 N. Robertson Blvd., is free, but reservations are required. Call (310) 358-2512. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: How do animals get together? Find out Saturday and Sunday at the ``L.A. Zoo Lovin'.'' |
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