It’s that time of the year where we're seeing lots of orange...and no, I’m not talking about the Cleveland Browns. They're a sure sign of the fall season though…I’m talking about pumpkins!
But you might not be seeing quite as many jack-o-lanterns this year. That's because a rainy planting season and drier weather later in the year has left Ohio with a damaged pumpkin crop.
This means we'll be seeing pumpkins a little smaller in size. A Toledo newspaper reports this year's pumpkins didn't grow to their expected size unless farmers irrigated, or supplied water, to their fields.
Ohio is one of the top pumpkin producers usually ranking between third and fifth in the united states.
Hip… Hip... Hooray!!!! That’s what zoo goers in Cincinnati might be saying after they hear this news... The Cincinnati Zoo has reached its fundraising goal for a $7.3 million hippopotamus exhibit scheduled to open in the summer of 2016. The zoo hasn't had hippos for nearly 20 years, and will start the exhibit with two Nile hippos.
The exhibit will have a 70,000 gallon pool with an underwater viewing area and visitor overlook. The hippos will join the zoo's Africa section, which has cheetahs, lions and much more.
And speaking of zoos, if you're in Toledo, you'll be happy to know the zoo there has some new Australian visitors. Three Tasmanian devils now call the Toledo zoo home as part of a program to save the species listed as endangered in Australia.
A male and two females from a zoo in Australia arrived this week. Zoo officials say Nugget, Tatiana and Orchid will need to get acclimated to their new surroundings before going on exhibit.
The zoo says the species native to the Tasmania island has been on the decline due to facial cancer estimated to have caused the deaths of about 90% of devils in the wild.
Instructional Links
Article: Mammals | Tazmanian Devil