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Tulsa Zoo vaccinating animals
The University of Tulsa’s new campus initiatives leave students with mixed feelings.
Mary Lickona
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You’ve heard of the cat condos, now get ready for the TU Roomba. As students returned this year, they quickly noticed some new characters on campus. Over the summer, TU, through Roark Landscaping, enlisted the service of some Turf-Mower 2000’s from ECHO Robotics. These silent, autonomous lawn-mowers, nicknamed the TU Roombas by students, are part of the initiative the University is taking to beautify and improve the campus.
According to ECHO Robotics, the Turf-Mower 2000 is a lawn mower that is eco-friendly, energy efficient and, most importantly, quiet. This is an improvement to other mowing services that are a noisy disturbance and an ideal solution for a college campus, especially when students are deep in the throes of studying and classes. The Turf-Mower 2000 is able to mow 6 acres on a single charge and is kept within the boundaries of its turf by a system of wires that stretch the perimeter of the grass under the Turf-Mower’s charge. Otherwise, the Turf-Mowers have free range over the New and Old U. As one is walking to classes, one can spot the blue machines with the red Tulsa flag roving slowly in randomized patterns.
This new technological addition to TU has been met with a mixture of enjoyment and displeasure. Some students find the Turf-Mowers quirky and charming, with one student creating an instagram account dedicated to the Turf-Mowers where students can joke about the newest TU members, going so far as to debate what name they should receive. Other students are less happy, with some now being wary of picnicking on the Old and New U. Students report that they are concerned about whether the Turf-Mowers can sense people or not, and wonder what would happen if someone were resting on a picnic blanket and one of the mowers came upon them. Other students argue that the Turf-Mowers do a bad job of mowing, as there are uneven tufts of grass and one can clearly see the paths the TurfMowers take.
Current students aren’t the only ones humming about the Turf-Mowers too. Alumni have expressed their interest, but also their concern. Similarly to some current students, they are worried about the efficiency and safety of the TurfMowers. One TU alum, Anna Cheshire, who returned to TU over the Labor Day weekend, expressed about the TurfMowers:
“As an alumni it was very shocking to come back to campus and see huge, ugly lawn mowers on both lawns. They ruin the beauty of campus and feel like a hazard to students lounging on the lawns or playing sports. They seem to mow in no logical path and leave marks on the grass that look like a toddler was scribbling on them…. I can’t imagine that they are saving us enough money to be worth the hassle.”
As with many of TU’s initiatives in recent years, there have been a lot of unexpected reactions from students and alumni with the integration of the TurfMowers, or the TU Roombas. As TU continues the initiative to beautify campus through automated means, time will tell how the other, non-robotic members of campus welcome and adapt to it.
A new TU Roomba mows the lawn. photo by Mary Lickona
Tulsa Zoo vaccinating animals for COVID-19
Now that a vaccince has been developed for animals, the Tulsa Zoo is vaccinating their more atrisk animals against the disease.
Xayda Alexander
Student Writer
Not only are humans at risk for catching COVID-19, but animals are too. The Tulsa Zoo has begun giving their animals vaccines in order to decrease the risk of them contracting COVID-19 from humans. Some animals are at a higher risk, including tigers, lions, snow leopards, jaguars, bears, chimpanzees and other species.. They will be administering the vaccines in order of which group is at the highest risk, similar to how humans administered the vaccine to the elderly and at-risk population first.
The vaccine was developed by Zoetis and was manufactured to be unique to animals. Zoetis is a company dedicated to using science to find new ways to lengthen the lifespan of animals and increase the quality of their lives. Zoetis’ website says, “Zoetis discovers, develops and manufactures vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and other technologies for companion animals and livestock.” Zoetis’ mission and research is helping Tulsa Zoo protect the health of their animals, and all animals around the world.
The Tulsa Zoo plans to have all of their selected animals vaccinated by the end of September. They will each acquire two doses, three weeks apart. The animals are being closely observed to guarantee their health throughout the process. Director of Animal Health and Senior Staff Veterinarian Dr. Kay Backues explains, “We’re offering the vaccine as an additional form of preventative care, further protecting the animals in our care, including many species which are endangered.” The zoo has also taken other precautions to protect their animals from Covid-19 over the past two years. The zoo mandated masks for their employees who work closely with the animals. Also, they installed more hand washing and sanitizing stations throughout the zoo. They recommend all visitors follow CDC guidelines, but there is currently no mask mandate at the Tulsa Zoo for customers.
Some may ask, “Why now?” The time to vaccinate animals is now because humans were the world’s first priority for vaccinations. The first human vaccine was released in Dec. 2020. Now that the vaccine for humans has been available and
improved for almost two years, animals are the next step. Dr. Cathy Knupp, Executive Vice President of Zoetis states, “The idea of “one health” – that animal health is linked to public health – has never been more compelling than it is today as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the world with tragic rates of human infection, serious illness and death, along with economic devastation.”
The health of animals directly impacts the health of humans. In order to make sure the spread of Covid among all humans and animals is as minimal as possible, it is important to vaccinate them for zoonotic diseases. Dr. Knupp goes on to say, “According to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), 60% of infectious diseases in the world are zoonotic and at least 75% of emerging infectious diseases have an animal origin.” These statistics signify how keeping animals well and clean keeps the whole world population healthier.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the entire planet, even beyond humans. Ensuring the safety of animals, staff and customers from Covid, and all other zoonotic diseases, is noteworthy of the Tulsa Zoo.
A grizzly bear in the wild stands in a stream. courtesy Wikimedia Commons
