2023 Zoo Review and 2024 Plans to Do.

Pleistohorse

Pleistohorse

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
Hey everyone, from August 2022 to August 2023 I had quite the zoo year. I visited the following institutions:
Gulf Breeze Zoo
Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center
Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park
Tallahassee Museum
Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park
Busch Gardens Tampa
Lowry Zoo
Miami Zoo
Brevard Zoo
St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park
Jacksonville Zoo
Oatland Island Wildlife Center
Charles Towne Landing State Park Animal Forest
North Carolina Zoo
Mill Mountain Zoo
Virginia Safari Park
Pittsburgh Zoo
Beardsley Zoo
Action Wildlife Foundation
Mystic Aquarium
Roger Williams Park Zoo
Buttonwood Park Zoo
Franklin Park Zoo
Stone Zoo
Southwick's Zoo
Lupa Zoo
The Zoo in Forest Park
Brookfield Zoo
Minnesota Zoo
Henry Doorly Zoo
Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park
Denver Zoo
Zoo Montana
Calgary Zoo
Edmonton Valley Zoo
Alaska Zoo
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Reindeer Farm
Musk Ox Farm
R. G. White Large Animal Research Station
Alaska Sea Life Center

I recorded every species of Mammal either signed or observed and counted the number of individuals. I tried the same with every species of Bird, Reptile, and Amphibian with less accuracy and success. I've posted some reviews and species list, but what I thought I'd do here is record them as a group...an inventory of every species seen across all facilities and the (number of facilities holding each species). Species that were signed, but unobserved will be recorded with a zero regardless of how many animals I know to be at that zoo.

I also have a fairly extensive "zoo" road trip planned for the summer of 2024...in a general route traveling from Homer Alaska to Fairbanks to Calgary to Winnipeg to Duluth to St. Louis to Kansas City to Omaha to Rapid City to Bismarck to Fargo to Minot to Billings to Boise to Portland to Vancouver to Kamloops to Whitehorse to Palmer Alaska and finishing in Seward Alaska. I have about half of what I'll need saved up (if I can manage to camp in my Outback most of the trip...(my Planet Fitness Gym Membership will give me fairly regular of access to showers..when truck stops are unavailable). I've also been looking at a more extensive New England inventory, a Greater New Jersey inventory, a Mid-Atlantic inventory and even an eastern Great Lakes/Ohio Valley inventory. But I think 2024 is going to be the year of the great northern circle. I can't wait.

I'll also do a better job of keeping up with the annual Zoochat Big Year (if we have one for 2024). In 2022 I saw every bear species in North America, every native ungulate but for the Bighorn Sheep and Javelina, and even a Wolf (my first since 2009)...that year (2022) missing only the Swift and Kit Foxes in the native canid clan. Then in 2023 I saw many mammal species from the diminutive Northern Red-backed Vole to the quite frankly gigantic Alaska-Yukon Moose, Brown Bear (Barren Ground Grizzly), Steller Sea Lion, and Polar Bear. If this road trip gets off the ground in either early June or late August 2024...I should be able to repeat most of that feat, through 2024, while adding (finally) the Bighorn Sheep and with pure luck...the Mountain Lion or Wolverine. The last and only wild cat I've ever seen was the Canada Lynx way back in around 2010 so who knows.

So here is to hope and dreams and in the next post an inventory of the 41 zoos I visited in 2022/2023. This time around I'll try to post complete reviews and species list the day of the visit.

I hope you all enjoy the thread.
 
I broke my zoo mammal inventory down into general families/clans (listed by number of individuals observed)...if my taxonomy is lacking in scientific validity please forgive me. Here we go:

Species (facilities) - Number observed

African Elephant (6) - 27
Caribbean Manatee (3) - 18
Rock Hyrax (3) - 12
Asian Elephant (5) - 9
Aardvark (1) - 2
Bush Hyrax (1) - 2

Two-toed Sloth* (16) - 22
Giant Anteater (7) - 7
Nine Banded Armadillo (3) - 4
Three Banded Armadillo (4) - 3
Six Banded Armadillo (2) - 2
Tamandua (2) - 1
 
Four Toed Hedgehog (1) - 2
White Bellied Pangolin (1) - 0

Sebas Short Tailed Bat (3) - 47
Egyptian Fruit Bat (3) - 37
Vampire Bat (5) - 30
Ruwenzori Long Haired Fruit Bat (2) - 25
Rodriguez Fruit Bat (1) - >20
Spear Nosed Bat (1) - >20
Greater Bull Dog Bat (1) - >20
Giant Indian Fruit Bat (1) - >20
Straw Colored Fruit Bat (1) - >20
Malayan Flying Fox (1) - 10
Jamaican Fruit Bat (1) - 0
 
Squirrel Monkey* (9) - 52
Ring Tailed Lemur (13) - 37
Lowland Gorilla (10) - 35
Black Handed Spider Monkey (7) - 23
Orangutan* (7) - 19
White Handed Gibbon (7) - 16
Golden Lion Tamarin (6) - 14
Bolivian Grey Titi Monkey (5) - 13
White Cheeked Gibbon (6) - 11
Mandrill (3) - 11
Cotton Top Tamarin (6) - 11
Chimpanzee (3) - 11
Golden Lion Headed Tamarin (2) - 10
Siamang (6) - 10
Japanese Macaque (2) - 10
Black and White Colobus (5) - 8
Schmidt's Red Tailed Guenon (3) - 8
Black Howler Monkey (3) - 7
Debrazza's Monkey (3) - 7
Emperor Tamarin (1) - 6
Tufted Capuchin (1) - 6
Black Capped Capuchin (2) - 5
Goeldi's Monkey (2) - 5
Black Howler Monkey (1) - 5
White Faced Saki (4) - 5
Red Ruffed Lemur (5) - 5
Angolan Colobus (3) - 5
Hamadryas Baboon (1) - 5
Brown Headed Spider Monkey (1) - 3
Ma's Night Monkey (3) - 3
Wolf's Guenon (2) - 3
Black and White Ruffed Lemur (7) - 3
Patas Monkey (2) - 3
Grivet Monkey (1) - 3
Blue Eyed Black Lemur (1) - 3
Bonobo (1) - 3
Greater Bush Baby (1) - 3
Potto (2) - 3
Pale Faced Saki (1) - 2
Red Handed Tamarin (2) - 2
Black Headed Spider Monkey (1) - 2
Black and Gold Howler Monkey (1) - 2
White Faced Capuchin (1) - 2
Blue Monkey (1) - 2
Collard Brown Lemur (1) - 2
Silver Leafed langur (1) - 2
Hooded Capuchin (1) - 2
Red Fronted Lemur (1) - 2
Grey Gibbon (1) - 1
Crab Eating Macaque (1) - 1
Red Capped Mangabey (1) - 1
Black Crested Mangabey (1) - 1
Brown Lemur (2) - 1
Aye-Aye (1) - 1
Red Collard Brown Lemur (1) - 1
Mongoose Lemur (1) - 1
Grey Mouse Lemur (2) - 0
Coppery Titi Monkey (1) - 0
White Fronted Marmoset (1) - 0
White Headed Brown Lemur (1) - 0
Common Marmoset (1) - 0
Pygmy Marmoset (1) - 0
 
Domestic Rabbit (9) - 14
Eastern Cottontail (1) - 2

Grey Squirrel (23) - 111
Black Tailed Prairie Dog - (5) - 55
Fox Squirrel (3) - 21
North American Porcupine (9) - 15
Patagonian Mara (3) - 14
Naked Mole Rat (2) - 13
Crested Porcupine (9) - 12
American Beaver (5) - 11
Guinea Pig (2) - 10
House Mouse (3) - 10
Capybara (6) - 9
Damara Mole Rat (1) - 4
Red Rumped Agouti (4) - 3
Brown Rat (2) - 2
Springhaas (1) - 3
American Red Squirrel (3) - 3
Prehensile Tailed Porcupine (2) - 2
White Footed Mouse (2) - 2
Ground Hog (1) - 1
Chinchilla* (2) 1
Eastern Chipmunk (1) - 1
St. Vincent's Agouit (1) - 1
Giant Jumping Rat (1) - 1
African Ground Squirrel (1) - 0
Prevost's Squirrel (1) - 0
Himalayan Marmot (?) - Possibly at Henry Doorly Zoo in the Asian Highlands Complex?
 
Slender Tailed Meerkat (7) - 20
Dwarf Mongoose (2) - 8
Binturong (5) - 8
Spotted Hyena (5) - 4
Fossa (2) - 1
Small Spotted Genet (1) - 0
Masked Palm Civet (1) - 0

African Lion (13) - 38
Cheetah (7) - 19
Cougar (11) - 17
Amur Tiger* (9) - 16
Snow Leopard (9) - 11
Canada Lynx (7) - 9
Bobcat (10) - 8
Generic "Bengal" Tiger (4) - 6
Amur Leopard* (4) - 6
Sumatran Tiger* (2) - 4
Ocelot (6) - 4
Serval (4) - 4
Jaguar (4) - 3
Clouded Leopard (4) - 3
Malayan Tiger* (2) - 2
Pallas Cat (2) - 2
Fishing Cat (1) - 2
Eurasian Lynx (1) - 1
Sand Cat (1) - 1
African Wild Cat (1) - 1
Black Footed Cat (1) - 1
Generic Leopard* (1) - 1
Domestic Cat (1) - 1
 
Grey Wolf* (7) - 24
Red Wolf (8) - 16
African Wild Dog (4) - 12
Coyote (5) - 10
Red Fox (8) - 9
Grey Fox (6) - 8
Mexican Grey Wolf* (3) - 7
Dhole (2) - 6
Bat Eared Fox (3) - 3
Maned Wolf (2) - 3
Arctic Fox (2) - 3
Bush Dog (1) - 2
Fennec (1) - 1
Domestic Dog (1) - 1
Swift Fox (2) - 0

American Black Bear (15) - 25
Brown Bear* (8) - 11
Polar Bear (4) - 6
Sloth Bear (3) - 2
Asiatic Black Bear (2) - 2
Andean Bear (1) - 1
Sun Bear (1) - 1

Small Clawed Otter (7) - 22
River Otter (15) - 21
Wolverine (4) - 5
Sea Otter (2) - 4
Giant Otter (3) - 4
Spotted Neck Otter (1) - 2
Striped Skunk (7) - 1
Fisher (1) - 1
Domestic Ferret (1) - 1
Ermine (1) - 1
American Badger (1) - 0
American Mink (2) - 0

Red Panda (9) - 12

White Nosed Coati (4) - 6
Northern Raccoon (4) - 6
South American Coati (2) - 3
Kinkajou (2) - 3

California Sea Lion (6) - 29
Northern Fur Seal (2) - 7
Steller Sea Lion (2) - 6
Harbor Seal (9) - 11
Gray Seal (2) - 4
Spotted Seal (2) - 3
Ringed Seal (1) - 1
Northern Elephant Seal (1) - 1
 
Domestic Horse (12) - 33
Plains Zebra* (9) - 25
Grevy Zebra (7) - 21
Domestic Ass (9) - 18
Przewalski's Wild Horse (3) - 9
Hartman's Mountain Zebra (2) - 5
Somali Wild Ass (3) - 4
Zeedonk* (2) - 2
Mule* (1) - 1

Lowland Tapir (2) - 7
Baird's Tapir (3) - 4
Malayan Tapir (6) - 6

White Rhinoceros (8) - 15
Greater One Horned Rhinoceros (5) - 10
Black Rhinoceros (3) - 3
 
Domestic Pig (14) - 25
Red River Hog (10) - 16
Babirusa (5) - 11
Warthog* (4) - 6
Visayan Warty Pig (2) - 6
Eurasian Wild Boar (2) - 3

Chacoan Peccary (4) - 12
Collared Peccary (1) - 3

Pygmy Hippopotamus (7) - 9
Nile Hippopotamus (4) - 5

Llama (7) - 93
Alpaca (9) - 32
Bactrian Camel (13) - 30
Dromedary (4) - 11
Guanaco (3) - 1

Pronghorn (2) - 5

Giraffe* (15) - 74
Okapi (5) - 4

Plains Bison* (14) - 66
Domestic Cattle (14) - 58
Wood Bison* (3) - 33
Domestic Yak (6) -13
Cape Buffalo (1) - 5
Domestic Water Buffalo (2) - 2
Lowland Anoa (2) - 2
Gaur (1) - 1
Banteng (1) - 0

Domestic Sheep (10) - 39
Aoudad (2) - 12
Bighorn Sheep (2) - 4
Mouflon* (1) - 0

Domestic Goat (22) - 202
Markhor (2) - 7
Ibex* (1) - 1

Muskox (4) - 114
Takin* (5) - 17
Rocky Mountain Goat (3) - 6
Japanese Serow (1) - 2

Blackbuck (3) - 92
Thomson's Gazelle (3) - 33
Wildebeest (3) - 11
Impala (3) - 18
Fringe Eared Oryx (1) - 17
Common Eland (3) - 16
Greater Kudu (5) - 15
Waterbuck* (1) - 13
Nilgai (2) - 13
Scimitar Horned Oryx (4) - 11
Lowland Nyala (6) - 8
Addax (3) - 8
Bongo (3) - 7
Sable (2) - 5
Yellow Backed Duiker (4) - 5
Springbok (1) - 4
Gerenuk (1) - 4
Red Flanked Duiker (1) - 3
Lesser Kudu (1) - 3
Klipspringer (2) - 3
Giant Eland (1) - 3
Addra Gazelle (1) - 2
Arabian Oryx (1) - 2
Bay Duiker (1) - 0
Dama Gazelle (1) - 0
Kirk's Dik Dik (2) - 0

Mediterranean Fallow Deer (3) - 302
Caribou/Reindeer (7) - 134
Wapiti (7) - 98
Sika Deer (4) - 63
Red Deer (1) - 34
Axis Deer (2) - 33
Whitetail Deer (8) - 11
Moose (5) - 11
Pere David's Deer (2) - 10
Sitka Black Tailed Deer* (2) - 8
Reeves Muntjac (7) - 6
Tufted Deer (2) - 3
Chilean Pudu (1) - 1
Siberian Musk Deer (1) - 0

Beluga (1) - 6
Bottlenose Dolphin (1) - 6
 
Red Kangaroo (7) - 59
Red Necked Wallaby (6) - 19
Yellow Footed Rock Wallaby (1) - 3
Koala (1) - 2
Matschie's Tree Kangaroo (1) - 2
Virginia Opossum (4) - 2
Western Gray Kangaroo (1) - 1

Short Beaked Echidna (2) - 1
 
I'm not sure anyone is particularly interested, but if you are, I've established Way Points that I'll use to guide me from Palmer, Alaska to Seward, Alaska....going the long way. My plan is to take a photograph at each Way Point; either the town sign or an iconic site within the town. I'll also record the time, weather, temperature, sunset, sunrise, elevation, latitude and longitude and distance from nearest Ocean or (in the case of the Great Lakes) large navigable body of water capable of reaching the ocean. Why? I don't know....just seems fun. I'll record mammals spotted and birds recognized between each Way Point. The distance between Way Points range from 5 miles between Bear Creek, Alaska and Seward, Alaska to 895 miles between Teslin, Yukon and Prince George, British Columbia. It's an ambitious idea and I hope I can pull it off...if my roof doesn't spring a leak or my boiler burst...I should be able to.

The primary focus of this trip will be Zoos and Aquariums. However the route is also designed to take in many National Parks in the United States and Canada, National Monuments, Wildlife Refuges, and at least one Historic Site.

Look below for a list of my intended Way Points if you want to follow along my drive from Palmer to Seward (going the long way round).
 
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Here we go. I'll start in Wasilla, Alaska. Probably at the Iditarod Headquarters. From there:

1. Palmer, Alaska
2. Glennallen, Alaska
3. Delta Junction, Alaska
4. Tok, Alaska
5. Beaver Creek, Yukon
6. Burwash Landing, Yukon
7. Destruction Bay, Yukon
8. Haines Junction, Yukon
9. Whitehorse, Yukon
10. Carcross, Yukon
11. Teslin, Yukon
12. Prince George, British Columbia
13. Kamloops, British Columbia
14. Aldergrove, British Columbia
15. Vancouver, British Columbia
16. Seattle, Washington
17. Eatonville, Washington
18. Tacoma, Washington
19. Gorst, Washington
20. Skokomish, Washington
21. Sequim, Washington
22. Forks, Washington
23. Astoria, Oregon
23. Seaside, Oregon
24. Portland, Oregon
25. Tillamook, Oregon
26. Newport, Oregon
27. Winston, Oregon
28. Boise, Idaho
29. Pocatello, Idaho
30. Idaho Falls, Idaho
31. Cody, Wyoming
32. Sheridan, Wyoming
33. Crow Agency, Montana
34. Billings, Montana
35. White Sulphur Springs, Montana
36. Monarch, Montana
37. Raynesford, Montana
38. Moore, Montana
39. Roy, Montana
40. Malta, Montana
41. Watford City, North Dakota
42. Minot, North Dakota
43. Fargo, North Dakota
44. Wahpeton, North Dakota
45. Bismarck, North Dakota
46. Medora, North Dakota
47. Spearfish, South Dakota
48. Deadwood, South Dakota
49. Custer, South Dakota
50. Hot Springs, South Dakota
51. Hermosa, South Dakota
52. Keystone, South Dakota
53. Rapid City, South Dakota
54. Wall, South Dakota
55. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
56. Omaha, Nebraska
57. Ashland, Nebraska
58. Lincoln, Nebraska
59. Manhattan, Kansas
60. Topeka, Kansas
61. Kansas City, Missouri
63. St. Louis, Missouri
64. Hanna City, Illinois
65. Peoria, Illinois
66. Bloomington, Illinois
67. Madison, Wisconsin
68. Apple Valley, Minnesota
69. St. Paul, Minnesota
70. Duluth, Minnesota
71. Silver Bay, Minnesota
72. Ely, Minnesota
73. Thunderbird Resort, Minnesota
74. Fort Francis, Ontario
75. Kenora, Ontario
76. Winnipeg, Manitoba
77. Minnedosa, Manitoba
78. Dauphin, Manitoba
79. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
80. Calgary, Alberta
81. Banff, Alberta
82. Lake Louise, Alberta
83. Jasper, Alberta
84. Edmonton, Alberta
85. Whitecourt, Alberta
86. Grand Prairie, Alberta
87. Dawson Creek, British Columbia
88. Fort St. John, British Columbia
89. Fort Nelson, British Columbia
90. Watson Lake, Yukon
91. Teslin, Yukon
92. Haines Junction, Yukon
93. Tok, Alaska
94. North Pole, Alaska
95. Fairbanks, Alaska
96. Nenana, Alaska
97. Healy, Alaska
98. Denali Park, Alaska
99. Cantwell, Alaska
100. Trapper Creek, Alaska
101. Talkeetna, Alaska
102. Willow, Alaska
103. Houston, Alaska
104. Wasilla, Alaska
105. Eklutna, Alaska
106. Chugiak, Alaska
107. Eagle River, Alaska
108. Anchorage, Alaska
109. Indian, Alaska
110. Girdwood, Alaska
111. Portage, Alaska
112. Whittier, Alaska
113. Moose Pass, Alaska
114. Bear Valley, Alaska
115. Seward, Alaska

Once in Seward, I'll take a day cruise out to the Chiswell Islands and the Kenai Fjords.

So that's the plan. In October/November/December of 2022 I made it from Pensacola, Florida to Marco Island, Florida, to Miami, Florida and then north and west to Alaska. Time along the way was lost to multi-day stays with family and friends and a minor emergency.

This June, I give myself six weeks.

The itinerary may adjust...I might sleep in my car a lot, and I might eat a lot of crackers, apples, cheese and water...but it will be fun. I'll see a lot of wildlife and I'll visit some wonderful places...add that I have never been to Idaho, Kansas, or North Dakota and wow...if I pull this off the only states I will have never visited will be Kentucky and surprisingly for a New Englander, Vermont.

Next post: I'll tell you the zoos I plan to visit...some revists, many first time visits...but truth be told based on the Way Points you could probably figure most of them out.
 
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Zoos to be visited (if all goes according to plan):

Bold = First Visit

Yukon WIldlife Preserve
B.C. Wildlife Park
Greater Vancouver Zoo
Vancouver Aquarium
Woodland Park Zoo
Seattle Aquarium
Northwest Trek Wildlife Park
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Olympic Game Farm
Seaside Aquarium
Oregon Zoo
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Wildlife Safari
Zoo Boise
Idaho Zoo
Tautphaus Park Zoo
Yellowstone Bear World
Zoo Montana
Roosevelt Park Zoo
Red River Zoo
Chahinkapa Zoo
Dakota Zoo
Bear Country USA
Reptile Gardens
Great Plains Zoo
Henry Doorly Zoo
Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Park
Lincoln Children's Zoo
Sunset Zoo
Topeka Zoo
Kansas City Zoo
Saint Louis Zoo
Wildlife Prairie Park
Peoria Zoo
Miller Park Zoo
Henry Vilas Zoo
Minnesota Zoo
Como Park Zoo
Lake Superior Zoo
Great Lakes Aquarium
Assiniboine Park Zoo
Saskatoon Forestry Park and Zoo
Calgary Zoo
Edmonton Valley Zoo
West Edmonton Mall (aquarium/Sea Lions?)
Santa Claus House (Reindeer)
Large Animal Research Station
Musk Ox Farm
Reindeer Farm
Alaska Zoo
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Alaska Sea Life Center

I don't think I'm going to be able to pull this off... Several of these zoos can be visited in the same day though...so we will see. I might have to knock an aquarium or two off the list. I anticipate spending at least a couple of days in both Seattle and Omaha.

 
This is a hugely ambitious schedule, full of great zoos and loads of wildlife spotting opportunities. Maybe you'll be able to stock up on a few more zoo maps (hint, hint) and I'm looking forward to your reviews. :)
 
Well....I'll be shoving off on June 5th leaving Palmer Alaska at 0300. The route has changed considerably as I began to really like at the driving times and was roped into a visit to the east coast. In 39 Days I expect to reach Canada, take the Cassier Highway down to Prince George and then over to the three big national parks in the Canadian Rockies. From there it's down into Montana towards Yellowstone and then east to Rapid CIty. North to the four corners of North Dakota, south towards Omaha and onwards to St. Louis. After that it'll be a meander across Kentucky over Virginia all the way to Wilmington North Carolina. Day trips out of Wilmington will include Brookgreen Gardens Low Country Zoo and Congaree National Park. Leave Wilmington and head north west towards the Appalachians to Pennsylvania. West and north through Ohio and Michigan to Sault Ste. Marie and west across the Yupee to lakeshore of Wisconsin and Minnesota through the north woods to western Ontario and then west across the prairies and parklands to Calgary and again North to Alaska. I'm going to start a new thread detailing the trip and offering reviews of the zoos, sites, and wildlife spottings. The wild animal I am most anxious to see is the Bighorn Sheep. The only North American "Big Game" Species I have never observed in the wild (aside from the Cougar and the Javelina). So...more to come...on the trip thread.
 
Pleistohorse said:
Well....I'll be shoving off on June 5th leaving Palmer Alaska at 0300. The route has changed considerably as I began to really like at the driving times and was roped into a visit to the east coast. In 39 Days I expect to reach Canada, take the Cassier Highway down to Prince George and then over to the three big national parks in the Canadian Rockies. From there it's down into Montana towards Yellowstone and then east to Rapid CIty. North to the four corners of North Dakota, south towards Omaha and onwards to St. Louis. After that it'll be a meander across Kentucky over Virginia all the way to Wilmington North Carolina. Day trips out of Wilmington will include Brookgreen Gardens Low Country Zoo and Congaree National Park. Leave Wilmington and head north west towards the Appalachians to Pennsylvania. West and north through Ohio and Michigan to Sault Ste. Marie and west across the Yupee to lakeshore of Wisconsin and Minnesota through the north woods to western Ontario and then west across the prairies and parklands to Calgary and again North to Alaska. I'm going to start a new thread detailing the trip and offering reviews of the zoos, sites, and wildlife spottings. The wild animal I am most anxious to see is the Bighorn Sheep. The only North American "Big Game" Species I have never observed in the wild (aside from the Cougar and the Javelina). So...more to come...on the trip thread.
Click to expand...
If you need any tips for Wisconsin or Minnesota I'd be happy to help!
 
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