Animals

TSA’s explosive detection dogs in a calendar

Animals

Need a gift for the dog lover on your list?

The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) annual calendar might fit the bill.

The 2023 calendar honors the agency’s more than 1,000 explosives detection canines working in the United States. Ebbers, the TSA’s 2022 Cutest Canine contest winner, and a (now retired) explosives detection canine at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) is on the cover.

The 2023 TSA Canine Calendar features photos and fun facts about each canine of the month and notes a wide variety of notable major and minor holidays, including National Popcorn Day and Squirrel Appreciation Day.

Here are the pups featured in order of their appearance on the calendar:

  • Dusan: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
  • Rossi: Indianapolis International Airport (IND)
  • Tom-Magnum: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
  • Shadow-Shaw: John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)
  • Djole: LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
  • Loki: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
  • Szonja: Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU)
  • EEbbers: Minneapolis−Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)
  • Egyes-Abel: Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)
  • Messi: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
  • Ava: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
  • Tex-Teepe: San Antonio International Airport (SAT)
  • Teo: Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)

Download your free copy of the TSA 2023 Canine Calendar here.

Airports + National Bee Day

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Honey bees are experiencing a drastic decline in the United States and that’s having a negative impact on the global ecosystem.

Creating habitats where they can thrive is part of the solution. And on National Honey Bee Day, Saturday, August 20, we recognize the contributions honey bees make to our lives.

Airports abuzz

Airports around the country are doing their part to help the honey bees thrive by hosting honey bee hives on airport lands.

Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), and Minneapolis – St. Paul International Airport (MSP) are among the airports that have apiaries on site.

The bees at MSP Airport are there as part of the University of Minnesota Bee Veterans program, which provides free beekeeping education for Minnesota Veterans, including monthly workshops, including in-person and online workshops.

Here’s a video from MSP showing honey bees in the hive.

Does your airport have hives? (Tee-hee) Let us know and we’ll update our list.

Wildlife spotted at Juneau International Airport

Animals, ,

Alaska’s Juneau International Airport (JNU) is far from flashy.

The most recent terminal renovation at JNU added some impressive pieces of art but left behind the taxidermy animals travelers have long associated with landing in this city.

We spotted arriving passengers dropping their bags to take selfies with these critters. And we wondered if grizzly bears were still around. “Oh, yes,” my Alaska-born seatmate told me on the return trip, pulling out her phone to show me a wobbly video of a large grizzly she and her family had encountered while strawberry picking on a remote beach the day before.

Travel Tidbits: Animals at Airports

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Update on the giant flamingo at Tampa Int’l Airport

The airport art team at StuckatTheAirport.com can barely wait for Tampa International Airport to finish the installation of a 21-foot tall sculpture of a flamingo in the main terminal.

When completed the big bird will appear to be gently dipping its head beneath the water’s surface.

TPA shared the news this week that the 6,0000 pounds of custom-made ceiling panels designed to replicate the surface of the water surrounding the flamingo have finally arrived in Tampa from Japan and are being prepared for installation.

On Watch for Wildlife at SEA Airport

Speaking of wildlife…

There’s a new exhibit at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) encouraging passengers to help save endangered animals around the world.

The exhibit includes information about endangered animals and illegal animal trafficking.

Included in the display are examples of confiscated illegally trafficked wildlife artifacts alongside sustainable look-alikes.

Look for the exhibit in SEA’s S Concourse, the departure point for most international flights.

Airports celebrate National Puppy Day

Animals,

Today is National Puppy Day. So get ready for lots of photos of airports pup to pop up on social media,

We’ll start off with Heathrow Airport’s early tweet and add more as we spot them.

Feel free to share pics of the way your airport’s pups are celebrating.