Zoo Review: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Part II

Continuing the tour of the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, we look at the outdoor exhibits

Most of (not all, but most of) the zoo's exhibits are focused around the Pacific Rim region.  While that excludes a few major zoological hotspots (*cough* Africa *cough*), it does feature some pretty variable landscapes with diverse wildlife.  

Consider, for example, Sanctuary Asia, which features the wildlife of Southeast Asia and Indonesia.  The exhibit is built in the rotating-exhibit school of thought, whereby animals may be found in one exhibit one day, a different one the next.  The theory behind this practice is that it provides a more variable experience for both the animals and the visitor.  As is often the case, however, certain habitats seem better suited to certain species, and I suspect that there are exhibits which are more or less designated to some species.  I can't imagine the primates, for example, making the best use of a large, grassy yard with a water moat, while the meshed in habitats might seem tight for some of the larger residents.  Occupants of the area are Malayan tapir, lowland anoa, siamang, white-cheeked gibbon, crested porcupine, and small-clawed otter.  A large, spacious yard with a big water feature was home to Sumatran tiger at the time of my visit, and I suspect that's almost always the case.

Two other habitats are generally tacked on as part of Sanctuary Asia.  At the time of my visit, the zoo's lone remaining Asian elephant was found nearby, though the animal has since passed, ending Point Defiance's involvement with the species.  What will happen with the exhibit has not yet been announced, though I strongly suspect Indian rhino.  Also nearby is one of the best of Point Defiance's land exhibits, the towering Cats of the Canopy, built after the rest of the section and home to clouded leopards.  Point Defiance is one of the premier breeders of these gorgeous Asian cats.  The leopards can be difficult to see in the well-planted exhibit that provides plenty of climbing opportunities, but for the naturally elusive animals, that's really what makes it such a superb enclosure - and when you do spot one, it really feels like an accomplishment.

The other main geographic area of the Pacific Rim represented here is the Arctic coast and tundra.  For many visitors, the undisputed stars of the zoo will be the polar bears.  The exhibit here might seem a little small compared to some of the truly great polar bear exhibits out there, but its worthwhile seeing as one of the first American zoo exhibits that actually incorporated greenery into the bear habitat.  Besides the obligatory pool (with underwater viewing, of course), there is grass, dirt, and rock for the bears to explore.  Nearby is the polar bear's natural sidekick, the Arctic fox, as well as a vast, grassy meadow for muskox.  Point Defiance is the only place I've seen these arctic ungulates, which are notoriously intolerant of heat and have disappeared from their other past holders (in one case, just months before I visited the zoo, to my chagrin).  I'm not sure how much longer the zoo will have this species, but I was certainly glad to see them here - including a young calf.

Much of the arctic exhibit focuses on aquatic species, and Point Defiance does well here.  There's a nice walk-through aviary of horned and tufted puffins, along with common murres, I think the only outdoor exhibit I've seen of these birds.  Like the polar bears, their habitat is striking for being green and hilly, rather than just rock and water.  There is also a trio of marine mammal habitats.  Sea otters are very common in the zoos and aquariums of the west coast, so I wasn't surprised to see them here.  A former beluga habitat how features harbor seals and California sea lions.  I was most excited to see the walruses, a truly impressive species which few places have these days.  The underwater viewing area was closed (I'm told due to tusk scratches on the windows), but there was above water viewing too and I was treated to some excellent views of the huge sea beasts.

Other exhibits include a small but attractive colony of Magellanic penguins from South America (like the puffin exhibit, notable for its greenery) and a few odds-and-ends exhibits clustered around a children's zoo, complete with play areas and contact zones (the children's zoo also generally sees the departure from the geographic theming of the zoo).  One substantial- but important - deviation from the Pacific coast is the red wolf exhibit.  Though they are found on the exact opposite corner of the country - the southeast, as opposed to the Pacific Northwest - red wolves are a critical part of Point Defiance's history.  It was to this zoo that the last surviving wolves were brought for the breeding program that ultimately saved the species.  The zoo continues to be an important breeder of these rare canines.

Point Defiance is certainly one of the more unique zoos that I've seen.  The natural beauty was fantastic, the strong aquatic component (both in and out of the aquariums) was impressive, and the collection was unique.  The zoo lacks many of the most "typical" zoo animals - including almost any African species - but does showcase a lot of unique species seen very rarely elsewhere (and the lack of more usual zoo animals isn't necessarily a weakness - this zoo is just an hour or so away from the excellent - of more conventional - Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle).  Furthermore, many of the exhibits are very unique - and I mean that in a good way, which isn't always the case.  

Some of the enclosures could stand to be improved, and I think that the Pacific theming could be strengthened by adding a few other species.  The bird and reptile collections are pretty weak and could be strengthened while adding to this theme - Galapagos tortoises, for example, would fit well.  The children's zoo struck me as kind of a weak area, so perhaps that could be rethemed along those lines.  Still, it was a very unique campus with fascinating animals in overall good exhibits.  It's a zoo that's been on my must-see list for some time, and I'm very glad to  have finally made it there. 

Zoo Review: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Part I

I've been to few zoos which have been placed in a more gorgeous setting than the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, located in Tacoma, Washington.  The facility is located in its namesake park, a 760-acre spit of land jutting out into Puget Sound; from its beaches a variety of birdlife and marine mammals can be spotted, while its trails meander through old growth forests and formal gardens.  The zoo takes excellent advantage of its surroundings, both in terms of scenery - the sea can be seen from just inside the main gate - to theming.  The living collection is heavily themed, mostly focused on the wildlife of the Pacific Rim.

Many zoos also list themselves as aquariums, but usually the aquarium is more of an afterthought to the zoo proper.  In the case of Point Defiance, the reverse might be true, with the zoo almost overshadowed by the aquatic component.  The zoo itself was founded in 1905, the aquarium in 1935 elsewhere - it was relocated onto zoo grounds and the facilities were combined in 1963.  After struggling along for many years, the zoo was reinvigorated by much-needed financial support in the form of taxes and bonds in the 1990s, and is now home to not one but two aquarium buildings (I can think of no other zoo with two full aquarium buildings), along with more traditional zoo exhibits.

As with the terrestrial animal collection, the aquatic collection is focused on the Pacific Ocean.  My favorite of the two is the Pacific Seas Aquarium, home to some of the more iconic of aquarium species.  Among them are Japanese spider crabs, giant Pacific octopus, and a variety of jellies (including moon jellies maintained in a globe aquarium).  One tank houses a large school of Pacific herring, which dazzle visitors with their movements.  Other tanks offer glimpses into sub-habitats of the Pacific.  One depicts the underside of a bridge, prowled by wolf eels and rockfish, another features a rocky seascape covered with sea cucumbers and anemones, while another is a kelp forest with California moray and sheephead.  There is, of course, an excellent exhibit of Puget Sound marine life as well, as well as the ever-popular touch tank, populated by urchins, sea stars, and other invertebrates.

The largest habitat in either of the two aquariums is the Baja Bay Tank, a 280,000 gallon enclosure.  Every aquarium it seems, is required to have the obligatory shark-and-sea turtle tank, and this is Point Defiance's answer to that demand.  Scalloped hammerheads, spotted eagle rays, and green sea turtles are the main attraction here, while a variety of smaller but very beautiful fish - angelfish, snapper, tangs - provide color and motion.  This exhibit can be viewed from different levels throughout the building, providing an excellent experience.

The second aquarium is the recently-renovated Tropical Reef Aquarium.  The highlight of this aquarium is a second of the zoo's main shark tanks, only slightly smaller than the Baja Bay (but not offering as good of viewing, in my opinion).  Several sharks - zebra shark, blacktip reef shark, spotted wobbegong among them - and rays can be found here, as well as humphead wrasse, unicorn tang, and other beautiful and strange-looking species.  Other, smaller but (in my mind) more aesthetically pleasing tanks depict tropical lagoons and reefs, a perfect counterpart to the coldwater-focused Pacific Seas Aquarium.

Neither of this aquariums, it is noted, feature marine mammals or penguins, the stars of many standalone aquariums - which is not to say that they can't be found at Point Defiance.  Those species are spread out among the outdoor zoo exhibits, which we'll review tomorrow.

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

Things That Never Happened...

Facebook is a goldmine for ridiculous stories that never happened.  Some of which, of course, are zoo-focused.   Yeah, good luck trying that.  

Book Review: America's Snake - The Rise and Fall of the Timber Rattlesnake

The rattlesnake is the herpetological icon of the Old West, the villain of cowboy yarns and the buzzing soundtrack of western movies.  Not all rattlesnakes, however, are creatures of the plains and deserts.  It would surprise many people to know that rattlesnakes can also be found in the surprisingly less-expected states of the north and east, such as Massachusetts and New York.  This part of the country is the realm of the timber rattlesnake - though for how much longer remains to be seen.

America's Snake: The Rise and Fall of the Timber Rattlesnake, by nature writer Ted Levin, tells the story of this once-iconic, now largely forgotten snake.   This is the rattlesnake species that the English settlers of North America first met, and it certainly made an impression on them.  Decades after arrival, their descendants were putting the snake on a flag with the words "Don't Tread On Me," using it as a symbol of defiance against the British crown, while Benjamin Franklin waxed poetically about the snake's virtues.  That patriotic fervor, of course, doesn't change the fact that the rattlesnake is a venomous snake, a group of animals people typically show little appreciation for.  The snake has been subject to intense persecution, and its numbers are dropping across much of its range.

The book explores the cultural and natural history of the snake (similar to Jack Davis's The Bald Eagle), focusing on efforts to better understand and conserve the species in the face of many threats - habitat loss, overcollection, and persecution.  Like Davis's eagle book, this can get a little chaotic and jumbled at times, and there are parts where it reads more like a bunch of anecdotes and facts that are trying, and not quite succeeding, to weave themselves into a fluid narrative (and at times a little repetitive).  The book is more focused on the snake's haunts in the northeast and Midatlantic, where it maintains a toehold (or as much of a toehold as an animal can have when it lacks feet) and opposed to the southern parts of its range, so it's also not completely comprehensive in its view of the snake.

That said, it's hard to write a bad book with such a fascinating cast of characters - human and animal - and Levin's book does the snake justice.   The author's enthusiasm for the subject is obvious, and there is a tremendous amount of fascinating info on this snake, which many people might not have been aware of previous.  For over 200 years the bald eagle has been our nation's bird, and the bison was relatively recently honored as our national mammal.  Perhaps there's room on the pedestal for a national reptile?  I can think of no species which would have a better claim.

America's Snake: The Rise and Fall of the Timber Rattlesnake at Amazon.com

The Ride Out Team

This past week, all throughout the south, there have been keepers, maintenance teams, vets, and volunteers hunkered down in their zoos and aquariums.  They are spending their time doing two things.  1.) Their jobs.  2.) Waiting.  These are the ride out teams, the staff who are staying at their facility, day and night, so that they can be ready to respond in the face of the ongoing storms.

Some facilities - those which have had to go through this a lot - may have set things up nicely for their staff - actual beds, for instance.  For those who are doing this on the wing, their accommodations might be an air mattress in the zoo hospital, or maybe a sleeping bag on the conference room table.  Food and distraction aren't that big of a challenge as long as the power is still on.  Many will have MREs and dry, nonperishables ready for if the electricity goes out.  While they are waiting, they may huddle around a laptop and watch a movie when not working.  Once the waiting is over - well, then they have plenty to distract them.

Many zoos in the south are prepared to handle big storms in the same way that zoos in the north are prepared for blizzards.  Having a contingency plan is a requirement for zoos and aquariums, implemented recently by USDA.  Those plans might involve facility design, equipment, possibly evacuation, and, perhaps most importantly, staffing.  Someone needs to be there to take care of animals.  And with flooded roads, poor visibility, and other dangerous driving conditions, the safest course of action is often for the staff to go in and stay in until the danger has passed.

I have several friends who are riding out the storm with their animals this week.  So far, all have been posting updates indicating that they - and their animals - are safe.  A few other friends - mostly non-animal care staff, such as educators - have evacuated to get out of the storm's path.  I'm glad that, knock on wood, all of them are safe and sound.

                                             At Tampa's Zoo, Some Workers Stayed Behind

Silence of the Giraffes

Few stories in the zoological community have been fraught with more drama over the last year than the saga of the Natural Bridge Zoo and its animals.  Late last year, dozens of animals were confiscated from the zoo amid accusations of cruelty and poor welfare, with many of those animals distributed to zoos around the region.  The four most high profile animals at the center of the storm have been the zoo's giraffes - one male, three females - which were recently slated for removal from the facility.  The transfer has been complicated by the fact the two of the three females are pregnant (having become pregnant since after the decision was made to remove them, which I consider extremely irresponsible).  A recent court decision halted the transfer of the three females. 

The male giraffe, however, has been seized by Virginia's Animal Law Unit, and loaded onto a trailer.  He has since been shipped to a facility in Georgia, with the assistance of staff from the Oakland Zoo.  This loading has since been at the center of a fierce controversy.  Gretchen Mogensen, the new owner of Natural Bridge Zoo (and part of the Mogensen family which founded and has run the zoo since its creation) has released a video of the loading and made claims that the ALU and Oakland Zoo staff behaved in an inhumane manner that caused undue stress and injury to the giraffe.  Folks who have weighed in have commented the the Natural Bridge staff was not helping matters and that the giraffe appeared to be in poor shape before it was loaded, the result of the care (or lack thereof) provided by Natural Bridge.  

A veritable army of trolls has been unleased against the Oakland Zoo - and some of the messages I've seen directed against staff have been distinctly threatening.

Of course, who has not weighed in on this has been the Oakland Zoo, despite repeated demands on their facebook page.  That's not because of guilty conscience.  There is still a criminal case playing out here swirling around the zoo and the fates of its animals are still up in the air.  In criminal cases, the defense has the right to remain silent - but the prosecution has an obligation to do so.  I've been involved with confiscations before, and the facilities involved in holding or moving animals are not allowed to make statements to the public.  To do so could prejudice the case.

It must be very hard for the associated vets, keepers, and other staff to bite their tongues while the friends and associates of Natural Bridge insult and threaten them.  I've seen Natural Bridge Zoo's facilities, and I've seen the state of some of the animals from there.  I applaud efforts to remove animals from the care of that family.  I believe the truth will eventually be appreciated by all.

Species Fact Profile: Sulawesi Forest Turtle (Leucocephalon yuwoni)

                                                                    Sulawesi Forest Turtle

                                           Leucocephalon yuwoni (McCord, Inverson, & Boeadi, 1995)

Range: Minhasa Peninsula in Northern Sulawesi (Indonesia)  

Habitat: Mountain Freshwater Wetlands and Rivers

Diet: Invertebrates, Vegetation, Fruit

Social Grouping: Solitary

Reproduction: Females usually lay 1 egg per clutch (6.5 x 4.5 centimeters, well-calcified), sometimes a second.  They may lay multiple clutches per year.  Observations in captivity suggest sexual maturity reached at 7-10 years old.  Hatchlings 5 centimeters long

Lifespan: Unknown

      Conservation Status: IUCN Critically Endangered, CITES Appendix II 

• Body length 24-28 centimeters, with males typically larger than females.  Shell is flat and wide with three keels.  Plastron is unhinged, carapace is serrated at rear.  Head is large; male has a strongly hooked beak
• Male has a white or yellowish head (with some scattered brown or black spots), whereas female has a brown head.  Limbs are brown with some light markings.  Shell is brown to burnt orange in color.  Plastron has radiating pattern
• Latin name honors Indonesian herpetologist and animal collector Frank Bambang Yuwono, who obtained the first specimens from the wild.  Genus name from the Latin for “white headed” (previously in the genera Geoemyda and Heosemys before being place in its own genus)
•  Estimated fewer than 100 in the wild. Primary cause of decline is illegal collection for both the pet trade and for human consumption (2,000-3,000 individuals were taken in 1998).  Species is especially vulnerable due to its very low reproductive rate, while habitat preference for clear, shallow streams makes them easy to find and catch.  Legal trade was closed in 2002 and now rarely seen in the trade due to its extreme scarcity, but some illegal collection still occurs.  Habitat destruction also is a threat
• First reported in US in 1998 when two individuals were imported from the wild by a private breeder.  Captive breeding started in earnest in 2013, with much of the reproduction driven by the Denver Zoo.  Wild-born specimens still outnumber zoo-borns, though captive breeding is improving and increasing.