Fake News.

Just a friendly reminder, tomorrow (or today, depending on where you are in the world) is April 1st.  Remember to take whatever you see in the news or (especially) social media tomorrow with a grain of salt... and if you see something that looks a little off in the next few days, remember to check the date it was originally posted.  As a reminder, here are our friends from Australian Reptile Park.

Aquarium of the Dead

I'm going to be honest, I never really thought of an aquarium as that scary of a place.  Sure, a lot of the creatures in it can be frightening to many people, especially if they are in an exaggerated B horror movie: sharks, octopus, piranha, eel.  But, I mean... they're in tanks.  If they were to escape from the tanks, all of them - except for the octopus - would just... flop.  And then die.  And then your horror movie would be over.

Maybe I just don't have the imagination for this sort of thing.  But it looks like someone does.  Coming soon - Aquarium of the Dead! (I'm having trouble getting the trailer to post directly on the page, and will update as soon as it works.  Until then, feel free to follow the YouTube link).

So first of all, love the tagline.  Secondly, I will totally see this whenever it comes on Netflix or whatever streaming service.  I do always have mixed feelings about movies like this.  On one hand, it's fun to see a (very unrealistic) depiction of your animals on screen, as well as a highly-fictionized version of your work place.  On the other, most of those animals are, by virtue of the plot, going to probably die very horrible deaths.  Also, it's likely that some or all of the aquarium employees will be depicted as horrible people who deserve to die, perhaps as comeuppance for "exploiting" the animals.  It's fair to say that most people in most horror movies are people who, if they don't explicitly deserve to die, then we the audience are, at the least, not supposed to mourn too much.

Species Fact Profile: Medicinal Leech (Hirudo medicinalis)

                                                       (European) Medicinal Leech

Hirudo medicinalis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Range: Temperate Europe (including United Kingdom), Central Asia

Habitat: Muddy Freshwater Streams and Pools, Wet Vegetated Ditches

Diet: Blood

Social Grouping: Often found in groups, but asocial 

Reproduction:  Hermaphrodites, reproducing sexually.  Lay approximately 50 eggs near (not in) the water.  No parental care invested

Lifespan: 2-8 Years

Conservation Status: IUCN  Near Threatened

• Grow up to 20 centimeters long.  Tube-shaped body with a sucker at each end.  The anterior sucker, which has "teeth" (about 100 sharp edges), is primarily used for the feeding, while the posterior one mostly aids in leverage and climbing
• Color is brown or green, darker on the dorsal side and lighter on the ventral, often with a thin red stripe on the dorsal side
• Feed by piercing the skin with the teeth of the front sucker, then sucking out blood while injecting anticoagulants (called hirudin) into the wound to keep the blood flowing.  The saliva contains an anesthetic so that the bitten animal does not feel pain during the feeding
• A large leech can consumer up to 10 times its body weight in blood during a feeding, and may not need to eat again for a year
• This species has been used for thousands of years in medicine, both human and veterinary.  Traditionally it was used to restore balance between the "humors", but also to remove access blood, reduce inflammation, and, in more contemporary times, assist with skin grafts and transplants.
• Leeches are still used in a reduced capacity in modern medicine, though it is now far more common to use a synthetic version of hirudin, or devices which are called "mechanical leeches"
• Have declined in recent years, first through over-collection for medicinal use, later through the decline of their favored hosts (horses, which were replaced by cars and tractors) and loss of habitat

Zookeeper's Journal: I have only ever seen a single exhibit of leeches, the tank above, which I photographed at the Oglebay's Good Zoo in Wheeling, West Virginia.  It's been years since I've been there so I don't know if it is still present, and I'm kicking myself for not getting a better picture of the little guys while I was there.  It struck me as one of the coolest, most unique, and yet simplest exhibits of an invertebrate that I'd ever seen.  Few animals inspire more fear and revulsion among humans, while still having such as a fascinating history with us - the medicinal role that leeches have still has implications to this day.  It also takes astonishingly little work to maintain them - in case you were wondering, in captivity they can be fed just a tiny piece of raw liver every now and then.  I would definitely incorporate these fascinating creepy-crawlers, which I had no idea were becoming so rare, in an exhibit on invertebrates (alongside their close relatives, the earthworms) or on human-animal interactions.  There is a lot that could be done with the later kind of exhibit - consider the designated leech receptacle above, which I photographed at the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum.

Sharks on the Interstate

 

One of the things that I absolutely love about this profession is that, every time I start to think that I've seen it all, something like this happens.  In this case, "this" is video footage from Baltimore, where a motorist who happened to look out the window on I-95 got treated to a very unexpected sight.  It occurred to me as I watched the video that I had never really thought about how sharks were transported.

Apparently, the window is in place so that transporters can quickly and easily check on the animals, although I admit I would have thought there would be a cover for the window while the animals are actually in motion.  Partly so that they don't get stressed, but mostly so a motorist in the next lane doesn't see them, completely lose their minds, forget that they are driving, and then swerve and crash into another vehicle... especially one that's transporting large live sharks.

From the News: Snake Owner Survives Venomous Bite With Help From Riverbanks Zoo

Snake owner survives venomous bite with help from Riverbanks Zoo

Maybe more than any other venomous snakes, mambas make me nervous.   They're smart and alert, have a twitchy, nervous disposition, and are fast as lightning.  Combine that with a deadly neurotoxin which can kill a human many times over and you can see why they rank very high on my list of animals to not get bitten by.  One private pet owner in North Carolina (where keeping venomous snakes is legal) was not having a lucky day and was bitten by his pet green mamba, the smaller, more arboreal cousin to the more famous black mamba.

Being an African species, green mamba bites aren't something that many hospitals in the US are ever going to have to deal with, so they don't stock the very expensive, perishable antivenin to treat bite victims.  Green mambas aren't quite rare in zoos, but they also aren't super common.  The victim is very lucky that there was a zoo within a reasonable distance (read: a one-state radius) that had antivenin.  The staff of the Riverbanks Zoo is to be congratulated for their quick response, which doubtlessly saved this man's life.

Green mambas are gorgeous snakes, no doubt about it.  That beauty is matched with incredible danger.  Perhaps, in light of recent events, the owner might consider a corn snake or a ball python next time.

The Green Mamba snake, shown in this Dec. 29, 2009, file image, is shy, but it is quick and highly venomous.  The chances of surviving a Green Mamba bite without antivenin treatment are very low.  (Source: AP/Fabian Bimmer)(WRDW)

All for Animals - March 31st

 

This past year has taken a hard financial toll on many zoos and aquariums.  Animals can't be furloughed or packed into storage, and providing quality care is expensive, whether or not the gates are open.  To help raise funds for affected zoos and aquariums, a group of country musicians, headlined by Brad Paisley, are holding a virtual concert with proceeds going to zoos.  Each participating zoo has its own link so that it may receive the benefits from ticket sales, so if you're up for a show, go to your local zoo and get your ticket there!

Of Idiots and Elephants

California's zoos and aquariums have waited so long to reopen so they can bring in some much needed revenue... and then stuff like this happens.  It's probably got a few keepers thinking, "You know, being closed really wasn't that bad..."

This elephant's charge was halfhearted, more of a warning than anything else.  This had the potential to be much, much, worse. 

Stopping Stereotypes

Sometimes I feel that on this blog, I spend more time talking about social issues than animal ones.  It's unavoidable, I guess.  Zoos function as part of society, and so many things that we do have a role in the broader context of social, economic, political, and cultural issues.  Sometimes, we can have impacts that we don't anticipate.

The shootings in Atlanta this week have aimed a spotlight at anti-Asian sentiment in the country, much of which is focused on China being the country of origin of COVID-19.   The general consensus is that the disease first crossed over from wild animals to humans in a wildlife market.  Such markets, where live wild animals are in close contact to humans, often in unsanitary conditions, do provide ample opportunity for disease transmission.  Wildlife trafficking is a serious threat to many species, both in East Asia and around the world, including the United States and western Europe.  So, on the one hand, this was an opportunity to spread awareness about this problem and how to fight it.

On the other hand, this also allowed people with anti-Asian biases - especially anti-Chinese - to spread the stereotype of Asians as dirty, ignorant "others," eating all sorts of weird, "gross" things and spreading diseases to the rest of the world.  It's a distorted, exaggerated picture, but has served to further the divide in the minds of some westerners that Asian culture, and its practitioners, are disgusting, wrong-headed, and recklessly responsible for the current predicament that we find ourselves in.  From there, it's not a far jump to some people taking that stoked hostility and converting it to open violence, as we saw with tragic results in Georgia.

China, to be sure, is a big country with a lot of people and has an enormous environmental impact.  Their government has not always, to be sure, been one at the forefront of wildlife conservation (or human rights).  Still, sometimes I think that we, being the rest of the world, use them as a boogeyman, a scapegoat.  Whatever we do that's wrong, in any context - political, environmental, economic - we tell ourselves that China is worse, and therefore what we do doesn't really have an impact.  We pollute and contribute to climate change?  Well big deal, people will say - China pollutes more.  We're not the reason that species are endangered, we insist - it's those Chinese looking for aphrodisiacs (a belief which is greatly exaggerated in the states) or delicacies.  We've convinced ourselves that we can't be the bad guys, because China is the worst guy.  

All of this, of course, ignores that many Chinese conservationists and citizens who are, in fact, working to protect wildlife and in other ways make the world better.

We don't need to censor our conservation talks or ignore the fact that there are some environmental challenges which are complicated by China.  Yes, demand for body parts of certain animals in traditional medicine, such as pangolin scale and rhino horn, is a driver in the decline of those species.  This isn't an all-or-nothing conversation.  But we should be mindful of the languages and images we use so as not to inflame bias, discrimination, or violence against fellow humans (including fellow Americans of Asian descent, who have no connection to whatever went on in Wuhan). 

Besides, it's not like the US has hands that are spotlessly clean on wildlife or conservation issues.  We don't have to ignore what's happening around the world, nor should we, but it wouldn't be the worst idea to also focus on the conservation challenges we have here, which our guests are probably in more of a position to have a direct impact on.

The following two graphics were produced by the facebook page "Zookeeper Problems" as a learning tool for zoo educators.

 

Ready, Aim, Squirt

I've seen archerfish (usually the banded species, sometimes others) at numerous aquariums, but I've never been lucky enough to see one catching its food by shooting water.  Some aquariums do offer feeding demos that let visitors see these sharpshooters in action.  In situations where visitors can't see (I mean, they're small fish, you're only going to feed them so many times before they swell up and explode), technology can provide a helpful substitute, with screens nearby playing footage of the fish feeding... sort of like this, at the Georgia  Aquarium:

Species Fact Profile: Banded Archerfish (Toxotes jaculatrix)

                                                           Banded Archerfish

Toxotes jaculatrix (Pallas, 1767)

Range: Indo-Pacific Region, from India through Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, and the Solomon Islands

Habitat: River Mouths, Estuaries - move between fresh, salt, and brackish water

Diet: Insects, Small Crustaceans, Fish, some aquatic plants

Social Grouping: Small Schools

Reproduction:  Mature at 1-2 years.  Breeding may be triggered by rains.  Females release 20,000 - 150,000 eggs at a time for males to fertilize externally.  No parental care provided.  It has been suggested that they go into saltwater to breed, but this has not been confirmed

Lifespan: 2 Years

Conservation Status: IUCN  Least Concern

• Grow up to 30 centimeters long, but usually about 20 centimeters.  Spade-shaped, laterally-compressed body with a rounded dorsal fin towards rear
• Silver scales with a slight gold tint, tinged green or brown on the back, with four to six distinctive black markings (roughly triangular in shape) along its sides
• Catch prey outside of the water, such as insect perched on a nearby overhanging leaf, by drawing water into their mouths and spitting it at the target, knocking it into the water.  This is done by raising the fish's tongue against the roof of the mouth, forming a tube through with highly pressurived water can be shot.  A large fish can shoot an accurate stream of water 2-3 meters away.  This appears to be a learned behavior, with fish getting better to practice.
• In the presence of other archerfish, the fish sometimes take longer to shoot and only do so from a much closer range, apparently to prevent other fish from stealing their catches.  Conversely, young fish will sometimes gather together to shoot at insects, increasing the odds that one of them will succeed in hitting it.  They will also jump out of water to grab overhead prey
• Large, forward-facing eyes (set close together due to thin body) give excellent binocular vision.  Have the ability to compensate for refraction of light on the surface of the water to more accurately aim their streams at their targets
• Toxotes is from the Greek for "archer," jaculatrix is from the English "jaculate", as in "to throw or cast."  Both parts of the scientific name, as well as the common name, refer to the hunting strategy used by this species
• Relatively common.  Sometimes fished commercially or collected for the aquarium trade.  Main long-term threat to survival is habitat loss (destruction of mangroves) and pollution

It's the Moist Wonderful Time of the Year

The last of the winter chill may still be in the air in some parts of the country, but spring is coming, slowly but surely.  With it comes flowers, sunlight, and, my favorite part, amphibians.  The warming, wet weather is perfect for frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts, which are beginning to emerge from their winter hiding places deep in the substrate.

Most amphibians in the northeastern US lay their eggs in seasonal wetlands, which tend to dry up in the late summer.   A few, such as the marbled salamander, get an early start, laying during the fall when the pools are dry, with the eggs hatching as they fill in with moisture later on, giving them a head-start on other amphibians.  Wood frogs are another early-bird; their bodies literally contain an antifreeze-like compound which lets them emerge from the cold earlier than other frogs.   And you'll certainly know that spring is here when the spring peepers start their chorusing - they are one of the most numerous and vocal of the frogs where I live.

This graph, produced by the National Park Service, depicts the relative abundance of spring amphibians in the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, near Washington, DC.

When you drive on these wet nights in late winter and early spring, keep your eyes on the road (I mean, more than you normally would, which I hope is a lot to begin with).  You may see a knot of toads or a horde of salamanders squiggling across the road on their way to breeding sites.  Drive carefully to make sure that everyone makes it where they need to go.  Maybe you'll even help someone across the street.  (And if you decide to go out looking for amphibians yourself along the roads, please remember to be safe, watch for cars, and wear reflective clothing.  Only get out to go herping if it safe to do so - use common sense and follow laws!)

Winter Blizzards Bring Spring Lizards: 

How to find amphibians during their spring breeding migrations

Documentary Review: Bird of Prey

"If we lose the Philippine eagle in the Philippines, the whole world loses.  It might be found here, but it is a property of the world."

If some ornithological genie were to offer me the chance to go anywhere in the world to see any one, single species of bird... well, first of all, I'd be a little irritated and baffled, because man, is that one specific genie.  After that, though, I'd make my decision pretty quickly.  I'd go to the Philippines - because it is there (and, with the recent exception of Jurong Bird Park in Singapore, only there) that you can see the bird that I consider the most magnificent of all raptors - the Philippine eagle.

I've never seen a live Philippine eagle.  I've never seen a taxidermy mount of one.  In fact, so rare is this bird that, it wasn't until a saw the documentary Bird of Prey: The Story of the Rarest Eagle on Earth that I ever saw footage of this species in the wild.  Also known as the Philippine monkey-eating eagle is one of the largest eagles in the world, rivaling the harpy eagle of South America and Steller's sea eagle of northeast Asia.   It is the apex predator of the Philippine rainforests, hunting monkeys, snakes, birds, civets, and flying lemurs.  It's shy, reclusive nature, natural rarity, and remote habitat have long made it a scientific mystery - it was not known to western science until 1896, and not filmed in the wild until 1977.

That 1977 footage was obtained by Neil Rettig, who is one of the cinematographers for Bird of Prey.  He offers the viewer great insight into the natural history of these birds, including footage of a young eaglet feeding in his nest.  Having filmed these extremely rare birds for decades, Rettig offers an intimate view of the lives of the eagles.  When he shows us a mated pair soaring together over the canopy in a synchronized flight and muses that they are celebrating the completion of a monumental task - the successful rearing of their young, I'm not inclined to brush him of as anthropomorphizing.  I believe him.

The story of the eagle isn't always a happy one - they are, after all, one of the rarest birds in the world.  The documentary talks about their decline, then takes us in the Filipino captive breeding program and rehabilitation program, which desperately tries to salvage what birds are left.   One of the more intimidating scenes was watching an imprinted, hand-reared bird try to copulate with its handler - friendly intentions or not, I would not like to see that beak and those talons come homing in on my face.  The caretakers share their triumphs in helping to coax the eagles back from the edge of extinction.  Still, they acknowledge their fears that a world may soon come where the only Philippine eagles are in zoos - and that would be a sadder, grayer world... though not as sad as one with no Philippine eagles at all

Early on in the program, a biologist ponders about how the Philippines lack so many of the charismatic big animals seen elsewhere in the region - no tigers, no rhinos, no orangutans.  They do, he later decides, have the Philippine eagle - and when it comes to making a wilderness feel magical, that certainly makes up for a lot

Bird of Prey: The Story of the Rarest Eagle on Earth, at Amazon.com

Slippery When Wet

Working with reptiles, one of the skills that I first had to develop was the ability to safely handle animals.  It required me to work on my awful hand-eye coordination for quickly grabbing cranky snakes and lizards, knowing how to strike a balance between being firm and being gentle, and counting my fingers at the beginning and end of each day to make sure that the count stayed the same.  Learning to handle our amphibians was much easier.  There was really just one rule:

Avoid, if possible.

Frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians have (for the most part) moist, permeable skin compared to the scaly hides of lizards, snakes, and crocodilians.  It's delicate and can easily be damaged.  Furthermore, their skin is absorbent, so whatever you have on your hands can seep into their skin, causing health problems.  This is one of the reasons why amphibians are so susceptible to pollution and contaminants in their environment compared to other animals.   Also, they tend to be so tiny compared to many reptiles - it can be so easy to unintentionally harm them, to say nothing of stress.  As such, it's better to avoid handling them if you can.  If you need to move them, it works best to gently shoo them into a smaller container and carry them in that.

When you do need to handle them, you can use gloves (especially helpful for poison dart frogs and other species - even though zoo-bred/zoo-fed specimens aren't nearly as toxic as wild ones, they can still have something of a kick).  Gloves, however, can reduce your dexterity and make handling difficult.  If you do it bare handed, make sure your hands are clean, but don't have any trace soap or chemical or sanitizer on them.  Then, make sure they are wet, preferably with reverse osmosis water.  Most zoos with amphibian collections have an RO filter on the water supply for their frogs.  Keeping your hands wet reduces the risk of accidentally tearing the skin.

Of course, holding a wet frog in wet hands makes them even slipperier and harder to handle than normal, which can increase the risk of dropping them or having them jump out of your hands.  Which is why I again refer you to rule one of handling amphibians: avoid, if possible.

The Association of Minority Zoo Professionals

It's been noted in the past, on this blog and elsewhere, that zookeeping tends to be a very white profession.  That whiteness tends to become more evident the higher you go up the organizational ladder at many zoos and aquariums, and while we can point out a few black or brown leaders in our field, they are few.  The lack of diversity in the field is something that's been discussed for years, but moved closer to the forefront of conversations following the Black Lives Matter protests over the last summer.  

People continued to talk about representation, largely agreeing that it was something to be desired, but not really moving on from there.  I was curious to see what the next step would be.

Recently, a new organization has appeared to address the issue - the Association of Minority Zoo Professionals.  It serves as a network of zoo and aquarium staffers with an interest in increasing minority participation on the field.  It seeks to do this through mentoring, professional development, and fostering of community.

So far, the organization has gotten many zoos and aquariums to sign up as support organizations, with dozens of professionals from various institutions - Black, Asian, Latino, Indigenous - offering to serve as mentors.  It is also offering educational resources for aspiring keepers and students to help steer them into the field (one of the questions I've always had about our poor representation in the zoo field is whether it was due to zoos not hiring minority candidates that do apply for jobs, or whether there aren't that many minority candidates because we aren't attracting them in the first place).  They also offer educational resources for schools.

Building more diverse staffs in our institutions can help us build stronger relationships with the communities that we serve, and help expand our conservation messages.  If zoos and aquariums are to survive and thrive, and to carry on their important work, then they need to be for everybody.

The Association of Minority Zoo Professionals

Species Fact Profile: Solomon Island Leaf Frog (Cornufer guentheri)

                                                           Solomon Island Leaf Frog

Cornufer guentheri (Boulenger,)

Range: Solomon Island Archipelago (Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands)

Habitat: Lowland Tropical Rainforest

Diet: Insects, Small Reptiles and Amphibians

Social Grouping: Solitary

Reproduction:  Breed year round.  10-30 eggs laid in small hollows at the base of trees, buried in loose soil.  Several clutches may be laid per year.  Eggs hatch after 6-8 weeks.  Undergo direct development, meaning that there is no tadpole stage - frogs emerge as fully-formed froglets from the eggs.  Sexually mature at 10-12 months old

Lifespan: 5 Years

Conservation Status: IUCN  Least Concern

• Body length 7.5-10 centimeters, with females larger than males.  Typical frog build, but with very pointed snout and pointed ridge over each eye (sometimes called "eyelash frogs")
• Highly variable in color, even among siblings.  Base color can be tan, yellow, orange, or green.  Some individuals have spots or stripes, but usually not in great number.  Males may have two parallel white lines running down their sides (possibly their ureters).  Patterning on the back resembles a decaying leaf
• Communicate with a loud, dog-like bark, both for attracting mates and marking territory
• Ambush predators, feeding on any small animal that comes within range, including smaller Solomon Island leaf frogs
• Still common in the wild, with some moderate pressure from collecting for the pet trade.  Tolerant of habitat disturbance, will live in agricultural areas

Not One More Vet

The last year has been a hard one and taken a toll on many people - the grief, the isolation, the economic uncertainty.  It's been especially hard for people who are already vulnerable - and in the animal care community, veterinarians are among the most vulnerable.  They're under constant pressure (both from themselves and from clients) and are constantly in the company of death and sadness.  It's a major part of the reason that I wanted to be a keeper instead of a vet - wanting to spend most of my time with animals that weren't suffering... well, that any really not wanting to take a second semester of organic chemistry,

As a result, the veterinary community has been plagued by suicides.  Several vets have ended their lives in the last few days.  To try and help, the following statement has been issued by the nonprofit "Not One More Vet", which I've decided to share here.  If you find yourself having to take a pet to the vet, please remember that, like many people, they are stretched thin and doing their best right now, for you family and for all of the others coming in to their practice.  Please be patient and be kind.  Everyone is doing their best right now.

"Dear Friends: If you are linked to a person on social media who works in veterinary medicine you may have noticed them changing their profile picture to include "NOMV" with the Rod of Asclepius. Some of you may know, but if you don't, NOMV stands for Not One More Vet. Because we have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession. When you see your friend or social media acquaintance change their profile, it's usually because they have learned of another colleague that succumbed to suicide. Be kind to your veterinary staff. From the front desk staff, technicians, kennel attendants and doctors. We are literally dying trying to help you.

#notonemorevet #NOMV

- Dr. Jeanne Thompson"

Otterly Adorable

Even with zoos re-closed by COVID (though thankfully re-reopening soon) life goes on.  Enjoy this absolutely adorable North American river otter pup at Chicago's Brookfield Zoo!  

From the News: Apes at San Diego Zoo become first non-human primates to receive COVID-19 vaccine

Apes at San Diego Zoo become first non-human primates to receive COVID-19 vaccine

Nine great apes at the San Diego Zoo - four orangutans, five bonobos - have become the first zoo animals in the world to be vaccinated against COVID-19.  The apes received a two dose treatment of a new veterinary COVID vaccine, different from the one the one which is being used to treat humans (this is worth pointing out as there were plenty of people outraged that a tiger at the Bronx Zoo got a COVID test last year when tests were scarce, even though it was a different test than the one humans receive).  

This development follows the infection and recovery of gorillas at the Zoo's sister facility, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, earlier this year.  As vaccination becomes more prevalent, it will be interesting to see what other species end up being vaccinated.  Big cats, which have already had a number of cases at zoos across the world?  Bats, where the disease is believed to have originated?  Probably not any strong need to look at birds or reptiles at this point.  

For right now, we still have plenty of people to worry about getting shots into - including the keepers.

Revisiting a Childhood Classic

"It's a pretty good zoo," said young Gerald McGrew, and the fellow who runs it seems proud of it too,

But if I ran the zoo," said young Gerald McGrew, "I'd make a few changes, that's just what I'd do."

I don't know how universal this is, but when I graduated high school, it seemed like every kid in my graduating class got the same gift from their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or someone - a copy of Dr. Seuss's children's book, "Oh the Places You'll Go."  I didn't.  Instead, I got a copy of another Seussian book, "If I Ran the Zoo."  By this time in my life I was already volunteering at our local zoo and had been for some years, occasionally getting a paid side-gig as a thanks for a job well done.  Everyone who knew me knew that my goal was to work in a zoo, so the gift seemed pretty fitting.

I'm not positive what I would have gotten if I graduated next year.  It wouldn't be this book, unless someone had an old copy set aside.  If I Ran the Zoo is going out of print, as are a small handful of other Seuss books.  Seuss was an excellent poet and illustrator.  It's just that some of those illustrations are a little.... well...

Looking back at this illustration, you could almost be forgiven for not realizing that the two beings carrying the bird on the pole are supposed to be humans - they look as unworldly as any of the other creatures in the book.  There are also strange caricatures of Chinese, Arabian, and Russian folks in the book, but man, those Africans - they really take the culturally insensitive cake.

I'll still treasure my copy of the book - to be honest I don't think I ever even processed the people in it, I was so fixated on the animals - but I can definitely understand the decision to stop spreading these illustrations.  Dr. Seuss kids are typically read to small kids, at an age when people are first developing their impressions of many things, including race.  I'm not saying If I Ran the Zoo turns kids into Klan members - I'm just saying illustrations like this don't help.

With a few tweaks, the story could still work.  Knowing how many people love Dr. Seuss, and at the risk of sound sacrilegious, I wonder if there's anyway to redo the book, with a few new illustrations, that would make it work for modern audiences.  It should be possible to celebrate the whimsy and magic of the book while removing offensive, outdated images of people.

Life Under the Leaf

Tucked away in the reptile houses of many zoos - or in the children's zoo, or some other corner pocket - is often a row of tanks (usually you can count them on one hand) that represent the amphibian collection.  I've always found it fascinating - kids love frogs.  Heck, everyone loves frogs.  Except, it seems, zoo folks.

Amphibians are the most endangered class of vertebrate in the world, with some of the most endangered species and some of the most compelling conservation stories - and zoos ignore them.  A very tiny number of zoos have dedicated amphibian houses, like Detroit and Toledo.  Everywhere else, you get a few token displays, usually with the reptiles.  Fun fact, reptiles actually like it hot, amphibians prefer it cooler.  Reptiles are also more closely related to birds than amphibians, so it would make more sense - biologically speaking - to lump those two together than reptiles and amphibians.

Apart from whatever is native, you also see the same few species over and over again.  This is usually a combination of a) which species are very pretty (like the poison dart frogs) and b) which are easy to take care of.   Many amphibians are very delicate, with sensitive environmental needs, semipermeable skin, and a complete and utter readiness to die if their temperature and humidity and water clarity values aren't just so.  Feeding them can be a nightmare, also - tiny frogs have tiny mouths and eat tiny insects, which can either be expensive to constantly buy or absolutely maddening to try and breed on your own.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have animals like the cane toad.  As far as I can tell, there is only one way to kill a cane toad, and it involves a sledgehammer.  Forget about cockroaches - if there ever is a nuclear war, the cane toads will inherit the earth.

Taking care of many amphibians requires a delicacy that many people - including many keepers I know - don't possess.  That's part of the reason why we don't see more in zoos.  The zoos that are lucky enough to have those talented keepers, and the facilities and staff culture to nurture them, can be rewarded with some beautiful displays, enchanting animals, and the satisfaction that they are helping to bolster the numbers of some very rare, very incredible species.