Happy Halloween!

Trick or Treating - it's not just for the visitors.  Have a Happy Halloween, from the staff and animals of the Indianapolis Zoo!

Wonders Never Cease

After 30 Years of Breeding Condors, a Secret Comes Out

I had to read yesterday's headline two or three times before I was sure that I finally understood it correctly.  Looking back at it, I'm still in shock.  Having spent many years working with zoo animals - a good portion of which were spent with reptiles - I was well aware of the phenomenon of parthenogenesis - "virgin birth," in which a female gives birth without any contribution from a male.  It's been recorded in a variety of species - Komodo dragons being a famous example.  I've even taken care of such animals in the form of an anaconda and her daughter, who was born without a father.

The phenomenon has been seen in reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates, and, very, very rarely, in birds.  Never in mammals, though, and no scientists seem to think that it can occur in our branch of the family tree.  But could it?  In more philosophical moments, I even wondered if it was possible in humans - if the birth of Jesus was actually an extremely rare parthenogenic birth of a human, which would certainly have seemed like a divine miracle to anyone who witnessed it (his mother not least of all).  I later dismissed this, though.  If that had been the case, Jesus would have been born a woman, not a man.  Parthenogenic offspring are females.

The news that shocked me from yesterday was the news that not one but TWO California condors - one of the rarest birds in the world (certainly so when their numbers were in the low 20s in the 1980s) - had hatched through parthenogenesis.  The birds were actually born years ago, and both have since died, but the discovery came about through routine genetic analysis.  Each bird was assumed to have had a father, as the female was paired with a male.  Instead, 100% of each bird's DNA came from the mother.  Both mothers had previously mated with males and raised chicks the old fashioned way.  This was an anomaly in the extreme.

(Also on a side note, it makes me realize that there is a chance - very small, but a chance - that any egg that I've removed from birds over the years on the grounds that no male was present so I knew it wasn't fertilized - could actually have been a parthenogenic egg.  Blows my mind).

Before everyone goes all Jurassic Park/ "Life Finds A Way" on us, it's worth noting that this isn't some magical cure-all for saving condors - endangered species aren't going to start cloning themselves to replenish the world.  This is an extremely rare occurrence in a species that is very heavily documented and monitored.  Parthenogenesis also seems to come with trade-offs.  Neither of these birds lived especially long (less than a decade each), and each had health problems.  It's hard not to associate these with their unconventional births.

Right now, the parthenogenic births are basically an interesting footnote to the condor story, which is already fascinating enough as it is.  Still, if nothing else, it blows my mind that such incredible discoveries are out there, waiting to be made.  The California condor is one of the most intimately studied birds in the world.  If there are still surprises to be found here, imagine what else we have to learn about other species?

Sporcle Quiz: Sporcle at the Zoo - Giraffe

It's been quite a while since we've had the latest episode in our Sporcle at the Zoo series.  Try your hand at this new quiz, testing your knowledge of one of the most iconic animals in the world, and a favorite of zoogoers across the globe - the giraffe!

Sporcle at the Zoo - Giraffe

They Did the Smash... They Did the Pumpkin Smash!

Less than a week until Halloween - every zoo lover knows what that means!  Time for the pumpkins!

Hippopotamus (Fort Worth Zoo)

Asian Elephant (Oregon Zoo)

Species Fact Profile: Galapagos Tortoise (Chelonoides nigra)

                                                            Galapagos Tortoise

Chelonoides nigra (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)

Range: Galapagos Islands (Approx. 1000 kilometers west of Ecuador)

Habitat: Savannah, Woodland, Scrub Forest

Diet: Grasses, Forbs, Leaves, Fruits

Social Grouping: Herds

Reproduction:  Breed between January and August. Nesting can occur year-round, but usually between June and December.  Female lays eggs in drier lowlands so that eggs will be warmer during incubation.  Average of 10 (up to 16) billiard-ball-sized eggs laid in a nest hole dug with her back legs.  Females typically nest in the same location year after year.  1-4 clutches may be laid per season. Incubation period dependent on weather/temperature, but can range from 3-8 months.  Temperature plays a role in determining the sex of the embryos.   Young are independent at birth.

Lifespan: 150-200 Years

      Conservation Status: IUCN Vulnerable (some subspecies Extinct in the Wild).  CITES Appendix I.  USFWS Endangered

• Largest living tortoise species (rivaled by the Aldabra tortoise).  Body length up to 1.1 meters, generally weigh 150-200 kilograms, but can weigh over 400 kilograms.  Males typically larger than females
•       Skin is dark grey or brown to olive green, shell is black (sometimes covered with lichens that give in a mottled appearance).  In some subspecies the shell is dome-shaped, in some the front part of the carapace is bent upwards (saddle-backed), and in some it is intermediate in shape.  The feet are elephant-like with short toes and no webbing (although the tortoises can swim)
•       Skin is dark grey or brown to olive green, shell is black (sometimes covered with lichens that give in a mottled appearance).  In some subspecies the shell is dome-shaped, in some the front part of the carapace is bent upwards (saddle-backed), and in some it is intermediate in shape.  The feet are elephant-like with short toes and no webbing (although the tortoises can swim)
•       Among the plants in their diet are stinging nettles and manzanillo fruit, which is capable of burning human skin.
•       Have a mutualistic relationship with finches and mockingbirds, which clear the tortoises of ticks and other parasites.  Some tortoises exploit this relationship by letting the bird crawl under them, then dropping down and crushing them.  The tortoise will then step back and eat the bird
•       Capable of drinking large amount of water in one sitting, storing it in the bladder or pericardium.  On arid islands, they may lick dew off of rocks
•       Travel back and forth between the warmer but more arid lowlands (during the cooler hours of the day) and the cooler highlands, where there is more vegetation to eat, during warmer hours.  The regular use of set pathways has created “tortoise highways” built into the landscape.  Often travel back and forth in small groups.  
•       Over a dozen subspecies of Galapagos tortoise were once present on the islands, with many islands having unique tortoises that were adapted to the conditions of that island (such as some islands having longer necks and “saddle-backed” shells to help them browse on leaves more easily).  During Charles Darwin’s visit to the islands in 1835, he was told by the Governor that it was possible to determine which island a tortoise came from by looking only at the shell.
•       Today, five of the fifteen or so subspecies are extinct.  The most recently deceased was C. n. abingdonii, which was represented for many years by a single male individual, “Lonesome George.”  This tortoise died in June 2012
•       Morphology of the shells and comparisons to mainland tortoises helped inform Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution; Darwin also brought four live tortoises back to England with him.  Besides observing them, Darwin derived amusement from riding tortoises on the Islands; this practice was allowed at many zoos historically, and at some still is
•       These tortoises were originally considered to be the same species as the Aldabra tortoise, the only other surviving giant tortoise species.  It was believed that the tortoises of the Galapagos had been transported there from the Seychelles by sailors (similar to how sailors would stock many islands with goats, pigs, or wild cattle as a future food source).  Recognized as a separate species in 1834
•       Populations were greatly reduced by pirates, whalers, sealers, and sailors, who killed larger numbers of tortoises for their meat.  Tortoises can go for long periods of time without food or water, which allowed sailors to bring live tortoises on board so that they could be killed weeks or months later as a source of fresh meat.  Hundreds of thousands of tortoises were collected, especially adult females preparing to nest, as these were the tortoises most likely to be found along the coast, where they were more easily collected
•       Tortoises were also hunted for oil which could be extracted from their bodies
•       The Galapagos have been plagued with several invasive species which have negatively impacted the tortoises.  Cats, rats, and pigs destroy nests and eat hatchlings.  Goats compete with tortoises for food (in the process also stripping away vegetation and exposing tortoise nests to invasive predators).
•       Conservation initiatives include protection (all uninhabited parts of the Galapagos Islands were declared to be a national park in 1959), strict legal protection, removal of invasive species, and captive-breeding for release back into the wild (carried out in centers on the islands, under the direction of the Charles Darwin Foundation)

Dr. William Conway, 92

The zoo and conservation communities lost their leading light with the passing of Dr. William "Bill" Conway, Director Emeritus of the Wildlife Conservation Society.   Dr. Conway was the visionary director of the Bronx Zoo who transformed that already august institution to the global-spanning conservation organization that it is today - WCS.  

Along with Gerald Durrell, Bill Conway had a vision of a world in which zoos were directly integrated into conservation efforts to save species in their natural habitats.  To that goal, he leaves an admirable legacy.  WCS has field offices and projects in countries around the world as is one of the most active conservation NGOs on the planet.  Many legends of field conservation, such as George Schaller and Alan Rabinowitz, were funded by WCS.  Dr. Conway also wrote and lobbied extensively on conservation issues; I particularly enjoyed his Act III in Patagonia.  Granted, the Bronx Zoo doesn't have much in the way of South American wildlife, but that is what I like all the more.  He didn't think of conservation in terms of what animals his zoo had.  He looked at where the institution could make the biggest difference.

Dr. Conway's impact on the zoo world itself can't be understated.  Prior to his takeover, the Bronx Zoo was already known for its impressive collection of animals.  He transformed the campus itself into a series of habitats that, decades later, are still legendary among zoo aficionados, such as JungleWorld and World of Birds.  He is also responsible for taking the struggling Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and Prospect Park Zoo, where animals languished in subpar habitats, taking them under the wing and management of the Bronx Zoo, and rebuilding them as the wonderful smaller institutions that they are today.

I never had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Conway in person.  I corresponded with him once, when I was in college.  I wrote to him expressing my deep admiration for the Bronx Zoo (which I had not yet visited at that point, but served as my guiding star of what a zoo should be).  He sent me a copy of his famous paper, How to Exhibit a Bullfrog, which I'd heard about but had not been able to find at the time.  It meant so much to me.

I hope that Dr. Conway rests in peace, knowing that, because of his heroic, visionary efforts, the world is a better place for animals, both in zoos and in the wild.

No Safe Haven

 15 giant Galapagos tortoises found slaughtered

If an animal were to be safe anywhere in the world, you'd think that the Galapagos Islands would be a good place.  They are isolated from the mainland by hundreds of miles.  They are sparsely inhabited.  The entire archipelago is basically a nature preserve, swarming with scientists and conservationists.  Their resident giant tortoises are among the most recognizable and beloved endangered species in the world.

And yet, here we are...

The details are still a little fuzzy, so I'm not sure if these tortoises were slaughtered and cut up for meat, or just killed for kicks.  Their deaths follow in the footsteps of increased reports of hatchlings being smuggled off the islands for sale in mainland South America, or further abroad.  It's all maddeningly frustrating.  Tremendous steps have been taken in recent years to help restore the numbers of these incredible animals.  Now, it feels like we're backsliding.

To me, these recent developments speak to two things.  First of all, guards can never be let down.  We need to step up efforts to protect the Galapagos and their unique wildlife, which means a multifaceted approach.  We need to step up antipoaching units, continue to remove invasive species, restore habitats, and make sure that local communities are benefiting from the islands in a sustainable manner to encourage them to protect their wildlife.  The fact that tourism has been slashed over the last two years on account of COVID can't have helped matters, and it may be that local people are feeling the financial pinch, which is weakening protection. 

Second, it reminds me of the important work that zoos and aquariums can do as insurance colonies for endangered species, especially those that have naturally tiny ranges in the wild.  If anything were ever to happen to the tortoises (again) and numbers in the wild were to drop perilously low, or even vanish, it would be beneficial to have a safety net of holder facilities around the world which can serve to restore the species.

From the News: From FONZ to Conservation Nation

Beloved Zoo Group FONZ Is Becoming Conservation Nation

Before the COVID 19 pandemic, you could spend an entire day walking the grounds of the Smithsonian National Zoo and not see a single person actually employed by the Zoo.  The Zoo  had the keepers and groundskeepers, but they tended to be behind-the-scenes by the time the gates opened.  The frontline, public-facing staff - gift shop, concessions - as well as volunteers were part of FONZ - the Friends of the National Zoo, the support organization.  FONZ.  Even the education department, a staple of virtually every zoo and aquarium, wasn't a part of the staff per se - they were part of FONZ.

When the pandemic forced the Zoo to close for several months, there was no need for guest services staff.  To the surprise of many people, Smithsonian broke with FONZ, which dissolved.  When the Zoo reopened months later, many of us expected the return of FONZ, but that didn't occur.  Instead, those jobs are now Smithsonian positions.

I'd wondered what would happen with FONZ, and now we know.  They're returning as a much smaller, sleeker organization (less than 5% of the workforce size) totally focused on in situ conservation, rather than supporting day-to-day zoo operations.  They're calling themselves "Conservation Nation."  What exactly they'll be doing remains to be seen, but they've expressed interest early on towards helping steer members of underrepresented communities to conservation work.   They've also left open the door to future collaborations with the Zoo. 

Zoo History: The Zanesville Massacre

"The thing that caught me is how many times the sheriff's deputies apologized to me for killing the animals.  They did exactly what they needed to do.  Those guys got put in a terrible position and saved the day."

- Dan Beetem, Director of Animal Management, The Wilds

It is a fact that many Americans do not realize, that the vast majority of exotic wild animals in the United States aren't in accredited zoos - they are in private hands.  Some of those are private zoos, open to the public and regulated by the USDA, while others are personal pets.  The exact number of these unregulated animals is uncertain - reporting requirements vary from state to state - but it is certainly known that there are a lot of them.  Up until ten years ago - October 18, 2011 - one such collection was the Muskingum County Animal Farm, in Zanesville, Ohio.

Despite the name, the MCAF wasn't as much a farm as it was a private collection of wild animals kept by Vietnam War veteran Terry Thompson.  Mr. Thompson had been having a bad time of it the past few years.  He'd gone to jail.  He owed a lot of money.  His wife had left him.  Eventually, the depression overcame him and he ended his life.  Before he did, though, he decided to open up the cages that housed his exotic pets.

Soon, police received reports that dozens of wild animals were roaming the area.

What ensued was a tragic event as police, fearing for public safety, hunted down and killed the escapees.  The death toll consisted of eighteen tigers, seventeen lions, three pumas, two wolves, six American black bears, two brown bears, a macaque, and a baboon.  As gruesome as it was, the killings were almost certainly necessary.  The situation was not conducive to tranquilizer darts, which I'm afraid many members of the public have a poor understanding of.  Contrary to movies, they can be unreliable in the field and take time to take effect.  It was getting dark, and no one wanted any of the animals to escape into the night.  Six animals - three leopards, two monkeys, and a bear - were not released by Mr. Thompson prior to his suicide.  Authorities found them on site when inspecting the scene and transferred them to the nearby Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, it was as if the various states were suddenly jarred awake to the fact that there were, in fact, a lot of potentially dangerous animals floating around the place.  Ohio, which previously had some of the laxer laws in the country concerning the ownership of exotic wildlife, clamped up, banning the sale and ownership of big cats, bears, hyenas, wolves, and a host of other potentially dangerous species.  Many other states followed their example.

It would be fair, perhaps, to say that Zanesville represented a turning point in the debate over the private ownership of dangerous exotic animals, especially big cats.  Right now, efforts to regulate the situation are still on a very piecemeal basis, with laws varying dramatically from state to state.  There is currently an attempt to impose more universal control on the federal level via H.R. 263, the Big Cat Public Safety Act.

The Web We Weave

"Sorry I'm not home right now, I'm walking into spiderwebs.

So leave a message and I'll call you back."

- No Doubt, "Spiderwebs"

Fall is my favorite season, but Halloween might be my least favorite holiday to work the zoo.  Part of it is the décor.  I could go mad trying to figure out which cobwebs I'm supposed to knock down and which ones were lovingly spread all over the place by our erstwhile events staff in preparation for trick or treaters.

Ok, it really isn't that hard to tell a real spider web from the cottony-crud that you buy at Spirit Halloween and spread over the place.  Unfortunately, I'm so conditioned to beat down cobwebs that when I see the highly-exaggerated version that is sold as a Halloween decoration, a switch gets flipped in the back of my head and I start looking around for a broom.

Part of it is an aversion to walking into spiderwebs, which I do frequently.  I have probably accidentally eaten 10 pounds of spider silk over the course of my life, with more to inevitably follow.  When going through an area I don't usually frequent, like an old building or storage area, I flail a stick in front of me to try to clear a path, but never fail to miss some and walk into them.  Then, I spend the rest of the day neurotically picking at real (or possibly imagined) strands that are stuck to me.

The second part is general cleanliness.  Cobwebs can collect debris, albeit not much.  Around heat sources, they have potential to become flammable.  More importantly, they are a telltale sign of disorder that USDA inspectors look for and can be probable cause for a write up.  Cynically, I've noticed that some of the USDA inspectors I've had don't really know much about non-domestic animals, and I've wonder if they lazily use cobwebs as something that they can easily look for without delving too deep in the facility.  One could argue that spiderwebs mean spiders, which eat bugs, so cobwebs are a good thing.  I've certainly tried to make that argument before, especially for webs that are very hard to reach (I hate spiderwebs, but I also hate ladders, and I hate it even more when the two conspire to make my day miserable).

Photo Credit: Ojai Raptor Center

On an unrelated note, here's another reason to NOT use fake spiderwebs as Halloween decorations, besides driving me nuts.  Small animals, such as birds, can become entangled in them, possibly dying, at the least undergoing serious stress.  Their material is much stronger than spiderwebs, and surprisingly big birds, the size of which would brush right through real webs, can get trapped.  If you do use the fake webs, try to limit their use to the indoors, where wildlife is less likely to be negatively impacted.  Then, on November 1, take out your broom and clear them all out - the real and the fake alike.

Zoo Review: Clyde Peeling's Reptiland, Part II

Continuing the tour of Clyde Peeling's Reptiland...

Immediately adjacent to the main reptile room is a separate room for American alligators.  A shallow pit is divided into two enclosures, one for "normal" American alligators, the second for a white alligator.  It was an adequate exhibit, but probably one of the less-impressive that I've seen for the species, and not what I was expecting at a zoo that was famed for reptile exhibitry.  No underwater viewing, no outdoor component, just a view over a few basking gators.  Apart from a very young saltwater crocodile that was on display in the main reptile room, these were the only crocodilians that I saw at Reptiland.

Outside, the grounds are dotted with a few outdoor turtle and tortoise enclosures, including an attractive little pond and yard for native North American turtles.  There was also a budgie feeding aviary.  Located next to the reptile building is the Island Giants building, which opened in 2013.  An outdoor yard houses Aldabra tortoises, but the star is the Komodo dragon habitat, a long curved diorama that wraps around the visitor lobby.  The exhibit features live plants, basking rocks, a shallow pool, and, just for kicks, the fake skeleton of a water buffalo.  The educational materials were excellent, and mounted video monitors provided great footage of behaviors that visitors might not otherwise see or appreciate about the world's largest lizards.  It was one of the best indoor Komodo habitats I've ever seen.

If I had one gripe about the building, it's that it would have been nice to have an outdoor exhibit space as well.  I understand that Reptiland is in central Pennsylvania and that the outdoor season for reptiles is fairly short, but I really do feel that they would benefit from the outdoor time with natural sign.  If I had a second gripe, it's that the building was too limited.  There are plenty of awesome, unique island herps, and well Komodos and Aldabras are the true giants, there are others that are "giants" for their families (Solomon Island skinks, New Caledonian giant geckos, Haitian giant galliwasps) that would have been great to see included).  An outdoor habitat of Cuban iguana is nearby.

Most of the rest of the grounds are taken up by a garden of animatronic dinosaurs.  These are a big hit with the kids, but I question the accuracy of some of them - the Dilophosaurus statue spits "venom" (water) a la Jurassic Park, which there's no evidence that the real animal ever did.  Other features of the section include a dig site where kids can romp in the sand searching for bones, a table staffed by an actual visiting paleontologist who discusses his work (and leads scheduled guided tours), and a paddock of emus.

Reptiland features educational talks throughout the day, both at the alligator exhibit and in a lecture hall.  I attended a talk in the later, a mix of live animals, multimedia, and biofacts, and am sorry to say it was the most disappointing zoo education talk I ever attended.  The educator really just didn't seem to grasp how young most of her audience was and a lot of the talk went clearly over their heads.  Most of them seemed to be be there just for the baby alligator, which made an appearance at the end.

So, Reptiland didn't live up to the admittedly high expectations I had of it.  I feel like this is mostly because I'm an enthusiast in the field and was hoping for lot of species that I'd never seen before in striking, unique habitats, and I just didn't get that.  So don't get me wrong, if you're taking the kids on a trip through central Pennsylvania and are looking for something to do on the road, by all means, stop in.  They (and you) will probably have a great time.  I think I might just keep my eyes open for the next time a Peeling Productions traveling exhibit comes to a town near me.

Zoo Review: Clyde Peeling's Reptiland, Part I

Clyde Peeling's Reptiland opened to the public on July 11, 1964.  It is a zoo specialized on reptiles and amphibians, a sort of attraction which has a long history in the American South (usually attached to alligator farms) but is far less common in the northeast (although the biggest reptile zoo in the US is in Rapid City, South Dakota, of all places, so go figure).  

Even zoo visitors who never come within one hundred miles of Reptiland will have likely gotten some taste of the Peeling experience based on visits to other facilities.  Peeling Productions, attached to the facility, is a company the specialized in the fabrication of high quality zoo habitats for reptiles and amphibians.  They are very attractive - and pricey.  Working at one zoo, my director and I joked that for the cost of a habitat we were looking at, we could probably send someone down to the Amazon, have them literally hack out a 4' x 4' 4' section of jungle, and bring it back intact to our zoo.  Still, the price must not be too daunting to too many zoos, because I feel like I see recognizable Peeling exhibits at facilities ranging from giant urban zoos to tiny local natural centers.

Peeling Productions also provides another unique service - traveling exhibits.  These are on loan to museums or zoos for periods of time to provide temporary attractions to drive attendence.  Examples include "Reptiles - The Beautiful and the Deadly," "Frogs - A Chorus of Colors," and "Spiders Alive!"  There's even a traveling exhibit focused solely on poop.  I saw the "Geckos - Tails to Toepads" exhibit over a decade ago when it was hosted by the National Geographic Museum in Washington, DC, and absolutely located it.  Not only did I see, by far, the most gecko species I've ever encountered (including several that I never saw before and haven't seen since), I found the educational components to be fascinating.  The graphics and signage were phenomenal, and there were lots of great interactive devices, such as a computer screen which let visitors "build their own gecko" using features from the diverse species on display.    I thought that if this was the traveling show, the real Reptiland must be spectacular.

In truth, I was a little disappointed.

The main building, the Reptile and Amphibian Complex, is about the size of a typical zoo reptile house.  It covers about 6500 square feet and houses 50 or so species.  Unlike the traveling exhibits (or at least the gecko one, which certainly made an impression on me), the zoo enthusiast won't find many exciting or unusual specimens here.  It's a very boilerplate collection that features the stars of many zoo reptile collections, with a bias towards venomous species - king cobra, Gila monster, black mamba - and large constrictors.  Amphibians were in very short supply.  More surprising to me was that a lot of the exhibits didn't look that spectacular to me - compared to the work that Peeling Productions has done at other zoos.  The Panamanian golden frog exhibit at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, for instance, built by Peeling, is a spacious, complex, lushly planted vivarium that houses dozens of the beautiful, critically endangered amphibians.  The golden frog exhibit at Reptiland was basically a small glass tank set into the wall with minimal furnishing.  Exhibits for venomous species were almost barren, which, I understand, is a technique that a lot of zoos have historically employed for their most venomous snakes, with the idea that too much natural "clutter" poses a threat to the safety of keepers trying to work venomous animals.  

I did see a few of the educational interactives that so impressed me in the traveling exhibits, but overall the building struck me as underwhelming.  A single bird exhibit inside - featuring great horned owls - struck me as random and out of place.  Yes, birds ARE reptiles, from a strict taxonomic perspective, but their inclusion didn't strike me as that well-integrated.

Tour of Reptiland continues tomorrow...

Clyde Peeling's Reptiland

Jebbie and Laerke

Though once common in our facilities, polar bear numbers in US zoos have declined dramatically in recent years, so when the Detroit Zoo announced the birth of two cubs, it was cause for celebration.  One of those cubs, however, a female named "Laerke," soon appeared to be weak and lethargic.  She was pulled for emergency hand-rearing.  It wasn't a decision that the zoo made lightly.  Ideally, Laerke would have grown up alongside her twin sister (who was still with their mother), helping her learn how to socialize and be a bear.

At about the same time, an orphaned grizzly bear was found wondering in Alaska.  It was obvious that he was too young to survive without his mother, so the decision was made to bring him into human care.  The Detroit Zoo accepted him.  Two lone little bears cubs, a female polar and a male grizzly, became best friends.  There's probably a children's book in this somewhere.

By adopting Jebbie (as the grizzly was named), Detroit Zoo not only saved his life, but also provided an opportunity for Laerke to have a close friend to help her grow up right.  I have a feeling that we'll be seeing a lot of videos of these two over the next few years (at least until they grow up and need to be separated - or Jebbie gets fixed.  Polar bears and grizzlies are very closely related, and hybridization is a risk). 

Sign My Yearbook?

For all of its quirks and occasional inaccuracies, I've found ZooChat to be a useful tool for connecting with other zoo lovers, as well as to get updates on what's going on in zoos around the world.  Such information was a lot harder to come by when I was a kid.  When it did come, it was a huge source of excitement, to see what was going on in the rest of the world.  My favorite annual surprise would be when the college library would get the latest issue of International Zoo Yearbook.

Published by the Zoological Society of London, with the first issue going to press in 1960, IZY was a hefty tome produced each year that collected scholarly articles from across the zoo world.  Each issue was divided into three sections.  The first section was dedicated to articles to a specific topic, which varied from issue to issue.  Sometimes it was taxonomic, such as "Bears" or "Penguins" or "Reptiles."  Other times, it was about a general theme, such as "Horticulture" or "Animal Trade and Transport."   The next section would feature general papers about a variety of topics, such as new exhibits or significant breedings.  The third section would be a reference, featuring the holdings of rare species in zoos around the world.  If you were a zoo director in the 1970s, this is where you would go to find out who had what, in case you wanted to make a trade.

Sitting in a library chair and paging through a copy of IZY - the older issues bound in cloth, the newer ones with glossy photo covers - I always felt like I was privy to some insider secrets, and that the silverbacks in the room were sharing with me their wisdom.  It was a rare chance to get detailed information about what new cutting edge developments were taking place around the world that would forever change the face of the profession.  All of this, of course, began in an age before internet and facebook and half-baked blogs (such as this) spread information - and sometimes a little misinformation - around the world like wildfire.

As a student who based way, way to many of his school projects on the articles I found in IZY, it was one of my longstanding dreams to see my name in it underneath the title of a paper I'd publish that would be brilliant and original and much-discussed.  That ship, alas, has sailed.

Perhaps you'd noticed my heavy use of the past tense in this post...

It was recently announced that International Zoo Yearbook will be published no more.  I guess I can understand.  Why spend a lot of time and money to produce one laborious volume a year when new developments and updates continue to occur at breakneck speed, and it's so easy to share them electronically?  Even ZSL, the publishers of the book, are much more active on social media, where it's so much easier to spread the message to a much wider audience.  Still, I miss the magic of the Yearbook.  Something about the columns of black and white text and photographs and ponderous descriptions and accompanying graphs and charts carried a certain scholarly dignity and academic majesty that I feel is somewhat lacking from the field these days. 

I do respect and admire all of the changes that the field has undergone in recent years, and greater accessibility is very desirable.  Still, I wish it could still retain a little of the old magic, the kind that I associate with a hefty book full of secret knowledge, read while the snow is piling up outside the library windows.

Let's (Zoo)Chat

I spend a lot of my time talking with other zoo professionals - keepers, curators, vets, registrar, educators, administrators - so a lot of my conversations that place in a very zoo-focused bubble.  We all care very much about zoos, but we also all work there, so it tends to color perspectives.  Growing up, I was the only kid in my school who had a strong interest in zoos, so it's a relief to now be able to always find someone who wants to talk about zoos and animals and conservation.  That wasn't always the case.

By the time super-quick internet access, of the kind where you didn't have to arrange in advance when you would use the web so that the rest of our household wasn't deprived of phone access, came along, I was already out of the house and starting on my career.  If I was coming of age as a zoo-lover now, I would have been thrilled to discover a vast, online community of other people deeply interested in zoos and aquariums who wanted to share and expand their knowledge.  One such community I've found is ZooChat.

ZooChat is a free forum where participants can sign up and share their views (and images) of zoos, aquariums, and related topics.  It has members from all over the world, so it offers a very unique look at facilities across the globe, meaning you get access to all sorts of news from around the planet - in almost real time, too.  There are separate pages for every zoo and aquarium I've ever heard of, from the biggest of giants to the tiniest, ramshackle operation overseas, and they are constantly being updated with news of births, deaths, transactions, new exhibits, and other developments.

I'm finding it especially useful because users provide very quick updates on what species are found where and tips for visiting specific zoos and aquariums.  On a recent zoo visit, I saw a bird that I could not identify, and there was no signage in the aviary (a frequent problem with tropical rainforest exhibits), nor was the species splashy enough to warrant mention on the zoo's website.  I went to ZooChat, looked up the zoo, found an up-to-the-date species list posted by a frequent visitor, and voila, the bird was identified.

ZooChat is largely an opinion board, and you know what they say about opinions (they're like rear ends - everyone has one, and they all stink).  I'll admit to having rolled my eyes a few times reading some posts - enthusiasts aren't always professionals, and it's a little funny reading some of the comments about how some people would fix up their local zoo easily, as if running a zoo was a giant game of Zoo Tycoon, and just as simple to play.  I've laughed reading some of the posts about my zoo, and what people *think* is going on in decision-making processes.  That does, I admit, make me a little wary about some other news I glean from there.  Still, I've gotten a lot of great info from the forums which helps me keep up to date on what's going on in the zoo world.

Besides, it's always nice to chat with like-minded folks...

Interested?  Sign up (for free) at www.zoochat.com

Chris and Walnut - a Love Story

One fascinating thing about the internet age is that stories are constantly being recycled and brought back to light, years after they happened.  Something can happen a long time ago and then, boom, someone comes across it, posts it, and then it's everywhere, sometimes more prominently than it was when it was still new.  It doesn't matter, though - now it's new to everyone else.

Consider Chris Crowe and Walnut, the female white-naped crane at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

The Zoo Keeper Who "Fathered' Five Chicks With A Murderous Endangered Crane

Walnut showed little inclination to mate with male cranes - hell, she killed two males she was paired with.  Instead of writing her off as a lost cause, the decision was made to take advantage of her infatuation with one of her keepers, who then artificially inseminated her to raise five chicks.

Not sure why this story (which we covered her back in 2015) is now popping up again, but I'm kind of glad it does.  It offers some positive reminders of the good work that the zoo community does and how dedicated (some might say... excessively) we can be to bringing species back from the brink.

As for Chris Crowe... hope he's not tired of the memes.  Because they just keep coming.

Upholding the Standard

"In the past five years, ten facilities have failed AZA's accreditation process. Large and small, zoo and aquarium, internationally famous and locally loved, all AZA members are accountable to our standards.  If they do not uphold them, they will not be accredited."

- Dan Ashe, AZA President and CEO

Last month saw the Annual Conference of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, held virtually for the second year in a row due to COVID.  There were lots of meetings and guest speakers and seminars (or webinars, in this case), but the for many zoos and aquariums, the main focus was on the results of their accreditation hearings.  Every five years, zoos and aquariums must apply for reaccreditation from AZA, resulting in their entire organization being gone over with a fine-toothed comb.

This past go-around, two zoos didn't make the cut - Safari West, in California and, in the biggest news in the zoo community, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

CZA's troubles are well-publicized and are twofold.  Firstly, there was a financial scandal as some now-former executives made some decisions about bids that were of a dubious ethical nature.  Secondly, there was a series of transactions with non-AZA partners to supply big cats, including cubs, for ambassador opportunities.

Columbus and Safari West aren't the first zoos to be removed from AZA.  Mill Mountain Zoo, Salisbury Zoo, and Jackson Zoo are other former members.  Other institutions, such as ZooTampa (then known as Lowry Park Zoo), Topeka Zoo, and Honolulu Zoo have also lost accreditation, but have since been readmitted (I believe the previously mentioned facilities which are currently unaccredited are also working to rejoin AZA).  Perhaps the most dramatic former member is Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, which was not expelled but instead resigned from AZA in protest of what it saw as AZA's attempts to meddle with its elephant program.  Years later, it is now planning on rejoining AZA.

The loss of Columbus, one of the most prominent, respected members of AZA is a blow, as it is when any institution loses membership.  But, as AZA CEO Dan Ashe points out, there's no point in having accredidation standards if you don't stick to them.  The breaches that Columbus has been accused of are far greater than those that pushed Mill Mountain or Salisbury out.  One zoo shouldn't get a pass just because it's big and important.

This will not unduly impact animal care at Columbus, and any rumors that this will cause the zoo to shut down are categorically incorrect.  Still, it is a major loss of prestige, one which the zoo is already working to address with the implementation of new leadership and new protocols.  I'm confident that things will turn around.  I look forward to the near future, when Columbus, Pittsburgh, and other former members - as well as new members queuing up for acceptance - join AZA.  I don't agree with every decision AZA makes, but I still think that it's collaborative efforts on animal management and conservation are the best thing that the zoo community has going for it.

Species Fact Profile: Mangshan Viper (Protobothrops mangshanensis)

Mangshan Viper

Protobothrops mangshanensis (Zhao, 1990)

Range: Hunan and Guangdong Provinces (southeastern People's Republic of China)

Habitat: Subtropical Montane Forest (700-1300 meters elevation)

Diet: Frogs, Birds, Small Mammals, Insects

Social Grouping: Solitary

Reproduction:  Nests in leaf litter.  Lay 13-21 eggs, which the female guards until hatching after about 50 days, at which point the young are independent.  Egg-laying is very unusual among vipers, being displayed only by this species and the bushmasters of the Neotropics.

Lifespan: 25 Years

      Conservation Status: IUCN Endangered

•       Body length up to 2 meters, weigh 3-5 kilograms
•       Body is bright green and yellow-green, with brown blotches along the back and side
•       The last few centimeters of the tail are white; the snake will wriggle this visual conspicuous part of its body around as a lure to attract prey within striking range.  
•       Hunts by positioning itself along logs or rocks by animal trails to ambush passing prey.  Senses presence of prey using heat-sensitive pits on the face, then strikes and envenomates
•       Early reports suggested that this species was able to spit its venom like a spitting cobra, but this has not been supported by further study
•       Endangered due to its very limited geographic range (300 square kilometers), exacerbated by collection from the wild for both the pet trade and for local consumption, as well as loss of habitat
•       Unknown outside of its natural range until 1989, at which time it was already thought to be nearly extinct in the wild.  Breeding populations have since been established in Europe and the United States.

Kodiak is Back

Yesterday, the National Aviary in Pittsburgh announced successful recapture of their escaped Steller's sea eagle, Kodiak.  Congratulations to the team for bringing what I'm sure was a terrible, angst-filled week to a close with the bird safely back in their care. 

Shedd Aquarium Releases Blanding's Turtles

Great conservation news from Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, where 24 endangered Blanding's turtles were released into the wild as part of a head-start program.  Learn more about this project here!

Walking Down Memory Lane

"The past is a foreign country - they do things differently there."

- L.P. Hartley

With the exception of a few relatively young institutions, such as the Nashville Zoo, most major American zoos date back a century or more.   Philadelphia Zoo is generally (but not uncontestably) recognized as the first, opening in 1874.  Standards of animal care have evolved tremendously in the intervening century-and-a-half, which has left many zoos unrecognizable from their original forms.  Some zoos, such as the Bronx Zoo, have worked meticulously to incorporate their historical structures into a new, modern facility.  Others have bulldozed the old and rebuilt from scratch.

Then, there's the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.

When The Baltimore Zoo, as it was then known, began its period of rapid growth in the 1980s and 1990s, adding the Children Zoo, Maryland Wilderness, and African Journey, it took advantage of its plentiful space and grew outward from its old core.  Animals in the old part of the zoo, such as elephants, lions, and polar bears, were relocated to new exhibits elsewhere.  Periodically, zoo leadership would make some noise about renovating the old zoo, known as the Main Valley, but every time they tried looking into it, the sheer cost and infrastructure challenges proved too daunting and they were scared off.  Instead, the Valley was eventually abandoned.  The entire front section of the zoo was closed down, with visitors bypassing it via a tram or a long walking trail to get to the newer part of the zoo.  I know of no other equivalent of it - a ghost zoo of empty cages, buildings, and holding yards sandwiched between the front gate and the "real" zoo, unseen and unwalked by the general public.

Until this week, that is.

On Tuesday, Maryland Zoo CEO Kirby Fowler ceremoniously reopened the Main Valley to the public - not as a set of new animal exhibits, but as a historical walkway, leading the visitors to the rest of the zoo.  Signage along the way highlights the evolution of the zoo and tells the stories of some of its past animals.

Granted, I go to see animals, not architecture, and all things being equal, I would have liked to have seen the Main Valley full of animals again, perhaps with species more suitable for the enclosures than those that lived there in the 1800s and 1900s.  All things are not equal, however, and, as Mr. Fowler's predecessors knew quite well, fixing up the dilapidated infrastructure would be a very expensive challenge.  It's one that I hope that Baltimore is up to meeting, one day.  In the meantime, however, I do appreciate that, if we can't have animals at this time, at least we're still given the chance to gain a better understanding of how they once live, and recommit ourselves to doing better by them.