New Year's Eve

Happy New Year's Eve - whether you plan on staying up until midnight, or decide to skip the ball drop and turn in a bit early...

The dangerous thing about late December, I find, is that it's so easy to take projects or improvements that you know you really should get started on and say, "Sounds like something great that I should start in the New Year."  There's nothing magically different about January 1 compared to December 31 (or December 21, for that matter), of course, but it just sounds neater.

I know I've got a lot of irons in the fire that I've been letting heat for the past month or so - it's not just laziness, as much as it is a reflection that it can be hard to get things done when so many other folks are out of the office for the holidays.  Tomorrow isn't looking much better on that front, but Tuesday?  Better believe I'll hit the ground running then.  Just don't ask me how that worked in January 2023...

 

Seeing Vs. Watching

I've increasingly come of the opinion that, taxonomy be damned, there are really just two kinds of zoo animals.  There are those that (might) let you see them.  And there are those that actually let you watch them.

This observation came to me earlier this year, when I was visiting the newly-reopened Bird House at the Smithsonian National Zoo.  The building now consists of three walk-through aviaries, one focused on shorebirds, one on waterfowl, and one on songbirds.  North American songbirds are rarely exhibited - let alone highlighted - in zoos, so I was particularly interested in seeing those.  I took a day off to go to the zoo, set a big chunk of that time aside for the Bird House, and went (indoor) birdwatching.

I'd really expected to be the most drawn to the songbird aviary, with its host of species that would be brand new to me.  And yes, I did see a whole lot of warblers I'd never heard of before.  The truth was, I almost found that exhibit to be stressful, though.  Songbirds are a study in motion, constantly flitting around , from the ground to the upper branches to the depths of understory, in and out of sight.  I was constantly seeing a glimpse of color out of the corner of my eye, turning around, and when I'd look, they'd be gone.  A great habitat for birds, with lots of space and complexity, and fun as a scavenger hunt, but you had to be content with the briefest of glimpses, in many cases, and good luck getting photos or making positive IDs if you weren't familiar with the species, as I was not.

The ducks, on the other hand, were the showstoppers for me.

Waterfowl and raptors are the two groups of North American birds you see the most often in zoos, especially the former, which work well in walk-throughs.  There was not a single duck species in that aviary which I probably hadn't seen a half dozen times already that year at other institutions.  And yet... compared to the songbirds, it was so peaceful in there.  Not saying that there wasn't action and drama - ducks love drama, what with their chasing and bickering and mating.  It's just that, unlike the warblers and waxwings and orioles, the redheads and ruddies and canvasbacks didn't particularly mind if you watched their drama unfold.  

They swam about, interacting constantly, preening and squabbling and feeding, sometimes diving and being visible in the underwater viewing windows.  You could settle in for a while and see a variety of behavior and really observe them.  They weren't birds that you felt like you were just checking off a list of things to see.  They were fellow beings who were letting you enjoy their company.  Some would even bob at the water's surface, roughly at eye-level with younger visitors, and watch you watching them, then go about their important duck business.

 I saw an indigo bunting in the songbird aviary.  I felt like I experienced a bufflehead.

Zoos are fun places to see a variety of animals, and sometimes, especially when I'm trying to cram too much in on a given day and am rushing about, I tend to blow through more quickly than I really should.  This is especially true in the case of species that I see fairly often and might, on some level I'm embarrassed to acknowledge, might even consider a little... boring.  But that time with the ducks was a good reminder - there's so much more to visiting a zoo than catching sight of an animal.  There's the pleasure that comes from watching it, seeing how it moves, how it feeds, how it interacts with other animals with its habitat.  

In other words, taking the first steps towards beginning to understand it.

Happy Birthday to the ESA!

Richard Nixon, by most accounts, was not an especially nice man, and his Presidency and its scandals have impacted our politics in ways that we are still dealing with today (such as, I don't know, can you or can you not criminally prosecute a former POTUS?)  So much of the conversation about Tricky Dick is tied up with Watergate and its fallout, that many people tend to overlook the truth that there were, in fact, some good things to come out of his administration.  

One such jewel was the US Endangered Species Act, signed into law this day, December 28, fifty years ago in 1973.  It was the sort of bipartisan commitment to protecting America's wild heritage that it's almost impossible to imagine coming out of Washington (or any State House) these days.  

The law not only identified which species are endangered and took steps to reduce take (capture or killing) of them.  It required the government to identify steps that could be taken to restore species that were on the decline, including the protection and restoration of habitat.  

Mexican gray wolf at the Endangered Wolf Center and loggerhead turtle at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, both photographed by Joel Sartore for National Geographic's Photo Ark.

Since it's signing, a few dozen species have been removed from the list.  Most of them have gotten off in what I like to call "the good way" - their numbers improved and they are no longer considered to be in imminent danger of extinction.  Others... well, there's another way to no longer be an endangered species, and it's by becoming an extinct species.  Species that we have lost include the little Mariana fruit bat, Bachman's warbler, and the bridled white-eye.  

Like any act of government, the ESA has its detractors who view it as over-reaching or imposing on individual freedoms.  On the other hand, the government (both Republican and Democratic administrations) is constantly being sued by environmental groups who say it's not doing enough to save certain species that are in need of more protection.  Both sides have accused the law of being ineffective.  Evidence so far does not support that claim. The NIH estimates that approximately 300 species, in contrast, have been saved from extinction by their inclusion on the list.  Perhaps none is as iconic as our national symbol, the bald eagle.

Species Fact Profile: Prevost's Squirrel (Callosciurus prevostii)

                                                     Prevost's Squirrel

                               Callosciurus prevostii (Desmarest, 1822)

Range: Malay Peninsula (from southern Thailand south through Malaysia), Indonesia (Sumatra, Borneo, Bangka, Rhio Archipelago, Sulawesi)

Habitat:  Lowland and Montane Tropical Forest

Diet:  Fruits, Nuts, Seeds, Flowers, and Buds

Social Grouping:  Primarily solitary, sometimes found in small groups

Reproduction: Breeding takes place year round, but peaks between June and August.  Females may have up to three litters per year, each with 1-2 young on average, but can have up to 4.  Gestation period is 5 weeks.  Young are born blind, naked, and toothless, weigh about 16 grams at birth.  They are fully-furred and independent by 6 weeks.  Sexually mature at 1 year old.

Lifespan: 15 Years

      Conservation Status:  IUCN Least Concern

·        

• Medium-sized squirrel, but largest of its genus.  Body length 12-28 centimeters with an additional 7-25 centimeters of tail.  Weight is approximately 325-400 grams (range 250-500 grams).  Short, blunt snout.  Tail is bushy but somewhat flattened.
• The top of the head, back, and tail are black or dark brown, while the underside is reddish-brown.  The two sides are separated by a thin white line, with white thighs and some whit on the cheeks.  Subspecies can be very variable, with some squirrels appearing almost completely black.  In some the head is completely one color, in others the link of demarcation runs right through the face.   Hair is short and thick, not very soft·
• Most active at dawn and dusk.  At night rest inside tree hollows or in nests of twigs and leaves, wrapped up in their tail for warmth.  Highly arboreal, rarely comes to the ground
• In different parts of their range they have been observed to spend more time in different parts of the tree
• Preference for coconut, rubber seeds, oil palm fruit, and figs.  Possibly important seed dispersers, as they often carry food some distance away from the tree before feeding on it.  They will also consume insects (extracting ants, termites, and beetles from rotten wood) and bird eggs.
• Believed to cache food in the wild (have been observed trying to wedge fruit into cracks in branches).   Juveniles are not observed foraging, and may be fed by adults
• Predation has been observed by yellow-throated marten and crested serpent eagle, but likely occurs from other predators, such as wild felids and snakes, as well
• Taxonomy is murky, up to 44 subspecies have been proposed, many on the basis of differences in coloration or pattern, but the species is highly variable even within a population.  Some authorities recognize as few as 6 subspecies.  Possibly may be a complex of several related species
• Genus name translates to “Beautiful Squirrel” – sometimes called the ornamental or Asian tri-colored squirrel.  Species name honors Florent Prevost, assistant naturalist at the Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris.
• Primary causes for potential decline are loss of habitat (though they will utilize agriculture areas, gardens, and other disturbed habitats) and collection for the pet trade.  May come into contact with farmers as they increasingly feed on oil palms and other cultivated fruits

Feliz Navidad Desde Chile!

Merry Christmas from the animals of the Buin Zoo in Chile, who are busy unwrapping their presents.

Twelve Days of Duck-Mas

Lifted from the Facebook page of the AZA Waterfowl Taxon Advisory Group:

At this festive time of the year, it's not surprising that we often think of the classic song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," what with it's geese a-laying and swans-a-swimming. Something about that song has always bothered us a bit, and we finally hit the nail on the head as to why.

Not enough birds.

Too many unnecessary people showing up, these maids and lords and what-not, when your true-love COULD be giving you more birds. More waterfowl, specifically.

We've taken it upon ourselves to write an improved version.

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me....

Twelve Tree Ducks Whistling

Eleven Screamers Screaming

Ten Nene Honking

Nine Black Swans Chasing

Eight Scoters Surfing

Seven Smew a-Swimming

Six Eiders Diving

Five Goldeneyes!

Four Canvasbacks

Three Whio

Two Green-Winged Teals

And a Wood Duck in a Pear Tree!

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Merry Christmas from Cincinnati!

Merry Christmas from the Cincinnati Zoo!

Fixer Upper

Working on the list of zoo updates for 2023, it strikes me that, in most cases, there are two kinds of updates in progress.  There are the zoos that are planning on building big new complexes with lots of new species and new habitats - and these are in the minority.  What I'm seeing a lot of is efforts to renovate, refresh, and expand existing habitats.  These projects are often considered less exciting by the public, as they don't bring in new species.  They are, however, the most important from animal welfare purposes.

When it first opened, Brookfield Zoo's Tropic World was one of the premier zoo exhibits in the world.  In its cavernous interior, you could find not only a host of primates from around the world, but also tapirs, anteaters, even pygmy hippos wandering the "forest" floor (that forest, of course, being concrete).  Sure, the animals were inside all year but hey, it's Chicago - and having a warm place where visitors could go year-round to see animals was considered of paramount importance.  Today, many species have been phased out of the building - the tapirs and hippos have exhibits elsewhere in the zoo that allow them to be outside for the warmer months.  Keeping apes inside year round is no longer considered best practices.  And so, with that in mind, the zoo is tacking on outdoor habitats to allow the gorillas and orangutans (and other primates) to go outside.  

Brookfield Zoo to construct new primate habitat

It's a major, expensive project, the net result of which will be two exhibits for gorillas and two for orangutans, one of each of which will probably be empty at any given point, depending on the weather.  On mid-days, in fall and spring, visitors may have a hard time figuring out where the animals will be - but it will be much better for the welfare of the animals, giving them more space, more choice, and more variety.

Sometimes, improving the lots of animals you have means clearing other animals out to make space.  Potawatomi Zoo had a mediocre chimp exhibit and an even worse lion exhibit - neither keeping with the direction that the up-and-coming zoo wanted to go in.  So, chimps were phased out.  The mediocre exhibit underwent some major modifications, and is now a pretty good lion exhibit.  The lion exhibit has a bear now, but only until the new habitat for that species opened which, based on the standards of exhibits Potawatomi has opened in recent years, will probably be very good.

There's a tendency among people to want and value the new - new possessions, new experiences, and, in zoos, new animals.  As someone working at a zoo where it seems we never get new species, I totally get that.  Before tacking on new construction projects for brand new animals, however, I think it's always best to look at the animals that you do have and ask if they're all receiving housing that meets the standards of care that you want to adhere to.

If not, they should be bumped up to the top of the list. 

Zoo Review Updates, 2023

Here's just some of the zoo and aquarium updates from 2023, though I'm sure I've missed many!

Audubon Aquarium (having dropped "of the Americas" from its name) has reopened after a period of renovation, with the Insectarium now part of its facility.  A sloth habitat has also been added.

Beardsley Zoo opened its new habitat for Andean bears.  Amur tigers are the next species slated to get a new, expanded habitat. 

Brookfield Zoo is working on construction on a massive new refresh of its iconic Tropic World.  The expanded project will feature outdoor habitats for its gorillas and orangutans, currently only visible indoors.  Small projects in progress are habitats for native birds and turtles.  A further detailed masterplan is expected in the new year.  The Zoo's bottlenose dolphins went on sojourn to another zoo while their habitat at Brookfield is getting spruced up.

Construction continues at Cincinnati Zoo on its new habitat for Asian elephants.  The zoo's herd is already expanding with the importation of two new females from Europe.

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo completed Bear Hallow, home to sloth bears and Andean bears.  The zoo has announced many upcoming projects, the most ambitious being a renovation of its iconic Rainforest.  The gorillas will be moved down from the PCA building to the expanded complex, while the orangutans will soon have an outdoor exhibit in addition to the indoor.

Continuing through Ohio, Columbus Zoo has broken ground on its refresh of the North American area.  While some species - notably bison - will be absent from the zoo now, the result will be larger habitats for other species.  The first phase will include improved homes for wolves, eagles, black bears, otters, swans, and the zoo's impressive North American songbird aviary.

Denver Zoo opened a new American flamingo exhibit, and is currently working on an Australian exhibit.

Kansas City Zoo is now Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium, having opened the Sobela Aquarium.  Sea otters, sharks, octopus, and a sea turtle help round out the impressive new complex, which only adds to the rapidly growing facility.

Milwaukee County Zoo, having had exhibit refreshes/expansions for African elephants and hippos, is moving on to their next large mammal by working on an improved home for black rhinos.

Nashville Zoo opened a new habitat for Komodo dragons, the largest such exhibit in the country.  During the colder months, the outdoor portion of the exhibit will house red-crowned cranes.

North Carolina Zoo continues to plug away at building its Asian area.

Since my visit earlier this year, Oklahoma City Zoo has opened Expedition Africa, an enormous complex featuring animals large and small, from giraffes and zebras to fish and amphibians.  The next project in progress is the refurbishment of the old aquarium building into new habitats for African penguins and California sea lions.

Philadelphia Insectarium is permanently closed.

Phoenix Zoo opened Predator Passage, providing new habitats for lions, spotted hyenas, meerkats, red river hog, and Ruppell's griffon vultures.

Potawatomi Zoo has converted its former chimpanzee exhibit into a new habitat for lions.  The former lion exhibit is temporarily housing an Andean bear while construction continues on a brand new habitat for that species, to be built alongside a new café.  

Shedd Aquarium has unveiled a new masterplan.  As a first step, the iconic Caribbean Reef in the central rotunda of the building has been closed to make way for new exhibits.

Smithsonian National Zoo (finally!) opened its new Bird House.  Experience Migration features three walk-through aviaries - one highlighting the shorebirds of Delaware Bay, one the waterfowl of the prairie potholes, and one the passerines of a tropical sustainable coffee farm.  Outside exhibits continue to feature the big birds that previously called the complex home, including cassowary, whooping crane, and American flamingo.  The large outdoor walk-through flight cage is still closed.

Toledo Zoo opened Kodiak Ridge, a new home for brown bears.

Topeka Zoo completed its new giraffe habitat.

Tulsa Zoo continues work on its new Asian elephant habitat, with new habitats for African wildlife (lions, gorillas, pygmy hippos) scheduled as next steps.

Zoo Tampa announced an exciting new masterplan that will bring lions and gorillas to the zoo, in addition to an entire South American region... and possibly sea lions.

A Parrot in a Pear Tree

Time for that annual PSA about giving any animal (and especially high maintenance ones - and they don't come much higher maintenance than parrots) as presents:

Blended Families

From an outside perspective, the rearing of African wild dog pups by a domestic dog at the Potawatomi Zoo might seem like a strange idea.  In reality, it's nothing too out of the ordinary.  There is a long history of blended families in zoos in which different species come together.  Most often, a domestic animal is used as a parental surrogate for an exotic newborn, such as this case.  

Back in the days when most zoo animals came directly from the wild, it was common practice for dealers to focus their efforts of collecting newborns.  They were easier to ship, more tractable, and more likely to adjust to life in a zoo or circus than adults of the species.  The downside, of course (besides the obvious ethical implications, including how they were often collected) was their incomplete development and need for more intensive care.  Mammals, in particular, were a challenge if they were not yet weaned.  Prior to the development of milk formulas, the only possible solution was to provide milk from another source, and since it wasn't like you could keep a bottle of milk in the fridge in the jungle, that milk usually had to be attached to another animal.  Goats, dogs, pigs, and other female, lactating animals were used to nurse baby animals.  I've even heard of cases of nursing human women being pressed into service.

For birds, milk wasn't an issue.  Instead, it became practice - and still is, in some facilities - for zoos to place eggs laid in their facilities by rare birds under chickens or ducks to incubate and rear.  Some zoos prefer this brood rearing to the use of artificial incubators, judging live birds to be more reliable and less failable.

Today we have technology and equipment such as incubators and milk replacer, but, as in the case of Potawatomi's pups, there is still a vital role for cross-fostering.  It provides socialization opportunities, for example, that the animals might lack in other rearing situations.  These dogs will stand a better chance of interacting with other painted dogs in the future if, at the very least, they grow up with the understanding that they are some sort of canid, not humans.  

Cross fostering is also used within members of the same species.  Sometimes a mother may have too many offspring, and staff can split that large litter up with a female which may have a very small litter.  It makes things more manageable for the one mom, whereas in the case of the second, she might not be willing to go through the biologically-expensive effort of raising a very small litter, so having a few more mouths to feed can be beneficial.  In the case of birds, you can move eggs from inexperienced or incompetent parents and put them under more seasoned ones to increase the chick's likelihood of success.  Then the chicks will grow up healthy without imprinting on humans, or on the wrong species of bird.

Reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates, of course, are considerate and come into the world fully competent, removing the need for any of these hassles.

From the News: African painted dog pups raised by golden retriever at Potawatomi Zoo

Retriever raising pack of African painted dog pups after parents ignored them

Staff at Indiana's Potawatomi Zoo were overjoyed when they welcomed the birth of a litter of eight African painted dog pups earlier this year.  That joy turned to concern when it became clear very quickly that the mother wasn't inclined to show parental care.  With the tight-knit social structure of the species and the amount of parental care required, that spelled trouble for the endangered little carnivores.  

Thankfully, the zoo was able to use existing partnerships to source a foster mother in the form a golden retriever named Kassy, who is raising the youngsters along her own pups.  Unfortunately, not all of the wild dog pups have survived (infant mortality being notoriously high in this species), but the surviving dogs are thriving in their blended family, as well as obtaining important canine socialization that will help them better integrate with members of their own species when they grow up.

Lanterns in the Dark

This late in the year, I've still had a few last minute animal transports to make before the weather turns too cold.  As a result of airlines restrictions (and my general reluctance to ship things when a million packages are already in circulation for the holidays), I've been driving a lot, which has taken me to several zoos in the last few weeks.  Whereas a few months ago I was remarking on how every zoo was decked out for Halloween, now a different décor is in place.

For many years, zoos were big on Zoo Lights - bright strands of lights wrapped around every tree, sometimes forming animals or other shapes, sometimes seemingly animated.  And while some zoos are still doing that, it looks like in many cases they've been replaced by the new winter fad - Chinese lanterns.

Well, I guess they aren't really Chinese lanterns in the traditional sense.  Instead they are giant light up sculptures, filled with colored lights.  I've never been to an evening event to see them, but have seen them being set up at a dozen zoos by now.  Every major conference I go to, I feel like there's a vendor from a lantern company peddling their services.  Unlike the traditional lights, they can make a fairly decent show during the day as well as night, serving essentially as giant sculptures.  Also unlike the traditional lights, they're also a bit more visually obtrusive by day.  The lights you can ignore when they aren't turned on.  A giant panda the size of a small truck?  Less so.  

I'm something of a scrooge under usual circumstances, and I've never been that into holiday light shows.  They just... never did anything for me, never triggered any feelings of beauty or awe.  To me, that's what live, real animals and plants are for.  Still, I can't deny that they are very popular with the public and can help drive the gate at a cold, dark, quiet time of year.  So, I suppose, shine on, you freaky, creepy little (big) monsters.  I'm glad that you brighten up the winters for a lot of folks, even if you aren't for me.

Book Review: Fuzz - When Nature Breaks the Law

Every single time I see a video or read a story about a zoo visitor who hops a barrier or does something else stupid that puts them at risk of injury from the animal, I always see the same comment made, usually the first comment - "And if anything that happened to this idiot, it's the animal who would have been put down."  The ghost of Harambe hangs heavy over all of these online conversations.

In reality, that's not always the case.  Zoo animals will be destroyed if it is deemed necessary to save a person who is in danger, but for that reason only.  We don't punish zoo animals or hold them to human laws.  We acknowledge that legality and morality are concepts that they don't understand, and we don't try to hold them to those. 

But what if we did respond?  Humans live in a society of laws.  How do we react in the face of other creatures that violate those laws - sometimes as a mere nuisance, sometimes with deadly results?

Science writer Mary Roach tackles the subject in Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law.  The title itself is perhaps a little misleading.  Roach opens her book with anecdotes of how, in the Middle Ages in Europe, it was customary for animals, domestic or wild, to actually be placed on trial with full legal representation for "crimes" committed against humans.  That's a fact that I'd only heard alluded to briefly in other settings and never read a full, in-depth exposition on, which is what I was kind of hoping this would be.  Instead, she glosses briefly over this and instead looks at a wider view of human-animal conflict in the modern world.

Sometimes, the conflict is direct and violent.  The first chapter deals with studying cases of predation of humans by pumas and bears in North America, followed later by similar case studies of leopards in India (which reminded me of the recent Netflix documentary I'd watched, Tiger 24: The Making of a Man-Eater).  It was interesting to read about the very different philosophies and responses that both humans and governments tend to have towards this problem on opposite ends of the world.  The chapter in India is joined by stories of other wildlife conflicts unique to that country, marauding elephants and thieving monkeys.  A good-sized portion of the book, however, deals mostly with more prosaic issues of wildlife as an agricultural pest, especially birds and rodents.  Other topics addressed include deer crossing the road and trees falling on people.

The first chapter - the bear and puma one - seemed to hold the closest to the the title of the book, in that it focused on the interplay of law enforcement and wildlife management (I especially found the discussion of forensics to be fascinating).  Most of the rest of the book, however, seemed a bit... cobbled together.  It was as if Roach had a series of articles or essays she'd written. all loosely themed around human-nature conflict (I'll admit that I found the tree chapter to seem especially shoe-horned in) that she'd bundled together and sent off to the publisher.  Her writing style is funny and engaging, but it didn't seem to form much of a cohesive narrative.

I think someone could write an excellent book about how we view animals as legally competent or responsible actors in our interactions with humans, stretching from the aforementioned legal cases of the Middle Ages (and were any humans ever tried for their crimes against wildlife back then?) to the modern era (reminding me of the recent elephant legal case in Colorado, which begged the question of who got to speak for the elephants?).  This just wasn't that book.

Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law at Amazon.com

Showdown at Natural Bridge

A few years back, I wrote a zoo review, an unusual review in that I didn't identify the zoo in question, just held it up as an example of what's generally considered a roadside zoo.  That zoo was, in fact, the Natural Bridge Zoo in Natural Bridge, Virginia (not to be confused with the neighboring Virginia Safari Park, also in Natural Bridge, which is unaffiliated, and is owned by the estranged son of the owner of the Natural Bridge Zoo.  Drama).

It turns out that I'm not the only person who's had standing disapproval of the Natural Bridge Zoo.  It's been a flashpoint for controversy for years, especially concerning their lone African elephant, Asha.  Recently, that simmering tension bubbled over.  The facility was raided, and many animals have been confiscated.  The story is still playing out, but I wonder if this could be the end of the notorious facility.

Animals Confiscated as Investigation Continues at Natural Bridge Zoo

Animals seized from Natural Bridge Zoo during investigation; tiger euthanized

Natural Bridge zoo warrant describes graphic conditions

There's been a major crackdown in shoddy facilities in recent years (some might call it the Tiger King effect).  I strongly support the work of good, reputable zoos.  I have a lot of sympathy for facilities where the heart is in the right place, but maybe just need a little help and support to advance their standards of animal welfare.  But I have no interest in going to bat for poor facilities that engage in exploitative practices.   I've always felt that we, as a zoo community, are destined to be judged not by our best members, but by our worst.  So if those facilities aren't interested in improving, I'm all for cutting them loose.

Big and Little

Folks who are familiar with African animal lore will often come across the phrase "the Big Five."  This dates back to the days when sports hunting was at its peak in Africa, when hunters would come to try their hand at pursuing the five animals that were considered the most impressive trophies and the most dangerous game - lion, elephant, rhinoceros, leopard, and buffalo.  Today, with Africa seeing more focus on ecotourism and wildlife viewing than hunting, the phrase is still commonly used for safari operators, with the buffalo sometimes being dropped in favor of hippo, giraffe, or another species.  I've seen all five while studying in Africa in college.

The Big Five are represented to varying degrees in American zoos.  Lion, African elephants, and rhino (both black and white) can be seen at many facilities, as can leopards (though generally not of the African subspecies).  Cape buffalo, in contrast, are found only in a small handful of facilities, there apparently being little demand from the public or zoo curators for what is essentially a large, black, foul-tempered cow that is not endangered in the wild (I sell the species short - they really are imposing animals).

Less well-known than the Big Five are their whimsical counterparts "Little Five," - ELEPHANT shrew, LEOPARD tortoise, BUFFALO weaver, RHINOCEROS beetle, and ant LION.  The tortoise and weaver may be spotted from the back of a safari jeep while in pursuit of the Big Five, but the other three are less likely to be encountered that way, and require a more down-to-earth approach of searching.   Not that I know of anyone who has gone on safari in specific pursuit of elephant shrews.

My track record on the Little Five is less impressive than the Big - I've seen two in the wild, and an additional two in zoos.  To the best of my knowledge, no one has worked out a good strategy for exhibit ant lions (tiny insects that lie in ambush at the bottom of tiny pits in which they trap ants).  

The Elephant Lorax

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.  Then quit.  There's no point in being a damn fool about it."

- W.C. Fields

I wish that the Non-Human Rights Project would heed the advise.  After years of unsuccessfully (but irritatingly) harassing the Bronx Zoo to "release" the Asian elephant Happy after declaring her to be a person, the group recently switched their efforts over to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, trying to wrest away that facility's African elephants.   On Sunday, the NHRP was handed yet another defeat, with the judge siding with the zoo.  Worth noting, from his opinion:

"There is a legitimate question in this case as to who properly speaks for the elephants (or, in other words, who gets to be the 'elephant Lorax') - the NHRP... or the Zoo, which has fed them, nurtured them, and taken care of them for many years.  It appears to be the Zoo, and not the NHRP, that has the more significant relationship with Missy, Kimba, Lucky, LouLou, and Jambo."

We'd all be fools to think this is over.  Either at Cheyenne Mountain or at another zoo, it's likely that this organization will again try to argue that keeping elephants in zoos is illegal and unethical.  Every victory, however, helps build precedent, the foundation of the law, and helps strengthen the case of zoos to serve as the guardians for these giant animals.

A Message from Bob Chastain, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo President & CEO

Species Fact Profile: Black-and-Rufous Sengi (Rhynchocyon petersi)

                                               Black-and-Rufous Sengi (Elephant Shrew)

                                                       Rhynchocyon petersi (Bocage, 1880)

Range: Eastern Africa (primarily Tanzania's Udzungwa Mountains in the Eastern Arc), Zanzibar

Habitat:  Lowland Forest, Dense Woodlands.  Up to 2,300 meters elevation

Diet: Insects, Earthworms, Fruits, Seeds

Social Grouping:  Pairs share a territory, but generally only interact during breeding

Reproduction: Monogamous, but with a weak pair bond, coming together briefly to mate.  1-2 offspring born per litter (very rarely 3-4) after a 42 day gestation period.  Young are less precocial than other sengis, but still leave the nest at about 2 weeks, weaned at 15 days.  Young in the nest are largely left along by the mother, who visits as rarely as once daily to feed them (the father provides no paternal care).  Females can have multiple litters per year.

Lifespan: 11 Years (4-5 Years in Wild)

      Conservation Status: IUCN Least Concern

• Adults 30 centimeters long with an additional 25 centimeters of tail.  Hindlimbs are much longer than forelimbs.  Defining physical trait is a long proboscis (resembling the trunk of an elephant), which is used to probe for food
• Front half of the body is covered with reddish-golden fur, the back half with black fur
• Territorial, use scent glands on the feet to mark their territories (fairly large for their size).  Each animals maintains up to 10 nests across the territory at a given time
• Forage by flicking through leaf litter using their snout to uncover invertebrates, lapping up small animals with their tongues.  Ants and termites make up a large portion of the diet, but they will eat animal prey small enough to get into their mouths, as well as some plant matter
• Birds such as red-capped robin chats have been observed to follow the sengis as they forage, catching insects stirred up by their hunting
• Predators include snakes and birds of prey.  When pursued, take refuge in burrows or hollow logs.  Also hunted by local peoples for food
• The genus name Rhynchocyon translates to "snouted dog"
• This species and its close relatives have historically been referred to as the elephant shrews; now more often being called by the name sengi, the Bantu name for these animals, as they are not especially closely related to actual shrews (and are actually closer to elephants than shrews)
• Range is fragmented due to habitat loss for timbering and agricultural expansion (though the species has some tolerance for living in farmland).  Hunting does not appear to be a significant threat

The Lion (Cubs) in Winter

It's always a treat to see newborn animals experiencing things for the first time.  Consider these lion cubs from the Buffalo Zoo, enjoying a romp in their first snowfall.  Today, both leopards and tigers are found in Russia's Far East, where snow is plentiful.  Lions are found only in sub-Saharan Africa (and a tiny pocket of India) these days, but their historic range extended into Europe.  It's strange to think that, had we not had such a hostile history with their species, we might today we watching footage of wild lions in the snow as well.

Paging Through Memories

I was going through some old boxes at work yesterday, mostly full of moldering old papers, when a sudden flash of color caught my eye.  Digging into the box, I pulled out first one, then a handful of short, glossy magazines.  Before I even turned the one of top around so I could see the cover, I knew what they would be - Zoobooks, an educational kids magazine that was published starting in the 1980s.  I shouldn't have been surprised to find a few tucked away in here.  Zoobooks weren't just a defining feature of my childhood - they were a feature of the childhood of almost every zookeeper of my generation that I know.

Nor was it just Zoobooks.  There was also its fellow kid's magazine, Ranger Rick, published by the National Wildlife Federation (which later took over Zoobooks as well).  I loved Ranger Rick as a kid, with its combination of articles, photos, games, and educational stories focused around the namesake Rick, an anthropomorphic raccoon who always wore a park ranger hat.  I outgrew it (or at least thought I'd outgrown it) at some point in elementary school or middle school, and had barely thought about it since... until I watched Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy a few years ago, and Chris Pratt's Peter Quill derisively referred to Rocket as "Ranger Rick."  Memories came flooding back.

Nor were all of the animal memories in print.  The other day, I found myself humming a song, but was unable to remember what the words were - or where it even came from.  Days later, it came crashing back.  It was an educational song from a TV program called Really Wild Animals, narrated by Dudley Moore.  Each episode usually had four or five songs - some quite catchy, it would seem - to help illustrate the messages of the show.  It was sort of a stepping stone between Walt Disney and David Attenborough.

I was visiting with some younger relations when I was startled to hear them mention the name "Kratt" - as in, Chris and Martin, the Kratt Brothers.  When I was a kid, I loved watched Kratt's Creatures, followed by its successor, Zooboomafoo (which, if nothing else, is responsible for many people being able to recognize a sifaka, the show's mascot).  The Kratts were basically Steve Irwin for kids.  They themselves are getting a bit on the older side now, and I was amused but not too surprised to see that most of their televised shenanigan's are in animated form these days.  I did, however, get to fill like a little of a bigshot when I was able to tell the kids that not only had I watched their (earlier) shows growing up, but I'd met them too, when they visited my zoo twenty years or so ago.

I don't think it's so much that I owe my love of animals to the Kratts, or Zoobooks, or any of the other media of my childhood.  I think I was drawn to them because I already loved animals.  What these magazines and programs did, however, was encourage that love, show me that I wasn't alone in it, and encourage me to dive deeper and learn more.  The holiday seasons are coming up, so if you've got a young animal lover in your family, there's all sorts of fun and educational resources that you can get to help fan that spark to encourage that passion (and if they aren't into animals, find what they do have a passion for, and focus on that... and then try to switch them over to animals).

As for me, I'm going to see if I can finish up with work a little on the early side today, and then maybe plop down on a haybale somewhere... I'm pretty sure at least a few of these Zoobooks are issues I didn't have growing up.

From the News: Rare Sumatran rhino born in Indonesia

Rare Sumatran rhino born in Indonesia

One of the most exciting moments I've had as a zoo visitor (not in my directly professional capacity) came on a rainy day in October 2014, when I had the chance to meet Harapan, the last Sumatran rhinoceros outside of Indonesia, at the Cincinnati Zoo.  This meeting was especially exciting for me because, it turned out, Harapan was due to return to Indonesia soon to join the last remaining members of his species (including his siblings, also born at Cincinnati) in a captive-breeding program that would, hopefully, help save the rapidly-declining species from extinction.  

And that move has just born fruit.  Orange, hairy, 25 kilograms worth of fruit.

One birth does not reverse a trend, and the world's rarest rhino is still in dire straits.  It's a first for this particular male, who's brother has already sired a calf in Indonesia.  Still, when an animal is this close to the edge of extinction, it feels like every single birth is an act of defiance, fighting back and refusing to accept the loss as inevitable.  

Planning Around Animals

I was on my way to a meeting today.

There's nothing that unusual about that - I feel like I spend more of my time in meetings than I do anything tangentially animal related.  I think that I actually calculated that, based on the amount of time I spend in them, I will probably die in the middle of a staff meeting someday.  

It wasn't going to be this meeting, however.  I was about halfway across the zoo to the meeting place when I got a text saying that it needed to be postponed.  There were some issues with an animal introduction under progress, and my fellow meeting attendees needed to focus on that.

They say, "Man plans, God laughs."  Perhaps.  But the animals laugh louder, I think.  I've come to realize over the years how mind-bogglingly difficult it can be to schedule things around animals.  I find this to be especially stressful, because I really like to have things planned out and scheduled.  My (human) coworkers are pretty unreliable on this front, even when the animals are removed from the equation.  

Still, it can be almost impossible to plan things around the animals themselves.  This includes things that are rather difficult to reschedule, such as transports and medical procedures.  Against such uncertainty, what chance does a run of the mill staff meeting have?  I've had meetings that have had to have been rescheduled four or five times before they actually happen.

There's a lot of wonderful things about life in the zoo.  Reliability is, alas, seldom one of those.  Punctuality and predictability aren't either.

On the Trail of the Snail

I first learned about the Partula snails (there are many species, but only one, the Polynesian tree snail, is kept in the US, so it's usually just referred to as the Partula snail) long before I saw one.  I was browsing my campus bookstore back in college (those being the days when college bookstores sold books), when I came across a book on zoos, one that would soon become one of my favorites ever. Dr. Jeff Bonner’s Sailingwith Noah was full of fascinating anecdotes from the world of zoos, some of which were old news to me, some were brand new.  This was a brand new one/

Dr. Bonner devoted a chapter of his book to the story of the snails, which I thought was one of the most interesting and compelling conservation stories I’d heard.  So interested was I in the snails that, more than once over the course of my career, I looked into getting the snails to exhibit at zoos that I worked at.  I would have loved to also have obtained some of the African giant land snails as well for education animals, but that was a no-go with the permitting authorities, so I’ve never seen one of those giants.  Ultimately, I found enthusiasm for working with snails to be somewhat... limited among many of my colleagues and institutional leadership, so none of these projects ever went anywhere.

Despite my interest in the snails, however, it took me a long time to actually see one.  Only a half-dozen US zoos have them and, pretty though they may be, they aren’t the easiest animals to create a visually appealing exhibit for.  Usually, they are  housed on paper towels in little plastic totes.  Easily overlooked in a zoo setting, just as they were in the wild.

I finally got my chance just l recently when I visited the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.  There wasn’t as much time to explore the zoo as I would have liked, and I was very eager to see the snails.  I spent too much time going in circles around the small insect house, convinced that’s where I would find them, before I realized that they were actually in a separate building just down the path.  There, in the Tree Snail Laboratory display, I saw my first Partula snails.  

Some were sticking to the front of the glass viewing window, which Dr. Bonner assures his readers is the sign of a happy snail.  I was happy to be able to get a picture and appreciate them – they were beautiful, though even tinier than I expected, about the size of a pea.  Woodland Park is a gorgeous zoo of incredible exhibits, that I'll write about in turn, but of all of the animals and exhibits there, few made me as happy as those little snails stuck to the front of their window.

Species Fact Profile: Polynesian Tree Snail (Partula nodosa)

                                                                   Polynesian Tree Snail

                                                       Partula nodosa (Pfeiffer, 1851)

Range: Tahiti, French Polynesia (formerly: now extinct in the wild)

Habitat:  Forested slopes and valleys of volcanic islands

Diet: Decaying Plant Matter

Social Grouping:  Asocial

Reproduction: Cross-fertilizing hermaphrodites (self-fertilization rarely occurs).  Courtship consists of slowly approaching each other and making appropriate gestures, after which both animals will leave pregnant.  Give birth to live young, about 1-2 millimeters, growing to adulthood at 3-6 months of age.  Four life stages, largely identified by size – newborn, juvenile, sub-adult, and adult

Lifespan: 5-6 Years

      Conservation Status: IUCN Extinct in the Wild

• Partulid snails range from 1-2.5 centimeters in length.  Shells are spirals of grey, brown, white
• Primarily feeds at night. Daytime hours spent sticking to underside of leaves in shade to prevent drying out
• Has also been listed as a subspecies of Partula affinis (Partula affinis nodosa), but generally recognized as a separate species
• Historically there was some use of the shells in necklace making, but little significant trade
• Primary cause of decline is predation from the introduced carnivorous snail Euglandina rosea (rosy wolf snail) in 1977, which was in turn introduced to the islands to control the also-invasive giant African land snail (Lissacatina fulica), which was introduced as a human food source in 1967 but quickly became an agricultural pest.  Between the 1970s and 1990s, approximately two-thirds of the Partula snails were driven to extinction.  Today 56 of the 72 species are extinct, with an additional 10 only surviving in captivity. 26 surviving snails were collected from wild, sent to Detroit Zoo for nexus of captive breeding program
• Reintroduction efforts began in 2016 and were in place prior to the COVID pandemic, then placed on hold – hope to restart in the near future.  Reintroduction consists of erecting predator-proof barriers, removing invasive snails, and gradually expanding the safe zone
• The genus Partula has been used to study adaptive radiation in islands, similar to Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos Islands.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!  As with every year, a big "Thank you" to the keeper and other professionals who were out at work today, some of them far from home and family.  Under the best of circumstances, your coworkers become your second family, and I've had many enjoyable holiday meals far from home with my colleagues... but it can often be tough to be so far removed from what, for many people, is a day defined by family.  Your hard work and sacrifice is appreciated by everyone (even the animals, even if they don't always show it!)

You Can't Spell Gratitude without Rat

It's a repost, but it's one of my favorite Thanksgiving videos so why not?  Enjoy these pouched rats sitting down to their miniature Thanksgiving feast at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium!

So Furry a Fish

Fish and aquatic invertebrates may form the bulk of an aquarium's collection, but the stars are usually the small number of air-breathing animals.  Sea turtles are immensely popular with the public, and many aquariums have penguins, but mammals, as always, are the ultimate crowd pleasers.  Marine mammals, such as seals, sea lions, and dolphins, are enormous draws - but they also come with a lot of expenses, permits, regulatory oversight, and, in the case of the later, controversy.

Probably not the surprising, then, that many smaller aquariums, as well as nature centers, feature the North American river otter as their star attraction.

NAROs, as they are often referred to in the zoo community, have a lot going for them as exhibit animals.  They are widely recognizable (at least as otters - I've heard a distressing number of visitors call them sea otters), found across virtually all of North America (so wherever your facility is, they can be displayed as a local native species), and are easily obtained, either from other facilities, from rehabbers, or, in some cases, from trappers.  Though aquatic, they are *not* marine mammals, so the legal and regulatory business of keeping them is far simpler than it is for, say, sea otters.  They are engaging, active, charismatic, and absolutely beloved by the public.

The downside of this, unfortunately, they show up in circumstances that they shouldn't be.

I wasn't dazzled by Oklahoma Aquarium's otter exhibit, but it wasn't the worst I've seen, and has been regrettably in keeping with some nature/science museum otter displays I've seen.  Indoors, hardscaped (lacking in softer natural elements, and with a reduced land area, the primary focus being on a pool with underwater viewing to provide up-close views with guests and otters.

River otters are one of those species that, with basic care, will "do ok" in zoos - they'll live long lives, be healthy, eat the diet, reproduce with some regularity - but "doing ok"  should be our baseline, not our end goal.  In order to thrive, otters need a habitat that is large enough and complex enough to engage in a variety of natural behaviors - not just swimming.  A big part of that, I feel, is the provision of a suitably large and suitably diverse land area - I've seen otters dig in the dirt, roll around in leaf litter, and even climb trees.  Being outdoors gives them exposure to a variety of stimuli, from the changing temperatures and light patterns to rainfall and snow to chance encounters with native wildlife, such as birds flying overhead or into the enclosure.

A lot of this is true for all animals - the benefit obtained from more complex, diverse habitats is obvious to many species.  It just seems to be that river otters, victims of their own popularity, perhaps, are one species that often seems to get the short end of the stick.