ANNUAL REPORT 2006 - Denver Zoo

supported endeavors included the effectsof climate change on boreal toads in Alaska(Dr. Sanjay Pyare); African wild dog ecologyin Botswana (Megan Parker); Asian elephantecology and population status in Myanmar(Dr. Chris Wemmer); blue sheep ecologyin China (Dr. Rich Harris); Andean bearbiogeography in Venezuela (ShaenandhoaGarcia-Rangel); black bear ecology andmovement patterns in Mexico (Dr. CarlosLópez Gonzalez); volcano rabbit ecologyin Mexico (Enrique Martinez Meyer);and brown hyena ecology in Botswana(Glyn Maude). Our annual Denver ZooConservation Award went to Dr. Susan Clarkfor her life-long work and dedication to thescientific understanding and conservationof wildlife around the world.Higher Education, Publications,and LecturesIn 2006, we were proud to create a newthree-year Post-Doctoral Fellowship andhire an outstanding young ConservationBiologist, Dr. Siva Sundaresan, who receivedhis Ph.D. from Princeton University underthe supervision of Dr. Dan Rubenstein.Dr. Sundaresan will be working on acollaborative project examining Grevy’szebra - lion interactions in Kenya. We alsocreated a new internship to help with thedepartment’s growing needs in GeographicInformation Systems (GIS). We continuedour strong partnership with the Universityof Denver (DU), where Dr. Reading andDr. Augeri are Associate ResearchProfessors. Drs. Reading and Augeri taughta graduate seminar on Island Biogeographyfor DU and took on a new DU Master’sstudent who is examining the effects ofprairie dogs on bird biodiversity in urbanfragments around Denver. We also beganserving on the committee for a new Master’sstudent who is examining Asian elephanttranslocations in Peninsular Malaysia viathe University of Rhode Island. Dr. Readingalso serves as Adjunct Faculty at ColoradoState University (CSU) and the Universityof Montana and Dr. Augeri serves asan Adjunct Faculty member at CSU andUniversity of Rhode Island. Internationally,Dr. Augeri co-supervised four Ph.D. studentsat the University of Cambridge, UK andDr. Reading co-supervised a Ph.D. student atthe University of Bristol and a Ph.D. studentat the University of Oxford, UK. Overall, Richand Dave served on graduate committeesfor ten Ph.D. and M.Sc. students from NorthAmerica, South America, Southeast Asia,and Europe.The Department of Conservation Biologyalso continued to actively publish and givelectures to publicize our work and increasescientific knowledge. Zoo staff and ResearchAssociates gave 33 invited presentationsand produced 41 publications in 2006. TheDepartment also had several photographspublished in magazines and calendars.Our work could not have beenaccomplished without the assistance of ourmany collaborators, sponsors, contributors,and financial supporters. We expressour most heartfelt gratitude to all thosewho provided support to our programs,including several other departments withinDenver Zoo.Far Left | Dr. Rich Reading, Director of Conservation Biology,examines a lesser kestrel at the zoo’s Ikh Nart Nature Reserve researchsite in Mongolia.Left | Dr. Dave Kenny, Senior Veterinarian, prepares to release anargali sheep recently radio collared and tagged as part of Denver Zoo’songoing Mongolian research program.Right | Dr. Dave Augeri, Conservation Biology Coordinator, trainsfield staff working on a Sumatran elephant research project.24Far Right | Denver Zoo’s Mongolian research program hasbeen expanded to include work with small carnivores includingmarbled polecat.