ZOONOOZ August 2015
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inside august <strong>2015</strong><br />
Mammal of Mystery:<br />
Devi the Hippo Calf<br />
Boy or girl? Funani knew,<br />
but everyone else would<br />
have to wait to find out!<br />
wildlife<br />
A Pollinator<br />
Problem: How Do<br />
You Value a Bee?<br />
Honeybees, native bees,<br />
and other pollinators are<br />
under threat. Find out<br />
what you can do to help!
conservation<br />
more<br />
From the Archives<br />
New Digs for Dholes<br />
A pack of Asiatic wild dogs has taken up residence in the Safari Park’s<br />
former tiger exhibit, and to their pleasure, they have the run of the place!<br />
explore<br />
Support<br />
Through the Lens<br />
Keeping Flamingos<br />
in the Pink at the Zoo<br />
The once-a-year flamingo roundup<br />
is carefully choreographed to make<br />
sure the flock stays healthy.<br />
Furniture Makes the Home<br />
—Even for Animals!<br />
From logs to tree trunks to root<br />
balls, the Horticulture Department<br />
provides animals with the best<br />
seat in the house.<br />
Chairman’s Note<br />
You Said It<br />
on the cover: East African river hippopotamus calf Hippopotamus amphibius kiboko<br />
©Ken Bohn, SDZG Photographer
chairman’s note<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL<br />
OFFICERS<br />
Robert B. Horsman, Chairman<br />
Sandra A. Brue, Vice Chairman<br />
Judith A. Wheatley, Secretary<br />
Steven G. Tappan, Treasurer<br />
CALIFORNIA IS FACING UNPRECEDENTED DROUGHT CONDITIONS. As a conservation organization,<br />
we at San Diego Zoo Global continue to do our part and place an emphasis on recycling and<br />
reusing water. Overall, our organization recycles more than 16 million gallons of water annually, and we<br />
have an active employee task force that continues to seek ways to increase that amount.<br />
At the Safari Park, we have an onsite water treatment plant that processes and recycles 100 percent of<br />
the Park’s wastewater, which is then reused for irrigation in the large field exhibits. We are currently applying<br />
for funding to upgrade this system from secondary treatment of wastewater to tertiary treatment,<br />
which will make the water available for even more uses. We use direct site drip-line irrigation in watering<br />
our plant collections, landscaping, and browse sources, which brings water directly to the base of the plants<br />
where it is needed.<br />
At the Zoo, we collect rainwater in reclamation gutters and in 6 rain barrels located strategically<br />
throughout the grounds, which can capture 3,500 gallons for various uses. You can see one of the rain<br />
barrels at the Queenslander House in Australian Outback and read information about the importance<br />
of water conservation. The Zoo’s ponds and pools are equipped with extensive filtration and recycling<br />
units, so they rarely need to be drained and refilled. For instance, the hippo pool has only been drained<br />
twice in the last 20 years. During the month of June this year, the Zoo reduced its water use by 17.1 percent,<br />
exceeding the 16-percent reduction goal from the City of San Diego.<br />
All of our facilities implement a wide variety of ways to conserve water, including cleaning with tools<br />
rather than hoses, installing low-flow toilets, waterless urinals, and motion-detecting sink faucets in<br />
restrooms, and tracking and quickly fixing any leaks. We use drought-tolerant plants, mulching, and<br />
xeriscape methods in our general landscaping, and our employees practice conscientious water use in all<br />
our office areas. Signs and graphic panels also inform visitors about what San Diego Zoo Global is doing<br />
to reduce and reuse water.<br />
On grounds and in education programs at the Zoo and Safari Park, we share water conservation<br />
information and techniques with our guests that they can use at home, such as sweeping and using<br />
blowers to clean patios and sidewalks instead of hosing them with water. The Safari Park’s Biofiltration<br />
Wetland serves as an outdoor classroom, where thousands of schoolchildren participate each year in<br />
hands-on water programs that teach the importance of preserving this precious resource. San Diego<br />
Zoo Global partners with the San Diego County Water Authority to promote the “When in Drought”<br />
communications campaign, which gives San Diegans tips on how to save water. We have also hosted<br />
water conservation workshops for local water agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and the public.<br />
Everyone needs water, and it will take all of us working together to conserve it. Every drop counts,<br />
now more than ever.<br />
Robert B. Horsman<br />
Chairman<br />
Every drop<br />
counts<br />
BOARD OF TRUSTEES<br />
M. Javade Chaudhri<br />
Berit N. Durler<br />
Richard B. Gulley<br />
Clifford W. Hague<br />
Linda Lowenstine, D.V.M., Ph.D.<br />
George A. Ramirez<br />
Patricia L. Roscoe<br />
TRUSTEES EMERITI<br />
Frank C. Alexander<br />
Kurt Benirschke, M.D.<br />
Thompson Fetter<br />
Bill L. Fox<br />
Frederick A. Frye, M.D.<br />
George L. Gildred<br />
Yvonne W. Larsen<br />
John M. Thornton<br />
Albert Eugene Trepte<br />
Betty Jo F. Williams<br />
James Lauth,<br />
General Counsel<br />
Douglas G. Myers,<br />
President/CEO<br />
Charles L. Bieler,<br />
Executive Director Emeritus<br />
THE FOUNDATION OF<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL<br />
OFFICERS<br />
Murray H. Hutchison, Chair<br />
Maryanne C. Pfister, Vice Chair<br />
Susan N. McClellan, Secretary<br />
Richard M. Hills, Treasurer<br />
Mark A. Stuart, President<br />
Robert B. Horsman, Ex officio<br />
Douglas G. Myers, Ex officio<br />
BOARD OF DIRECTORS<br />
Christine L. Andrews<br />
Joye D. Blount<br />
Rick Bregman<br />
Lisa S. Casey<br />
Douglas Dawson<br />
Berit N. Durler, Ex officio<br />
U. Bertram Ellis, Jr.<br />
Arthur E. Engel<br />
Craig L. Grosvenor<br />
Michael Hammes<br />
Judith C. Harris<br />
Michael E. Kassan<br />
Susan B. Major<br />
Michael D. McKinnon<br />
Thomas Tull<br />
Margie Warner<br />
Ed Wilson<br />
4 <strong>ZOONOOZ</strong> n AUGUST <strong>2015</strong>
Members get up close<br />
FREE all year long!<br />
Start your membership today. Call 619-718-3000<br />
or visit sandiegozoo.org<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL n SANDIEGOZOO.ORG<br />
5
through the lens<br />
Photo by Ken Bohn<br />
SDZG PHOTOGRAPHER<br />
Caribbean<br />
flamingo<br />
Phoenicopterus<br />
ruber ruber
sandiegozoo.org/zoonooz
you said it<br />
Join our friends @sdzglobal & write “Stop<br />
Killing Rhinos” on your hand & tweet it<br />
using #rally4rhinos. Please RT. @Chargers<br />
Where’s the tiger Dada<br />
@sdzsafaripark fun!<br />
pablo_law<br />
Another wonderful visit to the park yesterday.<br />
Your staff was helpful and so knowledgeable<br />
about the animals, as usual. So glad to be a member and<br />
able to visit often. Best investment!!! Beverly Hilton<br />
Another beautiful day @sdzsafaripark! Big thanks<br />
to Aaron for a great behind-the-scenes tour.<br />
#stopkillingrhinos @CAO916<br />
6<br />
<strong>ZOONOOZ</strong> n AUGUST <strong>2015</strong>
Most amazing experience<br />
at San Diego Zoo, saw this a<br />
mazing animal #soSweet #orangutan<br />
@sandiegozoo @actornicole<br />
Backstage Pass was awesome, during our son’s Make-A-Wish trip last year. His<br />
favorite animal was a tiger and we got to meet Connor, and his mom is Mek from the<br />
Fresno Chaffee Zoo. We loved the zoo it’s so beautiful can’t wait until we go again someday.<br />
Nancy Navarro<br />
Feeding a giraffe called<br />
Wanda was a highlight of our<br />
visit to @sdzsafaripark #sandiego<br />
@motherofalltrip<br />
Since I was a wee lad, watching<br />
Sat. morning nature shows, I’ve<br />
wanted to come here. Dream come true.<br />
@sandiegozoo @brandoncozart<br />
Feeding the giraffes! #socool<br />
#giraffe #sandiegozoo<br />
brittanyking31<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL n SANDIEGOZOO.ORG<br />
7
10 <strong>ZOONOOZ</strong> n AUGUST <strong>2015</strong><br />
MAMMAL<br />
OF MYSTERY:<br />
DEVI THE<br />
HIPPO CALF
Funani is<br />
always ready<br />
with an<br />
encouraging<br />
“nudge.”<br />
By Peggy Scott<br />
ASSOCIATE EDITOR<br />
Photos by Ken Bohn<br />
SDZG PHOTOGRAPHER<br />
A<br />
s mysteries go, it wasn’t so much a case of<br />
“whodunnit” as “what is it?” It was pretty<br />
clear to keepers on March 23, <strong>2015</strong>, that<br />
Funani the African river hippo had given<br />
birth to a calf. They also knew Otis,<br />
the father, had definitely played a role<br />
in the arrival. But it would be more<br />
than two months before anyone<br />
could answer, with any certainty, whether the pair<br />
had produced a son or a daughter. Funani, of course,<br />
had the information, but she wasn’t telling. Nor was<br />
the notoriously protective mother letting anyone<br />
close enough to get a good enough look. Inquiring<br />
minds—and camera phones—would have to wait.<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL n SANDIEGOZOO.ORG<br />
11
Funani is a famously<br />
protective hippo mom,<br />
and keepers respect<br />
her wishes.
Funani keeps<br />
Devi, her “mini-me,”<br />
right by her side.<br />
Game Changer<br />
With the baby’s birth, hippo keepers knew<br />
that things had just become cuter—and a<br />
bit more complicated. “The arrival of a calf<br />
changes everything,” explains John Michel,<br />
senior keeper. “With a male and female pair,<br />
the routine is for them to go on and off exhibit<br />
together. But add a calf, which must be<br />
kept separate from the father, and the situation<br />
completely changes.”<br />
The youngster’s arrival turned life at the<br />
Zoo’s hippo barn into a game of musical<br />
chairs of sorts. “Otis is out on exhibit in the<br />
pool Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays,”<br />
John says. “Funani and her calf go out Tuesdays,<br />
Thursdays, and weekends.” One aspect,<br />
John notes, did not change. “Funani<br />
runs things. If she doesn’t want to shift off,<br />
she doesn’t,” he explains. “She and the calf<br />
were out in the main exhibit for about two<br />
weeks after she gave birth. Otis moved from<br />
the barn to another outdoor area and back<br />
again during that time. You don’t want to<br />
stress a mother hippo.” John adds that Otis’<br />
personality is a big help during a change of<br />
routine. “He is a laid-back, go-with-the-flow<br />
guy,” John says. “You couldn’t ask for a more<br />
mellow fellow.”<br />
Mom Said No<br />
With Funani, however, “mellow” isn’t usually<br />
the first word that comes to mind. “She<br />
has always been a doting mom,” John says.<br />
“But with this calf, she’s been super protective.”<br />
One reason for her hyper-vigilance, he<br />
muses, might rest with the calf’s size. “Funani<br />
has had 7 calves here at the Zoo in 20<br />
years,” John says. “This calf was the smallest<br />
and a little bit wobbly at first, so maybe<br />
she’s just being extra careful.” During the<br />
early days, Funani kept the calf tucked protectively<br />
under the elephant ear plant at the<br />
edge of their pool, always positioning herself<br />
between her baby and the viewing glass.<br />
She would frequently nurse the baby up on<br />
the beach toward the back of the exhibit,<br />
keeping one wary eye on her adoring public.<br />
The only individuals deemed acceptable,<br />
besides her keepers? A mother mallard who<br />
was also raising a family in the hippo exhibit.<br />
“One afternoon, the ducklings were napping<br />
on Funani’s back, which was the only<br />
part of her showing above the surface of the<br />
pool,” John recalls. “It was quite a sight.”<br />
Funani’s sensitivity, combined with her<br />
species’ natural behaviors, made the gender<br />
guessing game even more challenging. A<br />
14 <strong>ZOONOOZ</strong> n AUGUST <strong>2015</strong>
Funani kept<br />
her baby safely<br />
tucked under<br />
the elephant<br />
ear plant at the<br />
pool’s edge.<br />
Play fighting is one<br />
way calves learn<br />
about hippo life.<br />
water-loving creature, the hippo’s habit of<br />
spending up to 16 hours a day submerged<br />
earned it its name, a Greek word that means<br />
“river horse.” Well, you may be able to lead<br />
a horse to water, but you can’t make a river<br />
horse show you its calf! By the time keepers<br />
started looking for “clues,” the calf was<br />
already able to push up to the surface of the<br />
pool. This meant the chance for a good look<br />
as Funani nudged the baby upward against<br />
the exhibit glass had already passed them<br />
by. “It was pretty funny to see us trying to<br />
get a peek,” John recalls. “There we were,<br />
crouched along the glass with our cellphone<br />
cameras, trying to get a definitive photo.”<br />
And as senior keeper Jen Chapman noted<br />
in a blog about Funani’s baby, sometimes<br />
nature works against you. Those wrinkles in<br />
a baby hippo’s skin? Yes, they’re adorable—<br />
but they can also “often hide certain characteristics<br />
we are looking for in determining<br />
gender!” she wrote.<br />
It’s a Girl—and an Honor<br />
Once “Bellywatch <strong>2015</strong>” finally paid off, the<br />
calf was at last determined to be female.<br />
Picking a suitable name was the next step.<br />
The hippo crew had wanted to pay tribute<br />
to David Smith, a much-beloved fellow<br />
keeper, but when the calf turned out<br />
to be a girl, his coworkers researched the<br />
feminized version of his name: Devi. The<br />
name fits in more ways than one. “Devi<br />
also means ‘goddess’ in Hindi, which is<br />
very fitting— since many of us were kneeling<br />
in front of the viewing glass, as if<br />
genuflecting, while we’d try to get a glimpse<br />
of her belly!” Jen wrote.<br />
These days, Devi has grown into her own<br />
and filled out nicely. She follows her mother<br />
around and willingly approaches her keepers.<br />
Funani has relaxed a bit, but she still<br />
tries to stay in front of Devi and guide her.<br />
Mother and daughter are interacting with<br />
their neighbors, the okapis and duikers, and<br />
Devi’s confidence grows each day—along<br />
with her personality. Jen calls the connection<br />
Devi has with her mom “amazing,”<br />
and the little one is developing into a wellrounded<br />
hippo—in every sense of the word!<br />
There’s a new routine at the hippo barn<br />
these days, one that brings smiles to the<br />
keepers’ faces. “We open the gate for Funani<br />
and Devi to come in and here they are, trotting<br />
toward us, looking like the Clydesdale<br />
and the Chihuahua,” John says. “How could<br />
it be cuter?” n 15<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL n SANDIEGOZOO.ORG
16 <strong>ZOONOOZ</strong> n AUGUST <strong>2015</strong>
By Paige Howorth<br />
ANIMAL CARE MANAGER, ENTOMOLOGY<br />
Photos by Tammy Spratt<br />
SDZG PHOTOGRAPHER<br />
istory holds many lessons; bits of knowledge that can be applied to situations seemingly unlike<br />
the original event. Take Black Tuesday, the day of the catastrophic crash of the stock<br />
market in 1929 and the Great Depression that followed. I remember learning about that<br />
in history class, and it was also presented as a warning and a caution to be vigilant—not<br />
just regarding stocks and bonds but as a metaphor for paying attention to signs of trouble<br />
in any situation before there’s a crash. Well, entomologists are seeing that it’s almost Black<br />
Tuesday for bees. I can’t help but wonder: are we writing the script now for a future without them, and how<br />
will humans deal with the consequences?<br />
Pollinators are not as big a concern for<br />
most people as their stock portfolios, but<br />
they should be. Since we have not “hit bottom”<br />
yet—and there’s no index to tell us<br />
how close we are—it is easy to leave the<br />
worry for another day. But rest assured, the<br />
warning bells are ringing. Pollinators like<br />
bees, butterflies, beetles, and flies are in<br />
crisis worldwide, suffering from pesticide<br />
exposure, habitat loss, and disease. Pollinators<br />
make fertilization possible for many<br />
plants; without them, food as we know it<br />
would simply not exist. No fruits, veggies,<br />
peanut butter, or chocolate—and that’s just<br />
a start. If this sounds like the same old story<br />
you hear about humans and nature all<br />
the time, stay with me a little longer. This<br />
is more than another wildlife-in-crisis story,<br />
and I guarantee that it will affect you<br />
personally—and definitely financially—if<br />
people stay on the current course.<br />
What is the cause of this alarming decline?<br />
Most of the reasons have to do with<br />
urbanization and agriculture. While those<br />
may seem only marginally related to you<br />
and me, the reality is that our culture results<br />
from our choices—and the market<br />
always follows demand.<br />
Pesticides<br />
ll insects are affected by contact<br />
with insecticides. A newer class<br />
of systemic insecticides called<br />
neonicotinoids has been shown<br />
to severely affect bee health. In agriculture,<br />
this type of insecticide is most often<br />
applied as a seed coating, and the insect<br />
nerve poison subsequently shows up in<br />
The last pair of hind legs on a honeybee is adapted to shape and carry a pollen pellet as<br />
the bee goes about its daily foraging.
The pollen caught among<br />
the tiny hairs on these<br />
honeybees’ bodies will<br />
be brushed off when<br />
they visit another flower,<br />
effectively crosspollinating<br />
the plant.
every tissue as the plant grows: leaf, stem,<br />
pollen, and nectar.<br />
As a result, though the insecticide is<br />
targeted at “pest” insects, there can be<br />
serious consequences for any insect that<br />
visits the plant for nectar or pollen. Some<br />
need only be present when the planting<br />
occurs, since some of the chemical seed<br />
coating is released as crop “dust” in agricultural<br />
plantings. The effects of these<br />
pesticide exposures include immediate<br />
death by contact, but some are sublethal,<br />
meaning that the animal does not die<br />
right away but experiences disorientation,<br />
loss of navigational ability, paralysis, and<br />
even memory loss as the result of contact.<br />
This is not just an agricultural issue;<br />
many products containing this type of<br />
insecticide can be found in local home<br />
improvement stores for landscaping use.<br />
Federal regulations govern the concentrations<br />
of these poisons used in agriculture,<br />
yet there are no restrictions for home use,<br />
and that sets up a dangerous scenario.<br />
Consumers often do not follow the instructions<br />
for application and the concentrations<br />
can be many times higher than<br />
federal regulations allow. This means<br />
more of the poison finds its way to bees<br />
and other animals through gardens and<br />
runoff from irrigation.<br />
It is important to note here that the<br />
majority of research on pesticide effects<br />
in pollinators has been conducted in honeybees<br />
because they are managed commercially,<br />
making them more accessible<br />
and measurable. Since their biology is<br />
very similar to that of native bees, we can<br />
assume that the damaging effects from<br />
pesticides are also suffered by native bees.<br />
Why are native bees important? Because<br />
no pollinator serves our plants better.<br />
Native bees have evolved alongside<br />
the flowering plants that they pollinate,<br />
and they are usually much better at it<br />
than non-native honeybees. It’s easy for<br />
honeybees to get all the attention, because<br />
they are used in commercial agriculture<br />
and are relatively easy to study.<br />
But native bees such as mason bees, mining<br />
bees, and leafcutter bees have been<br />
quietly carrying their weight in our ecosystems<br />
for millennia.<br />
Some bees have a different way of transporting pollen. This female masked bee, Hylaeus<br />
sp. is about to concentrate a drop of nectar to make it easier to carry back to her nest.<br />
By drawing the droplet in and out of her mouth repeatedly, moisture evaporates and the<br />
nectar becomes more of a pellet than a drop. She will then swallow it and regurgitate it<br />
back at the nest. Masked bees are a solitary species that often uses old burrows of other<br />
insect species for a nest.<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL n SANDIEGOZOO.ORG<br />
19
Measuring a mere 13/64 inches (5 millimeters) long, sweat bees Lasioglossum sp.—a native bee—are the largest group of bees; small<br />
but mighty indeed!<br />
Habitat Matters<br />
s human populations grow, less<br />
space remains for native pollinators<br />
to thrive. Overgrown spaces<br />
with wildflowers, weeds, and nesting<br />
sites are disappearing, banished in favor<br />
of manicured lawns that eliminate key nectar<br />
and pollen sources—like dandelions—<br />
and encourage pesticide use. Agricultural<br />
practices also alter land that was once suitable<br />
pollinator habitat. Instead of a diversity<br />
of nectar and pollen sources, acreage is<br />
filled with insecticide- and herbicide-laden<br />
monocultures as far as the eye can see.<br />
Two types of genetically modified (GM)<br />
crops are routinely used in agriculture.<br />
One is an insect-resistant type, in which a<br />
bacterium that is lethal to certain chewing<br />
insects is incorporated into the genome of<br />
the plant, and the target insect species are<br />
killed when they feed on the plant. The second<br />
is an herbicide-resistant variety, which<br />
is definitely a problem for pollinators, especially<br />
butterflies and bees. In herbicide-resistant<br />
GM crops, the plants are engineered<br />
to be resistant to applications of certain<br />
herbicides. They can withstand repeated<br />
applications of herbicide, which kills all the<br />
flowering weeds surrounding the planted<br />
area—the ones the pollinators depend on.<br />
This is of particular concern for monarch<br />
butterflies, whose larval host plant is<br />
milkweed. Milkweed thrives in disturbed<br />
habitats and has historically been found<br />
adjacent to crops. Most people are familiar<br />
with the epic migration of the eastern monarch<br />
butterfly population to the oyamel fir<br />
tree forests of Central Mexico. Over the past<br />
few years, the count of overwintering monarchs<br />
in the protected reserves has revealed<br />
a catastrophic drop—down an incredible 90<br />
percent from the 20-year average and standing<br />
at an all-time historical low since the<br />
migration was discovered in the 1970s. Lack<br />
of available host plants due to GM-related<br />
herbicide application has been identified as<br />
a key factor in this staggering decline.<br />
Disease<br />
here are a great many parasites<br />
and pathogens that burden pollinators,<br />
and the ones causing<br />
the most damage are introduced<br />
species. Native bumblebees suffer from a<br />
20 <strong>ZOONOOZ</strong> n AUGUST <strong>2015</strong>
The estimated<br />
percentage of the<br />
animal and plant<br />
products in our<br />
diets that can be<br />
traced, both directly<br />
and indirectly, to<br />
insect pollination.<br />
Direct pollination includes everything from<br />
cucumbers to squash, coffee to basil, strawberries<br />
to cantaloupes, cashews, and everything in<br />
between. Indirect pollination includes the insectpollinated<br />
foods like alfalfa and clover that we<br />
feed to our livestock (from which we get milk,<br />
eggs, and meat).<br />
The percentage of<br />
decline in overwintering<br />
monarch butterflies in<br />
the Central Mexican<br />
butterfly preserves<br />
from the 20-year average,<br />
as measured in the winter<br />
of 2013-2014.<br />
The percentage<br />
of the Earth’s<br />
flowering plants<br />
that depend<br />
on insect<br />
pollination<br />
to set seed or<br />
produce fruit.<br />
The dollar<br />
value of insectpollinated<br />
crops in the<br />
United States.<br />
The percentage of<br />
managed honeybee<br />
colony losses<br />
experienced<br />
by beekeepers in<br />
the US in<br />
the April 2014-<br />
April <strong>2015</strong> year.<br />
Beekeeping is a tough business, and the rewards<br />
grow smaller each year. At this time, there are only<br />
about 2.5 million commercial honeybee colonies<br />
in the United States. For perspective, it takes 1.6<br />
million colonies to pollinate the annual California<br />
almond crop alone.<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL n SANDIEGOZOO.ORG 21
The native bee house<br />
at the Zoo shows a<br />
number of ways humans<br />
can provide nesting<br />
habitat for bees.<br />
A bundle of cut<br />
bamboo culms<br />
makes a good<br />
nesting option for<br />
some bees.<br />
22<br />
<strong>ZOONOOZ</strong> n AUGUST <strong>2015</strong><br />
Different types of bees seek<br />
out holes of various diameter<br />
and depth. Use the Internet<br />
to determine which species<br />
you may have in your area and<br />
what their preferences are.<br />
A log with holes<br />
drilled into the end<br />
is another way to<br />
invite native bees to<br />
nest in your yard.<br />
PHOTO BY KEN BOHN,SDZG
non-native fungal disease, while honeybees<br />
struggle with introduced ectoparasites such<br />
as varroa mites and fungal infestations from<br />
nosema spores.<br />
A combination of all these—and probably<br />
other—factors has created the phenomenon<br />
known as Colony Collapse Disorder,<br />
which is decimating honeybee colonies in<br />
the United States. The precise cause is still<br />
unknown because the bees simply disappear,<br />
taking the evidence with them. But<br />
one thing is clear: life is hard for honeybees<br />
these days.<br />
Choose and Tell<br />
he magnitude of the problem<br />
makes it seem like there is no<br />
stopping it, but the reality is that<br />
a steady stream of small choices<br />
can help turn the tide. Once the threats to<br />
pollinators are understood, everyone can<br />
contribute to the solution by making different<br />
choices.<br />
At the San Diego Zoo, we are committed<br />
to helping pollinators recover. We’re spreading<br />
the word about the pollinator crisis in our<br />
education programs and through advocacy<br />
of the Pollinator Garden, which is located<br />
at the entrance to Elephant Odyssey. This<br />
beautiful space is dedicated to helping sustain<br />
bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, flies,<br />
and beetles by providing a steady supply of<br />
pesticide-free nectar and host plants, as well<br />
as suitable living spaces for native bees.<br />
The Pollinator Garden also hosts a monarch<br />
waystation. This area includes a dedicated<br />
section of native milkweed available for<br />
monarch butterflies to lay eggs from spring<br />
through fall, helping to boost the West Coast<br />
population. Monarchs have deservedly been<br />
in the spotlight recently; they have been advocated<br />
for endangered species protections due<br />
to their alarming decline and the potential<br />
threat to the eastern population. In one response<br />
to the 2014 Presidential Memorandum<br />
“Creating a Federal Strategy to Promote the<br />
Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators,”<br />
the federal government has recently set aside<br />
almost $2.5 million for monarch butterfly<br />
habitat restoration and educational outreach.<br />
The monarch is a highly recognizable,<br />
iconic species—and many more species<br />
need our help. As a result, we have just fin-<br />
Pollinators need more than<br />
just one organization’s<br />
efforts: they need<br />
your help, too. Just<br />
as numerous bees<br />
contributing a bit<br />
of nectar to a<br />
hive creates an<br />
abundance<br />
of honey,<br />
each seemingly<br />
small choice and<br />
effort an individual<br />
person makes builds<br />
momentum in pollinator<br />
conservation.<br />
BUY ORGANIC: If you don’t currently buy any organic foods or clothing,<br />
think about picking even one item the next time you visit the store. You could<br />
potentially lower the demand for crops produced using pesticides and reduce<br />
the overall application (over one BILLION pounds yearly in the US) of these chemicals.<br />
STEM THE GM: Even if you don’t care whether or not you eat genetically<br />
modified crops, buying GM food supports the practice of widespread<br />
herbicide application in agriculture and the resulting decimation of pollinator<br />
habitat. Organic items cannot intentionally include GM crops; those labeled “Non<br />
GMO” have been positively determined not to contain them. One non-GM item in<br />
your basket is a small step in the right direction for pollinators.<br />
BUILD YOUR WAYSTATION: Create a habitat in your yard, garden, or<br />
flowerbox that invites pollinators. Plant some milkweed for monarchs and<br />
include other plants that attract and sustain pollinators. Some great planting<br />
information can be found online; just search for “pollinator garden.”<br />
AVOID PESTICIDE USE AT HOME: See aphids on your outdoor plants?<br />
Wait a few weeks, and you are likely to see them disappear into the mouths<br />
of hungry ladybugs! Hold off on the pesticides, and give the natural system<br />
a chance to find its balance. If you must use pesticides, read the manufacturer’s<br />
instructions for the recommended concentration and only use it at or below that level.<br />
LET PART OF YOUR YARD GO WILD FOR POLLINATORS: Long,<br />
overgrown grasses create a perfect habitat for nesting and overwintering<br />
native bees, and flowering weeds are a staple nectar and pollen source for<br />
bees and butterflies. Keep in mind that most native bees are solitary and do not sting<br />
readily. They are good, safe neighbors—especially if you have a garden.<br />
HELP SPREAD THE WORD: Most people have no idea that the<br />
sustainability of food as we know it is so tightly linked with the health of<br />
pollinators. Share what you know!<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL n SANDIEGOZOO.ORG 23
When a beehive was<br />
discovered in an irrigation<br />
box on the Zoo’ gorilla<br />
habitat roof, the bees<br />
were carefully relocated.<br />
The sweet reward of<br />
honey straight from the<br />
comb went to the gorillas<br />
and other primates!<br />
24 <strong>ZOONOOZ</strong> n AUGUST <strong>2015</strong><br />
PHOTO BY PAIGE HOWORTH,SDZG
Monarch butterflies have been in the spotlight lately due to an alarming decline in their numbers.<br />
ished construction on a facility for rearing<br />
lesser-known imperiled San Diego butterfly<br />
species. We are working collaboratively<br />
with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in<br />
giving some of these endangered pollinators<br />
a population boost in the near future. If you<br />
have never heard of the quino checkerspot<br />
butterfly, the Hermes copper, or the Laguna<br />
Mountains skipper, it is our hope that you<br />
will learn about them through the efforts of<br />
the San Diego Zoo’s Butterfly Conservation<br />
Lab—stay tuned!<br />
Beyond butterflies, honeybees also get a<br />
hand here at the Zoo. They gather in swarms<br />
while looking for a new home, and when<br />
they swarm in undesirable spots at the Zoo,<br />
we find them a more suitable place to go.<br />
For the past two years, we have been maintaining<br />
honeybee colonies on grounds and<br />
do live removals of swarms and established<br />
hives in problem places wherever possible.<br />
Raising Voices, Rising Action<br />
ollinators are at a crossroads, and<br />
it seems that their advocates are<br />
being heard at long last. In 2013,<br />
This female leafcutter bee Lithurgopsis<br />
apicalis has already gathered<br />
a good load of pollen but still seeks more.<br />
A honeybee Apis mellifera and a green<br />
sweat bee Agapostemon texanus share the<br />
bounty of a cactus blossom.<br />
the European Union banned the use of<br />
certain neonicotinoid pesticides for two<br />
years, pending further evaluation of their<br />
effects on pollinators. In our own country,<br />
tireless invertebrate conservation advocates<br />
have facilitated state legislation in<br />
Oregon requiring pollinator education<br />
and testing as part of the pesticide applicator<br />
licensing process, to avoid indiscriminate<br />
use. And there is now a tremendous<br />
focus on the monarch butterfly and<br />
government-wide attention to the pollinator<br />
crisis in general.<br />
Most importantly, pollinators have<br />
YOU. From The Great Sunflower Project to<br />
Bumblebee Watch to Journey North, citizen<br />
science projects for these vital creatures<br />
abound. There has never been a better time<br />
to get involved and help underscore the value<br />
of pollinators. Your choices matter, and<br />
the vibrant, flowering world that we live in<br />
depends on it.<br />
Black Tuesday for bees? Not on our<br />
watch. So find your pollinators, make<br />
your contribution, and help bring back the<br />
buzz! n<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL n SANDIEGOZOO.ORG 25
The pack of eight<br />
dholes is settling<br />
in nicely to their<br />
spacious exhibit at<br />
the Safari Park.<br />
NEW<br />
DIGS<br />
FOR<br />
DHOLES<br />
26 <strong>ZOONOOZ</strong> n AUGUST <strong>2015</strong>
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL n SANDIEGOZOO.ORG<br />
27
Asiatic wild dogs, also called dholes, are energetic and highly social animals.<br />
By Karyl Carmignani<br />
STAFF WRITER<br />
Photos by Ken Bohn<br />
SDZG PHOTOGRAPHER<br />
With a mixture of grace and curiosity, the pack lopes effortlessly throughout its<br />
new three-acre exhibit. Last spring, a family pack of eight Asiatic wild dogs<br />
Cuon alpinus, also called dholes (pronounced “doles”), moved into the former<br />
tiger habitat in the Asian Savanna area at the Safari Park. This is the first time<br />
that Park visitors have been able to see these beautiful wild dogs on exhibit at<br />
the Park. The auburn-colored dholes have erect ears, a dark tail, and a creamy<br />
white underbelly and leg accents, making them both camouflaged and striking<br />
in the grassy, light-dappled exhibit.<br />
Dholes are super-sensitive animals, skittish to the point of potentially overheating under stress. But “this pack surprised<br />
us with their hardy way of adjusting to their new environment and different keepers,” said Tina Hunter, senior<br />
keeper at the Safari Park. Made up of one female and eight males, including Lucius, who is the father of the rest of<br />
the group, the highly social pack has been added to the Park’s Behind-the-Scenes Safaris. “Dholes are unique animals<br />
that most people have never seen before,” said Tina. “They will be an exciting addition to our safaris.”<br />
28 <strong>ZOONOOZ</strong> n AUGUST <strong>2015</strong>
Dhole House<br />
Once the tigers moved into the new Tull<br />
Family Tiger Trail, their former exhibit was<br />
found to be a great habitat for the dholes. The<br />
six separate indoor bedrooms are arranged<br />
in a horseshoe shape. “The tigers, as a solitary<br />
species, weren’t so keen on this arrangement,<br />
but the highly social dholes like to<br />
keep an eye on each other,” explained Tina.<br />
There is a feed chute on each door that was<br />
used to dispense bones and other treats for<br />
the tigers, which also works for dhole treats.<br />
The vast outdoor area of the dhole habitat<br />
needed a few adjustments. “Dholes are great<br />
diggers, so the underground, three-foot barrier<br />
along the fenceline was closely inspected<br />
and reinforced before they moved in,” said<br />
Tina. Dholes are also devoted water lovers,<br />
so the existing pool is a favorite hang-out<br />
spot. “We built a shelter over part of the pool<br />
so the dholes can spend more time in the water,<br />
even when the sun is strongest.”<br />
Dhole Drama<br />
While the keepers are still getting acquainted<br />
with each dog, there is a clear hierarchy<br />
in the group that must be adhered to. “We<br />
always feed them in order of dominance,”<br />
said Tina, which avoids conflicts later. For<br />
instance, Lucius recently lost his top-dog<br />
status to one of his sons, Sanuk, so he is<br />
now fed second. Each animal gets a special<br />
ground-meat canine diet daily and a rabbit<br />
and femur bone weekly. “We hand-feed<br />
them so each animal gets its fair share.” It<br />
can be difficult to tell the dogs apart, aside<br />
from Lucius missing a piece of his ear and<br />
the youngsters lacking white fur on their<br />
chest and feet. But the individuals reveal<br />
themselves in other ways. “We go by behavioral<br />
differences more than physical differences,”<br />
explained Tina. Even that can be<br />
challenging, as “they rarely want to be separated<br />
from one another.”<br />
Dholes are pack-driven animals, and<br />
their keepers are learning the etiquette of<br />
the pack dynamics while also working with<br />
individuals for husbandry purposes. To<br />
maximize animal welfare and healthcare<br />
and minimize stress to the animals, each<br />
dhole—Sanuk, Lucius, Beni, Jetsan, Katsu,<br />
Torma, Kono, and Yoshi—will be schooled<br />
in practical behaviors like station (staying in<br />
Dholes use water<br />
to stay cool and<br />
hydrated. They<br />
enjoy their pool at<br />
the Safari Park!<br />
a particular spot), down, sit, target, rise up,<br />
present paw, and open mouth. This training<br />
is accomplished through positive reinforcement<br />
with rewards, which deepens the<br />
animals’ relationship with their keepers and<br />
keeps the sessions upbeat and constructive.<br />
Dhole Talk<br />
Despite the dholes’ resemblance to domestic<br />
dogs, they are still wild carnivores that deserve<br />
a wide berth. “They can be aggressive,<br />
so we only go in with the young ones,” said<br />
Dholes are unusual animals that few<br />
people have ever seen. They are a part of<br />
the Behind-the-Scenes Safaris at the Park.<br />
Tina, “and always with two keepers.” She<br />
explained that the dhole’s greeting includes<br />
snapping at each other—an expression of<br />
endearment for them, but not so endearing<br />
for humans. Dholes can be quite vocal, too,<br />
calling to keep in touch over short or long<br />
distances, which is handy when they are<br />
cooperatively hunting. Living in close-knit<br />
packs of 5 to 12 dogs—there is one breeding<br />
alpha pair and the rest help tend to the<br />
pups—communication in the form of whistles,<br />
barks, growls, alarm calls, and other<br />
chatter is key.<br />
The International Union for Conservation<br />
of Nature estimates that there are fewer<br />
than 2,500 dholes remaining throughout<br />
their range in Asia, with a downward trend<br />
continuing. Threats include loss of habitat<br />
and prey base (mostly deer and other<br />
hoofed animals), and dholes are listed as<br />
endangered. Besides the Safari Park, only<br />
two other facilities in the US have dholes:<br />
The Wilds in Ohio and the Minnesota Zoo.<br />
San Diego Zoo Global has been breeding<br />
dholes since 2001 in an off-exhibit breeding<br />
site; 20 pups have been born there to 4 different<br />
mothers. Our newest litter of dholes<br />
was born in January <strong>2015</strong>, bringing our<br />
current off-exhibit pack population to 12.<br />
Because of the breeding success, the animal<br />
care staff was able to form the non-breeding<br />
group that has taken up residence in the<br />
Asian Savanna exhibit. So take a Behindthe-Scenes<br />
Safari and check them out. I<br />
double dog dare you! n<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL n SANDIEGOZOO.ORG<br />
29
Keeping<br />
Flamingos<br />
in the Pink<br />
at the Zoo<br />
By Karyl Carmignani<br />
STAFF WRITER<br />
Photos by Ken Bohn<br />
SDZG PHOTOGRAPHER<br />
30 <strong>ZOONOOZ</strong> n AUGUST <strong>2015</strong>
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL n SANDIEGOZOO.ORG<br />
31
Athena Wilson<br />
carefully holds a<br />
flamingo on its<br />
way to its exam.<br />
PHOTO BY JOOP KUHN,SDZG<br />
Keepers Mike Touch and<br />
Rhonda Bennett confirm<br />
the bird’s tag number.<br />
PHOTO BY JOOP KUHN,SDZG<br />
F<br />
or decades, Zoo visitors have been greeted on the front plaza by a flurry<br />
of pink-feathered, high-stepping, long-necked, boisterous birds whose<br />
avian drama unfolds each day like a soap opera. To ensure these beautiful<br />
Caribbean flamingos are “in the pink,” the Zoo’s flamingo roundup is<br />
organized and orchestrated each spring. Instead of cowboy boots and<br />
lassos, this roundup requires catchers, handlers, flock monitors, and a<br />
brigade of devoted staff, all working to make sure each bird gets topnotch<br />
care during its annual exam at Flamingo Lagoon. The Bird Department and veterinary<br />
staff coordinate with other departments to make sure this three-hour event goes<br />
off without a hitch.<br />
There are about 40 staff members in with the birds, while numerous other employees<br />
assist on the outside. They deliver bubble-wrap-covered barriers to protect the birds,<br />
whisk away sandbags when the roundup is completed, and transport young birds to<br />
the lower duck pond. “This is the one time of year when each and every flamingo gets a<br />
hands-on physical exam by our veterinarians,” explained Amy Flanagan, animal care<br />
supervisor. “We couldn’t do it without the help of many other departments!”<br />
32 <strong>ZOONOOZ</strong> n AUGUST <strong>2015</strong>
A vaccination is<br />
administered by<br />
Brian Opitz (right)<br />
while Jessica Theule<br />
keeps the bird still.<br />
PHOTO BY SDZG<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL n SANDIEGOZOO.ORG<br />
33
PHOTO BY SDZG<br />
After the bird’s checkup, it happily<br />
spreads its wings and returns to its<br />
flamboyant flock.<br />
PHOTO BY SDZG<br />
6 and 11 pounds) and gets a West Nile virus<br />
vaccination. A blood sample is collected and<br />
a physical exam is conducted, which includes<br />
inspecting the bird’s beak, legs, toes, wings,<br />
feathers, eyes, and ears. The process is thorough,<br />
since the birds are only handled once<br />
a year. Zoo veterinarian Meg Sutherland-<br />
Smith, D.V.M., explained, “The information<br />
and experience gained by getting our hands<br />
on the flock once a year helps us manage any<br />
medical conditions that the birds may develop<br />
throughout the year.”<br />
Amelia Suarez holds the flamingo on the scale while Jessica Theule notes the weight.<br />
Team Roundup<br />
Flamingo Lagoon was designed with this<br />
health-care process in mind. Five keepers<br />
form a line, gently herding the birds toward<br />
the holding area. As the barricades approach,<br />
other bird species (ducks, geese, and<br />
crested screamers) that may have been included<br />
in the group dart out of the way past<br />
the keepers. The flamingos are corralled<br />
past cushioned barriers in the deep end of<br />
the lagoon, while one spotter is stationed on<br />
the bridge to observe the birds for signs of<br />
fatigue. If any are noted, that bird goes to<br />
the front of the line.<br />
A few birds at a time are funneled into<br />
a smaller area to be calmly caught by three<br />
catchers and then handed off to a handler,<br />
who holds the bird throughout the process<br />
of visiting each health station. Amy explained<br />
that the birds are held “like a football<br />
under the arm,” with the head and neck<br />
supported by the keeper’s other hand. The<br />
legs are folded underneath the bird. “They<br />
are pretty docile while we’re holding them,”<br />
she said, “but they can grab your hair or<br />
nose on occasion.”<br />
Once a bird is secured, it is taken to various<br />
stations on the lagoon shore. The bird’s<br />
leg band number is matched with its information<br />
card and its microchip is checked.<br />
Each bird is weighed (most weigh between<br />
Foot Map Journey<br />
Each bird’s information card includes a<br />
“foot map,” similar to a fingerprint for<br />
humans, so animal care staff can monitor<br />
each flamingo’s feet for any cracks or lesions<br />
that may develop. Flamingos are long-lived<br />
birds, with a possible lifespan of more than<br />
50 years in zoos! Since they spend a great<br />
deal of time with their feet submerged in<br />
water, it’s important to monitor their webbing<br />
and toes and those famous long legs.<br />
Monitoring foot condition allows animal<br />
care staff to decide if any changes need to be<br />
made in the birds’ environment.<br />
Since there are usually between 6 and 12<br />
young birds that hatched the previous year,<br />
they will need a follow-up booster vaccine<br />
34 <strong>ZOONOOZ</strong> n AUGUST <strong>2015</strong>
PHOTO BY JOOP KUHN,SDZG<br />
It takes a village for the annual flamingo roundup! A few key players (left to right): Amy Flanagan, Athena Wilson, Mike Grue, and Anne Clayton.<br />
in a few weeks. They are gathered up and<br />
taken to the African Marsh Pond located<br />
at the bottom of Hippo Trail, which avoids<br />
causing stress for the rest of the flock when<br />
booster shot day comes. Amy explained that<br />
cart drivers with carriers are ready to safely<br />
move these birds.<br />
Each bird is carefully and efficiently<br />
handled. After the health checks, the flamingos<br />
are released back into their lagoon,<br />
where they shake it off and get back to the<br />
leggy business of being a flamboyant flamingo.<br />
“This year we were able to process<br />
78 flamingos in just over 3 hours,” said Amy<br />
with pride. “Each year we refine the process<br />
and get better and more efficient. The annual<br />
flamingo roundup is truly the biggest collaborative<br />
avian health care project at the Zoo!”<br />
That’s a bright feather in the Zoo’s cap. n<br />
Special care is paid to flamingo feet, and each bird has a “foot map,” similar to a<br />
fingerprint, that is used to monitor changes over time.<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL n SANDIEGOZOO.ORG 35
FURNITURE<br />
MAKES THE<br />
HOME—EVEN<br />
FOR ANIMALS!
The beauty of a branch is that the animal has a choice of ways to use it.<br />
By Judy Bell<br />
SENIOR HORTICULTURIST<br />
Photos by Ken Bohn<br />
SDZG PHOTOGRAPHER<br />
W<br />
hen people find out I work for the San Diego Zoo, they almost always say,<br />
“How cool! You get to work with all the animals!” Well, yes… and no. As a<br />
horticulturist, I use my knowledge of plants to try to make the animals’ habitats<br />
enriching, fun, safe, and, more than anything else, a comfortable home.<br />
Creating a new exhibit from scratch or even remodeling an existing space<br />
takes teamwork. Through multiple meetings, horticulturists, arborists, keepers, behaviorists, architects,<br />
construction and maintenance staff, curators, and operations personnel work together toward<br />
a common goal: an excellent home for the animals. The questions in the design phase are many.<br />
What should the habitat look like? What does the animal need to thrive, physically and mentally?<br />
How can we foster the animal’s expression of natural behaviors? These questions help us define<br />
what “furniture” will be needed. Huge tree stumps, logs, large trees, shrubs, tall grasses, specialty<br />
plants, and more are supplied by the Horticulture Department.<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL n SANDIEGOZOO.ORG<br />
37
A tangle of thick branches adds important elements to a gharial’s zoo home and gives Zoo visitors a glimpse into what its natural<br />
underwater surroundings are like.<br />
FURNITURE FOR FAUNA<br />
any of the Zoo’s exhibits have massive<br />
logs for the animals to climb on, over,<br />
and under. One way to get furniture<br />
like this is to have a big storm. Then we gather<br />
up any downed trees that fit the bill as candidates<br />
for placement inside an exhibit. The<br />
best trees to use are eucalyptus, because they<br />
have hard wood and many natural oils that<br />
make them water repellant and resistant to<br />
rot. Other tree species can be used, but they<br />
may have to be replaced in a matter of years,<br />
a costly aspect to “re-furnishing.” I used to<br />
feel a bit sad when a tree was felled, until I<br />
realized that no tree in the Zoo could have<br />
a better “afterlife” than to be a jungle gym<br />
for a young orangutan or gorilla. No tree,<br />
branch, or rootball is ever wasted here at the<br />
Zoo. Many of the original pieces of eucalyptus<br />
wood placed in the gorilla exhibit when<br />
it was built in 1991 are still there. They are<br />
M<br />
considered “antique furniture” at this point!<br />
Moving these pieces takes teamwork and<br />
the right kind of equipment. A crane lifts<br />
logs into a big truck for transport to a holding<br />
area and unloads them. Cranes come into<br />
play again when it’s time to place the furniture<br />
in an open-topped exhibit. If the exhibit<br />
has a roof or netted top, we also need a door,<br />
at least as wide as a Bobcat® (the tractor-type<br />
bobcat, not a feline). Sometimes we just use<br />
good ol’ muscle—and a lot of it!<br />
FIT AND FUNCTION<br />
n occasion, an exhibit getting a “remodel”<br />
already has some plant material<br />
in it to work with. However,<br />
if there are large trees positioned close to<br />
the exhibit’s perimeter, we determine if they<br />
need to be relocated. Trees in such a spot<br />
may provide an avenue for escape as they<br />
grow—especially for arboreal primates. Such<br />
O<br />
huge trees pose another problem in a closed<br />
exhibit if they press against the wire barrier.<br />
In either case, the Zoo’s tree crew uses<br />
their abundant skills to artistically “reduce”<br />
the canopy. And they continue to do so on a<br />
regular basis for the lifetime of the exhibit.<br />
In addition to taking steps to ensure the<br />
trees don’t harm the exhibit structure, we<br />
also consider and plan for ways to protect the<br />
flora from the fauna. Barriers to guard trees<br />
from inquisitive and diligent chewing critters<br />
come in all shapes and sizes. Large rocks<br />
placed around the base of a tree are one way<br />
to prevent root damage from animals that<br />
like to dig. Wire mesh covering branches<br />
and tree trunks discourages chewing and<br />
bark removal that, if continuous, could eventually<br />
cause the death of the tree. These solutions<br />
work well with most hoofed species and<br />
small primates.<br />
Creating naturalistic habitats for great<br />
38 <strong>ZOONOOZ</strong> n AUGUST <strong>2015</strong>
Unlike most pet<br />
domestic cats, zoo<br />
felines are encouraged<br />
to use the furniture as a<br />
scratching post!
apes provides a completely different challenge.<br />
By nature, they are in a constant state<br />
of “eating their environment,” and as a result,<br />
they need regular reminding that the<br />
landscape is not their lunch. This reminder is<br />
usually reinforced by a protective “hot wire,”<br />
which sends a mild electric pulse to discourage<br />
contact. The large trees will continue to<br />
provide shade as long as the protection is in<br />
place and the animals don’t figure out how<br />
to get around it. In the case of many primate<br />
exhibits, we use fake trees or metal armatures<br />
with rope hammocks for convenient<br />
and comfy places to hang out and relax. We<br />
have also created faux ficus trees by using<br />
cuttings of ficus rooted in manmade structures.<br />
These are placed within arm’s reach of<br />
the primates, so they can browse on the material<br />
at their convenience.<br />
T<br />
Carefully selected and installed furniture<br />
provides a safe environment in which zoo<br />
animals can exhibit natural behaviors.<br />
PRIME PLACEMENT<br />
he overall selection and placement of<br />
plant material is critical to the ultimate<br />
success of an exhibit. A plant’s<br />
roots stand a much better chance of survival<br />
if they can be sheltered by a deadwood log<br />
or tucked away between rocks. If plants that<br />
are not typically used as browse are used as<br />
exhibit plantings, the inhabitants may not<br />
see them as edible and pass them by.<br />
Regular replanting and reseeding of exhibits<br />
is a way of life for our horticulturists.<br />
By using a variety of grasses —clumping<br />
and running, warm season and cool<br />
season—there will always be something<br />
green to prevent erosion and compaction<br />
from the pitter-patter and heavy footfalls<br />
of the animals. Any plant material with the<br />
ability to reseed and naturalize within the<br />
exhibit holds a distinct advantage in these<br />
tough conditions.<br />
The best strategy is to plant early and<br />
often, hoping to engage the animal inhabitants<br />
with many types of plant options, including<br />
enrichment in the form of browse<br />
(cut material and leafy branches, sometimes<br />
with fruit or flowers). We seek to keep animals<br />
occupied by climbing on deadwood,<br />
swinging on ropes, and munching on<br />
browse that has been tossed into a hammock<br />
by a keeper, rather than destroying<br />
the landscape plants. All of these strategies<br />
work wonders to keep animals away from<br />
the live plants inside an exhibit.<br />
From big statement pieces to the small<br />
flourishes, plant material has a positive effect<br />
on our animals’ homes, and it’s a part<br />
of being a zoo horticulturist that brings a<br />
great deal of satifaction. On your next visit<br />
to the Zoo or Safari Park, watch for the<br />
ways we use logs, branches, and plantings<br />
to help the animals thrive. Who knows,<br />
you might even get some ideas for your<br />
own pets at home! n<br />
40 <strong>ZOONOOZ</strong> n AUGUST <strong>2015</strong>
Clockewise from top left: A dead tree stump<br />
makes an excellent nest site for many cavitynesting<br />
bird species; in their native range,<br />
cheetahs often perch atop low tree branches<br />
(and termite mounds) to get a better view of<br />
their surroundings; a massive tree trunk in<br />
the Safari Park’s cheetah habitat gives the<br />
cats there the same ability; trees add a<br />
veritcal element to an animal’s habitat; large<br />
boulders placed around the base of a tree<br />
protects the plant’s roots from the curious<br />
snouts and hooves of these peccaries; a stout<br />
tree trunk, also called deadfall, makes a<br />
perfect perch for this Andean bear.<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL n SANDIEGOZOO.ORG 41
support<br />
A plush toy<br />
might just be a<br />
cheetah cub’s<br />
best friend.
WHEN WISHES COME TRUE<br />
AT THE ZOO AND SAFARI PARK<br />
Orangutan Indah explores her creative side with paper and nontoxic paints.<br />
By Mary Sekulovich<br />
SENIOR EDITOR, DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT<br />
Conversations with keepers at the San Diego<br />
Zoo or Safari Park often begin with<br />
“What if. . . ” or “Did you know. . . ?” Stay a<br />
little longer and you might hear what they<br />
use to help enrich the lives of animals in<br />
their care. It could be a favorite scent for<br />
giant pandas, a giant bone for jaguars,<br />
large balls for elephants, tigers, and bears,<br />
or a veggie ladder for parrots. Even new<br />
mulch or plants in a habitat can interest<br />
animals and encourage them to investigate<br />
their home. They may also look for<br />
new—and often yummy—surprises, like<br />
raisins strewn among leaves for the bonobos<br />
or meatballs hidden for big cats.<br />
Our keepers may not have a fairy godmother<br />
who grants wishes, but they do have<br />
Photos by Ken Bohn<br />
SDZG PHOTOGRAPHER<br />
an amazing group of generous Zoo and Park<br />
donors who check out our Wish List each<br />
month. These supporters purchase items as<br />
diverse as Panda Cam equipment, a clock<br />
radio to entertain great apes, or hammocks<br />
for marmosets and clouded leopards. You<br />
can even feed a gorilla or lion for a day or a<br />
week. And don’t forget “snow day” enrichment<br />
for polar bears and giant pandas: one<br />
snowball is just $5 and fits most budgets.<br />
Looking back to November 19, 2006,<br />
when our first Wish List debuted on the<br />
Zoo’s website, we added up the numbers<br />
and realized that we’ve raised over<br />
$900,000 for our animals. More than 6,500<br />
donors have purchased close to 26,000<br />
items for the species they love! In the first<br />
10 minutes after the Animal Enrichment<br />
Holiday Wish List program went live that<br />
first year, we received 2 donations. Our first<br />
purchase was for an enrichment food puzzle<br />
for gorillas: $42. Great apes and other<br />
primates love manipulating the feeders until<br />
the treat falls out or they scoop it out—<br />
providing hours of stimulation and fun for<br />
these intelligent animals. Our most expensive<br />
item back then was for a necropsy table<br />
for the Zoo hospital: $25,000.<br />
So if you have ever wanted to buy a gift<br />
for your favorite cheetah, macaw, orangutan,<br />
or meerkat that will help them live a<br />
healthy lifestyle, you can visit the Wish List<br />
on the Zoo’s website at sandiegozoo.org/<br />
wishlist. Each month you will see who is<br />
celebrating a birthday and can choose from<br />
items that will make them and their keepers<br />
smile. And, yes, we do believe that animals<br />
can smile! n<br />
You can help secure the future for wildlife!<br />
Heritage Guild<br />
By creating a Charitable Gift Annuity or including the Zoological Society of San Diego<br />
in your will or trust, you can help protect wildlife. To receive more information,<br />
please call 619-557-3947 or visit our website at zoolegacy.org.<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL n SANDIEGOZOO.ORG 43
from the archives<br />
Be Fruitful...<br />
Arriving in San Diego as a pair from the Calcutta<br />
Zoo in 1940, Rube and Rubie the African river hippos<br />
quickly became popular with visitors and staff—not<br />
to mention the stork! Their first calf, a “little” lady named<br />
Lotus, was born in 1943, and over their 40-plus years at<br />
the Zoo, they produced 10 more offspring together.<br />
One of Rube and Rubie’s favorite things was watermelon,<br />
and watching them enjoy the juicy fruit became<br />
a “must-see” among Zoo visitors. The pair would scoop<br />
up the whole melons and chomp down, popping the treat<br />
like humans would a grape. Rube also impressed anyone<br />
within earshot with his vocalizations. Cued by a keeper<br />
mimicking the sound, Rube would open his mouth, lift<br />
his chin, and let loose with what sounded like a cross<br />
between a bellow and a snore. The sound reverberated<br />
throughout the canyon where the hippo pool stood. It<br />
caused more than a few people to cover their ears!<br />
Hippos have an average life span of 25 to 30 years in<br />
the wild, but Rube’s 51 years made him one of the oldest<br />
hippos in zoos. The legacy of this beloved “power couple”<br />
lives on—today, the pair have been immortalized as two<br />
of the Zoo’s popular costumed characters! n<br />
44 <strong>ZOONOOZ</strong> n AUGUST <strong>2015</strong>
PUBLISHED SINCE 1926 AUGUST <strong>2015</strong> n LXXXVIII–NO. 8<br />
MANAGING EDITOR<br />
ASSOCIATE EDITORS<br />
STAFF WRITERS<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL PHOTOGRAPHER<br />
DIGITAL IMAGING TECHNICIAN<br />
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION<br />
KAREN E. WORLEY<br />
PEGGY SCOTT<br />
WENDY PERKINS<br />
KARYL CARMIGNANI<br />
KEN BOHN<br />
TAMMY SPRATT<br />
TAMMY SPRATT<br />
DAMIEN LASATER<br />
KERRI ABRAMS<br />
HEIDI SCHMID-ROMERO<br />
STEPHANIE BEVIL-PAGADUAN<br />
DENNIS CORBRAN<br />
KAMBIZ MEHRAFSHANI<br />
KRISTIN NIELSEN<br />
KIM TURNER<br />
LISA BISSI<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL VIDEOGRAPHERS<br />
LEE RIEBER<br />
MARIA BERNAL-SILVA<br />
DUSTIN TRAYER<br />
The Zoological Society of San Diego was founded in Octo ber 1916 by Harry M. Wegeforth, M.D., as a private, nonprofit corporation that<br />
now does business as San Diego Zoo Global.<br />
This digital edition of <strong>ZOONOOZ</strong> ® is currently published every month. Versions are available for download on iPads and a PDF version is<br />
available for viewing on Kindle Fire, desktops, Android devices, and smartphones. Publisher is San Diego Zoo Global, at 2920 Zoo Drive, San<br />
Diego, CA 92103, 619-231-1515.<br />
Copyright ® <strong>2015</strong> San Diego Zoo Global. All rights reserved. “<strong>ZOONOOZ</strong>” Reg. U.S. Pat. Office. All column and program titles are<br />
trademarks of San Diego Zoo Global. Annual Memberships: Dual $125, new; $110, renewal. Single $102, new; $90, renewal. Membership<br />
includes unlimited entrance to the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO HOURS:<br />
<strong>August</strong> 1–31: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; September 1–7: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.<br />
September 8–25 and 27–30: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; September 26: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO SAFARI PARK HOURS:<br />
<strong>August</strong> 1–16: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; <strong>August</strong> 17–31: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.<br />
September 1–6: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; September 7–30: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.<br />
For more information about our animals and events, visit sandiegozoo.org or call 619-231-1515.