CONNECT by billy edwards

Vietnamese mossy

frog

Also in this issue... Tarangire's elephants Leaping to the aid of amphibians Western pond turtles ...and

CONNECT O N T E N T S FEATURES 12

FOLLOWING THE HERD

AZA Accredited Zoos Help Tarangire’s Elephants Melissa Mahony

REEF 101 FOR TEACHERS

Shedd Aquarium’s Teacher Field Experience Program Karen Furnweger

LEAPING TO THEIR AID

As Amphibian Populations Decline, Smithsonian Scientists and Their Partners Work to Save Them Dan Stone

A MOUSE TALE

Saving the Perdido Key Beach Mouse Kathy Russell and Tarah Jacobs

THE WESTERN POND TURTLE

Oregon Zoo Helps Bring an Endangered Species Back From the Brink Linda D’Ae-Smith

SAVING THE AMERICAN BURYING BEETLE Laura Dunn

and

Jan Mariani

DEPARTMENTS 6

CONSERVATION NOTES

BIRTHS AND HATCHINGS

STATE LISTING OF AZA INSTITUTIONS

ON THE COVER Green, red, black and bumpy all over, the Vietnamese mossy frog is a master of camouflage when nestled among a bed of lichens or in a moist cave. As if the disguise is not enough, the three inch long amphibian will roll into a ball to fool even the most suspicious spectator. Such fascinating characteristics make it one of the ambassador species for the AZA SAVING FROGS campaign. Amphibians inspire us to think of green, not just on frogs, but on a global level as well, since these animals are so sensitive to changes in our climate and environmental conditions. ©Todd Stailey, Tennessee Aquarium

aza staff AZA Staff Jim Maddy, President & CEO Kristin L. Vehrs, Executive Director Laura Benson, Senior Vice President, Finance & Administration Paul Boyle, PhD, Senior Vice President, Conservation & Education Steve Feldman, Senior Vice President, Communications Jill Nicoll, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Corporate Strategies Debborah Colbert, PhD, Vice President, Animal Conservation Denny Lewis, Vice President, Accreditation Steve Olson, Vice President, Government Affairs Jay Vestal, Vice President, Sales & Marketing Candice Dorsey, PhD, Director, Animal Conservation Kate Bronislawski, Director, Web Services and New Media CONNECT staff Tim Lewthwaite, Editor Lisa Cadigan, Designer, Cadigan Creative

aza board of directors officers CHAIR Brad Andrews, Corporate Vice President, Zoological Operations Busch Entertainment Corporation • Orlando, FL chair-elect Kevin J. Bell, President/CEO Lincoln Park Zoo • Chicago, IL VICE CHAIR Jeffrey P. Bonner, PhD, President & CEO Saint Louis Zoo • Saint Louis, MO PAST CHAIR Palmer (Satch) Krantz III, Executive Director Riverbanks Zoo and Garden • Columbia, SC DIRECTORS Debra Kerr, Executive Vice President John G. Shedd Aquarium • Chicago, IL Michael Fouraker, Executive Director/CEO Fort Worth Zoo • Fort Worth, TX Jackie Ogden, PhD, Vice President, Animal Programs and Environmental Issues Walt Disney World, Disney’s Animal Kingdom • Orlando, FL Tom Schmid, President and CEO Texas State Aquarium • Corpus Christi, TX Robert Wiese, PhD, Director of Collections Zoological Society of San Diego • San Diego, CA Norberto Castro, President and CEO Phoenix Zoo • Phoenix, AZ Karyn Noles, Senior Vice President and Managing Director Audubon Aquarium of the Americas • New Orleans, LA Dennis Pate, Executive Director Jacksonville Zoo • Jacksonville, FL Keith Winsten, Executive Director Brevard Zoo • Melbourne, FL

8403 Colesville Road, Suite 710 Silver Spring, MD 20910 301-562-0777 (phone); 301-562-0888 (fax); www.aza.org

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CONSERVATION NOTES PHOENIX ZOO’S NATIVE SPECIES RECOVERY EFFORTS AWARDED TOP HONORS The Phoenix Zoo (www.phoenixzoo.org) has long been recognized as a leader in regional wildlife conservation through its long-standing commitment to black-footed ferret breeding and reintroduction, Chiricahua leopard frog headstarting, and more. The Zoo has raised and released over 7,500 leopard froglets and tadpoles since its

6 CONNECT 2009 www.aza.org

headstarting program began, and has produced 399 ferret kits, 85 of which have been released in Arizona. In recognition of the Zoo’s efforts, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission named the Phoenix Zoo the 2008 Conservation Organization of the Year. The Zoo has been called upon as a trusted partner when Arizona Game and Fish needs a safe place to house animals whose

habitats are in flux and/or whose status in the wild is in question. The Zoo is proud to have earned the trust of state and federal wildlife agencies and looks forward to continuing its work on behalf of species of conservation concern in Arizona and beyond.

Photos from left to right: Black-footed ferret, black-footed ferret kits, leopard tadpoles © Tara Sprankles, Phoenix Zoo

conservation

DENVER ZOO ANDEAN CONDOR TO GO BACK TO WILD A young female Andean condor, hatched on 3 August 2008 at the Denver Zoo (www.denverzoo.org) will be transferred to the White Oak Conservation Center in Yulee, Fla. The young bird will join its older brother hatched on 13 May 2007, and other juvenile Andean condors produced by other condor pairs from other zoos. The Andean condor release program is coordinated by the Zoological Society of San Diego in conjunction with the Association of Zoo’s & Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan® (SSP) which incorporates several North American zoos. Denver Zoo’s female condor and its older male sibling will be released into the Colombian Andes late 2009 or early 2010. These birds were chosen for reintroduction by managers of the SSP for this vulnerable species. These two birds will join more than 60 others that were reared in U.S. zoos and reintroduced to remote regions of the Andes through the recovery program. The largest raptor in the world and the largest flying bird in South America, the Andean condor is vulnerable, but recent successful reintroductions have bolstered the numbers in the wild. Since 1989, when the first young Andean condors were released, over 60 of these raptors have been hatched, reared in U.S. zoos and released in the remote regions of the Colombian Andes. Monitoring by Colombian biologists has confirmed that the released birds have survived, matured, and are now beginning to breed, a significant milestone of success for any reintroduction program. Andean condors once came dangerously close to extinction due in part to aggressive hunting. They were placed on the Endangered Species list in 1973, but have since been making a dramatic comeback, thanks in part to the efforts of zoos’ breeding programs and conservation work. There are estimated to be only a few thousand of these birds remaining in the wild.

KANSAS ZOOS SUPPORT BLACKFOOTED FERRET CONSERVATION The seven accredited zoos that comprise the Kansas Association of Zoos contributed $3,600 to fund the purchase of equipment to monitor a newly released population of black-footed ferrets in Northwest Kansas. The Kansas Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Team needed equipment to locate, capture, identify and vaccinate ferrets at the release site. The zoo funds were used to set up a mobile

hospital allowing the team to safely anesthetize juveniles born on site, thus monitoring the success of the reintroduction. Monitoring efforts conducted in 2008 identified the existence of nine ferret kits representing four litters. The seven AZA accredited zoos include: • The David Traylor Zoo

• The Hutchinson Zoo • The Lee Richardson Zoo

• Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure • The Sedgwick County Zoo • The Sunset Zoo • The Topeka Zoo Black-footed ferrets have not been seen in Kansas for fifty years, and were reintroduced into prairies habitats located on three private ranches beginning in December of 2007. continued, page 8 www.aza.org CONNECT 2009 7

CONSERVATION NOTES OREGON COAST AQUARIUM ASSISTS IN SILVERSPOT BUTTERFLY HABITAT RESTORATION Habitat restoration for the threatened Oregon silverspot butterfly received help from the Oregon Coast Aquarium (www.aquarium.org). The Aquarium grounds staff helped by rooting and planting nectar producing food sources for butterfly habitat. The Oregon silverspot butterfly, listed as a threatened species since 1980, requires a very specific coastal habitat and certain plants to survive. A collaborative effort between the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Nature Conservancy and other agencies seeks to stabilize declining silverspot populations.

ÂŠ Oregon Coast Aquarium

The Oregon silverspot is a brown and orange butterfly that lives in humid coastal salt-spray meadows and fields from northern California to Washington. Adult silverspots use their proboscis to sip nectar from asters, pearly everlasting, yarrow and goldenrod. The butterfly is a threatened species due to loss of habitat and the decline of its host plant, the violet. When their eggs hatch into caterpillars, they eat only the leaves of the early blue violet.

8 CONNECT 2009 www.aza.org ÂŠ Oregon Coast Aquarium

Elmwood Park Zoo (www.elmwoodparkzoo.org) in Norristown, Pa., recently received an unexpected guest from the skies. The Zoo’s entrance plaza sports an open-air bald eagle exhibit containing five flightless rehabilitated birds, so staff and visitors were given a real surprise one cold January morning when an immature wild bird soared in from above and perched in a nearby fir tree. The wild eagle’s arrival elicited a great deal of calling from the resident birds, to which it responded with a series of short flights and closer approaches. Eventually, the immature bird swooped right into the exhibit to join its captive cousins. A call to the local Audubon Society chapter confirmed recent eagle sightings in the surrounding area, very likely the same bird in search of a reliable winter food source. The bald eagle’s southward migration through eastern Pennsylvania occurs in early autumn, so there certainly was a chance that this animal could become a seasonal tenant. The wild bird decided, however, to enjoy the Zoo’s hospitality for just a couple of days, pilfer a few scraps of food, and set off in search of a more natural winter roost.

conservation

The Eagle Has Landed

SPECIES update OXAPAMPA POISON FROG The Amphibian Conservation Program at the Philadelphia Zoo is collaborating with Peruvian researchers trying to save one of the most critically endangered frogs in Peru. The Oxapampa poison frog is so rare that only ten specimens were found since its discovery in 1998. In a two-year study, they have found over 20 individuals in three new populations; small numbers that make a big difference. We now are assessing habitat quality and looking for the deadly Bd fungus that could affect this frog. We are also studying the feasibility of an ex-situ conservation program for this critically endangered frog.

Carlos C. Martínez-Rivera, Amphibian Conservation Program Germán Chávez, The Philadelphia Zoo Mirella Villena-Aborrocó, Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad, Division of Herpetology, Lima-Perú www.aza.org CONNECT 2009 9

FOCUS RETICULATED GIRAFFE The giraffe’s highly dexterous tongue is handy for everything from stripping leaves from a spiky acacia tree to tenderly washing the face of her young. AZA accredited institutions allow you to experience intimate moments like these firsthand, while learning about the habitats these wonderful animals live in and the threats they face. ©Courtney Hunter Janney, Disney’s Animal Kingdom

WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK What do you think of AZA’s CONNECT magazine? We’d love to hear back from you regarding the stories, photos and the magazine as a whole. E-mail connectfeedback@aza.org with any comments.

FOLLOWING

THE HERD

AZA Accredited Zoos Help Tarangire’s 12 CONNECT 2009 www.aza.org

The

elephants the

water.

The wildebeests, zebras, and lions follow the water. In what comprises East Africa’s third largest wildlife migration, about 60,000 animals flow where the water does in northeastern Tanzania. The protective borders of Tarangire National Park, however, don’t follow the wildlife the lengths of their journey. So it’s fortunate that biologists Charles and Lara Foley do.

Elephants By Melissa Mahony

The Foleys have been tracking the elephants since 1993. They watch them come as the Tarangire River beckons herds to the park during the dry season. And when the rains return, the Foleys watch them go. With radio collars, they monitor the elephants as they leave the 1,096-square-mile park and try their luck against poachers, bushmeat hunters and increasingly, farmers. Sixteen years spent immersed among Tarangire’s biggest residents has shown the Foleys that ensuring the park’s biological integrity requires safeguarding its seasonal inhabitants in distant breeding grounds, on Maasai grazing land, east across the Siminjaro Plains, north to Manyara Ranch and everywhere between. Too few elephants is no longer Tarangire’s problem. Since the early nineties, Tarangire elephants have thrived as the fastest growing African elephant populations ever recorded. Zoos played no small part in this. As mediums for wildlife education, they fostered public outcry for the 1989 international ivory ban. Supporting research and conservation work in the wild, AZA members (Woodland Park Zoo, Reid Park Zoo, Indianapolis Zoo) and other institutions send funds and lend scientists to the Foleys. Charles, assistant director of Wildlife Conservation Society’s Tanzania program, says “If you tallied up the total figure for how much zoos are actually putting into conservation, they’d probably be among the biggest wildlife NGOs on the planet.” Charles’ research – what began as assessing how two decades of rampant poaching affected Tarangire’s elephants – has evolved into deciphering how to best harmonize the rising elephant population with the rising human one. Agricultural sprawl radiating from Arusha coupled with more elephants (now less fearful of humans) has fomented human-elephant conflict – clashes with no clear winners. Farmers may lose a year’s worth of crops in a night to foraging elephants. Elephants can lose familiar travel routes or their lives. “There is a lot of development happening along the main highway and closer to the park, and some permanent settlement has gotten in there, more than before,” says Lisa Faust, a biologist at Lincoln Park Zoo. Farms now cover five of nine migration routes out of the park. Faust has visited Tarangire twice, helping analyze demographic data and streamline the Foley’s recordkeeping. They keep a lot of records. In the second longest elephant dataset, the Foleys detail births, deaths, relationships, behavior patterns, and physical descriptions for most of the park’s 2,500 elephants. “He knows them like family members,” says Faust. “He has photo I.D. files for every adult female in the population.” No two elephants are alike. Social and intelligent animals, they are products of their pasts but also exhibit fluidity adjusting to circumstance. The same poacher-wary pachyderms that charged and chased Charles and Lara in ‘93, now barely bat an elephantine eyelash at the approaching researchers. “It doesn’t take long with elephants. Once you get a few good interactions when you sit next to them,” says Charles. “They started to get to know

www.aza.org CONNECT 2009 13

me.” And by getting to know each of them in return, the Foleys hope to conserve the whole lot. “If you want to have a good understanding of any kind of population, you should go from taking something you learn on an individual basis to the population basis, and then to the meta-population basis,” explains ecologist Nathalie Pettorelli of the Zoological Society of London. Pettorelli cites a study she co-authored with the Foleys that demonstrated how calves belonging to groups with older matriarchs fared better during 1993’s severe drought than groups with younger matriarchs. The older females had survived a previous drought from 1958 to 1961 and presumably remembered where outside the park they could direct their herds to water. “It’s important to know what leads a clan to go here or there, what leads to that decision, and how this is influenced by who is in the clan,” says Pettorelli. “Then you might have another scale that depends on how clans react according to where they are.” Balancing the needs of humans and wildlife is a daunting task just about everywhere. Relocating these animals 14 CONNECT 2009 www.aza.org

to places with less elephants may do them disfavor. Relatives could get left behind, along with an invaluable, historical knowledge of their surroundings. According to Charles, an elephant contraceptive option needs more research to be viable, and killing them is a last resort, distasteful to many. But outside the park, the Foleys have staked some common ground with local villagers and tour operators. Setting camp just beyond Tarangire’s boundaries, safari groups can easily spot wildlife spillover from the park. Yet with Tarangire’s main tour operators, the Foleys were able to create Tanzania’s first conservation easements on land 40 miles away. These phosphorous-rich, short grass plains make excellent breeding grounds for wildebeest, elands, gazelles, zebra and elephants. They also make easy cropland. “The operators are paying for land that their clients will never see,” says Charles. “But they are doing it because they realize if they don’t, their business model is in trouble.” No breeding grounds, no animals, no wildlife tourists. The tour operators pay local villagers not to cultivate these lands. Their cattle can continue to graze there, since cows nat-

LOOK FOR THE AZA LOGO

he Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is a leader in global wildlife conservation and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. Look for the AZA logo when you choose to visit a zoo or aquarium. This is your assurance that you are supporting an institution dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you and your family, and a better future for all living things. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums accreditation logo is the most reliable and easiest way for people to identify zoos and aquariums where high quality animal care is the first priority, and where there is a significant commitment to wildlife conservation.

Accreditation AZA accreditation ensures that the animals you visit at accredited zoos and aquariums receive excellent care every day. Visitors should be proud to know that the institution they are visiting has met mandatory, rigorous, and professional standards for animal welfare and management, veterinary care, behavioral enrichment, nutrition, staff training, and much more. AZA accreditation standards exceed currently established local, state and federal guidelines. And, because AZA’s top priority is care for animals, AZA’s accreditation standards are continuously reviewed and enhanced. Once accredited, every zoo and aquarium is expected to continuously advance its professional operation. AZA continually monitors accredited institutions, and every AZA-accredited zoo or aquarium must go through the entire accreditation process every five years.

Wildlife Conservation Every AZA-accredited zoo and aquarium is a leader in conservation, participating in a long-term plan involving habitat preservation, public education, field conservation, genetically diverse breeding, and supportive research to ensure survival for many threatened and endangered species. Through AZA’s Conservation Endowment Fund, AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums support thousands of wildlife conservation programs around the world.

Science and Education urally avoid areas during times of wildebeest reproduction. So far, easement money has built a school in Terrat Village, which preserved 29,000 acres. Following Terrat’s example, another village approached the Foleys with 35,000 acres to leave uncultivated. They wait to hear from a third village. In the meantime, the Foleys have sights on a National Elephant Action Plan for Tanzania, gathering information on what works best and where it works best. “You can’t look at elephant conservation in isolation,” says Charles. “It deals with land-use planning, governments, and revenue sharing.” And of course, the elephants themselves.

At the core of every AZA-accredited zoo and aquarium is the commitment to engage the public in significant conservation education programs. Over the past ten years, AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums have trained more than 400,000 teachers with award-winning, proven science curricula. In addition, AZA institutions educate more than 12,000,000 students every year in the classroom or in the field.

CONNECT WITH CONSERVATION AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums offer visitors a fun and easy way to discover connections to their environment and teach them how to make a difference in protecting and preserving our planet. Connect with conservation by visiting your accredited zoo or aquarium today. For more information, or to obtain a copy of AZA’s accreditation standards and policies, or to find an accredited zoo or aquarium near you, visit www.aza.org.

Melissa Mahony is the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Copyeditor for Wildlife Conservation Magazine www.aza.org CONNECT 2009 15

REEF 101 for

ÂŠ Shedd Aquarium

teachers Shedd’s new teacher field experience program literally immerses educators in nature’s classroom to see, feel and interact with an island/reef ecosystem. As part of the program, they are assigned field research projects that familiarize them with different methods of scientific data collection – a new experience for many of the teachers and one that gives them insights into the challenges their students might have with inquiry-based science, which puts less emphasis on lectures and more on learning by doing activities and asking questions. The program is open to kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. In a competitive selection process, applicants must demonstrate an interest in teaching science, present recommendations from their students as well as their colleagues, be team players and have reasonable swimming skills.

Soon after the 2008 school year ended in June, nine intrepid teachers were back in the classroom, on the other side of the desk this time, for a seven-day crash course in marine biology. Among the educators, who all hailed from Illinois, were a substitute who teaches prekindergarten through eighth grade in the Chicago Public Schools, a third-grade teacher who has taught for 18 years in the CPS system, a sixth-grade math and science instructor in one of Chicago’s affluent North Shore suburbs and another sixthgrade math and science teacher in semirural Maple Park, 60 miles west of Chicago. The classroom sections covered an introduction to oceanography, fish and invertebrate biology, coral biology and reef ecology, the natural history and culture of the Bahamas, conservation and endangered species, and plants and marine algae. The teachers honed their identification skills at the windows of Shedd’s 90,000-gallon Caribbean Reef exhibit. They reviewed the steps of the scientific method, learned techniques for field studies and data collection, practiced using field equipment, got pointers on research project planning and, finally, took snorkeling lessons in Lake Michigan. continued, page 18

ince 1974, Shedd Aquarium has offered Chicago teens a summer marine biology course that combines classroom studies with fieldwork in the Bahamas aboard the aquarium’s research vessel. Last year, teachers got the same chance – and they jumped in with both feet.

www.aza.org CONNECT 2009 17 B y Ka re n F u r nwe ger

Carrying yellow dive slates for their fish identification and abundance survey, two teachers snorkel near Turtle Rocks in Bimini.

In July, the teachers embarked from Miami aboard Shedd’s 80-foot research vessel, the R/V Coral Reef II, for six days in the waters around Bimini. The boat is equipped for on-board and in-the-water studies, carries two skiffs for exploring shallow waters and reaching tiny islands, and features an extensive reference library. The two captains have 45 years’ combined experience on the CRII and know the waters of the Bahamas so well that they can deliver a group to just about any species or reef community desired. They also tell great sea stories. Once on the boat, the teachers worked hard, and played harder. A typical day started with watching the sun rise over the open ocean, followed by a hearty breakfast in the boat’s salon. Then, after a briefing of the day’s activities, the teachers were off, snorkeling, seining, collecting, transecting, examining, photographing, writing, exploring and learning. Jessica Kline, a sixth-grade math and science teacher, said, “I was somewhat overwhelmed by the vast amount of information we were presented with” in the classroom, but once aboard the boat, she said, she quickly learned by doing. “Each and every day was jam-packed full of activities where learning took place. I was amazed that by the last day, I was able to identify so many different types of fishes, invertebrates, reptiles and algae underwater.” Middle-school science teacher Julianne Riedle said that each day’s snorkeling expeditions “not only provided me with the hands-on scientific method techniques to bring to inner-city students to increase their interest in and comfort level with science, but also confirmed the need to feed my

18 CONNECT 2009 www.aza.org

curiosity of the world and the importance of observing it with an open mind and heart.” All of the teachers put those sentiments into action with their research projects. “The big idea of the field experience program is to give teachers the opportunity to do science firsthand,” said Joy Kubarek-Sandor, Shedd’s student and teacher programs manager. “We want them to make the connection that science is real, that it happens in everyday life, and that they can be part of the process.” Shedd staffers selected broad topics that could be carried out in the region, such as mangroves, invasive species and marine debris. Teachers were teamed up, two to a topic, which they drew from a hat. “Based on the knowledge and skills they learned at Shedd,” Kubarek-Sandor continued, “the teachers had to come up with a research question and a plan to collect data to answer the question. That’s where the inquiry-based science came in.” For the research project, Kline teamed with Tammy Haggerty-Jones, a teacher in one of Chicago’s southern suburbs whose third-grade unit on the ocean already includes edible experiments, art and writing projects and every in-school program that Shedd offers. For HaggertyJones, snorkeling was a transcendent experience “that magically transformed my spirit” as she mingled with comb jellies, nurse sharks and barracudas that “slowly swam close to welcome me and take my fears of them away.” “Most of us wanted to stay in the water,” she said. “We loved being in the water.” When she got the vegetation di-

Haggerty-Jones suggested an Earthwatch project in the Bahamas to pull out the pines, and in the Chicago area, comparable field studies to evaluate the effects of invasive plant species on native ecosystems. Teachers are clamoring for more. To meet that interest, Shedd’s education department is adding two more experiences this year, a local freshwater ecology program and an underwater robotics project, in which educators will build their own robotically operated vehicles (ROVs) and use them in an aquatic environment in the region (a local flooded quarry is one option) to do research projects. The 2008 group of educators were unanimously euphoric about their field experiences. For CPS science teacher Riedle, it was almost an epiphany: “I couldn’t believe how much I love science!” That’s just the response Kubarek-Sandor wants. And then, she said, “We want participants to inspire others, both their students and their peers, for having gone through this experience.” The program aced that goal, too. “We’re going to take this back to our students,” said Haggerty-Jones. “Our kids have no idea what’s in store for them.” Find out more about Shedd’s Teacher Field Experience program at www.sheddaquarium.org/teacherprogram_listings.html#teacher_field_experience.

Karen Furnweger is Editor/Content Manager at Shedd Aquarium and a member of the CONNECT Editorial Board

versity study, her first reaction was, “Oh, we have to be on the land.” Kline and Haggerty-Jones’s research project investigated how the biomass of native plant species is affected by the presence of Australian pine, a non-native invasive species that has gotten a firm root-hold on Bimini. Their hypothesis was that there is less diversity of native plants under the pines due to loss of light, change in soil composition and overcrowding. Haggerty-Jones found the project challenging, beginning with asking for the clinometer, densitometer and other sampling tools. The terrain was rough and the tropical summer heat oppressive. “Vegetation was not a fun project,” she admitted. But she gave it the old school try and with Kline, found evidence that under the pines, the native species were diverse but the plants were small. In open areas, there were fewer native species, but the plants were thick and lush. The data supported their hypothesis. Others’ hypotheses didn’t prove true, which was a learning experience too. And everyone gained as they participated in field activities that helped collect data for the other teams’ research projects. A three-day post-trip workshop in August brought the educators together again to complete and present their projects, discuss how to incorporate their new knowledge and skills in their classrooms and reflect on their experiences. In recounting their time in the Bahamas, each one said, “If I were to go back…” and then outlined a follow-up project.

Up close and personal with a southern sting ray

www.aza.org CONNECT 2009 19

The creatures are restless and can’t wait to see you. The Virginia Aquarium is pleased to announce the Grand Opening of their $25 million renovation. The project updates the original galleries and converts 12,000 square feet of space into the new Restless Planet Galleries. With these changes, the Aquarium will double their collection to 700 species and 12,000 individual animals. From Virginia’s largest walk-through aquarium to the world’s most endangered crocodilian, the creatures can’t wait for you to see this life experience! 717 General Booth Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA • (757) 385-FISH • VirginiaAquarium.com

IT’S A LIFE EXPERIENCE.

SPECIES update THE COQUÍ FROG The coquí frog holds a special place in the culture of Puerto Rico. The song of the coquí is what gives the island its enchantment, and is what many Puerto Ricans miss most once they leave. The Central Florida Zoo hosts an annual Latino festival and in 2006, included the opening of the first coquí exhibit in the U.S. The response was astounding! In 2007, the Zoo began a partnership with Dr. Raphael Joglar, founder/director of Proyecto Coquí, University of Puerto Rico, in the research, breeding and preservation of coquí. Of the 17 species of coquí on the island, three are thought to be extinct and eleven are protected. In 2008 the Zoo sent Jen Stabile, amphibian keeper, to the University of Puerto Rico to assist with husbandry protocols for three critically endangered species, E. locustus, E. richmondi, and E. wightmanae. Two common species, E. cochranae and E. antillensis, were also collected and brought back to the Zoo for education and display. © Gil Hidalgo

www.aza.org CONNECT 2009 21

LEAPING TO THEIR AID As Amphibians Continue to Decline, Smithsonian Scientists and Their Partners Work to Save Them 22 CONNECT 2009 www.aza.org All

photos

ÂŠ Brian Gratwicke

By Dan Stone

number is much higher than any other class of vertebrates, including birds (13 percent are threatened with extinction) and mammals (26 percent). Scientists believe that at least 122 amphibian species have gone extinct since 1980, compared to five bird species and no mammals. What’s to blame for amphibian decline? One of the main culprits is habitat destruction. But that’s not the only problem. Climate change and pollution are also wreaking havoc on our amphibian friends. Since the 1980s, scientists have studied enigmatic declines and inexplicable crashes in populations of mountain-dwelling amphibians in the United States, Australia, and Central and South America. Smithsonian scientist Bill Laurence first speculated in 1996 that a disease might have been responsible for these population reductions. He was right; in 1999, scientists at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and University of Maine discovered the Bd fungus and determined that it was the cause of a deadly amphibian disease.

few years ago, while rescuing frogs in Panama, Smithsonian National Zoo biologist Matt Evans and his colleagues were in a pinch. After removing the amphibians from the path of a deadly microscopic fungus known as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), they had no place to hold the rescued frogs while an evacuation center was built. So what did they do? What any resourceful scientist would do: put them up in a hotel. Evans, who at the time worked for the National Aquarium in Baltimore, went to Panama as part of a rapid response team organized by Project Golden Frog (PGF) and other partners to that was helping save a number of species in the path of the dangerous fungus. PGF is a multi-institutional initiative dedicated to the conservation of golden frogs that includes the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Denver Zoo, Detroit Zoo, Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, universities, and other partners. “We had to act quickly,” Evans says. “Bd was already devastating some of the area’s amphibian population, so we targeted specific species in specific localities.” After they caught the frogs, Evans and his associates tested them for the fungus and then brought them to a hotel near the El Valle de Antón region of Panama. The hotel actually donated a few of its rooms as holding facilities for the cause. “It was an amazing sight to see all these rare frogs together in a few rooms,” says Evans. “From June to August 2005, 42 species and 624 amphibians were collected as part of this project.”

Amphibian Decline With each passing day, amphibians around the world continue to disappear. A recent five-year survey by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Conservation International of all 5,743 known amphibian species – including frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians – found that 32 percent were in danger of extinction. This

A Crisis in Panama Recent investigations by scientists have documented the wave-like spread of Bd through the mountainous regions of Central and South America. One of these scientists, Karen Lips, a Smithsonian associate, has studied the fungus in Panama and parts of South America since the early 1990s. From conducting disease surveillance to testing frogs to predicting where Bd will hit next, Lips has been on the front lines of amphibian conservation for years. “I’ve seen Bd’s devastating effects firsthand,” she says. “Before it enters a site, the area is abundant with life and has a high diversity of amphibian species. Then, almost instantly, there is sort of this widespread infection and within four months the abundance of amphibians and number of species significantly decrease.” Even Panama’s national symbol, the Panamanian golden frog, has suffered at the hands of Bd. Many scientists believe these frogs are now extinct in the wild because of the fungus and habitat loss. Thus far, scientists have determined that Bd travels about 13 miles a year in Central America. When, as predicted by Lips, Bd arrived at El Copé in western Panama in late 2004, species from all seven frog families in the area started dying. Within months, half of all the species vanished all together, and the abundance of many surviving species plummeted to about 20 percent of what it should be. Continuing its spread eastward, the fungus arrived in the El Valle region, about 22 miles west of El Copé, in late 2006. Here, conservationists associated with the Houston Zoo began capturing and housing species in a quarantined, managed-care facility that provided protection from Bd exposure. Today, this small center at the El Nispero Zoo in Panama houses 50 amphibian species, 17 of which are now likely extinct in the wild at El Valle.

Across the Canal Biologists had hoped that the low-lying Panama Canal region would serve as a natural barrier to the spread of Bd. However, by late 2007, the fungus was found for the first continued, page 24

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time east of the canal in Soberania National Park. “We’re not exactly sure how it crossed the canal,” says Lips. “It may have traveled naturally or people may have tracked it over on their boots, cars, or trucks.” Now that the fungus has jumped the canal, Lips and her colleagues expect it will continue its eastward march toward the mountainous Darien Region, the last intact amphibian hotspot in Central America. This area contains at least 121 amphibian species – 61 percent of all of Panama’s amphibian fauna – and is a stronghold for about 60 species listed as critically endangered or endangered by the IUCN.

Golden Frogs at the Zoo Throughout the United States, only eight zoos breed Panamanian golden frogs (about 50 have them on exhibit). The National Zoo, which has one of the largest holding facilities for these amphibians, has bred golden frogs in hopes of contributing to a reservoir of zoo genes that will help ensure their survival. “Four pairs of Panamanian golden frogs came to the Zoo in 2004,” says Evans. “Over the years they have produced hundreds of offspring, some of which have gone to other zoos to participate in the Panamanian Golden Frog Species Survival Plan.” At the Reptile Discovery Center, visitors can see about 12 Panamanian golden frogs on exhibit. But this number represents only a fraction of the Zoo’s entire golden frog collection; more than 80 live in an off-exhibit, temperaturecontrolled holding facility at the Reptile Discovery Center. All of the Zoo’s current collection descended from the original pairs.

A Potential Cure? Among frog populations in zoos, the Bd fungus can be eliminated with fungicides. But using massive amounts of this treatment in the wild would likely cause irreparable harm to natural ecosystems, probably without stamping out all the Bd fungus. That’s why Reid Harris, a biology professor at James Madison University in Virginia, is studying an alternative solution. He and his colleagues recently identified several species of bacteria that live on the skin of certain amphibians. But these are no ordinary bacteria – they produce anti-fungal chemicals that inhibit the growth of Bd. One of Harris’ most promising studies involved proactively treating uninfected mountain yellow-legged frogs with the anti-Bd bacterium. Of the frogs treated with the bacterium, 100 percent survived subsequent exposure to the Bd fungus. In another study, 13 Bd-infected frogs treated with the bacterium lost less weight when compared with untreated individuals. Weight loss is one symptom of Bd infection. Smithsonian research associate Louise Rollins-Smith plans to build on Harris’ work. She and her team at Vanderbilt University are hoping to find a way to protect amphibians in Panama either by vaccination against Bd or by finding some kind of bacteria on a Panamanian amphibian that is similar to what Harris found on the skin of mountain yellow-legged frogs. “Our research is helping us understand the immune response of Panamanian amphibians,” Rollins-Smith says. “We hope to use that information to help save them.”

Dan Stone is a Contributing Editor for the Smithsonian Zoogoer magazine. This feature appears in the March/April 2009 issue of Smithsonian Zoogoer magazine

What in the world? AYE-AYE BORN AT SAN FRANCISCO ZOO

Warlock and Sabrina didn’t waste any time after they arrived at the San Francisco Zoo in December 2007. The nocturnal aye-aye pair latched together and approximately five months later successfully birthed a baby aye-aye. The San Francisco Zoo now holds the second of only two successful breeding first-generation pairs in the world. It is also the first time ever that a pair has bred without other aye-ayes present. Duke University’s Lemur Center holds the first. The San Francisco Zoo is working collaboratively with Duke’s Lemur Center to study the husbandry of one of the world’s most unusual and fascinating animals. Native to Madagascar, the aye-aye is the largest nocturnal primate and is an endangered species. Often classified as a bizarre, ugly-looking creature, these unique beauties have long rodent-like teeth, large ears, beady and luminous eyes and are known for their long, skeletal middle finger. These primates have a distinctive foraging technique and tap on trees to find grubs. Then they use their sharp teeth to create holes in the tree and utilize their middle finger to pull out the goodies.

24 CONNECT 2009 www.aza.org

A MOUSE Saving the Perdido

s Hurricane Ivan was heading toward the Florida Alabama coast line in September 2004, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) with the agreement from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) moved quickly to remove some of the endangered Perdido Key Beach mice for safe keeping in case the hurricane wiped out the entire population of this species which is only found on Perdido Key. They were able to remove eight mice, one of which was a pregnant female. The key did get hit hard and it was one of the first places that emergency workers went to looking for survivors.

The Perdido Key beach mouse is one of seven subspecies of the oldfield mice known as beach mice that inhabit the coastal areas of the southeastern United States. Perdido Key stretches 16 miles along the coastline from Orange Beach, Ala., to Pensacola, Fla. The Perdido Key beach mouse (PKBM) is a small white to gray mouse that weighs about 13-to-16 grams. In contrast to other mice this mouse avoids people, trash and buildings. Instead they spend the daylight hours in burrows and come out at night to roam the beach dunes. They primarily feed on dune plants, especially the seeds of sea oats and bluestem. Their burrows can be elaborate consisting of an entrance tube that goes into a nest cavity. Each burrow has an escape tube that is closed off at the exit and is used only for emergencies. Beach mice are monogamous and can produce a litter of three-to-four offspring, having up to three litters per year. They can develop their pair bond as young as 55 days old. This species of mouse can be expected to live three years from birth; however there are some on record as old as ten years. The Perdido Key beach mouse was listed as an endangered species back in 1985 primarily due to habitat loss from development. Hurricanes also take their toll. In the mid 1990s the population was nearly wiped out from Hurricanes Erin and Opal The reason FWC removed some mice before Ivan hit was that these mice are both state and federally listed as endangered. Of all the seven beach mice species five are endangered and one threatened. Their primary threats are hurricanes, cats, and habitat loss and degradation. Fortunately, Hurricane Ivan did not wipe the species out. Interestingly, homes on the key that were behind dunes set aside for the Perdido Key beach mice had little damage and those homes without dunes were completely destroyed. There is a symbiotic relationship between the beach mice and dunes. Beach mice rely

TALE Key Beach Mouse By Kathy Russell and Tarah Jacobs on the dunes for safety, shelter, and food. The beach mice bury seeds from sea oats and other plants that give rise to more plants. These plants help to hold the sand in place building up the dunes. Dunes play an important role during hurricanes or other storms; they protect the land behind it from wind and water. There are other species of wildlife that utilize the beach dune habitat. These include sea turtles, shorebirds such as gulls and pelicans, migrating monarch butterflies, and neotropical birds that come to breed such as warblers and cedar waxwings. The original eight that were taken from the wild were sent to the University of South Carolina’s Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center to protect them from the storm. The stock center was already set up to take mice. Shortly after their arrival one of the females gave birth to four young, making the captive population a total of 12. Sometime in early 2006 some institutions in Florida were contacted by USFWS to see what their interest would be in maintaining these mice in an effort to educate the public about the need to conserve beach mouse habitat as well as the endangered mouse. Two institutions showed interest, the Brevard Zoo and the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo (SFCTZ). Thus began the governmental paper work and permitting process. During this time the population at the genetic stock center began to grow. Originally, SFCTZ was to receive six mice but we quickly changed the permit to 12 mice. We received our first shipment, ten mice, on May 15, 2007 and were immediately hooked. A few weeks later we received a call from Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission asking if we could take more mice. Apparently the University of South Carolina’s Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center needed the space the PKBM were taking up for another collection and they needed them moved as soon as possible. SFCTZ agreed to take the entire population making a total of 52 mice, which arrived 27 June 2007. We had mice set up in all sizes of glass tanks spread in two rooms. Setting up the mice was not the issue, keeping track of them and then determining who goes where was a bit of a challenge. Shortly afterward, two more institutions came on board, The Florida Aquarium and Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park. All four institutions along with FWC and USFWS representatives met at SFCTZ to come up with a management program. This was an exciting part because we were on the ground level of putting together a management plan for the endan-

gered mouse, developing educational materials, and had the opportunity to learn about this beach mouse. The mice were matched up with institutions with 12 going to the Brevard Zoo, 12 to Florida Aquarium, ten to Palm Beach, and SFCTZ keeping 16. Brevard took the lead putting together a list serve and Palm Beach developed the stud book. After the mice settled in their new surroundings we began pairing up individuals based on what little information we had from their past and lineage. In the last year and half we have learned and developed better techniques in housing, feeding, and breeding. We found that mice that remained in small tanks exhibited stereo-typic behavior such as running the same circular path over and over. Once these mice were moved to a much larger tank, (4’x2.5’ ) it took them a few weeks to lose this behavior. Although the mice did well on wood shavings we had better breeding results and began to see natural behaviors when they were placed on sand. A sand depth of 7” to 9” allowed the mice to build tunnel systems, some very elaborate. Water must be periodically added to the sand to provide the right consistency for tunnel strength. An additional key to breeding is to simply leave them alone, give them quietness. Although we do not have enough data yet it appears that the quieter and undisturbed they are the better chance of reproduction. In order to successfully do this and maintain a healthy environment we found the larger the tank the longer we could go without sand changes and minimal interaction, hence the large 4’x2.5’ tank per pair was agreed upon. Cage furnishings should include different textures, placed at different levels, and make shift hides areas. Nesting material from cotton to shredded cypress bark has been used. We place the material in the tanks and the mice shred and build their underground nests. Exercise wheels play an important role for their health. Those without wheels gain weight quickly and do not appear as alert. Each unit should have an exercise wheel. Some mice even choose to run the wheel then let it spin them until they are ultimately tossed from the wheel, only to get right back up and repeat the process. This is great enrichment for the keepers. continued, page 28 www.aza.org CONNECT 2009 27

Lighting appears to be important to their well being and most definitely their breeding. We are mimicking their natural photoperiod. Once lights go out they should not be turned back on. This confuses them and could potentially disrupt reproduction. We have also expanded their diet to include more than just rodent blocks. We are experimenting with different foods such as sea oats, meal worms, wax worms, and cut up corn on the cob. One institution even offers dry cranberries once a week. Water is offered from water bottles along with shallow bowls. Many of us are finding that they prefer the water bowl over the hanging bottle. Many behaviors have been observed through videotaping at night. Currently, only the Brevard Zoo has nightly taping, the other zoos are in the process of setting up their systems. This is actually how liters are often first discovered. Courtship has been witnessed and interactions between pairs and their offspring have been documented. Nest building, nest cleaning, differences in male and female time out of tunnel, use of exercise wheel and so many other behaviors have been observed. This information has been helpful in determining how we set up enclosures, materials provided, and other husbandry needs. Currently the captive population stands at 71 mice in three institutions. The Brevard Zoo has increased the numbers the most by producing 35 (and counting) offspring. The SFCTZ has produced three offspring. We are hopeful this will increase as new pairs are established in an attempt to increase gene diversity and possibly to involve more institutions. The SFCTZ has a small group of males on display in the reptile house, placed between Florida kingsnakes and legless lizards. We attempted to make a nocturnal exhibit but the mice still only came out after hours. We have since gone back to our first design and visitors can see them in the morning hours. Brevard Zoo is in the process of putting a small group on display in their education building. The main reasons for keeping these mice in captivity are to learn as much as we can about Perdido Key Beach mice and how to successfully maintain them in captivity, and breed the mice so a healthy captive population can exist. We feel that we are doing just that. We have collected so much information on the mice, hundreds of people have seen them (prior to display only a few biologists had seen them) and breeding is moving along. The partnership that has developed between all four institutions, FWC, and USFWS has been invaluable. Collectively our conservation message educates our visitors about the beach mice and what they can do to help dune habitats â&#x20AC;&#x201D; such as using crossovers, boardwalks or designated paths, enjoy the dune plant life from a distance, participate in beach dune restoration, and keep pets on a leash.

Kathy Russell is the General Curator at the Santa Fe Community College Teaching Zoo Tarah Jacobs is the Conservation Education Specialist at the Santa Fe Community College Teaching Zoo

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FOCUS RING TAILED LEMURS The charismatic ringtailed lemur is easily one of the most recognized animals in zoos, but it can be found in the wild on just one island off the coast of Africa. Madagascar is a vital biological hotspot that is facing critical habitat loss due to slash-and-burn agricultural practices which are depleting its forests. Many AZA accredited zoos and aquariums have collaborated to create the Madagascar Fauna Group which supports the Malagasy people and wildlife by providing financial support for field research and animal breeding programs, as well as technical training and education for local biologists. ÂŠ Julie Larsen-Maher, Wildlife Conservation Society

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Inspired by Our Conservation Stories? Want to help? From Florida to the Philippines and everywhere in between, the AZA Conservation Endowment Fund (CEF) has been supporting conservation, research, and education projects led by AZA members and their partners for 17 years. Since 1991, CEF has provided almost $5 million in essential funding to more than 280 projects around the globe. Visit www.aza.org/ConScience/ WhatIsCEF/ to learn more about the CEF grant program and projects it has funded. Want to help? Your donations will help us provide even more support for wildlife conservation worldwide. Visit www.aza.org/ConScience/ CEF_DonateNow/. Thank you for your contribution!

30 CONNECT 2009 www.aza.org

Snow Leopard Trust: Saving Snow Leopards by Meeting the Needs of Local People

By Kim Murray and Tom McCarthy Arguably one of the world’s most charismatic species, snow leopards remain the least-studied of the large cats due to their elusive nature and the challenges of conducting research in the remote, rugged mountains of Asia that the species calls home. Having no natural enemies, snow leopards are nevertheless threatened with extinction by poaching, loss of natural prey from hunting and competition with livestock, and retaliatory killing by humans in response to livestock predation. Effective strategies are urgently needed to minimize conflicts with livestock, as evidenced by the recent killing of a snow leopard radiocollared by the Snow Leopard Trust in Mongolia, by a herder defending his livestock. In response, the Trust dispatched a team to investigate the killing, interview the herder, and engage community members in dialog aimed at developing solutions designed to meet the needs of local families. This process will likely culminate in a community-managed livestock insurance system, modeled after a program successfully implemented by the Trust in India, that provides financial compensation to herders for livestock losses to snow leopards. By reducing the financial impact, the program simultaneously benefits snow leopards and local families by stabilizing household incomes and increasing tolerance for livestock losses. This project received funding from AZA’s Conservation Endowment Fund. To help projects like this, visit www.aza.org/ConScience/CEF_DonateNow/index.html and make a donation.

Kim Murray, PhD, is the Assistant Director of Science at the Snow Leopard Trust Tom McCarthy, PhD, is the Science and Conservation Director at the Snow Leopard Trust

Gorilla Health Project By Pam Dennis An important role played by gorillas in zoos is to raise awareness of the crisis they face in the wild. As zoos strive to inform visitors of the plight of wild gorillas, we also are working hard to ensure the health of the gorillas in our immediate care. While the full extent of heart disease is currently unknown in the captive gorilla population, heart disease has contributed to at least one third of adult gorilla deaths in zoos in North America. In November 2006, a workshop including physicians, veterinarians, pathologists, and keepers was held to review what is known about gorilla cardiac health, as well as to discuss how to address gorilla health issues. This workshop marked the beginning of the Gorilla Health Project, an initiative to improve our understanding of gorilla health and ways to manage and prevent disease in this species. The meeting identified a critical first step in understanding disease issues of captive gorillas – the formation of a comprehensive database incorporating information from individual gorillas' medical, nutrition, and husbandry records. This database will increase our current understanding of the health issues of the captive population, and provide a means to examine disease trends over time. This database provides the foundation for future prospective studies focusing on the cause of diseases, improved treatment, and effective means of preventing disease in the zoo population. This project received funding from AZA’s Conservation Endowment Fund. To help projects like this, visit www.aza.org/ ConScience/CEF_DonateNow/index.html and make a donation.

Pam Dennis, DVM, is the Veterinary Epidemiologist at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Ohio State University

Support AZA’s Conservation Endowment Fund! www.aza.org CONNECT 2009 31

SPECIES update

OREGON SPOTTED FROG Under the direction of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon spotted frog egg masses were collected in spring, 2008 in a pilot project to headstart and release the frogs to new habitat. Tadpoles were reared at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park and Oregon Zoo, with financial support from Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. In midSeptember, over 500 juveniles were released on the Fort Lewis Military Reserve. Tracking surveys were conducted at the release site and will be re-initiated this spring. In 2009, Woodland Park Zoo will join rearing efforts, and an Oregon spotted frog recovery plan will be drafted.

What in the world?

AMANI THE AARDVARK ARRIVES PEACEFULLY AT DETROIT ZOO

The Detroit Zoo’s newborn aardvark, Amani (Swahili for “peace”), was born on 8 December to mother, Rachaael, and father, Mchimbaji. The 23-inch infant arrived hairless, weighing three pounds, ten ounces, with ears measuring four inches. “This baby can only be described as hideously cute,” said Director of Conservation and Animal Welfare Scott Carter. “Rachaael is a firsttime mother and is showing great maternal instincts.” Due to the aardvark’s clumsy nature and poor eyesight, veterinary and zookeeper staff are assisting Rachaael with raising the fragile baby to prevent the possibility of it being injured. Since the birth, Amani has more than doubled in size. Adult aardvarks can weigh from 90 to 145 pounds and grow five-to-six feet in length. The aardvark is an African mammal whose name derives from the Afrikaans word “earth pig.” The animal’s unusual appearance plays a part in its success as a forager. The ears point forward to enable it to listen for the sound of insects. The snout is long and filled with hair that acts as a filter, letting scents in and keeping dirt out. Strong limbs and spoon-shaped claws can tear though the sturdiest of termite mounds, allowing the aardvark to trap insects with its long, sticky tongue which can be up to 12 inches long. Amani can be seen with Rachaael and Mchimbaji across from the giraffe habitat in the spring of 2009 with the Zoo’s other aardvarks, Amy Bob and Lily. 32 CONNECT 2009 www.aza.org

WHAT IS A SPECIES SURVIVAL PLAN? The AZA Species Survival Plan® (SSP) program began in 1981 as a cooperative population management and conservation program for selected species in zoos and aquariums in North America. The mission of the program is to help ensure the survival of selected wildlife species into the future and to provide a link between the zoo and aquarium animals and their wild counterparts. Each SSP manages the breeding of a species or related species in order to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable. SSPs participate in a variety of other cooperative conservation activities such as research, public education, reintroduction, and field projects. All AZA-accredited institutions and related facilities are fully committed to the goals and cooperative spirit of the SSP. Currently there are 115 SSPs covering a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. Some Well Known Species Managed Under the AZA SSP Program • Addax • Polar Bear • Sloth Bear • American Burying Beetle • Bonobo • Cheetah • Attwater’s Prairie Chicken • Chimpanzee • Lake Victoria Cichlids • California Condor • African Wild Dog • Elephant • Black Footed Ferret • Western Lowland Gorilla • Snow Leopard • Lion • Okapi • Orangutan • Giant Panda • Rhinoceros (Black, Indian, Sumatran, White) • Tiger • Puerto Rican Crested Toad • Toucan • Mexican Gray Wolf • Grevy’s Zebra For more information on what AZA is doing to help conserve species, visit www.aza.org. www.aza.org CONNECT 2009 33 © Julie Larsen-Maher

THE WESTERN POND Bringing an Endangered Species Back

ind sweeps over the sun-dappled waters in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. It’s a perfect day for taking advantage of the many recreational opportunities the region has to offer. But this beautiful summer day won’t be spent “taking” anything from this magnificent geologic wonder, but rather giving something back.

On this day, as they have for nearly 20 years, conservationists return endangered juvenile western pond turtles to the lakes they were removed from as hatchlings. In the 11 months they have spent “head-starting” at zoos, the turtles have experienced three years’ growth – from about the size of a quarter to the size of a child’s palm. Their size is important to their survival. “Spending the first months of their life at the Zoo gives the turtles a real edge,” explained Dr. David Shepherdson, Oregon Zoo’s conservation program scientist. “Since the turtles are larger, predators such as non-native bullfrogs and large-mouth bass are no longer threats.” The turtle reintroduction is part of a collaborative effort by the Oregon Zoo, Woodland Park Zoo, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bonneville Power Administration. As part of the Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project, conservationists under the supervision of western pond turtle expert Kate Slavens, count, trap

34 CONNECT 2009 www.aza.org © Oregon Zoo /photo

Michael Durham

and fit transmitters on adult female western pond turtles. The female turtles are monitored every two hours during the nesting season to determine where they nest. The nests, which the females dig in the ground and then cover after depositing their eggs, are protected with wire “exclosure” cages that help prevent predators from eating the eggs. The eggs are then allowed to incubate naturally, and the hatchlings are collected in the fall. The hatchlings are taken to the zoo facilities, to begin the head-starting process. Unlike hatchlings left in the wild, head-started turtles are fed throughout the winter and housed under lights to simulate perpetual summer. “The lights trick the turtles into thinking it is still summer, so they continue to grow and don’t go into hibernation,” Shepherdson said. Some of the juvenile turtles are equipped with radio transmitters before release, so biologists can learn more about post-release dispersal, habitat use during active and hibernation periods, and, ultimately, their survival rate. Last summer, children from Skamania County, Wash., who learned about the turtles in their Forest Explorers program (through Northwest Service Academy), helped biologists release them in the Columbia River Gorge. “It is one thing to learn about conservation efforts, but it makes a much bigger impact when you actually see a zooreared turtle released back into the wilds of the Columbia Gorge,” Shepherdson said. In 1990, western pond turtles were on the verge of completely dying out in Washington, with only 150 turtles left in

By Linda

TURTLE from the Brink © Oregon Zoo /photo

the wild. Today, the recovery project has helped increase the western pond turtle population in Washington to about 1,400. Habitat degradation and disease were – and still are – problems, but the biggest threat to fragile baby turtles is the bullfrog. Native to areas east of the Rockies, this non-indigenous frog has thrived throughout the West, driving pond turtles and a host of other small, vulnerable aquatic species to the brink of extinction. With the cooperation of various government agencies in Oregon and Washington, private citizens and businesses, Shepherdson is hopeful about the future of turtles native to the Northwest. “With efforts put forth to improve habitat, control non-native predators and increase education, we anticipate native turtles will again be a common sight throughout their original range,” Shepherdson said. The western pond turtle captive-rearing effort is a project of the NW Zoo & Aquarium Alliance, which promotes collaboration on regional conservation among zoos and aquariums in the Pacific Northwest.

David Burnett

Linda D’Ae-Smith is the Public Relations Specialist at the Oregon Zoo

D’Ae-Smith

Michael Durham

The Oregon Zoo’s turtle conservation isn’t limited to Washington. Two turtle species, the western pond turtle and the western painted turtle, are both listed as “critical” on Oregon’s sensitive species list. The Oregon Zoo is helping these dwindling populations by: • Working with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to establish the Oregon Native Turtle Conservation Group, which helps field biologists monitor and track populations of western pond and western painted turtles in and around the Willamette River. • Creating a Web site to educate the public about the plight of native Oregon turtles (www.oregonturtles.com). The site includes an electronic form that allows the public to report turtle sightings, aiding in the tracking process. • Recruiting Boy Scouts to make basking structures for turtles, referred to as “rafts.” Turtles must bask out of water for considerable periods of time, undisturbed by predators, in order to properly digest food, incubate eggs and rid themselves of parasites. The rafts are placed in potential habitat areas to attract turtles and assist their well-being. • Responding to inquiries about turtles through the Zoo’s Web site. Among the numerous questions: What to do with a redeared slider that has grown larger than anticipated? The Zoo directs the inquirers to the proper resources, and admonishes them not to release non-native species. Red-eared sliders, which are illegal to own in Oregon, lay eggs later in the season and dig up existing turtle nests to use as for their own, decimating native turtle populations. • Providing landowners with information to encourage turtles in their backyard. • Hosting the Oregon Native Turtle Forum to provide an opportunity to share information, facilitate discussions and encourage future partnerships for biologists, managers and citizens. Partners in this endeavor include Metro, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Bureau of Environmental Services/City of Portland, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Port of Portland. www.aza.org CONNECT 2009 35

BIRTHS & HATCHINGS ers, veterinary staff, and curators, along with three surgeons from Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine, participated in both surgeries. Tia successfully bore two females, and Bridget had a male and a female. Because of the birthing difficulties, all four cubs were hand-raised by animal staff. These surrogate moms bottlefed the cubs and mimicked natural behaviors that they would experience in the wild until the cubs were weaned.

GIANT ANTEATER BORN AT NASHVILLE ZOO Nashville Zoo welcomed the birth of their eighth giant anteater. Consuela was born on Mother’s Day2008 to Emilia, a giant anteater that came to Nashville Zoo in 2002. Nashville Zoo has been involved in giant anteater conservation for ten years and has the largest collection of anteaters in the country. The off-exhibit breeding facility where Consuela was born is also the only anteater breeding facility in the United States. © Oklahmoa City Zoo

WHITE RHINO BORN AT LION COUNTRY SAFARI Lion Country Safari’s newest addition, a ninety-five pound female southern white rhinoceros calf is now living in the rhino maternity area of the drive-through safari. The baby, named Jazi – meaning gift in Swahili – was born to mom Taraja after 16 months of gestation. The endangered southern white rhinoceros is the third largest land animal after the African and Asian elephants. Lion Country Safari is home to 11 White Rhinos – two males and nine females. Since 1979, Lion Country Safari has had 31 rhino offspring.

36 CONNECT 2009 www.aza.org

TWO LITTERS OF LION CUBS AT OKLAHOMA CITY ZOO The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden announced the birth of two litters of African lion cubs. The lion cub litters arrived on 4 and 6 November 2008 to eightyear-old first-time mothers Tia and Bridget, respectively. Aslan, the Zoo’s 11-year-old African lion male, sired both sets of cubs. Both moms experienced difficulty during the birthing process and were not able to have natural births. Animal keeper staff observed signs of labor in both, but when normal birthing time elapsed without actual births, veterinary staff was consulted. A team comprised of animal caretak-

On 21 August 2008, one of the San Antonio Zoo’s female Guatemalan ornate palm vipers hatched nine neonates. This litter represents only the third time this threatened snake has been bred in captivity by an AZA accredited institution. Guatemalan ornate palm vipers are restricted to a few remaining isolated cloud forests found in extreme southeastern Mexico and central south western Guatemala. Much of their primary habitat has been altered for coffee production. The second significant breeding event occurred on 16 and 1 9 September 2008, when the Zoo welcomed two Tomistoma hatchlings. This highly endangered crocodilian has rarely been reproduced outside of its home range of Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Malaysia and Borneo. The sire is on loan from the St. Augustine Alligator Farm.

Peoria Zoo welcomed its newest arrival – a giant Zambian mole-rat pup born last summer. This marks the Zoo’s first surviving offspring of this species. Peoria Zoo is the first recorded institution in the United States to exhibit this species. Mole-rats are built for life underground. Their streamlined shape and short legs enable them to move easily in their narrow burrows. Their eyes are small and can probably only detect light and dark. Even though their ears are small, they have a relatively sophisticated level of communication using a variety of squeaks, grunts and growls. Their hair is thick and short, a real asset when moving back and forth in the burrow. Because mole-rats live in dark burrows, the sense of touch is important to them. Stiff, tactile hairs scattered over much of the body act in much the same way as the whiskers of a cat.

births & hatchings

FIRST SUCCESSFUL BREEDING OF GIANT ZAMBIAN MOLE RATS IN NORTH AMERICA

SIGNIFICANT HATCHINGS AT SAN ANTONIO ZOO

ATLANTIC GUITARFISH BORN AT N.C. AQUARIUM AT FORT FISHER

The N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher announced the successful birth of six guitarfish, born 10 October 2008. An x-ray the previous week confirmed the mother was pregnant. Although not much is known about the gestational period of Atlantic guitarfish, the Aquarium staff is utilizing this and previous births to contribute to scientific research. The N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher is one of only a few U.S. institutions exhibiting Atlantic guitarfish. The Atlantic guitarfish

can be found in the spring and summer months along North Carolina’s coast. Their range extends from North Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico and south to Yucatan, Mexico.

www.aza.org CONNECT 2009 37

BIRTHS & HATCHINGS © Salisbury Zoo

SAKI MONKEY AND TAMARINS BORN AT SANTA ANA ZOO IN PRENTICE PARK The Santa Ana Zoo in Prentice Park in Santa Ana, Calif., announced the birth of a baby saki monkey on 21 August 2008. The new baby is healthy and full of energy. This birth represents the third successful pairing between parents Dakota and Aaliyah. The saki family can be found Tropical Rainforest multi-species exhibit behind the Conservation Education Theater. Also at the Santa Ana Zoo, twin red-handed tamarins were born on 17 August. These two new babies are also doing very well. The redhanded tamarins are new to the Santa Ana Zoo, and this represents the first offspring from them here at the Zoo. The red-handed tamarins can be found along the back of the Zoo in the enclosure across from the Treetops Exhibit.

RED WOLVES AND TITI MONKEYS BORN AT THE SALISBURY ZOOLOGICAL PARK

The Salisbury Zoological Park in Salisbury, Md., announced the Zoo’s latest births –red wolves and a Titi monkey. The wolf pups were born in the late spring of 2008. The Zoo’s red wolf pack, now numbering seven animals, has been a great addition to the new Richard and Patricia Hazel Delmarva Trail. Declared extinct in the wild in 1980, the red wolf has been successfully reintroduced to protected areas in eastern North Carolina. Currently, the red wolf is federally protected by the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) cooperatively manage the species in the wild and in captivity through the Red Wolf Species Survival Plan® (SSP). An estimated 100 red wolves roam the wilds of northeastern North Carolina and 38 CONNECT 2009 www.aza.org

LINCOLN CHILDREN’S ZOO REPORTS TWIN MATSCHIES TREE KANGAROOS The Lincoln Children’s Zoo in Lincoln, Neb., announced the birth of twin Matschies tree kangaroos. Keepers had been anticipating a successful live birth, but this is the first documented case of twins. Milla, age seven, had successful joeys in 2004 and 2005 and is a proven good mother. But the sire, Noru, on loan from the Toronto Zoo, is just two, and keepers were initially concerned that the age spread might prevent a successful match.

TOLEDO ZOO HATCHES BLACK MOUNTAIN DUSKY SALAMANDER The Toledo Zoo has successfully hatched its third species of North American woodland salamander in a year. On 19 November 2008, a Black Mountain dusky salamander successfully hatched in the Zoo’s

new amphibian area. The eggs were laid by the mother on 20 September. This is probably the first captive breeding for this species. Over the last year the Zoo has also successfully hatched a slimy salamander and 22 four-toed salamanders. All the young are doing well.

SPOTTED EAGLE RAYS BORN AT RIPLEY’S AQUARIUM OF THE SMOKIES Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies celebrated its first birth from captive propagation of two spotted eagle rays on 27 September 2008. The two male pups were the first litter born from one of two females in the Ray Bay exhibit at the aquarium. Spotted eagle rays can grow to a size of ten feet disc width, a weight of 500 pounds and have a litter size of two-to-four pups. The spotted eagle ray is found worldwide in tropical seas. The IUCN has listed the spotted eagle ray as near threatened.

TWO JAGUAR CUBS BORN AT BREVARD ZOO On 29 September, two jaguar cubs were born at Brevard Zoo. The new arrivals are gaining weight and bonding with their mother, Masaya.

Masaya gave birth to her first cub Nindiri in June of 2007. Nindiri was just recently sent to the San Diego Zoo to be paired with a male jaguar as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan® (SSP). It is thought that jaguars have lost nearly 50 percent of their home range in the last 100 years. And, since jaguars do not live in large populations and are constantly on the move, it is difficult to pinpoint reliable population data. Brevard Zoo supports the Cockscomb Jaguar Project in Belize. Jaguars are found in the dense forests and swampy grasslands of Central and South America. Known for

births & hatchings

about 150 are in captive breeding programs like the one at the Salisbury Zoological Park. Another significant birth occurred, this time along the Tropics Trail – a tiny Titi monkey was born. Threatened by habitat destruction in the wild, Titi monkeys are part of the SSP. With the addition of this new baby, the managed population among North American Zoos is now at 47 specimens.

www.aza.org CONNECT 2009 39

BIRTHS & HATCHINGS

JAGUAR BORN AT PALM BEACH ZOO The Palm Beach Zoo in West Palm Beach, Fla., is celebrating the birth of its fifth jaguar cub. Maya was born on 28 October and is on exhibit in the acclaimed George D. and Harriet W. Cornell Tropics of the Americas exhibit with her mother Nabalam and fa-

swimming and climbing, jaguars are carnivores and hunt deer, monkey, tapirs, capybara, turtles and fish.

In July 2007, three new red pandas arrived at Knoxville Zoo from Wellington Zoo in New Zealand and now, two red panda cubs have arrived. The three pandas from New Zealand were paired with males to create new bloodlines for the red panda Species Survival Plan® (SSP). The parents of the cubs born at Knoxville Zoo are Kumari, one of the three females from New Zealand, and Chewbacca, from 40 CONNECT 2009 www.aza.org

RED PANDA CUBS AT KNOXVILLE ZOO

ther Muchacho. The Zoo’s Board of Directors has named the jaguar as its first Priority Species for Conservation.

FRISKY OKAPI CALF BORN AT DALLAS ZOO Manala, an okapi at the Dallas Zoo, gave birth to Ann in November. Ann is a rambunctious calf but also a good nester. In order to protect young okapi from the attention of predators, their mothers leave the calves alone in a nest most of the day. The mothers return regularly to nurse and care for their babies.

the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Red pandas have been an integral part of Knoxville Zoo for years. Since 1977 when Knoxville’s first pair, Bernice and Buster arrived, Knoxville Zoo has had 93 births, more than any other zoo in North America. Knoxville Zoo is also home to the oldest red panda in captivity, Flo, who is 18-years-old.

FOCUS GARIBALDI DAMSELFISH The Garibaldi damselfish is native to the Pacific waters off of southern California and Mexico, but its name originates from a different place and time. It was named after Giuseppe Garibaldi, an Italian revolutionary and nationalist leader who had a penchant for flamboyant red shirts. From displaying the spectacular array of colors and diversity under the ocean’s surface to demonstrating the impacts on climate, economics, medicine and biotechnology, AZA accredited aquariums serve as vital venues where people can connect with our oceans. ©Robin Riggs, Aquarium of the Pacific

CONSERVATION OF A WATER MONSTER Axolotl is the Nahuatl word for water monster. But conservation of amphibians in Mexico, one of the world’s hotspots for biodiversity, has room even for water monsters. The axolotl was once the top aquatic predator in the Lake Xochimilco ecosystem. The lake is an UNESCO World Heritage site and is the only location in the world where the axolotl exists in the wild. As flower filled boats glide over the lakes surface, a common scenario for the world’s lakes is unfolding below – an aquatic ecosystem is being impacted by pollution, water loss, and the impacts of introduced species. Mexican researchers, supported by the AZA Conservation Endowment Fund, are establishing axolotl sanctuaries within undisturbed areas of the lake.

SPECIES update

These refuges shelter the remnants of the flora and fauna that shared this lake with Aztecs. Now, farmers are returning to traditional farming practises that relied on the rich lake sediments to produce important crops to sustain the lakeside communities. As water quality improves without the use of agrichemicals, both people and wildlife benefit. By Bob Johnson, Curator of Amphibians and Reptiles, Toronto Zoo

SAVING THE AMERICAN BURYING BEETLE When it Comes to Conservation, Every Species Counts

All

photos

ÂŠ Roger Williams Park Zoo

ost people, if asked to name endangered animals, are likely to mention polar bears, whales, wolves, or other iconic creatures of the wild. But a thriving web of life comprises both great and small species interacting in a delicate balance with their habitat. One diminutive endangered species is the American burying beetle (ABB). Once prevalent over the entire Eastern half of the United States, this carrion eating insect is now fighting for its very existence. However there is promising news: after fourteen years, field work conducted at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, R.I., and on Nantucket Island, Mass., shows significant progress toward the goal of creating a self-sustaining population in the wild. The ultimate goal is eventually to duplicate the reintroduction efforts in another location.

What is Special About the American Burying Beetle? The ABB is a two-inch long black insect with distinctive redorange markers that has drastically declined in numbers and range. In fact, Block Island, R.I., is the home of the last naturally occurring population of American burying beetles east of the Mississippi River. There are 14 other carrion eating beetle species in North America but only the ABB, listed as an endangered species in 1989, has experienced a dramatic decline in numbers and range. Burying beetles are responsible for recycling decaying animals back into the ecosystem which returns nutrients to the earth, stimulating the growth of foliage. By removing carcasses from the ecosystem, the ABB helps keep fly and ant numbers from reaching epidemic proportions. Also, this beetle and other invertebrates serve as “indicator species” that, when threatened, alert scientists to dangerous changes in the health of the environment.

Saving a Species is a Hands-on Job. In 1994, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Roger Williams Park Zoo established a breeding program for the ABB. To breed beetles in captivity, the Zoo provides each mating pair of beetles their own brood bucket and a carrion

By Laura Dunn and Jan Mariani

animal (80-180 grams). The beetles then bury and prepare the carcass, stripping off its fur or feathers and coating it with bodily secretions. Then, eggs are deposited near the carcass and both the male and female tend the larvae that develop inside the buckets until they pupatate into adults. Among beetle species, only burying beetles display this nurturing behavior. Since 1995, RWPZ has successfully reared multiple generations of beetles starting with 19 male and 11 female beetles taken from Block Island and has released 2,923 beetles to their historic habitat on Nantucket. Conservation partners include the USFWS, the RI DEM and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, and the Maria Mitchell Association and Audubon Society on Nantucket. The last release of transplanted beetles on Nantucket occurred in the summer of 2005. Since then, the project has been in an assisted survival phase with field workers setting traps to monitor survival rates and providing carrion to support reproductive success through the year. Since the beetles live only about one year, it is vital that they successfully raise young each year. In 2007, monitors caught 100 individual ABB, more than in any previous annual monitoring effort, and in 2008 a record 113 individuals were trapped. The species is now known to be distributed over the entire eastern half of Nantucket and it is confirmed that substantial numbers of beetles are reproducing and surviving over winter, though actual population levels are unknown. After one more summer of monitoring and providing carrion to the Nantucket population the project will shift into a hands-off phase. Then, program leaders will gauge the success of their efforts to repair a vital link in the ecosystem chain by observing how the transplanted population fares on its own over the next several years.

Zoos Play a Key Role in Conservation Field Work By contributing a breeding facility, expert keeper staff, breeding data, and field support, RWPZ has become a vital part of the American burying beetle recovery program. In 2006 the ABB became the first terrestrial invertebrate on the AZAs Species Survival Plan® (SSP). Louis Perrotti, RWPZ’s conservation program coordinator, heads up the effort as the ABB species coordinator and the field conservation advisor for the Terrestrial Inverterbrate Taxon Advisory Group. RWPZ is one of many AZA zoos that have taken the initiative to save endangered species with a captive-breeding programs and reintroduction initiatives. Zoos have steadily evolved beyond serving solely as wild life parks to engaging as key partners in the preservation of endangered species world-wide.

Laura Dunn Communications Consultant at the Roger Williams Park Zoo Janet Mariani Director, Marketing & Public Relations at the Roger Williams Park Zoo www.aza.org CONNECT 2009 43

Chicago Zoological Society’s Brookfield Zoo celebrates 75 years of bringing people closer to wildlife, inspiring millions of visitors to act on behalf of the natural world. Since opening in 1934, Brookfield Zoo has been a leader in the science of animal care—creating innovative bar-free spaces, building immersive exhibits, aligning conservationists worldwide. Today, we work with over 40 Species Survival Plans, conduct cuttingedge behavioral endocrinology research, train the nation’s future veterinarians and nutritionists, and paint smiles on young faces at our award-winning Hamill Family Play Zoo. Chicago Zoological Society’s Brookfield Zoo is committed to inspiring the conservation leaders of today and tomorrow.

What in the world? SHORT-BEAKED ECHIDNA BORN AT PHILADELPHIA ZOO The Philadelphia Zoo announced the successful hatching of a short-beaked echidna. Lead keeper Todd Sinander has been studying reproduction in captive echidnas for over ten years and has identified breeding behaviors which have allowed him to predict when the egg will be laid. This level of predictability has greatly improved our success with this species. The Zooâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s female echidna has been raising young every two-to-three years over the past ten years and has successfully raised three puggles (2000, 2003, 2005). Two of those survive today (2003, 2005) and are doing well. This year the female was inactive in the burrow for an unusually long period (34 days) while incubating her egg and during early lactation. She laid and began to incubate the egg in her pouch on approximately 15 March 2008, and it hatched on about 25 March 2008. The puggle (a young echidna prior to weaning) came out of the pouch and was left alone in the burrow at the age of 59 days on 23 May. The female went into the burrow every two-to-four days and stayed inside for one-to-two days. The frequency of visits and duration of her time in the burrow decreases as the puggle matures. The puggle emerged from the burrow for the first time in early to mid-September and began to eat the adult diet in late October at approximately seven months of age. The puggle is now living separate from the adults. Both the male and female echidnas are thought to be in their early to mid 30s.

STATE LISTING OF AZA ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS State/Country

Institution

Web Site

Birmingham Zoo

http://www.birminghamzoo.com

Montgomery Zoo

http://www.montgomeryal.gov

Little Rock Zoo

http://www.littlerockzoo.com

ARGENTINA

Fudacion Temaiken

http://www.temaiken.org.ar

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

http://www.desertmuseum.org

Phoenix Zoo

http://www.phoenixzoo.org

Reid Park Zoo

http://www.tucsonzoo.org

Wildlife World Zoo, Inc.

http://www.wildlifeworld.com Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium After nearly seven years of planning and construction, Arizona’s only major aquarium opened in late December of 2008, smashing all previous attendance and revenue records from Wildlife World Zoo’s 25-year history.

BAHAMAS

Atlantis, Paradise Island

BERMUDA

Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo

http://www.bamz.org

Aquarium of the Bay

http://www.aquariumofthebay.com

Aquarium of the Pacific

http://www.aquariumofpacific.org

Birch Aquarium at Scripps Inst. of Oceanography

http://www.aquarium.ucsd.edu

Cabrillo Marine Aquarium

http://www.cabrilloaq.org

Charles Paddock Zoo

http://www.charlespaddockzoo.org/

Coyote Point Museum

http://www.coyoteptmuseum.org

Fresno Chaffee Zoo

http://www.fresnochaffeezoo.org

Happy Hollow Zoo

http://www.happyhollowparkandzoo.org

Living Desert

http://www.livingdesert.org

Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens

http://www.lazoo.org

Monterey Bay Aquarium

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org

Oakland Zoo

http://www.oaklandzoo.org

Sacramento Zoo

http://www.saczoo.com

San Diego Zoo

http://www.sandiegozoo.org

San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park

http://www.wildanimalpark.org

San Francisco Zoological Gardens

http://www.sfzoo.org

Santa Ana Zoo

http://santaanazoo.org

Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens

http://www.sbzoo.org

SeaWorld San Diego

http://www.seaworld.org

Sequoia Park Zoo

http://www.sequoiaparkzoo.net

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom

http://sixflags.com

CANADA

Biodôme de Montreal

http://www.biodome.qc.ca

CANADA

The Calgary Zoo, Botanical Garden & Prehistoric Park

http://www.calgaryzoo.ab.ca

CANADA

Toronto Zoo

http://www.torontozoo.com

46 CONNECT 2009 www.aza.org

TIONS Institution

Web Site

CANADA

Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre

http://www.vanaqua.org

CANADA

Zoo de Granby

http://www.zoodegranby.com

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

http://www.cmzoo.org

Denver Zoological Gardens

http://www.denverzoo.org

Landry's Downtown Aquarium - Denver

http://www.oceanjourney.org

Pueblo Zoo

http://www.pueblozoo.org

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo

http://www.beardsleyzoo.org

Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration

http://www.mysticaquarium.org

Smithsonian National Zoological Park

http://nationalzoo.si.edu

Brandywine Zoo

http://www.brandywinezoo.org

Brevard Zoo

http://www.brevardzoo.org

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

http://www.buschgardens.org

Central Florida Zoological Park

http://www.centralfloridazoo.org

Disney's Animal Kingdom

http://www.disney.com

The Florida Aquarium

http://www.flaquarium.org

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

http://www.jacksonvillezoo.org

Lion Country Safari

http://www.lioncountrysafari.com

Living Seas

http://www.disney.com

Miami Metrozoo

http://www.miamimetrozoo.com

AZA institutions

State/Country

MIAMI METROZOO'S AMAZON & BEYOND After many years of planning and two years of construction, Miami Metrozoo located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, has opened its new $50 million dollar Amazon & Beyond exhibit. Built on 27 acres, the new exhibit that opened on 6 December 2008 features more than 600 new animals representing more than 100 species. Photo: Red-eye frog ÂŠ Ron Magill FL

Mote Marine Aquarium

http://www.mote.org/

Naples Zoo

http://www.napleszoo.org

Palm Beach Zoo

http://www.palmbeachzoo.org

Santa Fe Community College Teaching Zoo

http://inst.santafe.cc.fl.us/~zoo/

SeaWorld Orlando

http://www.seaworld.org

St. Augustine Alligator Farm

http://www.alligatorfarm.com

Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo

http://lowryparkzoo.com

Chehaw Wild Animal Park

http://www.parksatchehaw.org

Georgia Aquarium

http://www.georgiaaquarium.org

Zoo Atlanta

http://www.zooatlanta.org

Honolulu Zoo

http://www.honoluluzoo.org

HONG KONG

Ocean Park Corporation

http://www.oceanpark.com.hk

www.aza.org CONNECT 2009 47

STATE LISTING OF AZA ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS State/Country

Institution

Web Site

Blank Park Zoo

http://www.blankparkzoo.com

Mississippi River Museum

http://www.mississippirivermuseum.com

Tautphaus Park Zoo

http://www.idahofallszoo.org

Zoo Boise

http://www.cityofboise.org/parks/zoo/

Chicago Zoological Society - Brookfield Zoo

http://www.brookfieldzoo.org

Cosley Zoo

http://www.wheatonparkdistrict.com

Henson Robinson Zoo

http://www.hensonrobinsonzoo.org

John G. Shedd Aquarium

http://www.sheddaquarium.org

Lincoln Park Zoo

http://www.lpzoo.org

Miller Park Zoo

http://www.millerparkzoo.org

Niabi Zoo

http://www.niabizoo.com

Peoria Zoo

http://www.peoriazoo.org

Scovill Zoo

http://www.decatur-parks.org

Fort Wayne Children's Zoo

http://www.kidszoo.org

Indianapolis Zoological Society, Inc.

http://www.indyzoo.com

Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden

http://www.meskerparkzoo.com

Potawatomi Zoo

http://www.potawatomizoo.org

The David Traylor Zoo of Emporia

http://www.emporiazoo.org

Hutchinson Zoo

http://www.hutchgov.com/zoo

Lee Richardson Zoo

http://www.garden-city.org/zoo

Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure

http://www.rollinghillswildlife.com

Sedgwick County Zoo

http://www.scz.org

Sunset Zoological Park

http://www.sunsetzoo.com

Topeka Zoo

http://www.fotz.org

Louisville Zoological Garden

http://www.louisvillezoo.org

Newport Aquarium

http://www.newportaquarium.com frog bog at newport aquarium The Frog Bog opened at the Newport Aquarium and features 30 different kinds of frogs. As part of the Frog Bog exhibit, the Newport Aquarium hopes to create awareness about the global amphibian crisis. Over 500 species of frogs are critically endangered and threatened with extinction due to environmental changes and pollution. Now is the time to protect the habitats and create new ones for our amphibian friends.

Alexandria Zoological Park

http://www.thealexandriazoo.com

Audubon Aquarium of the Americas

http://www.auduboninstitute.org

Audubon Zoo

http://www.auduboninstitute.org

BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo

http://www.brzoo.org

Buttonwood Park Zoo

http://www.bpzoo.org

48 CONNECT 2009 www.aza.org

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Web Site

Capron Park Zoo

http://www.capronparkzoo.com

Franklin Park Zoo

http://www.zoonewengland.com

Museum of Science

http://www.mos.org

New England Aquarium

http://www.neaq.org

Walter D. Stone Memorial Zoo

http://www.zoonewengland.com/

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore

http://www.marylandzoo.org

National Aquarium in Baltimore

http://www.aqua.org

Salisbury Zoological Park

http://www.salisburyzoo.org

MEXICO

Africam Safari Park

http://www.africamsafari.com.mx

MEXICO

Patronato del Parque Zoologico de Leon

http://www.zooleon.org

African Safari Wildlife Park

http://www.AfricanSafariWildlifePark.com

Binder Park Zoo

http://www.binderparkzoo.org

Detroit Zoological Society

http://www.detroitzoo.org

John Ball Zoological Garden

http://www.accesskent.com/zoo

Potter Park Zoological Gardens

http://www.potterparkzoo.org

Como Zoo and Conservatory

http://www.comozooconservatory.org

Minnesota Zoological Garden

http://www.mnzoo.org russia's grizzly coast at the minnesota zoo In the summer of 2008, the Minnesota Zoo opened a spectacular, multi-million dollar exhibit that is both unique in scope and is the largest in its history: Russia’s Grizzly Coast. Authentically replicating the landscape and animal communities of the Russian Far East region, the exhibit features grizzly bears, sea otters, wild boars and Amur leopards – the most endangered of all wild cats.

The Butterfly House

http://www.butterflyhouse.org

Dickerson Park Zoo

http://www.dickersonparkzoo.org

Kansas City Zoo

http://www.kansascityzoo.org

Saint Louis Zoo

http://www.stlzoo.org

Jackson Zoological Park

http://www.jacksonzoo.com

Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center

http://www.grizzlydiscoveryctr.org

ZooMontana

http://www.zoomontana.org

Natural Sci Cntr & Animal Discovery of Greensboro

http://www.natsci.org

North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher

http://www.ncaquariums.com

North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores

http://www.ncaquariums.com

North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island

http://www.ncaquariums.com

North Carolina Zoological Park

http://www.nczoo.org

Western North Carolina Nature Center

http://wildwnc.org

Chahinkapa Zoo

http://www.wahpeton.com

Dakota Zoo

http://www.dakotazoo.org

AZA institutions

State/Country

www.aza.org CONNECT 2009 49

STATE LISTING OF AZA ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS State/Country

Institution

Web Site

Red River Zoo

http://www.redriverzoo.org

Roosevelt Park Zoo

http://www.rpzoo.com

Lincoln Children's Zoo

http://www.lincolnzoo.org

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo

http://www.omahazoo.com

Riverside Zoo

http://www.riversidezoo.com

Squam Lakes Natural Science Center

http://www.nhnature.org

Adventure Aquarium

http://www.adventureaquarium.com

Bergen County Zoological Park

http://www.co.bergen.nj.us

Cape May County Park Zoo

http://www.co.cape-may.nj.us

Jenkinson's Aquarium

http://www.jenkinsons.com/aquarium

Turtle Back Zoo

http://www.turtlebackzoo.com

Alameda Park Zoo

http://ci.alamogordo.nm.us/home.htm

Albuquerque Biological Park

http://www.cabq.gov/biopark

Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park

http://www.nmparks.com

Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay

http://www.mandalaybay.com

Bronx Zoo

http://www.wcs.org

Buffalo Zoological Gardens

http://www.buffalozoo.org

Central Park Zoo

http://www.wcs.org

New York Aquarium

http://www.wcs.org

Prospect Park Zoo

http://www.wcs.org

Queens Zoo

http://www.wcs.org

Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park

http://www.rosamondgiffordzoo.org

Seneca Park Zoo

http://www.senecaparkzoo.org

Staten Island Zoo

http://www.statenislandzoo.org

Trevor Zoo

http://www.trevorzoo.org

Akron Zoological Park

http://www.akronzoo.com

The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery

http://www.boonshoftmuseum.org

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

http://www.cincinnatizoo.org/

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

http://www.clemetzoo.com

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

http://www.colszoo.org

Toledo Zoological Gardens

http://www.toledozoo.org

The Wilds

http://www.thewilds.org

Oklahoma City Zoological Park

http://www.okczoo.com

Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum

http://www.tulsazoo.org

Oregon Coast Aquarium

http://www.aquarium.org

Oregon Zoo

http://www.oregonzoo.org

Wildlife Safari

http://www.wildlifesafari.org

Clyde Peeling's Reptiland

http://www.reptiland.com

Elmwood Park Zoo

http://www.elmwoodparkzoo.org

Erie Zoo

http://www.eriezoo.org

Lehigh Valley Zoo

http://www.lvzoo.org

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TIONS Institution

Web Site

National Aviary

http://www.aviary.org

Philadelphia Zoo

http://www.philadelphiazoo.org

Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium

http://www.pittsburghzoo.com

ZOOAMERICA North American Wildlife Park

http://www.zooamerica.com

Roger Williams Park Zoo

http://www.rwpzoo.org

Brookgreen Gardens

http://www.brookgreen.org

Greenville Zoo

http://www.greenvillezoo.com

Ripley's Aquarium

http://www.ripleysaquarium.com

Riverbanks Zoo & Garden

http://www.riverbanks.org

South Carolina Aquarium

http://www.scaquarium.org south carolina aquarium's penguin planet Four Magellanic penguins dove into their new home, Penguin Planet, at the South Carolina Aquarium. The birds, on loan from SeaWorld San Diego will be visiting the Aquarium until March 2010.

Bramble Park Zoo

http://www.brambleparkzoo.com

Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natl. Hist.

http://www.gpzoo.org

Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park

http://zoo.chattanooga.org

Knoxville Zoological Gardens

http://www.knoxville-zoo.org

Memphis Zoo

http://www.memphiszoo.org

Nashville Zoo, Inc.

http://www.nashvillezoo.org

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies

http://www.ripleysaquariumofthesmokies.com

Tennessee Aquarium

http://www.tennesseeaquarium.org

Abilene Zoological Gardens

http://www.abilenetx.com/zoo

Aquarium & Rainforest at Moody Gardens, Inc.

http://www.moodygardens.com

Caldwell Zoo

http://www.caldwellzoo.org

Cameron Park Zoo

http://www.cameronparkzoo.com

The Dallas World Aquarium

http://www.dwazoo.com

Dallas Zoo

http://www.dallas-zoo.org

El Paso Zoo

http://www.elpasozoo.org

Ellen Trout Zoo

http://ellentroutzoo.com

Fort Worth Zoo

http://www.fortworthzoo.org

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center

http://www.fossilrim.org

Gladys Porter Zoo

http://www.gpz.org

Houston Aquarium, Inc.

http://www.downtownaquarium.com/

Houston Zoo, Inc.

http://www.houstonzoo.org

San Antonio Zoological Gardens & Aquarium

http://www.sazoo-aq.org

SeaWorld San Antonio

http://www.seaworld.org

AZA institutions

State/Country

www.aza.org CONNECT 2009 51

STATE LISTING OF AZA ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS Institution

Web Site

Texas State Aquarium

http://www.texasstateaquarium.org

Utah's Hogle Zoo

http://www.hoglezoo.org

Mill Mountain Zoo

http://www.mmzoo.org

The Virginia Living Museum

http://www.thevlm.org

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

http://www.vmsm.com/

Virginia Zoological Park

http://www.virginiazoo.org

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park

http://www.nwtrek.org

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

http://www.pdza.org

Seattle Aquarium

http://www.seattleaquarium.org

Woodland Park Zoo

http://www.zoo.org

Henry Vilas Zoo

http://www.vilaszoo.org

International Crane Foundation

http://www.savingcranes.org

Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens

http://www.milwaukeezoo.org

Northeastern Wisconsin (NEW) Zoo

http://www.co.brown.wi.us/zoo/

Racine Zoological Gardens

http://www.racinezoo.org

Oglebay's Good Zoo

http://www.oglebay-resort.com/ goodzoo/index.htm

CONNECT Editorial policy: CONNECT is published by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to the advancement of zoological parks and aquariums for conservation, education, scientific studies and recreation. Articles submitted to CONNECT do not necessarily reflect the opinions and policies of AZA. Mission: CONNECT is a forum for promoting AZA’s mission by highlighting zoo and aquarium trends, industry initiatives, conservation efforts and member achievements. Copyright policy: All items appearing in CONNECT are copyright of AZA. Permission to reprint items must be obtained by contacting AZA’s Publications Department at tlewthwaite@aza.org.

52 CONNECT 2009 www.aza.org

AZA institutions

State/Country