Houston Zoo Wildlife Summer 2008

T O SISPSUE SUMMER 2008

FEATURES

The Houston Zoo is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization.

Houston Zoo, Inc. Board of Directors Victor C. Alvarez E. William Barnett Freda Wilkerson Bass Nandita Berry Jack S. Blanton, Sr. Winfield M Campbell, Sr. Cathy Campbell-Hevrdejs Anthony R. Chase Jonathan Day – Chair Linnet Deily Anne Duncan James A. Elkins, III Barbara Goldfield Robert Graham – chair elect Robert W. Harvey Cynthe Hughes

Don R. Kendall, Jr. Glenn L. Lowenstein Cal McNair Stephen D. Newton Suzanne Paquin Nimocks Charles Onstead Courtney Lanier Sarofim Cathryn Selman Louis Sklar J. Michael Solar Herman L. Stude Bonnie Weekley George R. Willy E. W. Bill Wright III Austin Young

On the cover: Cheetahs Kito and Kiburi Photo by: Stephanie Adams WildLife Production Team Editor: Debra Ford Creative Directors: Debra Ford & Melanie Campbell-Tello Design: Melanie Campbell-Tello Photography by: Stephanie Adams, Bill Konstant, Dale Martin, Rick Barongi, Brian Hill, Tim Junker, Paul Bratescu, and Paul Crump Postmaster: Send address changes to: WildLife Magazine Houston Zoo, Inc. 1513 North MacGregor Houston, Texas 77030

How To Reach Us: Houston Zoo, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 713-533-6500 Education Department. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 713-533-6739 Marketing Department. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 713-533-6717 Membership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 713-533-6726 Office of Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 713-533-6819 Public Relations/Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 713-533-6531

www.houstonzoo.org Zoo Hours: March 9 through November 2 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (last ticket sold at 6:00 p.m.)

November 3 through March 8 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (last ticket sold at 5:00 p.m.)

The Zoo is closed Christmas day.

WildLife is published by Houston Zoo, Inc., 1513 North MacGregor, Houston, Texas 77030. ©Houston Zoo, Inc., 2008. All rights reserved. Subscription by membership only.

The Houston Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums The official airline of The Houston Zoo Printed on 10% post-consumer waste recycled paper with soy-based inks.

6 10

New Komodo Dragons

Spots vs.

Patterns

12

Spotlight On Elephants

20

New Spots In The Zoo

DEPARTMENTS DIRECTOR'S DEN 2 DEVELOPMENT NEWS 4 EDUCATION NEWS 11 UPCOMING EVENTS 13 CONSERVATION NEWS 16 MEMBERSHIP NEWS 18 ZOO INSIDER 20

DIRECTOR'S DEN

There never seems to be enough space for this letter with all that transpires between issues. So, I’m writing a bullet point list, and ending with a story about our latest arrival, Jack the giraffe. You can read more about these noteworthy items in the context of this “spotted” issue.

Our busiest time of the year, spring has also been the best on record.

Here are just a few reasons why: • March Attendance – 237,759 a new record for the Zoo. • Marketer of the Year – The Houston Zoo was awarded by the Houston chapter of the American Marketing Association.

• GEICO Gecko exhibit • National Elephant Center Press event – Great partnership announced at the Zoo with Waste Management.

• Lion and Tiger glass replacement – Now you see them better than ever.

• McNair Elephant Barn and exhibit completed – a five million dollar upgrade for our elephants.

• New animal quarantine and research building completed – a two million dollar addition.

• The addition of new sidewalks, colorful landscaping and directional signage.

• New ice cream stands just in time for summer.

• Parking lot and Zoo plaza upgrades begin – a Hermann Park Conservancy project.

• The Jack and Mac show – Jack the giraffe was born in January while Mac our elephant calf tips the scales at 1,700 at only 18 months old.

• Cheetahs and Anatolian shepherds – now on exhibit together every day.

Now a heartwarming animal story.

Just before 5 a.m. this past January, our most experienced giraffe mother, Tyra, gave birth to her fourth calf. Since the previous calves stood an hour after birth, nursing shortly thereafter, we did not anticipate problems.

Normally the giraffes give birth in the outside yard, where footing is better, but due to the very cold temperature Tyra was inside the barn. When giraffe keeper, Kelli found the calf just after 5 a.m. with his back legs splayed out on the floor of the barn stall, she called our veterinarians and curators.

For unknown reasons, this calf could not get up, and developed a contracted tendon in its front leg. Fortunately, newborn giraffes are very resilient. Our keepers and veterinarians helped the calf walk until his legs became stronger. His instability prevented him from nursing and he had to be supplemented with artificial formula. Fortunately, the calf got stronger, and mom more attentive and he nursed for the first time, about 40 hours after birth. A happy ending thanks to our experienced and hardworking staff.

After that rocky start, we needed a special name for this very cute six-foot tall baby. So we named him Jack, after Dr. John (Jack) P. McGovern. Dr. McGovern passed away last year but he and his wife Kathy have been the single most generous supporters of the Zoo for the past 30 years.

RICK BARONGI Zoo Director 2 | HOUSTON ZOO | www.houstonzoo.org

CHEETAH UPDATE Kito and Kiburi Keep Growing By Leaps and Bounds!

Ditto for Best Buddies Tusker and Taji What a difference seven months makes, especially when you’re a cub (or a puppy)! When cheetah brothers Kito and Kiburi arrived at the Houston Zoo last October, they were just five days old. “They fit in the palm of my hand, and their eyes weren’t even open,” laughs Carnivore Supervisor – surrogate cheetah ‘mother’ and one of the main trainers – Sara Riger. “Today, they each weigh over 45 pounds, well on their way to a full grown weight of one hundred pounds or so.”

Flashback to October 2007. ‘Cheetah-less’ for over three years, the Houston Zoo received a call that a cheetah mother at the White Oak Conservation Center in northern Florida couldn’t care for her litter.

Immediately, Sara Riger and Veterinary Technician Kara LaVictoire drove the long distance to pick up the two infant cubs named Kiburi and Kito (in Swahali, Kiburi means ‘proud’ and Kito means ‘precious child’).

But that’s just half of the story. Simultaneously, two 12 week-old Anatolian shepherd puppies (Tusker and Taji) were being acquired in Missouri. A Turkish breed, Anatolian shepherds are famous for their shepherding abilities – most recently in Africa where they guard livestock against predators, including leopards and cheetahs that, forced by dwindling “natural” food sources, turn to raiding livestock herds. (The dogs strong bark, mere presence, and 150-pound heft when full grown, frightens away most predators. Which means, in turn, that farmers and ranchers don’t have to shoot these beautiful, endangered cats.)

When raised with their ‘herd,’ Anatolian shepherds quickly bond with the animals they will guard. “In this case,” according to Sara Riger, “the Zoo saw a unique opportunity, duplicated at only a handful of zoos across the country, to have trained dogs adopt the cheetahs as their ‘herd,’ and actually bond, live and work with them, providing the cats with extra companionship, and Zoo guests with a valuable – and vastly entertaining – learning experience.”

WILDLIFE| SUMMER 2008

|3

DEVELOPMENT NEWS Zoo Ball 2008: Born to be Wild – Presented by Zoo Friends of Houston, Inc. Zoo Ball 2008: Born to be Wild roared into town on Friday, May 2, turning the Zoo and the Brown Education Center into a Harley-Davidson-inspired icehouse, complete with pool tables, air hockey, tattoos, a cigar lounge, an enormous “light up” bar by Daryl & Co., and three Harley-Davidson motorcycles provided

by Mancuso Harley-Davidson.

The chairs and honorees arrived in their own Harley parade, featuring Zoo Friends president and co-chairs riding in on Harley-Davidson motorcycles and the honorees and special guests on a “totally gnarly, tricked out” Zoo golf cart with flame decals and “chrome” hubcaps. This year’s honorees were Diane and Don Kendall, whose extraordinary leadership in support

of the Zoo’s annual operating and capital campaign goals continues to be a guiding force in the Houston Zoo’s conservation efforts. Also featured in the parade were Zoo Friends President Cynthe Hughes, Zoo Ball 2008 Co-chairs Carol Beck and Debra Grierson, Lifetime Zoo Friends Member Jane Block, Zoo President and CEO Deborah Cannon and Zoo Director Rick Barongi.

More than 500 guests, many of whom donned leather biker gear and temporary tattoos, attended this bi-annual event, dining on hamburgers, a mashed potato bar and more provided by Jackson & Co. Guests danced to the smokin’ sounds of Hackberry Road, who cruised in from Dallas, and Skyrocket! who rolled in straight from Austin.

The Houston Zoo would like to extend its thanks to the Zoo Friends of Houston for their tireless efforts in making Zoo Ball 2008 the BEST PARTY OF THE YEAR and a huge success.

Photos from top left to right: Don and Diane Kendall, Carol Beck and Debra Grierson, Jane Block, Rick Barongi and Deborah Cannon, and Cynthe Hughes.

to be 4 | HOUSTON ZOO | www.houstonzoo.org

Let the Sun Shine

The Zoo Goes Green With Waste Management The Houston Zoo celebrated Earth Day with a party for the planet, presented

by Waste Management. The weekend festivities included informative keeper chats, animal enrichment activities utilizing recycled materials, fun crafts for kids, entertainment with a “green theme” and great music. Kids gave Mother Earth A Hand by posting personalized conservation messages on a huge planet Earth. "Go green" tips were provided by Waste Management Cycler, the robot who makes recycling fun.

Guests interacted with Recycle Ben, the trash-talking, living trash can who teaches about the importance of recycling.

“The goal of Earth Day at the Houston Zoo is to protect the planet by making it clean and green,” said Barbara Nussa, director of community relations for Waste Management.

“This year Waste Management, Sony Electronics and the Zoo offered a special recycling opportunity – free electronic recycling.”

Thanks to Jamba Juice for providing free samples and a special discount offer to the Zoo during Earth Day.

WILDLIFE

To commemorate Earth Day 2008, the Houston Zoo and Green Mountain Energy Company unveiled the Zoo’s first solar array and the first solar array to power an exhibit at a zoo in Texas.

The Green Mountain Energy® Solar Array at the Houston Zoo generates 6.4 kilowatts (kW) and will help power the Zoo’s African lion exhibit. The array will provide approximately 33 percent of the exhibit’s electrical power requirements at peak hours. The photovoltaic (PV) solar panels are mounted on the roof of the African lion exhibit, where they are visible from the African wild dog exhibit.

The Zoo’s solar array was built with 36 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels that are each about 36 inches wide and 60 inches long. These panels convert sunlight into electricity, producing 6.4 kW of clean energy, enough energy to power an average home in Houston using about 1,000 kWh per month for a year. Each year, this solar array can offset over 17,500 lbs. of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas that is a leading cause of global warming.

That’s equivalent to not driving over 19,000 miles a year, planting more than 1,000 trees or recycling over 44,000 aluminum cans.

For more information about solar power go to www.greenmountain.com.

Waste Management and Green Mountain Energy are Corporate Partners of the Houston Zoo supporting our animal programs, education initiatives and conservation efforts year round. If your company would like to be a partner, please contact Rick Ellis, Manager of Corporate Partnerships at: rellis@houstonzoo.org or 713-533-6754.

WILDLIFE| SUMMER 2008

5

|5

IF YOU SEE SPOTS, IT'S OKAY.

6 | HOUSTON ZOO | www.houstonzoo.org

THERE'S NO NEED TO RUB YOUR EYES. How many different kinds of animals can you think of that have the word “spotted” in their names? Let’s see.

Spotted hyena. Spotted turtle. Spotted salamander.

Spotted owl. Those are some of the easy ones. How about the rusty spotted cat? Or the red-spotted Apollo butterfly? Perhaps the spotted cuscus which, by the way, is a marsupial, not a dish served in a Middle Eastern restaurant.

The common names for all these creatures tell you something about their appearance. Their fur, feathers, shells and skins are adorned with spots and patterns that make them easily recognizable to us, but may also help them blend into their environments, impress the ladies or distract potential predators. Spots are one of the most useful designs on Mother Nature’s palette.

We all are very familiar with spotted cats such as the cheetah, leopard, jaguar, ocelot and margay. Their beautifully patterned coats stand out prominently when they are out in the open against a blue sky.

However, in the contrasting light of the tangled brush or a tropical forest, the cats’ dark spots tend to blend with the shadows and their lighter fur reflects the sunlight in much the same way as the plants around them. The result – you and I could be looking directly into the face of a hungry jaguar no more than a few yards away and not even realize that it’s there. >> Continued on pg. 8

Left: pair of camouflaged leopards in the tall grass of the East African Savanna

Above: same pair of leopards outside of the tall grass

WILDLIFE| SUMMER 2008

|7

The male peafowl or peacock, on the other hand, vainly fans out its elaborate feathers to display dozens of teardrop-shaped spots. He struts his stuff in an attempt to lure receptive females or peahens within range so that he might mate with them. His objective is to be conspicuous, not to hide from view. His use of spots is the direct opposite of camouflage.

In the insect world, the wings of numerous butterflies and moths are decorated with large eyespots that tend to be hidden when the animals are at rest.

However, when danger threatens, such as when a hungry, keen-eyed bird alights nearby, the insect instinctively flashes its wings to reveal a frightening “pair of eyes” of its own. This defensive reaction will often startle the would-be predator, interrupt or delay its attack, and provide the intended victim with the split second it needs to make a hasty escape. Related trickery can be observed in caterpillars that have prominent eyespots at the tail end of their bodies. These spots give them the appearance of having two heads, and this can easily confuse a predator into attacking a less critical part of the insect’s anatomy.

Some animals are born with spots which fade away after several months. This is called a natal or buffer coat and allows the young baby to blend in with the surroundings until it is old enough to run with mom. The most familiar examples are white-tailed deer fawns. Bambi only keeps her spots for the first year. Tapir calves, wild piglets and mountain lion cubs also lose their spots with age. On the other hand, Dalmatian puppies are born without spots and acquire them later, but domestic animals are not designed to survive in nature.

As you walk through the zoo, hike along a stream or just spend some time in your own backyard, take note of the different spotted creatures that share our world.

Think about the ways in which their spots give them an advantage and help them to survive. We’ve given you a few examples here, but we're sure you can spot more.

8 | HOUSTON ZOO | www.houstonzoo.org

HOUSTON ZOO HONORED AS

2007 MARKETER OF THE YEAR The Houston Chapter of the American Marketing Association has named the Houston Zoo as its 2007 Marketer of the Year. Chosen from five finalists, which were selected from 26 “Best of Category” winners, the Houston Zoo was recognized for a multifaceted marketing program that increased attendance and revenues, while spotlighting the Zoo’s core missions of education and conservation.

“This is a wonderful honor that recognizes the dedication of the staff and management who make the Zoo the incredible community treasure that it is,” said Debra Ford, who oversees the Zoo’s marketing efforts. “What makes this honor even more special is the fact that we were judged by a panel of advertising and marketing professionals chosen from outside of Houston–from across the United States,” added Ford.

The AMA’s Marketer of the Year program honors a company, organization or institution that stands above the crowd. More than 150 nominations were made by

marketing and business leaders across Houston from a range of industry categories. From the nominees, AMA Houston members voted to select 26 “Best of Category” winners. In addition to the Houston Zoo, the list of five finalists included EMS Group, KBR, Shell Oil, and the Sam Houston Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

The Houston Zoo had one of its strongest years since privatization with an increase in attendance of 10%.

Many new marketing initiatives were launched, including a restructure of the marketing department; the launch of a new website with interactive and animated flash programs; a year-long campaign for Mac, the Zoo’s baby elephant; redevelopment of Zoo Boo and new marketing programs for Feast with the Beasts.

The award was presented at a ceremony at the Alley Theatre. The Zoo also received several citations of excellence from the Houston Advertising Federation at the annual ADDY Awards including one for our outdoor campaign and the new website.

WILDLIFE| SUMMER 2008

|9

Newly Spotted – Baby Komodo Dragons Houston Zoo reptile keepers are hearing the pitter patter of tiny dragon feet! Reptile Supervisor Judith Bryja, our resident Komodo dragon expert, couldn’t be happier.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Bryja. Our baby Komodo dragons may be seen daily in the Reptile House (only one on exhibit at a time) in addition to our adult dragons, Smaug and Scylla in the outdoor Komodo exhibit.

In 2007, the Zoo's female Komodo dragon, Scatha, on breeding loan to the San Antonio Zoo laid 11 eggs. “A clutch of dragon eggs won’t hatch all at once,” said Bryja.

“Incubation can be as long as 9 months and hatching is usually spread out over a period of several weeks,” she added.

“I couldn’t wait to see them,” said Bryja.

“So, I made several trips to San Antonio to visit the babies after they hatched. They are about a foot long at birth.” The Zoo has received four of the offspring which may now be seen in the Reptile House. “Baby Komodo dragons are arboreal, tree dwelling for their first few years,” said Bryja. “In the wild it’s safer to be up high. So, our exhibit gives them climbing room.”

Dragon Facts: Conservation Status: Endangered due to habitat loss and lack of prey

Adult length: Range:

6 to 7 feet for females; up to 10 feet for males.

Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands: Komodo, Rintja, Flores, Gili Motang

Adult weight: 60 pounds for females; up to 160 pounds for males

10 | HOUSTON ZOO | www.houstonzoo.org

OMO D O

EDUCATION NEWS Spotlight on Zoomobiles

Wild Wink Overnights

Everyone knows the Houston Zoo is a “hotspot” during the summer. The animals, keeper chats and shows provide a day of fun-filled activity. However, we know that it is not always logistically possible to bring your large group to the Zoo.

6 p.m. – 10 a.m. the next day $70 per member, $80 per non-member

If this is the case, the Houston Zoomobile can be a great alternative! An education staff member and Zoo Docents would love to visit your daycare, library, company festival or camp and present programming for gatherings of 20 to 2000! Our programs are hands-on, and use biofacts such as furs and skulls, interactive games, activities and small live animals.

The Zoomobile travels throughout Houston as well as areas within an 8 hour round-trip drive from the Houston Zoo. Now is the time to book your summer visit.

Registration and payment must be received at least 3 weeks (21 days) prior to the program date. Download and submit a completed registration form via fax 713-533-6783 or mail: Houston Zoo Group Reservations 1513 N. MacGregor Houston, TX 77030

Wild Wink overnights offer guests a unique opportunity to experience the Zoo after-hours! Fee includes hands-on activities, tents, touch animals, dinner, continental breakfast and admission to the Zoo after the program is over on the second day.

June 14th Saturday – Family Wild Wink overnight (must be 7 years or older)

June 20th Friday – Adult Only Wild Wink overnight (must be 21 years or older)

August 23rd – Adult Only Wild Wink overnight (must be 21 yrs or older)

August 30th Saturday – Family Wild Wink overnight (must be 7 years or older)

* Note: Children must be accompanied by a registered adult.

We’ve got a camping spot reserved for you!

For information on Zoomobile topics, pricing and more, please visit our website at: http://www.houstonzoo.org/education We look forward to bringing a bit of the Houston Zoo to You!

WILDLIFE| SUMMER 2008

| 11

The National Elephant Center Becomes a Reality With Waste Management’s Support A new model for excellence in elephant care and conservation became a reality when The National Elephant Center was announced at a press conference at the Houston Zoo in early February. Plans to create a national elephant conservation center in central Florida were made possible, in part, by Waste Management’s involvement. The facility will be under construction for several months with the first elephants expected to arrive in 2009.

“Elephants are among our most endangered animals in the world, and their future depends on innovative programs that integrate science, research, education and animal care expertise. The National Elephant Center will play a vital role in addressing the critical need for elephant population management and will be an international resource in elephant conservation,” said Center Board President Mark C. Reed, and Executive Director of the Sedgwick County Zoo. “Waste Management’s support of the project, including its nominal lease to the Center of the land, will help provide a perfect home for our elephants and programs.”

The Center is located on 300 acres owned by Waste Management in Okeechobee, Fla. It includes space for elephants to roam and explore while providing a variety of natural waterholes for wallowing. It is adjacent to property that Waste Management maintains as a natural area certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council that provides food and nesting areas for threatened Florida sandhill cranes and other species.

12 | HOUSTON ZOO | www.houstonzoo.org

“When we look at our landfills, we see them as a form of recycling – beneficial reuse of the land at our sites,” said Waste Management CEO David Steiner. “Our landfills provide power to our communities through landfill gas to energy projects. They also supply tens of thousands of acres for community parks, recreation centers and wildlife habitats. We are proud of our ability to provide one of our landfill resources for a program that helps ensure the future of one of nature's most majestic resources, elephants.”

“There are nearly 290 elephants in 77 North American zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and this facility will support those institutions in a variety of ways, including population management, artificial insemination and breeding, research and conservation activities, and training for keepers, curators and veterinarians,” said Reed, who along with nine other zoo directors including Rick Barongi from the Houston Zoo, serve on the Center’s board of directors.

The National Elephant Center is a nonprofit organization that envisions becoming the global leader in elephant population management. It is committed to ensuring the future of elephants in zoos and in the wild by advancing science in artificial insemination and breeding; promoting elephant research and conservation programs; providing specialized training for elephant caregivers; and becoming a voice for elephants nationally and internationally through advocacy and collaboration. For more information, visit www.TheNationalElephantCenter.org.

UPCOMING EVENTS Feast with the Beasts October 10 7 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Must be 21 or older to attend The third-annual Feast with the Beasts will be the best yet!

With 50 local restaurants each serving up their specialty culinary fare and an assortment of wines, the Houston Zoo is the place to be this October 10th!

Zoo Boo October 18, 19, 25, 26 It’s Houston’s largest and most kid-friendly Halloween event!

Join us for food, drinks, and live music on three entertainment stages. And it wouldn’t be an evening at the Zoo without your favorite animal guests! We’ll have plenty of keeper chats and animal experiences to help make your evening truly memorable.

So mark your calendars! Watch for presale tickets to go on sale this summer at www.houstonzoo.org.

Back by popular demand is the Fiesta Mart Pumpkin Patch, where all little ghouls and goblins can pick out and decorate their very own child-sized pumpkin!

And it wouldn’t be Halloween without candy! The Houston Zoo offers the safest trunk-or-treating in town!

Games, activities, music, and more! You won’t want to miss this! Visit www.houstonzoo.org for more details.

WILDLIFE| SUMMER 2008

| 13

Try to Spot These Creatures at the Zoo

No trip to the Zoo is complete without stops to see the lions, elephants, bears and all the other big animals, but you’d be missing a lot if you didn’t take some time to seek out some of the smaller, perhaps less popular creatures on exhibit. If they could talk, many of them would have very interesting stories to tell.

1

I make my home in the warm tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. My name is a combination of two different animals. Although I’m quite handsome by anyone’s standards, my colors are a warning and you really don’t want to touch me. You see, my spines and fins are quite venomous and could cause you a painful injury.

2

I bet I’ll see you before you notice me. Just check out my eyes! They swivel and can move independent of each other. One can be looking straight ahead and the other directly behind me. No insects are safe, especially if they land in range of my incredible tongue. It shoots out longer than my body and nails the little buggers.

14 | HOUSTON ZOO | www.houstonzoo.org

HOUSTON ZOO

3

Big ears, bushy tail, big feet, live in burrows and built for jumping, I must be a rabbit! I am not a rabbit!

It would be hard to know exactly what I am just by looking but I am more closely related to squirrels than rabbits or hares. I am a member of the rodent family from the savannas of southern Africa and you can see me in the Natural Encounters building desert exhibit.

5. Babirusa

4

3. Springhare

4. Bali Mynah

Some of my closest relatives in the bird world are the best talkers you could ever imagine. Others are nothing but pests that you wish would just go away. I don’t think I could be any more beautiful with my elegant white feathers and turquoise eye patch, and maybe that’s why people have desired my species as a pet for centuries. I am named for the only island in the world on which my kind is found.

ANSWERS: 1. Lionfish

2. Chameleon

5

One of my most striking features is my face.

Males are armed with a pair of lower tusks and an impressive pair of upper tusks that erupt through the top of the snout, and our bodies are unique, a bit wrinkled and mostly hairless. These upper canines resemble antlers more than they do tusks. Not surprisingly, the Indonesian translation of my name is "pig-deer."

WILDLIFE| SUMMER 2008

| 15

CONSERVATION NEWS Spotlight on Frogs In the tropical forests of central Panama, Houston Zoo staff recently teamed up with a film crew from the Discovery Channel’s Animal Planet program in a search for endangered frogs. Joining television host Jeff Corwin on treks through mountain streams in the Sierra Llorona private reserve and Omar Torrijos National Park, in search of rare harlequin frogs, the expedition resulted in the collection of nearly two dozen animals for the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center, a facility the Zoo established to help save Panama’s declining amphibians. Frogs found at the site known as El Cope in the national park represent a particularly significant discovery, since an epidemic fungus wiped out a number of amphibian species there over the course of several years. Determining how these animals managed to survive may help biologists save species that are threatened with extinction.

SPOTLIGHT ON TERRAPINS

The film project is scheduled to air later this fall in a documentary called Vanishing Frogs.

"Spots do not only appear on the fabulous and furry, they also appear on shells and scales! The Diamondback terrapin is a small to medium sized turtle found in salt marshes, estuaries, and tidal creeks of Texas’ Gulf Coast. This turtle is unique in being the only turtle species associated with brackish water habitats. Brackish water is water that contains both salty and fresh water.

The Diamondback Terrapin is a species of concern in the state of Texas and populations are thought to be declining throughout

16 | HOUSTON ZOO | www.houstonzoo.org

Join the Houston Zoo for Amphibian Awareness Weekend!

Hop on over to the Houston Zoo on June 27th and 28th, 2008 when the Conservation Department, in celebration of the Year of the Frog, holds it first ever Amphibian Awareness Weekend! The fun begins on Friday night when we will host an Amphibian Monitoring Workshop at the Brown Education Center. The registration for this workshop is only $5 and gets you a CD of the Calls of Native Toads and Frogs of Texas. In this workshop you will learn about some of our native amphibian residents, and learn how you can help amphibians locally. We will take a night walk on zoo grounds and around the Hermann Park lake. To register, contact rrommel@ houstonzoo.org. The excitement leaps on Saturday, June 28th when we will have Amphibian related booths in front of the Reptile House with Conservation information, live amphibians and presentations scheduled throughout the day. Visitors will learn how to make toad abodes, tips on frog friendly gardening, and how you can monitor local frog and toad habitats with your family. their range. Declines in populations are due to nest predation, habitat loss, commercial harvest, and mortality as by catch-in-crab traps. Terrapins need to breath oxygen just like us, and when they are mistakenly caught in crab traps they can drown because they cannot surface for air.

Currently there is a population study being conducted by staff in conjunction with local coordinating and partner institutions. This research initiative will determine population size, home range, habitat preference and seasonal movements of the Diamondback terrapin in Galveston Bay, Texas."

Lemurs of Madagascar Dr. Ed Louis September 4, 2008 Brown Education Center – Houston Zoo Lecture starts at 7:00 pm with appetizers and refreshments served at 6:30 p.m.

Lemurs are a diverse group of primates unique to Madagascar - the world's fourth largest island.

Lemurs range in appearance from small bug-eyed, mouse-like animals that can fit in the palm of your hand to the much larger long-limbed, long-tailed sifaka that dances like a ballerina and whose seemingly effortless leaps through the tropical forest canopy can span distances of 30 feet or more.

Pongos Helping Pongos Update The Houston Zoo's 3rd Pongos Helping Pongos Art Event was held at the G Gallery in Houston on March 29th and was by far our most successful to date, raising over $30,000 for wildlife conservation and community education programs in Borneo.

Since the programs inception, Pongos Helping Pongos has now generated over $95,000 for these initiatives.

Dr. Louis received his DVM and PhD in Genetics from Texas A & M University. He is currently the Director for Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo's Center for Consrvation and Research. Over the past decade, Dr. Ed Louis has conducted numerous field expeditions to Madagascar in an effort to develop baseline data on the genetics, distribution and status of that island nation's fauna and flora. Dr. Louis is an international authority on lemurs and has personally discovered and described 18 new species.

In an effort to develop baseline molecular, distribution and census data on lemurs and other Malagasy flora and fauna, Louis has carried out and supervised extensive fieldwork on the island since 1998. Under his leadership as the principal investigator of the Madagascar Biodiversity & Biogeography Project, he has mentored over 35 students from the University of Antananarivo, and spearheaded multiple education programs including the novel re-introduction of two lemur species, the creation of a conservation-based coloring book distributed to 15,000 Malagasy primary school children, and a grass roots reforestation project.

WILDLIFE| SUMMER 2008

| 17

MEMBERSHIP NEWS

Zoobilee

Hopping Summer Safari It’s the Year of the Frog and it will be a Hopping Summer Safari!

Thursday, June 12, 2008 OR Friday, June 13, 2008 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Join us at the Zoo for a hopping good time just for Members! It’s a family fun celebration with numerous keeper chats, jugglers, a magician, and a children’s DJ. Children are invited to embark on a Zoo-style global trek to meet some of our remarkable residents and get a special passport stamped from exotic lands. Members will receive a 20% discount on food purchased from Zoo concessions as well as a 20% discount in the Houston Zoo Gift Shop.

Visit www.houstonzoo.org/zoobilee for all the exciting event details!

RSVP by June 8, 2008 at www.houstonzoo.org/zoobilee

18 | HOUSTON ZOO | www.houstonzoo.org

Member Mornings

Don’t miss this special chance for Members to hear from one of our Zoo’s experts and gain professional insight about a select animal resident or area of the Zoo. Learn from the best in the field about what it really takes to care for the diverse animals that call the Zoo home. Plus, you can enjoy the Zoo before it gets crowded!

Monday, June 2 and Saturday, June 14 – Children’s Zoo Monday, July 7 and Saturday, July 12 – Aquarium Monday, August 4 and Saturday, August 9 – Reptiles Programs begin promptly at 9:15 a.m. Approximate program length is 45 minutes. Please register at www.houstonzoo.org at least 24 hours in advance.

Reservations are required as space is limited. Registration will open on the first day of the month preceding the month of the Member Morning. You will be greeted inside the Zoo’s main entrance and escorted to the exhibit area.

Members First Saturdays

Adopt an Animal

Beat the heat! As the temperature rises this summer, lead your pack to the Zoo for a cool experience on the first Saturday of each month. The Zoo will open just for members at 8:00 a.m. on Members First Saturdays. No reservations are necessary, but check our website for details.

Celebrate your graduate’s accomplishments with the most unique graduation gift in town!

Make a wise choice when you adopt Ariel the Great-Horned Owl for that Rice Grad or Martha the Cougar for a University of Houston Grad!

Saturdays: June 7, July 5, August 2, and September 6

Is your pops tops? So is Thai, our 12,000 lb. Asian elephant father, and Kiva, the tallest Dad in town!

Make this Father’s Day special with this unique gift from the Houston Zoo!

Tours

We are now offering a variety of exciting tours and experiences. Please visit our website at www. houstonzoo.org/tours for information on our Vet for a Day Experience, Walk on the Wild Side Tours, Behind the Scenes Tours, Animal Painting Experiences, and Cat Training Window Experiences.

WILDLIFE

Choose from one of our four levels of support and sponsor the animal of your choice for one year. Animal adoption packages can be delivered anywhere in the U.S. We’ll take care of the housing, the feeding, and everything else for your special animal.

Packages start at $35 and include a fact sheet, photograph, certificate, and more!

Log on to www.houstonzoo.org/adopt to order today.

WILDLIFE| SUMMER 2008

19

| 19

ZOO INSIDER: NEW SPOTS AT THE ZOO Elephant Barn

Lions and Tigers – Clearly a Better View

The latest improvements to the Zoo’s lion and tiger exhibits are as clear as glass. In fact, it is glass; new glass. Now guests are getting a clear view of Jammu’s and Pandu’s tiger stripes, Jonathan’s regal mane and Celesto’s imposing visage.

Last April, the Houston Zoo announced the most significant improvement to our elephant exhibit in the 85-year history of the Zoo – the McNair Asian Elephant Habitat.

In late-May the Zoo will cut the ribbon marking the completion of Phase One of the project – a new exhibit yard for Methai, Shanti and her son Mac and a magnificent state of the art barn.

Our new “elephant mansion” is impressive not just for its scale. It will be a premier accommodation for our magnificent Asian elephants for many years to come and provide a unique experience for Zoo guests.

Three glass sliding door panels in the barn’s west wall create an opportunity for keepers to give guests a behind the scenes view of elephant care, opening up a whole new world of experiences for Zoo guests.

Elephant Barn – By the Numbers Square Feet: 8,000 Height: 36 feet

Amount of concrete poured: 435 Cubic Yards (The average 3,000 square foot home in Houston uses an average of 60 cubic yards for a foundation)

Amount of earth moved: 746 Cubic Yards (Including 120 cubic yards of sand for the new exhibit yard)

20 | HOUSTON ZOO | www.houstonzoo.org

In early February, the Zoo began four weeks of improvements to the lion and tiger viewing areas. First, Lexan polycarbonate viewing panels were removed from the exhibit archway. The panels had become fogged from exposure to sunlight and scratched from the occasional swipe of a big cats paw. After the steel framing was repainted a luxurious deep green (Zoo staff has named the color “Zoo Green”), work began to mount new Lexan panels and install new viewing glass.

If you’ve ever viewed ancient artifacts or priceless jewelry at a museum, you’ve had first hand experience with the kind of glass that was installed at the Zoo’s lion and tiger exhibits. Each glass panel is composed of a 3/8 inch sandwich of three Starphire tempered glass panes, with a layer of silicone between each pane. The technique is similar to automobile safety glass, except in this case each glass pane is much thicker than auto glass.

As the glass was mounted, Ed Santos’ horticulture staff went to work trimming and pruning trees, landscaping the tiger exhibit, and installing colorful bedding plants along the tiger moat wall. Jammu, Pandu, Jonathan, and Celesto returned to their newly remodeled homes in time for the start of Spring Break.

The result is a clearly improved viewing experience for Zoo guests.

IT’S A POSTER! Pull out the middle of the magazine and enjoy this Wildlife feature.

The Dyeing Poison Frog, Dendrobates tinctorius, occurs in the lowland forests of the Guianas and adjacent Brazil in South America. Inhabiting the forest floor of tropical rainforest, their eggs are laid out of water. Tadpoles are then carried by the adults to water pools within bromeliads or other plant leaf crevices where they develop further. Poison frogs are thought to obtain their toxicity from consuming poisonous insects to which they are immune. The poison from the insects is absorbed in digestion and used as a defense mechanism by the frogs.

Photo by Paul Freed

Jump in!

Hop to www.houstonzoofrogs.org and find out what the Houston Zoo is doing to help threatened amphibians globally and in the Lone Star State. Explore the Interactive Habitat and visit our “Frog Blog� filled with fun frog facts and toad tidbits. Keep up to date on amphibian related events and learn how you can help save frogs and toads in your own backyard.

Houston Zoo 1513 North MacGregor Houston, Texas 77030

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

Visit online at www.houstonzoo.org

Houston, Texas Permit No. 8963

PA I D