The Golden Years

For Members of Lincoln Park Zoo • A Magazine of Conservation and Education • Fall 2008

The Golden Years Geriatric animals thrive within Lincoln Park Zoo’s culture of care

in this issue Volume 6 Number 1 • For Members of Lincoln Park Zoo

(features) 4 The Golden Years Better veterinary care has enabled zoo animals to live longer than ever before. Learn more about the special steps Lincoln Park Zoo takes to enrich the lives of its most-esteemed inhabitants.

8 Handle With Care!

Whether the trip is across zoo grounds or across the continent, keepers and curators carefully plan every animal move. Find out the tricks of the trade, from rhino-capable crates to snake-sized shipping.

16 Field Ready The plains of the Serengeti are now within reach of researchers. New surveys developed by Endocrinologist Rachel Santymire enable real-time feedback on wild well-being. African wild dogs and black rhinoceroses will be the ones that benefit.

(departments) 3 Perspective President and CEO Kevin J. Bell explores Lincoln Park Zoo’s commitment to care.

12 the Back story 22 Scientists in Sandals Lincoln Park Zoo’s Summer Camps let participants ranging from toddlers to teens experience the wonders of nature. Bugs!, Vets ‘N Pets and Animal Habitats are all on the exciting—and educational—curriculum.

24 Conserving the Congo The Goualougo Triangle is one of the last undisturbed landscapes in Africa, with towering trees and chimpanzees that have never come into contact with QUESTIONS? humans. As logging begins, zoo scientists work to preContact the Membership serve this pristine place.

Department. Staff are on hand during normal business hours—phone 312-742-2322 or visit us online at www.lpzoo.org.

Behind the scenes at the Helen Brach Primate House, extremely endangered pied tamarins are taking a step toward recovery.

14 the Wild File Bees busying the Farm-in-the-Zoo Presented by John Deere, bustling birds and egg-laying flamingos, a trumpeter swan gets ready for release and preventing something known as “ski feet.”

18 Amazing Adaptations From stealthy sneaking to camouflaged chomping, amphibians have a number of ways to snare their prey.

20 news of the Zoo Zoo scientists write the book on reproductive aging, a Chicago landmark gets a new (old) look, researchers test gibbon tool-use and Lincoln Park Zoo mourns a loss.

Cover: A geriatric Afghan leopard is still on the prowl at the Kovler Lion House. Above: The changing of the seasons brings a new look to zoo grounds. Right: Inca tern.

LincoLn Park Zoo MagaZine James Seidler Photographer Greg Neise Staff Writer Chris McNamara

President and ceo Kevin J. Bell art Director Peggy Martin editor

Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614, 312-7422000, www.lpzoo.org. Lincoln Park Zoo is supported through a public/private partnership between the Chicago Park District and The Lincoln Park Zoological Society. The only privately managed free zoo in the country, Lincoln Park Zoo relies on membership, individual, foundation and corporate support as well as earned revenue.

(precis ) Geriatric animals are rarely found in the wild. Life in nature is simply too harsh. As animals begin to slow down, they become easy targets for predators or disease. Even animals at the top of the food chain are vulnerable, as older predators succumb to lameness or the increasing frequency of ones-that-got-away.

In this sense, modern zoos have enabled a new stage in the animal life cycle. Old age, almost unknown in the wild, has become commonplace in zoos thanks to advancements in care and husbandry. Animals are living longer than ever thought possible—far beyond their companions in the jungles, plains, deserts and mountains.

With the richness of longer lives comes challenges as well. As animals age, they often require special accommodations. Exhibits are altered to account for older bodies. Social groups are carefully managed to provide suitable companionship. Veterinarians treat the infirmities of aging, prescribing medication to ease sore limbs and older organs.

This specialized care lets many animals thrive into their golden years. It enables visitors to experience an expanded view of nature. And when the time comes, as it must for all of us, this expert care may make it easier to say goodbye to beloved animals, knowing that each of them received the best-possible care at every stage of their lives.

(field note) Drill Mandrillus leucophaeus It’s easy for visitors to the Helen Brach Primate House to determine the genders of the two drills living there. In a textbook case of sexual dimorphism, the male monkey dwarfs his female companion. He weighs in at 96 pounds; she tips the scales at less than a third of that.

Size isn’t the only factor that separates the sexes. Vibrant rump coloration also distinguishes the genders of these endangered primates, which are critically endangered in the wild due to hunting for bushmeat. Males showcase a rainbow of blue, purple and red markings from thigh to tail (although they lack the brightly colored face of their better-known cousin, the mandrill). In the wild, male drills use these bright posteriors to keep visual contact with mates and offspring as they move through their West African rain forest habitat. Similarly, the males’ larger bodies protect group mates from jungle threats, such as leopards.

At the Primate House, the male drill has little cause to throw his weight around, but he does deploy another defensive adaptation: his twoinch-long canine teeth. “He likes to destroy things,” says Keeper Anita Yantz. “It’s a challenge finding enrichment devices that are sturdy enough for him.”

Branches, cardboard cutouts and even a hard plastic “boomer ball” designed for lions and tigers have fallen victim to the male’s teeth. As a result, enrichment tends toward the shreddable—boxes, bags and brown paper—and the digestible. Keepers enhance the drills’ environment by scattering fruits, vegetables and special chow throughout the exhibit during mealtime for the primates to seek out and munch on.

While the female lacks the male’s large canines, her smaller size makes it easier for her to explore the heights of the exhibit—an impressive feat given her geriatric status (the female is 28, twice the age of her companion). Despite some small infirmities that are under the care of veterinary staff, arthritis and a stiffened spine, the female has required few concessions to her age. “She sleeps in the treetops every night,” says Yantz. “Climbing nine feet up is no challenge.”

(perspective)

A Letter From President and CEO Kevin J. Bell

Conserving the Future Thanks to advancements in care, animals in zoos today are living longer, healthier lives than ever before. Everyone associated with Lincoln Park Zoo, from keepers who care for animals to families that visit to discover the wonders of wildlife, can be proud of the way modern veterinary practices have revolutionized care.

Of course, the greatest beneficiaries of these advancements are the geriatric animals living at the zoo. Chimpanzees, seals, lions, leopards, oryx and penguins are among the many species that have reached ages that would be impossible in the harsh competition of the wild.

It would be limiting, however, to regard the age an animal attains as the best measure of the care it receives.

While improvements in veterinary care, from cardiac ultrasounds to detect heart disease to nutritional supplements that stave off arthritis, have undoubtedly extended lives, the best benchmark for evaluating care is determining whether it expands animal well-being.

By this standard, Lincoln Park Zoo’s animals receive exceptional care. As you’ll see in these pages, keepers, curators and veterinary staff collaborate to ensure that animals of all ages have natural behaviors encouraged and minds and bodies stimulated with enrichment. Alterations to exhibits—lowered perches and special ramps—enable mammals and birds to continue to climb and fly even as their joints and muscles age. Extra attention—regular veterinary exams and keepers’ watchful eyes—helps to head off serious problems before they develop. Dedicated compassion, as detailed in quality-of-life plans, ensures that each animal’s best interest comes first when the challenges of aging intensify.

Even after an animal passes away, the cycle of care continues.

Members of the Zoo Pathology Program analyze every animal that dies, conducting necropsies to gain information to inform future care. The mourning that accompanies each loss carries with it the promise of expanded knowledge for the future.

This desire for knowledge extends to the wild as well, where zoo scientists conduct research projects to increase our ability to conserve wildlife. Research Associate David Morgan, Ph.D., is currently studying one of Africa’s most pristine places, the Goualougo Triangle, which encompasses 95,000 acres of untouched forest. By chronicling tool-use and social interaction among the hundreds of chimpanzees and gorillas inhabiting the region, Morgan and his

peers in the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes are expanding our knowledge of these amazing animals.

Beyond that, by studying the impact of logging on these endangered apes, the scientists are ensuring their future preservation.

Also in Africa, new field testing kits developed by the Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology will enable researchers in the field to receive real-time feedback on conservation in progress. These mobile kits, designed by Endocrinologist Rachel Santymire, Ph.D., can measure stress and reproductive hormones under true field conditions, thus providing instant indications of how animals respond to conservation programs such as reintroductions or relocations. By obtaining clear results on whether animals are breeding in new homes or experiencing stress, conservation managers can refine efforts to save endangered species such as African wild dogs and black rhinoceroses.

While conservation research takes place a world away, changes have been underway at Lincoln Park Zoo. Summer breeding season has seen a number of new arrivals, including trumpeter swans, Solomon Island leaf frogs, chinstrap penguins, tufted puffins and dyeing poison-arrow frogs. The delicate act of moving animals from other institutions—explored in this issue—also led to the arrival of three Grevy’s zebras and a female rhino. The results of careful planning, each of these new arrivals will enhance the longterm well-being of their zoo populations.

They will also provide new opportunities for zoo visitors to interact with the natural world. Toward this end, Lincoln Park Zoo’s second season of Summer Camps were dedicated to exposing participants to the wonders of wildlife. More than 400 children spent time this summer on zoo grounds exploring the diversity of nature. These campers enjoyed immersion in topics ranging from the insects beneath our feet to the possibility of careers in conservation.

By cultivating children’s love for wildlife, Lincoln Park Zoo Summer Camps place kids on a path of conservation and commitment. This is an important feat, as their enthusiasm, like the enthusiasm of all those who support Lincoln Park Zoo, is one of our most precious resources.

Kevin J. Bell President and CEO

FALL 2008 3

The Golden Years Geriatric animals thrive within Lincoln Park Zoo’s culture of care

BY JAMES SEIDLER

4 LINCOLN PARK ZOO

T

he crowd gathered outside Regenstein Center for African Apes had come to Lincoln Park Zoo in late June to witness a milestone. Chimpanzee Keo, one of the zoo’s most-beloved animals, was turning 50.

A celebration had been announced, and adult visitors, summer campers and kids were arrayed around the outdoor exhibit, waiting excitedly for a peek at the ape of the hour. News cameras gathered at the glass wall to record the event. Keepers laughed among themselves, sharing Keo stories passed down during the chimpanzees’ 49 years at the zoo. Everyone ogled the centerpiece of the celebration, a 600-pound ice “cake.” Donated by Nadeau’s Ice Sculpture Inc., it was composed of three frozen tiers stuffed with fresh fruits and berries. Topped with a hand-carved “50,” the “cake” had softened just enough after an hour in the sun for probing chimpanzee fingers to begin to find fruit.

When the doors opened, Keo electrified the crowd by dashing back and forth along the wall of his exhibit. Photographers snapped pictures. A hand-drawn birthday banner was unfurled.

And the “cake” was studiously ignored by Keo, leaving the females in his group—June, Vicky and Kibali—to eagerly dig into the cool ice and frozen treats, eventually dragging the “50” to a shady nook where it could be consumed at leisure.

Why such a big deal? The half-century mark reflected Keo’s status as the oldest living male chimpanzee in any zoo, a record shared with Cobby, a male chimpanzee at San Francisco Zoo. Beyond that, though, Keo’s 50th birthday reflected a zoo success. In the celebration, you could see the decades of care, check-ups and, sure, good genes that helped him attain his old age.

These kinds of milestones have become almost commonplace at Lincoln Park Zoo. True, no other animals have received 600-pound blocks of ice. Most aren’t likely to make it to 50 either. After all, life expectancies vary widely among species; an Amur tiger is elderly at 15 while dwarf crocodile R1 is still going strong at 68.

But more animals are living longer than ever before, thanks to regular check-ups, scientifically designed diets and top-notch care by keepers and veterinary staff. Aging can bring challenges. But it can bring wonderful rewards as well, namely the prospect of animals aging gracefully into their golden years, engaging visitors with another stage of the animal life cycle, one that would be unknown in the harshness of the wild.

Committed to Care As animals age, many of them begin to experience the same afflictions that affect older people. Aches and pains set in; joints develop arthritis. Heart disease becomes a concern, as do bumps and lumps that have the potential of developing into something more serious.

These problems receive the attention of Lincoln Park Zoo’s veterinary staff, who display special diligence in monitoring the wellbeing of the zoo’s geriatric animals. All animals throughout the zoo receive routine physicals where their weight is monitored, their vital signs checked and body images and blood tests preventively probe for health issues.

Opposite: Chimpanzees Keo (foreground) and June stand in front of the ice “cake” provided for Keo’s 50th birthday celebration. This milestone highlighted the care provided to Keo and other geriatric animals throughout Lincoln Park Zoo. Above: Fresh fruits embedded within the cake match the healthful diets that enable geriatric animals to thrive.

Beyond regular check-ups, much of the veterinarians’ work with geriatric animals is rooted in day-to-day consultations with zookeepers on subtle shifts in an animal’s behavior—a leg that’s being favored or signs of a loss of appetite. “We work closely with keepers, educating them on how to report observations for the animals in their care,” says Kathryn Gamble, D.V.M., director of Veterinary Services Keo’s group is one of many that benefits from this comprehensive care, with the male being joined in his geriatric status by June (42) and Vicky (44). All of the apes are in good shape—they move actively around their exhibit and have little trouble climbing to the treetops. Cardiologists from local hospitals perform cardiac ultrasounds during regular exams to confirm the health of the chimpanzees’ hearts. Regular medication also helps to manage heart disease. (Much like people, chimpanzees are vulnerable to cardiac problems as they age.)

Beyond medical interventions, keepers have instituted a number of changes to help the chimpanzees age gracefully. Those trips to the treetops the chimpanzees embark on? They’re aided by extra ropes strung throughout the exhibit to provide easier handholds for aging arms. Concerns about aching joints? They’re alleviated by the building’s mulch substrate, installed to provide additional cushioning for well-traveled knees.

FALL 2008 5

Beyond altering exhibits to accommodate animals, keepers also conduct daily conditioning sessions to encourage animals to contribute to their own care. By using positive reinforcement to spur desired behaviors, keepers have prepped chimpanzees to present arms, legs, fingers and toes for inspection.

They’ve trained them to step onto scales for weight monitoring or present themselves for an injection of medicine.

They’re even working on tooth-brushing sessions to help promote dental health. “These one-on-one sessions give us a great chance to see how they’re doing,” says RCAA Lead Keeper Dominic Calderisi. “We check out their alertness, how they’re moving, how they react to social situations. As soon as anything comes up, we’re on the phone with the vets, and they’ll come over and look at it.”

Adapting to Age Similar scenarios are in place throughout the zoo to ensure the comfort and health of geriatric animals. At the Kovler Lion House, ramps, logs and lower ledges help the building’s resident servals (19 and 17) and Afghan leopard (19) navigate to the heights of their exhibit, an important concession for these climbing mammals. Extra ropes and vines help the geriatric bat colony at Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House reach the heights of their habitat when they don’t feel like flapping their wings. The 15-year-old Grant’s gazelle at Regenstein African Journey enjoys the extra warmth of a heat lamp in her stall in winter. And the adult black bears (21) at the Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo receive regular medication to help them cope with their aching joints.

Arthritis is one of the biggest concerns for aging mammals. “Because we do such a good job with the animals in our care, they live a lot longer, and structurally their skeletons gradually fail,” explains Gamble. As arthritis and related afflictions have become more common, treatments have advanced as well. Exhibit adjustments, anti-inflammatories and nutritional supplements are common treatments to increase comfort. “Many of our animals receive nutriceuticals—supplements that help joints produce lubricating proteins to maintain normal joint function. When I started practicing 20 years ago, nobody used them. Now they’re one of the bigger components of our arthritis budget. That’s just one example of how the care has evolved.” slowing Down While the majority of geriatric animals reside in their exhibits with modifications and changes in care, some find it in their best interest to live behind the scenes as needs evolve.

At Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House, the resident Asian small-clawed otter pair (16) was moved to an interior exhibit after the male developed knee issues making it diffi-

Top: Extra vines added to the bat exhibit within Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House (SMRH) provide geriatric straw-colored fruit bats with sure footing. Bottom: Elderly La Plata three-banded armadillos living behind the scenes at SMRH benefit from the steady care and watchful eyes of keepers such as Dan Mondl.

Above: Operant conditioning sessions, such as this target training conducted by Nancy DeFiesta at the Kovler Sea Lion Pool, prep older animal to better participate in their care. Conditioning sessions also enable up-close observations of animal well-being. Right: The geriatric servals in the Kovler Lion House reach the heights of their exhibit with a boost from specially designed logs and ramps.

cult for him to navigate his exhibit in the building’s Ecosystem Area. “He had to go up and down a ramp to get to his exhibit, but now he has a nice, level surface with a big pool and lots of enrichment and exercise,” says Curator Diane Mulkerin.

Down the hall, an elderly golden-headed lion tamarin occupies another sizable indoor exhibit. This 18-year-old monkey has severe liver disease, but a drug regimen maintains his health. At the same time, regular enrichment—boxes to climb in, mealworms to dig out of dirt basins, scented branches for him to sniff—keeps him active. “He loves watching everything that goes on around him— including us,” says Keeper Dan Mondl. “He’s really curious.”

Like all geriatric animals, the tamarin has quality-of-life parameters in place, guidelines developed by veterinary staff and zookeepers to ensure that animals continue to benefit from the care provided.

Quality-of-life plans keep the emotional aspect of caring for animals—the daily interactions, the deep connection that’s formed during years of care—from interfering with what’s best for them.

“No matter how good the care is, animals will continue to age,” says Gamble. “But these animals would have no chance of living this long in the wild, where disease, predators and finding food are all daily obstacles. Here, we provide care, and the main focus is on enhancing their quality of life. That’s always the ultimate goal.” <<

FALL 2008 7

Handle with Care! transporting Zoo Animals Requires Planning, Patience andâ&#x20AC;Śice Packs

BY CHRIS MCNAMARA

8 LINCOLN PARK ZOO

i

t was a short trip—less than a hundred yards—but special precautions had to be made for the special passenger. First, the van’s air-conditioning was turned to high. Second, a large bucket was lined with ice packs. Then the special passenger—a chinstrap penguin—was rounded up for its trip to the C.H. “Doc” Searle, M.D. Animal Hospital, just up the path from the Kovler Penguin/Seabird House.

Transporting animals, whether between Lincoln Park Zoo facilities, between domestic zoos or between continents, requires great planning, patience and—in the case above—a lot of ice packs. But zoo staff who are involved in the occasional penguin or Pallas’ cat move go to great lengths to ensure that the traveling animals are as comfortable as possible.

“Every animal move has its own peculiarities,” explains Curator of Mammal Dave Bernier, who’s played travel agent for a spectrum of species in his 19 years at the zoo. “Generally, larger animals are harder to ship than smaller ones.” (Evidence of that edict can be found in the pocked padded walls of trucks used to transport Grevy’s zebras, whose powerful kicks offer extra encouragement for careful planning.)

Train Before Truck Animal transfers aren’t made lightly. Moves between zoos are carefully planned to maximize well-being, generally occuring in response to breeding recommendations or to upgrade social groups or surroundings.

The first step in most animal transports happens months before the projected departure date. Animals undergo a long process of acclimation to crates that will be used to ship them. Since most aren’t excited about stepping into small enclosures (think about car trips you took as a kid), incentives are used. Carrots, bones or other favorite treats are placed inside crates to draw the animals inside.

Over time the animals get used to moving in and out, with the crate doors opening and closing behind them. On move day, the traveler doesn’t realize anything is unusual until their crate begins to move. To quell fears, handlers stock the shipping containers with food, line them with hay or soft paper to make lounging comfortable, and—when possible—travel alongside them, providing a reassuring face, voice or smell to the bird or mammal during the trip.

“Novice animals, those that have never been transported before, are usually more willing to enter crates than veterans,” explains Bernier. Some species pose little problem crating. Small felines like servals and Pallas’ cats enjoy hiding out in small carriers placed in their exhibits.

Most transport is done via truck. When trips are long enough to warrant flights, handlers must abide by the airlines’ strict regulations.

(If you think getting your kids on a plane is a hassle, try boarding a boa constrictor.)

The International Airline Transportation Association regulates air shipment of animals, dictating the size/durability of crates, ventilation requirements, labeling and more. Even though all animals are shipped in storage compartments of planes, great precaution is taken, especially in the case of dangerous or venomous critters.

Building customized crates is only part of the challenge.

Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House Zoological Manager Dan

Left: Chinstrap penguins require cooled conditions for trips to the C.H. “Doc” Searle, M.D. Animal Hospital. Above: Preparations for transporting Pallas’ cats are eased by the species’ proclivity for hiding in small spaces; they naturally take to crates placed in their exhibits.

Boehm, who often fabricates special containers to ship animals, takes into consideration both the temperature in Chicago and the receiving city (and any connecting flight) when equipping a lizard container with hot or cold packs. Snakes with nasty bites are placed in padlocked boxes. “You need to make it difficult for anybody who is not supposed to open it,” he says.

Birds Lincoln Park Zoo staff oversee about two dozen bird transports each year. Trumpeter swans go out; storks come in.

The latter are particularly tricky to move due to long legs, long necks and long beaks. Store shelves aren’t exactly teeming with stork crates, so zoo staff adopt the role of carpenter, constructing custommade shipping containers. It’s easier when birds are transported at the egg stage. When the Missouri River flooded in 1995, the zoo received dozens of piping plover eggs rescued from the ruined banks.

Portable brooders (resembling coolers, but with the opposite effect) were used to ship the eggs to Chicago.

Fish Fish pose unique challenges, seeing as how they must be transported in a foreign environment (literally out of water). Last year, Bernier and Curator of Carnivores Mark Kamhout shipped 100 zebra

FALL 2008 9

Above: Familiar faces, such as Curator Diane Mulkerin, can provide comfort to animals on long journeys between zoos. Animal moves, such as this 2003 rhino arrival, are often the result of breeding recommendations or opportunities for enhanced social groups.

tilapia to San Antonio Zoo. They placed the fish in bags of water that were then oxygenated and sealed, creating mini habitats that were packed into Styrofoam boxes and loaded onto a plane. All 100 fish made it safely to the Lone Star State.

Mammals It requires a little ingenuity and a lot of training to get most mammals into transport crates. Consider those kick-happy Grevy’s zebras; when staff at the Antelope & Zebra Area ship the striped set—as they will with a male in October—a few handlers hide in the corners of a holding stall behind baffle boards (8 x 4 foot shields of heavy plywood). A shipping trailer is placed at an exit, the doors are opened, and keepers holding the boards slowly move towards an animal, guiding it into the truck. This illusion of moving walls uses a zebra’s dislike of confined spaces to coax it into the trailer.

Natural behaviors are thus used to elicit the desired response.

“We wouldn’t do this with a carnivore,” adds Bernier. Carnivores require more care, more training and absolutely no handlers within the exhibit.

New Home, Familiar Face HANDLE WITH CARE! You’ll often see that stamp on shipping boxes, indicating that the contents within are delicate, fragile, to be treated with care. That stamp wasn’t placed on the 3,000-pound crate used to transport the 2,700-pound black rhinoceros in June.

(It would have looked a bit silly.) But the message was on everyone’s

10 LINCOLN PARK ZOO

mind throughout the process of transporting the powerful, precious cargo to Little Rock Zoo in Arkansas.

Even after an animal has reached its destination, whether here at Lincoln Park Zoo or another AZA institution, the care continues.

Zoo staff on both ends go to great lengths to acclimate animals to their new surroundings.

When Grevy’s zebras are shipped, hay that was used at the original zoo is sent with the animals, enabling handlers to mix it with new hay to ease the transition to a different diet. Pack animals are kept in contact with one another, which eases tensions.

Gamble rode in the truck that transported the black rhinoceros all the way down to the Little Rock Zoo. Having orchestrated this move, she wanted to see it safely completed. Trailing the truck in a car was Regenstein African Journey Keeper Diana Villafuerte, who stayed a few days in the animal’s new home, pacifying the traveler with her familiar voice, scent and mannerisms while training Arkansas keepers on caring for this big female. “It was important for us to give her a sense of comfort,” says Villafuerte. “By the time I left, she was eating and making contact with the other rhino.”

As she does with most large-animal transports to or from Lincoln Park Zoo, Gamble in this case wore the hats of travel agent, veterinarian, chaperone amd personnel manager. Villafuerte played tour guide. After all, moving is stressful, whether you’re a person transferred to a new city, a tiny fish finding new waters in Texas or a big rhinoceros acclimating to Little Rock. <<

(field note) Rockhopper Penguin Eudyptes chrysocome The rockhoppers are easy to spot among the king and chinstrap penguins within the Kovler Penguin/ Seabird House. They’re the small ones with the bold yellow eyebrows that resemble makeup from a sci-fi movie.

They’re also the ones that hop rocks, as you might have guessed.

The zoo’s 16 adult rockhopper penguins average about nine years of age (near the life expectancy in the wild). The years aren’t slowing them down, though. They still swim in the 18,000-galloon pool, a natural behavior for this species native to rocky shores of South America, Australia and New Zealand. They still build nests out of rocks and plants, defending them from one another with highpitched brays. In fact, no accommodations have been made for these birds—they still hop across the same landscape of rocks they did in their younger days.

And they continue to reproduce.

This spring they welcomed two new chicks.

These are the golden years for the adult rockhoppers. Of course, no predators creep up on them here. Nor do gray feathers, for that matter.

Really, the only problem is keeping offspring out of the nest once the chicks have grown enough to hop around on their own.

BY MEG RITTER

SPRING 2008 11

(back story )

Planning Parenthood at the Primate Breeding Center

While the arrival of new animals on display is an exciting experience, the gushing crowds that gather around cute newborns likely don’t appreciate the effort that goes into each animal birth at Lincoln Park Zoo. When, for instance, a primate is born, it represents the work of scientists from around the globe, months of planning on the part of zoo curators and—let’s not overlook—the courtship and breeding process of the parents.

W

hile new on-exhibit residents garner most of the gushing, off-exhibit births are equally crucial. A prime example can be found at the Helen Brach Primate House, where two pied tamarin twins—born in May— now scamper through an off-exhibit habitat. The carefree behavior of the little ones contrasts the work that went into their arrival.

The adults that produced these offspring were transported to Chicago from England’s Jersey Zoo in January 2007, two of 10 tamarins shipped stateside in an effort to disperse genes across the pond. These 10 individuals bolstered the American pied tamarin population by 50 percent. All five pairs have reproduced, to the delight of keepers, curators, scientists and population biologists.

As pied tamarins are among the most endangered Amazonian primates due to habitat loss, these births reinforce a small North American zoo population of about three dozen animals.

“New World primates, such as pied tamarins, can procreate immediately upon introduction,” explains Curator of Primates Sue Margulis, Ph.D. “These two didn’t breed right away, but they weren’t aggressive toward each other either, which was a good sign. Obviously, we now know that they’ve bred.”

That breeding, like the births and some of the logistical work that preceded them, took place off exhibit within the One of the pied tamarin twins perches on its father’s back. Male pied tamarins contribute to care by carrying their offspring through their rain forest home. The birth of two pied tamarins at Lincoln Park Zoo provided a needed boost for this endangered population.

12 LINCOLN PARK ZOO

Primate House, where large enclosures comfortably house all manner of primates, specially designed areas enable keepers to prepare and provide enrichment for the animals and facilities are in place for veterinarians to perform medical checks and keepers to prepare meals.

On the north end of the facility, accessible only by zoo employees, the little family of pied tamarins has the Primate Breeding Center all to themselves. This center is a room containing a network of tree-filled enclosures. This family of four tamarins has access to three of them, enabling the squirrel-sized monkeys to romp through some 1,000 square feet of space.

Were human fathers allowed to explore the behind-thescenes Primate Breeding Center, they’d sympathize with the pied tamarin dad. The sire began caring for the wee ones on their second day out of the womb, often lugging both at the same time while mom—who nursed them—rested and ate. “It’s comical to see dad carrying these two around on his back,” said Margulis in early July, when the offspring were growing to the point that dad was visibly uncomfortable hauling them around.

The Primate Breeding Center, like other off-exhibit spaces within the Primate House and throughout Lincoln Park Zoo, << enables staff to manage multiple groups of species, giving each the space and comforts they require to thrive.

FALL 2008 13

(wild file )

Above, left-to-right: Sugar gliders swept into Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House, where they share an exhibit with the brush-tailed bettongs. A bee gathers nectar to bring back to its hive within the Farm-in-the-Zoo Presented by John Deere. Below: A trumpeter swan beak-to-beak with its cygnet. Right: Chilean flamingos on the nest at the Waterfowl Lagoon—a first for this species at Lincoln Park Zoo.

Using Every Space

Double Buzz

Curators look at exhibits in three dimensions, considering that some species live their lives among the branches (arboreal animals), others never leave the ground (terrestrial animals), while some are aquatic or semi-aquatic. Nowhere is this more prevalent than at Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House (SMRH).

In June, two male sugar gliders, marsupials native to Australia, were added to an exhibit occupied by brush-tailed bettongs. The sugar gliders, similar to flying squirrels, spend all their time in the trees; the bettongs hop along the ground. When the new residents were added, they temporarily left their leafy turf to inspect the mother-daughter bettongs, a nose-to-nose how-do-you-do. After that greeting, the two species have stayed in their territories— friendly neighbors sharing a two-flat.

Nearby, caiman lizards were recently added to an exhibit housing cotton-top tamarins within SMRH’s Ecosystem Area. The scaly pair hangs out in and around the pond, while their hairy roommates bound through the trees above.

“Just as they do in the wild, species inhabit every part of every habitat,” explains Curator Diane Mulkerin. “Housing animals in this way at the zoo not only educates the audience but also enriches the animals.”

The Main Barn at the Farm-in-the-Zoo Presented By John Deere got a little louder in June with the addition of two beehives.

Each colony is composed of about 3,000 bees; by the end of the summer those numbers should reach 5,000.

While wild bees will hibernate, beekeeper John Hansen plans to keep these colonies buzzing over the winter by providing them warmth (inside the barn) and food (in the absence of flowers outside).

The zoo’s breed are Italian honeybees, a hybrid species bred for a gentle nature and cleanliness. (Some bees maintain hives better than others; clean homes make for healthy bees.) As these are small colonies, the Farm’s bees’ honey is not collected.

Bees from each colony can access the outdoors via tubes connected to the roof. Forager bees roam Lincoln Park in search of flowers bearing nectar (which provides the insects carbohydrates) and pollen (which supplies them protein). The bees also drink water on their foraging missions.

“When you think of bees, think of the number 21,” says the LaGrange Park-based beekeeper—veteran of 1,000 stings—who donated and helps maintain the colonies. Eggs take 21 days to hatch; the young bees spend 21 days inside the hive. “They do housekeeping and care for the eggs.” Finally, the fully mature bees spend 21 days as foragers, collecting food for the hive. They then die—a 42-day life that is, per the cliché, busy.

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Shell Game They’re all brownish-green. They all have thick, muted shells.

None are going to win the 100-yard dash. But keen eyes will detect three species of turtles within the aquarium at the Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo. In August, wood turtles began complementing the Blanding’s turtles and spotted turtles. More terrestrial than their counterparts, wood turtles will use the dry areas of the exhibit while the others swim, mimicking life in and around a pond in the wild.

Hoofcare Farriers (professional hoof-trimmers) call the condition “ski feet”—when a horse’s, zebra’s or antelope’s hooves have grown so long they look like they could navigate moguls. While the name might be funny, the condition can result in damaged joints, so keepers and veterinarians at the zoo’s Antelope & Zebra Area trim hooves regularly.

Takin, zebras and alpacas are trained to present their feet, enabling handlers to clip with hoof-nippers (imagine your fingernail clippers on steroids) and smooth them with coarse, metal files.

The hoof material—known as keratin—is similar to our fingernails. Clipping and filing is painless, pleasurable even. Nobody wants ski feet, especially in summer months.

Bustling Birds Birds are building nests, chicks are hatching, youngsters are fledging. The cycle of life is on display within the bird exhibits at Lincoln Park Zoo, where spring and summer proved fruitful seasons.

Two Guam Micronesian kingfisher chicks hatched this spring at the McCormick Bird House. The building’s lesser green broadbills closed out breeding season with three new arrivals, the second consecutive summer in which the breeding pair bore chicks.

At the Kovler Penguin/Seabird House, a common murre chick that hatched June 4 had a peculiar problem—a gaggle of potential caretakers. When the little one left the nest it was pestered by six adults eager to help feed it smelt.

Just down the path, in the Penguin Area, a pair of rockhopper penguin chicks hatched in mid-July. Both eggs belonged to one breeding pair, but one was planted with a foster couple, which incubated the egg until hatching. Both sets of parents (biological and foster) reared the little birds wonderfully.

Thankfully Routine In what has become wonderfully predictable, the trumpeter swan pair at the Hope B. McCormick Swan Pond produced another chick this spring. After reaching maturity, the chick will be released to its native lands in Iowa, making it the 32nd trumpeter swan chick returned to the wild through a reintroduction program supervised by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

In The Pink Regular visitors to the Flamingo Habitat might have noticed something unusual in early July—five of the big, pink birds, which normally scamper through their muddy yard and scour the pools for food, were sitting still. Sitting pretty, you might say. Keepers and curators, meanwhile, could hardly contain themselves.

The reason? Eggs. The first appearance of flamingo eggs in the history of Lincoln Park Zoo. The initial egg was laid in late June. It cracked soon after—a common occurrence with these birds. But in the following weeks, a dozen more eggs appeared.

“Flamingos do everything together, from courtship to egg-laying,” explains Zoological Manager Elizabeth Bruccoleri, who adds that recent renovations to the habitat have made the exhibit smaller (making the birds feel more secure) and muddier (making it easier to build nest mounds), thus more conducive to reproduction.

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New Tools for Wild Research In Africa, there’s no shortage of plans to conserve the continent’s wildlife. Park managers, field researchers and government committees are all adept at developing ideas to save African wild dogs or encourage the growth of the black rhinoceros population.

But while coming up with conservation ideas is easy, determining whether these ideas work is much more difficult. Evaluating the outcome of a reintroduction or translocation program can take years. Time is rarely a luxury for endangered species.

New field tests developed by Lincoln Park Zoo Endocrinologist Rachel Santymire, Ph.D., hold the promise of providing real-time feedback on efforts to preserve populations in peril. By enabling easy, field-ready analyses of stress and reproductive hormones, Santymire and her colleagues at the Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology are providing an effective way to evaluate conservation efforts. By evaluating animals at Lincoln Park Zoo to validate her tests, the scientist is providing an important link between zoo populations and their endangered cousins, one that will help both to thrive.

Field Ready

BY JAMES SEIDLER

Science, Hold the Ice The boundaries of Serengeti National Park are fluid ones, with wild animals, domestic cattle and local villages overlapping. This can lead to conflict, such as when African wild dogs— severely endangered predators—attack cattle that local herders rely on for their livelihood. To reduce the risk of reprisal, conservationists in the area seek to relocate wild dog packs that are harassing cattle to within Serengeti National Park.

It sounds like a win-win situation—the dogs find new prey, and the cattle are safer—but researchers want to ensure that the process of moving the wild dogs into the park doesn’t overly stress the dogs. One way to test this is to monitor the carnivores’ stress hormones before, during and after the translocation. If they return to their pre-move stress levels with no long-term effects, that’s a positive sign for the conservation plan.

There’s one issue with the idea, though. You can find many things on the plains of the Serengeti—lions, wildebeest, elephants—but freezers typically aren’t one of them.

Right: Endangered species such as African wild dogs (top) and black rhinos (bottom) will receive a boost from the field endocrinology kits developed by Endocrinologist Rachel Santymire, Ph.D. By enabling real-time results in the field, the kits will improve efforts to conserve these species.

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Why’s that a problem? Well, hormones are typically extracted from feces, and feces need to be put on ice within 12 hours to provide usable data. Since field scientists often spend days at a time traveling through the bush, sans icebox, it’s easy to see how samples might be lacking.

To make the project work, Santymire knew she had to find a way to take ice out of the equation.

And so, using feces collected from the African wild dogs at Regenstein African Journey as a starting point, she did just that.

“We wanted to get rid of the ice, and we also wanted a long shelf life so researchers could mail samples to us from Africa,” says the scientist. With some trial and error (and a few contributions from the zoo’s wild dogs), Santymire came up with a process suited to life in the wild.

Here’s how it works: researchers collect feces, measure out a small amount and mix them in an ethanol solution.

The liquid is then poured through filter paper, straining out leftover waste and allowing the hormones to pass into a test tube. After the ethanol evaporates, the tubes are capped and shipped to Santymire’s lab, where dried hormones clinging to the test tube walls can be resuspended and analyzed. No liquid, no ice, no problem.

By enabling analyses of samples collected in the wild, Santymire can help quantify the conservation impact of transporting the dogs.

At the same time, Santymire’s method also gives researchers another tool for studying African wild dogs’ famously complex social groups. Wild dogs observe a strict hierarchy. The leaders—an alpha male and alpha female—don’t allow other group members to produce pups. Instead, lower-ranking dogs help feed, care for and protect the dominant animals’ offspring.

By monitoring reproductive hormones in the field, Santymire and collaborators can learn how breeding cycles might impact group dynamics. They can also study how stress levels relate to an individual’s position within the group hierarchy. Do alpha dogs experience more stress? Does anxiety increase as dogs try to work their way up within the structure? Hormonal analysis could shed light on these questions, aiding conservation decisions in the wild and improving zoo efforts to enhance animal well-being.

“These surveys offer an unprecedented look into what’s going on in the wild,” says Vice President of Conservation & Science Dominic Travis, D.V.M. “Before, there was no way to get this kind of data in a timely manner. By enabling easy analysis of field samples, Rachel is expanding opportunities to study wildlife.”

Reviewing the Rhino Recovery Another site where endocrinology is aiding conservation is South Africa’s Addo National Elephant Park, where Santymire and colleagues are collaborating with local researchers to study the black rhinoceros population. Black rhinos are endangered; their population plummeted from 65,000 individuals in 1970 to only 2,000 in 1995. Intensive husbandry efforts have raised that number to approximately 4,000 rhinos today, but the species’ status remains precarious.

Above: Sanytmire’s field methods will enable snapshots of animal well-being in locales as remote as South Africa’s Addo National Elephant Park (top) and Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park.

To boost the recovery, researchers want to learn more about the factors influencing rhino reproduction. Addo National Elephant Park provides an ideal learning laboratory. Rhinos there populate three distinct sections in the park—Addo, Nyathi and Darlington— covering more than 80,000 acres.

Each of the sites varies in factors that might impact breeding: human presence, competition with elephants for resources and the predation of calves by lions and hyenas. The Darlington site, which has the shortest interval between births, also has the fewest tourists and no elephants, lions or hyenas—all potential stressors. By studying stress and reproductive hormones, Santymire hopes to determine how all of these factors are linked. “Rhinos are very shy—zoo studies have shown that breeding can easily be disturbed,” says the scientist. “By monitoring hormones, we hope to break down how these environmental factors influence reproduction, thus aiding conservation management.”

To look at the link between stress and reproduction, Santymire is developing a field-testing kit that will enable researchers to conduct analyses on the spot. Again a zoo animal—this time the black rhinoceros at Regenstein African Journey—is playing a crucial role in helping his counterparts in the wild. By surveying his hormones, Santymire can validate her procedure before sending it to the field.

Once the test is ready for the wild, Santymire’s collaborators will evaluate male rhinos’ testosterone levels to see if they vary seasonally— valuable information for breeding. They will also determine basic breeding information for the species, such as the age at which females become reproductively active and the duration of infertility following a pregnancy.

“These answers were made possible by research conducted at zoos,” says Santymire. “By using the zoo’s animal collection to design tools for the field, we’re able to really evaluate the impact of our conservation efforts.” <<

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(amazing adaptations) Amphibian Eats It’s an archetypal image of frogs, common in time-lapse photography and children’s cartoons: the mouth opens, the tongue shoots out and an insect snared at the sticky end is dragged in for a meal.

The truth at Lincoln Park Zoo isn’t quite so picturesque. The frogs and other amphibians that live here don’t rely solely on extendable taste buds to snare their meals. Instead, amphibians at Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House (SMRH) and the Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo focus on getting close enough to prey to grab it with their mouths (a sticky tongue helps secure the meal, but it serves as more of a scoop than a lasso).

There are some differences in approach. The emperor newts at SMRH prefer to stalk their meals, slowly approaching their main prey—crickets—before grabbing them. The neighboring Solomon Island leaf frogs use their camouflaged coloration to stage an ambush, burying themselves in the substrate of their exhibit and gobbling up any insect unlucky enough to walk by.

While these species pounce on their food, many of the zoo’s amphibians are hand-fed to ensure a nutritious diet. “Lots of our frogs live in large groups, so we feed them individually to make sure dominant individuals don’t take more than their share,” says Zoological Manager Dan Boehm. The gray tree frogs at the Children’s Zoo enjoy top-notch service: their daily diet of one–two crickets is deposited directly into their mouths.

Even hand-fed amphibians need extra attention to make sure they get all of their nutrients. Frogs, newts and other slick species are vulnerable to calcium deficiencies, which can lead to problems with bone development. To ensure these animals have strong legs to hop on, keepers feed them crickets that have received a specially supplemented diet. Phoenix worms, an invertebrate naturally high in calcium, have also been added to the menu. Refined care such as this is crucial to zoo efforts to help endangered amphibians rebound during the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Year of the Frog.

Whatever the amphibians eat, their diets share one common characteristic. “The prey items need to be moving,” says Boehm. “If it’s not moving, they don’t recognize it as food.”

The gray tree frogs at the Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo (left) are hand-fed their daily diet while Solomon Island leaf frogs (top) and emperor newts (bottom) at Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House use camouflage and sneakiness to snare prey.

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(field note) Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx The favored activities for the zoo’s Arabian oryx can be summed up as follows: chew (as in grass or hay) or charge. Not that there’s any aggression shown by the geriatric antelope living in adjacent exhibits in the Antelope & Zebra Area.

The two graybeards have mellowed with age, becoming much more tolerant of keepers and neighboring animals.

Hang an enrichment barrel or ball from one of the trees in their exhibit, though, as keepers do to promote physical activity, and you’ll see a different side of the endangered desert dwellers. Lowering their heads to brandish long, thin horns, the oryx charge the offending object again and again, not stopping until it’s thoroughly battered.

What makes the animals’ energetic displays even more impressive is their age. The hoofed pair are more than 15 years old—geriatric for this species. To help these aged animals retain their high activity levels, keepers provide a lot of extra attention. “Older animals are more sensitive, so we really monitor them to ensure their comfort,” says Keeper Angie Adkin.

Other accommodations to age include joint supplements to stave off arthritis, a common affliction for hoofed animals (which spend most of their lives on four feet). Large straw beds enable the animals to opt for extra cushioning while supplemental heat lamps and heat pads give them something warm to cozy up to in their climate-controlled stalls during winter months.

Specially designed diets help them keep on weight, with extra fat and calories supplementing the typical grazer grub of alfalfa hay.

“Everyone collaborates in caring for them, from keepers to curators, veterinary staff and the nutritionist,” says Adkin. “It takes a patient eye and a little more time, but it’s worth it.”

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(news of the zoo)

Above, left-to-right: Expanding their studies to include species such as grey titi monkeys is the next step for zoo scientists Sylvia Atsalis, Ph.D., and Sue Margulis, Ph.D., after writing the book on primate reproductive aging. An extensive rehabilitation project helped Carlson Cottage recapture its original landmark look.

Writing the Book on Aging While keepers and veterinarians adjust care to accommodate animals as they age, scientists at Lincoln Park Zoo are conducting research to better understand how animals age. At the forefront of these efforts are studies by Curator of Primates Sue Margulis, Ph.D., and Research Associate Sylvia Atsalis, Ph.D. By examining hormone levels and reproductive histories for gorillas in zoos throughout the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Margulis and Atsalis have previously demonstrated that these great apes can experience menopause, a development once thought to be limited to humans. The scientists hope to extend their studies to encompass reproductive aging in primates ranging from titi monkeys to chimpanzees.

As part of these efforts, Atsalis, with assistance from Margulis and Patrick Hof from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, organized and edited a book compiling reproductive research for a range of simian species. “Primate Reproductive Aging: Cross-taxon Perspectives” gathers knowledge from scientists investigating reproductive aging in lemurs, marmosets, tamarins, squirrel monkeys, macaques, langurs, leaf monkeys, gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans and more.

“Our goal was to have information for a range of primate species gathered in one place,” says Atsalis. “We can see how reproductive aging changes as you progress from lemurs to humans. By investigating the differences and similarities, we can begin to approach this from an evolutionary perspective.”

While many primate species show a reproductive decline as they age, the scientists found the tendency was more pronounced as they moved from prosimians to apes. Indeed, select species of

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Old World monkeys, as well as chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas, showed signs of a post-reproductive period. More research is needed to determine whether these animals undergo menopause, but by gathering the current state-of-knowledge in one place, Atsalis and Margulis hope to inspire other researchers to investigate questions of age and reproduction.

“A lot of this data may already exist,” says Margulis. “There are scientists studying hormones and reproductive patterns, but they may not have applied their data in the context of aging. We hope the book will spur them to begin considering these questions.”

A New Look for a Chicago Landmark It may look new, but Carlson Cottage has stood between Café Brauer and the Farm-in-the-Zoo Presented by John Deere since 1888, making it one of the oldest buildings in Lincoln Park.

Designed by noted architect Joseph Lyman Silsbee, a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, the structure originally served as the park’s Men’s and Ladies’ Comfort Station. Over the years, the building came to host Lincoln Park Zoo’s Volunteer Gardening Program, providing a storage space for rakes, shovels and hoes and a resting place for people volunteering their time to beautify zoo grounds.

The building showed its age over time, with small changes diluting the impact of the original Victorian design. Windows were blocked off with interior walls, the cedar roof was replaced with asphalt shingles and more than a century of use had begun to undermine the structure. “It was in danger of becoming an eyesore,” says Vice President of Facilities Neal David.

Even as it showed wear, the historic merit of the building was

widely recognized. Carlson Cottage had played a role in Lincoln Park’s 1994 designation as a Landmark District by the National Register of Historic Places. The building itself was designated a Chicago landmark by the city council in 2003. Finally, in 2006, the zoo was awarded a $250,000 grant from the federal “Save America’s Treasures” program to assist the building’s historic renovation.

With additional funding from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, State Representative Sara Feigenholtz, Tawani Foundation and the Richard E. Driehaus Foundation, the historic restoration, led by architect Paul Steinbrecher of InterActive Design Inc., was completed in spring 2008. The restoration completely renovated the building’s interior, replacing the plumbing, wiring and ventilation.

Outside, the exterior was carefully restored in a manner appropriate to the original design. Leaving original materials in place whenever possible, builders installed replica doors, windows, roof ornaments and drain spouts and re-created the cedar-shingled roof based on fragmants of the original found in the attic.

Interestingly, the work revealed that the north end of the building, thought to be part of the original construction, was actually added on 20 years later. As the north end held the original men’s room, this means the building served solely as a Ladies’ Comfort Station for its first two decades of operation.

For its diligence in restoring the building, Lincoln Park Zoo was awarded a 2008 Chicago Landmark Award for Preservation Excellence by the City of Chicago. “Carlson Cottage reflects Lincoln Park’s long and prestigious history,” says David. “We’re proud to have organized its rehabilitation.”

And they did—most of the time. In the four-member group, the youngest gibbon was most adept, but his father and older brother showed some success as well. Even when presented with two devices—one with food and one without—the youngest gibbon was able to select the right one much of the time.

While the experiment doesn’t show definitive tool-use ability, Margulis may follow up with explorations of other residents of the Helen Brach Primate House. “These are exciting results,” says the scientist. “It’ll be interesting to explore the possibilities.”

Trying Out Tools Once thought to be limited to humans, tool use has been observed throughout the animal kingdom, most notably among our primate cousins. Chimpanzees use sticks to “fish” termites out of mounds and leaves to soak up drinking water from tree holes.

Gorillas have been observed using branches to probe the depths of swamps, and members of the New and Old World monkey families have shown evidence of tool use as well.

With this manipulation in mind, University of Chicago master’s student Kirk Manson thought it might be a good idea to test the tool-use ability of the zoo’s white-cheeked gibbons. After enlisting Curator of Primates Sue Margulis, Ph.D., as a collaborator, he developed an experiment in which the gibbons would insert a stick into a cylinder to extract food—much like chimpanzee termite fishing.

The response was underwhelming. “They absolutely, positively could not do it,” says Margulis.

Reasoning that gibbons wouldn’t need to extract food from tight spots in the wild—they feed on fruits and leaves in their native Laos and Vietnam—Manson and Margulis devised another experiment.

Working with high school student Claire Weichselbaum, from the University of Chicago Laboratory School, Margulis presented the apes with another food-bearing device. The tip of a T-shaped apparatus was placed through the mesh of their exhibit, with raisins and apples placed on the other end. By pulling on the bottom of the object, the gibbons could bring the food within reach.

A Zoo Loss Lincoln Park Zoo mourns the loss of Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House Keeper Ken Terrill, who passed away in June. An 18-year veteran of the zoo—and a lifelong lover of animals—Terrill was known for his wideranging interests and dedication to wildlife. His skill at natural-exhibit design enlivened habitats throughout Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House and was even put to use by zoo scientists in the Republic of Congo to camouflage poacher-detection devices.

Outside the zoo, Terrill raised and judged koi as a member of the American Goldfish Association, where his efforts won a number of major awards. He enjoyed growing grapes to make his own wine, creating art and telling stories about his travels.

“Ken was one of those rare individuals who not only saw what was wrong with things around him—he also had an amazing ability to come up with ways to make them right. He will be missed,” says Curator Diane Mulkerin.

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Scientists in Sandals

BY CHRIS MCNAMARA

Summer Campers Learn While Laughing There was serious science education taking place at Lincoln Park Zoo’s Summer Camp, though you had to look past the giggles and songs, the snacks and somersaults, the fact that the scientists-in-training were wearing pink sandals and green T-shirts, pigtails and Cubs caps.

If you stuck around long enough, you’d have noticed how the 6-year-olds attending the Animal Habitats camp could determine which primates are Old World (from Africa) or New World (from South America). You’d have seen the 8-year-olds creating bar graphs based on data they’d collected while studying gibbons.

You’d have observed 4-year-olds displaying an articulate understanding of worm physiology.

Minds were illuminated at Lincoln Park Zoo’s Summer Camp, where some 420 little scientists split time between laughing and learning.

“We host Summer Camps to get kids excited about conservation,” says Jenni Quick, coordinator of the camps that ran from June through August. “Kids often hear about global climate change, animals going extinct, species being saved, but they want to know what they can do about it. We want them to see that, even though they’re young, kids can make a difference, too.”

Launched in the summer of 2007, Lincoln Park Zoo’s conservation-themed Summer Camp was such a hit that the 2008 version

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offered even more experiences for attendees ages 2–16. Education Department staffers and Chicago Public School teachers led each camp, assisted by college and grad students pursuing degrees in education and science, along with high school interns recruited from Chicago’s After School Matters program.

All Ages, All Interests The older kids kicked off camp in late June with Conservation Careers, two weeklong programs where teens (13–15) met animal keepers, veterinarians and researchers and worked with staff members from the Jane Goodall Institute to discover ways to implement conservation initiatives in their own communities. “This program appeals to kids who are considering a future in animal husbandry or wildlife conservation,” explains Quick. “It’s a little more advanced than the programs for the younger campers.”

In July, the younger set took over Summer Camp. Here’s a look at three groups during a typical (wild) afternoon.

Animal Habitats Jim Ford calls his two-dozen students “habitat heroes.” He admits that the short attention spans of the 6- and 7-year-olds can sometimes be challenging. But their enthusiasm is infectious as they scamper from the howler monkey exhibit within the Helen Brach Primate House to the drill exhibit, pausing to inspect the penny-imprinting machine and the photo booth.

At each exhibit, Ford, who teaches high school biology, would prompt his campers to observe how the animals related to lessons they’d learned in the classroom that morning. Most of the kids responded correctly to questions about animal physiology and behavior. A few were too busy singing songs or impersonating monkeys.

“Leah attended Conservation Camp last year and enjoyed it very much. She loves animals,” says Julia Antonatos, mother of one of the 6-year-olds. “We play a game where we try to guess which habitat she’ll be studying each day. Each night she shows us the crafts she made that day.”

Vets-N-Pets Within the Judy Keller Education Center, instructor Susan Holly is at a dry-erase board showing the 8- and 9-year-old campers how to create bar graphs. They use colored pencils and paper to create their own. The data was culled during a tour of the Helen Brach Primate House that morning and is now being transformed into a usable chart. Parents could check on their children’s progress at vetsandpetslpz.blogspot.com, which was filled with text and photos from each day.

Jennie Florness didn’t need to check it, since her son David, 9, recounted all of the day’s activities as soon as she picked him up.

Veterans of zoo camps in their native Minnesota, the Florness clan spent two weeks in a rented condo in Chicago so David and Peter (10) could attend camp. “Our kids are obsessed with animals,” says

mom. “David has the scientific mind—he wants to know everything about them. Peter will be a veterinarian or zookeeper.”

Bugs!

During the first hour of Bugs!, the 4-year-olds venture out into the zoo to unearth worms while a docent details the unique physiology of the slimy invertebrates. As with the other animals they meet, most campers touch the pink wigglers and giggle. Ainsley King is the lone holdout. “I’m going to observe from afar,” she declares.

She’s much more involved during “circle time,” when Early Childhood Program Coordinator Irene Martinez asks her charges (she calls them “bug kids”) to describe worms. They shout “Worms don’t have eyes!” “Worms don’t have arms!”

Next the 4-year-olds make bug hats with pipe-cleaner antennae.

Then it’s snack time, when the knee-high campers chat about bugs with one another. When it’s time to say goodbye, the kids do so by making antennae with their hands and wiggling them.

“This program gives children hands-on experiences with wildlife, which they link with their observations and lessons,” says Martinez. “They learn that these types of things are right in their backyard, too.”

“She is very excited about camp,” says Amy Hamilton, mother of little Ainsley. “She comes home beaming with what she’s learned.”

A Laughing Lab Animal observations are complemented by giggles and games of tag. Data aggregation comes after snack time. Play is a learning tool.

This isn’t a science lab, but something much more fitting for pint-sized conservationists. Frankly, it’s much more fun. Lincoln Park Zoo Summer Camp is a living lab of lions and gibbons and gorillas, operated by hundreds of wee, wild scientists. <<

Opposite: With fellow campers around her, 6-year-old Leah Antonatos (center) listens carefully as a docent explains the intricacies of animal habitats at the zoo. Below: Campers set off to explore the habitats of the Kovler Lion House, from high to low.

CONSERVING the Congo Getting to the Goualougo Triangle, the isolated field-research site of Lincoln Park Zoo Research Fellow David Morgan, Ph.D., involves the kind of journey that would be at home in an old adventure serial. From Chicago, you fly over the Atlantic to Paris; the next day features a jaunt to Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of the Congo. From there, you fly to Ouesso, where you embark upon a boat trip to Nouabale-Ndoki National Park headquarters (picture a red line snaking its way across the map). You transfer to a smaller canoe, paddle further into the jungle and finally step onto the shore at the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mbeli Bai camp, where a sixhour hike into the protected wilderness area of the Goualougo Triangle awaits.

The very isolation of the Triangle is what makes it so interesting. The 95,000-acre region, which came to prominence during biologist Mike Fay’s 1999 Megatransect across Africa, is largely untouched, holding elephants, western lowland gorillas and chimpanzees, many of whom have never come into contact with humans. It may be the most intact landscape in Africa. By studying this pristine place, scientists can gain a baseline for guiding conservation decisions across Africa.

The same old-growth forest that inspires scientists is also extremely valuable to loggers, however. While the Goualougo Triangle and Nouabale-Ndoki National Park are protected lands, nearby forests that provide resources to wildlife are being felled.

The tension between research and resource extraction has increased the urgency of studying the region’s diversity.

As the first logging commenced in 1999, Morgan, now codirector of the Goualougo Triangle Chimpanzee Research Project through the zoo’s Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, began conducting a survey of the region’s mammals. Chimpanzees, western lowland gorillas and forest elephants were the primary focus, although the wildlife

observed included leopards, buffalo, sitatunga, crocodiles and even electric fish.

All of these species were on the minds of Lincoln Park Zoo researchers Elizabeth Lonsdorf, Ph.D., and Dominic Travis, D.V.M., as they traveled to the field site in April. “The area is home to some amazing wildlife,” says Travis, the zoo’s vice president of Conservation & Science. “You can’t help but see some pretty spectacular species.”

Travis and Lonsdorf, the director of the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, had traveled to the Goualougo Triangle to assess Morgan’s research firsthand. Lincoln Park Zoo has supported research in the area since giving the project a small field conservation grant in 2003. When the Fisher Center sought to expand its conservation programs to include gorillas, the Goualougo Triangle immediately came to mind. “We already had a connection with this exciting conservation project impacting chimpanzees and gorillas, so it made sense to expand the relationship,” says Lonsdorf.

As Lonsdorf and Travis discovered, Morgan’s well-equipped field headquarters maintains a low impact on the pristine land-

Clockwise from upper left: The Goualougo Triangle’s pristine forest is home to a wide variety of wildlife. Getting there involves an arduous journey, including paddles by canoe and a six-hour hike, much of which is through water. Elizabeth Lonsdorf, Ph.D., director of the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes and Dominic Travis, D.V.M., vice president of Conservation & Science, with the Biaka pygmies who help guide researchers through the forest. The research camp of Lincoln Park Zoo Research Fellow David Morgan, Ph.D., has a low impact on its surroundings, with plank walkways and mud-based tents. Travis, project collaborator Tom Gillespie, Ph.D., Lonsdorf and Morgan set out to survey the region’s chimpanzees and gorillas.

scape surrounding it. Living quarters, labs, offices and a kitchen and dining area are constructed from tents, tarps, branches and mud bases. Solar panels power laptops and equipment, and all food and supplies are brought in via the same tortuous path traveled by Lonsdorf and Travis (garbage is trekked out on the return voyage).

Morgan shares the camp with field researcher Crickette Sanz, Ph.D., of the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology; the pair are engaged. There’s also an impressive staff of Congolese researchers and assistants, including a team of 30 Biaka pygmies who use their knowledge of nature to guide researchers through the forest.

FALL 2008

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Above, left-to-right: A field station overlooking Mbeli Bai, a research site located en route to the Goualougo Triangle, helps researchers chronicle the diversity of the wildlife living there. A chimpanzee and her offspring sit in the branches. Below, left-to-right: Lincoln Park Zoo Research Fellow David Morgan, Ph.D., sketches chimpanzees to help him track and identify them. Jean Robert Ononanga, Vice President of Conservation & Science Dominic Travis, D.V.M., Director of the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes Elizabeth Lonsdorf, Ph.D., Morgan and Crickette Sanz, Ph.D., take a breather at Mbeli Bai.

These resources are dedicated to a broad array of projects. The foremost question the researchers are trying to answer is whether apes are impacted by logging taking place in non-protected areas surrounding the park. From a conservation standpoint, the logging isn’t a total negative. Loggers have been convinced to eschew destructive clear-cutting for a less-invasive selective-logging process.

Scouting teams enter the forest and mark a few select trees for removal; these trees are then cut down and sold for timber.

By monitoring chimpanzee movement, Morgan and his crew can evaluate the ultimate impact of selective logging. The scientists’ long-term presence at the site will enable them to compare data collected before, during and after logging—a rare resource for researchers. Behavioral data from nearby protected areas will offer a control against which to measure the impact of logging on apes.

The early results show that increased human presence leads to decreased ape distribution—chimpanzees and gorillas range less widely, moving away from the human disturbance—but further research is needed to fully evaluate the impact of the logging.

Luckily, Morgan, Sanz and their collaborators are in place to

gather exactly the data that’s needed. The results will help conservation planners better evaluate, and hopefully mitigate, human impact on fragile ecosystems. By compiling a comprehensive view of a logged landscape, Morgan can strengthen the case of every conservationist seeking concessions to protect nature. “This area, one of the most pristine in all of Africa, was almost lost to timber exploitation,” says Morgan. “Now, it can be used to protect other animals that might not be as fortunate as to live in a protected area.”

Beyond examining the impact of logging, Morgan and his colleagues are also surveying the behavior and tool-use of the Goualougo Triangle’s gorillas and chimpanzees. By following ape groups as they move through the wilds of the region and observing how group members interact, manipulate tools and forage for food, Morgan and his collaborators can increase our understanding of these endangered species.

Observations in the Goualougo Triangle complement the zoo’s work with chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe National Park, the site of Jane Goodall’s groundbreaking research. “It’s exciting, because the sites are so different,” says Lonsdorf. “In Gombe, the chimpanzees

Monitoring by Machine

there have been studied since 1960. Their population is small—only 100 animals—and they’ve had a strong human influence. The chimpanzees in Goualougo are almost entirely naïve to humans, which gives us a new look into their behaviors.”

The landscapes vary between the sites: Gombe features punishing hills and patches of grassland and forest while the Goualougo Triangle features dense forest on flat land, making chimpanzees in the treetops tougher to spot. Perhaps the most interesting difference, however, is that the chimpanzees in the Goualougo Triangle share space with western lowland gorillas (the same arrangement seen at the zoo’s Regenstein Center for African Apes). “This could be another huge influence on their behavior,” says Lonsdorf. “It’s not something we see at Gombe.”

Through their observations, Morgan and his collaborators have seen some novel behaviors. The chimpanzees in the Goualougo Triangle “fish” termites from their mounds using a two-tool process: a sharp, thin stick is used to punch holes in the termite mound before fishing begins. (Gombe chimpanzees use their hands for this task.) Afterwards, much like at Gombe, a long, fine blade of grass is used to probe the termite nest and remove its six-legged inhabitants.

These findings, together with data collected on the impact of logging, showcase the Goualougo Triangle’s value as a research site. Back at Lincoln Park Zoo, the visiting scientists expressed enthusiasm about the work being done by Morgan and his colleagues. “The results they’re producing are essential for conservation and research,” says Travis. “In an incredibly difficult place, they’re doing amazing conservation work.” <<

When you’re trying to monitor hundreds of chimpanzees in 95,000 acres of remote rain forest, it’s difficult to be everywhere at once.

Luckily, Lincoln Park Zoo Research Fellow David Morgan, Ph.D., and collaborator Crickette Sanz, Ph.D., have developed tools to help them extend their presence. An array of video cameras distributed throughout the Goualougo Triangle helps them keep tabs on chimpanzees out of eyesight.

There are 18 cameras operating in the massive study area. Each uses a laser to detect motion; when the projected beam is broken, the cameras begin recording, transmitting the scene back to the scientists for review. The footage gathered helps researchers identify individuals, track associations between chimpanzees and observe tool use— all valuable for mapping chimpanzee cultures.

Another remote-monitoring tool in development is metal-detectors that will be installed throughout the Goualougo Triangle and neighboring Nouabale-Ndoki National Park. These devices will help the park’s small group of guards monitor for poachers. Due to the area’s isolation, nearly all metal in the park is associated with guards and researchers.

When metal from unknown sources is detected, the new devices will automatically e-mail guards, enabling them to stay a step ahead of poachers.

To keep the metal detectors in one piece, it’s important to camouflage them from prying eyes (both animal and human). Toward this end, Supervisor of Behavioral and Cognitive Research Steve Ross and Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House Keeper Ken Terrill collaborated on designing an artificial termite mound to house the metal detectors.

The keeper was excited to apply his expertise in naturalistic exhibit design to the project, which is now undergoing testing in the field. Sadly, Terrill passed away in June 2008. “Without Ken, we wouldn’t have been able to help Dave and Crickette with the very important job of camouflaging these detection devices,” says Elizabeth Lonsdorf, Ph.D., director of the Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes. “His contribution will always be appreciated.”

Below: Keeper Ken Terrill and Supervisor of Behavioral and Cognitive Research Steve Ross helped camouflage field cameras used by Morgan to remotely track chimpanzees. The uncamouflaged camera (left) has been housed within an artificial termite mound (right, on tree), making it unobtrusive to animals.

(field note) African Lion Panthera leo krugeri In the wild, the aging male African lion faces a tough reality—sooner or later, younger, stronger, more aggressive males will challenge him. He will ultimately succumb to one of these upstarts and be cast out of his own pride, weakened, wounded and left to scrape by on his own until death finds him.

Here at Lincoln Park Zoo, Adelor’s slide into the golden years is much more pleasant. At 15, his body is holding up nicely thanks to good genes, a scientifically balanced diet and expert veterinary care. His pride of two females is healthy (and mounted frequently, thank you very much). And crowds still gasp when the king of this urban jungle belts out his echoing roars.

“Wild male lions generally live about 12–15 years, at which time competition from other adult male lions can get too tough,” explains Zoological Manager of Carnivores Mark Kamhout.

“At zoos, a male lion may reach 20 years.”

Based on appearances, Adelor is doing fine. His mane is still thick, as it will remain. (Lions don’t bald.) Those fear-inspiring teeth are still strong. His 370-pound body remains powerful. “He spends a little more time sleeping these days,” says Kamhout. “But he still hangs out with his females, who are a few years younger than him.”

A few gray hairs are creeping across Adelor’s muzzle. But that’s natural, inspiring actually—signs of a king aging into his crown.

PHOTO BY JOEL POND

28 LINCOLN PARK ZOO

(calendar) Programs and Special Events

NOVEMBER 4, 18 & 25 Tiny Tykes: Ears to Hear 9:30 and 11 a.m.

OCTOBER

Hear that? It’s a lesson on the cool ways bats, Patagonian cavies and klipspringers listen to their world. (2-year-olds)

7, 14 & 21

5, 12 & 19

Tiny Tykes: Comfortable Coverings 9:30 and 11 a.m.

Tiny Tykes: Ears to Hear 9:30 and 11 a.m.

Uncover the unique coverings of snakes, turtles and fish. (2-year-olds)

Hear that? It’s a lesson on the cool ways bats, Patagonian cavies and klipspringers listen to their world. (2-year-olds)

8, 15 & 22 Tiny Tykes: Comfortable Coverings 9:30 and 11 a.m.

Uncover the unique coverings of snakes, turtles and fish. (2-year-olds)

9, 16 & 23

Tiny Tykes: Stock Up Nuts & Build Blubber 9:30 and 11 a.m.

Learn how black bears, polar bears and beavers handle harsh winters. (3-year-olds)

15

They may not be in your backyard, but in some parts of the world skinks, alpacas and white-lipped deer roam just outside the window. (3-year-olds)

Discover the wonders of bugs. (Ages 4–6)

Mis Tres Amigos 10 a.m.

Learn about the animals that live in Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo in both English and Spanish. (Ages 2–4 with adult)

18 Bug Club 9:30 a.m.

Creepy, crawly and cool.

Discover the wonders of bugs. (Ages 4–6)

Bug Club, 9:30 a.m.

28 ZooLights Begins, 5–9 p.m.

Explore nature with your family.

(Ages 4–5)

20 & 27 Sibling Safari 9:30 a.m.

Calling all brothers and sisters to learn about the amazing animals at the zoo. (9–24 months with an adult)

25 Spooky Zoo Spectacular 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

Hosted by the Auxiliary Board, Spooky Zoo Spectacular is an opportunity for children to celebrate Halloween in a free, safe and family-friendly environment. Learn fun facts about the animals in the Spooky Zoo Education Zone, create crafts, collect treats and party throughout the zoo while donning your best costume.

Give the Gift that Gives Twice— Holiday ADOPTs This holiday season, present your loved

Marvel at more than 1 million You ones with a Holiday ADOPT featuring a lights, gaze at the laser-light fennec fox, gorilla, camel or king penare show, visit with Santa and guin.

ADOPTs make great gifts because invited! watch ice carvers during this they give twice—once to the recipient free annual event. Members and once to the care and feeding of zoo and their guests are invited to the animals.

Members Lounge inside the Tadpole Each package is $40 (plus $5 S&H) and room located on the lower level of Park includes a fennec fox, gorilla, camel or king Place Café. ZooLights glows Nov. 28–30; penguin plush, personalized ADOPT cerDec. 5–7, 12–31; Jan. 1–4

Zoo members receive a discount on registration. To register for programs, call 312-742-2053 or visit www.lpzoo.org.

One Big Family in Nature 12:30 p.m.

More than $6 million has been raised to transform the South Pond into an urban oasis. But additional funds are needed to add natural shorelines, restore water quality and landscape the pond’s surroundings with natural prairie plants. This $12 million renovation project will provide a refuge for local wildlife and a soothing green space in the heart of the city. Find out how you can help make this landscape a reality by contacting the Development Office at 312-742-2332.

6, 13 & 20

Tiny Tykes: Backyard Buddies 9:30 and 11 a.m.

10 & 17

The South Pond Campaign

DECEMBER 2, 9 & 16

Tiny Tykes: Wonderful Wings 9:30 and 11 a.m.

Learn about some of the zoo’s coolest flyers—laughing kookaburras, snowy owls and eagles. (2-year-olds)

3, 10 & 17 Tiny Tykes: Wonderful Wings 9:30 and 11 a.m.

Learn about some of the zoo’s coolest flyers—laughing kookaburras, snowy owls and eagles. (2-year-olds)

4, 11 & 18 Tiny Tykes: Desert Delights 9:30 and 11 a.m.

Learn about rattlesnakes, sand cats and sand boas. (3-year-olds)

13 Bug Club, 9:30 a.m.

Discover the wonders of bugs. (Ages 4–6)

tificate, animal fact sheet and official ADOPT magnet.

ADOPT packages can be purchased at www.lpzoo.org, by calling 312-742-2322 or on zoo grounds.

(membership matters ) November Open House at Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re invited to exclusively experience the most diverse house at the zoo. Join us for the members-only open house at Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House on Nov. 1, 2, 8 or 9. The facility is open to Household-level members and above from 10 a.m.â&#x20AC;&#x201C;noon. Enjoy special animal encounters, cool crafts for the kids and learn the inside scoop on the varied residents of Small Mammal-Reptile House. Call the Membership Hotline at 312-742-2322 to register for this special event. Tickets are $8 for adults and children over 5; kids 5 and younger are free.

Your membership supports everything we do, from animal care to publishing Lincoln Park Zoo magazine. Thank you.

PO Box 14903 Chicago, IL 60614 www.lpzoo.org

Non-profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Lincoln Park Zoo