For Members of Lincoln Park Zoo • A Magazine of Conservation and Education • Spring 2013
The Conservation Toolkit
Working Together to Find New Ways to Save Species
IN THIS ISSUE Volume 11 Number 4 • For Members of Lincoln Park Zoo
DEPARTMENTS
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Perspective President and CEO Kevin Bell shares how technology brings together conservation planners around the globe.
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News of the Zoo
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Membership Matters
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Wild File
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Your Story
Researchers send up the bat signal in the Chicago area and the zoo welcomes veterinary honors and the new Hurvis Center for Learning Innovation and Collaboration.
Look back at Member Appreciation Month and save the date for Members-Only Morning and SuperZooPicnic!
Outdoor ostriches, growing lions and zebras, and new partners for red river hogs and Hoffman’s two-toed sloths.
A lifetime of living nearby creates an enduring connection for a young donor and her family.
FEATURES
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Window into the Wild
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Hormone Detectives
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From African rainforests to Chicago’s backyard, camera traps let scientists keep a constant watch on local wildlife.
Gorilla pregnancies…rhino sleep patterns… hormones hold the clues to helping researchers crack the case!
Calling On Care Zoo science is often rooted in excellent care, whether the goal is rearing ornate box turtles for release or getting a window into the gorilla mind.
Making Models Special Lincoln Park Zoo software helps conservation planners project the best path forward for species ranging from chimpanzees to eastern massasauga rattlesnakes.
Spreadsheets for Daisies The zoo’s gardeners rely on their own technological tools for planning safe shrubs and beautiful blooms.
Continue Your Visit Online Visit www.lpzoo.org for Lincoln Park Zoo photos, videos and up-to-date info on events and animals. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter!
We’d Like to Hear from You! Send your feedback on this issue of Lincoln Park Zoo magazine to magazine@lpzoo.org.
Cover: The arrival of two tiny takins was accurately predicted by zoo scientists. Left: A headstart at the Kovler Lion House is prepping ornate box turtles for a successful reintroduction to Illinois sand prairies. LINCOLN PARK ZOO MAGAZINE President and CEO Kevin J. Bell Art Director Peggy Martin
Editor James Seidler
QUESTIONS? Contact the Membership Department. Staff are on hand during normal business hours— phone 312-742-2322 or visit us online at www.lpzoo.org.
Communications Specialist Craig Keller
Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614, 312-742-2000, 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.
perspective A Letter From President and CEO Kevin J. Bell
Using New Tools to Save Species David Morgan, Ph.D., is one of the zoo’s leading researchers. He and his wife and research partner Crickette Sanz spend a good part of every year studying chimpanzees and gorillas in the Republic of Congo’s Goualougo Triangle. The Goualougo Triangle is an amazing place: 95,000 acres of pristine rainforest, home to forest elephants, dwarf crocodiles and great ape populations nearly untouched by human contact. It’s also one of the most remote sites on earth. There are no power lines, cell phone towers or running water. Getting there involves several days of flights, a seven-hour canoe ride up the Sangha River and a half-day hike through rugged swamps and forests. Yet I regularly receive field updates in my inbox that Dave typed just minutes before. A satellite phone beams them up to space and back down to me in Chicago, instantly closing the vast distance between us.
I can’t think of a better example to represent the transformative powers of technology for conservation. But as you’ll see in this issue, this is just one way scientists—and wildlife—are benefiting from exciting new additions to the researcher’s toolkit. Laser-triggered camera traps watch for wildlife around the clock. Hormone assays offer a noninvasive way to measure stress in South African rhinos…or gorilla pregnancies in our own Regenstein Center for African Apes. High-tech software models project possible futures for endangered species, helping scientists make a difference before it’s too late. Technology continues to open exciting new possibilities. Right now, representatives from the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums are collaborating to develop true global partnerships to save the species in our care. This planning is made possible by intricate population-planning software—and the communication networks that have connected us around the globe. There are so many ways to work together, even if you’re a scientist studying great apes in a rainforest half a world away. Kevin J. Bell President and CEO
New technology has expanded the toolkit of zoo researchers like Dave Morgan, Ph.D., seen posing with field assistant Simon Boyo Mbembe and filming gorillas in the Republic of Congo’s Goualougo Triangle.
SPRING 2013 1
Window into the Wild BY JAMES SEIDLER
Whether you’re looking to spot western lowland gorillas or eastern gray squirrels, there are limits to what even the besttrained eyes can take in. Even the most dedicated scientist,
one willing to suffer bug bites and hours of crouching in mud and rain, has to sleep sometimes.
And even if they could stay awake, they can only be in one place. What do you do when your research area covers the entire Chicagoland area or 95,000 acres of pristine African forest? What you do, increasingly, is set up camera traps. Those monitoring systems are being deployed around the globe, unblinking eyes ready to capture any wildlife that passes in front of them. The pictures—and increasingly, video—they record have transformed wildlife surveys, offering unprecedented looks at day-to-day life in the wild.
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How Do They Work? Camera traps come in many makes and models, but all share the same general principle. A specialty camera, protected by heavy-duty casing, is strapped to a sturdy tree overlooking a promising path for animals. The camera projects a laser to a fixed spot. If the beam is broken, the camera snaps a photo (or video). Desirable scents can be applied at the target to sweeten the deal for wildlife, and a bank of infrared sensors makes it possible to capture nighttime scenes. Researchers periodically return to the camera traps to download photos and recharge batteries, leaving their digital sentinels ready for another unbroken shift.
Cataloguing Chicago’s Wildlife One of Lincoln Park Zoo’s most ambitious camera-trap programs is happening right in the zoo’s backyard. In a bid to assess the biodiversity of the larger Chicago area, the zoo’s Urban Wildlife Institute has installed nearly 100 camera traps in a massive monitoring project extending from downtown to distant burbs. Where are the cameras located? Cemeteries, golf courses, parks, forest preserves and other green spaces located along three separate transects that make the transition from city to Deployed from Africa to Chicago, camera traps let zoo researchers record novel animal sightings and tool use. Top right: Research Fellow Dave Morgan, Ph.D., inspects a camera trap with wife and research partner Crickette Sanz, Ph.D. Bottom right: Morgan poses with more advanced cameras used by the BBC to film the series “Africa.” SPRING 2013 3
country. The cameras are installed for a month-long stretch four times a year. Researchers spend much of their time sifting through the photos to find patterns in wildlife distribution and behavior. “The staff and volunteers who tag the photos are trained to ensure they know what the different species are,” says Urban Wildlife Institute Director Seth Magle, Ph.D. “We also try to take down basic behavioral data—vigilance vs. foraging, for instance. We’re interested in how animals may perceive different predatory threats in urban vs. rural areas.” Nearly 1 million photos have been processed since the Urban Wildlife Biodiversity Monitoring project began in 2010. Scientists have tallied a number of familiar faces—deer, coyotes, squirrels—as well as some rarer sightings, like flying squirrels, mink, a great horned owl and a single gray fox. Beyond verifying that these animals are present in the region, the photos also show trends in wildlife behavior. Scientists can plot animal appearances against the clock to determine when species are most likely to be active. They can also create activity maps sharing how far different species are willing to wander into the city—a possible shorthand for how comfortable these animals are in the presence of humans. “It changes by species,” says Magle. “Raccoons, deer and coyotes are everywhere, but foxes are only detected so far into the city and then they stop. Skunks seem to be the least urban—they’re most relegated out to the suburbs. Opossums are pretty darn urban; we’re seeing them far into the city.” In the long-term, the biodiversity monitors want to gauge how the patterns change over time: whether individual species are moving How far into the city do urban animals roam? When are they active? See maps at www.lpzoo.org/magazine!
in, moving out or staying put. The camera-trap network will help them collect this data—and make recommendations to minimize conflict between people and wildlife.
Taping Great Ape Tool Use Another camera trap network is boosting understanding a world away. For decades, researchers in the Republic of Congo’s Goualougo Triangle had discovered tools discarded by chimpanzees at termite nests. These tools seemed much more elaborate than those used by peers in other parts of Africa, suggesting some intriguing behavioral differences. Over that time, though, the researchers never spotted a chimpanzee using one of the tools. To catch the animals in action, zoo research fellow and Goualougo Triangle Ape Project co-leader Dave Morgan, Ph.D., developed the first “ChimpCAMS,” specialty camera traps with video capabilities. Morgan’s video footage showed Goualougo Triangle chimpanzees using a special stick to puncture termite mounds, a novel behavior offering a fascinating look into ape tool use. Camera traps (center) distributed throughout the Chicago region by the Urban Wildlife Institute have captured sightings ranging from coyotes at Cafe Brauer to chickens.
The Goualougo Triangle Ape Project’s 65 camera traps continue to collect new observations to advance our understanding of ape behavior. As with the Urban Wildlife Biodiversity Monitoring project, sifting through the products of the Goualougo camera traps requires a significant investment in staff time. The process starts with the scientists bringing all the tapes from the cameras to their field base (yes, they still use tapes). A research assistant screens the footage, copying all the chimpanzee video onto a single compilation tape. Footage of other forest animals—bongo and elephants—is copied onto another tape. Each tape is eventually copied and brought back to the United States to be converted into digital formats. Morgan and his wife and research partner Crickette Sanz, Ph.D., then analyze the footage with specialty software that lets them score the chimpanzee behaviors on display. All this footage is now being stored in a newly established video lab on the upper level of Regenstein Center for African Apes. There interns with the zoo’s Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes get to go through 7 terabytes of video data to learn more about tool use and wildlife prevalence in the Goualougo Triangle. Thanks to the camera traps, the scientists are still discovering new chimpanzee behaviors. “Recently, I observed several instances where an adult female approached an adult male that was busy termite fishing and basically took his tool from him,” says Morgan. “Those males had to make their tools to fish—meaning the females were basically just profiting from their work—but they didn’t resist in any way. They just left the termite mound to find and fabricate another tool.”
A caracal (top) and serval are among the African wildlife spotted by zoo camera traps in the Serengeti ecosystem.
Lincoln Park Zoo–led vaccination campaign. Camera traps at
Females have previously been observed sharing their tools
the zoo let scientists know which new species are sniffing
with offspring—an understandable teaching experience. But
around Nature Boardwalk. The Urban Wildlife Institute has
this latest exchange is less clear…which may make it a valuable
even installed camera traps in some zoo members’ backyards,
research opportunity, made possible by those many cameras.
part of a citizen-science project to expand their biodiversity monitoring.
Other Camera Callouts
“Camera traps give us views of the wild we wouldn’t be able
Zoo researchers don’t just use camera traps at these two
to get otherwise,” says Vice President of Conservation &
sites. Cameras in South Africa’s Addo Elephant National Park
Science Lisa Faust, Ph.D. “It’s fascinating to see what they’ll
let Rachel Santymire, Ph.D., director of the Davee Center for
capture next.”
Epidemiology and Endocrinology, match individual rhinos with their feces. These piled pairings enabled hormonal analysis to see if rhino stress levels were affected by the presence of predators…or tourists. Camera traps are being used in the Serengeti region in Tanzania to monitor wildlife in the villages served by a
Step into the Field
On April 27, fifth–eighth graders can help monitor Chicago wildlife through our Urban Wildlife Ambassadors program! Learn more at www.lpzoo.org/calendar
SPRING 2013 5
Hormone Detectives BY CRAIG KELLER
Researchers at the zoo’s Davee Center use non-invasive hormonal analysis to fill in the missing pieces on sex and stress for animals at the zoo and in the wild. Close observation and diligent care help zoo staff make informed decisions about breeding programs, animal introductions and other crucial matters. But animal management depends just as much on what’s going on below the surface. Researchers at the zoo’s Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology analyze hormones to learn about reproduction and stress levels in zoo and wild animals. By looking internally at hormones and combining these hormonal clues with behavioral observation, a comprehensive picture of the animals’ needs emerges. “The animals can’t lie to me,” says Davee Center Director Rachel Santymire, Ph.D., “because I can see what’s physically happening to them whether they’re anxious about something new in their habitats or they’re going into heat.”
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Looking for Clues “To help Animal Care pinpoint what’s happening biologically, we need to collect samples beforehand so we can establish what ‘normal’ is,” says Santymire. How are these clues collected? Via fecal samples. Over the years, Santymire (informally known to coworkers as “Dr. Poop”) and her team have amassed a vast amount of non-invasive data from this humble source: freezers upon freezers filled with feces. Speed is of the essence in collecting samples before bacteria can alter hormone levels. Santymire conducted a study with keepers at Regenstein African Journey that concluded rhinoceros feces must be collected and tested within 12–24 hours. “We put little data loggers to measure temperature and humidity directly inside the fecal bolus, which is the shape and weight of a bowling ball.” In exhibits where more than one animal resides, staff also use markers to identify “whose poo is whose.” “You can feed them something that shows up in the feces. Food coloring is the standard,” says Santymire. “We’re doing this for the gorilla bachelor troop, giving them different colors to differentiate their poop as we look at their stress levels as they bond with each other.” Sample collection doesn’t just happen at the zoo. Researchers in remote locations use motion-triggered cam-
Hormones helped Davee Center Director Rachel Santymire, Ph.D., pinpoint the proper time to introduce the zoo’s endangered black rhinos for breeding.
eras to make the IDs as well as a portable, battery-powered kit developed by Santymire. It’s invaluable for research that
pregnant. In the wild, where silverback males may eliminate
would otherwise be compromised by transportation delays
infants sired by other males, females want the “new guy” to be
and the lack of nearby laboratory facilities.
100 percent certain their kids are his.
Regardless of where they’re collected, the processed sam-
Santymire’s staff had monitored Bana for signs of stress
ples are analyzed on modified lab equipment designed for
when she moved from Brookfield Zoo to RCAA in 2011. The
humans. The key animal hormones are the same as ours:
transfer, part of a Gorilla Species Survival Plan® recommenda-
progesterone and testosterone for reproduction, cortisol and
tion, required a standard brief quarantine period before her
corticosterone for stress.
gradual introduction to Kwan’s troop.
Pregnant Pause
February,” says Santymire. “Bana did breed with Kwan about
“We ran those samples and saw she got pregnant in Building a huge database of hormone histories often pays off in unexpected ways.
a month after she was pregnant. So they thought she was going to give birth later.”
The arrivals of Patty and Nayembi—the bouncing baby
Beyond pinning down the due dates, the hormone data
gorilla girls born to mothers Bana and Rollie and father Kwan
provided some valuable information for animal management.
this fall at Regenstein Center for African Apes (RCAA)—went
“We found the most stressful time for Bana was when she
without a hitch. But RCAA staff needed help from the Davee
was isolated from everybody,” says Santymire. “We can use
Center to narrow down Bana’s October 11 delivery date.
that for future introductions. Animal care staff might say,
Keepers had seen Bana mating with Kwan at different
‘This part is stressful, so maybe we can do more in the begin-
times, which made it tricky to calculate the dates for her
ning by providing enrichment items to occupy her time or try
pregnancy. Primates often mate even after a female becomes
to put them together sooner.’ ”
SPRING 2013 7
Further Afield The Davee Center’s efforts also include research projects in the wild. In Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park, a fecal processing lab supports research on how play behavior in chimpanzees relates to stress and individual success in terms of social rank. The study includes infants and juveniles as well as older adults first documented during Jane Goodall’s pioneering studies in Gombe three decades ago. In Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, zoo scientists collaborate with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International to study the relationship between stress levels in the region’s famous mountain gorillas, environmental pressures and the impact of potential tourism. Researchers collect behavioral data and use Santymire’s field-kit method to process the fecal samples,
Rhino Matchmaking
which are then sent to the zoo for stress-hormone analysis.
Hormone research has also played a big role in current
Santymire also recently finished collecting data with a
efforts to breed eastern black rhinoceroses at Regenstein
colleague for a groundbreaking study on black rhinos’ sleep-
African Journey (RAJ). This highly endangered species, man-
ing habits in South Africa’s Addo Elephant National Park.
aged by zoos participating in the Association of Zoos and
“There are two black rhino populations in Addo separated
Aquariums’ Black Rhinoceros Species Survival Plan®, presents
from each other, and one was doing much better than the
many challenges.
other, reproducing a whole year faster,” says Santymire.
The zoo’s two males—27-year-old Maku and 16-year-old
By matching fecal samples to rhinos IDed with motion-
Ricko—are both eligible sires, but which should be paired
triggered cameras, the researchers discovered the less
with Kapuki, the zoo’s 7-year-old female? More critically,
successful group had much higher stress. Theorizing that
when? Adult black rhinos are solitary, highly territorial ani-
higher stress could interfere with proper sleep patterns, they
mals. Females will sometimes charge at miscalculating males
continued the camera-trap monitoring. It turned out the
during mating attempts.
struggling group never slept after midnight (research showed
Santymire gave RAJ staff a checklist of behaviors to look
the species averages 90 minutes of recumbent sleep daily),
for and asked them to collect daily fecal samples. Measuring
while the thriving group caught its shut-eye between 8 p.m.
progesterone levels helped her pinpoint Kapuki’s reproductive
and 4 a.m.
cycle: when she was in estrus, or “heat,” and when she ovulat-
Two explanations surfaced: more lions and more elephants
ed the egg. Staff wondered, though, whether Kapuki would
on the insomniacs’ side of the park. “Lions are more likely to
know what to do when the time came. It turned out her
go after a rhino calf, but when is an adult most vulnerable?
behavior wasn’t the key to the puzzle.
When they’re asleep lying down,” says Santymire. Further
“Maku would become very aggressive around the time Kapuki was going into estrus,” says Santymire. “Then, suddenly, he’d turn friendly.”
research supported that hypothesis: adult lions are most active between midnight and 4 a.m. And the elephants that give the park its name? They eat the
Retrospective analysis of blood samples collected from
same leafy browse as the rhinos, leading to competition for
Maku by zoo veterinarians confirmed that the older male was
resources. “These rhinos could be eating less nutritious
still interested and fit for duty.
browse, so that could be another environmental pressure
“The aggressive behavior allowed staff to get prepared,”
causing stress,” adds Santymire. It’s yet another example of
says Santymire. “As soon as he stopped being aggressive, they
how small shifts in hormones can identify much larger
would put them together. They’ve mated, which was the first
changes above the surface.
hurdle we had to overcome. Now we hope they breed successfully and that we’ll eventually have a rhino calf!” 8 LINCOLN PARK ZOO
field note Sichuan Takin Budorcas taxicolor tibetana It’s hard enough trying to name one baby takin. But two? That’s where it’s time to call in reinforcements.
The two tiny goat-antelopes join a herd that’s now five members strong. Male Quanli fathered the new arrivals
Which is exactly what zoo caregivers did upon welcom-
with females Jinse (Mengyao’s mom) and Mei Li (Xing Fu’s)
ing two baby Sichuan takin boys to the herd at the Antelope
thanks to a breeding recommendation from the Sichuan
& Zebra Area this winter. The animal care experts picked
Takin Species Survival Plan®, a shared conservation effort
six Mandarin names representing the species’ Chinese
for North American zoos managed by General Curator
roots. They then turned them over to friends of the zoo to
Dave Bernier.
vote for in an online poll.
“The little guys have been really active,” says Bernier.
One week and 760 votes later, the little ones had their
Guests have seen Xing Fu and Mengyao follow their moms
names: Xing Fu (“happy good fortune”) and Mengyao
through their exhibit—and push around enrichment
(“superior handsomeness”). The winning options were
items—during snowfall and spring melt. It’s been easy to
neck and neck, taking in 196 and 186 votes respectively,
develop an attachment to the cute little herbivores…even if
well ahead of runners up Yen Li (“calming and strength,”
you cast your vote for Ming Hoa.
133 votes), Temur Khan (“blessed iron ruler,” 114 votes), Chen Li (“morning strength,” 91 votes) and Ming Hoa (“shining elite,” 44 votes). SPRING 2013 9
Calling on Care
It’s common for caregivers and researchers to combine their expertise to learn more about wildlife and how to best care for them.
Listening and Learning
they’re learning to tie their shoes or practicing a new dance step. The zoo’s western lowland gorillas do this by selecting symbols in a specific order determined by scientists in RCAA’s resident think tank, the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes. Kwan, a silverback gorilla and troop leader, always goes first. Today, frozen grapes dispensed through a PVC tube below the computer screen are his reward when he correctly sequences
All day long, every day, zoo visitors tap the touch-screens
seven symbols. He taps an on/off icon with his huge index fin-
on their smart phones to take photos of the gorillas and chim-
ger to begin. Next comes a white O, then a red X. There are 30
panzees at Regenstein Center for African Apes (RCAA).
trials in a session, but Kwan can quit whenever he wants, giving
What you may not know, though, is that every afternoon the
one of his troop’s females a turn at puzzle-solving.
great apes tap away on computer touch-screens too.
Great ape cognition sessions are just part of a multifaceted
They aren’t texting friends or family at other zoos. But they
research program carried out daily at RCAA by Fisher
are learning serial-order learning skills—the same cognitive
Center staff. “The more we understand how gorillas perceive
building blocks humans use throughout their lives, whether
the world, the better we can provide an environment enriching
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Research and animal care reinforce one another at Regenstein Center for African Apes, where caregivers prepare silverback Kwan for cog sessions interpreted by zoo educators and scientists use tablets to gather behavioral data to help improve care. Visitors can observe cog sessions most weekdays at 3:30 p.m.
to them,” says Fisher Center Director Steve Ross, Ph.D.
If you scan the public viewing area at RCAA, you’ll likely
Details gleaned from cognition sessions and other types of
spot a scientist or intern diligently tapping on a small handheld
in-depth research provide valuable information for animal
computer with a stylus. They’re documenting the apes’ behav-
care staff. At the same time it’s the work of animal caregivers—
iors using an ethogram that includes more than 80 possible
from operant conditioning sessions that facilitate health
descriptions covering locomotion, object manipulation and
checkups to managing introductions in RCAA’s gorilla bache-
tool use, enrichment, diet and more.
lor troop—that makes collecting those details possible in the first place. “We have scientists, caretakers and curators in the same
That intensive research—more common in academic institutions than in zoos—benefits animal care at the zoo and deepens our scientific understanding of ape behavior and ecology.
building within shouting distance of each other,” says Ross.
“Animal Care staff might ask us to verify something they
“When issues come up, whether it’s research or animal care,
suspect is happening with the apes,” says Ross. “If they suspect
we’re right there to work on it together.”
a gorilla is spending less time moving around the exhibit, we
One example of the partnership in action: caretakers can
can look at the data on locomotor rates and confirm or deny
verify their assumptions on the cause of an animal’s changing
that intuition. It’s a nice way of combining the expertise of the
behavior by drawing on the complex Behavioral Monitoring
care staff and an objective perspective from the data to best
Project data collected daily by the Fisher Center since 2004.
manage the social groups here.”
SPRING 2013 11
ZooMonitor isn’t intended to provide the same volume and specificity of data as the Fisher Center’s more focused monitoring. But it is the first customizable iPad program of its type to be developed by a zoo. “It’s very intuitive. Anyone on the zoo staff can pick this up and use it, and we’ve had lots of interest from other zoos as well,” says Conservation Programs Manager Katie Gillespie, who contributed to its design. “You could easily modify it for a more intensive study on something like pregnancy or adaptation to a new exhibit.”
Getting Ready for Release Animal care and conservation science don’t just join forces on behalf of animals that live at the zoo. Threatened populations of ornate box turtles, smooth green snakes and jumping mice have all benefited from the expert husbandry skills of caregivers as zoo biologists look to reintroduce them to the wild. The Kovler Lion House may seem like the wrong address for turtle hatchlings, but a brick-enclosed room in the century-old building’s basement has provided staff the ideal setting in which to control environmental factors encouraging growth. Eighteen ornate box turtles that hatched last summer at the zoo are getting a Animal care expertise is being applied to rear ornate box turtles— and eventually release them back to the wild in Illinois.
healthy head start in double-insulated containers with warm-water baths, sphagnum moss and high humidity— key factors in head-starting the turtles’ growth. The isolated
Keeping Track with Technology That collaborative approach to monitoring animal behavior
setting provides separation from other reptiles, a required factor for release.
and welfare is expanding beyond RCAA to other areas of the
The long-term goal of the project—a partnership with the
zoo through a new iPad application. Funded by a grant from
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—is to establish 100 turtles at
the Rice Foundation, ZooMonitor will help animal care staff
Lost Mound and Thomson-Fulton sand prairies in northwest-
measure behavior and body condition data on individual ani-
ern Illinois. “Our goal is to get them near low-range adult
mals throughout zoo grounds, starting with the African wild
weight by late spring or early summer for their release,” says
dog pack at Regenstein African Journey.
General Curator Dave Bernier. “We’re hoping to get them to
Zoo staff pull up maps of exhibit areas, then select animals
their sexual maturity faster so they can join the breeding pop-
in that space. Clicking on a menu list for that species, they can
ulation sooner.” It’s just one example of the benefits that come
record diverse data—weight loss or gain, social activity, loco-
from science and care working hand in hand. By encouraging
motion and so forth—that’s uploaded to a web-based database.
our experts to come together, Lincoln Park Zoo has boosted
“Ultimately, we’d like to generate reports to help alert us to
care for animals at the zoo and in the wild.
changes in an animal’s behavior or welfare,” says Vice President of Animal Care Megan Ross, Ph.D. “Curators can use it as a tool for making changes to an exhibit. If it indicates a behavioral change, curators and vets can be alerted. It’s just another tool keepers can add to their arsenal of daily observation.”
12 LINCOLN PARK ZOO
Science meets care in a great ape bloodtyping project that’s saved wildlife a world away. Learn more at www.lpzoo.org/magazine!
field note
Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta In popular culture (think “The Lion King”), spotted
Hyenas gather in large clans, but spend most of their
hyenas are often depicted as scavengers. In reality, hyenas
time in small groups or alone. Clans have complex matriar-
are fierce, powerful predators who hunt live prey like
chal hierarchies, and the larger females are dominant over
wildebeest, gazelle and zebra for the majority of their diet.
males in all respects. Females’ genitalia bears a highly
In areas with abundant prey species, like Tanzania’s
unusual resemblance to that of males—leading to the myth
Serengeti region, they are the most prevalent predator.
that they are hermaphrodites. This bizarre adaptation may
There they compete with lions for food, and the two carni-
cause females to tolerate the presence of smaller males, who
vores will often scavenge each other’s kills—a rivalry that
aren’t particularly needed for protection or hunting.
can lead to antagonistic encounters. Hyenas’ long front legs
The zoo’s spotted hyena pack is single sex, consisting of
give their backs a downward slope, which may be an adap-
two males—Kai, 3, and Thika, 14—that arrived from the
tive trait that helps them elude the grasp of pursuing lions.
Denver Zoo in late November. But the pair have their own
They also have tremendous endurance and keen senses of
unique hierarchy at the McCormick Bear Habitat. “Kai and
sight, hearing and smell for detecting prey and carrion over
Thika are doing very well without females,” says Curator of
great distances.
Mammals Mark Kamhout. “Kai’s mother was a very high-
Spotted hyenas range throughout sub-Saharan Africa in
ranking female, and that was transmitted down. So he’s
savanna, semi-desert, open woodland and mountainous
dominant over Thika. But their relationship has fluidity,
forests. Unlike their brown hyena and striped hyena rela-
just as would be the case in the wild.”
tives, they have coarse coats covered with dark brown spots that fade with age. SPRING 2013 13
Making Models Like the rest of us, population planners would find things much easier if they had a crystal ball in which to see the future. Disease outbreaks, habitat loss—these and the other wrinkles complicating the
work of saving species could be avoided entirely. Conservation would be a matter of following the best path forward, avoiding dead ends that stymie progress.
Technology hasn’t come that far yet, of course. But that doesn’t mean conser-
vation planners are acting blindly. Instead, many turn to sophisticated software models to gain a sense of what the future may hold—and identify the most promising path after all.
parrots, Channel Island foxes and black-footed ferrets are among the species returned to the wild thanks to these kinds of calculations. Regardless of the task they’re modeling, the researchers stress they aren’t offering a perfect look at the future. “We’re not trying to say ‘in 100 years, we’ll have 125 plus or minus three rattlesnakes,’ says Faust. “We’re trying to say, ‘We have four or five options for management actions, and we want the population to stabilize or increase. Let’s choose the option that will have the best impact.’”
What Makes a Model? As the name implies, a model is a simulation of reality. A good population model chooses a set of factors—individuals in a population, age, sex, space, resources—and applies some processing power to project the most likely future outcomes. Underneath the hood, so to speak, is a body of knowledge on the species in question. How long they live. How often they have offspring. How closely related the members of a population might be. All that info is churned together by a computer to offer probabilities of what the future might hold. “Models work best when you start with a good question you want to answer,” says Lisa Faust, Ph.D., the zoo’s Vice President of Conservation & Science and a practiced model maker. “Identifying that question is often the most difficult part of the process.” One question Faust modeled recently was whether African ape sanctuaries had the capacity to provide lifetime care for orphaned chimpanzees. She used historic data on the rates of new arrivals along with lifelong mortality rates to predict future carrying capacities. As a result, 11 sanctuaries in the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance were able to shift from short-term care to the financial planning necessary for long-term sustainability.
Predicting the Best Path Forward The African ape sanctuaries are just one example of a successful model. Biologists at the Population Management Center use ZooRisk—a model developed by Faust and Conservation Biologist Joanne Earnhardt, Ph.D.—to gauge the risk of extinction for zoo animal populations throughout the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The data prompts management actions that can put species back on the path to sustainability. Similarly, if reintroduction efforts are being considered for endangered species, models offer a safe way to identify if zoo populations can spare individuals for release. Puerto Rican
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Looking to Learn Sometimes the best use for a model is to identify gaps— information that needs to be collected before a sound decision can be made. That’s the case for the model Faust has developed to guide planning for the eastern massasauga rattlesnake, which is endangered in much of its range, including Illinois. Different home sites for the species, stretching from the Midwest to Ontario, may have different metrics for measuring massasauga health. Faust’s model offered a chance to look at all the data—lifespan, hibernation spots, road deaths— through the same lens. It also offered a guide for researchers studying a healthy population in Michigan, cueing them in on which bits of data could be collected to make a better forecast for eastern massasauga rattlesnakes as a whole. “It’s exciting to have a long-term field study in place to gather data we need to answer questions about this species,” says Faust. “We can turn around and use info from Michigan to help massasaugas elsewhere, where they’re not thriving.”
Always Improving Models aren’t standing still. As technology advances, models are evolving to answer more complex questions. Faust sees a future where multiple species that interact in the wild are modeled together, with the outcomes for each casting echoes on peers. Similarly, factors such as climate change may also be overlaid atop already-complex simulations of reality. “Models give you the chance to do experiments you could never manage in reality,” Faust explains. With just a small digital investment, scientists can transform ecosystems, shrink populations or grow them to the breaking point. They can branch out countless paths and then, even without a crystal ball, only try to follow the one most worth taking.
Spreadsheets for Daisies Animal care at the zoo involves all kinds of databases: population management statistics, behavioral studies, medical histories and the like. Plants might not seem to require the same sort of rigorous documentation. The zoo’s gardeners beg to differ. Since 2010, Director of Horticulture Brian Houck has supervised the compilation of an exhaustively detailed database delineating every plant species on zoo grounds. His team (many of them dedicated volunteers) has logged hundreds of hours creating more than 800 entries including key information for each species: scientific, common and family names, plant type, place of origin, flowering time and color, height and so forth. Plants of greater interest have even more detail. The database provides guidance on what to select or avoid in a landscape. Plants are divided into three major lists: toxic, non-toxic and browse. “Toxic refers to plants we’ll never have,” says Houck. “Browse are plants we can grow onsite to supplement animals’ diets…willow, cottonwood, poplar, linden, honey locust. Non-toxic is our largest list. That includes nonbrowse ornamental plants such as juniper.” The data helps horticulturists plan for future improvements and projects at the zoo. New exhibit planning might involve sorting through plants that exhibit spectacular fall color or have a long blooming season. “It also makes it easier to monitor the performance of species on grounds,” says Houck. “We keep track of live and dead plants and record why we think something may have died so we won’t try that species again.” The encyclopedic detailing of zoo flora—which includes photo documentation as well as text—is also valuable to educators. “They use it for education programs, walks and talks, and plant ID booklets,” says Houck. Documenting plant life on the zoo’s grounds does have a historical precedent. While researching past landscape plans, Houck discovered a detailed plant list included in a history of Lincoln Park published by the park’s commissioners in 1899. “It’s fun to see what plants we still have, such as Ribes alpinum, a small, deciduous shrub,” says Houck. “Looking back at earlier efforts might also explain why we have newer versions of some species that are better adapted and more sustainable.” Courtesy of Chicago Park District Special Collections
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Special databases help zoo gardeners plan perfect blooms throughout the zoo. Opposite: Native black-eyed susans bloom at Nature Boardwalk in June/July. Hairs on the stems and leaves buffer the plant from wind, helping reduce evaporation during hot summers. Clockwise from top left: Queen of the prairie is another Midwest native that blooms in mid-summer; it can reach 3-6 feet tall. Blue false indigo is a beautiful perennial, best in full sun. The red crocus tulip blooms with daffodils in early spring. Blossoming zinnias show their rich petal formations. Purple prairie clover grows in full sun and dry soil, attracting bees and butterflies.
news of the zoo
Hurvis Center Senior Director Leah Melber, Ph.D., and Dr. Lester E. Fisher Director of Veterinary Medicine Kathryn Gamble, D.V.M., highlight the zoo’s commitment to excellence.
pharmacology. There’s the numeric: 50 veterinary students mentored since receiving her degree, nearly 900 Lincoln Park Zoo animals whose care she manages. And then there’s recognition from peers. Gamble has held diplomate status with the American College of Zoological Medicine (ACZM) since 1999. Now, she’s received a paired honor across the Atlantic, being awarded diplomate status from the European College of Zoological Medicine in the subspecialty of Zoo Health Management. It’s a significant honor: Gamble is the first American and the first woman to receive the status with the Zoo Health Management subspecialty. But she likes to focus on what it means for animal care at Lincoln Park Zoo. “Our veterinary residency program was already accredited by the ACZM,” she says. (Only 10 percent of accredited zoos and aquariums have that certification.) “Now we can propose this program to younger European colleagues as part of their training.” The new possibilities strengthen the global partnerships that are increasingly important in veterinary medicine.
A New Center for Excellence in Education
Sending Up the Bat Signal
Zoo educators are constantly finding new ways to share the wonders of wildlife. Chicago students launch inquiry-based science projects every year through the Young Researchers Collaborative. Visitors encounter animal adaptations through new mobile learning stations enabled by a prestigious grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This atmosphere of innovation hit a new peak this winter with the creation of the Hurvis Center for Learning Innovation and Collaboration. Funded by a $3 million gift from the Hurvis Charitable Foundation, the center will provide a living laboratory for researching the next generation of innovative zoo and museum programs. The Hurvis Center’s early programs include using handson activities to connect Chicago urban youth with research methods and science careers and developing a flexible curriculum to let youth around the world connect with nature through self-guided animal observations. Through its research program, the center will collect feedback, learn what works and put it into practice here—and elsewhere. “This kind of flexibility is rare,” says Hurvis Center Senior Director Leah Melber, Ph.D. “We’re grateful to have it, and we look forward to taking risks, exploring new opportunities and pushing beyond limits of the past.”
New Honors for Head Veterinarian As Lincoln Park Zoo’s Dr. Lester E. Fisher Director of Veterinary Medicine, Kathryn Gamble, D.V.M., has several signposts marking her status as a leader in the field. There’s the academic: her veterinary degree, her master’s in clinical
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How many bats are flapping their wings above Chicago? Scientists with Lincoln Park Zoo’s Urban Wildlife Institute are listening to the skies to find out. They’ve installed special acoustic-monitoring systems throughout the region, recording distinctive squeaks to ID the species flying overhead. The flying mammals are good neighbors to have. “Bat appetites play a big role in keeping pests like mosquitoes in check,” says Julia Kilgour, who coordinates the project. “At the same time, bat populations are in decline across eastern North America thanks to a fungal disease called white-nose syndrome.” While the disease hasn’t hit Illinois yet, it’s steadily moving west, making it important to get baseline population numbers for local bat species before it arrives. This Halloween, Kilgour and her peers celebrated the spooky season—and furthered their research—by asking Chicagoans to send bat photos, stories and tips to batsignal@lpzoo.org. They received plenty of leads, but they’re still looking for more. If you know a bat hangout, email them today!
A ZooLights to Remember Brilliant lights and wild encounters marked this year’s ZooLights Presented by ComEd and Charter One. A recordsetting 420,000 guests visited the zoo’s signature winter event, which shone through January 6. As with all our offerings, this successful ZooLights prompts us to gratefully acknowledge the support of the Chicago Park District on behalf of the citizens of Chicago.
membership matters Welcome Warmups in the ZooLights Members Lounge ZooLights Presented by ComEd and Charter One welcomed 420,000 guests to enjoy the spectacle of 2 million brilliant lights. In celebrating the season, we also celebrated the generosity of members by offering a cozy sanctuary—the Members Lounge in the Tadpole Room at Park Place Café. More than 5,000 members joined us for hot chocolate, cookies and crafts. Kids decorated animals and inscribed snowflakes with what they love most about Lincoln Park Zoo. It was a fun scene, one that highlights how much we appreciate your support. We look forward to seeing you again next year!
access to the zoo as it’s transformed for state fair–themed fun with our Blue Ribbon SuperZooPicnic. This family-oriented members-only event will be packed with games, attractions and animal encounters. Safari-level members and above will receive two free SuperZooPicnic tickets in the mail. Household and Individual members can purchase tickets in advance for $8. Kids 5 and under are free!
A Month-Long Member Celebration February was dedicated to giving the zoo’s strongest supporters four weeks of the VIP treatment with Member Appreciation Month. All Lincoln Park Zoo members received free parking and extra discounts on shopping and meals. But the real fun came in the special activities offered to members. The weekend events included a members-only sleepover and animal encounters. Adults met the Carnivores of Africa in special tours with zoo experts while families made enrichment for the meerkat mob and took over the Treetop Canopy Climbing Adventure in the Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo. It was a fun opportunity to show our gratitude for everything members do for Lincoln Park Zoo!
Get Ready for the Next Members-Only Morning Members-only perks didn’t end in February. On Saturday, April 20, Lincoln Park Zoo members will have exclusive access to the heart of the zoo from 8–10 a.m. This MembersOnly Morning will focus on the Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo, Kovler Sea Lion Pool and Kovler Lion House. Join us for special activities and VIP perks—no advance registration necessary for this free event!
Save the Date—SuperZooPicnic On Friday, June 14, members can enjoy exclusive evening
Follow Us Online! Lincoln Park Zoo magazine isn’t the only way to stay up to date on the zoo’s world of wildlife. Get your daily dispatch of what your support makes possible by connecting with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the zoo blogs at www.lpzoo.org. New animal arrivals, special events, field reports by zoo scientists—it’s all awaiting your discovery online.
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wild file
Hershey’s Kiss Life in the treetops has been looking up for Carlos. The male Hoffman’s two-toed sloth, who can be seen clinging upside-down from branches in the Ecosystem Area at Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House (SMRH), has a new companion. Hershey, a 19-year-old female from the Pueblo Zoo in Colorado, moved into the exhibit in late November. The new arrival was part of an exchange that sent 20-yearold female Chewy—Carlos’ previous mate—to Pueblo. The two zoos participate in the Hoffman’s Two-Toed Sloth Species Survival Plan®, a shared conservation-management program that determined Carlos’ and Hershey’s lineages make them an ideal breeding pair. The arrangement follows the successful February 2011 birth of Carlos’ and Chewy’s daughter, Siesta. The baby’s name was fitting for this slow-moving, nocturnal mammal that—in its native Latin American habitat—spends most of its daytime hours napping in the forest canopy. Siesta now resides at New York’s Staten Island Zoo. “They were both very active the day Hershey moved in. Carlos was interested in his new friend,” says SMRH curator Diane Mulkerin.
Gilding the Lily
The two new ostriches at Antelope & Zebra Area will soon move to permanent homes at Kovler African Savanna.
Nouveau Ostrich Ostriches are the biggest bird species in the world, weighing upwards of 285 pounds and standing 6–9 feet tall. They can dash across the grasslands of sub-Saharan Africa at speeds exceeding 40 miles per hour. Sometimes, however, they need to take small steps. Animal care staff have been training two ostriches, who arrived at the zoo last fall, to navigate their new home. The 6year-old females learned how to shift between indoor and outdoor enclosures at the Antelope & Zebra Area, where they spent their required quarantine period. “They’d never been inside, so the yard provided a good start,” says General Curator Dave Bernier. “We used the cold weather to get them to come inside and become comfortable with a roof over their heads.” When warmer weather permits this spring, the ostriches will move to Regenstein African Journey, where they will be on display in Kovler African Savanna with Grant’s gazelles and Baringo giraffes. 20 LINCOLN PARK ZOO
Animal care staff hope Lily, the zoo’s female red river hog, is jazzed about Coltrane. She was introduced to her new companion, a 6-year-old male from Disney’s Animal Kingdom, in early January. The two hogs, with their bright burnt-orange fur and white whiskers and ear tufts, can be seen in their outdoor yard at Regenstein African Journey when temperatures climb into the 40s.
Pride and Prejudice African lion Sahar has been spending more quality time with Myra. The 3-year-old male, who arrived at the Kovler Lion House last spring, has slowly earned the acceptance of 16-year-old female Myra, with whom he shares an outdoor yard and indoor exhibit. “He’s young, still playful and not ready to be the pride leader, though,” says Bernier. “So Myra tries to keep him in line, which is typical of female lions.” Sahar has bulked up considerably since his arrival, and half his mane has filled in. “As he gets older, probably around 4 or 5, he’ll start to roar a lot louder too,” adds Bernier.
Earning His Stripes Kito, whose Swahili name means jewel, has been a shining example of good health. The young male Grevy’s zebra, born last August at the Antelope & Zebra Area, is nearly adultsized—though his slender frame gives away his youth. He’s remained at the side of 5-year-old mom Adia, except when the two are separated to ensure both get a full meal. In the wild, it’s common for zebra colts to remain with their mothers up to 3 years. Males reach sexual maturity at the ages of 3–4.
your story Budding Benefactors Lots of folks live near shops, restaurants or businesses in their neighborhoods. Most don’t have a zoo in their backyards. Brittany Smith can’t remember a time in her life when that wasn’t the case. Smith grew up a stone’s throw from Lincoln Park Zoo near Lincoln and Dickens avenues in Chicago. Today, the 34-year-old investment professional lives with her husband, John, and daughter, Caroline, on Sedgwick Street, just a few blocks south of her childhood home. Her lifelong proximity has nurtured plenty of cherished zoo memories. “The new ape house is gorgeous, but the old one has a special place in my heart,” says Smith when recounting favorite memories of past zoo visits. “I also worked at the ZooLights holiday festival when I was in high school.” Two years ago, Smith and her husband, who works in commercial insurance, decided to take their relationship with Lincoln Park Zoo to the next level. They joined the zoo’s Conservators’ Council Donor Club, whose members contribute annual gifts of $2,000 and more to support the zoo’s efforts and help keep it free to the public 365 days a year. “It was a mutual decision,” says Brittany, who is now passing along her love of the zoo to the next generation. “We go there often with our 19-month-old daughter and realized we use so much of the zoo on a weekly—and sometimes daily—basis. It’s amazing to be able to visit for just 5 or 10 minutes and see lions and tigers. The fact that it’s free to the public is important to us, and we want to help maintain that.”
Brittany takes Caroline to the free Story Time sessions at the Farm-in-the-Zoo on Wednesday mornings. She plans to sign up Caroline for other family and education programs offered by the zoo as her daughter grows. The couple has also enjoyed the benefits that come with Donor Club membership, including behind-the-scenes tours led by animal care staff. “Donating when you’re younger helps you learn about the organization and grow with it as you become more involved,” says Smith, whose philanthropy refutes the common notion that benefactors tend to be much older. “The zoo is an important civic institution that will need support for years to come. Any amount counts.”
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Watch the Wild with Our Field Blogs Zoo scientists work around the world, from vaccinating dogs near Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park to monitoring wildlife in the zoo’s backyard. You can follow along as researchers share their wild experiences by subscribing to the zoo’s Conservation Field Diaries at www.lpzoo.org/csfd!
Give for the Next Generation Lincoln Park Zoo has long been part of your life…now you play a part in the zoo’s proud future. It’s easy to include the zoo as a beneficiary of your will, trust or retirement plan. For more information, visit www.lpzoo.givingplan.net or contact Director of Planned Giving Marilyn Schaffer at 312-742-2167.
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Yoga, Jammin’, kids’ camps and more—get all the zoo’s exciting 2013 events on your itinerary with our special calendar insert!