oWildlife!
SAN D I EGO ZOO GLOBAL 2014 HIGHLIGHTS
Dear Friends, T hanks to all of you, 2014 was a banner year for San Diego Zoo Global! From conservation successes that span 6 continents to creating a magnificent refuge for endangered tigers at the Safari Park to securing extraordinary gifts that will ensure children of all ages can experience the wild world of animals, the highlights are many. On behalf of the Board of Trustees and Foundation Board of Directors, we are pleased to share with you a colorful collection of those achievements and more in this 60-page booklet, Roaring for Wildlife. T he roar has been an important part of our history ever since local physician Dr. Harry Wegeforth was inspired to create the San Diego Zoo in 1916, after he heard the roar of a lion in need of a home following the closing of the Panama-California Exposition. T hrough his tenacity and determination as well as support from the community, what was once seen as Dr. Harry’s folly became a source of pride for the people of San Diego. As the Zoo prepares to celebrate its centennial in 2016, we would like to express our sincerest gratitude to our many friends, members, and other supporters. You have helped transform Dr. Harry’s dream into a world-renowned organization that is committed to ending extinction, one species at a time. Because of your unflagging generosity, we are setting the stage for our next 100 years dedicated to protecting wildlife and wild places, igniting a passion for wildlife among children and adults, and providing a sanctuary and refuge for our animals as well as everyone who visits our parks. With your partnership, we can continue to perpetuate that inspirational roar.
Robert B. Horsman Chairman, Board of Trustees
Murray H. Hutchison Chair, Foundation Board of Directors
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Conservation Around the Globe
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL CONSERVATION PROJECTS MAP FOLLOW OUR T EAMS AROUND THE WORLD
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•8
18
News from the Zoo & Safari Park
Table
TULL FAMILY TIGER T RAIL • 18 RADY CHALLENGE • 20
CONTENTS
36
our extraordinary veterinary teams
40
22
• 22 MAMMALS AT THE SAFARI PARK • 25
BABY MAMMALS AT THE ZOO
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Horticulture: still growing, still spectacular
Mammal births & news
conservation education: one vision
PRICE EDUCATION CENT ER • 45 SAN DIEGO ZOO KIDS CHANNEL • 46
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28
Amazing new Animal Ambassadors
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All in the numbers!
BANKING ON OUR FUTURE
• 52
From the birds at the Zoo & safari park
• 30 BIRD REPORT FROM THE SAFARI PARK • 32 NOTABLE BIRD NEWS AT THE ZOO
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SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL
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SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL
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reptile report
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How you can help!
2015 board of trustees
2015 foundation board
San Diego Zoo Global: Who We Are AS T HE WORLD’S PREMIER, NONPROFIT ZOOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION, W E ARE AT T HE TOP OF OUR FIELD, W IT H T HREE SAN DIEGO COUNT Y CAMPUSES AS W ELL AS CONSERVATION FIELD STATIONS AROUND T HE WORLD.
SAN DIEGO ZOO
SAN DIEGO ZOO Safari Park
• Home to more than 3,700 rare and endangered animals
• 1,800-acre wildlife haven for many of the Earth’s rarest
• Prominent botanical collection that includes more than
• Home to more than 3,100 animals representing nearly
representing approximately 660 species and subspecies. 25,000 species and approximately 700,000 plants on grounds.
• An accredited museum: 8 accredited plant collections as
well as an accredited library and photo archive and the largest accredited wildlife tissue archive.
•
One of the nation’s most popular tourist attractions.
animals that roam in expansive habitats. 400 species and subspecies.
• Renowned botanical collection includes 3,500 species and more than 1.7 million plants on grounds, including 3 accredited garden collections.
• Unique adventure-oriented experiences.
San Diego Zoo Global is committed to leading the fight against extinction. SAN DIEGO ZOO Institute for Conservation Research
• One of the largest zoo-based, multidisciplinary conservation
• T he Institute is the leading innovator in applying
• T he team works on more than 140 local, regional, and
• T he team works with more than 300 conservation partners
• Home base is the 50,000-square-foot Arnold and Mabel
• T he Beckman Center is one of the largest, most
science teams in the world.
global projects in nearly 80 countries on 6 continents.
Beckman Center for Conservation Research, located near the Safari Park’s main entrance.
conservation science to endangered species recovery.
to bring endangered species back from the brink of extinction. comprehensive, and best-equipped conservation science centers in the world.
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Conservation Around the Globe
Looking for Hope in All the Right P laces
It is daunting to know that 20,000 wildlife species are close to extinction today. W hat it does not reveal are the successful conservation efforts in progress each day around the world. San Diego Zoo Global fosters a deep commitment to saving wildlife that extends to its partnerships with other zoos and conservation organizations. It also makes our vision within reach: “We will lead the fight against extinction.” In fact, we have been doing just this for decades, one species at a time.
Looking back, when many biologists thought it was hopeless, we focused on saving the last 22 California condors in the 1980s—and today there are more than 400. W hen many believed giant pandas were headed for extinction in the 1990s, our conservation team was determined to reverse the trend— today, pandas are a symbol of hope for endangered species. Hope is essential if we will continue to save species, knowing that persistence and dedication can lead to huge successes.
IN 2014 WE WORKED ON
MORE THAN
IN NEARLY
140
80
PROJECTS
COUNTRIES
THAT PROT ECT ED
109 ENDANGERED SPECIES
Mangrove Finch SOS JEFF LEMM
An emergency phone call in early 2014 mobilized our Applied Animal Ecology team to embark on a new challenge: our expertise in bird-rearing techniques was needed on the Galápagos Islands. Our mission: Join forces with the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and Galápagos National Park to prevent the extinction of the critically endangered mangrove finch. T he entire population of 60 to 80 birds lives in two tiny patches of mangrove forest that number fewer than 75 acres. We needed urgent measures to help hatchlings survive, because voracious botfly larvae were killing chicks in nests! Here’s what we did:
• Set up an incubation and hand-rearing room. • CDF field team found wild nests and retrieved eggs from Isla Isabela. • Helicoptered the precious cargo to the research station on Isla Santa Cruz,
where we incubated eggs and hand reared chicks—a first for the species. JEFF LEMM
• Released and radio-tracked 15 fledglings, with high hopes for survival!
Protecting
Paradise
Many distinctive wildlife species call islands their home, yet they need our help because of habitat loss and predation. Since the 1990s we have restored critically endangered iguanas to several Caribbean islands. T his year, our Behavioral Ecology team’s island iguana projects included Honduran Bay, Anegada (pictured top), Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic (pictured bottom), and Sister Isles. Using habitat mapping, headstarting and radio-tracking hatchlings, reintroductions and translocations, our team helped develop conservation strategies to protect iguanas in their historical ranges.
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SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL NS’
KA NGA RO
ST
E PH
Hawaii
Desert tortoise
BIG ISLAND, KAUAI, MAUI
Palms Thick-billed parrot
Hawaiian forest birds
South America
BOTSWANA Cheetah
D
DE
A
SER
T TO R TO I S
Chimpanzee Drill Western lowland gorilla
E
Canada
DEMOCRATIC REP. OF CONGO
T U S W R EN
Bonobo Okapi
A O R NI CO N D O R L IF
AN
Rainbow boa Turks & Caicos iguana
Polar bear
GE
CAC
C
TURKS & CAICOS IS.
CANADA
Africa
EG
AD
A R O C K IG UA
N A
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
N
MO
BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
Bighorn sheep California condor Peninsular pronghorn Vaquita
Rhinoceros iguana Ricord’s iguana
UN
North America
I TA
Y E L L O W - L EG
OG
Anegada rock iguana
Red-breasted goose
O
FR
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
BULGARIA
R B EA R
CAMEROON
Our Major Field Sites:
Caribbean
PO LA
T RA
E
CONSERVATION PROJECTS
Europe
MOJAV E DESERT, NV SONORA, MEXICO
Mojave Desert, NV Riverside County, CA San Diego County, CA Sonora, Mexico
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Burrowing owl Cactus wren Andean condor California condor ECUADOR (GALÁPAGOS IS.) Light-footed clapper rail Mangrove finch Mountain yellow-legged frog PERU/AMAZON REGION Pacific pocket mouse Andean bear Ringtail Giant otter San Clemente Jaguar loggerhead shrike Palms Stephens’ kangaroo rat Central America Westerm pond turtle
HONDURAS
Roatan spiny-tailed iguana
endextinction.org
T
COLOMBIA
HI
CK
D - B I L L E PA R R O
AN
H B IG
O RN SHEE
Grand Cayman
P Costa Rica
Colombia
JA G U A R
Ecuador Galápagos Islands
P UA IO H I
‘A LA LA
AN
N CON D
Andros Island, The Bahamas Turks & Caicos Islands Anegada Jamaica Dominican Republic
Baja California, Mexico
T
D EA
D EA N B EA R
Peru/Amazon Region
G IA
NT OT T E R
OR
R
AST E D GO
OS
CHINA
Dhole Giant panda Guizhou snub-nosed monkey
O W L E O PA R D
Black rhinoceros Bongo antelope Giraffe Grevy’s zebra
HIMALAYAS
DHOLE Russia
Addax
SOUTHERN AFRICA
IZ
U
IL L
MONGOLIA Przewalski’s horse
HO R N E D R H
SRI LANKA
Asian elephant
IN
SUMAT RA & MALAYSIA
S
GRE
E RO
VY ’S ZE B R A
R
EON
R AT
& M A L AYA AN N
SU Thailand
Cameroon
A N EL E P HA N
AUST RALIA
Koala Tasmanian devil
Kenya Sumatra
K OA L A
Indonesia
T Botswana
C H E E TA H
G
T H O R NBI R EA L
L
TA
N IA N D E SM A V
Douc langur
AustralAsia
Guam
Malaysia
Sri Lanka
Democratic Republic of Congo
Vietnam
S
E L EP H A N T
VIETNAM
ER
IA N
Asian hornbills T IG
M
China
O KA PI AS
Tiger
THAILAND India
R IC
Gibbon Orangutan
C L A NGU R DO U
OC
AT E
Bulgaria
A
WE
M EY
GU
HO
Himalayas
R
G RE
AF
Greater one-horned rhinoceros Western red panda
INDONESIA S N U B- N O S E D
K ON
GO
INDIA
Russia
Mongolia
GI RA F F E
African elephant Black-footed cat
Red panda Snow leopard
T PA N DA G IA N
SAHARA DESERT REGION
S
Asia White-bellied heron
SN
N
RS
R E D PA N DA
KENYA
R TE
L S K I’ S H O
BHUTAN
ENdangered species!
LO W L A N D
E WA
E
165
E
RE D-B
Z PR
E
BrED more than
IL
PALAU
Cycads Orchids
Reintroduced more than
Australia
40
South Africa
Tasmania
endangered species into the wild!
Released
critically endangered mountain yellow-legged frogs into Southern California mountain streams.
Released more than
Partnered in development of the
5-year strategic plan for polar bear conservation.
900 desert tortoises into five wild sites in Nevada.
Follow Our Teams Around the World Recorded vocalizations
from koalas, d holes, and gibbons to better understand their social behaviors.
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Developed
spatial technology
to create a detailed picture of movement patterns from critically endangered giant pandas and California condors.
Garnered local support for the creation of a national park in Cameroon to protect drills, gorillas, and forest elephants.
Released a dozen
light-footed clapper rails hatched and raised at the Safari Park, helping bring the wild population to 400 pairs.
Collaborated with Chinese colleagues on
disease prevention and conservation of giant panda populations.
Partnered with Mexico to protect endangered thick-billed parrots by helping prevent disease in chicks.
PEOPLE EV ERYW HERE CAN HELP US SAV E THE WILDLIFE THEY LOV E BY JOINING SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL THOUSANDS JOINED US THIS YEAR ALONE! HERE WILDLIFE CONSERVANCY — ENDEXTINCTION.ORG — ARE A FEW OF THE CONSERVATION FIELD PROJECTS THAT K EPT OUR T EAMS BUSY IN 2014!
Battled a rapid die-off of endangered Panamanian golden frogs in Central America.
Partnered with Mexican scientists to monitor bighorn sheep and collect noninvasive fecal samples for
genetics studies
on both sides of the border.
Restored
coastal sage scrub habitats for cactus wrens living near the Safari Park.
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Tracking Where the Wild Ones Roam
PERU In Peru’s Amazon region, Clark Endowed Postdoctoral Fellow Mark Bowler, Ph.D., collected data from the world’s largest arboreal camera trapping grid, proving this method can measure which areas primate species favor, population sizes, food choices, and nocturnal behaviors. As Mark says, “We are using camera traps in the forest canopy on a scale never attempted before.” Scientist Mathias Tobler, Ph.D., and his team set and retrieved 180 camera traps—one of the largest jaguar surveys attempted in the Amazon. Mathias says:
Over a two-month period, more than 400,000 camera trap photos magically captured the lives of all these species into one concise dataset that we can analyze: suc h a dataset is a gold mine.
Camera Traps: A DATASET GOLD MINE
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Tracking rare and elusive species has never been easy, as any field researcher will tell you. It’s not an exaggeration to say that two technologies dramatically changed our abilities to study animals in the wild over the last 20 years: camera traps and radiotelemetry. Digital cameras outfitted with motion sensors take photos of animals passing in front of them for several months at a time, working 24/7, rain or shine. Now researchers can attach camera traps at a tree’s base or high in the canopy—and they no longer need to return every few days to retrieve film. T his year our scientists achieved groundbreaking results.
In northwest Peru’s dry tropical forest, scientist Russ Van Horn, Ph.D., collaborates with the Spectacled Bear Conservation Society to set camera traps for Andean bears, South America’s only bear species. We’ve learned details about their range, food choices, and how mothers raise their young. T hey give birth when fruit from the critically endangered sapote tree is available, so survival of this unique bear population may depend on it.
CAMEROON T he Ebo Forest is rich in biodiversity but faces threats from habitat loss and poachers. Our Central Africa Program team, led by Bethan Morgan, Ph.D., has deployed camera video traps since 2009. Now we survey the entire forest every four years to gauge our conservation success with forest elephants.
CHINA AND MADAGASCAR In China, scientist Chia Tan, Ph.D., and her team used camera traps to capture rare glimpses of primates, proving these monkeys are active into the night. In Madagascar, they place camera traps along “arboreal highways” favored by lemurs, giving us insights into nocturnal behaviors in forests. Photos revealing poachers help us design conservation strategies.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Western burrowing owls, one of the smallest owl species in the U.S., are getting some big help from Lisa Nordstrom, Ph.D., and her team. Since owls use abandoned squirrel dens as burrows, we released ground squirrels in the area. GPS technology helps us track the owls while their activities are captured by camera traps.
SPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES:
The Future is Here
An Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation grant expanded our aerial remote tracking, spatial modeling, and data analysis, helping us map animal behaviors and movements in complex terrain. California condors benefit from spatial technology, allowing scientist James Sheppard, Ph.D., and his team to pinpoint their flight patterns in Baja California, Mexico. If we know where condors fly, we can recommend where to build—or not build—wind farms. GPS signals and cell phones create an early-warning system to protect condors from colliding with wind turbines: the benefits are seen immediately!
Historic News
for Alalas ‘
For our conservation team, the ‘alala, or Hawaiian crow, has topped our Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program’s list of priority species for two decades. T hat’s one reason why nestling #220 was so important when it hatched in May: it was raised by both its parents—a first in the history of the program. Keeping the ‘alala family together should lead to better socialization for the chick and better adaptations for survival as part of a future reintroduction program.
Saving Songbirds
Closer to Home
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On San Clemente Island, off California’s coast, lives a songbird that was once the most endangered bird in North America: only 20 San Clemente loggerhead shrikes remained in 1989. A collaboration between San Diego Zoo Global, the U.S. Navy, which funds the project, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and others turned the tide for these small birds, and this year the island’s population reached 170 individuals. One bird in particular impressed the team: Trampas, hatched in 2001, was a vigorous male that lived a whopping 13 years (average life span is 2.7 years) and successfully hatched chicks throughout his life, fathering seven generations. Although we lost Trampas in 2014, his descendants will go on to help save the species— long live Trampas!
Another Banner Year
for Our Labs
T he Frozen Zoo® is in the spotlight again with our plans for genetic rescue of critically endangered northern white rhinos: ONLY FIV E INDIVIDUALS REMAIN ON THE PLANET. Advanced genetic and reproductive technologies may be the only way to prevent extinction for other species like Sumatran tigers and mountain gorillas. T he Frozen Zoo® is also a vital resource for genome sequencing and wildlife disease studies.
Tracking giant pandas in rough terrain is made possible by GPS collars that pinpoint where they roam.
WILDLIFE DISEASE LABORATORIES
GROUNDBREAKING GENETICS
REPRODUCTIV E PHYSIOLOGY
Lab technicians developed a software program to help stop the spread of infectious disease by identifying all contacts with a sick individual, ensuring the health of animals in our care. We’re also working closely with Chinese colleagues on a giant panda pathology workshop for veterinarians as they focus on disease prevention and future reintroductions of pandas to the wild.
Significant new additions to our collection of viable cell lines in the Frozen Zoo® included Commerson’s dolphins, Houston toads, California red-legged frogs, and the last three Sumatran rhinos in Malaysia. Complete genome sequencing of 32 California condors found genetic variation we can use to recommend breeding pairs—a first example of using such data for an endangered species!
We are close to solving the mystery behind low fertility rates in zoo-born female southern white rhinos. Hormone-mimicking chemicals produced by plants they eat may be the cause, so our nutritionists are developing new diets. W hen California condors are released to the wild, carcasses they feed on should be free of toxins, and we’ve developed a test for environmental chemicals that may compromise reproduction.
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2014 Conservation Advocate Award I think the most important thing is the community support— the love affair between San Diego and this institution—their willingness to be a part of the Zoo. – Chuck Bieler (pictured with wife Judy)
Charles Bieler:
Every legendary San Diego Zoo director since 1916 has faced challenging times, including wars overseas and bad economies at home. T he good news is that each of them overcame challenges and consistently improved the Zoo. Charles Bieler did it with grace, charm, and a light touch. Among the many highlights of his career, Chuck is most proud of Australia’s Bicentennial gift of koalas to the Zoo in 1976, helping create the Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species (now the Institute for Conservation Research) in 1975, and promoting the growth of the Wild Animal Park (now the Safari Park) during its early years, from 1972 to 1984. With his love and respect for the organization, along with regard for his fellow employees, it is no surprise that Chuck made lifelong friends for the Zoo and Park along the way.
A able k r a Rem or t c e Dir ing g n e l Chal es Tim
o
W hen Chuck stepped down as executive director in early 1985, he left an impressive legacy that has contributed to stellar growth for the Zoo, Safari Park, and Institute ever since. In true Bieler fashion, he continues to support the organization and is a great mentor for our staff. Modest he may be, yet Charles Bieler has contributed to San Diego Zoo Global’s world-famous reputation in so many ways and overwhelmingly deserves our 2014 Conservation Advocate Medal.
EDWARD H. BEAN AWARD:
TOP HONORS FOR SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL T he Association of Zoos and Aquariums presented the 2014 Edward H. Bean Award to San Diego Zoo Global and Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo for their joint efforts to breed and conserve African bush elephants. T his prestigious award recognizes significant captivepropagation efforts that promote species conservation. It all began in 2003, when we jointly rescued a small elephant herd in
Swaziland that was to be culled: 7 elephants came to San Diego and 4 went to Tampa, Florida. Our Safari Park has celebrated 12 births and has also sent 4 elephants to Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Arizona, where another calf was born. T hanks to great animal care staffs, we’re happy to say all the herds are thriving.
ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE WILDLIFE: BREAKING GROUND FOR A MODERN-DAY ARK
In early January we broke ground near New Orleans for a 1,000-acre preserve dedicated as a breeding sanctuary for at-risk species. T his new conservation partnership between San Diego Zoo Global and the Audubon Nature Institute brings
together the combined expertise of both organizations in animal reproduction and behavior. T here is great hope that we can stop extinction for dozens of species, such as whooping cranes and Masai giraffes, making this a true modern-day ark.
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News from the
&
Zoo Safari Park
A Terrific New Territory for Tigers
With the debut of the Tull Family Tiger Trail in May 2014, the Sumatran tigers at the Safari Park are prowling and growling in three extraordinary new habitats. From lush forests and heated rocks to a cascading waterfall and shimmering pond, Tiger Trail provides these endangered felines with an array of big cat creature comforts. T here are also lots of opportunities for keepers to enrich the tigers’ lives, such as a training wall and a tug-of-war portal. Tiger Trail is an excellent home for the tigers but it also affords Safari Park guests with up-close viewing through expansive glass panels, where they are often nose-to-nose with the big cats.
Four against one, and the tiger still wins every time!
LORI SANDST RÖM / SDZG
Opening festivities at the $19.5 million tiger habitat included a ribbon cutting by benefactors T homas and Alba Tull, who contributed the largest gift in the Park’s history—$9 million—as the lead gift for Tiger Trail. T hanks to the Tulls’ generosity, plus other leadership gifts from the Warren Foundation and Audrey Geisel as well as support from 5,000 additional donors, Tiger Trail is considered the finest tiger habitat in any zoo.
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Rady Challenge
Met
Record Time!
T he $10 million Ernest Rady Challenge, whic h is supporting the new 8-acre Africa exhibit at the Zoo, was met in record time —9 months before the June 2015 deadline! Nearly 3,800 donors contributed $20 million over a 16-month period to meet the $10 million matc hing gift c hallenge from businessman and philanthropist Ernest Rady. African habitats that range from savanna to shore will be included in this $60 million project, Conrad Prebys Africa Rocks, whic h is the largest expansion in Zoo history. It will transform the Zoo by replacing the 1930s-era Dog and Cat Canyon grottos and cages with homes for leopards, African penguins, baboons, and dozens of other species. Included will be a Madagascar region that showcases lemurs as well as the 65-foot-tall Rady Falls, the largest man-made waterfall in San Diego. We’re excited that Africa Rocks will open in 2017!
The largest expansion in Zoo history Curious
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Coatimundis
Our energetic coatimundis are showing off their agility in a new habitat adjacent to T horn Tree Terrace at the Safari Park. T hese Central and South American mammals, whic h are related to raccoons, jump on rocks, climb trees, balance on limbs, and even somersault on tree branc hes. Coatis also like to dig in the dirt, are very smart, and always active!
Mountain Lion Lair Koyama and Yakima, the Zoo’s mountain lion duo, are living it up in style in a new exhibit that replicates their mountainous California habitat with pine trees, rock outcroppings, dens, and lots of areas to climb. A unique feature of their new home is a scent-distribution system that enables keepers to pump various scents—such as cinnamon, lemon, and almond—into the exhibit to keep the mountain lions active and engaged. An anonymous and devoted friend of the Zoo’s animals provided the funding to build the mountain lion exhibit.
Donors Spotted Breaking Ground
o Asian Leopards
New homes are in the works for two critically endangered big cats at the Zoo: Amur and snow leopards. T he spacious habitats, which are located adjacent to Panda Trek, will include multilevel living space with rock outcroppings, slopes with felled trees and shrubs, and other features that will encourage the leopards’ natural behaviors. Construction began following an October groundbreaking ceremony, where major donors symbolically shoveled the earth, aided by the digging talents of Phoenix the wombat. Pictured from left to right are 2014 Board Chairman Rick Gulley, joined by donors Keith Behner, Cathy Stiefel, Kathy Hattox, Maryanne Pfister and Irv Pfister. Senior keeper Victoria Girdler is Phoenix’s companion.
More than 1,000 donors contributed $3 million
to build the leopard exhibits, which will open in summer 2015.
Oh, Boy!
A Newborn Gorilla Lowland gorillas Jessica and Paul Donn are parents to their first baby together, a male born the day after Christmas. Jessica is an excellent mom to her son, who is her 6th offspring—all males. She carries him around, holding him close to her chest. She also sits under the heat lamps at the viewing window, gently patting her infant, while other curious troop members—as well as Zoo guests—drop by to peek at him. T he baby, named Denny in honor of philanthropist Denny Sanford, is the 15th gorilla born at the Zoo.
FRANCOIS’ LANGUR
SILVER LEAF LANGUR
Mammal Births News
& Baby Mammals at the Zoo Monkey Business. . .
FRANCOIS’ LANGUR: 1 baby. T he Zoo is now home to 5 of these endangered monkeys from Asian tropical forests. In the 1980s, San Diego was the first zoo in North America to house Francois’ langurs, and through a successful breeding program, we established the populations found in other zoos on the continent.
“denny”
(featured on the back cover)
SILV ER LEAF LANGUR: 2 babies. With a total of 14 monkeys, this is currently the largest silver leaf langur group in North America. T he troop replicates the social structure of a wild langur group, with various age ranges from newborns to adults in their 30s. Large social groups of primates are rarely seen in today’s U.S. zoos.
Spotlight Primates FROM IM PORTANT BIRTHS TO NEW ARRIVALS, there is plenty to be proud about in the primate world at the Zoo.
Awesome
Aye-ayes
One of Madagascar’s most unusual animals, the aye-aye, is new to the Zoo for the first time ever. T hese endangered, nocturnal primates fill the niche of woodpeckers by tapping on trees to find insects to eat. Aye-ayes are rare in zoos, so we hope ours, Styx and her mate, Nirina, will produce offspring in the near future. San Diego Zoo supports aye-aye conservation efforts in Madagascar. In addition, we oversee the AZA Species Survival Plan in the U.S.
Four Generations
Lulu
Two infants were born in the Angolan colobus monkey troop in 2014 but one birth was particularly notable: Lulu, a colobus mom whose name means “pearl” in Swa hili, gave birth to her 20th offspring! At 29 years old, Lulu is the oldest Angolan colobus to give birth in any zoo. Her genes are incredibly valuable because she was born in the wild, which is a good thing since now four generations of Lulu’s offspring live in North American zoos! T he Zoo oversees the AZA Species Survival Plan for this species.
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Other Offspring j the zoo
MASAI GIRAFFE: 1 calf, 31 total. Every giraffe birth is taking on new significance with wild giraffe populations plummeting toward extinction. AFRICAN SERVAL: 1 kitten, raised by his first-time mother, Onshe, in the Kopje area.
VISAYAN WART Y PIG: 2 piglets, 80 total. T his critically endangered species is native to the Philippines. T he Zoo is partnering with the Philippines government to save the species.
Trunks Up o Mila e Friends
W hen Mila the African elephant arrived at the Conrad Prebys Elephant Care Center from New Zealand in late 2013, she hadn’t been part of a herd for 35 years. San Diego Zoo was selected to receive Mila because we had the best resources and elephant management experience to care for her. Mila traveled to the U.S. in a specially built transport crate aboard a chartered 747, accompanied by caretakers. T he California Highway Patrol, along with a caravan of Zoo staff, escorted her to San Diego from Los Angeles.
T hroughout 2014, keepers at T he Harry and Grace Steele Elephant Odyssey did a superb job of slowly introducing Mila to matriarch Mary the Asian elephant. Once they became friends, Mila was gradually introduced to the other elephants and is now on her way to becoming a full-fledged member of the Zoo’s herd. She has gone from being the only elephant in New Zealand to learning what it is to be an elephant in a herd—truly a new lease on life for her.
QUEENSLAND KOALA: 3 joeys. With a cumulative total of more than 130 births, San Diego Zoo has had more koala babies than any other zoo outside Australia!
“Beary” News
Sloth bear siblings—female Kayla and male Sa haasa— debuted in a Bear Canyon habitat in the fall. T he duo likes climbing on logs, searching for food in puzzle feeders, and snoozing on a raised platform. Although the species is native to India and other Asian countries, this pair came from the Tautphaus Park Zoo in Ida ho.
After so many years of isolation, Mila is beginning to form bonds with the other elephants. Here she shares a meal with her new friend, Mary.
OKAPI: 1 calf, 40 total. Safari Park supports conservation efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
PRZEWALSKI’S HORSE: 4 offspring, 155 total—for reintroduction programs in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China.
GREV Y’S ZEBRA: 1 colt, 129 total. Partnership with Grevy’s Zebra Trust in Kenya.
ARABIAN ORYX: 13 calves, 384 total—for reintroduction project in Muscat, Oman.
SCIMITAR-HORNED ORYX: 23 calves, 593 total—for reintroduction programs in Tunisia and Senegal.
BONGO ANT ELOPE: 3 calves, 126 total—for reintroduction into Kenya.
ADDAX: 17 calves, 519 total— for reintroduction into Tunisia.
MammalS AT THE SAFARI PARK
Births with a Conservation Edge &record-breaking
famous
T he Safari Park is famous for breeding endangered species in its spacious, open habitats. T he results are impressive and include numerous record-breaking cumulative births for a great variety of species. In addition to breeding animals to send to other zoos, the Park supports conservation programs for many of these species in their native homeland. T his section lists some important births from 2014 that are tied to conservation efforts.
ADDRA GAZELLE: 9 calves, 367 total— for future reintroduction program.
RODRIGUES FLYING FOX: 7 births, 9 total. Safari Park supports conservation efforts on Rodriques Island in the Indian Ocean.
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Big Cat Cubs: Prowling &Growling AT THE SAFARI PARK
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T WO FEARLESS FOURSOMES OF BIG CAT CUBS:
4 African lions & 4 south african cheetahs W ERE BORN AT THE SAFARI PARK IN 2014. Each litter was raised by its feline mom and debuted to adoring fans in their Lion Camp and Okavango Outpost habitats, respectively, when they were between 3 and 4 months old. T he young lions—1 male and 3 females—were born to Oshana on June 22, and our cheeta h youngsters—2 males and 2 females—were born to first-time mother Addison on July 13. Like all young cats, each cub has a distinct personality, with some being shy and some feisty. T hey are also curious, vocal, and playful. Both Oshana and Addison are excellent mothers—protective, attentive, and confident. Oshana’s cubs are named in honor of San Diego Zoo Global supporters Ernest and Evelyn Rady and Marion Wilson, and in memory of Miss Ellen Browning Scripps, San Diego Zoo’s first benefactor. Addison’s cubs are named after former areas of the Safari Park: males Wgasa and Refu and females Pumzika and Ma hala. In addition to Addison’s litter, 2 other cheetah cubs were born in 2014, bringing the total number of cheeta h births at the Park to 148. Read their story on page 28.
More Important Conservation Births GREAT ER ONE-HORNED RHINOCEROS: 3 calves, 68 total—more births than any other zoo in the world! Safari Park works with partners in India to relocate rhinos to depleted habitats.
ROTHSCHILD’S GIRAFFE: 5 calves, 132 total. Most births in any zoo of this endangered species!
LOW LAND GORILLA: 1 female, 17 total. See her story on page 36.
Rare white waterbuck
More than 275 ellipsen waterbuck have been born at the Safari Park over the past few decades, but in 2014, the herd experienced a first: a white, or leucistic—meaning reduced pigmentation—calf was born! In the wild, a white animal stands out among the others and is an easy target for predators. At the Park, the baby—named Luke—is safe in his South Africa habitat. Ellipsen waterbuck are aquatic antelope, famous for the white bull’s-eye, or ellipse-shaped, ring on their rump.
Amazing NEW Animal Ambassadors
Several new energetic—and appealing!—animal ambassadors took center stage at the Zoo and Safari Park in 2014. T hey are the ones you see with their trainers in animal shows, classrooms, educational
presentations, unique experiences such as Backstage Pass, or special events where they show off their behaviors and wow the audience. T hese ambassadors help us tell our story about the importance of protecting wildlife around the world and in our own backyard.
Sister Swap:
Ayana & Honey
W hen cheeta hs Ayana and Ba hati were born at the Safari Park, their mother had a history of not caring for her offspring, so the sisters were hand reared at the Animal Care Center. As budding animal ambassadors, the cubs lived together until it was time to meet their new best friends, Honey and Willow, yellow Labrador retriever sisters who came to us from the Little Angels Service Dogs organization. W hile most of the Little Angels dogs become highly trained assistance dogs for people with special needs, Honey and Willow were destined for a different type of service as companion animals for the cheeta h cubs and ambassadors for conservation. Ayana and Honey are now residents at the Zoo, where they are in training for Backstage Pass programs. Ba hati and Willow live at the Safari Park, where they share ambassador duties with another young cheeta h-and-dog duo, Ruuxa and Raina. Read their story on page 39.
GEORGEANNE IRVINE / SDZG
Two Perfect Pairs
Bahati &Willow
Shades of Gray Wolf
Shadow
As the youngest wolf ambassador at the Zoo, Shadow, a North American gray wolf, is a whopping 90 pounds but still has a lot of puppy in him. He’s rambunctious and his Wegeforth Bowl trainers refer to him as a gangly teenager because he’s still growing into his feet. Shadow’s best friend is Koda, an older, “big brother” gray wolf—the two go for walks together, wrestle, play chase, and tug at each other’s collar.
An “A” Student
Oringo
Oringo, a fennec fox in the Children’s Zoo, is at the top of his class! He is incredibly intelligent, a quick learner, and very playful. His name is an African word for “he who likes to hunt” because wild fennec foxes are excellent hunters. Keepers are encouraging Oringo’s hunting abilities—they are teaching him how to catch a rubber snake!
Divine Swine Wilhelmina, a red river hog youngster with a vivacious personality, is one of the newest stars at Backstage Pass. She is also a companion for Murphy, a 9-year-old red river hog that enjoys her company but doesn’t get much rest with her around. “Mina” is sweet yet a bit bossy with Murphy: she stands on him, swipes his food sometimes, and nudges him to get back up if he lies down for a nap. Mina has a twin brother, too: Iggy the Piggy, a charismatic education ambassador at the Safari Park.
Mina 29
Notable
Bird News at the Zoo
FROM THE FOREST Two colorful bird species from South America are new to the Zoo: Guianan toucanets (pictured) are residents here for the first time, and Guianan cocks-of-the-rock are back after nearly 40 years. Both species are rarely seen in zoos. T he cocks-ofthe-rock live adjacent to the Parker Aviary, and the toucanets live near the entrance of the Kenton C. Lint Hummingbird Aviary.
New to the Zoo! WARM-W EATHER PENGUINS For the first time in 35 years, penguins are waddling, preening, and swimming at the Zoo! Two African penguin brothers are our new animal ambassadors, living in the Children’s Zoo temporarily until their Penguin Beach seashore habitat and breeding center—which is part of the Conrad Prebys Africa Rocks project—opens in 2017. T hese charismatic birds are a critically endangered species, native to the sandy shores of southern Africa, and San Diego Zoo is working with other zoos to help save the species from extinction. T his pair is the first of as many as 50 African penguins that will live in Penguin Beach. T hey were hand reared at the Tautphaus Park Zoo in Ida ho Falls, which makes them ideal education ambassadors for their species.
From the Birds at the Zoo&Safari Park
ANDEAN COCK-OF-THE-ROCK:
Major Hatchings
4 chicks. San Diego is one of only two U.S. zoos to breed this species.
502 Total bird hatches AT THE ZOO IN 2014
GOLDEN-COLLARED MANAKIN:
BRUCE’S GREEN PIGEON:
2 chicks. First time hatched in the Zoo’s history! T his Central American species is found in only one other U.S. zoo. T he males attract the females with an acrobatic courtship ritual: each of several males clears an arena on the forest floor, leaving a few upright twigs or saplings around the perimeter. T hen the males leap back and forth between the saplings while making a clicking sound with their wings. T he female selects the male with the fastest, most precisionoriented performance.
1 chick. T his is the first time this Central African bird—which is uncommon in zoos—has hatched in San Diego.
GOULDIAN FINCH: 24 chicks. T hese colorful, diminutive finches live in an aviary in Conrad Prebys Australian Outback. With the 2014 hatchings, the flock size increased by onethird for a total of 64 birds. It is rare to see such a large flock of Gouldian finches in a zoo!
BLUE-CROWNED LAUGHING THRUSH: 3 chicks, 105 total. T his small thrush from southern China is one of the most critically endangered birds in the Zoo.
FAWN-BREAST ED BOW ERBIRD: 2 chicks, 17 total. Our Zoo was first to breed them.
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Bird Report O the Safari Park
Condors
in the News
For the first time, Mexico City is home to breeding pairs of California condors! Two female condors, including one from the Safari Park, arrived at the Chapultepec Zoo in October to pair with two male condors that have been there since 2007. San Diego Zoo Global has worked with many Mexican partners for more than a decade to release U.S. zoo-hatched condors into the wild in Mexico. Now the hope is to have Mexico-hatched condors—offspring from the new breeding pairs—flying free in the San Pedro de Martir Mountains in Baja California. A group of California condors flew north from their Grand Canyon habitat and are now living in Uta h—the first time in recorded U.S. history! One of the pairs has already produced a chick, which is a testament to the success of our condor conservation efforts. Currently, the California condor population numbers more than 430 birds, up from only 22 birds in 1987. More than 230 of those condors are living in the wild, with wild chicks hatched in California, Arizona, Uta h, and Mexico.
in a g
s
o
es cran
Many of the world’s crane populations are declining because of habitat destruction. T he Safari Park is dedicated to crane conservation efforts, with 7 species living there and several important hatchings welcomed in 2014.
W EST AFRICAN CROWNED CRANE: 3 chicks, 29 total. T his species was recently listed as endangered.
EAST AFRICAN CROWNED CRANE: 2 chicks, 63 total. T hese chicks (pictured) were hatched at the Park’s behind-the-scenes breeding center. T heir keepers took them on daily walks during the chicks’ early stages of development and before the young cranes joined their flock.
Saving hornbills:
ADOPTING NESTS IN ASIA Rhinoceros hornbills are difficult to raise in zoos, although the Safari Park hatched a chick in 2014, only its 4th ever. In addition, the Park “adopted” 9 wild hornbill nests from 4 species in T hailand, which enables university students to study several species of nesting hornbills, including rhinoceros hornbills. T his is a comprehensive conservation program that also protects the tree from being illegally logged and keeps the chick from being poached.
One Chick at a Time ON THE GROUND IN AFRICA T he Safari Park has a history of raising southern ground hornbill chicks, with one hatch in 2014 for a total of 17 over the years. T he Park also partners with the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project in South Africa, which is dedicated to conservation efforts that are increasing the dwindling wild populations of this charismatic bird. In the wild, ground hornbills usually lay 2 eggs but only raise one chick—and the other chick doesn’t survive. T he Mabula staff “harvest” the second egg and hand rear the chicks using hand puppets, preparing them for future release to the wild. W hen the project began, Safari Park keepers traveled to South Africa to develop the puppet-rearing techniques they perfected with condor chicks. T his year, the Park supplied new and improved hornbill puppets, cameras to document nest activity, and other equipment. Hand puppets used by the Mabula staff help prepare chicks for future release into the wild.
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Reptile Report Komodo
Camera
T he Zoo’s Komodo dragons are being trained by keepers to help keep these fork-tongued monitor lizards active as well as allow the animal care team to trim their toenails, check their teeth, and draw blood without anesthetizing them. Sunny, a 14-year-old Komodo dragon, has been trained to wear a harness with a portable video camera attached so the staff can review the training sessions and see whether the training is effective—all from Sunny’s point of view, naturally!
Lizards of the Night
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An ancient lizard species that was recently considered endangered and lives up to 60 years is new to the San Diego Zoo—and we are the only zoo in the world to display them! Night lizards, which live on three Channel Islands off Southern California’s coast, were on the Endangered Species List until May 1, 2014, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed them from the list because of the U.S. Navy’s conservation efforts. T he Navy presented the Zoo with 5 night lizards in July as an assurance population and to tell the story of their recovery. Since then, the Zoo’s night lizard population has doubled: 5 offspring were born shortly after they arrived!
Significant
Snake Birth
ETHIOPIAN MOUNTAIN VI PERS are rare in zoos—and have never been bred in captivity until this year, when 7 of the venomous vipers were born at the Zoo! T hese high-altitude snakes, which give live birth, are found in Ethiopia’s Rift Valley region.
White
&
Wily Cobra “LIGHTNING” ST RIKES One of the newest residents in the Zoo’s Reptile House is a 4-foot-long, female monocled cobra, which made headlines in September 2014 when she was reported loose in a T housand Oaks, California, neighborhood. T he venomous snake, which was believed to be an illegal pet that got loose or was released, eluded capture for four days. Eventually animal control officers caught her in a woodpile and took her to the Los Angeles Zoo. T hen San Diego Zoo became her new home because we are one of only two zoos in the U.S. with the appropriate antivenin for this species. T he snake now has a name, too: after an online poll, voters chose Adhira, which means “lightning” in Hindi.
Safety first: Our animal care staff used a plastic tube to exam the cobra when it arrved at the Zoo.
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Our Extraordinary
Veterinary Teams From “house calls” that take them into Zoo and Safari Park exhibits to in-patient care at our two veterinary hospitals—Jennings Center for Zoological Medicine at the Zoo and Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center at the Safari Park—the animal care staff looks after thousands of animal patients each year. Five veterinarians at each park are supported by registered veterinary technicians, neonatal assisted care keepers, clinical lab technicians, and other support staff. Our teams are always ready for any challenge every day—the following stories are only a sampling of veterinary cases in 2014.
Gorilla
Mother
w Daughter
Are Doing Well
Floyd the Flamingo:
A True Story of Two Left Feet!
EMERGENCY ROOM SUCCESS! Drama took place at the Safari Park in March, soon becoming nationwide news: our animal care team mobilized to save firsttime mother Imani and her daughter when a difficult delivery threatened both lives. An emergency C-section was successful, then the infant gorilla received around-the-clock care to help stabilize her collapsed lung and prevent pneumonia. Our veterinary and keeper teams welcomed assistance from a consulting veterinary surgeon and neonatal physicians from the University of California at San Diego Medical Center as well as specialized diagnostic support from our Wildlife Disease Labs staff, who were able to quickly rule out pneumonia and a uterine infection. Together, they announced that “mother and daughter are doing well” after two days, when the baby’s and Imani’s conditions improved. A few days later, little Joanne was reunited with her mother, and she was later introduced to the entire troop. Now we can celebrate the Safari Park’s 17th lowland gorilla birth!
T his is about a Caribbean flamingo named Floyd at the Zoo, how he seemed to have two left feet—really, two left feet!—and how a great team of veterinarians, trainers, and keepers helped Floyd recover from surgery and rejoin his flock. W hen he hatched in 2013, all seemed well, until he joined a group of flamingo animal ambassadors at Backstage Pass last spring. After keepers noticed his unusual gait and brought him in for radiographs, they realized both legs had problems, with both feet pointing in the same direction as if he had two left feet. T he next step was surgery on the right leg, followed by surgery on the left leg weeks later. His animal trainer “moms” visited often and even donned waders so they could help him walk in a pool for therapy sessions. Floyd is now back with his flock at Backstage Pass where he enjoys meeting fans and where he’s still distinctive, even without two left feet.
Floyd recovered in a padded stall at the Zoo’s hospital and needed lots of around-the-clock care for weeks, particularly when he was placed in a special sling because he couldn’t lie down or stand on one leg.
37
Z
Dentist Will See You Now No one was surprised when 23-year-old giant panda Bai Yun needed to see a dentist. Since pandas can spend up to 12 hours a day chewing and breaking apart tough bamboo stalks, their teeth are sure to get worn or damaged over time. W hen her keepers noticed a chip in one of Bai Yun’s lower canines, a dental exam followed and X rays were taken. Since Bai Yun was under a general anesthetic, it was also the perfect time to perform a dental cleaning and take more images of her teeth. We don’t expect to hear any complaints from Bai Yun—we have never met a more mellow panda!
San Diego Zoo veterinarians used a dental composite to fill in the damaged tooth, and then San Diego Zoo veterinarians used a dental composite to fill it was cured with a light to in the damaged tooth, and then it was cured with a light to seal the filled section seal the filled section of the tooth. of the tooth.
From Patient V Animal Ambassador
T here was another leg surgery on the schedule this fall when Safari Park veterinarians corrected a leg growth abnormality in a 4-month-old male cheetah cub, Ruuxa, that also happened to be a celebrity! Earlier in the summer at the Animal Care Center he was paired with Raina, a young female Rhodesian ridgeback puppy. At about a month old they became instant celebrities when nursery video of their first meeting went viral in June. It began when Ruuxa’s mother couldn’t care for him, so keepers took the cub and our trainers began the process of finding just the right dog companion for him. We’ve learned that domesticated dogs make great pals for cheetahs when raised together—they soon become lifelong friends. We’re happy to add that Ruuxa recovered quickly, with Raina never far from his side. Now our adorable animal ambassador duo can be seen strolling the Safari Park grounds!
39
The Science Behind BOTANICAL COLLECTIONS T he San Diego Zoo’s and Safari Park’s botanical collections have never stopped growing over the past 10 decades, with astonishing numbers: more than 25,000 species and 700,000 plants at the Zoo as well as 3,500 species and more than 1.7 million plants at the Park. T he science behind the collections has also developed, as our staff now uses DNA barcoding to identify rare plants and micropropagation to manage collections in other states or countries. Our team also fosters strong relationships with other plant conservation institutions—including those in Hawaii, Australia, South Africa, and England—as we share data and seed samples that will help increase endangered plant populations. Our horticulture team works quietly behind the scenes but their discoveries are exciting!
Horticulture: Still Growing, Still Spectacular
Our Accredited Plant Collections ACACIAS 25 species
ALOES
95 species
BAMBOO
90 species
CORAL T REES (ERYTHRINAS) 60 species
CYCADS
108 species
FIG (FICUS) T REES 97 species
ORCHIDS
950 species
PALMS
259 species
Our Accredited Garden Collections BAJA GARDEN
CALIFORNIA NATIV ESCAPES GARDEN CONIFER ARBORETUM
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A Peek j
Saving Rare Plants Do you ever wonder how today’s horticulturists identify rare plants and unknown species in a collection? Our team, in collaboration with the Institute’s Genetics Division, uses DNA barcoding: this year alone they sequenced the DNA of 30 unknown species! Along the way, they matched a leaf sample—species unknown—from a tree at the Honolulu Botanic Garden in Koko Crater with a leaf sample of Erythrina perrieri from the National Tropical Botanical Garden. T his species is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, so now we know there are two individual plants rather than just one, and they are both being propagated to increase numbers of this rare plant. A typical day for our Zoo and Safari Park horticulturists includes sharing and receiving seeds and cuttings from botanic gardens worldwide while fostering strong working relationships among plant conservation institutions. Just a few projects our horticulturists worked on this year include:
Adding entries to the International Barcode of Life project (iBOL) and GenBank®, such as DNA barcodes from Erythrina, Ficus, and dry forest species. Germinating 17 species of Acacia seeds from the Desert Legume Project to grow for Conrad Prebys Africa Rocks (set to open in 2017 at the Zoo). Sowing seeds collected in Australia, Hawaii, Florida, South Africa, T he Bahamas, and Asia, among other regions. Designing and printing 12 Botanical Tour brochures (with thanks to the Daphne Seybolt Culpepper Memorial Foundation) that highlight some of the Zoo’s botanical wonders—much appreciated by Zoo visitors all year long!
Adding Treasure
to Our Seed Bank
T he Institute’s Applied Plant Ecology team has had a busy year, overseeing more than 500 collections in its Native Seed Bank at the Safari Park—gathered from 300 unique taxa—that represent 20 percent of San Diego County’s native species. T hey have ambitious plans to add more, focusing on 200 species that are rare or threatened in Southern California. It’s a true floral treasure! Restoration projects are also a high priority for our plant science team, with grants that ensure we have robust native plant populations and habitats for native wildlife. As part of the California Plant Rescue initiative, we’re collaborating with botanical gardens across the state, the Center for Plant Conservation, and the California Native Plant Society to bank 75 percent of important species in California by 2020. We’re planting 10,000 native shrubs and cacti across 25 acres at Lake Hodges, with the help of the Master’s AIP Program, Safari Park Horticulture, Zoo Corps, Zoo Education, and other volunteers. During the summer, we always need help watering these plants, so volunteers are welcome!
43
Our Mission Statement Speaks for Us:
TO INSPIRE “ PEOPLE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR WILDLIFE & WILD PLACES THROUGH FUN, EXCITING, AND LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCES.
”
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Conservation Education: One Vision Connecting Education, Research, People & Wildlife
Price Education Center: Since the 1920s, the Zoo’s Education Department has been welcoming students and offering classes and bus tours to school groups. Along the way, friends have always stepped up to help fund these programs. T his is the inspirational story of the Zoo and its longtime, multigenerational relationship with the Price family. For several decades, they have been advocates for children while also supporting education programs that inspire students with a love of wildlife and conservation. It all began in 1968, when Helen and Sol Price gave their first gift for a kiwi exhibit that was dedicated to the children of San Diego. T hen in the late 1990s, Mr. Price met with education directors in Balboa Park, which led to the innovative School in
Priceless
the Park program that offered a Zoo component. Career programs for high school students came next when the Price Charities donated funds to Zoo InternQuest. In 2014, we had more great news: the Price Philanthropies Foundation presented the Zoo’s Education Department with the largest endowment gift they have ever received. Now even more grade school and middle school students can be included in classes held at the Price Education Center in the Zoo, and we can take our assembly program to 53,000 students in 65 Title I schools each year and offer follow-up visits to the Zoo, in perpetuity. Each of these inspires students with a love of wildlife and conservation—which is definitely priceless.
$6 MILLION
LORI SANDST RÖM / SDZG
THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT’S LARGEST ENDOWMENT GIFT EV ER!
CHILDREN: & THEY JUST SEEM TO
ANIMALS
GO TOGETHER
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Not only do many children love the animals that are members of their own families, they are also drawn to meeting new animal friends. In fact, staffs at children’s hospitals nationwide have seen firsthand how animal visits can help the healing process in young patients. T hat’s why San Diego Zoo Global partnered with businessman and philanthropist T. Denny Sanford to create San Diego Zoo Kids. T his unique television broadcast channel features intriguing and engaging stories about endangered wildlife, such as giant pandas and clouded leopards. Best of all, it’s now available on TV monitors in every patient’s room at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego as well as hospitals in Los Angeles, Denver, Salt Lake City, Sioux Falls, and Atlanta. Mr. Sanford’s vision is to offer San Diego Zoo Kids in every children’s hospital and Ronald McDonald House in the country by late 2019, and we’re ready to contribute the wonderful wildlife stories that children and their families will love.
We Made Wildlife Education Accessible and Entertaining!
let’s count the ways
2.4
MILLION
Guests
FROM INFANTS TO SENIORS ENJOYED OUR PROGRAMS!
135+ INNOVATIVE
Education Program CHOICES!
16,000+ “WOWED” BY THE SECOND GRADE ZOO PROGRAM!
350,000+
Students
VISITED/ATTENDED OUR SPECIAL YOUTH PROGRAMS!
660
Teachers ATT ENDED OUR WORKSHOPS—
IMPACTING
1 MILLION Students!
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Working Together for Conservation Success
Conservation Classrooms
COCHA CASHU’S RAIN FOREST CLASSROOM At Cocha Cashu Biological Station in Peru’s Amazon, our team works with international scientists, local students from elementary schools to universities, and the community to foster stewardship of this pristine forest. It is an unforgettable place, drawing conservationists back year after year: there is always more to see, to learn, and to hope for the future of wildlife there. As one of our alumni said, “I never saw a bigger world than from a little tent at Cashu.”
Around The World
MARTIN ROMA
ANTONELLA WILBY
Vaquitas are one of the most appealing porpoises—with their stylish black “eyeliner” and “lipstick”— but they are so rare that photos are hard to find and we rely on illustrations.
ILLUST RATION COURT ESY OF UKO GORT ER>
RIDGE TO REEF: SAVING VAQUITAS AND FISHERIES Our Conservation Education team is working with Mexican teachers on Ridge to Reef, a curriculum encouraging students, family, and friends to find conservation solutions and present ideas to their community. Based in Baja California, the program includes California condors, bighorn sheep, cacti, and the vaquita, a small porpoise and our flagship species: no more than 100 or so remain in the wild. Since vaquitas can be caught in shrimp fishing nets, protecting them becomes complicated. Shrimp fisheries in this part of Mexico are important to local incomes and international economies, so any conservation solution must balance this with maintaining a healthy ecosystem. We are encouraging the fishing industry to choose the alternative vaquita-safe net that is available, which can help both people and wildlife.
More Conservation Education Partnerships: PERU: Forest Guardians are local teachers who participate in our workshops and help guide their students to implement conservation projects, such as preserving Andean bears. We also trained local women to create dry-wool felt animals and helped them sell their products, which improved their families’ incomes.
CAMEROON: Gorilla Guardian Clubs are part of our Central Africa Program, with a large education outreach initiative that enlists local and national support to protect all forest animals and reaches thousands of people each year.
HAWAII: Forest Guardians work to save the ‘alala, a forest bird extinct in the wild but now making a comeback with the help of San Diego Zoo Global and its partners. T hey also participate in an exchange program with teachers in Peru.
CHINA, VIETNAM, AND MADAGASCAR: Little Green Guards programs
DAVID O’CONNOR / SDZG
JOSE VALLEJOS / SPECTACLED BEAR CONSERVATION SOCIET Y
T his beautiful Asian bear is in trouble in Cambodia and Laos because of the demand for bear parts in traditional medicine. T his year, our team partnered with Free the Bears and conducted a first-ever survey to learn about community attitudes to this practice and how best to protect this species.
We’re working with Masai herdsmen to find ways to secure elephant and lion corridors in the Kenya-Tanzania borderlands, giving them safe passage. Restoring pastoral lands, eliminating poaching, and finding ways to reduce human conflicts with wildlife are all on the agenda.
K EFENG NIU
DAVID O’CONNOR / SDZG
SUN BEAR EMERGENCY
PARTNERING WITH K ENYA’S PASTORALISTS
encourage schoolchildren living near nature reserves to appreciate local wildlife while also encouraging families to participate in conservation-related activities. RIGHT: Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve biologist Lei Shi showed children how to mount a camera trap on a tree.
49
All in the Numbers!
OUR LOYAL MEMBERS
Employee Dedication
228,228
1,610 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES
Member Households
23%: > 20 years at the Zoo
385,222 adult members,
10%: > 30 years at the Zoo
the world’s largest zoo membership.
A record-breaking 50% of our members participate in a higher level of membership, from Diamond Club to President’s Clubs and Circle of Friends.
101,444 current members have been members for more than 10 years—and 60,522 of them have been members for 20 years.
101,330 Koala Club
Zoo & Safari Park Annual Attendance
more than
5 million people combined!
memberships for children.
Our Valuable Volunteers
2,000+ Volunteers For the first time ever:
>155,000 hours
were contributed by our volunteers
= 74 full-time staff Monetary value = $4.1 million
Highest Rating from
CharityNavigator.org T he United States’ foremost
“charity watchdog” evaluating the financial health of more than 5,500 well-known charities.
486,552—Our total number of card-carrying members
would fill 7 Qualcomm Stadiums!
Web Visitors & Social Media Impact
23 million visitors TO SANDIEGOZOO.ORG AND OUR other four web addresses. FACEBOOK 582,000 LIK ES
TWITTER 76,000 FOLLOW ERS
INSTAGRAM 247,000 FOLLOW ERS
YOUTUBE 18.3 MILLION VIDEO VIEWS
FLICKR 6.2 MILLION PHOTO VIEWS
TUMBLR 1.7 MILLION FOLLOW ERS
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Banking on Our Future
$1.2
Billion
San Diego Zoo Global’s 2014
Economic Impact &Activity
ANIMAL AND PLANT CARE, EXHIBIT AND FACILITIES MAINT ENANCE, ZOO AND SAFARI PARK OPERATING COSTS
in the San Diego Region
78%
TAX REV ENUE AND OTHER GIFTS, GRANTS, AND SPONSORSHIPS
ADMISSIONS
6% 20%
$241
26%
million
2014 REVENUE:
11%
$276
million
2014 Expenses:
8%
11%
MEMBERSHIP ADMINIST RATION
CONSERVATION PROJECTS AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS
40% FOOD, MERCHANDISE, CAT ERING, TOURS, AND EDUCATION PLEASE NOT E: T hese are unaudited numbers for 2014. Audited financials and IRS Form 990 will be posted on sandiegozoo.org under the Support Us tab when they are completed.
$35
million
Excess revenues over Expenses USED TO
Lead the Fight Against Extinction!
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San Diego Zoo Global
2015 Board of Trustees
OFFICERS
TRUSTEES
TRUSTEES EMERITI
Robert B. Horsman
M. Javade Chaud hri
Frank C. Alexander
Berit N. Durler
Kurt Benirschke, M.D.
Richard B. Gulley
T hompson Fetter
Clifford W. Hague
Bill L. Fox
Linda Lowenstine, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Frederick A. Frye, M.D.
Chairman
Sandra A. Brue Vice Chairman
Judith A. W heatley Secretary
Steven G. Tappan Treasurer
Patricia L. Roscoe
George L. Gildred Yvonne W. Larsen John M. T hornton A. Eugene Trepte Betty Jo F. Williams
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OFFICERS
DIRECTORS
Murray H. Hutchison
Mark A. Stuart
Chair
President
Maryanne C. Pfister
Robert B. Horsman
Vice Chair
Christine L. Andrews
Arthur E. Engel
Joye D. Blount
Craig L. Grosvenor
Ex officio
Richard Bregman
Michael Hammes
Susan N. McClellan
Douglas G. Myers
Lisa S. Casey
Judith C. Harris
Secretary
Ex officio
Douglas Dawson
Michael E. Kassan
Berit N. Durler, Ex officio
Susan B. Major
U. Bertram Ellis, Jr.
Michael D. McKinnon
Richard M. Hills Treasurer
T homas Tull Margie Warner Ed Wilson
San Diego Zoo Global
2015 Foundation Board
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How You Can Help!
W hether you love animals, plants, education, or endangered species conservation, San Diego Zoo Global needs your time, talent, and financial support. Please consider the following:
Volunteer: If time is on your side, join the Zoo and Safari Park’s growing volunteer corps. Check out sandiegozoo.org/volunteer.
Give a Membership: Share your member experience with family, friends,
and co-workers. Buy gift memberships at zoomember.com or invite potential members to join via the web address, by telephone, or in person at the Zoo and Safari Park.
Treat Yourself and Help an Animal: W hen you visit
the Zoo or Safari Park, buy an ice-cream cone, T-shirt, or artwork by artists from every corner of the world. One hundred percent of every purchase is put to work immediately—such as feeding our animals, education programs for students of all ages, and wildlife conservation.
Celebrate:
Plan a birthday celebration, corporate event, family reunion, or wedding at the Zoo or Safari Park. We’re ready to make any special event a truly “wild” experience!
Spread the Word: Connect
with the Zoo and Safari Park via Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr, and Instagram. Inspire others by telling and showing them what you love about both parks and our animals.
Support What You Love:
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Philanthropic investors have always made the difference for exhibits and educational opportunities at the Zoo and Safari Park as well as our conservation efforts through our Wildlife Conservancy program: endextinction.org. You can be a hero for wildlife through your gifts—no matter the amount!
re information: for mo sandiegozoo.org (click on the Support Us tab)
donations@sandiegozoo.org 619-685-3247
EDITORS: Georgeanne Irvine and Mary Sekulovich GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Lori Sandstrรถm DESIGN SUPERVISOR: Katherine Brewer Lapinsky PHOTOGRAPHER: Ken Bohn PHOTO ARCHIV E LIBRARIAN: Lisa Bissi
T his booklet was made possible through the generosity of the HATTIE ETTINGER CONSERVATION FUND AT THE SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION.
SAN D I EGO ZOO GLOBA L
• roari ng for wi ldlife! • 2014 H I G H LI G H T S
FPO
© 2015 ZSSD. ALL RIGHTS RESERV ED.