JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
Inside the Southwest: Saving Wildlife in Our Own Backyard
Proud Partners in Conservation
Palila Loxioides bailleui
In celebration of the launch of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and its vision of a world where all life thrives, Alaska Airlines® generously provided 1,000,000 Mileage Plan™ miles—so that our wildlife care and conservation teams are able to travel to locations where we are leading critical projects, such as the Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program.
September/October 2021
Vol. 1 No. 4
Journey Through Our Conservation Work. This issue of the San Diego Zoo
Wildlife Alliance Journal focuses on the Southwest hub. To learn more about our collaborative conservation programs around the world, including our wildlife care at the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, visit sdzwa.org.
Southwest Amazonia Jaguar
Desert Tortoise & Burrowing Owl
Savanna
Asian Rainforest
Pacific Islands
African Forest
Australian Forest
Oceans
Elephant & Rhino
Tiger
‘Alalā
Gorilla
Platypus & Koala
Polar Bear & Penguin
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Contents 2 President/CEO’s Letter 3 By the Numbers 4 Findings 6 Meet Our Team 8 Hot Topics 26 Events 28 Kids Page 29 Last Look
Cover Story 10
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Well-grounded Partnering with organizations such as San Diego Habitat Conservancy, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is helping build a better future for burrowing owls.
Features 14
Oh, to Be Understood
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San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance scientists are putting themselves in the shell of the desert tortoise in an effort to turn things around for this regional conservation icon.
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Close Encounters When the Zoo’s newest groundbreaking experience opens soon, its features will inspire both passion and empathy for nature in people of all ages. Here’s a quick look at a few highlights.
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Visualize It Biodiversity hotspots host an exceptional variety of endemic life. Take a closer look at regions that teem with species not found anywhere else on Earth. On the Cover: Western burrowing owl Athene cunicularia hypugaea. Photo by: Tammy Spratt, SDZWA photographer.
LET TER FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
JOURNAL
MANAGING EDITOR Erin Smith SENIOR EDITOR Peggy Scott STAFF WRITERS Donna Parham Abigail Karkenny Elyan Shor, Ph.D. Ebone Monet COPY EDITOR Eston Ellis DESIGNER Kerri Abrams PHOTOGRAPHERS Ken Bohn Tammy Spratt DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Kim Turner Lisa Bissi Jennifer MacEwen PREPRESS AND PRINTING Quad Graphics
Let's Stay Connected Follow @sandiegozoo & @sdzsafaripark. Share your #SanDiegoZoo & #SDZSafariPark memories on Twitter & Instagram. The Zoological Society of San Diego was founded in October 1916 by Harry M. Wegeforth, M.D., as a private, nonprofit corporation, which does business as San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. The printed San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Journal (ISSN 2767-7680) (Vol. 1, No. 4) is published bimonthly, in January, March, May, July, September, and November. Publisher is San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, located at 2920 Zoo Drive, San Diego, CA 92101-1646. Periodicals postage paid at San Diego, California, USA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, P.O. Box 120271, San Diego, CA 92112-0271. Copyright© 2021 San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All rights reserved. All column and program titles are trademarks of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. If your mailing address has changed: Please contact the Membership Department; by mail at P.O. Box 120271, San Diego, CA 92112, or by phone at 619-231-0251 or 1-877-3MEMBER. For information about becoming a member of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, please visit our website at ZooMember.org for a complete list of membership levels, offers, and benefits. Subscriptions to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Journal are $25 per year, $65 for 3 years. Foreign, including Canada and Mexico, $30 per year, $81 for 3 years. Contact Membership Department for subscription information.
Exploring Our Own Backyard So far this year, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Journal has taken you with us to Africa, Southeast Asia, and beyond to explore the conservation work that you—our members and allies—make possible. This month, that journey comes full circle, back to our own backyard in the Southwest, which is one of the eight conservation hubs where we focus our collaborative efforts to save wildlife around the world. It is a unique ecosystem with equally distinctive wildlife, and you will meet some of them in this issue. The diminutive burrowing owl, as seen on the cover, is one of the great success stories of this region—a shining example of our collaborative approach and committed partnerships. On page 10, scientist Colleen Wisinski, M.S., gives us her firsthand account of the reintroduction of this species to its native habitat. Another species in focus in the Southwest hub is the desert tortoise, which is also critically in need of our help. Starting on page 14, recovery ecology experts Ron Swaisgood, Ph.D., Melissa Merrick, Ph.D., and Tali Hammond, Ph.D., share both the challenges and triumphs involved with conservation efforts on this iconic animal’s behalf. And of course, engaging with wildlife in our own backyard is front and center at the San Diego Zoo, as we look forward to the upcoming debut of the new Denny Sanford Wildlife Explorers Basecamp. At the start of the project, the team worked to reimagine what the Children’s Zoo of tomorrow might look like. At the center of this reimagination was the realization we needed to immerse youthful explorers more in the natural world if we hope to have the next generation show greater empathy for the needs of wildlife, and better coexist with nature. Wildlife Explorers Basecamp is a one-of-a-kind, immersive, multisensory experience for explorers of all ages to discover and engage with all Earth’s creatures. It represents a starting point—just as a base camp does—from where we give explorers the initial tools, lessons, and insights needed to form a foundation, so they can be more successful in protecting wildlife for their generation. In this issue, there’s a fun, early preview of Wildlife Explorers Basecamp starting on page 18. I’m simply overwhelmed by what our dedicated community of supporters has made possible here. I can’t wait for you to experience this amazing new addition to the Zoo, opening soon. During times like these, when we celebrate new beginnings, I’m reminded that the actions we take here locally are amplified globally, through our collaborative partners in conservation around the world. Every visit to the Zoo or the Safari Park helps save wildlife. From our backyard to the greater planet Earth, here’s to a world where all life thrives.
As part of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s commitment to conservation, this magazine is printed on recycled paper that is at least 10% post-consumer waste, chlorine free, and is Forest Stewardship Council ® (FSC®) certified. FSC® is not responsible for any calculations on saving resources by choosing this paper.
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Onward Together,
Paul A. Baribault President and Chief Executive Officer
BY THE NUMBERS
Cool Counts
When the new Denny Sanford Wildlife Explorers Basecamp (formerly Children’s Zoo) opens soon, it will be home to many unique wildlife species, including those living in the McKinney Family Spineless Marvels invertebrate house and the Art and Danielle Engel Cool Critters herptile habitats. Every fact learned about them helps San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance scientists strategize our conservation efforts on their behalf—and that of the planet.
0
The number of eyelids on a snake.
2,000
How many insects a single spider can consume in a year.
Board of Trustees OFFICERS Steven G. Tappan, Chairman Javade Chaudhri, Vice Chairman Linda Lowenstine, DVM, Ph.D., Secretary Richard B. Gulley, Treasurer TRUSTEES Rolf Benirschke Joye D. Blount Kathleen Cain Carrithers Clifford W. Hague Robert B. Horsman Steven S. Simpson Judith A. Wheatley TRUSTEES EMERITI Berit N. Durler Thompson Fetter George L. Gildred Yvonne W. Larsen John M. Thornton A. Eugene Trepte Betty Jo F. Williams
Executive Team The yearly number of eggs that a queen leafcutter ant may lay.
10 million
Paul A. Baribault
President and Chief Executive Officer
Shawn Dixon
Chief Operating Officer
David Franco Chief Financial Officer
28,000
Dwight Scott
The number of lenses in a dragonfly’s eye.
Lisa Peterson
Executive Director, San Diego Zoo Executive Director, San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Nadine Lamberski, DVM, DACZM, DECZM (ZHM) Chief Conservation and Wildlife Health Officer
Wendy Bulger
General Counsel
120 DWI YULIANTO/GETTY IMAGES PLUS
The potential lifespan, in years, of a coconut crab.
David Gillig
Chief Philanthropy Officer
Aida Rosa
Chief Human Resources Officer
David Miller Chief Marketing Officer
SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE / SDZWA.ORG / 3
FINDINGS FINDINGS
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance pursues wildlife protection strategically by focusing on eight conservation hub regions on six continents. Below are recent discoveries and progress from around the world. MILKY STORKS AT THE SAFARI PARK
In March 2021, 23 milky storks Mycteria cinerea arrived at the Safari Park to start a breeding population for this critically endangered species. Habitat destruction and illegal trade have decimated the milky stork population in their native habitat in Southeast Asia. The Safari Park has been the only facility in the United States to produce surviving milky stork offspring in the last decade. All milky storks under human care in North America were brought together as part of a critical move by SDZWA and the Audubon Zoo to establish a breeding population.
NEW TECHNOLOGY SUPPORTS TASMANIAN DEVIL CONSERVATION
SDZWA scientist Carmel Witte, Ph.D., is migrating a computer simulation model from the Compute Canada Supercomputer over to the UCSD Supercomputer Center. This computationally intensive simulation model evaluates treatments for devil facial tumor disease, a deadly and contagious cancer that has driven Tasmanian devils Sarcophilus harrisii to near extinction. Carmel will develop a graphical user interface to make interaction with the innovative technology more userfriendly for SDZWA and our collaborators.
SDZWA PARTNERS WITH WILDAID TO SAVE EBO FOREST
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has partnered with WildAid, a San Francisco-based conservation organization working with governments to stop illegal wildlife trade. WildAid has created a multi-platform media campaign, including a sevenminute documentary highlighting the Ebo Forest Research Project. The SDZWA African forest hub team gathered pictures of endangered and critically endangered wildlife in Ebo Forest, Cameroon, including a rarely seen gorilla population and NigeriaCameroon chimpanzees Pan troglodytes ellioti. The documentary, La Forêt d’Ebo, follows conservationists advocating local government protection for the forest. The film was supported by several organizations, including SDZWA, WildAid, Ebo Forest Research Project, and Ape Action Africa.
WILDLIFE BIODIVERSITY BANK GAINS A NARWHAL
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PHOTOS BY: KEN BOHN/SDZWA.
After over two months in culture, cells from a female narwhal Monodon monoceros were recently added to SDZWA's Biodiversity Bank. These cells, a first for SDZWA, will help preserve the genetic diversity of this vulnerable species. The samples were collected in Pond Inlet, Canada, in collaboration with the Narwhal Genome Initiative. Other Canadian collaborators included the Museum of Nature and National Biodiversity Cryobank, and the Wildlife Office, Pond Inlet.
OCTOBER 1–3, 8–10, 15–17, 22–24, AND 29–31 Our popular October event is back, and bigger than ever! Join us weekends—all month long—to help us light up the night until 9 p.m.! Kids 11 and younger are free, and may come in costume. There is fun for the whole family, with musical entertainment, dance parties, special performances, and more— plus Dr. Zoolittle, Zoo characters, and tempting food specials.
sandiegozoo.org
MEET OUR TEAM
Q
Q
Briefly describe your job with SDZWA.
I work with a fantastic team of wildlife care specialists, and together we strive to raise awareness about the wonder of invertebrates, while also creating best practices for invertebrate animal welfare and participating in conservation solutions through ex-situ rearing of endangered insects.
Q
Paige Howorth
SDZWA’s McKinney Family Curator of Invertebrates is a rock-solid supporter of the spineless majority.
What drew you to the field of entomology?
As a pre-med undergraduate, I ended up taking a zoology course from an entomologist. I liked her so much that I took entomology and parasitology from her too, and I never looked back! Invertebrates are such a huge frontier in science: we know so little, even now, about so few of them. I love the endless possibilities of discovery.
is one of greater collaboration and inclusion, with a focus on restoring sustainable ecosystems.
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How do you think the new McKinney Family Spineless Marvels habitats connect explorers to wildlife?
We have put so much thought into explorers being able to FEEL like insects in the space and to connect to how they navigate their world; I am very excited to see their responses in real time! There are several immersive experiences where it will be easy to understand that alongside insects and other wildlife, they are part of nature, too.
MICHAEL ZEIGLER/GETTY IMAGES PLUS
Q
My hope for the “ future of conservation
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Hopkin’s rose nudibranch
Q
What is the biggest misapprehension about invertebrates and insects?
That they have no purpose— “pest” insects get a lot of bad press, but there is so much more to the story. Invertebrates make up the vast majority of animal life on Earth: at least 96 percent of described species. Still, their vital roles in almost every ecosystem often go unnoticed until they start to disappear, and other processes break down as a result. The truth is that invertebrates, paradoxically, are the backbones of functioning ecosystems. We can’t survive without them! What is your favorite animal? Why?
This is a difficult question! Although I may have been a curlyhair tarantula Tlilocatl albopilosum in a former life, this distinction currently goes to the Hopkin’s rose nudibranch Okenia rosecea. It’s an ostentatiously pink, frilly, Muppet-looking Southern California sea slug that eats pink animals and lays pink eggs in a truly artistic formation! They are notable not only for being fabulous, but also for what they signal about climate change. These pink “nudis” are expanding their range north to colonize nowwarmer waters in Northern California and even Oregon. In so many ways, they say, “Are you paying attention?”
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HOT TOPICS
From Appreciation
Maggie Reinbold, M.S., director of community engagement for San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, discusses ways to engage youth with wildlife conservation.
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The plain fact is that the planet does not need more successful people. But it does desperately need more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every kind. It needs people who live well in their places. It needs people of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane. -DAVID ORR, PH.D., (AUTHOR, EDUCATOR, ENVIRONMENTALIST) FROM HIS BOOK EARTH IN MIND: ON EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENT, AND THE HUMAN PROSPECT
W
e all have a role to play in realizing Dr. Orr’s vision of a world of dedicated peacemakers. For more than a hundred years, SDZWA educators have inspired passion for nature through transformative wildlife experiences for visitors of all ages and from all over the world. These pivotal experiences unfold each and every day on grounds at the Zoo and Safari Park, in our experiential learn-
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ing labs at the Beckman Center for Conservation Research, and through our captivating publications and innovative digital content. Our work is to help visitors understand and appreciate the value of plants and animals, the inextricable link between wildlife and human well-being, and their own vital role in preserving wildlife into the future. One critically important stakeholder group at the center of our efforts is local children, representing the next generation
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of regional professionals, voters, consumers, teachers, parents, and community leaders. Our founder, Dr. Harry Wegeforth, knew something of the importance of this stakeholder group when he dedicated the Zoo to the children of San Diego back in 1916. Every year since, we have engaged many thousands of local schoolchildren with experiential learning opportunities on grounds, in area schools, and in adjacent communities. These children, to whom the Zoo was dedicated, will soon be stewards of the most biologically diverse region in the contiguous United States—the California Floristic Province, our very own biodiversity hotspot—with its extraordinary array of habitats and endemic wildlife. As we move into our second century of inspiring passion for nature, we deepen our
The basics of nature play
Connecting youth with the natural world and inspiring future environmental champions What:
Nature play is any activity that gets kids playing and learning in natural, outdoor spaces. It allows kids the freedom to move and explore, as well as to guide their own play decisions, stretch their imaginations, and develop a relationship with nature.
Where:
commitment to empowering local students ingful wildlife advocacy in others. with positive conservation actions to preChildren transforming their knowledge serve the wildlife around them. For example, and passion into positive conservation acat the individual level, we are motivating tion offer enormous hope for the future. We students to save water on behalf of local see Dr. Orr’s vision come to life through endangered species, to conserve student-inspired native gardens, electricity to combat impacts of student-led wildlife awareness Youths regional climate change, and campaigns, student-analyzed represent the to be thoughtful, responsiwildlife monitoring data, next generation ble consumers of products and through the impactof professionals, and services. At the comful fulfillment of student munity level, we are inspirconservation pledges. Here voters, consumers, ing them to petition their at the Alliance, we take on teachers, parents, schools to adopt practices this work with special honor, and leaders. that support conservation, to and we are more dedicated than organize cleanup events in their ever to working alongside children neighborhoods, and to lobby local to build a more habitable and humane governments in support of wildlife-friendly world—a world where all life thrives. policies. And perhaps most importantly, we are encouraging them to share their knowlYoung conservationists can explore nature edge and experiences with friends, family, at the Denny Sanford Wildlife Explorers and community members to inspire meanBasecamp, opening soon.
Why:
Kids are spending an increasing amount of time inside, engaging with screens and playing with artificial materials. It is more important than ever to encourage exercise of bodies and minds outdoors. The benefits of nature play are many: studies show that it enhances kids’ self-esteem, creativity, academic performance, social skills, and health. Further, it instills positive and long-lasting emotional connections to nature, environmental empathy, and pro-environmental behaviors— essential values for the future of conservation.
SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE / SDZWA.ORG / 9
PHOTOS BY: KALI9/E+/GETTY IMAGES; DANIELA JOVANOVSKA-HRISTOVSKA/E+/GETTY IMAGES ; KEN BOHN/SDZWA.
to Action
Any open-air space that offers opportunities to experience nature freely. Anywhere from a backyard or a neighborhood park to a trail, creek, or forest— the size and location of the space don’t matter, so long as kids have access to a diversity of tactile natural elements, such as vegetation, rocks, dirt, and water.
Well-grounded Building a Future for Burrowing Owls BY COLLEEN WISINSKI, M.S. | PHOTOS BY TAMMY SPRATT
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One juvenile and two adult burrowing owls survey their environment from just outside their burrow’s entrance.
I
magine Southern California with no freeways. Imagine the flat mesa tops with no houses, and open grassland for miles. Against that backdrop, western burrowing owls Athene cunicularia hypugaea were once widespread throughout the grasslands and coastal plains of San Diego County, but by the 2010s, there was only one breeding population left. Since 2011, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has been working to halt the decline of this charismatic species through research and partnerships, and more recently, to increase their numbers through conservation breeding and translocation. We work to ensure that burrowing owls and other native species thrive, and aim to have a positive impact on wildlife right here in Southern California. Whooo Are You?
DID YOU KNOW? When they want to, burrowing owls can cover huge distances. One was known to breed in Arizona and Canada—in the same year.
The western burrowing owl is a grassland species that has been declining throughout its range in western North America for much of the past century due to changes in land use. This is particularly true in California, where ongoing urbanization and development of grasslands has led to loss and fragmentation of burrowing owl habitat, resulting in their current designation as a California Species of Special Concern. They also face reductions in habitat quality due to the proliferation of non-native grasses within the remaining grasslands of California. These tall, dense, non-native annual grasses (as opposed to more open native bunchgrasses) are not suitable for many native species without intense management like mowing or grazing, which require substantial financial and planning resources. In addition, the owls suffer from a loss of burrows due to removal of the fossorial (digging) animals they rely upon to create burrows.
In San Diego County, California ground squirrels Otospermophilus beecheyi are the primary burrow engineers. However, California ground squirrels are also in decline, either through removal as a pest or from loss of habitat due to tall nonnative grasses. Even though burrowing owls can tolerate low to moderate levels of disturbance from human activities, they are increasingly affected by suburbanadapted predators, such as ravens, that can prey on both adult and juvenile owls, and greatly reduce nest success and productivity.
Collaboration— A Recipe for Success Conservation work does not happen in a vacuum and often depends upon collaboration among many stakeholders. In San Diego, a countywide plan for conserving many different plant and animal species helps guide the efforts of government agencies, land managers, researchers, and conservationists. For the past 10 years,
SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE / SDZWA.ORG / 11
our conservation science team has been part of a working group that includes land and wildlife managers, nonprofit organizations, and biological consultants, and helps guide our research and carry out conservation planning for burrowing owls within the county. The result of this coordinated effort is a better understanding of how we can conserve burrowing owls in the county (and beyond) and has allowed us to take bold actions to reverse the decline of this iconic species. Conservation objectives for the burrowing owl population in the county include increasing the size of the population and spreading it out to more areas (what we call population “nodes”) as a sort of insurance policy. In order to accomplish this objective, two basic ingredients are needed: land and owls. This may sound straightforward but is certainly not simple. First, we need a sufficient amount of land with appropriate components such as food (invertebrates, small mammals, etc.) and shelter (burrows)—in short, habitat. And second, we need owls to move into that habitat. The first ingredient is supplied by our partners. Over the past 10 years, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and our working group collaborators have identified protected areas in the county that can provide owl habitat. Some of our partners, like the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and San Diego Habitat Conservancy, own and manage land for the purpose of providing protected habitat for native wildlife
DID YOU KNOW? Burrowing owls don’t dig their own burrows; they depend on ground squirrels and other digging animals to create burrows. They often “timeshare” a burrow to incubate eggs and raise young during the owls’ breeding season.
Recovery ecology staff perform finishing touches during the release at the second new population site.
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A juvenile burrowing owl asks its parent for food.
activities are brought into the San Diego Zoo Safari Park conservation breeding program, where they live for about two years. These owls usually raise one to two broods during their time in human care. Their offspring, and eventually they themselves, are released into protected areas to help bolster the burrowing owl population in the county.
A Bright Future on the Horizon We are now in our fourth year of breeding and releasing owls into these protected areas. Using a soft-release method that includes an acclimation period, provision of important social cues via recordings of burrowing owl vocalizations, and supplemental food during the breeding season, we have met our early benchmarks for successful establishment of new population nodes. At our first release site, translocated owls have taken up residence and bred in multiple years following translocation, and they have even attracted some non-translocated owls to live and breed in the colony. We have observed multiple generations of owls pairing up and successfully raising their own chicks. This spring marked the first translocation to our second release site, and so far, those owls are meeting the same early benchmarks. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and our partners are committed to conserving the burrowing owl population in Southern California, so as you look out across those mesa tops, you don’t have to imagine a future without burrowing owls. Colleen Wisinski, M.S., is conservation program manager in recovery ecology for SDZWA; Tammy Spratt is an SDZWA photographer.
for generations to come. We have worked closely with these entities to prepare their lands to receive owls. They use cattle grazing and mowing to keep the grasses short, and create cover piles made of rocks or brush to help the ground squirrels disperse into new areas, creating more burrows for the owls. Our partners have allowed us to install artificial burrows that are part of the translocation process, and conduct maintenance on these burrows annually. With our expertise in wildlife care, conservation breeding, and reintroduction, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is a natural fit to supply the second ingredient: owls. Sometimes, burrowing owls need to be moved out of harm’s way when land is being developed. In these situations, we often reintroduce owls from the development site to one of the protected areas identified as suitable for burrowing owls. But a small handful of owls impacted by development
An adult burrowing owl stands guard outside its burrow at the first new population release site.
Successful Hatchings at New Release Site Following the reintroduction of 24 burrowing owls into our newly established release site in Ramona, California, SDZWA’s Burrowing Owl Recovery Program staff is excited to announce that the first owl chicks have hatched. Each chick gets weighed, measured, and fitted with leg bands that serve as unique identifiers. Twelve of the owls paired up and nested. Each pair reared offspring to fledging age, a major milestone for the collaborative effort to establish a new burrowing owl breeding node in the Ramona grasslands.
SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE / SDZWA.ORG / 13
OH, TO BE U
DID YOU KNOW? Desert tortoises spend about 98 percent of their lives sheltered underground in a burrow.
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NDERS TOOD The Plight of a Desert Icon and Efforts to Turn Things Around
BY RON SWAISGOOD, PH.D., MELISSA MERRICK, PH.D., AND TALI HAMMOND, PH.D.
C KEN BOHN/SDZG
onsider this: You are only about an inch high and very slow moving. You do have a hard outer shell, which is helpful at keeping some predators from eating you. Still, many predators think of you as a crunchy-on-the-outside, juicy-on-the-inside treat. What’s more, you live in a harsh desert environment, and are fortunate if you get a few drinks of water each year. You may have guessed by now that you are a desert tortoise. Getting “inside a tortoise’s shell” to understand its perspective on the world is a large part of what we do to try to better conserve this species. SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE / SDZWA.ORG / 15
Once common throughout the Mojave and Sonoran deserts of California, Nevada, and Arizona, desert tortoise populations have declined approximately 90 percent in just the last 20 years.
Trouble in the West The Mojave desert tortoise Gopherus agassizii is one of the most beloved denizens of the western deserts of the US. Yet, despite the vastness of the American desert, the situation for the tortoise is becoming increasingly desperate: each passing year there are fewer and fewer of them to be found. It seems to be a case of “death by a thousand paper cuts,” with numerous human actions eroding away at tortoise habitat: roads, solar developments, and an increase of “subsidized” predators. Subsidized predators are predator species that thrive in urbanized or human-associated habitats thanks to their ability to take advantage of resources that are associated with humans. In the deserts of the southwestern US, ravens are considered “subsidized predators” and are much more numerous today than they were historically, which is a big problem for desert tortoises.
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Several years ago, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance began a program to understand tortoise habitat needs and develop best practices for rearing and releasing tortoises back to the wild, in areas where their future can be safeguarded. We conduct this work with a number of important partners, including the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Edwards Air Force Base, and others. In our desert tortoise conservation program, we use headstarting and translocation as tools for species recovery. The process starts out with a search for tortoise momsto-be. We search the desert for adult female tortoises, give them small transmitters for tracking purposes, and using a mobile X-ray unit, periodically check to see if they are gravid (that is, have eggs). When they are gravid, we bring them into headstarting facilities to lay eggs for headstarting. We then return females to where they were found but keep the eggs (and eventually hatchlings) safe in our protected facility, where predators cannot reach them, and food is plentiful. They thrive here, but after one to two years, these young tortoises reach sufficient size to be less vulnerable, and the time comes for them to return to the wilderness, where they can help reestablish their species.
A Tortoise-eye View It’s a heartwarming experience to watch these tiny tortoises experience their natural desert landscape for the first time, with its whimsical Joshua trees peppering bright blue desert skies, and miles and miles of sand. But the real work comes in monitoring these animals and understanding how they use their new, wild habitat. Our work focuses on ecological factors that help make young tortoises less vulnerable to predators, such as refuge and camouflage. A two-year-old tortoise is still no match for a raven, and its main defense is to remain undetected. This is where understanding the tortoise’s perspectives comes in: we hypothesized that camouflage, in the form of rocky ground (tortoises look rather like rocks), or burrows (constructed by small mammals) that serve as refuges from predators (and inclement weather) could be vitally important to avoid ending up as a meal for a raven or some other hun-
PHOTO BY: (THIS PAGE) KEN BOHN/SDZWA; (OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) MELIA NAFUS, RON SWAISGOOD, KEN BOHN/SDZWA.
DID YOU KNOW? Tortoises do not have teeth; instead, they have a beak and grind their food.
Off to a Good Headstart
SDZWA conservation scientists use telemetry to track monitored desert tortoise populations.
gry predator. We also know that all desert environments are not equal, and some contain different compositions of plant species that might afford food or shelter. Armed with these ideas, we set out to test how careful selection of release site might affect tortoise health, growth, movement, and survival. Does camouflage, refuge availability, or plant community make a difference? In our first round of tests, conducted in Nevada and led by Melia Nafus, Ph.D., (working for SDZWA at the time, but now with USGS), the answer was an unqualified “Yes.” Careful site selection based on these factors boosted one-year survival from 20 percent to almost 80 percent! However, the Nevada and California deserts can be quite different, and the next step was to determine whether these same benefits still hold true in California. In scientific parlance, we wanted to know whether our findings were generalizable. Today, we are in the midst of this second round of efforts. We raised nearly 150 healthy young tortoises and released them into several sites within Edwards Air Force Base and Ward Valley, managed by the Bureau of Land Management. We do not yet have answers from this more recent study, but we are actively tracking these tortoises to monitor how they are doing. We also conduct periodic health assessments
and measure growth rates to determine which tortoises are thriving, data that in turn inform us about habitat quality. We predict that tortoises will grow faster in higher quality habitat.
Looking Ahead—and Up It is our hope that, in addition to replenishing declining populations of this desert icon, our research will help us learn more about tortoise habitat needs. The knowledge gap about young tortoises is especially large, in part due to difficulties in finding them. They spend about 98 percent of their lives below ground, sheltered in a burrow, coming up following rains to eat and drink. Mystery has never informed conservation action, so our aim is to make the lives of young tortoises less mysterious. While we know what constitutes “suitable habitat,” we don’t know what makes “great” habitat, which allows tortoises to thrive, not just survive. This knowledge will help conservation managers make better decisions about where to release tortoises that need to be translocated, which habitat areas to prioritize for protection, and which features of the environment are important to restore to improve existing tortoise habitat. Armed with this knowledge, we plan to promote the recovery of this beloved species of the Mojave Desert of California.
A female desert tortoise can retain sperm and lay fertile eggs for up to 15 years after mating only one time with a male.
This project was made possible by generous support from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the California Energy Commission, the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, Edwards Air Force Base, the Favrot Fund, and the Zuest Family Foundation. Ron Swaisgood, Ph.D., is the recovery ecology director for SDZWA; Melissa Merrick, Ph.D., is a recovery ecology associate director for SDZWA; Tali Hammond, Ph.D., is a recovery ecology scientist for SDZWA.
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Close Encounters
10 ways the Zoo’s all-new experience—opening soon—inspires both passion and empathy for nature in explorers of all ages.
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of wildlife allies to join us in creating a world where all life thrives is the driving force behind the new Denny Sanford Wildlife Explorers Basecamp, a re-imagining of the former Children’s Zoo, opening soon. It’s the most significant expansion in the Zoo’s history, and it’s filled with immersive experiences, curious encounters, and engaging surprises around every
corner. From naked mole-rats to coconut crabs, rainforests to desert dunes, it’s a truly inspiring celebration of nature and wildlife.
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PHOTOBY: KEN BOHN/SDZWA.
onservation is first and foremost about people. And inspiring the next generation
Anyone Home?
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You might spot one of the San Diego Zoo Rady Ambassadors—furry, feathered, and scaly friends who take part in voluntary up-close encounters with visitors—in their dynamic new habitats here. But their homes might also be empty. If that’s the case, the ambassadors (like Manny the tamandua) are likely meeting visitors out and about on Zoo grounds. Or, they might be visiting a retirement facility or children’s hospital. These wild face-to-face meetings can be a powerful catalyst for conservation learning, so keep an eye out. You never know who will be right around the corner!
The tamandua is also known as the lesser anteater.
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Empathy, or the ability to understand the feelings of another, is like a muscle; the more you use it, the stronger it gets. The Zoo’s new experience for children was designed to help visitors build empathy for wildlife, especially the so-called “creepy crawlies” that rarely get much love, in order to cultivate the next generation of wildlife protectors. This means that with each visit, people will leave with more compassion for creatures great and small. Increased empathy for wildlife has also been linked to increased empathy for people—the same parts of the brain are activated—so we hope that visitors will leave with greater care for each other, as well.
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At just 10 inches (or two soda cans) tall, burrowing owls are one of our smallest neighbors in the Southwest—and in danger of becoming locally extinct. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance collaborates with partners to protect burrowing owls through our Southwest conservation hub. Some chicks hatched in our care are reintroduced to their native habitat in San Diego County. Come face-to-beak with these raptors during your visit.
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Parents and caregivers play a critical role in helping children develop empathy. By modeling positive encounters with wildlife, you set the foundation for lifelong wildlife advocates to grow. Families can continue to strengthen their empathy muscles even after leaving this new experience at the Zoo, by taking home a children’s book by award-winning San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance author Georgeanne Irvine. Each story tells a unique tale of hope and inspiration, allowing children to forge strong connections with the animals featured.
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Empathy Workout
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EXPERIENCE IT Visit sandiegozoo.org to learn more and get tickets.
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Nature Play, All Day Who knew fun
could be such serious business? At this new experience for children, kids can splash, slide, and jump side-by-side with wildlife. But these water features and climbing structures have a hidden benefit: time playing in and around nature has been shown to boost the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional aspects of children’s development. Nature play gives kids the opportunity to play freely in natural settings, with limited structure imposed by adults, building self-confidence, resilience, and creativity. We hope that swinging with monkeys and sliding by prairie dogs inspires people of all ages to continue enjoying time in nature, even after you’ve left the Zoo’s front doors.
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What’s the Buzz? Inside the McKinney Family Spineless Marvels invertebrate house, you can peer inside a hive and marvel at thousands of honeybees hard at work—and maybe talk to a beekeeper. Honeybees were introduced here by European colonists in the 1600s, but long before they arrived, native bees were doing the pollinating. A mural near the honeybee habitat tells their story. Native bees don’t make honey, and they don’t live in hives. In fact, native bees are mostly solitary. There are at least 20,000 species of these bees, on every continent except Antarctica—and more than 4,000 of them in North America.
KEN BOHN/SDZWA
No Glass? No Problem
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You might notice something missing from the golden orb weaver habitat: a barrier separating you and the spiders! But arachnophobes, have no fear. Golden orb weavers live life vertically, staying put in their strong, stretchy webs as long as they have everything they need. San Diego Zoo wildlife care specialists make sure that the orb weavers have insects to eat, water droplets to drink, and plenty of branches to weave their three-foot-wide webs, creating a safe and comfortable spider home. This means there’s no need for the golden orb weavers to wander—and no need for you to run away.
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Be a Mole-rat
And see what life is like in their tunnels. Like ants and honeybees, these unusual rodents are eusocial. One queen is the mother of almost all the other molerats, and everyone in the colony has a job—like gathering food, digging tunnels, defending the burrow, or caring for young. Nearby, a kid-size tunnel immerses children into the sights, sounds—and even smells—of molerat life, and brings them face-to-face with a…kid-size mole-rat!
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Save Fijian Iguanas
Tech? Check.
They don’t fly or breathe fire. But brightly colored Fijian iguanas do look like tiny, scaly creatures from a fanciful medieval legend. It’s no wonder one researcher described these endangered iguanas as resembling “neon-colored dragons.” But invasive species such as feral cats, rats, cane toads, and mongooses prey on them. They are losing habitat, and some are taken for an illegal, international exotic pet trade. Thankfully, your support of SDZWA helps these endangered lizards. Kim Gray, curator of herpetology and ichthyology at the Zoo, participates in research in Fiji with partners including the U.S. Geological Survey, Australia’s Taronga Zoo, and the National Trust of Fiji. We’re also helping the people of Fiji to raise hatchlings until they are large enough to avoid predators (a process known as “headstarting”). Meet the neon dragons in the Art and Danielle Engel Cool Critters herptile house. With more than 125 young hatched here since 1981, we have the most successful breeding colony outside Fiji.
Who’s Doing the Dirty Work?
What happens to dead plant and animal matter before it decomposes? Meet the heroes of recycling. Cockroaches, millipedes, and beetle larvae—called grubs— munch stuff that might seem disgusting to us. But their food preferences are an important part of the nutrient cycle. By breaking this gunky material into small pieces (and pooping it out), they make it available to protozoans and bacteria that decompose it into molecules we need for life. From giant African millipedes to question mark roaches and enormous goliath beetles, they do their part, and you can see them in the McKinney Family Spineless Marvels invertebrate house.
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PHOTO: KEN BOHN/SDZWA. ILLUSTRATIONS: AMY BLANDFORD/SDZWA.
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We’ve integrated dozens of handson ways for technology to enhance your experience at the new Denny Sanford Wildlife Explorers Basecamp. Will you be able to find the animated stick insects on our interactive screen? Give it a try! While you’re here, check out the multiuser microscope stations— embedded touch displays and software allow you to examine objects up close, take a snapshot, add notes and drawings, and share your observations. Volunteers and wildlife care specialists will be able to share multimedia as they interact with guests, thanks to custom touch tables that double as game consoles to help you learn more about conservation. Watch time-lapse images of orb-weaver spiders building webs, and visit our “underground” ant colony, illuminated by black light. You’ll also wander through an immersive migration experience, with surround sound, a meadow smellscape, and migrating butterflies and dragonflies “flying” above you, projected across a domed ceiling.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance & APMEX Penguins and Rhinos Commemorated in Silver Visit APMEX.com/SDZWA to collect them all.
Don’t let all that walking get the best of you! Stay fueled up by visiting one of our branded concessions. The San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park thank our partners for their continued support!
VISUALIZE IT Caucasus
California Floristic Province
Madrean pine–oak woodlands
Mediterranean Basin North American Coastal Plain
36 Global Biodiversity Hotspots Caribbean Islands
Mesoamerica
Eastern Afromontane
PolynesiaMicronesia
Tropical Andes
Tumbes– Chocó– Magdalena
Guinean Forests of West Africa
Cerrado
Chilean Winter RainfallValdivian Forests
Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa
20%
Atlantic Forest
25%
of all known ocean species are supported by coral reefs. Though they are some of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems, coral reefs represent less than 1% of the Earth’s oceans.
of all vascular plant, 13% of all amphibian, and 17% of all bird species on the planet can be found in Brazil—making it one of the world’s most biodiverse countries.
Succulent Karoo Cape Floristic Region
MaputalandPondolandAlbany
Biodiversity Hotspots The most biologically rich—and endangered—regions on Earth Biodiversity hotspots host an exceptional variety of endemic life: these unique regions are teeming with species that can’t be found anywhere else on Earth. However, hotspots are also exceptionally threatened. To be classified as a hotspot, a region must have at least 1,500 species of endemic vascular plants and must have lost at least 70% of its native vegetation. By Elyan Shor, Ph.D.
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Mountains of Central Asia Mountains of Southwest China Japan PolynesiaMicronesia
Eastern Himalaya IndoBurma
Western Ghats and Sri Lanka
Biodiversity in our own backyard! San Diego is: 1. In the California Floristic Province
Philippines
This hotspot extends from northern Baja California to southwestern Oregon. Over 2,500 of the vascular plant types here cannot be found anywhere else on Earth.
Horn of Africa
>50%
of the hotspots are in the tropics. Southeast Asia alone accounts for up to 25% of all plant and animal species on Earth. Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands
East Melanesian Islands
Wallacea Sundaland Eastern Australian temperate forests
New Caledonia
2. Highly biodiverse
San Diego is the most biodiverse county in the continental United States. It is home to 26 endemic, 139 rare, and 14 endangered vascular plant types.
Southwest Australia New Zealand
3. A unique collection of habitats
Biodiversity hotspots affect the well-being of the whole planet. They provide up to 35% of the world’s ecosystem services—including fresh air, clean water, food sources, and climate regulation. The health of wildlife, people, and ecosystems are deeply interconnected: we need biodiversity so that all life can thrive. world
land surface
world
mammal, reptile, bird, fish, amphibian, and plant species
world
ecosystem services
From beaches to forests, to mountains, scrublands, marshes, and deserts, this broad array of ecosystems makes San Diego remarkably rich in wildlife.
3. Home to rare wildlife
The burrowing owl, Peninsular bighorn sheep, Quino checkerspot butterfly, and desert tortoise are some of the many native animals found locally.
5. Threatened with habitat loss
biodiversity hotspots
land surface (3%)
biodiversity hotspots
mammal, reptile, bird, fish, amphibian, and plant species (60%)
biodiversity hotspots
As the main habitat in Southern California, coastal sage scrub once covered much of San Diego. Today, only 10% of the habitat remains, with wildfires and urban expansion among the major drivers of habitat loss.
services (35%) SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE / SDZWA.ORG / 25
MAP: FILE:WORLD MAP BLANK WITHOUT BORDERS.SVG: CRATES / *DERIVATIVE WORK NINJATACOSHELL (HTTPS://COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG/WIKI/FILE:BIODIVERSITY_HOTSPOTS.SVG), „BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS“, COLOR AND LABELS BY SDZWA, HTTPS://CREATIVECOMMONS.ORG/LICENSES/BY-SA/3.0/LEGALCODE. PHOTOS BY: TAMMY SPRATT/SDZWA; KEN BOHN/SDZWA; EDUARDO FONSECA ARRAES/GETTY IMAGES; LISAEPERKINS/GETTY IMAGES PLUS
IranoAnatolian
EVENTS
September and October Hours
September SEPTEMBER 18
SAN DIEGO ZOO
Food, Wine & Brew Celebration
Come to San Diego’s wildest tasting event—at the San Diego Zoo—with food and beverages from Southern California’s finest restaurants, wineries, brewmasters, and vendors. Enjoy live entertainment, dancing, and more at this event to support San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. For tickets and event information, visit zoofoodandwine. com. (Z)
San Diego Zoo 9 a.m.–6 p.m.*
San Diego Zoo Safari Park 9 a.m.–6 p.m.*
sdzwa.org
OCTOBE R 1 –31
Kids Free
619-231-1515
*Exceptions apply. Programs and dates are subject to change—please check our website daily for the latest information and requirements for visiting. (Z) = San Diego Zoo (P) = Safari Park
O C T O B E R 1 – 3 , 8 –1 0 , 1 5 –1 7, 2 2 –2 4 , A N D 2 9 – 3 1
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Our popular October event is back, and bigger than ever! Join us weekends—all month long—to help us light up the night until 9 p.m.! There is fun for the whole family, with musical entertainment, dance parties, special performances, and more—plus Dr. Zoolittle, Zoo characters, and tempting food specials. (Z) THROUGH SEPTEMBER 6
Nighttime Zoo
Stay after dark and enjoy one more week
of summer fun during Nighttime Zoo. Come “rock and roar” with live music, amazing entertainment
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experiences, and longer evening hours. For details, visit sandiegozoo.org/ nighttimezoo. (Z)
Kids get free entry to the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park throughout the entire month of October, when accompanied by an adult. For details, visit sandiegozoo.org/ kidsfree. (Z) (P) O F F E R E D DA I LY
Discovery Cart Tours Enjoy a 60-minute guided tour of the Zoo aboard a deluxe expedition cart, led by one of our knowledgeable guides. Book online or call 619-718-3000. (Z)
& October SEPTEMBER 3, 4, 1 1 , 1 7, 2 4 , 2 5 , AND OCTOBER 2, 8 , 9, 1 5 , A N D 2 9
SAFARI PARK
All Ages Roar & Snore Safaris
Campers of all ages are invited to experience a relaxing evening after hours, enjoying the Roar & Snore campground. Families will get a chance to relax at camp, visit nearby animal areas at their leisure, and enjoy camp activities. Call 619-718-3000. (P) S E P T E M B E R 1 0, A N D OC TO B E R 2 2 A N D 3 0
Adults Only Roar & Snore Safaris
Discover the secret lives of animals through information we can only share with no children around! Enjoy a relaxing evening at camp; visiting animal areas will add a whole new meaning to the term “nightlife.” Call 619-718-3000. (P) OCTOBE R 1 –31
OCTOBER 11
Kids Free
Indigenous Peoples’ Celebration
Kids get free entry to the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park throughout the entire month of October, when accompanied by an adult. For details, visit sandiegozoo.org/ kidsfree. (Z) (P)
The Safari Park celebrates the original stewards of the land where it’s located with Native American ceremonies, artisans, educational presentations, music, and more. (P)
O C T O B E R 1 6 -1 7, 2 3 –2 4 , A N D 3 0 –3 1
Cart Safaris
Come and join in on all the autumn festive fun, as the Safari Park celebrates the season of color with special activities, entertainment, and culinary comforts. (P)
Sit back in the comfort of your Safari cart for a 60-minute guided tour of our African or Asian savanna habitats, led by one of our knowledgeable guides. Book online or call 619-718-3000. (P)
Autumn Festival
OFFERED DA I LY
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Visit the San Diego Zoo Kids website to find out about wildlife and habitats, plus videos, crafts, stories, games, and more! kids.sdzwa.org
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What wildlife will you find?
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Backyard Safari
Torrey pines grow naturally in only two places on Earth—and one of them is in San Diego! We are working to conserve these rare trees.
Take a look around—on a nature hike, a trip to the park, or even your own backyard. How many of these native animals and plants can you spot?
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erfly San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is working to save some of our local butterflies. How can you make your yard a habitat for butterflies?
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Spiders are predators, and they eat mostly insects. Without them, our homes would be overrun! Thanks, guys!
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PHOTOS BY: WERHANE/GETTY IMAGES PLUS; MIRCEAX/GETTY IMAGES PLUS.
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A hummingbird’s heart beats more than 1,000 times a minute! Visit these tiny birds at the new William E. Cole Family Hummingbird Habitat at the Zoo.
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Photos by Tammy Spratt, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance photographer
The San Diego Zoo’s Asian Passage habitat welcomed a “golden” addition this year—a female golden takin kid. Named Mei Ling (Mandarin for “beautiful antelope”), the kid is the first of the Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi takin subspecies born in the Western Hemisphere. Photographed by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance photographer.
LAST LOOK
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JOURNAL
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance P.O. Box 120551, San Diego, CA 92112
Wildlife Heroes Change the World. As a Wildlife Hero, your monthly gift will rescue and protect vulnerable wildlife, care for countless animals and plants in San Diego County and around the globe, and offer hope to the world’s most extraordinary wildlife relying on us to thrive—and survive—each and every day. Your ongoing and continued support fuels critical conservation efforts worldwide, allowing us to leverage your monthly gift and maximize your impact to meet the most urgent needs of wildlife while creating sustainable conservation solutions for the future. Your monthly gift will make a world of difference for wildlife.
Become a Wildlife Hero today at sdzwa.org/hero.
