JOURNAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
Our Oceans Are Key to the Health of Our Planet
SDZWA Adventures Launching in 2022! Start planning for the experience of a lifetime—join us in protecting wildlife for generations to come. We have 11 exciting, small-group itineraries planned: OCTOBER 2022
JANUARY 2023
Classic Polar Bear Adventure
Kingdom of the Monarchs
NOVEMBER 2022
Ultimate Baja Whale Expedition
Natural Jewels of Costa Rica
DECEMBER 2022
Yellowstone: Ultimate Wolf and Wildlife Safari
MARCH 2023
MARCH–APRIL 2023
Patagonia Wilderness and Wildlife Explorer JUNE–JULY 2023
Madagascar
Explore. Connect. Protect.
AUGUST 2023
Secluded Botswana Safari SEPTEMBER 2023
Jaguars and Wildlife of Brazil’s Pantanal OCTOBER 2023
Classic Galápagos NOVEMBER 2023
The Great Amazon
sdzwa.org/adventures
Photos By (top/bottom, left/right): Natural Habitat Adventures, David Luck/Colby Brokvist/Deborah Doyle/Richard Maack/Eric Rock/Fernando Romo/Mario Gomi
PLASTIC OCEAN PHOTO BY: SOLARSEVEN/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS.
January/February 2022
Vol. 2 No. 1
Journey Through Our Conservation Work This issue of the San Diego Zoo
Wildlife Alliance Journal focuses on the Oceans 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.
African Forest Gorilla
Oceans Polar Bear & Penguin
Southwest Desert Tortoise & Burrowing Owl
Savanna
Amazonia
Australian Forest
Asian Rainforest
Pacific Islands
Elephant & Rhino
Jaguar
Platypus & Koala
Tiger
‘Alalā
8
Contents 2 President and CEO’s Letter 3 By the Numbers 4 Findings 6 Meet Our Team 8 Hot Topics 26 Events 28 Wildlife Explorers Page 29 Last Look
10
Cover Story 10
Keeping Watch With a little help from telemetry, scientists are able to follow polar bears— safely—into their tundra dens and record data that can help brighten their future. Explore what goes on in the world of the great ice bear; and find out why people need to learn to share space with this charismatic species.
Features
18
18
Conservation Connection One swims and the other flies, but penguins and least terns—and seabirds like them—are facing ever-increasing environmental challenges.
24
Visualize It When most people think of penguins, they probably picture little black-andwhite tuxedoed birds frolicking in the snow. But there’s much more to these seabirds than cold weather and formal wear. Some penguins even like it hot!
On the Cover: Polar bear Ursus maritimus. Photo by: Tammy Spratt, SDZWA photographer.
LET TER FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
JOURNAL
MANAGING EDITOR Debra Erickson SENIOR EDITOR Peggy Scott STAFF WRITERS Donna Parham Abigail Karkenny Elyan Shor, Ph.D. Ebone Monet COPY EDITOR Eston Ellis DESIGNER Andy Barba 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. 2, No. 1) 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© 2022 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.
As home to more than one-quarter million known species— and possibly two million more yet to be identified—it’s hard to overstate the importance of the Earth’s oceans. While they may feel like another world, oceans are closely interconnected to every corner of our planet, affecting the health of wildlife and people globally. In this issue, we will wade into some of the challenges facing the marine plants, invertebrates, fish, birds, and mammals that rely on each other in this complex undersea web, and we’ll take a look at several important projects that might hold some of the solutions. One species that we work collaboratively to protect is the polar bear, which depends on not only a healthy ocean, but also sufficient sea ice in order to survive. Starting on page 10, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s Ian Ingram, M.S., Population Sustainability Senior Researcher; and Megan Owen, Ph.D., Vice President of Wildlife Conservation Science and Endowed Benirschke Chair; give us a detailed account of the impact habitat fragmentation, humanwildlife conflict, and a changing climate have had on this iconic species. Another serious threat to ocean health is plastic pollution, and in this issue’s Hot Topics department, science writer Elyan Shor, Ph.D., explores not only the complexity of the issue, but also ways we can all help to turn the tide. And while penguins and least terns are quite different birds, they share the ever-growing challenges faced by all seabirds. Beginning on page 18, Ignacio Vilchis, Ph.D., Associate Director of Recovery Ecology for SDZWA, compares and contrasts the situations being faced by these winged water lovers, and offers hope for their future—and ours. Thank you for joining us as we examine one of the most critically important features of our shared planet, essential for all life to thrive. And we look forward to connecting with you on your next visit to the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park as we continue to share the story of our work with our extended family of donors, members, and guests who all make this work possible. Onward Together,
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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Paul A. Baribault President and Chief Executive Officer
ILLUSTRATION BY: MICHAEL HOGUE
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.
Diving into Oceans
BY THE NUMBERS
PHOTOS BY (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP, LEFT): MARIO_HOPPMANN/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS; MAXIPHOTO/E+/GETTY IMAGES; RYZHKOV/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS; CRAIG LAMBERT/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS; MARIO DE MOYA F/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS
Making Waves Covering more than 70 percent of the surface of the Earth, the oceans contain 97 percent of our planet’s water. Marine plants, invertebrates, fish, birds, and mammals all rely on each other in a complex undersea web, and they all depend on healthy oceans. This is where conservation organizations like San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance come in, to strive for a world— on land and under the sea—where all life thrives.
5%
<
of the planet’s oceans have been explored.
17%
of global food production comes from the world’s oceans.
1 in 3
2022 Board of Trustees OFFICERS Javade Chaudhri, Chair Steven S. Simpson, Vice Chair Richard B. Gulley, Treasurer Steven G. Tappan, Secretary TRUSTEES Rolf Benirschke Kathleen Cain Carrithers Clifford W. Hague Gary E. Knell Robert B. Horsman Linda J. Lowenstine, DVM, Ph.D. Judith A. Wheatley ̒Aulani Wilhelm 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 Marine mammal species are found entangled in litter.
Paul A. Baribault
President and Chief Executive Officer
Shawn Dixon
Chief Operating Officer
David Franco Chief Financial Officer
~8 million
Erika Kohler Interim Executive Director, San Diego Zoo
tons of plastic wind up in the ocean each year.
Lisa Peterson
Senior Vice President and Executive Director, San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Nadine Lamberski, DVM, DACZM, DECZM (ZHM) Chief Conservation and Wildlife Health Officer
15% of the Earth’s species live in oceans.
Wendy Bulger
General Counsel
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
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) protects and restores nature in eight conservation hubs on six continents. Below are recent discoveries and progress from around the world. GREEN STATUS OF SPECIES REFLECTS CONSERVATION ACTION
The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Green Status of Species (GSS) is a new global conservation standard that measures species recovery in response to conservation action, or lack thereof. The GSS represents the first standardized method to assess the success of current conservation efforts and their continued potential. A recent publication tested the GSS framework by analyzing the status of 181 species. The publication was a collaboration among over 200 global authors; SDZWA scientist Tandora Grant contributed analysis for the critically endangered Jamaican rock iguana Cyclura collei. Previously thought to have gone extinct in the mid-1940s, this iguana was rediscovered in 1990 and has since been the subject of intense conservation efforts.
NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR MERCURY TESTING
One of the current threats to the Peruvian Amazon ecosystem is intense artisanal gold mining, which uses mercury to extract gold dust. That mercury is released into the environment and bioaccumulates in wildlife and humans, which can cause harm to reproduction, immune function, and the nervous system. Testing for mercury can be expensive and challenging, creating barriers to monitoring mercury in wildlife and the environment. SDZWA scientist Caroline Moore, DVM, Ph.D., traveled to Peru and successfully tested 223 biological samples using the Runabout: a handheld mercury analyzer prototype developed by mercury monitoring company Picoyune. Scientists at the Wildlife Conservation Laboratory at Los Amigos Biological Station will continue to test wildlife samples for mercury, pairing genomic biodiversity and disease screening with toxicology testing.
SAN DIEGO ZOO POLAR BEARS ADVANCE CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGY
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PHOTOS BY: KEN BOHN /SDZWA; TAMMY SPRATT/SDZWA
Polar bears at the San Diego Zoo will be helping test an innovative new technology for attaching tracking sensors, nicknamed “Burr on Fur.” Scientists have developed a small, noninvasive, and nontoxic tracking device that temporarily attaches to bear fur. Our polar bears, along with those at eight other zoos, will be testing out the tracking attachments. Testing the devices in zoos allows conservation scientists to observe how the prototypes are affected by different temperatures, seawater, and interaction with other bears. If successful, the devices may be used to track polar bears in the Arctic—and could even be used to study and protect other wildlife worldwide. This study is led by our partners, Polar Bears International, in collaboration with 3M.
Join Us:
SDZWA Adventures Launching in 2022! Explore. Connect. Protect.
Photos By (left/right): Natural Habitat Adventures, Mario Gomi/Court Whelan/Eric Rock.
I
magine a sunrise on the frozen tundra. Breathing in the fresh morning air on the African savanna. Trekking through a tropical rainforest. Imagine making this a reality. Since 1983, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has been taking small groups of conservation-minded travelers to see wildlife in their native habitats. We’ve spent nearly 40 years connecting our family of supporters with sea turtles, primates, polar bears, and more in truly remarkable ways. When 2020 brought the world to a stop, we took that time to reimagine travel, and we’re ready to introduce San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Adventures for 2022 and beyond. These explorations will immerse our allies in our eight global conservation hubs— regions around the world where we focus our collaborative work to save wildlife. Joining our adventure will be experts such as wildlife care specialists and conservation researchers from our hubs, providing an in-depth perspective of what it takes to save wildlife worldwide. Local guides will be there too, with the kind of insight that only a member of the community can have. Reduced group sizes will make for an even more personal—and unforgettable—trip of a lifetime. “Each and every trip will fuel our critical work to protect the health of wildlife, ecosystems, and people—all of which are interconnected—and I’m thrilled that our conservation researchers will be there to help travelers discover these connections for themselves,” says Nadine Lamberski, DVM, chief conservation and wildlife health officer at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
Start planning for the experience of a lifetime. join us and let’s explore together. Visit sdzwa.org/adventures
to FInd your trip!
SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE / SDZWA.ORG / 5
MEET OUR TEAM
Q
My job is twofold: I lead the hospital and veterinary teams, the nutrition teams, and the clinical diagnostic labs at both the San Diego Zoo and the Safari Park; and I work with Nadine Lamberski, DVM, and Megan Owen, Ph.D., to help guide our Alliance to be the most effective conservation organization that it can be.
Q
Q
Q
Briefly describe your job with SDZWA.
What is the coolest thing about your job?
I am so fortunate to be leading some of the most respected zoological teams in the world; and I am able to help harness their enthusiasm and passion for conservation.
For my master’s program in New Zealand, I was 12 time zones away from home and everything I knew, when the future finally became clear. I was studying diseases in abalone, and the whole picture just “clicked” for me—science and research, and learning about wildlife and what we could do for them. I have gone from field science to clinical work as a veterinarian, and back again. I wanted to live in both worlds.
Hendrik Nollens, DVM, MSc, Ph.D.
With experience in the lab and the field, in water and on land, SDZWA’s vice president of wildlife health is just what the doctor ordered for the future of conservation. There are some 300 species of octopus— all of them intriguing.
Q
Q
What do you see as the future of wildlife conservation?
I think people are more aware of what we are doing to our planet, and that conservation works—we can save wildlife and habitats. And the awareness that we are not the only beings on the planet, and that all our futures are connected. The future is all of our responsibility—this trend is growing.
ILLUSTRATION BY: MICHAEL HOGUE; PHOTO BY: LINGBEEK/E+/GETTY IMAGES.
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What is your favorite animal? Why?
I think the most misunderstood and underappreciated creature has to be the octopus. I have personally observed their real problemsolving abilities. If there is any doubt, just watch My Octopus Teacher.
What book or film influenced you or made a strong impression?
Growing up in Belgium, I was an animal kid. And then Jacques Cousteau’s films introduced me to ocean animals and a whole world that I didn’t know existed. And then I came upon a Reader’s Digest article about a girl whose experience raising an orphaned harbor seal inspired her to become a marine biologist. When it was time for university, I first studied veterinary medicine and was then off to New Zealand to study marine conservation biology.
What was a turning point or defining moment in a project or program you’ve worked on?
HOT TOPICS
Water World SDZWA science writer Elyan Shor, Ph.D., dives into the depths of water pollution issues, exploring solutions for a cleaner, more sustainable tomorrow.
G
lobally, our oceans are becoming increasingly mired with human-derived pollutants such as manufactured chemicals, oil and petroleum, and garbage. The effects of this pollution manifest themselves in numerous forms, many of which we are likely yet to realize and comprehend. But while we may not have a complete understanding of pollution’s reach, of this there is no doubt: marine pollution is a worldwide problem with implications that extend far beyond oceans and their coastlines.
Plastics are among the most notorious marine pollutants. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, approximately eight million tons of plastics
end up in oceans every year. The immediate effects of this discard are readily apparent: the devasting imagery of wildlife ingesting or entangled by plastic trash has
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become all too familiar. But plastic in the ocean is not just physically problematic—it is also chemically problematic. Plastics are formulated with a slew of chemicals that lend them their durable, multifunctional properties. Unfortunately, infusing plastics with such compounds also means that these same chemicals will be released as those plastics break down. And to further exacerbate the issue, plastics break down very slowly: single-use bags take 20 years, and scientists estimate that a disposable bottle will take at least 450 years to decompose. This means that
3 things you
can do for a cleaner ocean
We can all make a difference by handling problems before they get worse, while also supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for Life Below Water. 1. Reduce how much plastic you purchase, period. Avoid products made from or packaged with plastics, such as utensils, balloons, and drink bottles. Instead, choose items packaged with biodegradable, renewable, or more easily recyclable materials, like glass, metal, or paper. 2. Participate in cleanup projects in your community. Trash on sidewalks, streets, driveways, and paths is likely to end up in gutters and waterways the next time it rains or the sprinklers come on. All waterways lead to the ocean, so pick up any trash you find. 3. Limit use of household and yard chemicals, and dispose of hazardous waste properly. Hand pull weeds in your yard and ask landscapers in your neighborhood to limit use of herbicides and pesticides. Refer to local city or county regulations for disposal of harmful substances. For more information about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, visit https://sdgs.un.org/goals –Victoria Dunch, M.A., research coordinator l, Community Engagement, SDZWA
SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE / SDZWA.ORG / 9
ILLUSTRATION BY: PEEPO/E+/GETTY IMAGES
plastics littering the ocean will persist—as marine animal carcasses. The danger for will the chemicals they leach—for generacondors lies in eating carcasses laced with tions to come. estrogenic EDCs, as ingesting these could Some chemicals can, in turn, pose sericause disruptions in their own reproducous threats to wildlife and human health, tion, including compromised egg producparticularly when they disrupt hormonal tion or development. Given that condors activity. Compounds that interfere with are already critically endangered, risks to normal hormonal function—either by reproduction are a significant concern for mimicking the activity of a naturally occurthe species. ring hormone or by blocking it—are called SDZWA’s Reproductive Sciences and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Recovery Ecology teams, in partnership EDCs can be lethal or cause sublethal health with the School of Public Health at San effects, including reproductive problems, Diego State University (SDSU), are takabnormal behaviors, and cancers. Further, ing a closer look at the marine mammal EDCs gradually build up, or “biomagnify” carcasses that wash up along the shores of along ascending levels of the food chain, so the northern Gulf of California—a feeding that those at the top—including humans— ground for the Baja California population of may be ingesting meals with condors. The SDSU team is leveraging concentrations of EDCs up sophisticated analytical chemistry to hundreds of times the to evaluate the chemicals presPlastics baseline levels. ent in the tissues, identifying littering the Estrogen receptors known compounds as well ocean will persist— are particularly vulneras those that are unknown as will the chemicals able to interference by or novel. Our SDZWA they leach—for EDCs, and “estrogenic” scientists then utilize cells as generations chemicals are those that a proxy for condor physiolto come. disrupt the activities of ogy, observing interactions estrogen—a hormone notabetween the chemicals and bly involved in reproduction. hormone receptors in vitro, and Plastics are a common source of clarifying whether these chemicals are estrogenic chemicals including bisphenol A estrogenic. Together, this approach allows (BPA), as are pesticides such as the infamous for extensive analyses of which EDCs are dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), present in the environment, and which ones which make their way into oceans via runoff may be harmful to condors. The informaor direct dumping. tion generated from these studies can be Our conservation scientists are workshared with wildlife managers to inform ing to identify and better understand conservation strategies; with regulatory estrogenic chemicals: SDZWA collaborates agencies to inform legislation relating to with partners to study EDC presence, chemical production and disposal; and with profile, and potential effects on avian rethe public to inform awareness and encourproduction. One of these projects assesses age participation in responsible and safe EDC exposure in the California condor consumption of products. Gymnogyps californianus, a bird that may Though there is still much to learn, adnot typically be associated with oceans, vancing our fundamental understanding of but that is nevertheless connected to the pollutants and their effects in and around marine food web. oceans—as well as on the interconnected Condors are scavengers, and for those network of wildlife and humans around living within range of a coastline, beaches the world—is essential in clearing the path host a plentiful and reliable buffet of toward a healthier future everywhere.
DID YOU KNOW? Despite the long, frigid winter, polar bears don’t hibernate. Many continue to hunt for food—such as seals.
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Keeping
Watch Autonomous monitoring is a technological advantage for polar bear conservationists. With these hardy devices, scientists can focus on denning behaviors like never before.
A BY IAN INGRAM
|
SDZWA
polar bear mother gives birth to her cubs in a snow cave she has constructed to wait out the long, dark months of the Arctic winter. The cave becomes her maternal den. Researchers can learn a lot from studying bears’ behavior around their maternal dens. Simply recording things—like when mothers emerge with their cubs in spring, the amount of time they spend in and out of the den after that, and when they finally abandon the den to return to roaming the Arctic sea ice—can provide valuable insights into polar bears’ lives, and how the bears respond to the pressures of their surroundings, including those that we humans have brought about.
The unblinking eye of a Mini DenCam can record vital data under the harshest of weather conditions. PHOTO BY: KT MILLER/polarbearsinternational.org
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Focus on DenCams The dens are extraordinarily inaccessible, both because of the topography and remoteness of their locations and because of the extreme temperatures and weather during the time of year when the bears emerge. Nonetheless, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has worked for years in collaboration with Polar Bears International and the Norwegian Polar Institute to observe them. We have deployed increasingly sophisticated sensing systems near the dens to collect video and image data of the bears’ activities. These include trail cameras, but also a series of bespoke devices we simply call DenCams. The original DenCam gathered masses of valuable data about the polar bears, but was a beast to haul out to these remote and often mountainous places. In recent years, we have found ways to bring down its size, leading to the newest incarnation of the project: the Mini DenCam. A Mini DenCam is simply a computer-controlled video camera packed in a box tough enough to survive Arctic conditions. It is powered by large solar panels, but also has ample battery capacity to make it through the darkest part of the polar winter, before those panels get sufficient sun. The newest versions use cutting-edge battery chemistry that is even tougher in freezing temperatures, and more long-lived. The system is equipped with heaps of space to hold all of the videos it collects over a long season watching bears. Different lenses can be fitted in the field, depending on where it is deployed, relative to the den.
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Polar bear research is not for the faint of heart. The freezing temperatures, not to mention the remoteness of the dens’ locations, mean long journeys toting equipment and supplies. PHOTO BY: KT MILLER/polarbearsinternational.org
SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE / SDZWA.ORG / 13
DID YOU KNOW? It is challenging to count polar bears in their native habitat. Fewer than 26,000 polar bears are estimated to remain in the Arctic.
Smaller Is Better The primary modification that allowed us to bring down the size of the DenCams was adding a tiny computer, running custom software to control them. Using our own software meant we no longer needed to include a few of the larger hardware components that had been required in the previous systems, and it allowed us to reduce the size of other components, including the video camera itself. The computer controls the recording from the camera, manages the storage of the resulting videos, runs an interface for people to configure the system in the field, and logs other data about the system’s operation and surroundings, like temperature and information about how much power is coming from the solar panels. This data helps us learn even more about the environment of polar bears, but also helps us refine the engineering of the Mini DenCam itself to better optimize it for its intended purpose. All in all, the reduction in the number—and the volume— of its innards has meant the whole Mini DenCam is but a cub in size when compared to its DenCam mother. There remain, however, problems to solve. By the time in the season that the researchers arrive at the site of the maternal den, the bear is already safely ensconced in the den, with the entrance hidden beneath layers of ice and snow. The researchers know the general location of the den from the GPS fix they receive from the bear’s collar, but that still leaves a need for a fair amount of approximation in setting up and aiming a Mini DenCam toward the den. 14 / SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE JOURNAL / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
Selecting the best spot for a DenCam is tricky, as scientists need to set up the system well away from where the polar bear den is believed to be, so as not to compromise the bears’ activities. Also, the den is hidden beneath the snow that blankets the landscape, so it takes a great deal of judgment and experience on the scientists’ part to pick the most suitable location.
Promoting humanpolar bear coexistence Why it matters in a warming world BY GEOFF YORK AND MEGAN OWEN, PH.D.
PHOTO BY: KT MILLER/polarbearsinternational.org
As human activities continue to disrupt and extend into wildlife habitat, and drive changes in the ranging patterns of wildlife, challenges to human-wildlife coexistence are an intensifying keystone conservation challenge. From tigers in Sumatra to savanna elephants in northern Kenya, conflicts can arise when large wildlife species’ ranges overlap with human communities. For polar bears, developing approaches to ensure the safety of both people and bears is of critical importance. Historically—and unlike experiences with the brown bear in North America and Europe, or the sloth bear in India—contact and conflict with people occurred at a low and consistent rate for generations of polar bears and indigenous peoples. But, as Bob Dylan sang, “the times they are a-changin’”—and for the Arctic, change is occurring more rapidly than either polar bears or people have ever experienced.
PHOTO BY (RIGHT): SEPPFRIEDHUBER/E+/GETTY IMAGES
Too Close for Comfort Moreover, the camera’s field of view must be set to cover a wide enough area to guarantee that it covers the den’s location. Particularly in the remote, frozen islands of Svalbard, north of Norway, where the terrain is exceptionally rugged, this can be challenging. In the final videos captured by the system, the polar bear and her den might be quite small in the frame, and the cubs, of course, are even smaller! This data is still a gold mine of information for the researchers studying the bears, but even more could be gleaned if the Mini DenCams were only smart enough to recognize the bear and zoom in on it.
People who live, work, and recreate across the Arctic appear to be encountering polar bears with more frequency, and in places where polar bears were once either rare or were completely absent. Recent research confirms that polar bears are indeed spending more time ashore, and in larger numbers than in contemporary history—at least in some regions. Climate warming is driving a rapid and persistent reduction in summer sea ice and, as a result, more polar bears will be forced to decide: do they stay on the sea ice as it melts ever farther from shore and productive waters, or do they come ashore? Loss of sea ice is also opening the Arctic to increased human use. This creates an environment for increased conflict, which often has negative outcomes for both people and polar bears. Front-line conservation managers also worry about a time in the not-so-distant future when a series of bad sea ice years may place ▶
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Get to the Pinpoint An experimental descendant of the Mini DenCam, code-named Pinpoint DenCam, sets out to do just that. It would wait patiently for weeks watching a swath of snow-blanketed mountainside, constantly checking each frame of its video feed for the presence of a polar bear, using a machine-learning algorithm that has been trained specifically to recognize the distinctive shape of the bears. Then, when it does finally see the bear poke her head out from the snow for the first time in months, the system swivels to it and zooms in. With this simple action, this autonomous system—a keen little, polar bear-obsessed Arctic robot, if you will— would give us an even richer picture of the life of a mother polar bear, and of her young cubs who are seeing the world outside the den for the very first time. At this stage, Pinpoint DenCams exist only as prototypes. They currently do not watch cliffs covered in snow for bears, but instead scan hills covered in sage and cactuses for the species found in our own backyard Biodiversity Reserve, next to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. And, of course, they spend a lot of time on the bench in SDZWA’s Conservation Technology Lab. Here, toy animals, and even people, get to play the role of polar bears when we test the capabilities of these little robots, as they await the moment they are ready to fly off in a helicopter to remote parts of Svalbard and join our efforts to save species. Ian Ingram, M.S., a population sustainability senior researcher for SDZWA, leads the Conservation Technology Lab.
a large number of fooddeprived bears all too close to communities. What then? We know from wildlife efforts around the world that successful conservation relies heavily on the people who live and work in those shared habitats, especially for predators and large mammals. We talk a lot about the ecological carrying capacity of a given species or habitat, but all too rarely do we talk about the social carrying capacity—that is, the tolerance of the people who share that space with a given species. It’s very easy to say “save the polar bears,” but it is quite another thing to live with polar bears in your backyard, where your children play.
Tolerance Is Critical Successful conservation requires a strong tolerance for living with a given species. One way to build that tolerance is to ensure that people who live and work in polar bear country have the information and tools they need to keep themselves and their families safe. A key part of this effort is to reduce negative interactions between people and polar bears, and minimize potential conflict. To fulfill our mission, we understand the need to work both on the pressing conservation needs and issues of today, like conflict, while also doing our part to address the enduring threat of climate-driven habitat loss. Polar bears need us to be successful as we address both immediate and longer-term threats. Creating safe communities while supporting efforts to keep both visiting workers and tourists safe will directly benefit polar bears today, while building critical tolerance for this amazing but potentially dangerous species. What we love most about these efforts is that they truly require action and effort from everyone in the Arctic— communities, industry, scientists, managers, and visitors. Efforts to date have been both grassroots (based on community initiatives and volunteers), or more top-down, like the excellent work being done by Manitoba and Nunavut in Canada, the North Slope Borough in Alaska, and Sysselmannen in Norway, at the regional government level. One thing we must remember across the Arctic: people live here, and many still live low-impact, traditional lives, relying on wildlife for food. While polar bears are magnificent animals and respected by all, they are also predators, and can threaten local residents. Imagine having polar bears in your neighborhood, park, or backyard: this is a reality of life in some northern towns. We have to listen to the concerns of local communities, and work to support the solutions they identify as fitting their needs and their culture.
Geoff York is senior director of conservation for Polar Bears International. He has worked with polar bears and Arctic issues for more than 20 years. Megan Owen, Ph.D., is vice president of conservation science at SDZWA.
16 / SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE JOURNAL / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 PHOTO BY: KT MILLER/polarbearsinternational.org
Thank You for Standing with Us to Save Wildlife San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance would like to thank our 2021 partners for their support of our worldwide conservation efforts.
INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR BUSINESS? CONTACT OUR PARTNERSHIP MARKETING DEPARTMENT AT PARTNERSHIP@SDZWA.ORG.
DID YOU KNOW? Penguins periodically molt (replace all their feathers). A molting penguin fasts—it isn’t waterproof, so it can’t forage in the sea.
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BY LAND OR BY SEA
African penguins and California least terns share marine habitat challenges
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BY IGNACIO VILCHIS, PH.D.
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PHOTOS BY KEN BOHN
eabirds (gulls, albatrosses, petrels, alcids, penguins, and others) are entirely dependent on marine habitats for a large part of the year. As a group, they are among the most threatened birds in the world. We say this because just over a quarter (28 percent) of all seabird species are considered globally threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), compared to 14 percent of all assessed bird species. Among seabirds, albatrosses are the most threatened, with penguins closely following. Many of these seabird species have common threats, even though they have widely different lifestyles and inhabit distant places on earth. African penguins and California least terns, two example species from our Oceans conservation hub, inhabit oceans at opposite corners of the world. Yet they are both listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The threats they face are similar, and recovery plans for threatened seabirds also have commonalities, making the lessons we learn from recovering our local seabirds applicable in the recovery of threatened seabirds worldwide.
Above: Endangered California least terns are very light, graceful, and buoyant. When they speed up in flight, their wing beats are so rapid they reportedly cannot be counted.
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A
ll penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere. Most inhabit temperate oceans and coasts like we have in California. In southern Africa, African penguins Spheniscus demersus live on coastlines and offshore islands. Here, the Benguela current flows northward along the west coast of South Africa and Namibia, where its cold, nutrient-rich water promotes phytoplankton blooms that support large schools of sardines and anchovies, which in turn support African penguins’ high-energy lifestyle. Penguins literally fly underwater. Continuously diving for food requires lots of energy, and penguins need nearby sources of fatty fish to thrive. And because they live in large colonies, spending their days at sea feeding and their nights on shore, their food source not only has to be close, but also plentiful. At the colony, African penguins nest in burrows excavated in layers of guano (nitrogen-rich bird poop) or sandy soil, and on average raise one or more chicks per year. Working with the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) funds penguin monitoring and conservation in South Africa, and the McKinney Penguin Habitat at the San Diego Zoo helps build awareness for these endangered seabirds.
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At home in the sand: Female African penguins dig a burrow where they lay their eggs. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs for up to 40 days.
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DID YOU KNOW? African penguins can hold their breath for more than 2 minutes and dive over 400 feet deep.
espite being on opposite ends of the Earth, California and South Africa have surprisingly similar coastal and marine environments. Globally, there are only five regions governed by a Mediterranean climate—mild winters and hot, dry summers—and both California and South Africa are among them. Regionally, both the Benguela and California currents are eastern boundary currents. They flow along the eastern side of ocean basins (western coasts of continents), move cold water toward the equator, produce strong nutrient upwelling, and have
D
high productivity. California least terns Sternula antillarum browni migrate to California and Baja California every summer to nest, particularly due to the predictable and abundant food source that the California current can provide. While in California, these endangered birds nest on open and secluded beaches. They lay their eggs— typically two per year—in simple scrapes in the sand. And just like African penguins, they form large nesting colonies that rely on nearby sources of energy-rich fish like anchovies to successfully raise chicks. Every spring and summer, a team of SDZWA scientists, in partnership with the U.S. Navy and Marines, monitors two of Southern California’s largest least tern colonies, with the goal of learning what drives reproductive success, so we can best inform least tern recovery.
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Opposite page: California least terns usually lay two eggs, but clutch size varies from one to four. The eggs are incubated for about three weeks by both the male and female parent.
Besides similar habitats, African penguins and California least terns also share threats that have contributed to their endangered status. One common threat is habitat degradation. Historically, both species were able to use wide open coasts to nest. Because of guano mining for fertilizer, African penguins have lost layers of guano needed to make their nest burrows, leaving them to nest in less insulated and more exposed areas. In California, least terns have lost access to open beaches, having to concentrate their colonies, which nest on only a few remaining closed and secluded beaches. A second threat to both species is introduced or subsidized predators. Introduced predators are those that are not naturally found in the area. Subsidized predators are native, but occur at higher concentrations because urban environments directly or indirectly increase their numbers. Examples of subsidized predators include crows in California and gulls in Africa. Introduced and subsidized predators take adult penguins or terns, as well as their eggs and young. A third common threat is fish availability, which is likely related to climate change. Climate change may be shifting fish out of reach from nesting parents. Commercial fishing pressures may further reduce prey availability. Both African penguins and California least terns need nearby sources of food to raise their chicks. When their food source is displaced by an El Niño or other climatic variability, penguin and tern parents then must travel farther from their colony to find food. This means parents have to expend more energy to feed their chicks, and leave their nests unattended for longer periods of time. If this happens too often, chicks can starve and or die from predation or exposure. These and other threats have caused both African penguins and California least tern populations to take big hits. Last year’s African penguin population census indicates that
they are now at less than three percent of their historical numbers. In California, least tern populations have been decreasing for the last 10 years. Seabirds are made for the long haul, and we have hope for both these endangered seabirds to recover. As different as they are—one is a 7-pound diving projectile, while the other is a 1.5-ounce flying machine—they have similar life spans and reproductive strategies, living for about 20 to 25 years and raising two chicks per year. That’s a big contrast to most land-based birds, which typically have much shorter life spans and raise more offspring per year. The common house sparrow Passer domesticus, for example, lives only for about three to five years and can fledge eight chicks per year. This difference is the result of the much tougher lifestyle required to thrive in the ocean than on land, with food being harder to find and fresh water absent. To take advantage of good times, seabirds have evolved long life spans to be able to hold out through periods of poor conditions. The good news is that if we can give African penguins and California least terns a chance to recover, they will. The key is for people to to help them mitigate the threats in our changing world. Ignacio Vilchis, Ph.D., is associate director of recovery ecology for SDZWA.
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Pairs of California least terns in a typical colony. They nest on open beaches on the California coast.
100 Percent of a penguin’s diet comes from the sea.
<42K African penguins remain today.
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VISUALIZE IT
Waddling Worldwide
You might picture penguins hopping across ice and snow, but these social birds are found across the Southern Hemisphere—even on warm, sandy beaches! While their habitats vary, there’s one thing all 18 penguin species need: the ocean. Protecting them starts with protecting oceans, all across the planet. By Abi Karkenny | Illusrations by Amy Blandford
Galápagos Penguin
Chinstrap Penguin
King Penguin
Endangered
Stable
Stable
World’s northernmost penguin, with habitat on the equator.
Males and females sport a distinctive band of black facial feathers.
Incubates eggs between feet and abdominal skin, or “brood patch”—not in a nest.
Other species: SOUTH AMERICA Humboldt Penguin Vulnerable Magellanic Penguin Stable
SOUTH ATLANTIC AND INDIAN OCEANS Northern Rockhopper Endangered
ANTARCTICA AND SURROUNDING ISLANDS Gentoo Penguin Stable Southern Rockhopper Vulnerable
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Emperor Penguin
Near Threatened Largest of the penguin species, with strong claws to grip ice.
Macaroni Penguin
Vulnerable Skilled climbers, scaling rocky cliffs to find nesting areas.
Be a Wildlife Ally African penguins are endangered. Overfishing by people for penguins’ prey, like sardines and anchovies, is a major threat. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance works with partners to protect African penguins through our Oceans conservation hub. You can help by making sustainable seafood choices. Visit seafoodwatch.org or look for the Marine Stewardship Council label when shopping.
African Penguin
Little Penguin
Adélie Penguin
Endangered
Stable
Stable
Known for loud, donkeylike braying to communicate with colony members.
Smallest penguin species, also known as blue or fairy penguins.
Builds nests from small stones (and may steal them from neighboring nests).
Yelloweyed Penguin
Endangered More solitary than most penguins, preferring secluded areas away from neighbors.
Erect-crested Penguin
Endangered
Yellow feathers may help them attract mates or spot colony members underwater.
*Map shows regions where species live year-round. Some travel far beyond their resident locations seasonally.
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January & EVENTS
SAN DIEGO ZOO
January and February Hours San Diego Zoo 9 a.m.–5 p.m.*
San Diego Zoo Safari Park 9 a.m.–5 p.m.*
sdzwa.org
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
F E B R U A RY 2 7
O F F E R E D DA I LY
International Polar Bear Day
Discovery Cart Tours
Learn more about polar bears, and what San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and our partners are doing to help protect them in their Arctic habitats—which are part of SDZWA’s Oceans conservation hub. For more information, visit zoo.sdzwa.org/international-polar-bear-day. (Z)
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Sit back in the comfort of an expedition cart, and enjoy a 60-minute guided tour of the Zoo, led by one of our knowledgeable guides. Book online or call 619-718-3000. (Z)
February SAFARI PARK
J A N U A RY 2 2
Breakfast with Kangaroos See and learn more about the kangaroos of Walkabout Australia, and then enjoy a tasty buffet breakfast. Call 619-718-3000, or book online. (P) F E B R U A RY 1 2
Valentine’s Day Dinner Celebrate with a scrumptious meal prepared by Safari Park Executive Chef Grant Toraason. For reservations, call 619-718-3000 or book online. (P)
F E B R U A RY 1 –2 8
Seniors Free
Seniors age 65 and older get free admission to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park throughout the entire month of February. For full details, visit sdzsafaripark.org. (P) J A N U A RY 1 , 1 4 , 15, AND 16; F E B R U A RY 1 1 , 1 2 , 1 8 , 1 9, 2 0 , A N D 2 5
Supreme Roar & Snore Safari
The new Supreme Roar & Snore Safari—
available on All Ages and Adults Only sleepovers—offers a whole new level of adventure at the Safari Park! You’ll soar into camp on the Flightline Safari
zip line, take a Night Vision Safari to view wildlife through night vision binoculars, and later settle in for the evening in your own private tent. The next morning, enjoy
reserved VIP viewing of a cheetah running at top speed, then take a Wildlife Safari through savanna habitats for an upclose view of wildlife. Call 619-718-3000. (P)
F E B R U A RY 11 AND 12
Adults Only Roar & Snore Safari: Wild About You Learn about mate selection, mating behaviors, and love in the animal world at this adults-only sleepover at the Safari Park. For reservations, call 619-718-3000. (P)
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Visit the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Explorers website to find out about wildlife and habitats, plus videos, crafts, stories, games, and more! sdzwildlifeexplorers.org
Saving Your Place Taking shorter showers, turning off lights when you leave a room, and decreasing food waste are just three things we can all do at home to help conserve natural resources. In the grid below, there are 12 words associated with wildlife, habitat challenges, and conservation. Can you find them all? Remember to look up, down, backward, and forward. Ready, set, go—find the solutions for tomorrow! 1 Composting
A system to recycle leftover food, garden waste, and pieces of cardboard.
2 Conservation
The protection of wildlife and natural resources.
3 Deforestation
The act of clearing trees for agriculture, grazing, firewood, and buildings.
4 Ecosystem
A community of wildlife and its environment that functions as a unit.
5 Energy
Power that comes from gas, electricity, or other sources. It’s what you save by turning off your lights!
6 Plastic
About 8 million tons of this strong, durable, waterproof material is dumped into the oceans each year.
P F W E H K S N M G O I
N R V C T O N K
L S X U F O A
L
T
L H L G Q N T T E
S
U I
J W B S
I
I
A N U
T N A S O E B T E G I G A P W R A S R C O V M A J
V H E G E
N O S F N A C R Y F C T E F E T
S O H I
E K
R F N L
I
X P
I
R E T A W O I H J
T X W N E D A L
E C O S Y C I
E X D
T
S T E M I
S A L
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P B B W
7 Habitats
A plant or animal’s home.
8 Pollution
The introduction of contaminants into the environment.
9 (Food) Waste
One-third of the food intended for human consumption, around 1.3 billion tons, is wasted or lost each year.
10 Water
Taking shorter showers and not leaving the tap running when you’re brushing your teeth are ways to save this.
11 Wildlife
All organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by people.
12 (Over) Fishing
When fish are caught faster than they can reproduce, putting pressure on ocean ecosystems.
Not discovered until 2001, this stunning Peruvian orchid Phragmipedium kovachii is very rare, found growing terrestrially on steep slopes of calcareous rock at altitudes between 5,900 and 7,200 feet. SDZWA horticulturists self-pollinated the plant in our greenhouse, hoping for the formation of capsules and fertile seeds that can be sown under sterile conditions in our lab. Photographed by Tammy Spratt, SDZWA photographer.
LAST LOOK
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JOURNAL
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance P.O. Box 120551, San Diego, CA 92112
Looking Ahead Please remember San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in your will or trust. Together, we can create a better future for wildlife. Contact us today to request sample bequest language that will help you make your gift. ZooLegacy.org 619-557-3947 donations@sdzwa.org
