ZooTracks Winter 2012 by Sedgwick County Zoo

MEMBER’S MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER • DECEMBER • JANUARY • FEBRUARY WINTER 2012 / 2013

INSIDE

WILD EXPERIENCES 2013 CALENDAR WINTER LEARNING ADVENTURES

FEATURE STORY

ZooTracks

A Sedgwick County Zoological Society magazine for members Publisher Sedgwick County Zoological Society, Inc. © 2012 All rights reserved. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Mark C. Reed PRESIDENT Scott Ochs TRUSTEES Jeff Ablah Kevin J. Arnel Ron Brunton William P. Buchanan Martha C. Buford Kelly E. Callen Mark C. DeVries John Dunlop III Allan Dunne Genevieve Farha Rhonda Fullerton Steve Harris Michael Herbert Ronald Holt Steven A. Houlik Dirk Jones Sarah Kauffman Don J. Knappenberger Dave Larson Buz Lukens Gayle Malone Sam Marnick Doug Neff Martin W. Park Sue Pearce Mary Lynn Priest Scott Redler Barry Schwan Jay Smith David M. Unruh Suzanne Vaupel Marty Wells Sheryl Wohlford MAGAZINE COMMITTEE Schanee Anderson Karen Bates Melissa Graham Ryan Gulker Scott Newland Steven Onken Jonathan Rold ON THE COVER— Humboldt penguins at home in the Cessna Penguin Cove.

Wild Experiences! For a zookeeper the opportunity to observe, in the wild, a species that they care for is a dream come true. Recently three Sedgwick County Zoo keepers had the chance to do just that, by traveling to work with two bird species in the wild: Humboldt penguins and Caribbean flamingos. Here are their stories. Humboldt Penguin Guano Harvest and Census —Punta San Juan, Peru The Sedgwick County Zoo has been a long time supporter, a long with St. Louis Zoo and others, of the conservation efforts at the Punta San Juan reserve. This is the first time that the Sedgwick County Zoo has had the opportunity to send keepers to the region. Punta San Juan is a 111-acre reserve located in Southern Peru. This small reserve is home to an estimated 224,000 birds, including Humboldt penguins, Inca terns, Peruvian pelicans, Peruvian boobies, and the Guanay cormorant. The area is also home to many marine mammals including the South American fur seal and the South American sea lion. Punta San Juan is a flourishing reserve for two main reasons. The first is the protective wall that stretches the entire length of the reserve and is guarded year-round. The wall was built in the 1940s to keep wildlife from wandering around the neighboring town and to keep people, as well as domesticated dogs and cats, from disturbing the wildlife. The other reason for Punta San Juan’s success is the cold waters of the Humboldt Current. This current provides nutrient-rich water supporting large numbers of schooling fish near the coastline. These fish provide a great food source for the birds and marine mammals inhabiting the area. Penguin Keepers Steve Larson and Megan Sweetwood traveled to Peru on two separate trips. The following are their accounts of the amazing, in-the-field experiences.

“This was my first time out of the country for me and I couldn’t have had a better experience. The country is beautiful and filled with culture and nature.” —Steve Larson The best way to describe Punta San Juan’s landscape is that it looks like Mars with an ocean. The southern region of Peru is considered a desert. It is nothing but rock and sand, with no green plants to be found. The coastal line is made up of sheer cliffs and rocky outcroppings. It was amazing to watch the penguins, with relative ease, climbing these cliffs every day. Punta San Juan is also known for being one of the windiest places on Earth; there is a steady 10 to 15 mph wind every day. A powerful air column is created by the strong winds coming off the ocean and meeting the cliffs, and the Inca terns and sea gulls would shoot up and down it like an amusement ride. I was involved in an observational study of Humboldt penguins and other coastal marine wildlife in the reserve. My job was to assist the head researchers in observing the penguin colonies and other coastal marine wildlife during Peru’s Department of Agriculture guano harvest. About every five years the Department of Agriculture allows people to come into the reserve to harvest guano. Guano (feces) is a vital component to the fertilizer used in the farming community of Peru. Harvesting the guano is a labor-intensive work that is all done by hand and this year’s quota was 500,000 tons of guano. This year the harvesting was allowed in September and October because it falls in between the two breeding seasons of the Humboldt penguin. In previous years the harvest has disrupted the breeding seasons of penguins and other guano-producing birds. Working in groups of three, we were looking for disturbances to the wildlife caused by the harvest. The penguin colonies are found nearest to the site of the harvest, and therefore most likely to be disturbed. To lessen the disturbance to the colonies we built penguin blinds, or visual barriers, between the penguins and the areas being harvested.

We also observed lounging adult fur seals and sea lions and their young pups play and chase each other in the surf. We watched penguins intermingle with rafts of sea lions. Sea gulls would wait for a chance to steal an egg from an inattentive penguin. Although I never saw a fox, their footprints were

often found following a pair of penguin footprints. The interaction between different species was enjoyable to witness. It was like watching The Discovery Channel but actually being there in person!

“As soon as I arrived at Punta San Juan I was in awe of its beauty and the sheer amount of wildlife.” —Megan Sweetwood

For the two weeks I was in Punta San Juan my job was to assist with the census of the south side of the reserve. Luckily I had help from my field partner Sunna Edberg, a zookeeper from the Kolmarden Zoo in Sweden. Twice a day we walked along the cliffs using binoculars to count the Humboldt penguins, fur seals and sea lions on the beaches and cliffs below us. Some areas had blinds to hide us from the animals we were counting. The blinds were small wooden boxes just big enough for two people to sit in. They not only hid us from the animals, but also gave us a break from the cold wind. Other counting areas were without blinds; this meant we had to slowly approach the cliffs, watching our body language to not disturb the wildlife below. At first counting was overwhelming. Each counting area and species posed its own problem. The nearly 40,000 Humboldt penguins were always moving and it seemed as if they could never decide where they wanted to go. Sunna, my field partner, liked to say, “The penguins are going to indecisive city.” The fur seals were not any easier; they were often partially hidden in the rocks, caves, or near a cliff’s edge. 2

As for the sea lions, they just had no sense of personal space. They would lie very close or directly on top of each other, making it hard to distinguish individuals. Despite all these challenges, counting became much easier with practice. We soon learned to warn each other of penguins walking in or out of the counting area or, as we would say, “going to indecisive city.” We also learned where all the hiding places in the rocks were, and how to visually divide up the large tight groups of animals in order for them to be accurately counted. During the census we were also able to watch the everyday behavior of many species, such as thousands of Guanay cormorants leaving for and returning from feeding trips, Humboldt penguins feeding their chicks, Peruvian boobies diving headfirst into the ocean for a fish, and even a few fur seals giving birth.

Along with conducting the census we also did tag checks twice a day. A few fur seals were tagged with yellow, green or red cattle tags. The tags are placed on each flipper and have a two-digit number and a letter. This code indicates when the seal was tagged, and if it was tagged as a pup or an adult. We took note of all tagged animals, recording which beach they were on and their general age. For adult females, we also noted if they were nursing a pup and if so, how many pups they were nursing. This data is a good indicator of whether the wildlife at Punta San Juan is thriving. Punta San Juan is a huge success. However, if you look at the beaches just outside the wall, it is a completely different story. There are very few to no animals seen. This exemplifies the importance of protecting the environment and respecting the wildlife. The biologists at Punta San Juan are also working on a project called “Building Bridges.” Building Bridges is designed to educate the general public about protecting the environment and respecting the wildlife in their backyard. This experience has truly inspired me, and furthermore proven the importance of protecting our environment. Caribbean Flamingo Wildlife Expedition —Rio Lagartos, Mexico

“I learned the true value of the success of a long-term conservation project as well as the challenges such a project encounters.”—Philip Horvey

Rio Lagartos is located at the northern tip of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, where the Gulf of Mexico meets the Caribbean Sea. The area is mostly comprised of mangrove forests and manmade salt flats. The unique combination of muddy flatlands, shallow waters, and large populations of the flamingos’ main food source, brine shrimp, creates the perfect environmental conditions for a large colony of nesting flamingos. The nesting zone studied in this expedition was located within the Reserva de la Biosfera Ria Lagartos (Ria Largartos Biosphere Reserve). The Reserve contains approximately 5,000 birds and boasts 85% of the total flamingo hatches in Mexico. It is considered to be one of the most important nesting locations for Caribbean flamingos in the world. The Caribbean Flamingo Wildlife Expedition began in 1999, and was designed as a long-term research and conservation program. The Expedition paired zookeepers from Dallas Zoo, Tracy Aviary, Sea World San Diego, and Sedgwick County Zoo with local biologists in order to gather basic biological information on Caribbean flamingos. The information gathered includes migration patterns, nutrition, parental care and the general health of the flamingo population. The Expedition group also bands, weighs and measures hundreds of juvenile flamingos in one of the largest breeding colonies for Caribbean flamingos in the world. During the nesting season, all of the juvenile flamingos within the colony will gather into one area, known as a creche. The majority of the adult flamingos will spend their time foraging, with only a few adults left to attend the creche. The juvenile flamingos cannot fly, and thus can be herded into corrals that Expedition volunteers use to facilitate the conservation and research program. The Expedition relies on the expertise of professional zookeepers, including myself, to help train the local volunteers in proper techniques to restrain the flamingo chicks in order to avoid injury to the birds and themselves. We also helped local veterinary staff with the taking of blood samples and weighing and banding the birds. Finally, we assisted local volunteers with the process of corralling the flamingo chicks and

ultimately releasing those chicks to rejoin the larger portion of the nesting colony. The Expedition banded a total of 494 Caribbean flamingo chicks this year. By participating in this project, I learned the true value of the success of a long-term conservation project as well as the challenges such a project encounters. An Expedition such as this requires that diverse groups of people, with different knowledge and expertise, be coordinated together to accomplish a singular goal. That type of coordination is not easily attained when it involves combining highly specific and technical instruction with two different primary languages, but the organizers of the Expedition have learned to do so with ease. Not only did I learn valuable lessons from this experience, I gained a deep appreciation for the hard work and dedication the local biologists put into their care and concern for the Caribbean flamingo population. The knowledge I gained from this experience will no doubt enhance the care that I am able to give our captive Caribbean flamingo population at the Sedgwick County Zoo. The Zoo’s colony of Humboldt penguins and flock of Caribbean flamingos are the ambassadors for the wild populations in Peru and Mexico. The birds that call Sedgwick County Zoo home give guests an opportunity to see the beauty and charisma of each of these species. Now the wild penguins and flamingos have human ambassadors to share their story through their experiences in the field.

COMING SOON...

Sedgwick County Zoo would like to thank the sponsors of

SAFARI ADVENTURE DAY 2012 Their contributions allowed Sedgwick County Zoo to provide an exciting and education filled day for nearly 600 area students!

Thanks to

NOVEMBER

zoo gift shop coupon

valid from 11/1/12 to 11/30/12

% PLUSH 15off

regular price

One Coupon per person/per purchase. Must have membership ID and coupon to redeem.

DECEMBER

zoo gift shop coupon

valid from 12/1/12 to 12/31/12

VISIT SCZ.ORG to view the 2011 Annual Report for Sedgwick County Zoo.

Wonders of Wildlife Learning Adventure Wed 11/21 Thanksgiving Safari 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Fee: $10 for members, $12 for non-members.

Mon 3/18 thru Fri 3/22 Spring Fling 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Fee: $145.00 for members $160.00 for non-members for the five-day class.

Before & After Care for All Day WOW Classes 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Students Fee: $5.00 for the one day class in November and $15.00 for the week long class in March.

25off

ONE purchase of regular priced merchandise

One Coupon per person/per purchase. Must have membership ID and coupon to redeem.

JANUARY

zoo gift shop coupon

valid from 1/1/13 to 1/31/13

% 10off

CLEARANCE ITEMS

One Coupon per person/per purchase. Must have membership ID and coupon to redeem.

FEBRUARY

zoo gift shop coupon

valid from 2/1/13 to 2/28/13

15off

PLASTIC ANIMAL, TOOBS, TRAINS, CARS AND TRUCKS. Regular price

One Coupon per person/per purchase. Must have membership ID and coupon to redeem.

DISCOVERY

Education Program Schedule All classes are held in the Cargill Learning Center unless otherwise noted. Please visit www.scz.org for program information and brief class descriptions of individual classes. Space is limited and pre-registration is required for classes. Please call 316-266-8213 to register. Classes take place rain or shine. For the safety and enjoyment of everyone, no older or younger siblings, including infants, are allowed in age specific classes unless otherwise noted.

Class

Wee Wigglers

Date

Topic

Wed 11/7 Parrot

Age: 12–23 mo. Wed 11/7 Parrot+ Members: $4 Thur 11/8 Parrot Nonmembers: $6 $ Additional person: 2 Thur 11/8 Parrot Tues 12/4 Tongue +Siblings up to four years of age Tues 12/4 Tongue may also attend these classes for an Wed 12/5 Tongue additional $2 Wed 12/5 Tongue+

Start–End Time 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Class

Owlet

11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Wed 1/2 Snake

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Wed 1/2 Snake+

11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Thur 1/3 Snake

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Thur 1/3 Snake

11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Tues 2/5 Salamander

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Tues 2/5 Salamander

11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Wed 2/6 Salamander

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Ewe & Me

Owlet

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Wed 3/6 Turtle+

11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Thur 3/7 Turtle

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Thur 3/7 Turtle

11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Wed 11/28 Parrot

10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Age: 2–3 Wed 11/28 Parrot+ Members: $6 Thur 11/29 Parrot Nonmembers: $8 $ Additional person: 3 Thur 11/29 Parrot Thur 11/29 Parrot +Siblings up to four years of age Tues 12/18 Tongue may also attend these classes for an Tues 12/18 Tongue additional $3 Tues 12/18 Tongue

11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Wed 12/19 Tongue

10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Wed 12/19 Tongue+

11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Wed 1/16 Snake

10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Wed 1/16 Snake+

11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Thur 1/17 Snake

10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Thur 1/17 Snake

11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

may also attend these classes for an additional $4

Pajama Party Family of up to 5 members, children ages 0–K

Members: $17 Nonmembers: $19 Additional person: $5

Sunset Safari

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Thur 2/14 Amazing

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Sat 11/3 Avian Patriots 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Fri 11/9 Avian Patriots 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Sat 12/1 Animals of the 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Night Fri 12/7 Animals of the 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Night Sat 1/5 What's for 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Dinner? Fri 1/11 What's for 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Dinner? Sat 2/2 Friendly Frogs 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Fri 2/8 Friendly Frogs 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Sat 3/2 Lively Lizards 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Fri 3/8 Lively Lizards 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Tues 11/13 Age: 12 mo.–6 years Tues 12/11 Members: $6 Tues 1/8 Nonmembers: $8 $ Additional person: 3 Tues 2/12

Parrot

6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Tongues

6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Snake

6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Turtle

6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Tues 3/12 Salamander

2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Tues 2/19 Salamander 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Tues 2/19 Salamander 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Tot Tuesdays

Tues 2/19 Salamander 2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Wed 2/20 Salamander 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Wed 2/20 Salamander+ 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

NO COST

10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Wed 3/13 Snakes are Special 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Wed 1/9 Jungle Fun+ Wed 2/13 Amazing

Special+

11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Thur 3/21 Turtle

11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. 2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Tues 11/13 Amazing Eagles 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Wed 11/14 Amazing Eagles+ 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Wed 3/13 Snakes are

10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Start–End Time

Tues 3/12 Snakes are Special 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Tues 3/12 Snakes are Special 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Wed 3/20 Turtle+

Thur 3/21 Turtle

Amphibians

11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Wed 3/20 Turtle

Thur 3/21 Turtle

Amphibians+

10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Thur 1/17 Snake

Topic

Age: 4–K Members: $8 Wed 12/12 Tongue Trivia+ Nonmembers: $10 $ Thur 12/13 Tongue Trivia Additional person: 4 Tues 1/8 Jungle Fun +Younger siblings

Wed 2/6 Salamander+ 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Wed 3/6 Turtle

Date

Age: 3–5 siblings welcome

6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Tues 11/27 Terrific Turkeys 10:30 a.m.–11:00 a.m. Tues 12/25 No Class Due to Holiday 10:30 a.m.–11:00 a.m. Tues 1/22 Kansas Celebration Tues 2/26 Totally Turtles 10:30 a.m.–11:00 a.m. 10:30 a.m.–11:00 a.m. Tues 3/26 Super Salamanders

Class

Date

ZOOper Kids

Grades: 1–5 Members: $8 Nonmembers: $10

Start–End Time

Sat 11/10 Flocks of Fun Sat 12/15 Animal Gift Givers Sat 1/12 Happy Birthday, Kansas Sat 2/9 It's Not Easy Being Green… Sat 3/9 Excuse Me While I Shed My Scales

2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Sun 11/18 Cassowary

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Sun 12/30 Chimpanzee

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Sun 1/27 Prairie Dog

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Sun 2/24 Salamander

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Sun 3/24 Snake

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

"ZOO"per Stars Grades: 1–5 Members: $6 Nonmembers: $8

Topic

2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Homeschool Expeditions

Wed 11/7 Flights of Fancy 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Wed 12/12 Season's 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Treatings Grades: 1–5 Members: $6 per 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Wed 1/16 Celebrate child maximum Kansas charge of $15 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Wed 2/6 Amphibian Nonmembers: $8 Allies per child maximum charge of $18.00 Wed 3/6 Slither, Scuttle, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. and Sprint

NEW!

Farm Families

Families of all ages Members: 15 per participant $

Mon 3/4– Session One Sun 5/5

Varies

Topic

Gorillas Includes up to five Sat 1/12 Veterinary family members, ages Medicine 5+ Sat 3/9 Farms $ Members: 17 Nonmembers: $19 Additional people/ Individual fee: $8

Wheeling Wild Club

Adult & Family— must be on bicycle or attached wagon. Members: $30 1 ride per month Nonmembers: $34 1 ride per month

Start–End Time 10:00 a.m. –11:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m. –11:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m. –11:30 a.m.

Wed 3/20 Sponsored by 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Bicycle X-change thru Wed 10/16 3rd Wed each month

Rides will not be rescheduled if inclement weather

Senior Wednesdays

Wed 11/14 Fantastic Fish Wed 12/5 Holiday Party at Wichita Active guests over 55 Art Museum $4 per adult Wed 1/9 Common Pre-registration not required Kansas Bugs Wed 2/13 Superlative Animals Wed 3/13 Creatures in Comics

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Social Hour

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Coffee Connections 3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. 3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Date

Backstage Pass Sat 11/10

Ages 21+ Members: $25 Nonmembers: $30

Nonmembers: $20 per participant **Go to scz.org for more information**

So You Want to Thur 12/20 Gorillas Be a Zookeeper Thur 2/21 Lizards Teens Members: $10 Nonmembers: $12

Class

Fri 11/16 Wild Wines

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.