FOR MEMBERS OF WOODLAND PARK ZOO • SUMMER 2020
THIS IS HOW WE ZOO RECHARGE YOUR PASSION FOR SAVING SPECIES
N, IO T I D L E OU ! A Y T IGI FOR D R VE JUST E T O|OSummer 2020 | zoo.org 1 MYZOO Member SMagazine FI R MY Z
HELLO, LUNA!
MYZOO MEMBER MAGAZINE WOODLAND PARK ZOO 5500 Phinney Avenue North Seattle, Washington 98103 MAIN ZOO LINE: 206.548.2500 GENERAL EMAIL: zooinfo@zoo.org MEMBERSHIP EMAIL: membership@zoo.org www.zoo.org ZOO HOURS: Visit zoo.org/visit for hours and pricing.
Alejandro Grajal, PhD, President and CEO Michele Smith, Chief Financial Officer 2020 BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS Matt Rosauer, Chair Sandy Stelling, Vice Chair Jill Walker, Treasurer Irwin Goverman, Secretary Jeff Leppo, Immediate Past Chair
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DIRECTORS Amy Alcala Linda Allen Kristi Branch Anders Brown Warren Brown Jim Burgett Lisa Graumlich Barbara Gordon Angela Griffin Mike Hanlon Marlon Herrera Matt Hill Holly Hirai Sandra Madrid Ben Magnano Jackie Martinez-Vasquez Katie Matison Shelley McKinley Leigh McMillan
Larry Phillips Robert Plotnick Bart Ricketts Kyle Rolfe Kevin Schofield Diane Shrewsbury Bryan Slinker Ethan Stowell Stephanie True Tiara Turner Pallavi Wahi Joe Woods Evan Wyman Ex officio Jesús Aguirre Alejandro Grajal Jeanne Kohl-Welles
MyZoo Summer 2020. Volume 22. Issue 2. Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, WA General Information: 206.548.2500 Membership Department and Address Changes: 206.548.2400, membership@zoo.org Editor-in-Chief: Kirsten Pisto, kirsten.pisto@zoo.org Design Direction: Kelly Hampson, kelly.hampson@zoo.org Photo Direction: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, jeremy.dwyer-lindgren@zoo.org Contributing Writer: Elizabeth Bacher, elizabeth.bacher@zoo.org Designers: Meghan Payne, meghan.payne@zoo.org, Misty Fried, misty.fried@zoo.org, Kelly Hampson, kelly.hampson@zoo.org For Advertising Information: zoo.ads@zoo.org or 206.548.2625 Comments or questions? Write 5500 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98103-5865 or email zooinfo@zoo.org
Luna the mountain goat was born on May 15. She is learning to climb the slopes with mom, Atlin, and has become Zeus’s little shadow. Come see her on the zoo's Northern Trail.
Woodland Park Zoo is a City of Seattle facility managed and operated by the nonprofit Woodland Park Zoological Society. MyZoo (ISSN 2153-45659) is published quarterly for $6.00 per year for Woodland Park Zoo (WPZ) members from membership dues by WPZ at 5500 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98103-5865. Non-profit postage paid at Seattle WA. POSTMASTER send address change to: MyZoo, Woodland Park Zoo, 5500 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98103-5865 All photos are property of Woodland Park Zoo unless otherwise noted. Woodland Park Zoo is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Reserve your entry time today at zoo.org. 2 MYZOO Member Magazine | Summer 2020 | zoo.org
™
CONTENTS CONTENTS SUMMER
FEATURES 12
Carnivore Spotter: What do you see? How many carnivores do you think share your neighborhood?
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Welcome Baby Tapir A precious tapir calf has stolen our hearts with her watermelon-like stripes and spots. Animal Spotlight: Pudu Get to know Ted, Maggie and baby Chile!
ON THE COVER: New mom Uzumma bonds with her baby Kitoko on a sunny spring day. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, WPZ.
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Nature Play Begin a lifelong relationship with nature for your little one
15
Kitoko Born on March 4, this little gorilla is full of energy and a lot like his mama, Uzumma!
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Hello Jibini
10
Meet the Keepers
11
Member Tips
14
Saving Gorillas
18
Otterly Awesome Things
19
Summer Reads
24
Caturday
28
Kids Pages
MYZOO Member Magazine | Summer 2020 | zoo.org    3
ALL SCHOOLS ½ page horizontal ad space NEED SUPPORT. 8” x 5.16” From cleaner skies to cleaner oceans, rivers and other vital habitats, Boeing is proud to support a wide variety of crucial environmental and education initiatives. Students can find out more about our free and engaging online educational resources at www.boeingfutureu.com.
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THIS CARD MAKES MUSIC.
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Dear Members, Thank you for your incredible generosity and support since Woodland Park Zoo closed temporarily to the public. Now that we have reopened, we are committed to providing you and our community with the extraordinary experiences that define our zoo. Spring delivered babies and hatchlings across our zoo, including red panda cubs, wallaby joeys, a pudu fawn, tortoise hatchlings, ducklings and many many more! This summer, these new additions to our zoo family are feeling the love our guests and animal keepers have been heaping upon them.
WOODLAND PARK ZOO SAVES WILDLIFE AND
I am proud of the tremendous work our zoo put in to develop robust safety and social distancing protocols that align with public health guidance. The changes we made for timed-entry ticketing will help manage crowd size. Guests are now guided along a one-way path through the zoo to provide access to the vast majority of our habitats. We have increased our already extensive cleaning protocols to keep everyone healthy and safe. Thank you for your patience as we all adjust to the new zoo experience. You can always visit www.zoo.org for the latest updates as public heath directives and our response change. What has never changed and will never change is our commitment to providing you and your family with a special place to reconnect with nature and each other.
INSPIRES EVERYONE TO MAKE CONSERVATION A PRIORITY IN THEIR LIVES.
Words fail to express the sustaining and revitalizing impact our community has on everyone here at Woodland Park Zoo. Your messages of support while we were closed reinforced why we love what we do. The Woodland Park Zoo Relief Fund was a tremendous investment from our community to help us weather this public health crisis. From all of us at Woodland Park Zoo, thank you for continuing to prioritize the health and well-being of the animals in our care and those in the wild. Sincerely,
Alejandro Grajal, PhD President and CEO
MYZOO Member Magazine | Summer 2020 | zoo.org 5
HELLO, JIBINI! This is Jibini—the newest, and youngest member of our Ambassador Animals team. He is a Verreaux eagle-owl, more commonly known as a milky eagle owl—the first of his species at Woodland Park Zoo. The “eagle” part of the name “eagle owl” is a size reference. This bird is technically a very large owl— one of the largest in the world actually!
A
fter arriving as an egg from Zoo Atlanta, where his parents live, Jibini hatched on January 28, 2020 under the watchful eye of our dedicated keepers. He was smaller than a tennis ball, mostly featherless except for some fuzzy down, and his eyes hadn’t opened yet. For the first few weeks, Jibini spent most of his time in an incubator to help keep him warm. Our keepers checked on him every couple of hours round-the-clock to fill his tummy with nutritious bits of mice, talk to him and make sure all his needs were being met. The milky eagle owl is not endangered, but—like many birds of prey that need large territories—it is threatened by habitat loss. It most likely earns its name from its distinctive, bare, pinkish eyelids that are visible during a blink or a nap—a feature no
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other owl species has. And Jibini earned his name from that too. Our dedicated keepers, who have fallen head over wings for him, wanted to keep with the dairy theme of the species name, so they chose to call him Jibini which means “cheese” in Swahili. Swahili is one of the languages spoken in subSaharan Africa where this owl is a native species. It’s a myth that mice love to eat cheese— typically they don’t. But it’s 100% true that this “cheese” loves to eat mice! Jibini, like most owls, loves snacking on his “meesus pieces,” as the keepers call it. YUM! As he grows he will likely sample other favorite owl delicacies too, like quail, rat and rabbit. In nature, a milky eagle owl is an opportunistic predator—meaning that anything it catches can be on the menu.
Common meals include hedgehogs, weasels, other birds, reptiles and amphibians like snakes and frogs. These giants of the raptor world can even prey on small monkeys! More than 4 months old now, Jibini is already fully grown with a wingspan of nearly 5 feet. Most young birds are the same size as adults by the time they’re able to take wing—and females tend to be even bigger than the males. At hatching, Jibini weighed less than 2 ounces and now he is about 3.7 pounds. Birds that fly have hollow bones which make them lighter, so 3.7 pounds may not seem heavy, but that is a lot of bird! Jibini outgrew his original incubator “nest” pretty quickly so his new pad is a spacious flight pen at Woodland Park Zoo’s Raptor Barn where he has plenty of room to stretch out and exercise those huge wings. His keepers tell us he’s a quick learner, and is building more confidence every day as he learns how to use his big feet for takeoffs, landings and grabbing hold of things. They say he’s easy going, loves to take part in training sessions with all his keepers, and has shown quite a talent for napping, even when lots of activities are going on around him—though we’re pretty sure he wakes up for snack time!
Click image to watch our milky eagle owl grow from egg to Jibini! In the coming months, Jibini will continue to work with his keeper family to master the most important role of being an ambassador animal: meeting and greeting people and helping to educate them about owls. Before long, he’ll be ready to meet you as we welcome you back to Woodland Park Zoo! Elizabeth Bacher, Staff Writer Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren and Ambassador Animals Team, WPZ
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NATURE
B
eing an animal is complicated.
You’ve got specific foods you need to forage or hunt for, shelter and water to find, and sometimes you even need to know how to get along with others. Exhausting! It’s a good thing the animals with the most complicated intellectual and emotional lives have a great way to learn all this— and a fun one, too! It’s called play. No doubt you’ve seen many of our zoo babies playing over the years. For youngsters like gorillas, red panda cubs, or river otter pups, play seems to be their constant occupation. And in truth, that’s exactly what it is. The more complex an animal’s life is, the more they have to spend their To bring up the next youth practicing all skills they’ll need generation to value the to be a successful nature, we need to adult. Sound familiar? life is about create for children a Human as complicated as nature normal—a it gets, and that’s why our children lifelong routine of need play.
positive experiences in and with nature.
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What, where, and how children play
are important—to the children, and to the world they live in. The young brain develops at an astounding rate. At birth, a baby’s brain weighs just under a pound. By the time that baby turns 3 years old, that brain weighs nearly 21/2 pounds! But it’s not just growth, it’s connectivity. In those early months, a staggering one million new connections between brain cells are formed every second—that's not a typo, one million new connections per second—as the baby has a wealth of repeated experiences. As the baby matures, not all those connections are kept by the developing brain. Some connections are strengthened by repetition, while others are pruned away. This helps build not just a brain, but a specific brain, designed to help that individual thrive in the environment they live in. The process of early brain development has echoes throughout life. The experiences of early childhood shape what we value in a direct, physical way. To bring up the next generation to value nature, we need to create for children a nature normal—a lifelong routine of positive experiences in and with nature. How? Let us suggest nature play. Nature play is simple. It is freely chosen, child-directed play in which the child actively engages with natural materials. It is fully accessible—anyone can do it, anywhere they are. The possibilities are endless, indoors or out. Some locations are obvious opportunities for nature play, and the adults just need to provide time and space for it to happen. If you’re out getting fresh air and exercise in the park, remember that exercise isn’t the only thing. If your child suddenly stops to play with pine cones, let them! Was it raining earlier? Make sure to put on boots before you leave, so you’re not tempted to stop them from splashing in the puddles. Do you have a backyard? Check for and correct hazards first, so you can let your youngster explore with a reasonable level of freedom. Then, let them! If you’re a gardener and have plants that need delicate treatment, fence those off separately, so your child can use the rest of the yard as they wish—digging up plants to see what their roots look like, scooping together topsoil to build a child-size mountain, or snapping off branches deep under a shrub to create a den to curl up in.
Don’t let hard-to-access outdoor space stop you from experiencing nature play either! Re-think what you consider a toy. Enjoying some fresh oranges? Give your toddler the peels to play with. Provide extra time in the bath to just play with the water. Mix some cornstarch and water in a bowl, then let your child play with it on a towel on the floor— you might even want to play with it yourself. It's a weird substance, courtesy of nature! There are so many things to try! Don’t worry if you offer something and your child isn’t interested. Just offer it again another day. There’s also no issue if your child does something totally unexpected with the natural materials you provide—in fact, it’s great! One of the most important aspects of nature play is that it is freely chosen, and directed by the child— save the directions for One of the most things like learning to important aspects of wash hands properly.
nature play is that it is freely chosen, and directed by the child.
An increasing range of studies confirm the benefits for both children and adults connecting with nature and engaging in nature play. Natural materials are inherently more complex than a manufactured replica can be, and are able to engage the senses and attention of a young child longer and more completely. The non-directed aspect of nature play is known to build creativity in ways a building set or game with a predetermined goal cannot. And science is increasingly clear that children who spend significant time in and with nature experience less stress, are more cooperative, and have better academic success than children who don’t. Next time you come to the zoo, allow your young learners to explore a rock, a pine cone or a puddle. We’re not just wildlife—we're a full nature oasis! Sheri Hill, PhD with Janel Kempf, Learning & Innovation Photos by Nurpalah Dee on Unsplash and Dave Clubb on Unsplash
MYZOO Member Magazine | Summer 2020 | zoo.org 9
MEET THE
KEEPERS! When our gates were temporarily closed, our critical earned revenue that helps fund our people and mission came to a halt. We launched the zoo. org/relief fund to ask our community for support to continue providing the best possible care for all of our animals, each and every day, and to connect with our community until we could open our gates once more. During this most unprecedented time, your support has meant so much to all of us here at Woodland Park Zoo. You keep our zoo moving.
Tap here to get a peek into the lives of five of our dedicated animal keepers. Meet Celine, Joanna, Evan, Judy and Rosalyn.
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e Ac Tak
tion
MEMBER
TIPS SUMMER 2020
MEMB
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BUILD A POLLINATOR OASIS IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD (OR BALCONY) Whether you have a large outdoor space or an urban apartment windowsill, you can build your own pollinator-friendly garden! You can use different types of native flowers and plants such as Agastache, Gaillardia hybrids, Monarda and Salvia splendens. Also, consider making a tunnel-nesting bee home for our local native bees. Some examples for making these bee condos include holes drilled in a wood block, hollow reeds, bamboo, paper straws or channels cut into wood planks. You can find more tips on constructing a bee home or building a garden on our website, www.zoo.org/butterflygarden
DON’T FORGET TO USE #WPZMEMBER #THISISHOWWEZOO When you visit, be sure to take photos of your adventures and use #wpzmember to share all the things you love most about being back at the zoo. We love seeing all our members’ favorite Woodland Park Zoo memories!
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NEW MEMBERSHIP CARD IMAGES Every year we highlight a different animal on our membership cards. However, we decided to kick off the new decade by selecting FOUR animal images instead: Malayan tiger, river otter, jaguar and zebra! Now when you renew, you’ll have the chance to get one of these adorable animal images on your new card. Plus, having your card will make entry into the zoo quicker and more convenient!
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MYZOO Member Magazine | Summer 2020 | zoo.org 11
CARNIVORE SPOTTER:
WHAT DO YOU SEE?
T
he Seattle Urban Carnivore Project, a partnership between Woodland Park Zoo and Seattle University, aims to explore how mammalian carnivores live and interact with people across urban and suburban areas in the Seattle region. Coexisting means understanding all the wildlife who share our neighborhoods. The project’s online Carnivore Spotter tool allows our community members from across the greater Seattle area to report their carnivore sightings. Folks have reported coyote sightings in Queen Anne, black bears in Issaquah, bobcats in Bothell and everything in between! Our carnivore team is especially excited when they receive reports with visuals such as photos! This allows others to experience the exciting sightings you all are seeing in our communities and also makes it easier to verify the report. Each report is individually reviewed, and those that do include photos, video or audio are verified to ensure that these observations are presenting the most accurate information about urban carnivores.
Let’s take a look at a few of our favorites so far! 1. Coyotes are the most common species reported on Carnivore Spotter, comprising about 50% of the total reports. This coyote was sighted along someone’s backyard pool in the Eastgate area. Although the yard is fenced, it is not uncommon for a coyote to jump a 6-foot fence as they wander their urban habitats. 2. Interactions between species do sometimes occur, but it is quite rare to video two urban carnivores in the same place at once. One community member did just that! This video shows a black bear and coyote somewhat playfully interacting near Carnation, Washington. 3. With the increased use of remote cameras by community members, there are now more opportunities to capture photos of our urban carnivores. This photo shows a sow black bear and her two cubs, seemingly relaxing in someone's backyard. Black bear cubs stay with their mothers for over a year, learning how and where to find food for survival. 4. Speaking of coyotes... check out this adorable footage of a rascally coyote who found the perfect midnight souvenir. Coyotes can be playful, just like your dog! We have received a number of photos and videos that showcase the playful nature of coyotes. 5. Each report submitted to Carnivore Spotter is individually reviewed, and those that include photos, video or audio are verified to ensure that these observations are accurate. If you look at the Carnivore Spotter map you will see very few cougars (mountain lions). A community member from the Newcastle area recorded this verified cougar video on a home security camera. Whoa! 6. About 11% of the reports on Carnivore Spotter are of bobcats, a small felid, common throughout Washington state. This beautiful photo was captured in the Lake Sammamish area, which if you investigate the Carnivore Spotter map, is a very common place to see bobcats. The majority of the bobcat sightings occur east of Lake Washington. Katie Remine, Coordinator, Living Northwest Animal photos and video courtesy of Seattle Urban Carnivore Project / Woodland Park Zoo and Seattle University.
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Report, share and explore carnivore spottings throughout Seattle! Explore the Carnivore Spotter tool! MYZOO Member Magazine | Summer 2020 | zoo.org    13
SAVING GORILLAS W
e’d like to introduce one of our newest Conservation Partners: The Mondika Gorilla Project, which came about by expanding the efforts of an existing gorilla conservation program. The Goualougo Triangle Ape Project had already been working to preserve wildlife in Africa’s Congo Basin for more than 20 years. In 2014, it expanded to include the Djeke Triangle
region outside the Nouabale-Ndoke National Park, resulting in the Mondika Gorilla Project. The goal of the Mondika Gorilla Project is to build on existing knowledge of gorillas and chimpanzees that live in central Africa through longterm population monitoring. It also watches over the effects that human
activities are having on wildlife and the ecosystem. Western lowland gorilla populations have undergone a dramatic decline in recent years and the species is currently listed as critically endangered. Commercial hunting for bushmeat, loss of habitat due to logging, and the rise of diseases such as Ebola have all had an impact on the health of these great apes. But saving gorillas, chimpanzees and their habitats involves more than just monitoring forestry practices, safe tourism and conscientious research. It also requires valuing local human cultures and land-use rights. The Mondika Gorilla Project has built a strong relationship with the local people of Bomassa, Bon Coin and Bayanga. It employs community members, providing ways for them to support their families and also offers alternatives to unsustainable hunting practices. All of this allows the local peoples to feel empowered and to take an active role in conservation efforts in their region. This is community-based conservation that works for wildlife and for people.
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MEET
KITOKO
M
eet Kitoko, the newest member of our western lowland gorilla family, born in the wee hours of March 4. He is the son of 12-year-old Uzumma and 20-year-old Kwame—the first offspring for them—and his name means beautiful or handsome in the African languages Lingala and Kikongo. Kitoko is a happy and curious baby—and seeing his growth and his antics are providing all of us with so much joy, laughter and smiles! He is meeting all of his developmental milestones—and our keepers tell us he is already showing that he has inherited some of his mother’s curious and determined personality! Either way, Uzumma will have her hands full as this baby grows and becomes more playful. Uzumma has proven to be a wonderful mother—one of the most attentive and nurturing gorilla moms we’ve ever had at Woodland Park Zoo. Uzumma’s mothering skills come as no surprise, as her mother Amanda was also an exceptional mom. Maternal behaviors are learned—passed down from mother to daughter and by watching other females in the group raise their babies.
POSTER PERFECT
You can follow the story of Kitoko’s birth, Uzumma’s experience as a new mother, and the excitement that a new baby brings to the whole gorilla family in our series of blogs and photos which you can find on our webpage zoo.org/ growingupgorilla. There you can also find information on how to symbolically adopt a baby gorilla through our ZooParent program, which helps fund conservation programs, like the Mondika Gorilla Project, and the daily care and feeding of our gorillas. You can also get the scoop on our gorilla conservation partners out in the field and learn more about saving species and protecting habitats. The other members of Uzumma, Kitoko, and Kwame’s group are: 24-year-old Nadiri; 4-year old Yola, the daughter of Nadiri; and 18-year-old Akenji. Living in another group are: 41-year-old male Vip and 35-year-old female Jumoke. Visit zoo.org/growingupgorilla to learn more!
Click here to to watch the most recent footage of Kitoko. MYZOO Member Magazine | Summer 2020 | zoo.org 15
Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, WPZ
1 Zoo to School During the COVID-19 closure, Seattle Public Schools Television teamed up with the zoo to make virtual field trip videos for their television and social media channels. The project delivered a dozen zoo lessons directly to K - 8 audiences, like this sweet video featuring Paco the flamingo with keeper Joanna!
2 Luna Baby mountain goat, Luna, was born May 15 and is the first offspring for mom Atlin and dad Zeus. A generous zoo supporter, the Hugh and Jane
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Ferguson Foundation, named her after Luna Peak, the highest mountain in the Picket range in the North Cascades.
3 Black Birders Week In response to a racist event in Central Park in late May 2020, a group of Black bird lovers organized the first #BlackBirdersWeek featuring scientists, nature enthusiasts and birders. This group of inspirational, bird-positive voices is worth following all year round for birding advice and ways to make our outdoor spaces more welcoming and diverse. Follow #BlackInNature to learn something new.
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Photo of co-organizer Earyn McGee via Wikipedia
4 Conservation Report Woodland Park Zoo actively saves wildlife and wild places around the world by designing, implementing, and supporting conservation projects and programs. Your zoo has a robust conservation program, so we want to share a resource with you that shows just where your support goes. Read the 2020 report to learn more.
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5 Pepita and Pecan Agouti Agoutis Nutella and John Agouti had pups in mid-March and guess what? The pups were named by our social media followers. In a poll, the overwhelming winners were Pepita & Pecan! Very fitting for our two sister pups. These names were a clear winner although Fay & Toffee, Pansy & Rosy and Sugar & Cinnamon were close behind.
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ZOO FAVORITES
SUMMER READS
Bookworms Unite! A reading list for animal lovers, tree huggers, green geeks and budding wildlife warriors of all ages. Here are some of our recommended reads—old and new! Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter, by Ben Goldfarb, 2018 (non-fiction). A fantastic read that blows your mind about what the wild spaces of North America should actually look like. You'll never see a pristine mountain stream the same way again. Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World, by Julia Rothman, 2015 (non-fiction, nature). Art and science mingle together in this book that is part text and part art. Appealing for all ages, its pages are filled with diagrams, drawings, and spirited musings about earth, water, flora and fauna—all of nature’s wonders!
Rewild Yourself: 23 Spellbinding Ways to Make Nature More Visible, by Simon Barnes, 2018 (non-fiction). Get closer to the magical parts of nature that are hidden all around us. A Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold, 1949 (non-fiction). Seen through the eyes of one of our country’s first ecologists, this classic forged the way for the movement of environmental ethics and wilderness conservation. It was first published 70 years ago, but its beautiful message about preserving wild places is as relevant today as ever.
YOUNG ADULTS
KIDLIT
Cast Away: Poems for Our Time, by Naomi Shihab Nye, 2020 (poetry, environmental education). This witty collection of poems about climate change, sustainability and the wasteful result of careless consumerism is written with conversational humor, depth and even sarcasm—very relatable for teens and tweens.
Growing Up Gorilla, by Clare Meeker, 2019 (non-fiction). Words and pictures show how animal keepers at Woodland Park Zoo worked tirelessly to bring mom and baby together and how little Yola helped her whole family group come together and form strong bonds.
beauty awaits...
The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss, 1971 (fiction). This children’s classic chronicles the plight of the environment through Dr. Seuss’s wise character, the Lorax, who "speaks for the trees."
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Member Magazine | Summer 2020• molbaks.com | zoo.org 19 (425) 483-5000 • MYZOO 13625 NE 175th St in Woodinville
With spots and stripes to stay hidden in the bamboo and reeds, a baby tapir looks a lot like a watermelon when it's born. We'll watch our #SeattleWatermelon grow together.
WELCOME
TAPIR BABY T
he #SeattleWatermelon has arrived. On June 10 at approximately 9:30 p.m., our Malayan tapir mama, Ulan, gave birth to her first baby, a girl, with father Bintang. We are in love. The average weight for calves at birth is 22 pounds, and Ulan's baby was 18 pounds. Calves are born with their eyes open and can stand within one or two hours after birth— and as you can see from these photos—baby tapirs hit their adorable watermelon benchmark right away!
Click image to see adorable footage of the new mom and baby!
We are so excited to watch the tapir calf explore her yard, which we did our best to tapir baby-proof! We can’t wait to share her (and all her watermelon-like spots and stripes) with our community this summer.
Visit zoo.org/tapir to keep up to date on the baby’s milestones, and check out our tapir activity packets and extra special #SeattleWatermelon downloads. Calling all artists! The #SeattleWatermelon summer coloring contest starts now! See page 28
TAPIR TRIVIA How much do you really know about tapirs? Click the button to test your knowledge with Tapir Trivia! 20 MYZOO Member Magazine | Summer 2020 | zoo.org
TAPIR TRUTHS • Tapirs are among the most primitive large mammals in the world, changing little in appearance for millions of years. This prehistoric-looking animal looks like a massive pig with a long snout. Because they have an odd number of toes (four toes on each front foot, three on each back foot), their closest relatives are horses and rhinos. • A newborn tapir looks like a watermelon on legs due to its reddish-brown coat dappled with white and cream-colored spots and stripes. This color pattern works wonders as camouflage in bamboo or reed jungles. The striped pattern begins to fade after a few months and the calf begins to look like a miniature adult at about 5 to 8 months old. • Tapirs are great, fast swimmers. They often use their trunk-like snout like a snorkel! • Malayan tapirs are the largest of the four species of tapirs, but all tapirs are highly endangered. The Malayan tapir ranges in Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Myanmar. The other three species are found in Central and South America.
PROTECTING TAPIR TERRITORY Woodland Park Zoo partners with conservation projects in Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra, where tapirs are found. By investing in land protection and habitat management, the work the zoo is doing helps to protect tapirs in their current habitats. “One of the greatest threats to tapirs is loss of habitat. By protecting land for tigers, orangutans and hornbills, the zoo is also protecting land for tapirs,” says Woodland Park Zoo Vice President of Conservation Initiatives Peter Zahler. “Everyone can join our efforts too. By making informed purchasing decisions and buying products with certified sustainable palm oil, you’re protecting tapirs and the forests they live in.” More information at zoo.org/palmoil. Kirsten Pisto, Editor Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, WPZ
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ANIMAL SPOTLIGHT
SOUTHERN (Pudu puda)
South America
PUDU AND FAWN MAKES THREE
W Southern Pudu Range
hat do you call a cute critter smaller than a housecat that has a wallaby-shaped head with little antlers, a brown furry almost football-shaped body, and thin legs with hooved feet? Meet the pudu! This little cutie, which is native to South America, is the smallest — and dare we say, the most adorable — kind of deer in the world. There are two species of pudu — northern and southern. The southern pudu, which is the species you can visit at Woodland Park Zoo, is native to the lower Andes mountains of Chile and southwest Argentina, where it lives in dense vegetation and bamboo thickets. This small deer has a dark chestnutbrown coat, stands only 14 to 18 inches high at the shoulder and weighs in between 14 to 30 pounds as an adult. The southern pudu’s little antlers grow to between 2 and 3.5 inches long and tend to curve back, somewhat like a mountain goat.
Click image to see footage of the sweetest moment between mama and fawn!
22 MYZOO Member Magazine | Summer 2020 | zoo.org
Pudus are herbivores — meaning they’re biologically adapted to a plant-based diet. In the wild, they eat things like vines, leaves, shrubs, succulent sprouts, herbs, ferns, blossoms, buds, tree bark, and fallen fruit. When necessary, they can survive without drinking water for long periods of time due to the high water content in the plants they eat. Classified as a near-threatened species, the southern pudu is under pressure from threats like deforestation of its habitat for cattle ranching, exotic tree plantations, logging
MAGGIE
TED
CHILE
and other human developments. This tiny but mighty deer is also threatened by introduced predators like feral or unleashed dogs. Conservationists don’t know exact numbers, but they estimate there may be fewer than 10,000 of these special deer left in the wild. Here at Woodland Park Zoo, our precious pudu pair—a male and female named Ted and Maggie—live in the Temperate Forest area of the zoo, right next to the Chilean flamingos, which are also native to South America. Ted
turned 4 years old in June and Maggie will be 4 in December of this year. On May 14, a tiny pudu fawn was born to the first-time parents. Maggie has been an attentive mama and bonded right away with the little male—now named Chile. Our awesome animal keepers tell us they love to graze on an herbivore buffet that includes a mix of bananas, broccoli, yams, carrots, apples, alfalfa, grapes and a special kind of nutritious biscuit.
Chile was born on May 14 to first-time parents Maggie and Ted. The last pudu birth at the zoo was 10 years ago. The pudu parents were paired under the Pudu Species Survival Plan, which is a cooperative, conservation breeding program across accredited zoos to help ensure a healthy, self-sustaining population of the species.
Elizabeth Bacher, Staff Writer Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, WPZ
MYZOO Member Magazine | Summer 2020 | zoo.org 23
Morning cat face. A universal cat look that says, I’ve been awoke. Tiger style. Chipmonk (S. Aldridge), Meriadoc (H. Ramsey-Thomas) and Cas (B. Wynd) have that good morning smile.
Sun worship. Nayla the jaguar, regal as ever, in her sunniest spot. Zoey (J. Sharp), a true sun-lover (A. Swartz Burch) and Lyanna (M. Klein) know how to find the light.
Belly bliss. Our lioness inspired quite a few kitty belly pics, what could be better? This in-field belly (C. Husted), this black and white belly (H. Holt), and sweet Jonesy (P. Briston).
Snoozers. Our pride knows a cat nap is better together. Tang and Trigger (K. Councellor) and these sunners (L. Bowers) have the same idea.
24 MYZOO Member Magazine | Summer 2020 | zoo.org
We posted a #Caturday challenge to show us your lil’ cats in the same poses as a few of our big cats. You did not disappoint. Our post was soon full of hundreds of glorious kitties in cat-shapes and contortions of all kinds.
Loves that spot. Fitz the jaguar on a log looks a lot like Gus in a box (V. Samuelson), this sinknester (K. Squance) and this cozy cat (M. Coronel).
Proud to be cat. Aibek’s pose just says, I am so happy I am a cat. We suspect Marvin the skateboarder (K. Oliver), Penny (S. Brito-Bugge) and Sally (R. Cohn) are thinking the same thing.
One with the plants. Everyone knows cats love plants, to bite. Our big grass shredder inspired a grass nibble (M. Michelle) and a plant nap (G. Kramer).
Do what Jack would do and head over to our Facebook post to check out all the adorable pics of lil cats for big cats from fellow cat-lovers and zoo fans! Photo by D. Law MYZOO Member Magazine | Summer 2020 | zoo.org 25
Your photos inspire us. Every day we are grateful for your love of animals and passion for saving wildlife—and we’re thrilled to see your images invite others to join us in saving species. You tagged us, and we couldn’t be happier.
Share your favorite Woodland Park Zoo pics with us using #WoodlandParkZoo and we might feature your photo! Use #WPZMember to connect to other members! Follow us and stay connected to conservation stories, animal news and more! @woodlandparkzoo
26 MYZOO Member Magazine | Summer 2020 | zoo.org
THANK YOU
TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS TITLE SPONSORS
LIVE PROGRAM SPONSOR
Thanks to our zoo community, we had a wildly successful week of Jungle Party! We kicked off our biggest fundraiser of the year with a week-long auction, virtual behind-the-scenes tours, and more! Then we wrapped it all up on Friday evening with a fun, livestream event where guests joined us from the comfort of their own homes. This year we asked you to support your zoo by Nurturing Our Core. From animal keepers, to grounds crews, to horticulture specialists and more, it takes a large and diverse team to care for our zoo that has been, and always will be, a beloved point of pride for our entire region. Every day our teams care lovingly for an environment that is healthy and enriching for the animals, as well as enjoyable, educational and memorable for zoo guests. Our zoo is taking extraordinary measures to remain resilient and resolute defenders of our conservation mission.
EXCLUSIVE WI-FI SPONSOR PREMIER AIRLINE SPONSOR
MEDIA SPONSOR
SILVER SPONSORS
Columbia Bank Deloitte Hansen Bros. Moving & Storage Microsoft Starbucks The Partners Group TECHNOLOGY SPONSOR
Valence ANIMAL TOURS SPONSOR
Chevron
2020 JUNGLE PARTY CHAIRS Stacey Campbell · Effie Gleason · Stephanie True
BRONZE SPONSORS
Visit zoo.org/jungleparty to celebrate the details.
Cigna Iron Springs Resort Lease Crutcher Lewis Moss Adams North Seattle College Union Bank EXCLUSIVE RESTAURANT PARTNER
Ethan Stowell Restaurants IN-KIND PARTNERS
Ben Bridge Caffe Vita Fred Northup, Jr. Partners Crackers PNTA and #SeattleLives Tinte Cellars RELIEF FUND SPONSORS
ASI Wealth Management Lincoln Financial Group Seattle Children’s Hospital
MYZOO Member Magazine | Summer 2020 | zoo.org 27
SUMM
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NG I R O L O C T CONTESmer
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MATCHING TAPIRS: Tapir babies have very unique patterns to help them camouflage. Can you find the ones that match? Hint: There are four pairs.
28 MYZOO Member Magazine | Summer 2020 | zoo.org
ney Ave. , 5500 Phin c/o Pisto
N., Seattle,
st 31 3 by Augu WA 9810
BABY TAPIR AT THE ZOO The Malayan tapirs, Ulan and Bintang, have welcomed a new addition to their family! The _______________ likes to ________________ (noun)
(verb)
through the ________________ with its mom and likes exploring (plural noun)
Ask your family or friends to give you one-word answers to each prompt, then read aloud the silly story that you create!
the _______________ ________________ . The calf is covered in (adjective)
(noun)
______________________ as camouflage in its environment. They (decorative pattern)
look a little bit like a ______________ ___________________ ! (adjective)
(noun)
As the baby grows, its coat will become _________________ and (color)
_______________ , just like the adult tapirs. The baby loves (adjective)
drinking ____________ and _______________ _________________ . (favorite beverage)
(verb ending with -ing)
(plural noun)
Soon the calf will be big enough to eat ___________________ (type of food)
and _______________________ with mom, (plural noun)
Ulan, and get _______________ scratches (body part)
from the animal keepers.
...? w ou o n k u r! Did y e o iff y n s d a i t D ost than jus Visit zoo.org/tapir to get a printable version of this and other tapir activities!
is more nose alm t u g o n n o s l e r and use its t A tapir a n a w c e ir h et at a tap ! pirs lov a T ! e know th u r t ing swim x ’s t la I e ? l r e a ke ork s y to t a a like a sn e it e k ou t s m a their sn MYZOO Member Magazine | Summer 2020 | zoo.org 29
NATURE SORTING How do we sort in nature? By size, shape or color? What about by smell or sound? Can you find something blue? Now find two things that are small. What about a prickly thing? Which is your favorite? Who is the loudest? Where is the pollinator? Do you see something cute? Who smells good? e you're m i t t x , Ne g a walk n i k a t e p outsid e to sto m i t e m take so You can ! e r o l p and ex t nature r o s d n a ng collect find alo u o y s ite m . the way
Bring along an empty egg carton, w hich has convenient sor ting compar tments built in. A pebble, a le af, maybe a pretty shell ? Can you reme mber to put them back too ?
Parents: Set up an expectation from the start by talking about borrowing the items from nature and returning them when done which helps minimize damage to plants in public areas. Ask them questions about what they notice and wonder out loud with them! 30  MYZOO Member Magazine | Summer 2020 | zoo.org
TAPIR
ANATOMY
Just like people, tapirs have legs, eyes and ears, a belly, a nose and feet! You probably notice some differences too. Point to each body part on the tapir, then point to your own parts. Are they the same or different than a tapir calf?
EARS for listening for tapir squeals
EYES for making sure mom is close
NOSE for smelling the entire forest
FEET for softly stepping through the jungle
BELLY for digesting leaves and fruits
LEGS for running around to play
SEATTLE WATERMELON
A TAPIR CALF POEM
A little watermelon Spotted, striped and cute You arrived in the summer Just like the fruit! MYZOO Member Magazine | Summer 2020 | zoo.org 31
WOODLAND PARK ZOO 5500 Phinney Avenue North, Seattle, Washington 98103
back cover space 8” wide x 7.15” tall
Add a zoo animal to your next virtual meeting or party. 32 MYZOO Member Magazine | Summer 2020 | zoo.org
