FOR MEMBERS OF WOODLAND PARK ZOO • FALL 2020
FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR FAVORITE PLACE
N, O I DIT U! E O N U M OR Y T F U L A JUST A T I O MYZOO Member ZO | Fall 2020 | zoo.org 1 DIG Magazine Y M
RECONNECT WITH YOUR ZOO
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
GIVING DAY As the largest cultural organization in the Pacific Northwest and unique urban oasis that is home to nearly 1,000 animals and 250 different species, Woodland Park Zoo relies on the 2/ 3 vertical ad space community and the people we serve.
5.27” x 10.5”
With your support we are rebuilding with resilience despite the ongoing financial impact due to the global pandemic. Your gifts keep us going. Together we can build a better world for people and animals! We will always be All for Animals with you by our side— join us on this day of giving to your zoo!
givingday.zoo.org
DIRECTORS Linda Allen Kristi Branch Anders Brown Warren Brown Jim Burgett Stacey Campbell Lisa Graumlich Barbara Gordon Angela Griffin Rosemarie Havranek Marlon Herrera Bill Hilf Matt Hill Holly Hirai Jeff Leppo Sandra Madrid Jackie MartinezVasquez Katie Matison
Shelley McKinley Larry Phillips Robert Plotnick Bart Ricketts Kyle Rolfe Kevin Schofield Diane Shrewsbury Bryan Slinker Laurie Stewart Ethan Stowell Stephanie True Pallavi Wahi Joseph Woods Evan Wyman Ex officio Jesús Aguirre Alejandro Grajal Jeanne Kohl-Welles
MyZoo Fall 2020. Volume 22. Issue 3. 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 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.
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CONTENTS CONTENTS FALL
FEATURES 8
Signs of Wildlife and Hope Signs of hope are everywhere in Borneo, you just have to know where to look.
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Focus on Conservation The who, how and why of our conservation partner, Snow Leopard Trust, supporting snow leopard conservation programs in Kyrgyzstan.
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Superheroes of the Skies: Raptors! From sea eagles to owls, these raptors rule the skies.
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Animal Spotlight Egyptian Tortoise: Every now and then, the world’s tiniest creatures show us they have something big to teach us.
Snowy Owls on the Northern Trail Snowy owls hold a magical place in the human imagination, from ancient myths and legends to Harry Potter’s Hedwig—and now there is even more magic to go around.
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Member Tips
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Tapir Tot
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5 Otterly Awesome Things
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Autumn Reads
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AIP, Earn Your Master's Degree
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MyZoo Kids: Pumpkin-worthy fun, crafts, hiding with your favorites, and ghost cats!
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ON THE COVER: Sempurna the tapir calf steals our hearts. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, WPZ.
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D
D
RHINO ADOPTION SPECIAL
MITE
2020
E
ZOOPARENT
LI
ITION
Celebrate the fall birthdays of Taj and Glenn, our greater one-horned rhinos, with this very special, limited edition adoption! ADOPTION PACKAGE INCLUDES:
$
69
• (1) Rhino plush RHINO, ZOOPARENT • Personalized adoption certificate
. h may vary
Actual plus
½ page horizontal
• Rhino fun facts • Animal photo ad space window decal • ZooParent • Online recognition for one year
8” x 5.16” Or, upgrade your adoption to the $100 level and receive two one-time-use admission passes and your name on the ZooParent recognition sign on grounds for a full year, starting spring 2021. ZooParent adoptions fund the daily care of the zoo’s animals and support programs that protect animals in the Pacific Northwest and around the world.
www.zoo.org/zooparent
Available through November 30, 2020
Find TAJ and GLENN in the ASSAM RHINO RESERVE at the zoo!
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. 4 MYZOO Member Magazine | Fall 2020 | zoo.org
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Dear Members, For 120 years Woodland Park Zoo has been an oasis in Seattle. Thanks to the overwhelming support of our community and our members we have been able to weather these unprecedented conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic. I am humbled and overwhelmed by the incredible response to the Woodland Park Zoo Relief Fund. As we reopen our doors, I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who played a role to ensure the strength and vitality of this zoo. While our doors were closed to the public, our staff were hard at work caring for the animals we love so dearly and seeking out new ways of doing business. We were strengthened through these trials by all of you, our community, who worked with us, hand-in-hand. Together, we ensured a future for Woodland Park Zoo and the nearly 1,000 animals in our care. These efforts embodied the spirit of restorative community that we have always strived to nurture.
WOODLAND PARK ZOO SAVES WILDLIFE AND INSPIRES EVERYONE TO MAKE CONSERVATION A PRIORITY IN THEIR LIVES.
Through more than 120 teleconference appearances by ambassador animals, 12 Super Snack Time Tuesdays on Facebook Live, multiple Town Halls celebrating conservation, and innumerable updates about our baby boom on social media and in the press we worked to build a virtual bridge between you and the animals in our care. Now that we can welcome you back physically, I hope that you will visit so that we can thank you in person. Thank you for supporting Woodland Park Zoo and our mission to save wildlife and inspire everyone to make conservation a priority in their lives. Thank you for the messages letting us know how much you missed our green oasis and the experiences you share here with your loved ones. Thank you for working with us by wearing your mask when you visit so that we may remain open. 2020 will be marked in Woodland Park Zoo history as one of its most difficult, but it will also be marked by the incredible and humbling generosity of the Woodland Park Zoo community that enabled it to thrive. Sincerely,
Alejandro Grajal, PhD President and CEO
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now leopards live in some of the most remote and extreme conditions in the world. These majestic big cats have an uncanny ability to blend in with the snow-dusted mountains of Central Asia. Their giant paws act like silent snowshoes and their remarkably long tails keep them balanced while hunting in steep terrain. As a vulnerable species, their population is shrinking. Woodland Park Zoo partners with Snow Leopard Trust (SLT) to support snow leopard conservation programs in Kyrgyzstan, a country that shares more than 75% of overlapping snow leopard range.
This year, Snow Leopard Trust celebrates its 40th Anniversary and gives us hope for the ghost cats of the Himalayas.
THE WHO 18 protected area rangers were officially commended during a March 2020 Ranger Rewards ceremony in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek for apprehending poachers and bringing them to justice.
The founder of the Snow Leopard Trust, Helen Freeman, fell in love with snow leopards in the early 1970s as a volunteer docent at Woodland Park Zoo. She was one of the first people to see Nicholas and Alexandra, two snow leopard cubs brought to the zoo. She is the perfect example of how one person can make a difference.
SNOW LEOP Through GPS satellite tracking, SLT has found that snow leopards use significantly larger home ranges than previously assumed and determined. SLT continues to increase efforts to work at a larger, landscape-level scale, involving local communities, authorities, businesses and governments.
Snow leopards become vulnerable to retaliatory killing when they repeatedly attack livestock in the same corral. Many livestock attacks can be prevented by vigilant herding and predator proofing of corrals— an initiative that has become a focus for community programs.
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THE HOW In 2016, SLT and Snow Leopard Foundation Kyrgyzstan (SLFK), together with the Kyrgyz government, began comanaging a former hunting concession in the Ala-Too Mountains called “Shamshy” as a no-hunting conservation zone.
SLT has collared 32 snow leopards and 8 ibex, a main snow leopard prey species, in order to study movement patterns.
SLT’s Snow Leopard Enterprises program works with more than 400 women from 40 communities to provide a market for handicrafts in return for a pledge to protect snow leopards. Since inception, total revenue for communities exceeds $1 million with handicrafts available in the ZooStore.
PARD TRUST THE WHY
SLT has located active snow leopard dens five times and have encountered 1 to 3 cubs in the dens. The incredible opportunity to document active dens is providing vital information on litter size and cub survival.
In 2016, the Snow Leopard Trust and its Mongolian NGO partner, Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation, worked to declare the Tost/Tosonbumba Mountains into a federally-protected Nature Reserve. The reserve is ~8,000 km2 and the first protected area in Mongolia specifically designated for snow leopard protection. Thanks to the hard work of SLT and SLCF, the Mongolian parliament revoked all exploratory mining licenses, thus reducing the threats to snow leopard habitat.
The Snow Leopard Trust’s Long Term Ecological Study, currently in its 13th year, is the longest consecutive study of wild snow leopards.
In 2019, SLT and its partners reached 1.9K children and teachers through Eco Education Camps.
All 12 snow leopard range country governments formally endorsed a plan to assess the population of wild snow leopards. The initiative, called PAWS (Population Assessment of the World’s Snow Leopards), aims to produce a robust estimate of the threatened cat’s global population.
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SIGNS OF
WILDLIFE AND
HOPE
T
he boat driver cuts the engine. We slowly bob and drift along the river toward the direction of what has caught the observation team’s eyes—a sight found nowhere else in the world: the improbably proportioned proboscis monkey.
Researchers with HUTAN’s primate observation unit have spotted a small family group. With the aid of binoculars and a Woodland Park Zoo is a clipboard, they take note of member of the Roundtable juveniles playing, female adults nearby at rest. A dominant on Sustainable Palm Oil and male on a branch all his own advocates for consumers watches over us, potbelly flopped over almost as to shop with companies characteristically as his nose.
committed to certified, sustainable palm oil.
That signature nose is meant to signal his attractiveness, and possibly act as a sound enhancer for better group management. It also has given the proboscis monkey its name and its prominence in the eco-story of Borneo. Here, charismatic endangered species found nowhere else in the world make a compelling case for urgent conservation of the island’s rain forests. Perhaps no face is better associated with that cause than the orangutan. Our red-haired, great ape
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relatives are threatened with extinction in Borneo’s dwindling forests. Their plight is what inspired a team of conservationists to form the HUTANKinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Programme, a long-time Woodland Park Zoo partner. In pre-COVID days, I visited HUTAN staff and their community partners in the Sukau village of Borneo’s Kinabatangan region. I was there to scout for wildlife and stories of hope for their survival. Throughout our journeys along the Kinabatangan River, the program’s co-founder and scientific director, Dr. Marc Ancrenaz, and the HUTAN team gave me helpful spotting tips: scan an area and look for a sign of something out of the ordinary—a shift, a contrast, a movement. That’s how I learned that before you see an orangutan, you'll more likely spot its nest, a cradle of broken branches and tufts of leaves. Orangutans occasionally dot the riverfront canopy, making their way through ripe, fruiting trees to nest in the treetops. More plentiful are the macaques, the long tailed and pig-tailed monkeys whose swimming skills make it possible to spot them low along the waterfront. The rarer silvery langurs require eagle eyes to find in the canopy, given away by the gray tips of hair that stand in contrast to green leaves.
“Kinabatangan is really rich with an amazing number of species. It’s a biodiversity hotspot,” Dr. Ancrenaz shares. In the course of my time there, I’ll apply my spotting skills to find primates, elephants, hornbills, crocodiles, eagles, civets, and other extraordinary wildlife—and at the same time, begin to see a wider view of what’s happening in the Kinabatangan. In the distance from the river’s shores, the staggering array of dipterocarp diversity gives way to uniformity— seemingly endless rows of neatly planted oil palm trees. “Development is happening fast in Southeast Asia, and of course it’s also happening in Borneo. The forest habitat is being converted to other types of land uses,” explains Dr. Ancrenaz. “The size of the forest is reducing, but also the shape of the forest is changing.” Only 250,000 acres of primate forest remain in the Kinabatangan floodplains, fragmented across more than a million acres of human-made landscapes and palm oil plantations. Palm oil is likely
in your home right now, a little known but ubiquitous ingredient in everything from sweets and treats to dog food and detergent. Woodland Park Zoo is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and advocates for consumers to shop with companies committed to certified, sustainable palm oil. The Roundtable’s certification program seeks to improve the palm oil industry’s environmental and humanitarian impact as global demand for the vegetable oil continues to rise. Sustainable agriculture is key to Borneo’s future. Yet with so much forest lost and degraded already, more needs to
be done now for the wildlife that are displaced and lacking resources. From the river, with the help of some binoculars and amazing timing, I can spot a beak poking out of a humanmade wooden box attached impossibly high up a tree. It’s a hornbill, an icon of the Kinabatangan that is threatened by the loss of suitable nesting cavities in degraded forests. To help, HUTAN staff builds and installs artificial hornbill nest boxes—a solution that requires agile (and brave!) staff to scale up trees for the equivalent height of about six building stories. I recall the bird feeder in my own urban yard that I sometimes “forget” to
FOREST-FRIENDLY GROCERIES You can look out for the wildlife of Borneo right from your own home. More than 7,000 of you have checked out our sustainable palm oil shopping guide since we launched a mobile version last year. Join the movement and make forest-friendly choices part of your next shopping trip. www.zoo.org/palmoil
MYZOO Member Magazine | Fall 2020 | zoo.org 9
refill because the branch it hangs from is inconveniently tall for my 5’3” frame, and I commit myself to do better.
“We have these seedlings that are going to outgrow the palms, and over the years the palms will die and disappear, and then we’ll have a natural forest,” says Dr. Ancrenaz.
The artificial nests are few and scattered. Easier for my eye to catch during journeys along the river are plots of forest that look A collaboration like this might have once been impossible, different than the rest. They are slighter, but conservationists are adapting their younger, and another sign of HUTAN’s work. It’s not enough to solutions to a changing world. It’s not Here, reforesters have hand planted native enough to designate protected lands. We designate protected trees in once-logged lands. need to have a hand in reshaping policies, lands. We need to have rebuilding corridors, restoring hope. “One of our projects is to create corridors for wildlife, meaning we want to reconnect a hand in reshaping For Dr. Ancrenaz, “To study what is fragments of isolated forest to one another happening here in Kinabatangan to me policies, rebuilding in order for wildlife to keep on moving and gives me hope because this place shows disperse,” explains Dr. Ancrenaz. corridors, restoring hope. that if things are managed properly, we can have people and their activities as well as A literal sign marks the reforesters’ latest wildlife sharing the same environment.” project along the Kinabatangan shores. The Keruak Wildlife Corridor billboard is crowded with logos of a once unlikely After dozens of boat rides, forest treks, research outings, group of partners: conservation organization HUTAN, the state and community conversations in the Kinabatangan, I see of Sabah, Malaysia, and a commercial palm oil producer. Here signs of hope everywhere. You just need to scan and look for is a plot of land once converted to oil palm plantation where something out of the ordinary— a shift, a contrast, a movement. HUTAN is now working to reforest and restore a corridor for elephants and other Bornean wildlife. Rebecca Whitham, Vice President of Engagement Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, WPZ
ADOPT AN ORANGUTAN Become a ZooParent and your orangutan adoption will support the care of Godek, Melati, Heran and Belawan at the zoo, and critically endangered orangutans in Borneo and Sumatra. www.zoo.org/zooparent
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Thank you for your support this year, while we were closed and since we’ve reopened—47% of the donations to our Relief Fund so far have come from members, and we are so grateful!
MEMBER
From your memberships, donations and onsite purchases, YOU help us ensure the highest quality care for all 900 of the zoo’s inhabitants. We couldn’t do it without each and every one of you, thank you again for being a part of the zoo family!
FALL 2020
Ta
ct ke A
ion
WE'RE BRINGING THE ZOO TO YOU Need to add some fun to your fall school activities? Check out our Zoo to You page, updated weekly! It’s full of animalthemed activity sheets, videos, coloring pages, and resources for young families with prompts to keep little ones connected to your favorite zoo friends. Plus, a link to Boeing Future U page, which is full of ecoAction videos, activities and lessons.
MEMBER DISCOUNT ON WILDLANTERNS TICKETS
TIPS
Zoo e h t Visit
MAKE YOUR RESERVATION Having trouble finding a member reservation? Try planning your visit for the afternoon, which has more availability. You can also reserve your visits up to 30 days in advance, so go ahead: plan your next few visits ahead of time and enjoy the wild adventure every zoo visit brings!
Don’t forget, members get 20% OFF of WildLanterns tickets! WildLights is becoming WildLanterns for the 2020 holiday season! Click here for more information on visiting WildLanterns at the zoo.
MYZOO Member Magazine | Fall 2020 | zoo.org 11
SUPERHERO: Buddy the Pharoah eagle owl Superpower: Stealth! Owls have soft plumage and fringes on the leading edges of their wings allowing them to silently fly as they approach their prey. Kryptonite/Threats: Secondary poisons like rat poison that people use to control pests can cause internal bleeding and death in these apex predators which feed on rodents.
SUPERHERO: Neville the Great gray owl
Where to see Buddy and his cousins: In the wild, this species is most common in northwestern Africa, and they extend into Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula… but you can see Buddy without having to leave the country, or even your own home! He and several other superheroes are available to join your next virtual ZOOM meeting, gathering or happy hour! Get the details on our Call of the Wild program here.
Superpower: Mega-hearing! Owls have large ear openings concealed by their feathers that capture significantly more sound than we humans can hear. Great gray owls can hunt rodents running in tunnels beneath the snow pack and plunge their feet through to capture them. Kryptonite/Threats: Claustrophobia. In the wild, great gray owls have large home ranges and need a lot of forest to hunt in. Habitat loss means that there aren’t as many big forests for them to live in as there used to be. Where to see Neville and his cousins: Neville’s wild cousins are native to the northern hemisphere, including many areas in the U.S. and in Washington state. You won’t see them in Seattle, though. They prefer a dense forest habitat far away from cities. The closest habitat to us would be the Okanogan forest area east of the Cascades. At Woodland Park Zoo, you can visit Neville at his home in the Northern Trail area.
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W
e'd like to introduce you to a few of Woodland Park Zoo’s own Superheroes. No capes needed here because these particular heroes are already expert fliers. We’ll take a closer look and examine some of their unique superpowers, investigate what threats they face in nature — superpowers and investigate what threats they face in nature— their “Kryptonite” so to speak. Then, take our raptor quiz to see which Superhero you are most like!
SUPERHERO: Peregrine falcon SUPERHERO: Gunnar the Red-tailed hawk Superpower: Bionic vision! These birds have amazing distance vision and night vision to assist in hunting. Many raptors (although not all) have significantly better visual acuity than humans. They can spot small movements of prey from great distances. Kryptonite/Threats: Similar to other raptors, this species is very vulnerable to secondary poisons like rat poison. This abatement method, which people use to control pests, can cause internal bleeding and death in raptors and other animals that feed on rodents. Their adaptability to living in cities also makes them vulnerable to threats like collisions with vehicles or even buildings. Where to see Gunnar and his cousins: In the wild, red-tailed hawks are native to our region including in Seattle, so you don’t have to go far to spot one. These birds are very adaptable to living in places where people live. Gunnar and several of our other superheroes are available to join your next virtual ZOOM meeting, gathering or happy hour! Get the details about our Call of the Wild program here.
Superpower: Speed! The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird, and one of the fastest animals, in the world! These great bursts of speed happen during hunting sessions, when it soars to a great height, then dives steeply towards its prey at speeds of over 200 mph. Kryptonite/Threats: Great heights. These speed demons regularly live in and nest high above our cities, but that doesn't mean there isn't any danger. When their chicks are ready to fledge, they may have a long way down to fall if they don’t get it right on the first try. Birders can help by watching nests as the chicks get close to flying age, and rescuing any fledglings that fall onto busy streets or into the water beneath bridges. Pesticides and other toxins in the environment can also pose dangers to this sensitive species. Where to see peregrine falcons: After many years of absence, we’re lucky to have several pairs of peregrine falcons that have called the Seattle area home since the 1990s. One of the first pairs nested way up high on the ledge of a downtown skyscraper, and over many years their offspring have nested under local bridges and even on cliffs out in the San Juan Islands. To learn more about these amazing birds, see photos and even a webcam (live during nesting season), check out the Urban Raptor Conservancy website.
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SUPERHERO: Papú the Burrowing owl Superpower: Big adorability in a compact little package. You simply cannot resist him! Burrowing owls are small, longlegged owls that nest and roost in underground burrows.
SUPERHERO: Olga the Steller's sea eagle Superpower: Large, sharp, built-in weapons! Like all eagles, Steller’s sea eagles have heavy-duty claws and powerful hooked beaks—among the largest of the raptors. Kryptonite/Threats: In their native range, which includes the Asian side of the North Pacific, their biggest threats include habitat alteration, industrial pollution, and overfishing, which depletes their main source of food. Pesticides and other toxins in the environment can also pose dangers to this species. In areas where eagles share habitat with humans there is another threat that affects them: Electricity—or more specifically, electrocution. When these big birds with huge wingspans make contact with active electric wires it can be a deadly encounter. Locally, Seattle City Light and Puget Sound Energy are among the growing numbers of utility companies to put Avian Protection Programs in place to protect and minimize risk to birds and other wildlife that might come in contact with power lines. Where to see eagles: At the zoo, you can see Olga, and her mate Ivan, in their habitat at Northern Trail. In the wild, there are two species of eagles native to North America and both can be found in Washington state. Golden eagles live mostly east of the Cascades, where jackrabbits and ground squirrels are among their favorite prey. The more familiar bald eagle prefers habitats with abundant supplies of fish, including some coastal areas or areas near lakes and rivers. There are quite a few bald eagles that call Seattle home, including some that hunt over Green Lake and a pair that has nested, for many years, in one of the large trees over the Northern Trail elk yard. 14 MYZOO Member Magazine | Fall 2020 | zoo.org
Kryptonite/Threats: Barbed wire. Raptors like burrowing owls that fly at low altitudes while pursuing prey can get tangled in barbed wire fences, leading to injuries including broken wings. Tying strips of fabric onto the edges of fences—known as flagging—helps all wildlife to see and avoid running into them. Where to see Papú and his cousins: Burrowing owls are native to open landscapes of North and South America, including grasslands and rangelands throughout the western U.S. Closer to home, that includes the shrub-steppe in eastern Washington. This is where Woodland Park Zoo works with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to help study and protect several species of native raptors. There are also zoo-related programs that focus specifically on burrowing owls. If you want to meet Papú, he and several of our other Superheroes are available to join your next virtual ZOOM meeting, gathering or happy hour! Get the details about our Call of the Wild program here.
SUPERHERO: Modoc the Turkey vulture Superpower: Iron stomach! Vultures have strong stomachs that can neutralize all kinds of dangerous germs and bacteria—which helps minimize the spread of disease to other animals and to people.
SUPERHERO: June and Dusty the Snowy owls Superpower: Invisibility! Well… almost. The snowy owl’s amazing winter camouflage—their white feathers (with some flecks of dark brown) make them virtually invisible to their prey in their snow-covered habitat. Of course this works best during the winter months. Kryptonite/Threats: Illegal hunting and collisions with vehicles and power lines. The effects of climate change are also likely to be a significant threat, as changes to snowmelt and snow cover can affect the availability and distribution of prey. Where to see June and Dusty (and family) and their wild cousins: In the wild, snowy owls spend most of their lives in the Arctic in open, treeless areas called tundra, so you’d have to visit areas north of 60° latitude to see them— which for North America means Alaska or parts of Canada. At Woodland Park Zoo, you can see our family of snowy owls in the Northern Trail area. For more on June and Dusty, please see the story about their growing snowy owl family here.
Kryptonite/Threats: Toxins in their (and our) environment. Everything from chemicals, pesticides, veterinary drugs and lead shot that vultures eat when feeding on carcasses. These toxins interfere with normal neurological function, leading to starvation or collisions due to weakness. Where to see Modoc and his cousins: In the wild turkey vultures are native to our state and our entire region, but you won’t necessarily see them in city limits. The species is migratory, so you might see them flying over Seattle while they’re heading to Mexico for the winter—or heading back for the summer. They’re also easy to spot on the Washington coast and in the terrain around the Issaquah highlands. Modoc came to Woodland Park Zoo as a youngster from a wildlife rehab center and he’s been a frequent participant in the zoo’s flight demonstration programs for years. For the health and safety of our guests and as a way to minimize gatherings, these programs are temporarily on hold right now … BUT there are still ways you can see Modoc and many of our other animals. He and several other Superheroes are available to join your next virtual Zoom meeting, gathering or happy hour! Get the details on our Call of the Wild program here.
Elizabeth Bacher, Staff Writer, with Animal Keeper Susan Burchardt MYZOO Member Magazine | Fall 2020 | zoo.org 15
Illuminate your holidays! WildLanterns
November 13, 2020 full page ad space – January 17, 2021 8” x 10.5” 4:00 – 8:30 p.m. Reserve your entry time beginning October 1 An immersive experience featuring large scale animal and nature scape lanterns representing wild places from around the globe! Closed Mondays, Nov. 26, Dec. 24 and 25 Enter through the zoo’s West Entrance.
Get tickets and information at www.zoo.org/wildlanterns
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POSTER PERFECT
S
empurna, our tapir calf born on June 10, has been spending her summer learning to swim in her pool, leaping over logs on the Trail of Vines and shadowing mom’s every move. The little tapir has also been growing quickly! Her striped and mottled pattern has our little tapir looking just like a watermelon, but by October or November the “watermelon” will fade. At that point the little tapir will be much bigger and she’ll sport a look just like mom Ulan and dad Bintang.
Sempurna will look flawless as she matures into her adult coloration, because she is perfect in every way, but she’ll always be our #SeattleWatermelon.
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Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, WPZ
1 Plantspiration Our 92 acres has more than 5,000 trees of 200 separate species. Right now our pathways are spilling over with orange, red, gold and brilliant yellow leaves. Some of the best spots to stop for fall foliage are the oak leaf piles on the outer loop between the South Entrance and gorillas, the gigantic magnolia leaves near Assam Rhino Reserve, and the perfectly painted Enkianthus outside Banyan Wilds.
2 Taj and Glenn calling! Taj and Glenn the rhinos are ready to join your next video call! Purchase a call today to have one of these incredible animals virtually join you:
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be it a team meeting, friendly hangout, or just
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a personal virtual visit. Along with the rhinos, a member of our animal care team will be on the line to translate for our animal pals.
All proceeds go to support Woodland Park Zoo: www.zoo.org/callofthewild
3 Twinsies! The red panda twins now have their names: Tián, meaning sweet, was the overwhelming choice by our online poll and her twin brother is named Zan, meaning help and support. Red pandas are found
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in the southern Himalayan foothills, from India to China and as far south as Myanmar.
4 Zoo to You Hey kid, did you know the zoo has a ton of kidfriendly resources for rainy day activities this fall? Check out zoo.org/zootoyou for family faves including word searches, coloring pages, backyard activities and more—all inspired by the animals.
5 The golden hour The golden hour is the point at which the sun’s light
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has to pass through the most atmospheric haze in order to reach Earth, and that creates the magical golden glow we associate with autumn. There are two points each day when the sun makes its magic: once right after sunrise and again just before sunset. This website tells you exactly when the golden hour will hit to get your photo on!
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FALL 2020 BOOK LIST ZOO FAVORITES
ZOO FAVORITES
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! Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl, by Jonathan C. Slaght, 2020 (non-fiction, wildlife). A tale of one man’s travels through a frozen Russian landscape bordering North Korea, searching for an elusive and endangered bird so that its breeding and hunting sites could be protected from destruction. Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard, by Douglas W. Tallamy, 2020 (nonfiction). This book shows how homeowners everywhere can turn their yards into conservation corridors that provide wildlife habitats. What It’s Like to Be a Bird, by David Allen Sibley, 2020 (non-fiction, nature reference). This book is for birders and nonbirders alike. It’s a treasure trove of stunning illustrations and extraordinary facts about what common and many other remarkable birds are doing—and why. The Lost Art of Reading Nature's Signs: Use Outdoor Clues to Find Your Way, Predict the Weather, Locate Water, Track Animals—and Other Forgotten Skills, by Tristan Gooley, 2015 (nature/outdoors). Do you know how tree roots can indicate the sun’s direction or how a passing butterfly hints at the weather? Whether you’re walking in the country or city, by day or at night, this resource shows what the land, sun, stars, plants, animals, and clouds can reveal—if you only know how and where to look!
Beautiful gardens 1/ start at Molbak’s
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YOUNG ADULTS Incident at Hawk’s Hill, by Allen W. Eckert, 1971 (children’s literature). Ben is a small boy who gets along better with animals than people. One June day in 1870, he wanders away from his home on Hawk's Hill and disappears into the waving prairie grass. This is the story of how a shy, lonely boy survives for months in the wilds and forges a bond with a female badger.
KIDLIT The Buffalo are Back, by Jean Craighead George, 2010 (nonfiction). This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of how buffalo made a comeback in the American Midwest after being nearly decimated in the late 1800s—beginning with the symbiotic relationship that the buffalo had with Native Americans and with the land itself. Fantastically Great Women Who Saved the Planet, by Kate Pankhurst, 2020 (nonfiction). From deep in the ocean, around the Antarctic to the heart of a Tanzanian forest, women throughout history have made discoveries that have shown us just how amazing the Earth is and why we should look after it.
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FALL is a great time to plant. Come for a visit!
MYZOO Member Magazine | Fall 2020 | zoo.org 21 (425) 483-5000 • 13625 NE 175th St, Woodinville
SNOWY OWLS
The snowy owl prefers open areas for its breeding range, including tundra and grasslands. During winter it seeks treeless habitat to the south including prairies, marshes or shorelines.
You can help owls—and birds of prey in general—by avoiding the use of pesticides, chemical herbicides, and rodenticides in your yards and gardens. Using these products has an impact on the foods that birds eat—anything ingested by rodents would then be ingested by owls.
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The fluffy, white snowy owl is the heaviest North American owl and one of the largest in overall size. Males are nearly pure white and the female’s white plumage is highlighted with dark brown bars and spots.
ON NORTHERN TRAIL S
nowy owls hold a magical place in the human imagination, from ancient myths and legends to Harry Potter’s Hedwig—and now there is even more magic to go around. We're so excited to welcome a pair of snowy owl chicks to our zoo family, and these youngsters are all eyes! First-time parents, mom June and dad Dusty, live with their brood in the Northern Trail habitat where they are doing a great job looking after their offspring. They were paired under the Snowy Owl Species Survival Plan, which is a cooperative, conservation breeding program across
zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums to help ensure a healthy, self-sustaining population for at-risk species. Wild populations of snowy owls are decreasing and the species is considered to be vulnerable. Owls in general are in decline because of habitat loss, introduced disease and poisoning from improperly used rodent poison. Specifically, snowy owls come into more contact with human civilization when they migrate and they often fall victim to fatalities related to flying into utility lines, wire fences, cars, airplanes (at airports) and other human structures. Some owls are even killed by hunters. Changes in the arctic climate may also be a looming threat for this species. In the wild, snowy owls generally live in the Arctic in open, treeless areas called tundra, so you’d have to visit someplace north of 60° latitude to see them—which for North America means Alaska or parts of Canada. Every few years, there are groups of snowy owls that move farther south than normal, flying into areas where they don’t regularly go—including the Seattle area and other parts of the lower U.S. This is called an “irruption” and it can be triggered during years when there’s not enough food in their normal range to support a larger number of birds that survived through the previous season. Though snowy owls can eat voles, arctic hares and smaller birds, their favorite prey is lemmings. The health of the lemming population is one of the biggest factors tied to irruption years. More lemmings mean there is enough food for everyone. But abundant food also means more youngsters can survive to fledge from the nest—which means more competition! When that happens younger snowy owls that are less experienced hunters will fly south, in search of food. The most recent irruption that brought significant numbers of snowy owls as far south as Seattle happened over the winter of 2013-2014. Elizabeth Bacher, Staff Writer Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren and Dennis Dow, WPZ
MYZOO Member Magazine | Fall 2020 | zoo.org 23
LEAVING
A LEGACY OF GRATITUDE D
id you know you can make a philanthropic gift to Woodland Park Zoo without impacting your current income? When you include Woodland Park Zoo in your estate or financial plans, you ensure our work—and Woodland Park Zoo—will thrive for generations. In addition to making an impact on our future, a planned gift allows you to create a legacy that speaks to your values. Depending on the gift arrangement you choose, you can: • Defer your gift until after your lifetime, so your current income is not impacted; • Feel secure about the future of your loved ones; • Maintain control of your assets for life; and • Give more than you ever thought possible.
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Additionally, many planned gift options allow you to change your mind at any time. Planned giving options are not complicated or only for individuals with large incomes. In fact, many types of planned gifts are straightforward. A gift to Woodland Park Zoo in your will or living trust is one of the most popular ways to support Woodland Park Zoo’s work. Many of our donors choose this option because of flexibility and planning for their family’s future, as well as supporting the work of Woodland Park Zoo. If you would like to explore leaving a planned gift to Woodland Park Zoo, please contact Michelle Banks, Director of Individual Giving, at 206.548.2624 or via email at michelle.banks@zoo.org
Woodland Park Zoo deeply appreciates our partnership with University of Washington’s Haring Center and its Professional Development Team. We invite any school or organization seeking assistance with staff training, coaching, program review, curriculum development and implementation of inclusive programs to consider the Haring Center’s Professional Development Team. The Haring Center’s Professional Development and Training Team is a resource for any organization seeking to create inclusive and equitable learning environments. We provide training, program evaluation, consultation, and ongoing technical assistance and coaching to schools, agencies, and communities worldwide serving learners with and without disabilities.
All of us at Woodland Park Zoo extend a very special thanks to Bill and Alyssa Sunderland for helping to make our partnership and many other advancements possible for our zoo community with their generous support.
PDUTrain@uw.edu haringcenter.org/pdu/ MYZOO Member Magazine | Fall 2020 | zoo.org 25
ANIMAL SPOTLIGHT
EGYPTIAN TORTOISE (Testudo kleinmanni)
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very now and then, the world’s tiniest creatures show us they have something big to teach us, if we’re willing to listen. Such is the case for our next Spotlight animal. The critically endangered Egyptian tortoise, one of the world’s smallest tortoises, faces intense pressure in the wild. They’re native to the desert bordering the Mediterranean Sea and were once found in Libya, Egypt and Israel. Now, they’re isolated to small patches of territory in Libya and are considered extinct in the rest of their territory. Habitat destruction and
human encroachment, including the illegal pet trade, are to blame. But there is hope, in the form of tiny hatchlings that weigh about as much as a couple nickels. Woodland Park Zoo is proud to be a leader in the successful breeding and rearing of Egyptian tortoises. We work under the direction of the Species Survival Plan (known as the SSP)—a cooperative conservation breeding program overseen by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums to help ensure healthy, self-sustaining populations in North America. More than 90 of these tiny treasures have successfully hatched at our zoo since the very first one emerged from its shell here in 2004. Unlike many turtles and tortoises, which are various shades of green, the Egyptian tortoise has a sand or brownishcolored shell. It’s a great adaptation to help them blend in with their native desert habitat. When they hatch, these babies are tiny, weighing only 10 grams. That’s not even half an ounce! Even full grown, Egyptian tortoises are small, with adults rarely getting more than 4 to 4.5 inches long from the front edge of the shell to the back—and the females tend to be bigger than the males. Not much is known about the diet of the few individuals left in the wild, but here at Woodland Park Zoo our tortoises— we currently have 21 in our care, ranging in age from a few months to 47 years old—feast on a healthy, custom-made salad that includes nutritious ingredients like romaine, kale, celery, carrots and yam.
Click image to watch tiny hatchlings
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Our Egyptian tortoises live in several areas around the zoo, including the Adaptations Building on the zoo’s east side. If you’re visiting, you can find one group of them there living
Egyptian Tortoise Range
side-by-side with some lizards. Another group is part of our Ambassador Animals team. That means they take part in educational programs, helping guests to learn about them and promoting ways to take action for wildlife. Tut and Ramses (both 13 years old) along with Nile and Cairo (both 6) all hatched here as part of the SSP and are all part of the Ambassador Animals team. Tortoises (and turtles in general) are often thought of as slow, passive or lethargic. Apparently, no one told that to our Ambassador group! These bachelors (they’re all male) love to zoom around—and they come running when we give them their favorite in-between meals snack: hibiscus flowers! YUM! All of these boys share a warm behind-the-scenes habitat, where they get along really well. Each of their shells has a slightly different pattern, so our animal keepers can tell them apart, but they also have tiny markers on their shells— small dots with numbers—so that team members can easily identify and care for each one. In order to assure a safe and healthy experience, many of our in-person programs, including those with ambassador animals, are temporarily on hold right now—but that doesn’t mean you can’t meet our ambassador tortoises “up close.” Woodland Park Zoo’s new Call of the Wild program allows you to invite them (along with one of our awesome keepers) to join your next virtual Zoom meeting, gathering or happy hour! Get the details here on how to host a video chat with them. Today, more than 50 percent of the world’s known tortoise and turtle species are facing extinction, making these reptiles one of the most endangered animals on the planet.
Woodland Park Zoo is more committed than ever to protecting all these species, around the world and here at home—and we invite you to join us! Here are some ways you can help protect turtles and tortoises:
AFRICA
• Promise never to buy or sell pets if you don't know where they came from. The illegal pet trade is no good for turtles, tortoises and other wildlife, so if you’re purchasing pets, make sure they’re from a vetted source and never buy or sell endangered species. • Keep your local wetlands clean and healthy! Don't dump chemicals down the drain and cut down on pesticides in your yard that can run off into the street and eventually make its way to streams, rivers and the Puget Sound. • Advocate for protecting endangered species and support laws that save vulnerable species from harm including wildlife trade, poaching and habitat loss. • Support your local zoo, conservation programs and habitat restoration projects. Elizabeth Bacher, Staff Writer Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren and Ryan Hawk, WPZ
MYZOO Member Magazine | Fall 2020 | zoo.org 27
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.
My heart is SOOOOO happy now that I have seen this sweet face and our fellow zoo buddies!
@WoodlandParkZoo was great and felt super safe—Saskia was super excited about the animals, but I think sh emostly loved seeing the other kids.
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
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Photo by Ylfa Lund Muindi
THE
Earn Your Master's Degree
WILD WAY!
Are you passionate about conservation? Do you want to learn more about environmental issues and take action? Are you looking for ways to engage with your community about subjects that matter? Then AIP might be for you!
M
iami University's Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) is an exciting web-based master’s degree program that includes experiential learning and field study offered at Woodland Park Zoo. The AIP is designed for a broad range of professionals as well as people looking for an opportunity to get their community involved in social and ecological change. Students learn to use inquiry not only as a method for integrated learning, but as a basic tool for co-creating a better and more sustainable future. This summer, many of our AIP students have been working on projects that highlight conservation engagement being done even while social distancing! For example, Ylfa Muindi has created a new podcast where she helps listeners connect and understand more deeply our relationship to forests. Kami Koyamatsu has been working with the zoo’s conservation department to help us explore ways to engage in bat conservation while also creating a webpage to
help families learn more about the benefits of bats in nature. Check out our recent blog for more information on the projects that AIP students have been working on this summer! While classes were digital this summer, AIP students were always able to share ideas with peers and faculty nationally, while also working directly through their AIP Master Institution to improve local communities through shared investigation and action. The AIP enables students to join an unprecedented national network of leading institutions committed to social and ecological change. Interested in learning more? Check out the AIP webpage for dates on upcoming information sessions and more profiles of student projects!
MYZOO Member Magazine | Fall 2020 | zoo.org 29
Pumpkin Bash, Smash! ound my f
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Every October, our animal keepers deliver a very special treat… pumpkins!
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FEELING GOURD? Visit zoo.org/zootoyou to download pumpkin patterns inspired by some of your favorite zoo animals. Then ask an adult to help you create a perfect pumpkin masterpiece! Show off your design and share with us #woodlandparkzoo 30 MYZOO Member Magazine | Fall 2020 | zoo.org
PU MP KIN C
ARVIN GP– G UMR AY W PKIN OLF (Begin CAR ner) VIN G– MA LAY AN TIG ER
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er alayan tig M e c r e on This fi ur magic o y e s u our could helping y n e h W e n. ake Hallowe candy, m le t u o k ic na b family p r sust a i u o e s u er, otect tig sure you r p o t e u id ! candy g elephant habitat d tapir an
Did you see a ghost? Did you know that snow leopards are also known as ghost cats? It’s true! People who share the mountains with these majestic cats say they can appear out of nowhere just like a ghost! Their huge paws allow them to keep silent on the snow and rocks, and their perfectly camouflaged coloring helps them blend right into the landscape. Can you find the ghost cat in this photo? MYZOO Member Magazine | Fall 2020 | zoo.org 31
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Do you ever have to look really hard to find an animal? Animals hide to stay safe, to get out of the sun, to protect their young and sometimes they hide just for fun!
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There are so many ways to hide! Can you find all of the animals? Mountain goat kid hides behind Warthog blends in Jaguar thinks he is hiding Lapwing chick looks a lot like the leaves
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Gorilla family uses distance Pudu fawn disappears Snowy owl chick uses color
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Siamang sits quietly Next time you play hide and seek, think like an animal! Is there a tree to hide behind? What about a pile of leaves? Can you dress up to stay hidden?
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Parents, ne xt time a round of hid e-and-seek p ops up, ask youn g learners to hide like an animal by giving promp ts such as “where w ould a jaguar hide?” or “where can you blend in ?” When it’s the child’s ti me to seek, have them make up a p rompt for o thers, maybe they can choose their favorite anim al!
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GET CRAFTY FOR
THINGS YOU WILL NEED: Empty egg carton and cereal box Scissors (and an adult to help you cut) Glue Pencil
1. Cut out two egg cups for the eyes, you can leave room for a beak by using the peak between them. 2. Using the inside part of a cereal box, sketch out the body and the wings, then add the feet. Carefully cut out the shape.
Crayons, markers or paint
3. Color, paint and decorate your pieces. Bend the wings a bit to add detail.
Optional: bottlecaps, buttons or found objects like dried leaves to decorate
4. Glue your eyes to the body, then add any embellishments you’d like!
Inspired by this blog: click here to learn more.
5. Hoot hoot!
PUMPKIN HEAD Three animals stuck their heads into pumpkins! Can you help animal keepers tell who is who? Answers: maned wolf, otters and warty pig
MYZOO Member Magazine | Fall 2020 | zoo.org 33
WOODLAND PARK ZOO 5500 Phinney Avenue North, Seattle, Washington 98103
A V I RTUA L E V E NT
Thursday, Oct. 22 7:00-9:00 PM
Brew with the Zoo back cover space 8” wide x 7.15” tall coming draft #2
zoo.org/brew 34 MYZOO Member Magazine | Fall 2020 | zoo.org
