■HI MAI KEEPERS’

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October 2011

The Journal of the American Association of Zoo Keeners, fee*

ANIMAL KEEPERS’ FORUM. 3601 S.W. 29th St., Suite 133, Topeka, KS 66614-2054
Phone: (785) 273-9149 FAX (785) 273-1980

October 2011
Vol. 38, No. 10

AKF Managing Editor: Susan D. Chan • Media Production Editor: Shane Good • Associate Editors: Becky
Richendollar, Columbia, SC • Mark de Denus, Winnipeg, MB • Enrichment Options Column Coordinator:
Julie Hartell-DeNardo, Oakland Zoo and Ric Kotarsky, Tulsa Zoo & Living Museum • Legislative/Conservation
Outlook Column Co-Coordinators: Becky Richendollar, Columbia, SC and Greg McKinney, Philadelphia, PA
• ATC Column Co-Cordinators: Angela Binney, Disney’s Animal Kingdom; Kim Kezer, Zoo New England;
Jay Pratte, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo • Conservation Station Coordinator: Amanda Kamradt, New England
AAZK Chapter • Proofreader: Barbara Manspeaker, AAZK Administrative Office.

Animal Keepers’ Forum is published monthly by the American Association of Zoo Keepers, Inc., 3601 S.W. 29th
Street, Suite 133 , Topeka, KS 66614-2054. Ten dollars of each membership fee goes toward the annual publication
costs of Animal Keepers’ Forum . Postage paid at Topeka, KS.

AAZK Exccutive Director; Ed Hansen, AAZK, Inc., Topeka KS

also serves as AAZK Liaison to the American Zoo & Aquarium Association (AZA)

AAZK Administrative Secretary: Barbara Manspeaker, AAZK, Inc., Topeka, KS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Bob Cisneros, San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA 92112-055 1

Penny Jolly, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000

Tammy Root, Indianapolis Zoo, Indianapolis, IN 46222

Kelly Wilson, Detroit Zoological Society, Royal Oak, MI 48067

Deana Walz, The Living Planet Aquarium, Sandy, LIT 84094-4409

Vice President

President

CQMM1TTEES/CQQRDINATQRS/PRQ.1ECT MANAGERS

By-laws

Chair - Ric Kotarsky, Tulsa Zoo

Grants Committee

Chair - Shelly Roach, Columbus Zoo

Behavioral Husbandry Committee

Chair - Christina Dembiec, Jacksonville Zoo

Conservation Committee Chair

Amanda Kamradt, New England AAZK Chapter

Ethics

Chair - Penny Jolly, Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Awards

Chair - Janet McCoy, The Oregon Zoo
Professional Development
Melaina Wallace, Disney’s Animal Kingdom
ICZ Coordinator

Norah Famham, Woodland Park Zoo
Media/Website

Denise Wagner, Phoenix Zoo, Project Manager
Social Media

Sean Walcott, SeaWold San Diego, Project Manager

Bowling for Rhinos

Coordinator - Patty Pearthree, Cary, NC

Products and Membership

Jacque Blessington, K.C. Zoo, Project Manager

Conferences

Ed Hansen, Tucson, AZ, Coordinator

MEMBERSHIP. SERVICES

Data Transfer Forms

Available for download at www.aazk.org

AAZK Publications/Logo Products/ Apparel

AAZK Administrative Office/Topeka
or at www.aazk.org

printed on Recycled Paper

Table of Contents

About the Cover/Information for Contributors ........................494

Scoops & Scuttlebutt ....495

New Orleans Chapter Sponsorship Recognition 496

AAZK Announces New Members .....497

ICZ 2012 Second Call for Papers ....497

Coming Events 498

From the President 500 - 501

Trees for You and Me - Chapter Challenge 502

From the Executive Director - Chapter Recognitions 504 - 505

AKF Editor Receives Lifetime Achievement Award......... .........506 - 507

2011 National AAZK Conference Wrap-up 509 - 510

Bowling for Rhinos 2011 Update/Trip Recipients 512

Training Tales {Harpy Eagle) 513 - 517

Bird Window Collision Monitoring at the Philadelphia Zoo:

Setting Up an AAZK Citizen Science Project 518- 521

AKF Dedicated Six-Issue Combo Pack on Sale 522

Alligator Care at the Virginia Living Museum 523 - 529

Chapter News 529

Enrichment Options {Art: Enrichment for Animals and Keepers Alike) ......530 - 531

Conservation/Legislative Update 532 - 540

38th Anniversary - 1974 - 2012

MISSION STATEMENT
(Revised April 2009)

American Association of Zoo Keepers, Inc.

The American Association of Zoo Keepers, Inc. exists to advance excellence in the animal
keeping profession, foster effective communcation beneficial to animal care, support deserving
conservation projects, and promote the preservation of our natural resources and animal life.

This month s cover features the unique artwork of Camille Dorian, a caretaker at Monkey Matters in San
Diego, CA. This cover was produced from one of her photographs that was taken into a graphics program
on her computer where she generated the artwork. Featured is a Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca).
Giant pandas live in a few mountain ranges in central China, in Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces.
They once lived in lowland areas, but farming, forest clearing, and other development now restrict giant
pandas to the mountains. Giant pandas live in broadleaf and coniferous forests with a dense understory
of bamboo, at elevations between 5,000 and 10,000 feet. The giant panda, a black-and-white bear, has
a body typical of bears. It has black fur on ears, eye patches, muzzle, legs, and shoulders. The rest of the
animal s coat is white. Although scientists do not know why these unusual bears are black and white, some
speculate that the bold coloring provides effective camouflage into their shade-dappled snowy and rocky
surroundings. The panda s thick, wooly coat keeps it warm in the cool forests of its habitat. Giant pandas
have large molar teeth and strong jaw muscles for crushing tough bamboo. Many people find these chunky,
lumbering animals to be cute, but giant pandas can be as dangerous as any other bear. About the size of
an American black bear, giant pandas stand between two and three feet tall at the shoulder (on all four
legs), and reach four to six feet long. Males are larger than females, weighing up to 250 pounds in the wild.
Females rarely reach 220 pounds. A wild giant panda s diet is almost exclusively (99 percent) bamboo. The
balance consists of other grasses and occasional small rodents or musk deer fawns. In zoos, giant pandas
eat bamboo, sugar cane, rice gruel, a special high-fiber biscuit, carrots, apples, and sweet potatoes. Adult
giant pandas are generally solitary, but they do communicate periodically through scent marks, calls, and
occasional meetings. Giant pandas reach breeding maturity between four and eight years of age. They may
be reproductive until about age 20. Female pandas ovulate only once a year, in the spring. A short period
of two to three days around ovulation is the only time she is able to conceive. Calls and scents draw males
and females to each other. Female giant pandas give birth between 95 and 160 days after mating. Although
females may give birth to two young, usually only one survives. Offspring stay with their mothers from
one and a half to three years. The giant panda is listed as endangered in the World Conservation Union s
(IUCN’s) Red List of Threatened Species. There are about 1,600 left in the wild. More than 300 pandas live
in zoos and breeding centers around the world, mostly in China. Thanks, Camille !

Source: http://nationalzoo.si. edu/animals/giantpandas/pandafacts/default. cfm

Articles sent to Animal Keepers ’ Forum will be reviewed by the editorial staff for publication.
Articles of a research or technical nature will be submitted to one or more of the zoo professionals
who serve as referees for AKF. No commitment is made to the author, but an effort will be made
to publish articles as soon as possible. Lengthy articles may be separated into monthly installments
at the discretion of the editor. The editor reserves the right to edit material without consultation
unless approval is requested in writing by the author. Materials submitted will not be returned unless
accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed, appropriately-sized envelope. Telephone, fax or email
contributions of late-breaking news or last-minute insertions are accepted as space allows. Phone
785-273-9149; FAX (785) 273-1980; email is akfeditor@zk.kscoxmail.com< If you have questions
about submission guidelines, please contact the Editor. Submission guidelines are also found in the
Members Only section of the AAZK website.

Deadline for each regular issue is the 10th of the preceding month.
Dedicated issues may have separate deadline dates and will be noted by the editor.

Articles printed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the AKF staff or the American Association
of Zoo Keepers, Inc. Publication does not indicate endorsement by the Association.

Items in this publication may be reprinted providing credit to this publication is given and a copy of
the reprinted material is forwarded to the editor. If an article is shown to be separately copyrighted
by the author(s), then permission must be sought from the author(s). Reprints of material appearing in
this journal may be ordered from the editor. Regular back issues are available for $4.00 each. Special
issues may cost more.

E-Mail Addresses:

You may reach Barbara Manspeaker at AAZK Administrative Offices at: aazkoflice@zk.kscoxmail.com<
You may reach Susan Chan and Animal Keepers ’Forum at: akfeditor@zk.kscoxmail.com<

Mailing Address:

AAZK, Inc., 3601 SW 29th St., Suite 133, Topeka, KS 66614-2054

AAZK website Address: www.aazk.org
BFR Website: http://aazkbfr.org

494 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

Scoops & Scuttlebutt

Conservation Committee Seeks New Members

The AAZK National Conservation Committee is grateful for the growing interest
in our work, and we are excited to announce that we are seeking new members to
join us! The Conservation Committee was founded four years ago with the purpose
of fostering the relationship between zookeepers and the conservation of wildlife and their habitats.
Some of the projects we have undertaken since then include, but are not limited to:

• Coordination of the Conservation Station column in Animal Keepers ’Forum.

• Advising the AAZK Board of Directors on the management of the Bowling for Rhinos
Conservation Resource Fund.

• Establishing the AAZK Certificate of Merit in Conservation Award in partnership with
the Awards Committee.

• Establishing guidelines to increase the environmental friendliness of our conferences
and Association.

• Organizing and presenting conservation workshops at AAZK national conferences.

• Establishing an online database of opportunities for AAZK members to participate in
conservation projects.

We’d be particularly interested to hear any suggestions you may have for additional projects you’d
like us to undertake, and of any skills or background knowledge you may have that could help us
execute those projects. Letters of interest, resumes, and inquiries may be sent to Chair Amanda
Kamradt at amanda.kamradt@aazk.org. Deadline to apply is November 18, 2011. We appreciate
your interest in the AAZK National Conservation Committee!

BFR Information Needed

The National AAZK Bowling For Rhinos coordinator, Patty Pearthree is requesting that each Chapter
choose a Bowling For Rhino contact person for 2012 including Chapters that do not currently hold
an event.

Once chosen, please forward the contact name, email address and associated Chapter name to the
following email address: ppear3@pear3.org (Patty Pearthree). And please also send an email to the
BFR yahoo groups email coordinator: Barbie Wilson: rhinobarbie@hotmail.com

If you join the BFR yahoo email group, we will be able to contact you with up to date information,
changes or questions/suggestions on how to increase the success of your event. We will also include
information on how to join BFR if you are currently not involved. We will be seeking questions/
issues/topics for next year’s BFR workshop via the yahoo groups email. We hope you can join us to
increase the success of BFR.

Additionally, BFR has been added to the Mother Earth fundraising site as a beneficiary. Twenty-
five percent (25%) will go to BFR if the shopper chooses us. To view or shop go to: www.
motherearthfundraising.com and organization to select is «American Association of Zoo Keepers
Bowling For Rhinos». Please pass this information along, list it on fliers, etc. Thanks.

Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol 38, No. 10

495

AAZK Chapters Help Underwrite AKF Production

During the 2011 Chapter Recharter process earlier this year, five AAZK Chapters generously sent
in donations to help cover the costs associated with the production of Animal Keepers ’Forum. We
would like to thank them for their support in producing the Association’s monthly professional
journal.

For the October 2011 issue of AKF we wish to thank all the members of the New Orleans Chapter of
AAZK, New Orleans, LA. ~ AKF Editor

The New Orleans Chapter of AAZK has been very busy this year. We teamed up with the Audubon
Zoo’s Earthfest to get a massive amount of used cell phones donated toward Eco-Cell. As done
previously, all these funds were donated to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.

We also have introduced a new fundraiser by selling paintings done by our zoo’s sea lions. It has
been a huge success and the money raised from this will go toward marine mammal stranding
organizations.

This year, our Chapter was also able to sponsor three of our
members to attend the AAZK National Conference in San
Diego.

As always, this time of year we are preparing for our big
festival season here in New Orleans and are excitedly awaiting
Boo at the Zoo and Swampfest where we will hopefully have
very successful fundraising experiences.

Our Chapter hopes to continue to donate to various conservation
organization as well as support our members and zoo with
future zoo keeping improvements.

~ Abbi Davis, Treasurer
New Orleans AAZK Chapter

.§§. NATIONAL

ZOO KEEPER Ju.lu ±5 - 21, 2012

wm WEEK ^ d

StflrtliA/0 Now!

see helpful li/vfo at www.aflzte.or0
Loote ureter "About us" ow the hom.epfl0e.

496

Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

*5 International
% Congress

on

yi

^ Zookeeping

v 2012

mM Singapore

(Many Uoi&A. X)iu, Calling,

Second Call for Papers

AAZK Announces New Members

New Professionals Members

Jillian Beasley, New York State Zoo (NY); Tricia
Campbell, Maryland Zoo (MD); Jacqueline
Rushley, Virginia Aquarium (VA); Tori Malick,
Dickerson Park Zoo (MO); Chelsey Dobson,
Audubon Zoo (LA); Christopher Mooney, San
Diego Zoo (CA); and Myles Lamont, Hancock
Wildlife Research Center (WA). (We do not
publish the names of new and/or renewing members

who do not list their facility on their membership

The 4th Conference of the International 7. f „ ,7 f .

application/renewal form. Ihere were three for this

Congress of Zookeepers will be held in
Singapore in 2012, hosted by Wildlife Reserves

Singapore. Renewing Contributing Members

You are invited to submit abstracts of papers,
posters & workshops on any aspect of zoo
work.

Amy Roberts
Oak Park, IL

Renewing Institutional Members

Abstracts for oral and poster presentations
should be written in English, no more than 600
words long in MS Word® format. If you want
to run a workshop focused on developing zoo
keeper skills, please send a short description.

Please mark TCZ Abstract' and send to: Paul
Howse, ICZ Steering Committee at papers@
iczoo.org

Prospect Park Zoo
Brooklyn, NY
Denise McClean, Director

Cosley Zoo
Wheaton, IL

Susan Wahlgren, Director

Hillcrest Park Zoo
Clovis, NM

Vince Romero, Director

Estimated attendance is 300 - 400 zoo
professionals from at least 20 countries.

Deadline for abstracts is 1st April 2012

Conference dates are
September 9th - 13th, 2012

'Cannetting Keepen Worldwide*

TKKmws,

Si rnwwe

f 'TOO

THE

GOURMET
RODENT,
INC.

RATS AND MICE

Bill & Marcia Brant

P.O. Box 430

Newberry, FL 32669-0430

(352) 472-9189
Fax: (352) 472-9192
e-mail: GrmtRodent@aol.com

Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

497

Coming Events

Post Your Coming Events Here
email to: akfeditor@zk.kscoxmail.com

October 1-5, 2011 - 30th Annual Conference of
the Association of Zoological Horticulture (AZH).
Hosted by the Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita,
KS. Theme: “Bringing the World to the Plains”.
Seminars and workshops covering a wide range
of topics involving Horticulture, Integrated Pest
Management, Conservation and Exhibit Design will
be presented. Participants within the Horticulture,
Arboriculture and Grounds Maintenance fields are
encouraged to attend. For information call 316-
266-8313, 316-266-8314 or visitAZH.org.

October 6-9, 2011 - Advancing Bear Care 2011
- To be held in Banff, Canada. Bear biologists
and naturalists will lead hikes into bear habitat
and interpret for delegates how bears use the
components of the ecosystem to express their daily
and seasonal routines. We will bring this information
back into workshops and apply this knowledge
towards improving captive bear husbandry. Also,
international bear biologists will assist us in
interpreting Asian, European, and South American
bear habitats. Conference updates will always
be posted on the Bearcare Yahoo Group list serv
http ://ca. groups .yahoo . com/group/bearcare/ You
will be able to advertise your need for roommates,
rides, conference questions etc. on this list serv.
To join just send an email to bearcare-subscribe@
yahoogroups.ca

October 6-9, 2011 - 32nd Annual Elephant
Managers Association Conference - Hosted by
the Seneca Park Zoo, Rochester, NY. The pre-
conference trip will be hosted by Lion Country
Safari in Cambridge, Ontario on Wednesday,
October 5th (Passport needed to participate in this
trip).

2012

any of the freshwater species is welcome to attend.
Topics will include: captive management issues,
enrichment, training, water quality, health care,
nutrition, diet, hand-raising, exhibit design, and
lots of sharing of information between keepers.
Registration is $75.00. For more information, see
www.otterkeeperworkshop.org<

August 8-14, 2012 - The World Congress
of Herpetology - To be held in Vancouver,
Canada. For more information see http://www.
worldcongressofherpetology.org/

September 9-13, 2012 - 4th International
Congress on Zookeeping - Sponsored by Wildlife
Reserve Singapore/Singapore Tourism Bureau.
Theme: “Many Voices, One Calling”. For info on
sponsorship or exhibit opportunities email eo@
aszk.org.au. Check the ICZ website http:www.
iczoo.org / for latest news/information.

September 23-27, 2012 - AAZK National
Conference - Hosted by the Rosamond Gifford Zoo
and the Rosamond Gifford Zoo AAZK Chapter in
Syracuse, NY.

Upcoming AAZK National Conferences

2012 - Syracuse, NY - September 23-27

2013 - Asheboro, NC - September 22-26

2014 -Orlando, FL-TBD

For information on upcoming AAZK
conferences, watch the AAZK website at
www.aazk.org

February 15-18, 2012 - 20th Annual Conference
of the International Associatiion of Avian
Trainers and Educators - Hosted by the Minnesota
Zoo, Bloomington, MN. Topics will include
avian behavior, training, husbandry, conservation,
education, enrichment, and show presentation/
production. Paper and poster abstract deadline
is 1 October 2010. Please mail to: conference@
IAATE.org< For detailed Call for Papers and more
information visit www.IAATE.org

April 12-15, 2012 - Otter Keeper Workshop -
The 5th biennial workshop will be hosted by The
Dallas World Aquarium, Any staff working with

Upcoming AZA National Conferences

September 8-13,2012 - AZA 2012 Annual
Conference - Hosted by Phoenix Zoo,
Phoenix, A Z

September 7-12, 2013 - AZA 2013 Annual
Conference - To be hosted by the Kansas City Zoo,
Kansas City, MO .

For more information on AZA Conferences see
http://aza.org/ConfWork/AC_Intro/index.html

498

Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

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Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

499

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pesiaen

“Change is hard... You cannot teach an old dog new tricks... People resist change, indeed, people
hate change.” Featured Workshop leader Chip Heath found this out when he and his brother Dan
began to study change in preparation for their book Switch: How to Change Things When Change is
Hard. Chip shared their findings during a featured workshop at the 38th Annual AAZK Conference
in San Diego. What they found was that if we really hate change, we have a funny way of showing
it. Marriage, having children, iPhones, even dieting in preparation for that beach- worthy body are all
usually welcomed changes, albeit difficult.

When we are working towards change, according to Heath, we instinctively gravitate towards trying
to fix what’s wrong. What’s broken and how do we fix it? But sometimes that backfires. When it is
time for change, said Heath, we must look for the bright spots. Find the things that are working and
ask ourselves: What’s working and how can we do more of it?

As I sat in the room listening to Chip’s message about creating change, I glanced around at the
workshop attendees and realized that all of us in that room, in fact, all of us at that conference were
there because we were committed to effecting some kind of positive change in our Association, our
Chapters, our institutions, and especially in the lives of the animals that we care for. Taking this
premise even further, it’s safe to say that the membership itself in some way embraces change and
even gravitates toward effecting positive change. It’s as obvious as it is true: our membership in this
Association, mine included, is our way of seeking out positive changes in the form of professional
development and animal care, as well as helping to give conservation projects an added edge in the
fight against habitat loss and extinction.

I am preaching to the choir here.

And it’s only fitting that at the San Diego conference, a featured workshop leader would present
a workshop on effecting positive change. Fitting, because 44 years prior, seven zoo keepers at
the San Diego Zoo decided that they would form a group where the flow of information would be
encouraged; where good ideas were not just kept to oneself, but rather shared openly and freely.
Their goal was to make a positive impact on animal care and improve the way that they, keepers at
the same institution, communicated their successes with one another.

Back to the present. If there was a buzz word at the conference, I am sure that it was “change”.
Board Members Shane Good fulfilled his two, four-year terms (his last four as National President)
and Gisela Wiggins finished offher term. They were replaced by Deana Walz from The Living Planet
Aquarium and Kelly Wilson from Detroit Zoo. Shane leaves the Association as a Board Member
but will continue to remain near the heart of the organization as he takes on a new role of Media
Production Editor, replacing Susan Chan. Susan is retiring after 30+ years of dedicated service as
our AKF Editor.

For those of you who attended the conference, the most notable change was the format. In an effort
to focus more on skills acquisition and learning opportunities, we decreased the number of paper
presentations and increased the number of workshops. As a template for future conferences, we
reduced the number of paper presentations to 15 and increased the workshops from our normal
average of four or five to 25 workshops. The conference provided scheduled papers in the morning
and workshops in the afternoon and evening. Prior to the conference, questions arose. How would
attendees react to the new change? We have, after all, been working with the old model for almost
40 years. During the registration process, when workshop registration went live, it was amazing!
The response was overwhelming; workshops filled up like stadium seats at the Super Bowl. In the
end, there were over 850 individual workshop attendees; mostly registered, some from waiting lists,

500 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

others were crashers, walk-ins, and sit-ins. Breaking a 37-year-old mold, San Diego became the
“field of dreams” for future conferences, thanks to the hard work of the San Diego Chapter and the
AAZK Professional Development Committee.

That “Field of Dreams” was laid in place by AAZK’s Professional Development Committee. And
as a continuation of those changes, the Professional Development Committee has already begun
development of the same caliber of workshops, working in unison with the AAZK Chapter at
Rosemond Gifford Zoo. Our goal is to improve your learning opportunities at conferences and change
the take-home value of your conference time. Those changes evoke more positive changes, from
conference value for the individual to the investment value that conferences become for attending
keepers and their institutions.

Those conference changes, however, affect only a small percentage of our membership. We recognize
that and realize there is value in continuing positive change beyond the conferences. Just two days
prior to the conference, Board Members, our Executive Director, and select Committee Chairs and
Project Managers assembled for an intensive two-day strategic planning session. During those two
days, we defined the vision and mission of the organization, laying out a road map for fulfilling that
mission. We defined key issues facing the future of AAZK and developed specific goals and action
plans in order to address those issues. In short, we evaluated our mission and crafted a new vision.
Our vision is our ideal conception of who we want to be. Our Mission is how we will get there
and our goals and action plans are the architectural plans that help us edify our Association and its
membership. Our new vision for our Association is as follows:

AAZK will be the leader in the zoo and aquarium industry fostering professional development
and personal connections that advance animal care , animal welfare and conservation.

It’s a bold vision but not unachievable. It is a vision that incorporates leadership, learning, and a
personal connection, a networking of kindred spirits, if you will. It involves the Board of Directors,
our staff, and most importantly, you the membership. Great changes are on the horizon with you as
the beneficiaries. Ultimately, animal care will be the definitive beneficiary.

In the end, as animal care professionals, we do embrace change. We harness change in our routines.
Change is a vital component to our enrichment strategies. Change is also the basic premise for all
behavior training. Change is what we do daily. In fact, we do teach old dogs new tricks. It’s what we
are good at. We are after all, professionals in our field and change is our friend.

It’s an honor for me to be sitting here at my desk and writing this letter to you. I look forward to
joining you all in shaping the future of our Association.

Bob Cisneros, AAZK President
San Diego Zoo

AMERICAN

ASSOCIATION

of ZOO KEEPERS

Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

501

I want to welcome all AAZK Chapters to the 3rd “Trees
for You and Me” AAZK Chapter Challenge which runs 1
September 2011 -1 March 2012. The link to “Trees” will
be on Polar Bears International® (PBI) website. We will
be helping to build the Polar Bear Forest® in Wisconsin
with the help of the Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources (WDNR). Our goal this year is to raise $25,000.
Once again for each $ 1 donated three trees will be planted
in the Polar Bear Forest. The winning AAZK Chapter will
again have a tree planted in their zoo or community thanks
to PBI along with a plaque. “Trees” is a true collaboration
between PBI, WDNR, and AAZK to plant trees, reduce CO2 and help polar bears!

PBI’s link for “Trees for You and Me” to donate; don’t forget to find your AAZK Chapter
on the scroll and click to win.

http://www.polarbearsintemational.org/programs/trees-you-and-me-model-nation

AAZK’s link to AAZK/PBI and reforestation
http://aazk.org/aazk-and-polar-bears-intemational/

Any questions or comments contact
christy.mazrimas-ott@aazk.org.

for you and me

POUR BEAR FOREST

ZooNews Digest/Zoo Biology Group - Check Them Out!

ZooNews Digest is the longest established and most widely read listing of current ‘zoo’ related news
on the Internet. It notes ‘real’ events of interest to those working within the zoo industry. The Digest
also includes comments and notification of courses and coming events. You can check it out on
its Facebook® page at http:www.facebook.com/pages/ZooNews-Digest/414100632167refmf. Or
check our http://zoonewsdigest.blogspot.com/

The Zoo Biology Group is concerned with all disciplines involved in the running of a Zoological
Garden: captive breeding, husbandry, exhibit design and construction, diets, enrichment, management,
record-keeping, etc. To join the Zoo Biology group see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/zoo-biology
for qualifications and process.

502 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

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pom

G

XeCUIIVG

IFGCIOP,

From a caring membership

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the membership of the American Association of
Zoo Keepers, I would like to recognize the Chapters that supported their Association during
2011. Each Chapter committed monetary resources and personal time to help support their
Association. The combination of re-charter fees and duty obligations totaled $51,737.64
for fiscal year 2011.

Congratulations to the AAZK Chapter of the Year
The National Capital Chapter of AAZK

You are all to be congratulated for your efforts and dedication that enable this Association
to move forward with our goals and objectives.

Thank you!

Ed Hansen, AAZK Executive Director

Platinum

($2000 and up)

Gold

($1000-$2000)

Audubon Park AAZK Chapter
Cape May County Zoo Chapter
Greater Cleveland Area Chapter of AAZK
Galveston Chapter of AAZK
Dallas Zoo Chapter of AAZK
Detroit AAZK Chapter
Indianapolis AAZK Chapter
Phoenix Chapter of AAZK
Point Defiance AAZK Chapter
Puget Sound AAZK Chapter
Southern Ontario Keepers Chapter of AAZK
St. Louis AAZK Chapter

504

Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

Silver

($500-$ 1000)

Baton Rouge Zoo AAZK Chapter
Tulsa Zoo AAZK Chapter
San Antonio Zoo AAZK Chapter
Los Angeles Zoo AAZK Chapter
San Francisco Bay Area Chapter
Utah Chapter of AAZK
New England Chapter of AAZK
Greater Philadelphia AAZK Chapter
Greater Baltimore Chapter of AAZK
North Carolina AAZK Chapter
Birmingham Zoo Chapter
Louisville Zoo AAZK Chapter
Mesker Park Zoo AAZK Chapter
Santa Barbara Zoo AAZK Chapter

Little Rock Zoo AAZK Chapter
Greater Houston AAZK Chapter
Rocky Mountain AAZK Chapter
San Diego AAZK Chapter
Seneca Park Zoo AAZK Chapter
West Texas AAZK Chapter
Rosamond Giffords Zoo AAZK Chapter
National Capital AAZK Chapter
Chesapeake AAZK Chapter
South Florida AAZK Chapter
Nashville Zoo AAZK Chapter
Columbus AAZK Chapter
Omaha Zoo AAZK Chapter

Bronze

(up to $500)

Oklahoma City Zoo AAZK Chapter • Fort Worth Zoo AAZK Chapter • El Paso del Norte
AAZK Chapter • AAZK of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo • EFBC AAZK Chapter • Greater
Sacramento AAZK Chapter • Honolulu Zoo AAZK Chapter • Portland AAZK Chapter •
Wildlife Safari AAZK Chapter • Assiniboine Park Zoo AAZK Chapter • Edmonton Chapter
of AAZK • Palm Beach Zoo AAZK Chapter • Toledo Zoo AAZK Chapter • Orange
County Chapter of AAZK • Lion Country Safari AAZK Chapter • AAZK of New Bedford
Chapter • Ozarks Chapter of AAZK • Roger Williams Park Zoo Chapter • Beardsley Zoo
AAZK Chapter • Georgia AAK Chapter • Jacksonville AAZK Chapter • Greater Orlando
AAZK Chapter • Knoxville Zoo AAZK Chapter • Memphis Zoo AAZK Chapter • Jackson
Zookeepers Association • Greater Cincinnati Chapter • Milwaukee County Zoo AAZK
Chapter • Minnesota Zoo AAZK Chapter • Lake Superior Zoo AAZK Chapter • Brookfield
AAZK Chapter • Lincoln Park AAZK Chapter • Greater Illinois AAZK Chapter • Greater
Kansas City AAZK Chapter • Topeka Zoo Chapter of AAZK • Sedgwick County Zoo
AAZK Chapter • Wildlife World Zoo AAZK Chapter • Naples AAZK Chapter • California
Desert AAZK Chapter • Tampa Bay AAZK Chapter • The Scovill Zoo AAZK Chapter •
Battle Creek AAZK Chapter • North Carolina Piedmont AAZK Chapter • Heart of Illinois
AAZK Chapter • Red River AAZK Chapter • Midnight Sun Chapter of AAZK • Tucson
AAZK Chapter

Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

505

AKF Editor Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Animal Keepers ’Forum Editor Susan Chan at the
closing banquet at the 38th National AAZK Conference in San Diego, CA. Susan began working as
AKF editor in February of 1981, and will retire on 31 December 2011. The Lifetime Achievement
Award is given by the AAZK Board of Directors and the AAZK Awards Committee. Following is
the wording on the plaque presented to Susan:

Susan Chan, in recognition of your outstanding commitment to professionalism during
your distinguished career as Managing Editor of Animal Keepers ’Forum. The Association
specifically notes your 30 years of service with the monthly preparation and production of
Animal Keepers ’Forum including six dedicated issues on special topics, Membership Directories,
Enrichment Notebook, Zoonotic Diseases Handbook, Biological Values for Selected Mammals,
the annual AAZK Conference Proceedings, Zoo Infant Development Notebook, Zoo Diet Notebook
and Resources for Crisis Management in Zoo and Other Animal Care Facilities. We also
recognize that you have promoted all aspects of the Association by dedicating a lifetime to
furthering our knowledge and enabling us to connect through the communication link of AKF.

Your diligent efforts to produce professional publications which are a reflection of the
Association s dedication to animal care is a testimony to your own proficient and focused
awareness of yourself as a person and as an employee of AAZK, Inc.

The following is the text of a tribute read during the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement
Award:

Animal Keepers ’Forum has come a long way since its beginning. It currently reaches approximately
2800 members (including about 150 zoos) in the U.S., Canada and 24 foreign countries - truly a
universal and varied audience.

The driving force behind this publication is Susan Chan. Her work and dedication for the past 30
years is stunning and humbling. Each month animal care staff at many locations around the world
expect a booklet-sized package of quality and interest in the mail and for more than a quarter of a
century, Susan has delivered. Celebrating her 30th year as Managing Editor, Susan has dedicated a
lifetime to furthering our knowledge and connecting us all through the communication link of Animal
Keepers ’Forum.

“I started with AAZK on Feb. 19, 1981 when the AKF was done on an IBM Selectric typewriter with
no correction key and put together by hand with glue-sticks.”

Her diligent efforts to produce a professional magazine that is a reflection of our dedication to animal
care is a testimony to her own proficient and focused awareness: as a person and as an employee of
AAZK, Inc. Susan Chan is as much about the business of professional animal care as every zoo
keeper, aquarist, manager or other animal care person who participates in the profession.

As well as publishing AKF each and every month, Susan has directed and coordinated many of
the other publications AAZK has produced over the years including the Membership Directories,
Enrichment Notebook, Zoonotic Diseases Handbook, Biological Values for Selected Mammals
editions, the annual AAZK Conference Proceedings, Zoo Diet Notebook, Zoo Infant Development
Notebook and the Resources for Crisis Management in Zoo and Other Animal Care Facilities.

506 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

Susan has worked with many individuals, Board members, committees, organizations, businesses,
(and, indeed, technologies) on behalf of the Association. All of these, with their different attributes,
personalities, agendas and challenges, have offered a varied and demanding career for Susan to
pursue and she has not faltered. And as life has presented circumstances with all that is good or
bad, joyous or unbearable, Susan’s strength and perseverance have been steadfast. She is one of the
sturdiest souls you will ever encounter. Susan and her husband, Gary, are two of the nicest people you
will ever meet. It is absolutely fitting that they live in the heartland of the continent.

Deadline is a very formidable word. Pressure is just as daunting. Animal Keepers ’Forum is a public
resource. It is one that opens the Association to the scrutiny of the membership, the zoological world
and the public domain as they view it through the modem means available today. Business sense,
creativity and expertise have guided the production of the publication and, indeed, the Association.
Susan Chan has met this challenge, professionally and competently, for these many years through
her editing and communication skills, her knowledge of the membership and her feel for the pulse
of this Association.

We are educated by the materials in Animal Keepers ’Forum. We are connected to the purposes and
interests of the contributors and writers. We are validated by the principles and professionalism of
the work. This has been showcased by Susan’s expertise and her dedication to her position and her
Association. It embodies what the American Association of Zoo Keepers, Inc. is about - commitment,
record, heart.

When it comes to our appreciation of Susan’s work and unwavering care, we are all on the same page
and it speaks volumes.

Mark de Denus
Associate Editor, AKF
Colleague/ Friend

Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

507

Sustainable collections
are more important
than ever.

Thank you to the
innovators who are
keeping populations
strong, including:

Cheetah SSP

California Association of
Zoos and Aquariums

Conservation Centers
for Species Survival

Avian Scientific
Advisory Group

Gruiformes Taxon
Advisory Group

Antelope Taxon
Advisory Group

508 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

2011 National AAZK Conference Wrap-Up

Let me start by saying a tremendous THANK YOU to every delegate who attended the 2011
National AAZK Conference in San Diego! The overwhelming attendance of over 280 people made
the conference a wonderful venue for networking, learning, and rekindling friendships. Delegates
traveled from around the world to attend including Mexico, Canada, and even Kenya.

The conference was jump started on 23 August with the special trip to SeaWorld San Diego for
delegates to enjoy some special treatment with behind-the-scenes tours of this great organization. On
24 August, we got the fun started by shuttling everyone to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to enjoy
the Icebreaker. Many delegates chose to take the adventure of riding on the Caravan Safari tour
where they could feed rhino and giraffe while driving through massive fields of roaming wildlife. In
addition to this special experience, delegates were able to meet our animal ambassadors and tour the
terrific facilities such as Lion Camp and the state-of-the art Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center.
Guests were also greeted by the San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s director, Bob McClure while dining on
a plethora of great food.

On 25 August, attendees were able to visit more than 25 exhibitors from all over the nation. Products
displayed ranged from scales, edible grass, animal capture supplies, enrichment, food, and books,
as well as local conservation organizations spreading their mission. During this day, delegates were
welcomed by Dr. Frye, the San Diego Zoo Global’s president of the Board of Trustees. Following
Dr. Frye, everyone was treated to our first keynote speaker, Julie Scardina. Julie is currently the
SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Discovery Cove Animal Ambassador and Corporate Curator of
Animal Training for SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. Julie shared her knowledge, animal training
expertise, and life-long love for animals with everyone while bringing a huge array of wonderful
animals for us to be enthralled with.

For three days during the conference, paper presentations and workshops ran all day providing a
wonderful range of topics and tracks for keepers to enjoy and fine tune their profession skills. Keepers
from an abundance of institutions presented on deserving topics ranging from training to enrichment
to conservation. The knowledge shared and learned will be critical for delegates to absorb and share
with their institutions to further animal husbandry and conservation worldwide.

A great program that we participated in was called Acres for the Atmosphere. Each year, between
150 and 300 keepers travel from all parts of the country in order to attend the AAZK National
Conference. Most travel occurs by either plane or automobile, both of which bum fossil fuels,
emitting Carbon Dioxide (C02) in the process. C02 emissions have often been referred to as the
engine that drives climate change. The impact (carbon footprint) of our travel to and from conferences,
therefore, has a negative effect on the environment. As an organization whose mission is to “promote
the preservation of our natural resources and animal life,” we should be working proactively to help
reduce our carbon footprint each year.

This year, The San Diego AAZK Chapter is planning to do an Acres for the Atmosphere local tree
planting project with The San Diego River Park Foundation. Every $7.00 donated will pay for the
purchase and care of a young native tree species to be planted along The San Diego River. Thanks to
everyone’s contributions over $2,200 was raised and will be used to plant 315 trees along the river.

On 26 August, attendees used public transportation to visit the San Diego Zoo. Everyone was
welcomed by animal ambassadors while dining on a delicious breakfast and greeted by the Director of
the San Diego Zoo’s Collection Husbandry Science Department, Carmi Penny. After a group photo,
delegates scattered to attend one of a massive number of behind-the-scenes tours set up throughout
the zoo. Additionally, koala, hoof-trimming, and Tamer® workshops occurring simultaneously where
hands-on learning was at everyone’s fingertips (and hoof-trimmings in people’s hair!). After a busy

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day and a large lunch, delegates headed back to the Westin Gaslamp to relax. None of this would
have been possible without the tremendous support of our Platinum Sponsor, the San Diego Zoo
Global. Their support for our AAZK Chapter and this conference made the Zoo Day and Icebreaker
events possible.

During the evenings, delegates were able to enjoy the Hospitality Suite which was the site for our
Silent Auction pre-event display containing over 200 items! Items ranged from unique photography
to teddy bears as well as items donated by attendees. As the future hosts for the 2012 National AAZK
Conference in Syracuse, NY, the Rosamond Giffard AAZK Chapter was very generous in sponsoring
one night at the Hospitality Suite The Hospitality Suite was even themed with a Fiesta Night as well
as a Martini Night. One of the evenings swept delegates on a Gaslamp Crawl through downtown San
Diego’s amazing bar and club district.

On 27 August, delegates were excited to hear our second keynote speaker, Joan Embery. Joan has
served as a champion of environmental and conservation issues around the world, most notably as
spokeswoman for the San Diego Zoo Global. Attendees were able to gain insight into Joan’s life
and her views on how to improve the world for animals and conservation. Following Joan’s talk,
delegates were able to hear a word from two of our great sponsors, SR Scales and SeaWorld. SR
Scales is a New York-based scale company with high quality products for medical, zoological, and
veterinary use. Their generous donation of scales as our Gold Sponsor was unbelievable and provided
for some competitive bidding during the live auction. Delegates were then able to congratulate all of
the winners of the National AAZK and AKF Awards.

On 28 August, following the paper sessions and workshops, the Silent Auction moved to a breezy and
sunny patio for delegates to make their final bids while enjoying a cocktail hour. A terrific banquet
night ensued after the bidding with a competitive live auction with amazing items. Last minute
friendships were solidified, business cards were exchanged, and hugs were abundant as delegates
realized they would not see one another until next year.

On 29 August, a group of about 40 delegates stuck around for the post-conference trip. With
four caravans, we traveled to the rescue facility Lions Tigers and Bears just outside Alpine, CA.
Following this we traveled to the Menghini Winery in Julian, CA for some great wine tasting, lunch,
and famous Julian pie. After exploring the quaint town of Julian, delegates explored the California
Wolf Center and were educated about the plight of wolves and the facility’s role in helping with wolf
conservation.

All in all, this conference was a learning process for the San Diego AAZK Board, with years’ worth
of dedication invested into making the best possible conference for all of you. We hope that you left
the 2011 National AAZK Conference with a feeling of rejuvenation for the zoo keeping profession,
new ideas, and strong friendships. It was a bittersweet moment to see all of you head home. Thank
you for being a part of our journey.

*Be sure to visit www.sdaazk.org to view our daily hotel conference videos and join our Facebook
page to view and add your own photos from the conference.

Sincerely,

Matt Akel, Vice President
San Diego AAZK Chapter

510 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

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Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

511

“Bowling For Rhinos 2011 Update”

We had a great AAZK conference in San Diego but I couldn’t announce the Bowling For Rhino trip
winners as the deadline to turn in money was Sept. 1 st.

The 201 1 top ten money raisers in the U.S. and Canada are:

#1- Cori Monetti of Los Angeles AAZK with $32,000 (wins 2 week trip to Lewa).
#2- Holly Ray of Oklahoma City AAZK with $14,232 (wins 2 week trip to Lewa).
#3-Andy Jacobs - Dallas-$9,635
#4-Emily Blanchard-Tulsa-$9,258
#5-Heather Strawn - Cleveland-$8,303
#6-Tamara Colt-Detroit- $8,107
#7-Gil Myers-Capital National - $ 7,846
#8-Jody Carrigan-Georgia - $ 3,575
#9-Linda Stark-Indianapolis -$3,282
# 10-Patty Pearthree-North Carolina - $3,080

The top three money raising AAZK Chapters for 201 1 were:
#1- Los Angeles - $32,000
#2- Oklahoma City - $14,232
#3- Dallas -$12,298

Top ten money raising Chapters

1) Oklahoma City - $237,958

2) Portland - $221,984

3) Dallas -$176,986

4) Detroit -$172,897

5) San Diego -$157,403

BFR started:

6) Lincoln Park - $130,917

7) Philadelphia - $129,440

8) Utah -$128,543

9) Indianapolis - $ 117,611

10) North Carolina - $ 108,129

since

If your Chapter has not yet turned in funds from the 2011 event, it is not too late. Please do so asap.
We are oh so close to that $4 million mark! If your chapter is able to make a “year-end donation”
toward the 2011 BFR event, please send funds (Checks payable to: “AAZK,Inc-BFR”) by December
1st to: Patty Pearthree, c/o BFR, 3 1 8 Montibello Dr., Cary, NC 27513

Our #1 BFR goal for 2012 is to have all 89 AAZK Chapters participate in “Bowling For Rhinos”.
Any type of fundraiser is welcome. Some Chapters have been very successful with “Wii bowling”,
“Run/Race For Rhinos”, ‘Rummage For Rhinos”, “Rock n For Rhinos”, “Sailing For Rhinos”. . .and
the list goes on. All donations of course are always welcome and count as participation. Remember,
it takes about five consecutive years for a fundraising event to catch on in your community so it is
important to keep rolling with BFR in order to be successful.

Our #2 BFR Goal is to raise $400,000 in 2012. If we increase the overall size of the “conservation
pie” each of the organizations we support will receive a larger amount of money. Now is the time to
begin planning your event for 2012. It’s time to form a committee for your event, select a date for your
event and decide what kind of event/events you will plan. If you are able to do so, try to pick an early
date in May. The more BFR events we can have around the country in early May, the more PR we are
likely to receive. Once you select your date, begin advertising to the public to increase attendance at
your event. Please see http://aazkbfr.org for helpful hints on holding a successful event.

Please let me know the date of your event and your contact information asap including email address
so I can update the website. All three organizations who receive BFR funding (IRF, Lewa and Action
For Cheetahs in Kenya) would like to help you “grow” your event but we need this information to
do so. If you plan to make a donation rather than hold an event, please let me know. The sooner we
know your event date, the better our chances of helping to “grow” your event. Please contact Patty
Pearthree: ppear3@pear3.org .

Please also join the BFR Coodinator yahoo groups email by emailing your request to Barbie Wilson @
rhinobarbie@hotmail.com . We can then inform you more quickly of important updates/events, etc.

512 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

The AAZK Behavioral Husbandry Committee Presents

Where you can share your training experiences!

Training Tales Editors - Jay Pratte, Omaha ’s Henry Doorly Zoo;

Kim Kezer, Zoo New England; and Angela Binney, Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Harpy Eagle Training: Exploring the Potential of Positive Reinforcement

By

Barbara Heidenreich, Animal Training and Consulting Services, Good Bird Inc.,
Erik Corredor, Dallas Zoo and Nathan Compton, Dallas Zoo

Introduction

The Wings of Wonder section of the Dallas Zoo is home to a variety of raptor and new world vulture
species. The recently refurbished exhibit is primarily designed to give zoo guests the opportunity
to view these impressive birds of prey in their large, attractive and naturalistic enclosures. There
is an additional goal of obtaining reproductive success with a number of the species on display. To
date a pair of King Vultures (Sarcoramphus papa) has successfully reproduced while housed at the
refurbished Wings of Wonder.

In the past caring for exhibit and birds in reproduction programs has usually involved a “less is more
approach.” The idea being that the fewer disturbances a keeper makes in a bird’s life, the more likely
the bird is to show behaviors indicating comfort and therefore potentially breed. However, with the
addition of an animal training consultant and zoo keeping staff members with experience and interest
in training, it was decided a different approach could prove successful.

In 2007 it was decided a proactive approach to training would be implemented for the birds in
Wings of Wonder. The goal was to train as many birds as possible for behaviors that would facilitate
husbandry and daily care. Initially several of the vulture species were identified as excellent training
candidates. The criteria used to determine this was the level of comfort in close proximity to keepers
and their willingness to accept food from keepers. A female Andean Condor ( Vultur gryphus)
was involved in the training program until her transfer to another facility. The King Vultures were
successfully trained to target, shift, enter a kennel, present a foot, and allow tactile to the chest. They
also bred and raised offspring and participated in training throughout the process. The offspring also
learned to target and stand on a scale.

As training proved to produce positive results it was decided to consider adding other candidates
to the training roster. Another bird that demonstrated a high level of comfort in the presence of the
keepers was a female Harpy Eagle ( Harpia harpyja) named Killa (pronounced kee ya).

The Training Candidate

The Harpy Eagle is one of the largest species of eagle. They can weigh from ten to 20 pounds and
have a six-and-a-half-foot wingspan. Their talons are comparable in size to the claws of a grizzly
bear. They feed primarily on animals that live in the trees, like sloths, monkeys, opossums, and some
reptiles and birds. Harpy Eagles are highly maneuverable fliers and strike their prey after a rapid
pursuit through the trees.

Killa was hatched in 2002 at the Avian Propagation Center at the San Diego Zoo. Hatched in an
incubator, she was then hand-raised using techniques to avoid imprinting on humans. While in the

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brooder she was covered with a towel, set behind a curtain, and a CD of rainforest sounds was used
to drown out the sounds of human voices. During feeding keepers placed a sheet over their heads and
used a Harpy Eagle puppet to deliver food.

Because of her large size and power, birds such as Killa have traditionally been regarded as potentially
dangerous. For safety purposes the Dallas Zoo policy requires that a keeper is only allowed to enter
her enclosure if another keeper is present. However what keepers observed was a bird that appeared
quite comfortable in the presence of people. She had never been observed to present aggressive
behavior. Nor did she demonstrate a fear response. This in part may be the result of her experiences
as a chick with humans at the Avian Propagation Center. Other individual birds in Wings of Wonder
such as the much smaller Ornate Hawk Eagle ( Spizaetus ornatus) would show overt aggressive
behavior, flying directly at keepers. The Spectacled Owls ( Pulsatrix perspicillata ) showed extreme
fear responses and escape behavior when keepers were present. Compared to these individuals Killa
appeared to be a training candidate with excellent potential.

With the permission of the curator Killa became the next training subject for the Wings of Wonder
team.

Initial Training

Traditional raptor training practices often involve capturing and restraining a bird to get a bird on a
scale to determine a “starting” weight for training. However, the process of grabbing and restraining
a bird against its will is contradictory to the goals of a positive reinforcement training program.
Furthermore knowing the weight of an animal is not necessarily important to reaching training goals.
While the information can be of interest for evaluating health, it is not required to train an animal.
Instead keepers tried to ascertain based on observations, the amount of food Killa typically ate in a
day. They also observed her responsiveness to food when she was relaxed and comfortable. More or
less food could be added or removed from the diet based on her response during a training session to
maintain an adequate level of interest in training. This amount changed in correlation with the time of
year. Colder temperatures meant an increase in diet. Warmer weather meant a decrease.

Because Killa showed a high level of comfort around people she readily took food from keepers in
the first training session. Per zoo policy the food was offered from hemostats as opposed to hands.
Training was initiated with keepers outside of the enclosure. The first behavior Killa learned was
to target. The target was a blue plastic circle attached to a dog clip. The target could be hung on
the outside of the cage near the eagle. At first food was held near the target. Killa learned to touch
the blue target with her beak to earn the food reinforcer. In the early stages of training, the target
became a useful tool to call Killa to the front of the cage for keeper talks. This offered zoo guests
a great opportunity to see the impressive wingspan of a Harpy Eagle as she flew to the front of the
enclosure.

The target was also used to call her to the back of the cage to work on training other behaviors. To
initiate introduction of a kennel, the target was used as a means to pair reinforcers with the kennel.
The kennel was placed outside of the enclosure and Killa was reinforced for targeting nearby.

Success Leads to More Training Goals

As hoped, Killa learned quickly and was an eager participant. In addition her continued calm
demeanor helped increase the teams’ confidence that the presentation of aggressive behavior would
be very unlikely. Because of this keepers moved from training outside of the enclosure to training
inside.

Very quickly Killa learned to fly to perches when cued by the keepers. This made for an even more
dynamic presentation for zoo guests.

Killa also learned to shift into a holding area. This was an important training goal. Colder weather
often required birds to be placed in holding. Training Killa to voluntarily enter her holding area made
this process stress free and more reliable.

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Crate training progressed with the crate now being in the enclosure and keepers in there as well to
help direct Killa into the kennel using the target and food reinforcers.

A scale was able to be brought into the enclosure to get a weight on the eagle. This was after months
of training. Therefore although it was helpful to know her weight for record keeping purposes it was
not integral to her training success.

A Small Setback

One of the challenges for the Harpy Eagle was her exhibit. On several occasions Killa was found
caught in the netting/wire of her enclosure. This meant keepers had to restrain her and untangle her
legs from the netting. Pairing her trainers with this aversive experience had the potential to affect the
trusting relationship that had been nurtured via positive reinforcement. Unfortunately the problem
occurred more than once before Killa was moved to another enclosure while the netting was replaced
with something more suitable.

The entanglement incidents did cause Killa to show some hesitancy with her trainers, but because
of a long positive reinforcement history she was able to return to her consistent performance during
training rather quickly.

Training to Wear Falconry Equipment

The move to the new enclosure proved to be a blessing in disguise. Although the enclosure was
smaller, it opened up the possibility for some new training goals. Because Killa had been doing so
well, the idea of bringing her out of the enclosure for educational opportunities had been suggested.
However her role as an exhibit (and potentially breeding) bird was also important. To bring Killa out
of her enclosure would require the bird to be equipped with anklets and jesses. However it was agreed
for her safety, based on her entanglement history, and for her role as an exhibit bird that she not wear
equipment while in her enclosure. For these reasons it was decided to train her to allow keepers to
apply anklets, jesses and any other equipment for excursions outside of the enclosure. These would
then need to be removed when she returned to her enclosure.

At the time, to the team’s knowledge, training a Harpy Eagle to accept the level of manipulation
required to apply and remove equipment daily had not been attempted before. A shaping plan was
devised to achieve the training goal. The

Touch foot with hand
Touch foot with anklet
Drape anklet on foot
Wrap anklet around leg
Secure anklet around leg
Thread jess
Add swivel and leash
Step to the glove
Short hop to the glove
Walk with the bird on the glove

Harpy Eagle at Dallas Zoo

(Photo: ZooChat.com)

Training sessions were scheduled to occur once daily. However due to staffing challenges, training
could not always take place every day. Despite this, the goal of securing the anklets comfortably
around Killa’s legs was achieved in 33 training sessions. It took nine more training sessions for the
eagle to be comfortable with the jesses being threaded. Sessions to add the swivel and the leash
followed. After 1 1 more training sessions Killa was stepping to the glove without hesitation.

Training Killa to accept touching on her feet also lead to some other behavior goals. These included
training her to allow a keeper to wrap his hands around her legs and apply some pressure. The goal
was to be able to approach and calmly secure Killa’s legs if she needed to be captured and restrained.
This approach is far less stress inducing than traditional methods that require birds to be chased,
netted and grabbed for restraint.

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An additional bonus to the tactile training was the ability to evolve this into touching Killa’s sternum
and pectoral muscles. This allowed keepers another means to evaluate her physical condition in a
manner that was stress free for the bird.

Since Killa’s initial training it was discovered that nature cinematographer and falconer Neil Rettig
has also had success training a Harpy eagle to accept the application of anklets and jesses and allow
touching.4 With more than one Harpy eagle responding well to the use of positive reinforcement to
train these behaviors, it is possible more trainers will be inspired to consider this as a training goal.

Addressing Aggressive Behavior and Fear Responses

Because Killa continued to be an excellent training subject it was an important goal to maintain her
calm demeanor. Avoiding creating aggressive behavior or fear responses were high priority. If any
activity elicited aggressive behavior it was immediately discontinued and smaller approximations
were employed. The smallest demonstration of body language typically associated with aggressive
behavior would cause trainers to reevaluate their strategy. This was especially relevant when
introducing touching with hands or the anklets and when manipulating equipment, for example when
threading the jesses.

Another factor that contributed to some aggressive behavior was using large pieces of food. To
encourage Killa to hop to a glove and remain for a period of time, a large piece of food was used
to lure her initially. However if Killa was particularly motivated for training she would show some
body language indicative of aggressive behavior. For these reasons trainers quickly switched to using
smaller pieces of food and waiting for presentation of the behavior paired with calm body language
before delivering reinforcers.

Although some female eagles have been observed to present aggressive behavior at sexual maturity,
this has not been observed with Killa. She has also not yet been provided with a nest site, nesting
materials or a mate. Other birds at Wings of Wonder have successfully continued training during
breeding and rearing of offspring. It will be interesting to observe if this can be repeated with Killa
at some point in the future.

Keepers also did not want to create a fear response. This was especially important when the equipment
was on Killa and she was on the glove. Keepers wanted to avoid creating a situation in which the
eagle would be likely to fly or bait off the glove. When a bird baits it is often trying to escape a
situation it perceives as uncomfortable. In other cases a bird may be trying to go towards something,
for example a preferred perch. In Killa’s case her few instances of baiting appeared to be in line
with wanting to go away from the situation. They were always associated with the keeper walking
around the enclosure with Killa on the glove. Learning to adapt to the movement was a challenging
behavior.

In many cases a bait can be avoided by observing a bird’s body language closely and reinforcing the
bird for remaining calm or if possible removing the bird from the situation. However, if the moment
is missed and a bird does bait, it can be very challenging for some birds to recover. Restricted
movement is not something to which Killa was accustomed. When she did bait, the trainer needed
to assist her to get back on the glove and often she was no longer interested in participating in the
training session after a bait.

Other Challenges

At this point in Killa’s training another major setback occurred. Killa was found disoriented and
wobbly. Because of this she was sent to the veterinary hospital for medication and observation.
Training was discontinued for approximately 30 days while she remained at the hospital. She was
eventually returned to Wings of Wonder. Her training was resumed. However she was eased back
into the process. Behaviors practiced initially included hopping on the scale, targeting around the
enclosure and crate training.

Along the way other training challenges including finding a crate large enough to comfortably hold a
large eagle. Another challenge was creating stable portable perches that could withstand the force of

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a Harpy Eagle landing and launching into flight. Other setbacks included lack of funds during hard
economic times to purchase materials to facilitate training. Because zoo policy required two keepers
to enter Killa’s enclosure training was sometimes delayed due to lack of staff availability. However,
despite these challenges training did progress.

To date Killa has successfully learned to target, fly from point A to point B on cue, shift into a holding
area, fly to a scale, enter a kennel, allow falconry equipment to be applied/removed, hop to a glove,
perch on a glove while a trainer walks around her enclosure, allow her feet to be manipulated, allow
a trainer to wrap his hands around her legs and apply pressure, and allow touching of her chest and
beak. Killa’s training is ongoing and it is the team’s hope to continue to add more behaviors to her
repertoire.

Conclusion

As the potential of positive reinforcement is explored more, traditionally held beliefs about animal
care are challenged. Exhibit birds can function as education program animals, falconry methods can
be modified to ensure the most positive methods are utilized and coercion is reduced or eliminated,
micromanaging diets and weights is not required to train, and potentially dangerous animals can be
trained and trusted to be non threatening. Most importantly birds such as Killa can be an example of
what is possible when you train with positive reinforcement.

References

1. Heidenreich, B. (2009) Destined to Reproduce: Training Breeding Proceedings Annual
Conference International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators .

2. The Peregrine Fund http://www.peregrinefund.org/explore_raptors/eagles/harpyeag.html

3. Parks, B. Avian Propagation Center The San Diego Zoo personal communication and http://
blogs, sandiegozoo.org/blog/2008/ 12/11 /harpy-eagle-chick/

4. Rettig, N. personal communication http://www.neilrettigproductions.com/

AAZK Behavioral Husbandry Committee Editors Note :

Previous publication data:

Heidenreich B, Corredor E, Compton N. [2010]. Harpy Eagle Training: Exploring the Potential
of Positive Reinforcement. Proceedings of the Eighteenth Annual Conference of the International
Association of Avian Trainers and Educators (IAATE) National Conference. March 3rd through 6th,
2010 Albuquerque, New Mexico USA

This training actually won the 2010 Behavior of the Year: Husbandry Award from the Interantional
Association of Avian Trainers and Educators ( www.iaate.org). See http://www.frequencv.com/topic/
dallas-zoo/ 199224 to watch video of this training.

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Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

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Bird Window-Collision Monitoring at the Philadelphia Zoo:
Setting Up an AAZK Citizen Science Project

By Wendy Lenhart and Christopher Waldron
Greater Philadelphia Chapter of AAZK, Conservation Committee Co-chairs

Scientists estimate that over a billion wild birds are killed each year across the globe from colliding
with man-made structures. Sheet glass gives the illusion of a corridor or deceptively reflects the
surrounding landscape. High rise buildings, wind turbines, overhead power lines and radio towers
are particularly hazardous to night migrants due to confusing lights on the structures that lead to
exhaustion and/or fatal collisions. For the purposes of this paper, we will be focusing specifically
on sheet glass collisions, and how we are working to change the odds against wild birds on the
Philadelphia Zoo grounds. Through extensive 30-year research, Muhlenberg College professor Dan
Klem found that one in every two window strikes are fatal. With this being said, he has taken great
strides in encouraging the development of solutions and raising public awareness on the subject
(2006). Zoos and aquariums are leaders in the conservation community and have the resources to
empower the public to continue this initiative. The Greater Philadelphia Chapter of AAZK has most

recently started a citizen science project with just
this in mind.

Large panes of glass are commonly employed as
architectural components, from private homes to
commercial buildings. Zoos also commonly use
them for their aesthetic and interpretive appeal so
that visitors can appreciate and connect with the
animal species on exhibit for greater conservation
awareness. Unfortunately, classic glassed-in
exhibit designs - ironically inside conservation
institutions - can also be areas where wild birds
strike the glass. Staff at the Philadelphia Zoo has
worked to change that in recent years. Starting
in 2006, pathology records were kept of birds
that appeared to have fatally struck specific
exhibit glass. Around the same time, the Greater
Philadelphia Chapter of the American Association
of Zoo Keepers started to collaborate with the Philadelphia Zoo’s education department to educate
guests on ways they can prevent window collisions at home. Most recently, volunteers from the
Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the American Association of Zoo Keepers took this initiative one
step further by monitoring the known collision “hot spots” in the Philadelphia Zoo in the mornings
during the spring and fall 2010 courtship/migratory seasons.

Author Wendy Lenhart at AAZK/Education
Department table to educate guests on how
to prevent bird window collisions at home.

(Photo by Catherine Vine)

The Greater Philadelphia Chapter AAZK Conservation Committee oversaw all of the logistics of
the 2010 collision study. Volunteers were recruited to either take one day a week to come in early, or
serve as a scheduled alternate between the months of April and May for the spring migratory season
and between August and October for the fall migratory season. Most keepers at the Philadelphia Zoo
start at 08 1 5hrs, so monitors generally came in around 0730hrs. (It is important to note, however that
docents, education staff and volunteers also eagerly donated their time for the study.) A tote bag with
a mapped route connecting the exhibit “hot spots” to be checked, labeled baggies for dead birds and
data sheets were left at the starting location and picked-up by the assigned monitor each morning.

518 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

The participant recorded the current weather conditions and attempted to walk the “hot spot” loop
three times each morning. When a dead bird was found,
the location code for the exhibit, time of day, and the
condition of the bird (warm, cold, stiff or live injured)
was recorded. Live injured birds were immediately
taken to the Animal Health Center and dead ones were
brought to the animal necropsy refrigerator per the
usual Zoo protocol.

Throughout the monitoring process, communication
played a key role. All participants and people willing to
serve as alternates were on an email list and a calendar
with assigned shifts was posted on the AAZK bulletin
board. Some minor changes had to be made on the
forms as the study progressed. Thanks to volunteer
feedback, an umbrella was also placed in the tote bag for
unexpected bad weather. Lead keepers of the buildings
with “hot spot” exhibits were notified and asked for
feedback and suggestions at the beginning of the
monitoring. The grounds department was also notified
to be as specific as possible about the locations of
dead birds they picked up throughout their daily shifts.

Staff on radio at the Zoo called designated keepers in
the bird department to pick up collision victims when
possible. The veterinary department was invaluable in
reporting the results of wild bird necropsies where the
cause of death was likely due to a collision. Finally,
the Philadelphia Zoo is partnered with Pennsylvania
Audubon in monitoring bird strikes around the high
rises in Center City Philadelphia during both the spring and fall migration periods. The timing of the
Philadelphia AAZK monitoring study as a whole was congruent with the dates of this monitoring so

we could contribute to the larger data set. Philadelphia is
a major urban sanctuary for birds migrating in the Atlantic
flyway, so this partnership was essential.

The greatest number of strike reports on Zoo grounds
came from the veterinary department’s records of
daytime strikes, but monitors also detected early morning
collisions throughout the study period. Exhibits with
glass that gave the false impression of a corridor had the
most fatalities. One known instance of a reflective glass
fatality was recorded as well. In this case, for a short
period of the morning between 0900 and 0945hrs, the
bamboo landscaping was clearly reflected in the glass
door of an annex building. It may be feasible in the future
to just cover this glass for that period of time during
key migration times. The strike victim was a northern
waterthrush ( Seiurus noveboracensis), a migrant that is
known to frequent the lake area adjacent to that exhibit
each year. Other migrants detected were a cedar waxwing
( Bombycilla cedrorum) and a wood thrush ( Hylocichla

Bamboo and surrounding landscaping
reflected on an exhibit door

(Photo by Wendy Lenhart)

Map of the Philadelphia Zoological
Garden with loop walked each morning
between collision “hot spots”

(Courtesy of Philadelphia Zoological Garden)

Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

519

mustelina ). Resident strikes included mallards {Anas platyrhynchos), common grackles {Quiscalus
quiscula), gray catbirds ( Dumetella carolinensis), house sparrows {Passer domesticus), European
starlings {Sturnus vulgaris) and American robins {Turdus migratorius). The mallards that hit the
glass were only dazed and were released after a short monitoring period at the Animal Health Center.
These were the only live birds found in conjunction with glass in this data collection period. Several
birds that were not found adjacent to glass, but died from head trauma were also reported. These
individuals could have presumably hit glass and succumbed to their injuries later. Another instance
was recorded just outside the Zoo where two male robins were seen fighting next to a bus stop, and
fatally crashed into the clear glass wall of the structure.

The Philadelphia Zoo has recently taken steps to
modify existing and new exhibit glass to decrease
the risk to wild birds living and passing through the
garden. The new McNeil Avian Center, opened in
2009, features exterior frosted/decal window designs
that achieve the translucence and aesthetics of glass,
but are “bird-safe.” The custom design features
bird silhouettes stenciled no further than one-inch
apart, which research has shown to be an effective
distance to avoid collisions. These windows were
included in both seasons of the AAZK window
monitoring to determine their effectiveness and in a
year’s time, no bird fatalities have been recorded. In
May 2010, a prototype window film provided with a
recommendation and coordination from the American
Bird Conservancy (see Bird Conservation, Spring
2010 in works cited) was installed in the grotto area
of the Zoo’s Bear Country exhibit. This exhibit is the
first to be identified for retrofitting, thanks in large
part to the painstaking record keeping of the Zoo’s
pathologist in 2006. The design incorporates “bird friendly” narrow, black horizontal lines spaced
one-inch apart as well as the motif of the McNeil bird stenciling to unify the message.

Bird-friendly entry doors to the McNeil
Avian Center at the Philadelphia Zoo

(Photo by Wendy Lenhart)

The product is custom-manufactured by SurfaceCare and the budget for the project was just

over $4000.00. It is a major long-
term sustainability initiative for the
Philadelphia Zoo to address additional
exhibits in the same manner. The
Greater Philadelphia Chapter of
AAZK’s Conservation Committee will
be repeating the “hot spot” monitoring
again in 201 1 to help identify exhibits for
future retrofitting. We are in the process
of analyzing the data we collected during
both field seasons as well. The Chapter
will also continue collaborating with the
Philadelphia Zoo/Pennsylvania Audubon
Lights Out initiative to strive to protect

the wild birds of the greater Philadelphia
at the Philadelphia Zoo Bear Grotto exhibit glass , , ,

r & community and beyond.

(Photo by Wendy Lenhart)

520 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to former zoo pathologist, Harley Newton for her dedication to keeping some of the
first detailed records of bird collisions at the Philadelphia Zoo. Also a huge thank you to veterinarian,
Donna Ialeggio for adding to this database with the help of veterinary technician (and morning
window monitor), Martha Vaca. Finally, many thanks to the window monitors Andy Baker, Jeanne
Caruso, Amanda Egen, Stephanie Eller, Laurie Franzke, Jane Gaulton, Jennifer Higgins, Diane Kane,
Dawn Madzarac, Samantha Nestor, Barbara Nolan, Tanya Pham, Sean Ployd, Shirley Purring, Shirley
Purring, Danielle Quaglia, Maria Schwalbe, Sharon Stauch, Catherine Vine, and Laura Warner who
made this paper possible.

We would be thrilled if other institutions would like to start monitoring their own exhibit glass. If
you have any questions, or to receive copies of our data collection forms, please contact Lenhart.
Wendy@phillyzoo.org.

Works Cited

ABC Teams up with Zoos to Stop Bird Collisions. Bird Conservation Spring 2010: 4.

Klem, D. 2006. Glass: A Deadly Conservation Issue for Birds. Bird Observer 34(2):73-81.

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Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

521

AKF Dedicated Issues Combo Pack Sale
Climate Change Issue Has Been Added!

Now get a combo pack of all six dedicated issues of the Animal Keepers ’Forum for just $40 if you
are a current AAZK member. Non-member price for the Combo Pack is $80. You’ll get issues
on: Care and Management of Geriatric Animals [2009], Crisis Management, [2007], Polar Bears
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You may order this Combo Pack for by going to the AAZK website at www.aazk.org. Click on
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785-273-9149 for purchases with a Mastercard or Visa.

Avian Husbandry Polar Bear Cheetah

Geriatric Animals in Zoos

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Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

Alligator Care at the Virginia Living Museum

By

Karlton Rebenstorf, USCG, Animal Care Volunteer/Photographer
Virginia Living Museum, Newport News, VA

Introduction

The Virginia Living Museum, located in Newport News, VA, is a non-profit museum and education
center dedicated to stimulating knowledge, awareness, and appreciation of the biological and
physical world and to promote an understanding of our relationship to the environment. This is
accomplished by providing a variety of living interpretive exhibits and programs that encourage
a commitment to the protection and conservation of our natural world. The museum includes two,
two-story habitariums or man-made habitat enclosures in which living plants and animals are kept for
visitor education and observation. One of these habitariums is home to our large American alligator
(. Alligator mississippiensis ). The museum also has a smaller two-foot-long alligator that is used for
education programs.

Our Large Exhibit Alligator

Our large exhibit alligator is a 12-year-old, six-foot long female, is part of the museum’s 20,000-
gallon cypress swamp habitarium, that also houses various species of birds, freshwater fish, and
turtles. Although this is an indoor habitat, its environment is influenced by seasonal changes due

Alligator in Cypress Swamp Exhibit

to its design and has some limited temperature
fluctuations throughout the year. The enclosure
does receive some sunlight from outside,
but because it is an indoor exhibit, providing
adequate heat and the proper type of lighting are
vital health concerns. Lighting is provided by an
installed mercury vapor 250W UVB bulb, on a
timed 12-hour day/night cycle, and is positioned
at a distance of four to five feet away from the
basking area. In addition, a 250W ceramic heat
emitter is utilized as a continuous heat source.

Diet

Our exhibit alligator’s food requirements tend to change with the seasons. When the weather begins
to stay consecutively warmer in the spring, we’ll feed on a twice weekly schedule. Once the weather
starts to cool off again in the fall, feeding is reduced to once a week. This schedule is largely based
on the behavior of the alligator during feedings. The staple of her diet is commercially produced
crocodilian pellets, developed by Mazuri™ and specially designed for captive alligators and

Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

523

crocodiles. During feedings these pellets will be tossed into the water around the exhibit to encourage
her to “hunt” for her food. As a supplement to her diet she is also fed three different types of frozen
fish as well as frozen adult mice or medium sized rats. The fish are trout, smelt, or capelin, to which
we will add vitamin B-12 and calcium. Any frozen foods are completely thawed before feeding to
reduce the possibility that it will be regurgitated.

Maintenance

Enclosure cleanliness is very important. For exhibit maintenance the glass is cleaned daily and gravel
washing and algae scrubbing are performed weekly. The alligator pool is connected to the rest of
the habitarium but does have a three-inch acrylic partition that protects the other exhibit inhabitants
without detracting from the overall natural appearance or impeding the water flow throughout the
habitat. Three 36” sand filters are used to remove any suspended solids in the water and a 400-watt
UV sterilizer provides filtration for any unwanted bacteria, algae, and other pathogens. Water quality
is measured by our aquarium staff at least once a week and there is a 25% or more water change
out every week depending on those results. Water quality is defined as the physical and chemical
characteristics of the aquarium water and these characteristics are closely monitored for the health
and well-being of the aquarium occupants.

Handling

Handling for this larger animal doesn’t occur until needed for medical examination or removal from
the exhibit. For the size of this alligator, no less than three trained herpetology staff members are

involved in the extraction. Because she will normally try
to escape to the perceived safety of the pool, we will use
what is called a top jaw rope to pull the alligator out of
the water. Once on land, the most experienced keeper will
carefully and quickly, being mindful of the dangers of both
her teeth and tail, jump onto the alligator’s back. The keeper
will place their hands on the back of the neck to maintain
positive control of the head and use their body weight to pin
the alligator down. Depending on the size of the alligator,
another staff member on hand will add their weight to assist
with restraining her.

At this point, the person on the back closest to the head will
pin the animal’s snout down to allow a third staff member
to place a noose around her jaws to secure them and begin
safely taping them shut. Placing a towel over her eyes helps
keep her calm. One characteristic of alligators that does
work in our favor is that when they exert themselves they
are using anaerobic respiration, or respiration without oxygen, to power their muscles which they
can only sustain for short periods of time before their energy
reserve is exhausted. When this happens they will take quite
some time to recover.

Veterinary Care

Once we have collected her, we record her measurements
and weight. We accomplish this by taking the weight of one
of our staff, then having this person hold her, weighing them
both and finally subtracting our staff members weight from the
total. When her measurements are completed, she is placed in
a custom-built transport container and moved to our veterinary
clinic for examination.

Removing the alligator
transport container in the vet clinic

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Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

When we arrive at the clinic, she is removed
from the container and moved to the exam
table. Because she is not under anesthesia for
a physical exam, we will have as many trained
staff on hand as necessary to maintain control
over her, though this particular alligator
normally remains quite calm. Throughout
the procedure her respirations are constantly
monitored to ensure she is fine. First the
veterinarian will record her vital signs. Part
of taking the vital signs is a process called
auscultation, which is a medical term for

listening for the sounds produced in the body to identify
normal or abnormal sounds and to aid in diagnosis. In
this case, these are heart and lung sounds. This can be
difficult with crocodilians due to their rough scaly skin.

In order to decrease the scratching noise heard through
the stethoscope, the vet will use a moistened gauze pad or
towel between the stethoscope and her skin.

The highlights for the rest of the exam are as follows:

• Examine the skin color and texture. Palpate for any soft
or swollen points and look for areas of discoloration.

• Check for mites and ticks in the grooves between the

scales.

• In the region of the abdomen palpate for any swelling
or masses.

• Palpate the vent area for sex organs, looking for any
prolapse, impaction, or abscess formation.

• Examine the head looking for symmetry, nasal discharge, and swelling along the jaw line.

• Look at the eyes for swelling, opacities or discolorations. An opacity, is an opaque or a nontransparent
area on the lens of the eye which is a symptom of cataracts.

Taking respiration sounds

Alligator on exam table

Eye exam close up

Alligator eye close up

The veterinarian will also draw a blood sample. This can be difficult due to the tough skin of our
patient. It can also be hard to find a blood vessel to collect a proper sample. The attempt at a blood
sample can be made from one of two places as seen in the photographs. Once we have the sample,

Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

525

Blood draw attempt #1 (unsuccessful)

Positioning (L) and #2 blood draw on right (successful)

the blood is sent to a laboratory and a metabolic test panel specific to reptiles is run. Based on the
interpreted results of this panel our vet can tell, for example, how the kidneys and liver are functioning
and what the blood sugar, cholesterol, and calcium levels are. Finally, it may be necessary to take an
X-ray of our subject. This can be quite an undertaking depending on the size of the alligator. X-rays
may be required for a multitude of different reasons. Sometimes they can back up test results such

as suspected calcium deficiencies. The vet staff can
look for bone density abnormalities in this case.
Also, another example of the need for an X-ray
can be the possibility of blockages in the digestive
tract or even pneumonia which will be indicated
by lighter than normal, almost white lungs. From
all of the information collected during the exam,
adjustments can be made to her care if necessary.

Reintroduction

The same safety procedures are followed in
returning the alligator to her exhibit. When her
examination is complete she is returned to her
carrier for transport. Once again, with as many staff
as necessary, we remove her from her container,
carry her back into the exhibit, and set her down on one of the exhibit’s basking areas with her head
aimed toward the pool. At this point she is still
blindfolded. With a staff member on her back and
maintaining control of her head, another keeper
will carefully remove the tape around her mouth
and move away. Lastly, with a clear idea of where
and how to exit, the person on her back removes
the blindfold and quickly moves back away from
her. For the instance that I observed this process
she didn’t move until a short time later, but the
keepers must be prepared for any reaction.

Our Small Program Alligators

Our program alligator is considerably smaller
than our exhibit specimen and is handled by
our education staff on a regular basis for public
presentations. He is less than two-foot-long and is
kept in a 150-gallon Rubbermaid™ stock tank with a specially built wood frame and screen meshed
lid that is attached to the top of the container. Unless the alligator is being handled by trained staff,
the lid remains locked at all times. For UV light and heat a 160-watt UVB bulb and a 250-watt
ceramic heat emitter are installed above the tank at a distance of three to four feet. Additional light or

Restraint photo just before release

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Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

with one of our new exhibit alligators

heat sources may be used to provide a basking
area maintaining a temperature range between
90-100°F [~32-38°C]. Tank water temperature
is kept between 70-78°F [~21-25°C] and water
heaters are in place to maintain that level.

Diet

Because our program alligator is kept in a
temperature controlled environment, feeding
remains steady throughout the year. Sometimes
eating behavior changes during the winter
months, in which case we offer only what the
alligator will eat. Its diet is on a controlled
rotation depending on the time of the month.
Feeding typically occurs three times a week.
Menu items consist of crickets, fish, night
crawlers, Mazuri™ crocodilian pellets, and Mazuri™ amphibian
& carnivorous reptile gel. Vitamin supplements include
Vitamin D-3, calcium, Herptivite™, and Minerall™ which also
are added to the food to complete a well-balanced diet. When
the alligator reaches two-and-a-half to three feet in length, we
will introduce mice into the rotation once a week.

Holding Area Maintenance

On a weekly basis water quality is tested in the same manner
as for the Cypress Swamp. We conduct water testing prior to
cleaning to get an idea of the water quality from week to week.

For cleaning, first the alligator is safely removed and put into
a transport container. Then the circulation pump and filtration
system valves are secured (in that order) and segregated from
the holding tank and the filter cartridges are pulled and clean
out. The tank is then completely emptied, scrubbed out, and
refilled. The filtration system is sectioned off to keep the filter
pollutants out of the already clean tank water and keep the
tank water from draining while the filter cartridge containers are open. When cleaning is completed,
the cartridges are re-installed in their containers and lined up to the holding tank. Once the entire

system is re-opened and you have proper valve alignment,
the circulation pump is re-energized. Proper valve alignment
ensures that you don’t overheat and bum out your pump.
Although this may seem like a little too much detail, burnt
out pumps because of improperly aligned plumbing seems
to be an all too common story.

Handling

All staff members who will be working with our program
alligator must go through a training process to leam the
proper recovery and handling techniques. This training
includes the education staff as well as the members of
curatorial team for the sake of safe work practices during
animal care and public presentations. In order to safely
recover the alligator in one quick fluid motion, handlers will
grab the animal just behind the head around the neck with
the dominant hand while the other hand will hold the rest of the

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527

body. The goal is to gain positive control of the head without hurting the alligator, while still supporting the
weight of the body. Knowing the animals temperament and monitoring its body language at all times is very
important. Once the alligator is in hand, holding it properly reduces stress on the animal and also provides
comfort. During programs, our educators will keep the alligator beyond the reach of the patrons until the
end of the presentation. At this time the visitors are invited to, one at a time, come up and carefully touch
him on the lower back or tail.

Rock Moeslein during an animal program Assistant Education Director Rock

Moeslein with our program alligator

Veterinary Care

Our small alligator is weighed on a monthly basis to track its health and growth and has a physical
examination every six months. A fecal sample is collected and screened for parasites also every six
months by either our in-house veterinary technician or is sent to a lab off-site. Common parasites in
captive alligator digestive tracts to screen for include, but are not limited to, many types of worms
such as hookworms, pinworms, and roundworms. For both animals giving any kind of medicine
can be tricky, but if a problem exists that requires it, we will consult with a licensed vet to ascertain
the proper medication and best system of delivery. In the past, for example, we have treated difficult
animals with an oral de-wormer that we have injected into their food (such as a mouse). This has
proven to be the most reliable form of treatment.

Conclusion

In conclusion alligators continue to grow. It is a
misconception that the size of the enclosure has any effect
on the animal’s growth. As alligators eventually outgrow
the exhibit, the museum finds new homes for them. This
year our exhibit alligator will be relocated to a larger
facility and a new smaller specimen will go on exhibit in the
cypress swamp habitarium. As the Virginia Living Museum
moves into the future, we look forward to continuing public
education and our largest reptiles, the alligators, will be a
part of that mission.

Acknowldgements

Thanks to the following VLM staff members: Travis Land,
Herpetology Curator; Linda Addison, Veterinary Technician;
Chris Crippen, Aquarium Curator; Jennifer Curtis, Aquarist;
Virginia Gabriele, Marketing Director; and Shannon
Petrosky, Marketing

Small alligator in holding

Photos by
Karlton Rebenstorf

Special Thanks to: Dr. Denise Cisco, DVM

528 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

References

The Merck Online Veterinary Manual

HYPERLINK “http://www.merckvetmanual.com” www.merckvetmanual.com
Keyword Search: Reptile Management

Products Mentioned in the Text

Mazuri Crocodilian Diet™ and Mazuri Amphibian & Carnivorous Reptile Gel™

Phone 1-800-227-8941

HYPERLINK “http://www.mazuri.com” www.mazuri.com
Herptivite™

Rep-Cal Research Labs

P.O. Box 727 Los Gatos, CA 9503 1

Phone 1-800-406-6446

Fax (408)356-3687

HYPERLINK “http://www.repcal.com” www.repcal.com

Miner-All™

Sticky Tongue Farms
27608 Avenida Intemo
Sun City, CA 92587
Phone (951)244-3434

HYPERLINK “http://www.stickytonguefarms.com” www.stickytonguefarms.com
Rubbermaid™

Rubbermaid Commercial Products
Phone 1-888-603-5189

HYPERLINK “http://www.rubbermaidproducts.com” www.rubbermaidproducts.com

Chapter News . . .

National Capital AAZK Chapter

Our logo was officially adopted by the National
Capital AAZK Chapter in July 2011 by a vote of the
membership.

NCAAZK ran a logo competition open to all to
submit.The winning logo was designed by NCAAZK
member and National Zoo Keeper Courtney Janney.

The logo includes many of the iconic species
displayed in the National Zoo and the Smithsonian
Conservation Biology Institute, as well as monuments
and memorials around the Washington, DC area.

~ Jessica Kordell, Chapter Liison

What Has Your AAZK Chapter Been Up To? Why not share your fundraising ideas, Chapter
events and programs and those great logos with all AAZK members through Chapter News in AKF1
Send in your Chapter News, logos, photos, etc. for inclusion in upcoming issues of Animal Keepers ’
Forum. You can send to akfeditor@zk.kscoxmail.com. Please send news items in MS Word format
only. Logos and photos should be submitted as individual jpg or tif files attached to the above email.
If you send a logo be sure to include information on who designed it and when it was adopted by your
Chapter. If sending photos, please include photo credit and a suggested caption. ~AKF Editor

Check out the National Capitol Chapter at:

http://www.ncaazk.org/

http://www.facebook.com/NCAAZK

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/goto/ncaazk

Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

529

EO Editors -

Julie Hartell-DeNardo, Saint Louis Zoo and Ric Kotarsky, Tulsa Zoo & Living Museum

Art: Enrichment for Animals and Keepers Alike

By

Jennifer Ziegelmeyer Archibeque, Zookeeper
Happy Hollow Park and Zoo, San Jose, CA

Happy Hollow Park and Zoo is home to many creative zookeepers who love art. Over time the
zookeeping staff has begun to fuse art and enrichment which is great for both the animals and the
keepers. This is not limited to pinatas and animals made of boxes, but also a creative outlet using
chalk. Visual stimulation can be achieved with chalk murals in the animal night houses when keepers
are given creative freedom.

Sidewalk chalk is used in a variety of colors to create murals of all sorts. Using sidewalk chalk
keepers are able to write on almost any surface and wash it off easily, thus change the subjects
frequently. Keepers create murals for holidays as well as any time of the year they have a few minutes
to be creative. The murals zookeepers create range from messages to realistic animals to nature
scenes and patterns. Sometimes keepers will continue to add onto another’s work which results in
a huge mural with lots of detail. The murals allow for great visual enrichment that can be changed
frequently to keep it fresh and enriching.

At Happy Hollow chalk drawings are created in the night houses of a variety of species including
lemurs, monkeys, wallabies, fossa and jaguar. The night houses are a prime place for the chalk murals
due to the greater time the keepers have access to them during the work day to create the pieces. Also
since the animals spend significant time in the night houses they have a lot of exposure to the art
enrichment. In addition to full wall murals, the placement of the drawings can change depending on
the species. Keepers vary the placement of drawings based on the animals’ use of the night house.
For example the arboreal animals will have drawings placed at all levels of the night house. Also
unexpected placements are quite enriching, such as an animal face or pare of eyes above a shift door
or water bowl. Any washable surface can be a canvas for chalk drawings.

Creating simple drawings and murals are a welcome change of pace for the keepers. Staff members
are able to use their other talents to create art for the animals. Unique uses of chalk art have not
been limited to the walls of night houses, but include floors, ceilings, furniture and other novel
items. Chalk has opened up a new way to diversify enrichment and make it fun for the keepers. As
keepers become more creative with inexpensive chalk, they increase their frequency of imaginative
enrichment projects which ultimately benefit the animals.

530 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

Chalk Art Enrichment Examples

Lemurs investigate ball

Cat face above shift door

Under the sea in Jaguar Nighthouse

Photos by Author

Squirrel Monkey investigates chalk

Red Lemur Nighthouse

Mural by Jena

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C OY\&eYva£vov\/ ^ L e^CslcdlA/e/ Update/

Column Coordinators: Becky Richendollar, Columbia, SC
and Greg McKinney, Philadelphia PA

This month s column was put together by
column co-coordinator Greg McKinney

Southern Rocky Mountain Pikas Holding Their Own, Says New CU-Boulder Assessment

- American pikas ( Ochotona princeps ), the chirpy, potato-sized denizens of rocky debris in mountain
ranges and high plateaus in western North America, are holding their own in the Southern Rocky
Mountains, says a new University of Colorado Boulder study. Led by CU-Boulder doctoral student

Liesl Erb, the study team assessed 69 historical sites known
to host pikas in a swath of the Southern Rockies ranging
from southern Wyoming through Colorado and into northern
New Mexico. The results showed that 65 of the 69 historical
sites that had hosted pikas — some dating back more than a
century -- were still occupied by the round-eared, hamster-
like mammals, Erb said.

The new study stands in contrast to a 201 1 study in Nevada’s
Great Basin that showed local extinction rates of pika
populations there have increased nearly five-fold in the past
decade. That study, by a separate research group, also showed
that local Great Basin pika populations had moved up in
elevation nearly 500 feet in the past 10 years, a migration
believed to be triggered by warming temperatures. Despite the
low number of extirpations, or local population extinctions, in
the Southern Rockies, the CU-Boulder team found that the pattern of pika disappearance at particular
sites was not random, said Erb of the ecology and evolutionary biology department and lead study
author. “The sites that had been abandoned by pikas in our study area all were drier on average than
the occupied sites,” she said.

A paper on the new CU-Boulder study by Erb is published in the September issue of the journal
Ecology. Co-authors include CU-Boulder Research Associate Chris Ray and Associate Professor
Robert Guralnick, both affiliated with the ecology and evolutionary biology department. The study
was funded primarily by the National Geographic Society. Source: EurekaAlert!, 1 September 2011

U.S. Experts Help Save Crocodiles in Laos - U.S. conservationists say they’ve helped the Laotian
government in hatching a clutch of Siamese crocodiles ( Crocodylus siamensis), a species threatened
by hunting and habitat loss. The Wildlife Conservation Society aided the successful hatching of 20 of
the crocodiles from eggs taken from the wild and incubated at the Laos Zoo. The hatching was part
of a program to save the Siamese crocodile and the wetlands and associated biodiversity of Laos’
Savannakhet Province.

“It’s a small but important step in helping to conserve a
valuable part of the natural heritage of Lao PDR for the benefit
of future generations.” Chris Hallam, WCS conservation
planning advisor, said. “We’re thrilled at the prospect of
augmenting the wild population of Siamese crocodiles with
a new batch of healthy juveniles.” The hatchlings will be
released in their second year, when they are large and robust
enough to avoid mortality in the wild, officials said. Source
UPI, 31 August 2011

Amphibian Species Clings to Life - One of the nation’s most ambitious wildlife reintroduction
efforts has suffered a setback with the deaths of 1 04 mountain yellow-legged frogs {Rana muscosa )
that had been rescued from the fire-stripped San Gabriel Mountains in 2009. The federally endangered

American Pika

(Photo: Justin Johnsen/wikipedia)

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Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

frogs, which recently metamorphosed from the tadpole stage, died in captive breeding tanks at the
Fresno Chaffee Zoo.

“We have two frogs left. We’re trying to determine exactly what happened,” said Scott Barton,
director of the zoo, which is highly regarded for amphibian husbandry. “We were thrown a curve
ball with a species that was new to us. It’s been a humbling experience.” Barton said the facility may
“send these two frogs off to see if someone else will have better luck.”

The zoos in Fresno, Los Angeles and San Diego are involved in a public-private effort to pave the
way for the Rana muscosa population to reestablish residency in Southern California. For thousands
of years, mountain yellow-legged frogs thrived in hundreds of streams cascading down the San

Bernardino, San Gabriel and San Jacinto mountains.
Since the 1960s, the species has been decimated by
fires, mudslides, pesticides, fungal infections, loss of
habitat and the appetites of nonnative trout, bullfrogs
and crayfish. Today, fewer than 200 are believed to
exist in nine isolated wild populations, including a
group in the San Gabriel Mountains’ Devils Canyon
that survived the devastating Station fire. According to
U.S. Geological Survey ecologist Adam Backlin, a lead
scientist in the recovery effort, “saving the mountain
yellow-legged frog from extinction is turning out to be
more difficult than anyone anticipated.”

Yellow-legged Frog

(Photo: Adam Backiin/usGS) The Fresno Zoo is not the only facility to have run into

problems while trying to spur a jump in the population
of the three-inch amphibians. Thirty-six tadpoles have not been seen since biologists at the San
Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research released them a year ago into a remote San Jacinto
Mountain stream from which they had been absent for a decade, zoo officials said. In 2006, seven
mountain yellow-legged frogs — found three years earlier in a shallow pool in the San Bernardino
Mountains after a large brush fire — died at the San Diego Zoo. Studies showed those frogs died
of the same type of fungal infection that is killing frogs around the world. The species’ minuscule
scattered population gives mountain yellow-legged frogs the distinction of being one of the most
endangered amphibians on the planet. Source: Los Angeles Times, Louis Sahagun, 1 7 August 2011

Predator Found for Fungus Deadly to Frogs - A freshwater species of zooplankton will eat
a fungus that is killing amphibians around the world, zoologists at Oregon State University have
reported. The tiny zooplankton, Daphnia magna, could provide a tool for biological control of this
deadly fungus, the scientists said, if field studies confirm its efficacy in a natural setting. The fungus,
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, known as chytrid fungus, can, at high levels of infestation, disrupt
electrolyte balance and lead to death from cardiac arrest in its amphibian hosts. The OSU scientists
have found that Daphnia inhabits amphibian breeding sites where chytrid transmission occurs and
may be able to stem the unprecedented population declines and extinctions.

“About one third of the amphibians in the world are now threatened and many have gone extinct,”
said Andrew Blaustein, a professor of zoology, co-author on this study and an international leader in
the study of amphibian decline. “It’s clear there are multiple threats to amphibians, but disease seems
to be a dominant cause,” he said.

The chytrid fungus has defied all attempts to control it, even the use of fungicides on individual
amphibians. Until now, it has not been possible to eradicate the fungus from wild amphibian
populations, nor is it possible to protect a natural wilderness area before the arrival of the chytrid
fungus. But Julia Buck, an OSU doctoral student in zoology and lead author on the study, and her
colleagues saw evidence that zooplankton might make a meal of the troublesome fungus.

“There was evidence that zooplankton would eat some other types of fungi, so we wanted to find out
if Daphnia would consume the chytrid fungus,” said Buck. “Our laboratory experiments and DNA
analysis confirmed that it would eat the zoospore, the free-swimming stage of the fungus. We feel
that biological control offers the best chance to control this fungal disease, and now we have a good
candidate for that. Efforts to eradicate this disease have been unsuccessful, but so far no one has
attempted biocontrol of the chytrid fungus. That may be the way to go.”

Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

533

The chytrid fungus is not always deadly at low levels of infestation, Buck said. It may not be necessary
to completely eliminate it, but instead just reduce its density in order to prevent mortality. “Biological
controls can work well in that type of situation,” she said.

Although they have survived for hundreds of millions of years, amphibians may be especially
vulnerable to rapid environmental changes and new challenges that are both natural and human-
caused because they have a permeable skin, and exposure to both terrestrial and aquatic environments.
The first known record of chytrid infection in frogs was in the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis,
in 1938. Because Xenopus are sold in pet stores and used in laboratories around the world, it is
possible that the chytrid fungus may have been exported from Africa. When large numbers of frogs
began dying in Australia and Central America in the mid-1990s, scientists discovered the chytrid
fungus was the cause of these deaths. Chytrid is now reported in 43 countries and 36 U.S. states.
The fungus has infected over 350 amphibian species by penetrating their skin. The fungus can live at
elevations up to 20,000 feet and is believed to have caused the extinctions of all known high elevation
populations of seven frog species in Australia’s Wet Tropics between the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Chytrid infections also have caused the extinction of the Costa Rican golden toad, Bufo periglenes,
which was last seen in 1989; the Wyoming toad, Bufo baxteri, extinct in the wild since 1991; and
the Panamanian golden frog, Atelopus zeteki , extinct in the wild since 2007. The fungus also wiped
out the Australian gastric-brooding frog, of a genus, Rheobatrachus, unique because it contained the
only two known frog species that incubated the prejuvenile stages of their offspring in the stomach
of the mother.

Australian researcher Lee Berger wrote in a 2007 paper, “The impact of chytridiomycosis on frogs
is the most spectacular loss of vertebrate biodiversity due to disease in recorded history.” Source:
Environment News Service, 26 August 2011

47,000 Acres of Critical Habitat Protected for Sonoma County California Tiger Salamander

- In response to a lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service has designated 47,383 acres as protected critical habitat for the Sonoma County population of
the California tiger salamander {Ambystoma calif orniense). The designation, which reverses a 2005
Bush administration decision that didn’t protect any habitat, protects the most important habitats for
the salamander on the Santa Rosa Plain.

“[This] decision is based on solid science and
will give the California tiger salamander and its
vernal pool habitat in Sonoma County a shot at
recovery,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered
species director at the Center. “Protection of
habitat for the California tiger salamander will
benefit thousands of species on the rich Santa
Rosa Plain and ensure that this beautiful area isn’t
entirely paved over with strip malls.”

The tiger salamander once occupied all of the
Santa Rosa Plain but today is found in only a few scattered locations, where it faces severe threats
from urban sprawl, roads and pesticides. It breeds in vernal pools that form during winter rains
and then spends much of the rest of the year in underground burrows formed by small mammals in
California’s increasingly rare grasslands and oak woodlands. The salamander is striking, with a wide
mouth outlined in yellow that gives it the appearance of smiling.

“The Sonoma County population of California tiger salamanders is part of the unique natural heritage
of the Santa Rosa Plain and is worth saving,” said Greenwald. “Sadly it’s on the brink of extinction,
with its few remaining populations isolated by urban sprawl and roads. We’re pleased to see that
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has followed the science in this case by protecting habitat for the
salamander.” Source: Center for Biological Diversity, 20 August 2011

Six Imperiled Foreign Bird Species to Gain Endangered Status - In response to decades-old
listing petitions and a series of lawsuits by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service has designated six foreign bird species as endangered under the U.S. Endangered
Species Act: the Cantabrian capercaillie, Marquesan imperial pigeon, Eiao Marquesas reed warbler,
greater adjutant, Jerdon’s courser and slender-billed curlew.

California Tiger Salamander

(Photo: John Clecker/ USFWS)

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Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

A campaign to protect many of the world’s rarest birds began in the 1 980s, when worried ornithologists
began submitting Endangered Species Act petitions to protect more than 70 international bird
species. By 1994, the Fish and Wildlife Service had determined that most of the birds deserved
protection under the Act, but delayed finalization of listing decisions. In 2004 and 2006, Center for
Biological Diversity lawsuits jump-started the foreign-species listing program; in 2008 the Service
published listing proposals for five birds and determined that 45 other foreign bird species deserved
protection. After another Center lawsuit in 2009, the Service agreed to propose listings for more
species, including the six very rare birds that have received final protection. Listing non-U. S. species
under the U.S. Endangered Species Act restricts buying and selling of imperiled wildlife, increases
conservation funding and attention, and can add scrutiny to development projects proposed by U.S.
government and multilateral lending agencies such as the World Bank that would destroy or alter the
species’ habitat.

“We’re pleased to see these birds receiving the protection they’ve needed for so long,” said Justin
Augustine, a Center attorney. “These birds are literally at extinction’s door, and their listing should
have occurred more than a decade ago. Protecting them under the Endangered Species Act will give
them a better chance of survival, and it will help attract worldwide attention to their urgent plight.”

The Cantabrian capercaillie ( Tetrao urogallus cantabricus ) is found in northwestern Spain, and
its population is likely fewer than 1,000 birds. The Marquesan imperial pigeon ( Ducula galeata )
is endemic to the French Polynesian Marquesas Archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, and the most
recent survey puts its numbers at just 80-150 birds. The Eiao Marquesas reed warbler {Acrocephalus
percernis aquilonis ) also lives in the French Polynesian Archipelago and continues to face serious
ongoing habitat degradation. The greater adjutant ( Leptoptilos dubius ) was once common throughout
much of Southeast Asia, but is currently restricted to India and Cambodia due to significant habitat loss
and modification. The Jerdon’s courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus ) is a small, nocturnal bird endemic
to India and is critically endangered due to past and ongoing habitat destruction. The slender-billed
curlew (Nwnenius tenuirostris), believed to breed in Siberia, once had flocks reported as hundreds,
sometimes thousands, strong. Sadly, the most recent population estimate is fewer than 50 birds.
Source: Center for Biological Diversity, 11 August 2011

Hunters Say Protecting Species Could Hurt Them - Safari Club International claims federal
protections for three species of African antelope is having a “detrimental effect” on their conservation.
Listing the species prohibits buying and trading the animals for captive-breeding programs, which
raise them for hunting, the Safari Club says. The defendant federal agencies - the Interior Department
and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - listed the scimitar-homed oryx {Oryx dammah), dama gazelle
(. N anger dama ) and addax (Addax nasomaculatus) as endangered in 2005. The antelope-like animals
are native to North Africa and are critically endangered in the wild there. The scimitar-homed oryx
may be extinct in the wild.

Before the endangered listing, private breeders in the United Stated charged people to hunt for
captive-bred animals here, and raised, bought, sold and traded the antelope for that. The Safari Club
says that based on surveys by a breeders association, there were 1,824 addax and 2,145 oryx on
private Texas ranches in 1996, and 369 dama gazelle in Texas as of 2003. The 2005 listing included
a special exemption for captive populations, but Friends of Animals successfully challenged this,
resulting in a 2009 mling in District of Columbia Federal Court. The Fish and Wildlife Service
introduced new permit mles in July this year, which the Safari Club says put new “burdens and
obligations” on breeders of the endangered species. The club says the mles may cause breeders to
abandon their efforts as no longer cost-effective - which would result in the loss of herds. It says the
government listing would cost the world the captive breeding programs that private parties have mn
at no cost to the government.

The Safari Club acknowledges that it is unclear whether the private breeding programs may contribute
to reintroduction of the species in the wild. The club claims the Fish and Wildlife Service violated the
Endangered Species Act by protecting captive-bred and raised animals, and by failing to analyze their
U.S. range. Safari Club, represented by house attorney Anna Seidman, wants the rule set aside.
Source: Courthouse News Service, Sonya Angelica Diehn, 6 September 2011

Feds to Rethink Listing Status of Captive Chimps - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it
will launch a year-long status review to determine if captive chimpanzees {Pan troglodytes) should
be protected as endangered. Both wild and captive chimpanzees have been protected as threatened

Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

535

under the Endangered Species Act since 1976. Activism by Jane Goodall partly contributed to the
agency’s 1990 decision to split listing of the chimpanzee into wild and captive populations, with wild
chimpanzees listed as endangered. Because there are no indigenous populations of chimpanzees in
the United States, the restrictions have essentially banned importation of wild chimpanzees except
for conservation activities like breeding programs. The Humane Society of the United States and
several other conservation and animal welfare groups petitioned the service last year to drop its “split
listing” of wild-versus-captive chimpanzees.

“The federal government does not ‘split list’ any other endangered species by wild and captive
populations, and it should not have done so in this case,” Humane Society CEO Wayne Pacelle said
in a statement lauding the service’s decision. “The current ‘split listing’ allows these highly intelligent
and social creatures to be used as living props in silly commercials and stunts, as exotic pets, and as
test subjects in invasive animal experimentation, even though most chimps have very little scientific
value in these protocols and they cost an enormous amount to keep in laboratories.”

The agency’s action, a 90-day finding, means that there is substantial information to support a change
in the status of the captive chimpanzee population. To actually change the listing, the agency will have
to find that the “best scientific and commercial data” warrants listing the populations as endangered
under the act.

The public has until Oct. 21, 2011, to comment on the agency’s finding before the status review
begins. Source: Courthouse News Service, Travis Sanford, 2 September 2011

Stem Cells Made from Endangered Rhinos and Monkeys - Scientists have created the first
artificial embryonic stem cells from two endangered species, a breakthrough that could help save
animals from extinction. Using frozen cells stored at the San Diego Zoo, Jeanne Loring, professor
of developmental neurobiology at the Scripps Research Institute, and her collaborators have created
stem cells from frozen skin cells of two such endangered
species — the drill monkey and the northern white
rhinoceros. The northern white rhino ( Ceratotherium simum
cottoni ) is one of the most endangered animals on Earth,
while the drill ( Mandrillus leucophaeus ) - a West African
monkey - is threatened by habitat loss and hunting. With
countless endangered animals teetering on the brink of
extinction throughout the world, the work of preservation
has never been more important. The scientists report in
Nature Methods that their stem cells could be made to turn
into different types of body cell.

“The best way to manage extinction is to preserve species
and habitats, but that is not always working,” Oliver Ryder,
director of genetics at the San Diego Zoo and co-leader of the study. About five years ago, Loring
was contacted by Ryder, who was keen to collect stem cells from endangered animals. Obtaining
stem cells by sacrificing the fertilized embryo of an endangered species was out of the question, so
Loring tried to think of other sources, but came up empty. A couple of years later, in 2007, teams
at the University of Kyoto in Japan and the University of Wisconsin in Madison revealed that cells
called fibroblasts from human connective tissue could be coaxed into a state resembling that of an
embryonic stem cell by activating a suite of reprogramming genes in the adult cells. This kind of
science entails a fair amount of trial and error, and the researchers expected it would work with the
drill because of previous studies on primates. But the rhino was a different matter.

Both animals, the researchers said, were chosen because they could benefit from stem cells now. For
instance, the drill primate suffers from diabetes when in captivity, and stem cell-based treatments
for diabetes being researched in humans suggest the same may work in these primates. The drill
is closely related to the baboon (genus Papio) and even more closely to the mandrill {Mandrillus
sphinx). The rhinoceros was chosen because it is one of the most highly endangered species on the
planet, with only seven animals, all in captivity, in existence. They haven’t reproduced in several
years, and because the population is so small there is a lack of genetic diversity, which could affect
their survival. If the researchers can use the stem cells to make sperm and eggs from skin cells of
deceased animals in the frozen zoo, they could reintroduce some genetic diversity into the population,
while also increasing its size. Source: International Business Times, 6 September 2011

Northern white rhino at SDWAP

( Photo by sheep81 /wikipedia)

536 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

Fisheries Service Protects Sturgeon - US fisheries officials say, they’re close to agreeing with
other federal agencies on Savannah harbor deepening. Their concerns stem from potential habitat
loss for the endangered shortnose sturgeon ( Acipenser brevirostrum). Deepening the harbor to serve
big ships will disrupt the endangered fish’s habitat. So officials with the US Marine Fisheries Service
want the project to include a $7 million fish ladder to help the fish go further upstream around
New Savannah Bluff Dam near Augusta. Deputy administrator David Bemhart of the service’s
Southeastern regional office says, his agency doesn’t have a firm timeline yet. “We’ve been working
with the Army Corps on these Endangered Species Act requirements,” Bemhart says. “And we need
to complete a document that’s required under that law.” The Fisheries Service must sign off on
harbor deepening before it can begin. “That document will be our evaluation of the project’s impact,”
Bemhart says. “Then, it will be a second step for our parent agency, NOAA, to do any of the sign-
offs.” State officials have made the project a top priority for years, saying it can’t wait much longer.
Source: Georgia Public Broadcasting, Orlando Montoya, 5 September 2011

Fears Grow for Asia’s Endangered Anteaters - Tiger poaching gets the press but wildlife
groups in Asia are increasingly fearful for the future of a smaller, scalier and “less sexy” creature: the
pangolin (genus Manis). So prized are the meat and supposed medicinal properties of this reclusive
anteater that it is now thought to be the most heavily trafficked mammal in the region, rapidly being
driven towards extinction.

“The volumes we are seeing in seizures are mind-boggling. No species can survive this level
of extraction for long,” said Kanitha Krishnasamy from the wildlife trade watchdog Traffic.
“Unfortunately, this scaly animal does not invoke as much attention from the public, and by extension
from the authorities, as pangolins are considered to be less sexy than their larger mammalian
counterparts,” she added.

Tigers {Panthera tigris) are also killed for their body parts, mostly for use in traditional Asian
medicines, and major international campaigns have been launched to save them from extinction.
Trading in pangolins is banned under international law, yet Traffic’s Asian surveys show they are
frequently poached from the wild, mainly in Indonesia and Malaysia, exacerbating the threat from
rapid deforestation. They are transported through Southeast Asia, mostly ending up in China and
Vietnam, where pangolin flesh is a delicacy and its scales - it is the only mammal known to have them
- are ground into a powder for medicinal purposes. Historically, this ingredient was used in Chinese
medicine to try to cure a range of ills, from children’s hysterical crying to eyelashes curling inwards,
according to researcher and pangolin expert Dan Chal lender.

Today, reports suggest the scales are used in an attempt to reduce
swellings, cure asthma and even in some cases cancer, but a lack
of solid analysis means “all uses seem unfounded to date”, he said.

Challender, at Britain’s University of Kent, added that the supposed
health benefits of eating the meat include nourishing the kidneys,
but these are also probably unfounded. “Unless efforts are taken to
address both the demand for, and supply of pangolins, they will go
extinct in Asia in the short term future,” he told AFP.

Of four species found in Asia, two are “endangered” and two “near
threatened”, according to the International Union for Conservation
of Nature, which says it is unknown how many of the secretive,
nocturnal animals are left. Two of four species found in Africa are
also “near threatened”, and all have decreasing populations, while
Challender said seizures of scales bound for Asia from Africa
suggested a developing trade. Likened in appearance to a globe
artichoke, the pangolin curls up hedgehog-like into a ball when under
threat, making them easy for humans to catch.

Steve Galster, director of the anti-trafficking Freeland foundation, said the shy creatures were the
“unknown problem” of Asia’s illegal wildlife trade, sometimes fetching more than 1,000 US dollars
each on the black market. “The price of pangolins is just going through the roof,” he told AFP.
“We’re surprised there are any left.” Already this year, seizures have been reported along trading
routes in Thailand, Cambodia, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Myanmar, Vietnam and Indonesia - but these
are probably just the tip of the iceberg, according to Traffic. In one of the biggest hauls, the group

Pangolin

( Photo by Piekfrosch! /wikipedia)

Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

537

said customs officials at a Jakarta port found 7.5 tons of pangolin meat in May, stashed in crates and
covered up with frozen fish, bound for Vietnam.

“The most outrageous thing here is they even exterminate the young pangolins, the ones that when
curled up are about 20 centimetres long,” port customs chief Rahmat Subagio was quoted as saying
after the find. Late last year, seized logbooks showed one trafficking gang alone had killed and traded
22,200 pangolins over 14 months in the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo, Traffic said.
Often, however, pangolins are transported alive to maintain freshness and smugglers are known to
inject them with water to increase their weight - although many die along the way without food or
drinking water, activists say. Bundled into tightly-bound sacks, the poor-sighted pangolin finds its
long sharp claws, normally used to dig out dinner from anthills, can become a danger: it is common
for them to blind each other as they try to escape.

Experts warn their removal from the wild also threatens to destabilise the ecosystem of tropical forests,
where the pangolin’s diet of ants and termites is a key form of pest control. Asian authorities are often
unwilling to go after people of influence - “the big mafias, the big well-connected traffickers”, said
Galster. He said laws against wildlife crime are weakened by loopholes and judges who don’t take
the issue seriously, despite the perpetrators often making millions of dollars by exploiting endangered
species. “We’ve seen too many traffickers get a slap on the wrist, if anything,” he said. Source: AFP,
4 Sept. 2011

China’s Consumerism Latest Threat to Elephants - Poaching of elephants and other species
has increased in Central African countries, with products headed mainly to Asian markets. A report
that was presented at a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
(CITES) in Geneva in mid-August said the fast-growing Chinese middle class, combined with lax
policing of the Asian country’s ivory laws, is a big threat to elephant (genus Loxodonta) populations
in Africa. The authors of the report, Esmond Martin and Lucy Vigne, visited ivory carving factories
and stores in southern China in January. They compared the data with that which they had collated in
previous visits going back to 1985. Despite rigorous laws controlling the sale of ivory in China, they
found the industry was booming and much of it appeared to be unregulated.

The imposition of controls over ivory sales won China CITES approval to buy and sell ivory from
legal stocks. In 2008 China imported 62 tons of elephant ivory from CITES-approved auctions in
South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. Mr. Martin, who monitors the sale of elephant ivory and rhino
horn around the world, said that of 80 outlets he visited only eight had compulsory ivory identification
cards on display.

He said it is possible that two-thirds of all ivory being sold in southern China today is illegal because
it doesn’t have proper identification. Fuelling the illegal trade in ivory, according to Mr. Martin, is a
growing demand from China’s consumer class.

A CITES report released in Geneva last week said the highest levels of elephant poaching since
2002 were recorded in 2010, with central Africa of most concern. CITES officials announced the
creation of a US$100 million fund to enhance law enforcement and secure the long-term survival of
elephant populations. Kenya reported this year that it was seeing slow growth in elephant numbers
in its premier elephant game park, the Tsavo National Park. However, that rise is not echoed in other
African countries or even in other parts of Kenya where poaching has reached record highs. Source:
Reuters, 2 September 2011

Squirrels Relocated to Build Owl Homes - It might sound like a spoof, but San Diego Zoo
officials this week are crowing about the early success of a novel ground squirrel ( Spermophilus
beecheyi ) relocation project in the county. Why might 350 of the noted pests need new digs near
Jamul, Otay Mesa and Sweetwater? It turns out the critters are critical to the welfare of burrowing
owls ( Athene cunicularid), which rely on squirrel holes for shelter. The zoo goes so far as to call
squirrels “grasslands engineers.”

The burrowing owl population has plummeted in San Diego County and across the West, prompting
zoo scientists to team with San Diego State University, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the
California Department of Fish and Game on a conservation project that one scientist called the first of
its kind. The first year will cost about $240,000, paid for by grants and the zoo. Owl habitat projects
are common, but they typically involve people creating and maintaining artificial burrows for the

538 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

birds in areas where they’ve been edged out by development. “The whole idea is to get more hands-
off,” said Colleen Lenihan at the zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research. “We want the squirrels
to do the work for us.”

Burrowing owls are in trouble because they rely on grasslands
with lots of flat ground and low vegetation. Development
has reduced suitable spots and ground squirrel eradication
programs may have limited burrowing owl nesting sites. “The
re-establishment of California ground squirrels is a critical
component of any long-term recovery plan for burrowing
owls and the larger ecosystem because squirrels provide vital
resources,” Lenihan said. “Sites with ground squirrel colonies
have a greater diversity of reptiles, amphibians, insects and
birds than sites where they are absent.”

Concern has grown about burrowing owls as their populations
have shriveled. In San Diego County, roughly 600 burrowing owls were counted about 30 years ago,
but the best estimate these days in the double digits at only a handful of sites. Ecologists said the owls
could rebound quickly under the right circumstances because they lay lots of eggs — up to 11 per
clutch — and they have adapted to human landscapes. The multi-agency recovery project involved
trapping squirrels from Coronado and Pine Valley in hopes of determining whether coastal or inland
critters fare better at the relocation sites. Drop-off spots were chosen for a variety of reasons including
that owls live nearby and may recolonize if they have more hideouts. Squirrels were given “starter
holes” and then left on their own to make Swiss cheese out of the terrain. “The idea is that they will
go out and dig a bunch of natural holes,” Lenihan said. The real test will be how the squirrels and
the owls fare over the next year. As that becomes clear, Lenihan and others will decide whether the
project is worth expanding. Source: SignOn San Diego, Mike Lee, 25 August 2011

Imperiled Walruses, Dangerous Arctic Drilling Plan - The Obama administration has approved
a Bush-era plan to open the Chukchi Sea off Alaska to offshore oil drilling without determining how
it will affect Arctic wildlife. At the same time, thousands of Pacific walruses ( Odobenus rosmarus
divergens) have congregated on Alaska’s Chukchi shore as the sea ice they normally rely upon has
disappeared. The migration of the walruses onshore in Alaska is reflective of the rapidly changing
conditions of the Arctic caused by global warming.

“It’s a painful irony that on the very day the Interior Department says no additional information is
needed to understand the impacts of drilling on Arctic wildlife, distressed walruses in the Chukchi
Sea were seen hauling themselves onto shore because there’s no sea ice where they need it,” said
Rebecca Noblin, Alaska director of the Center for Biological Diversity. “The Arctic is reeling from
climate change, but the Obama administration has a head-in-the-sand approach to looking at the

This supplemental environmental impact statement
was produced by the Department of the Interior
under court order following a successful lawsuit
brought by the Center for Biological Diversity and
allies. The previous environmental review, done by
the Bush administration in late 2007, was struck
down by a court for failing to address data gaps
related to the Chukchi Sea. The new review rejects
the notion that critical data gaps, including gaps in
knowledge about the effects on wildlife, must be
filled before moving forward with drilling in the
Arctic. “The new environmental impact statement
shows that despite ocean-sized data gaps regarding
the biology of the Chukchi Sea and the hazards of oil
and gas development there, the Obama administration would rather risk the Arctic Ocean than risk its
relationship with oil companies,” said Noblin.

Among the most at-risk species in the Chukchi is the Pacific walrus. This week an estimated 8,000
walruses in two large herds were discovered hauled out on beaches of the Chukchi Sea near Point

impacts of oil drilling in the region.”

Pacific Walrus

( Photo by USFWS)

Burrowing Owls

(Photo by USFWS)

Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

539

Lay, Alaska, because the sea ice they need for resting is gone. Young walruses that are forced to come
ashore face greater risks because they are vulnerable to being trampled to death in stampedes and
attacked by predators. In 2009, 1 3 1 young walruses were crushed to death in stampedes along Alaska’s
shores near Icy Cape. Previously unprecedented, haul-outs are becoming a common occurrence on
the Alaskan coast as sea ice disappears; a herd of 10,000 to 20,000 walruses came ashore in Alaska
last summer. These walrus haul-outs coincide with recent announcements from the National Snow
and Ice Data Center that July sea-ice extent reached a record low and that sea-ice extent in August is
only slightly higher than record-low levels in 2007.

Due to threats from sea-ice loss, the Center petitioned to protect the Pacific walrus under the
Endangered Species Act in 2008. In February, the Interior Department agreed that the walrus is
threatened by global warming but that it will have to wait for the law’s protections. Meanwhile, the
walrus faces ever-growing threats from the Obama administration’s inaction on global warming and
its willingness to open Alaska’s waters to dangerous drilling. “If the Obama administration had a
rational energy policy that actually addressed the threat of global warming, it wouldn’t be green-
lighting risky oil development in the Arctic, which not only places a sensitive ecosystem at risk but
will also further our addiction to fossil fuels,” said Noblin. Source: Center for Biological Diversity, 18
August 2011

Salazar Announces Successful Recovery of Lake Erie Watersnake - Secretary of the Interior
Ken Salazar has announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) removed the Lake Erie
watersnake (Nerodia sipedon insularum), a harmless species found on offshore islands in western
Lake Erie in Ohio and Ontario, from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. The
snake becomes the 23rd species to be delisted due to recovery. Under the Endangered Species Act, the
Service has worked to successfully stabilize our nation’s most imperiled species in part by fostering
partnerships, employing scientific excellence, and developing a workforce of conservation leaders
who promote conservation programs that help species recovery. The Service listed the Lake Erie
watersnake as a threatened species in 1999. Threats to the species included intentional killing and
loss of its shoreline habitat on Lake Erie to development. In 2003, the Service finalized a recovery
plan that called for protecting habitat and providing outreach to reduce threats to the species. In
cooperation with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife (ODNR) and
other partners, biologists worked to minimize and reduce the threats to the snake by sustaining
and protecting summer and hibernation habitat and ensuring the permanent protection of shoreline
habitat.

Critical research, including an annual intensive Lake
Erie watersnake census begun in 2001, provided
data that identified when the species had achieved
its population goal and threats to its survival had
been reduced. In addition, public outreach programs
provide awareness of the snake, its plight and its
role in the ecosystem. Recovery criteria include a
combined population of at least 5,555 snakes on the
U.S. islands, sustained for six years, and protection
of key habitat. Through continued habitat protection
and public education, the Lake Erie watersnake
population grew to about 11,980 in 2009, and has
exceeded the minimum recovery level since 2002.

About 300 acres of inland habitat and 1 1 miles of
shoreline have been protected for the snake since it was listed.

Partners in the efforts to recover the Lake Erie watersnake include the ODNR, Northern Illinois
University, Lake Erie Islands Chapter of the Black Swamp Conservancy, Western Reserve Land
Conservancy, Put-in-Bay Township Park District, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and The
Ohio State University Stone Laboratory. The Act requires that a species be monitored for a minimum
of 5 years after delisting to ensure that the species remains stable after its protections are removed.
The Service and the ODNR have developed a post-delisting monitoring plan to verify that the species
remains secure from risk of extinction after the protections of the Act no longer apply. Lake Erie
watersnakes remain listed as endangered by the state of Ohio so killing them is still illegal under state
law. Source: US FWS, 15 August 2011

Lake Erie Watersnake

(Photo by USFWS)

540 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 38, No. 10

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