F O R U ]VI The Journal of the American Association of Zoo Keepers, Inc. ANIMAL KEEPERS’ FORUM. 3601 S.W. 29th St., Suite 133, Topeka, KS 66614-2054 Phone: (785) 273-9149 FAX (785) 273-1980 June 2007 Vol. 34, No. 6 AKF Managing Editor: Susan D. Chan • Associate Editors • Kayla Grams, Taos, NM; Mark de Denus, Reid Park Zoo; Jolene Hamrick, Tucson, AZ • Enrichment Options Coordinators: Dawn Neptune, Utah’s Hogle Zoo & Rachel Daneault, Disney’s Animal Kingdom • Legislative/Conservation Outlook Column Co-Coordinators: Becky Richendollar, North Carolina Zoo and Greg McKinney, Philadelphia, PA • Reactions Column Coordinator: William K. Baker, Jr., Little Rock Zoo 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 Executive 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 Denise Wagner, The Phoenix Zoo, Phoenix, AZ 85008 Shane Good, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Cleveland, OH 44109 Jacque Blessington, Kansas City Zoological Gardens, Kansas City, MO 64132-4200 Andy Henderson, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL 60614-4712 Norah Famham, Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle,WA 98103-5858 President Vice President COMMITTEES/COORDINATORS By-laws Chair - Gisela A. Wiggins, North Carolina Zoo Grants Committee Chair - Shelly Roach, Columbus Zoo Enrichment Committee Co-Chairs - Dawn Neptune, Utah’s Hogle Zoo and Amy Burgess, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Annual Conferences Coordinator - Ed Hansen, AAZK, Inc. Professional Development Chair - Tammy Schmidt, Peoria Zoo International Outreach VACANT Interim Contact - Shane Good, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Ethics Chair - Shane Good, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Awards Chair - Janet McCoy, The Oregon Zoo Marketing Resources Chair - Kristen Wolfe, Disney’ s Animal Kingdom Animal Training Committee Co-Chairs - Angela Binney, Disney’s Animal Kingdom & Kim Kezer, Zoo New England Bowling for Rhinos - Coordinator - Patty Pearthree, Cary, NC ICZ Coordinators Shane Good, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Norah Famham, Woodland Park Zoo MEMBERSHIP SERVICES APT. EDT and ATP Forms AAZK Administrative Offices/Topeka AAZK Website - Liaison to Webmaster Denise Wagner, The Phoenix Zoo and Kevin Shelton, Tampa, FL AAZK Historian Mark Levin, Plymouth Meeting, PA AAZK Publications/Logo Products AAZK Administrative Offices/Topeka AAZK PUBLICATIONS - CONTINUING DATA COLLECTION Resources for Crisis Management in Zoos & Other Animal Care Facilities, Vol. 2 - Susan D. Chan, Topeka, KS; William K. Baker, Little Rock Zoo, AR; Diana Guerrero, ArkAnimals, Big Bear Lake, CA printed on Recycled Paper Table of Contents About the Cover/Information for Contributors..... 202 Scoops & Scuttlebutt 203 - 205 From the President 206 Coming Events 208 National Zookeeper Week Proclamation 210 Chapter News Notes 212 AAZK Announces New Members 213 Zoo Animal to “Taste Test” Road Salt 213 Enrichment Options (Little SPIDERS at the Newark Museum Mini Zoo) 214 - 215 Reactions (Suggested Targets for Firearms Practice) 216 - 217 2006 Conference Proceedings Now Available on CD (Order Form/Info) 218 - 219 Radiograph Training of Juvenile Male African Lion (Panthera leo) Using Operant Conditioning 220 - 228 Notes from the Field (A Guide to Grassroots Conservation Practitioners: Experiences from Long-tailed Chinchilla Conservation in Chile) 229 - 235 Conservation/Legislative Update 236 - 240 1974 - 2007 S^^bout the Cover This month 's cover features a Ring-tailed lemur family (Lemur cata). One of 22 species of lemurs, they share a common ancestry with Africa's monkeys and apes, but were isolated from those species probably 50 million years ago when Madagascar separated from the African continent. All lemur species today are endangered due to the rapid destruction of their forest habitat for agricultural development, cattle grazing, and human settlement. They live in the dry woodland districts with a seven to eight month dry season. The word Lemur comes from old Latin, and refers to ghosts or spirits. The staring eyes, haunting sounds, and nocturnal ways of the lemur inspired early observers to think of them as ghosts or forest spirits. The Ring- tailed lemur's coat is black gray, the limbs and belly lighter, and the extremities white. There are rings about the eyes, the muzzle is black, the tail is banded black and white. Most lemur species are arboreal. But the Ring-tailed is different in that it frequently uses the ground for travel, more than any of the other lemurs. It is diurnal and gregarious, living in groups of 5-30. Females are generally dominant to males. Lemurs are generally herbivorous with their diets consisting mainly of leaves, fruits, and berries — although they occasionally take bird eggs, small mammals, and insects. After a gestation period of about 135 days, a single offspring is born. Occasionally they may have twins or even triplets. The young are grayish with a thin coat of hair. The entire group helps care for and play with the young. Young lemurs first begin to climb at about three weeks, and are usually independent by six months. They are sexually mature and fully grown at 1 1/2 years. In captivity lemurs have lived for 20-27 years. Ring-tailed lemurs purr and mew like house cats. They communicate with short grunting sounds as a contact call within the troop, sometimes followed with a quick bark. Loud calls alert other members of the social group to danger and help to maintain comfortable spacing between groups. Our thanks to the Honolulu Zoo ’s website for this natural history information on the Ring-tailed lemur. Call for Cover Art We are currently seeking cover art for use on Animal Keepers’ Forum. Artists are encouraged to submit their artwork for consideration. Cover subjects include all species of animals and also art of keepers working with their animals. Clean, crisp artwork, such as that done in pen and ink, reproduces best in AKF, but other mediums, such as pencil, may also be considered. Submission of artwork does not guarantee that it will be selected for an AKF cover. Artists should send a brief natural history piece to accompany their artwork. If the animal subject is an animal from their zoo, artists are encouraged to include info about that particular animal such as house name, breeding history, etc. Artists should include their name, title and facility as well as their preferred mailing address. Artwork may be submitted in hardcopy to Susan Chan at the address on the cover of this publication. Or artwork may be sent as jpg or tif file attachments to the editor’s email: akfeditor@zk.kscoxmail.com< If the artist wishes hardcopy artwork returned, they should include a self-addressed, appropriately-sized envelope when submitting. 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< 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 pennission must be sought from the author(s). Reprints of material appearing in this journal may be ordered from the editor. 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: aazkoffice@zk.kscoxmail.com< You may reach Susan Chan and Animal Keepers’ Forum at: akfeditor@zk.kscoxmail.com< AAZK website Address: www.aazk.org BFR Website: http://aazkbfr.org 202 Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 34, No. 6 Scoops & Scuttlebutt Membership Survey Results Available Online The results and recommendations from the AAZK Membership Survey that was conducted on the AAZK website during March/ April are now available online. The survey covered many aspects of membership in AAZK, including our publications and website. You may veiw the results at www.aazk.org< Look at the right of the homepage under the Reminder Board-the results are downloadable as a pdf. The survey was conducted with the assistance of students from Brigham Young University who worked with AAZK to craft the questions covered and who analyzed the survey results. They then provided recommendations for the AAZK Board of Directors’ consideration. Do You have Your AAZK Credit Card Yet? AAZK has had an affinity credit card for a number of years. We now have the opportunity to offer our members an AAZK WorldPoints Mastercard through Bank of America. If you are not familiar with the affinity credit card concept, here it is in a nutshell: 1) The sponsoring organization (AAZK) gets a donation from Bank of America for each new card account opened or renewed; and 2) The sponsoring organization (AAZK) gets a donation each time the cardholder uses their card to make a purchase. Currently AAZK is earning between $300-$500 every quarter from this type of “passive income”. If you are interested in applying for the new AAZK WorldPoints Mastercard (that features the new AAZK logo on the card), go to the AAZK website (www.aazk.org) and click on the icon on the top right of the homepage. Other ways you can help support AAZK through “passive income” is to ALWAYS go through the AAZK homepage to shop at amazon.com. iGive.com. Shop for Charity.com or search the Web with GoodSearch.com< It is easy to do-just click on their icons from the AAZK homepage and you are on your way to helping earn “passive income” for AAZK. Such income is especially great for nonprofit organizations such as AAZK because it costs the Association nothing to participate and does not require staff or volunteer time to achieve. Just begin to make it a habit when you shop online at any of these sites to go through the AAZK homepage to get to them. The potential for raising money for AAZK projects and programs is truly amazing! AAZK’s Bowling For Rhinos - Sponsored by Blue Rhino® Reminders • All money must be turned in by September 1st in order to be eligible for winning the trips. • There will again be four trip winners this year. Two will travel to Lewa in Kenya & two will travel to the Indonesian rhino projects. • In order to win, you must be an AAZK member in good standing and have raised at least $1,000. • Your Chapter may have MORE THAN ONE winner so PLEASE let me know the names of all members who raise at least $1,000 (and send copyies of their sponsor forms). • Please feel free to send the bulk of your BFR money in ASAP. If you get starggler checks later in the year, please send them in ASAP and I will add them to your totals. • Forms & information can be downloaded from the BFR website: http:/ /aazkbfr.org (forms are listed under “BFR art”). • Any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Patty Pearthree: 919- 678-0449 or ppear3@pear3,org. • Mail checks, financial form & copy of sponsor sheets for anyone raising over $1,000 to: Patty Pearthree, c/o BFR, 318 Montibello Dr., Cary, NC 27513 See you all at the Conference in Galveston! Patty Pearthee, BFR Coordinator Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 203 Dive into something WILD! Join us on the Texas Gulf Coast and experience an AAZK Conference like never before! The 34'^ Annual AAZK National Conference is proudly hosted by the Galveston Chapter of AAZK and takes place in Galveston, TX from 30 September to 4 October, 2007. Are you feeling lucky? Donate to the Chapter Challenge and you could have a free registration and hotel stay for the conference! Deadline is 1 July, (see deaths on Chapter Challenge in the yellow insert in the April issue of AKF, or at the conference website shown below.) What will you see on Zoo Day? Parrots, monkeys, the beach, fish, snakes, the Strand, lizards, sharks, the turtle bam, penguins, sloths, the chocolate factory, frogs, rays, and the beach! How many miles of beach can you see from your hotel room? Where’s our most famous Victorian house? Know any famous BOTs? Come to Galveston and find out. We hope to see you in September! Visit our website www.gcaazk.org or drop us an email at conference@gcaa7k .org Oiled Wildlife Response Workshop to Be Held in Galveston Moody Gardens is proud to be hosting an Oiled Wildlife Response Workshop October and 6‘^ 2007 in Galveston, TX. The workshop, taught by Wildlife Rehab and Education Wildlife Center in conjunction with Texas General Land Office, will include speakers from the U.S. Coast Guard, veterinarians, and experts from the response field. This hands-on workshop will combine both classroom lectures and laboratory exercises to encompass all aspects of an oiled wildlife emergency response. In conjunction with the American Association of Zoo Keepers National Conference being held at Moody Gardens September 30 thru October 4, a 24-hour Hazardous Response training option is available and recommended due to predicted changes in government regulations, Workshops such as Animal Handling and Restraint and Zoo/Aquarium Safety as well as four additional hours of appropriate training will be offered. This, along with the 16 hours of oiled wildlife training, will allow the candidate to be eligible to receive a 24-hour OSHA certification. The training required for the 24-hour course will begin with an evening two-hour workshop on October 3‘^‘‘ , continuing with four hours of training on the 4th, 10 hours on the 5th and eight hours on the 6th. All must be attended for certification. Cost for the class is as follows: 24-hour OSHA certification class - $150.00 alone or $75.00 in addition to Conference attendance. Fees include all materials and breakfast and lunch on the 4‘" and 5‘^ and dinner on the 4'^ Hotel costs are $ 135.00/night at the Moody Gardens Hotel. For the 16- hour training class the cost is $75.00 (does not include OSHA certification). For registration or information contact Diane Olsen at 409-683-4102 or dolsen@moody gardens 2007 Conference Also Offers Elephant Workshop An Elephant Workshop will also be held in conjunction the the Galveston AAZK Conference, It is free of charge but space is limited. This one-day workshop will be on Tuesday, 2 October from Sam until 5pm in the Moody Gardens Aquarium’s Pompano Room. Topics for professional elephant keepers include training theory, enrichment, husbandry, problem-solving and animal rights/pubiic relations. To register to attend this workshop, be sure and check the box on the conference registration form that you will be attending. 204 Animal Keepers ’Forum, VoL 34 No. 6 AAZK Video Night Seeks Participants The AAZK Enrichment and Training Committees invite you to submit your enrichment and/or training videos to be presented at Video Night during the 2007 AAZK National Conference in Galveston. Submissions should be in the following format; • In VHS or CD format • No more than 7 minutes long. • Good quality (steady frame, appropriate or no sound, clear picture) • Videos may be edited for content and to accommodate time restraints. We would like to see enrichment that encourages species-specific behaviors and innovations in training that help facilitate husbandry and specific conditions. All submissions will be put onto one comprehensive CD. A complementary CD will be given to each facility that contributes a video. Please plan on having a representative present during video night to narrate your facility’s submission. Submissions are due by August 1, 2007 and should be sent to: Danielle Decker 1200 N. Savannah Circle E. Bay Lake, FL 32830 You will be notified prior to the conference if your video is selected to be viewed at video night. Please contact Rachel Daneault rachel.b.daneault@,di sney.com or Nikki Bowens rhinogirl 1 @.yahoo.com if you have any questions. New Logo Product Line Sweatshirts in XXL The latest product to be introduced to the AAZK, Inc. logo line will be quarter-zip sweatshirts as previewed at the 2006 National Conference in Chicago. They will be black with an embroidered color AAZK logo on the left breast. Due to a limited budget for the order, if anyone is interested in pre-ordering an XXL or larger please contact Nicole Presley by 15 July at zoogirl@rogers.com. Thanks! Gorilla Gazette Available Online An archive of the e-newsletter Gorilla Gazette is now available online. Gorilla Gazette is published by Gorilla Haven with funding from The Dewar Wildlife Trust. To access the most recent issue and the five previous issues do the following: 1. Access: go to http://www.gorilla-haven.org/gazette/gazette-2007 2. In lower case only, enter the following: User Name - gazetteOS and Password - grapes To access earlier issues, just change the year date at the end of the access link. 3. The next page will require your email address. Enter this and hit “continue” - this will take you to the Table of Contents - click on any article you wish to access. These are in PDF format so you must have Acrobat Reader installed on your system. If you do not have this, it is a free download at www.adobe.com< You should have at least version 5.0. If you would like to be added to the subscription list for the E-GG, please email Jane Dewar at jdewar@gorilIa-haven.org and include the following: • Your name • Your email • Your affiliation (i.e., zoo, university, research, etc.) • Your mailing address All contents are ©2007 by the authors of the articles and require written permission for reproduction. Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 205 I Fom me K^pesiaeni Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya was a place I had heard about from friends for years, and in February 2007 I got a chance to visit. Descriptions and photos can hardly do it justice. Everywhere you look nature is looking back. There were numerous herds of Grant’s gazelle, Grevy’s and common zebra, buffalo, impala, you name it and we pretty much saw it. Elephant were also numerous as were giraffe. White rhino were spotted frequently and not so frequently, but even more exciting, black rhino. For those non-hoofstock people we saw lion, leopard, rock hyrax, hyena (at night on a game drive, quite exciting), olive baboons, vervet monkeys, birds too numerous to mention and even a few reptiles. Lewa is a beautiful place with a variety of microhabitats but mostly savannah and is home to a myriad of wildlife. Should you decide to visit, and you should, you won’t be disappointed with the game viewing. Our guides were great and extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife and plants. Lewa Safari Camp is a beautiful retreat and you’ll have the best soup in the world there. Sundowners here are beyond compare. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION of ZOO KEEPERS Also while at Lewa I was privileged to visit one of the schools that the Conservancy helps support. Lewa doesn’t just believe in supporting wildlife, although that is its main purpose. The Conservancy fervently believes that the surrounding community must gain from its protection of the wildlife. And I believe the community does benefit. What 1 saw at the school I visited was not despair, although they have far less to work with than many children around the world. In each of their faces 1 saw hope, not only for them as individuals but for Kenya, Africa and ultimately the world. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is helping to give them a brighter future and that’s extremely precious. They are also instilling in these children a deeper understanding of their wildlife and the importance of conservation and the role they can play in conserving their wildlife, their heritage. There are also many other community programs that Lewa helps support, including health care programs, women’s programs and water projects, all of which benefit the surrounding communities. In short, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy helps animals and people. It’s a system of beliefs and standards that, in my opinion, is visionary. Having been a supporter of Lewa for years, I have become an even more fervent supporter of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, If you’re looking for great wildlife viewing please visit, you certainly won’t be disappointed and you’ll be helping to protect wildlife and so much more. ^ \ d- Denise Wagner, AAZK President 206 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol 34 No. 6 Working in partnership with zoos HAZURr PhD or call 1-800-227-8941 for the location of your nearest dealer. Because when it comes to great nutrition, we’re committed to the health and longevity of every animal. and aquariums, nutritionists develop industry leading products specifically for each species. From aardvarks to zebras, we work hard to give your animals the most of what they need. For more information on MAZURI* products-including nutritional analyses and research findings-visit www.mazuri.com www.mazuri.com Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 207 Coming Events AZAD National Conference 31st Annual International Herpetological Symposium 20-23 June 2007 in Toronto, Ont., Canada. Hosted by the Toronto Zoo. All details are online at http.;//w.ww.kingsnake.cQm.ihs The Chimp.anzee Care and Management Workshop 17-19 July 2007. Hosted by the Knoxville Zoo, Knoxville, TN and presented by the Chimpanzee SSP® A comprehensive three-day course covering all aspects of progressive chimpanzee husbandry. Topics include: managing complex social groups, social introductions, operant conditioning training, contraception strategies, and enrichment programs. For registration or other information contact Steve Ross, Lincoln Park Zoo at (312) 742-7263 or r.Q^s(g)lpzQQ.Qrg The Animal Behavior Society’s 44th Annual Meeting - 21-25 July 2007 in Burlington, VT. For further information see www.animalbehavior.org/ARS/ Program or contact the designated host Ken Yasukawa (yasukawa(^beloit.edu). MIE: Macropod Information Exchange - 27-29 July 2007. To be held in Kansas City, MO. For more information visit: or contact Jacque Blessington at: Jacsprat65@.aol.com International Conference on Environmental Enrichment - 5-10 August 2007. Hosted by Schoenbrunn Zoo, Vienna, Austria. Theme is “Enrichment - key for successful animal management”, further info available at the conference website www.zQQvienna.at/icee20Q7 BIERZS The Symposium 2007: Bear Information Exchange for Rehabilitators, Zoos and Sanctuaries - 24-26 August 2007. The Symposium will be hosted by Western University of Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine (http://www.westernu.edu/xp/ edu/veterinary/hQme.xml ) in Pomona, CA. The conference will be held on Friday to Sunday, inclusive at Western University of Health Sciences, the Los Angeles Zoo (http://www.lazoo.org/condorall/ ), and a local sanctuary. Presentations will focus on captive bear care specific to the efforts of rehabilitators, zoos and sanetuaries. On Friday, two practical workshops will be run alternately and concurrently so all delegates can attend. The Enrichment Workshop is developed and presented by Valerie Hare and Karen Worley, Founders of The Shape of Enrichment (http:// www.enrichment.org/ ). The Training Workshop is developed and presented by Jason Pratte, Giant Panda Keeper at the Zoo Atlanta (http://www.zooatlanta.org/ home.htm ). Any additional questions can be directed to: Dr. Jordan Schaul, BIERZS 2007 Co-Chair Planning Group - jcschaul(gaim.com OR Else M.B. Poulsen, BIERZS 2007 Co-Chair Planning Group, embpoulsen@hotmail.com< IV International Symposium on Breeding Birds in Captivity - 12-16 September 2007 at Doubletree International Plaza, Toronto, Ont., Canada. For more information please visit http://www.isbbc.org/ - 25 - 30 September 2007 in St. Louis, MO. Hosted by the Saint Louis Zoo Docents. Conferecne capacity is 700 people. For more infromation contact Louise Rovak, lrQvak(@.sbcgIobal.net or see http://www.stlzoo.org/ educatiQn/zoodocents/2007azadconferecne/ AAZK National Conference - 30 September - 4 October, 2007 - at Moody Gardens in Galveston, TX. Hosted by the Galveston AAZK Chapter. For more info watch the AKF or visit the Chapter’s website at www.gcaazk.org/ 28th Annual Elephant Managers Association Conference - 14-16 October 2007 - hosted by the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, Ohio. An optional pre-conference trip on October 13th to the Indianapolis Zoo is also available, as well as a post- conference trip on October 17th to the Louisville Zoo. The conference Icebreaker will be held the evening of Oetober 13th. For more information visit or call the elephant department at the Cincinnati Zoo at (513)281-4700 ex. 8360. Call for Papers Abstracts should be brief and include a description of the methods, results and conclusions of the presentation, where appropriate. This year, the first five presenters to have their abstracts approved will also have their conference registration fees waived. In order to have their registration waived, the presenter must be a member of EM A. Only one registration fee waiver will be granted per presentation. Once the five registration fee waivers have been granted, submitters will be notified that registration fee waivers are no longer available when their abstracts are received. Please send electronic copies of abstracts to richard.heithaus@.cincinnatizoo.org The 4th Crissey Zoological Symposium - 7-8 December 2007. Held at The North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. This symnposium is for professional nutritionists, researchers and veterinarians working with zoo animals; interested students. First day focus will be on reptile and amphibian nutrition; second day will encompass nutrition talks from all comparative nutrition areas. For symposium details see www.cvm.ncsu.edu/conted/zoonutrition/ 2008 Gorilla Workshop - 23-27 January 2008 - Hosted by Disney’s Animal Kingdom and the Brevard Zoo in Orlando, FL. For more information see 20Q8GorillaWorkshop.com. or call Beth Armstrong at (614) 506-7368 or Rachel Daneault at (407) 938-2337. Post Your Coming Events Here email to: akfeditor@zk.kscoxmaiLcom 208 Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 A Pound Of Power For years, Bird Bene-Bac™ Powder has been trusted among avian care-takers. Now, as part of the Zoologic® family of nutritional components. Zoologic Bene-Bac powder is an excellent source of live naturally -occurring microorganisms for domestic, exotic and wildlife mammals as well. It is effective in the management programs of animals subject to changing environments or conditions. Pound for pound, there’s nothing better. Call 1-800-323-0877 to learn about the complete line of Zoologic products. lotrftionial eomocua. ^ _„nde'cf as part of the management nr.. - ' subjected to changing envlmn^'^^ldr '' “'! SSnal conditions or anor^anlldg&jnj' of BBP for normal mamtenance is fotallJve lactic Acid Pfoducing- Bacteris'- 1 a" -C* . taci<^bao.ilus~a^S,. . - , Q2:. (45^'^' A product of PetAg, Inc. National Zookeeper Week There is a Congressional resolution in progress that will declare July 15-21 as National Zookeeper Week. Congresswomen Susan Davis (D-CA 53rd) and Nancy Boyda (D-KS 2nd) are co-sponsoring the House resolution. The proclamation was initiated by San Diego AAZK and co-sponsored by National AAZK Although the resolution has not made it to the congressional floor, it has received all the necessary preliminary approvals needed to be introduced. In the meantime, while Congresswomen Davis and Boyda are preparing to introduce this resolution, we have begun to make plans to celebrate the first National Zookeeper Week. This is an excellent opportunity for zoos to highlight our profession. It will also be an ideal time for Chapters to engage in activities that promote AAZK as a professional organization. We are currently working on a press release to send to all the AAZK Chapters. An activity kit will also be provided, giving Chapters a few ideas of how they can observe and promote this well- deserved recognition. As the need to protect and preserve our wildlife and vanishing habitats has increased, our role as educators and wildlife ambassadors has become essential. During the week of July 15-21, 2007 celebrate National Zookeeper Week - both you and your animals deserve the recognition. National Zookeeper Week Proclamation WHEREAS, worldwide, animal populations are declining at an alarming rate with many facing extinction; and WHEREAS, zoological institutions have become the final hope for many endangered species recovery programs through conservation research, release programs, and by being a portal through which the general public can view and appreciate disappearing wildlife; and WHEREAS, zoological institutions are also population managers of keystone and cornerstone species, emphasizing the restoration of not just the endangered species, but a restoration of the delicate balance of nature; and WHEREAS, zookeepers are the frontline soldiers for conservation, participating in the battle for species survival and preservation of the natural homelands of the animals they care for through public awareness, education, and exhibition; and WHEREAS, zookeepers have become animal earetakers devoting their lives to caring for these animals; and WHEREAS, zookeepers have become the spokespersons for vanishing wildlife, carrying the conservation message of habitat loss, endangered species, and preservation of nature’s threatened wildlands to the public; and WHEREAS, zookeepers have become animal specialists, as educators, choreographers of animal behaviors through enrichment, behavior managers through operant conditioning, and reproductive specialists through improved observations and husbandry; and WHEREAS, to help increase public awareness about the need to preserve our precious habitats and the animals which inhabit them and to recognize the roles that zookeepers play in animal conservation and education. The American Association of Zoo Keepers invites all AAZK Chapters to participate in National Zookeeper Week. 210 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 CAGING ACCESSORIES ENRICHMENT Visit our web site at www.ottoenvironmental.com 262.642.5316 6914 N. 124111 Street ♦ Milwaukee, Wl 53224 * Phon&:414-358-1001 * FAX:414-358-9035 ♦ www.ottoenvironmental.com Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol 34 No. 6 211 Chapter News Notes California Desert Chapter The California Desert Chapter has been having a busy but successful season. We held our first ever Love at the Zoo event on Valentine’s Day, hosting 40 guests for an evening of food, fun, and scintillating stories of courtship and mating in the animal kingdom. A huge Thank You goes out to all of the Chapter members and staff for helping to pull this together. Almost $2000.00 was raised from this event. Our recycling collection program has proven to be a steady moneymaker, bringing in around $40.00 a week. We continued our lecture series in February with a presentation by Katie Barrows and Jim Sullivan from the Coachella Valley Association of Governments. In a follow-up to last year’s lecture, Katie kept us up-to-date on important local conservation issues including the Multi- Species Habitat Conservation Plan. We finished up our lecture series in April with a well attended presentation by Venom ER star Dr. Sean Bush. Everyone enjoyed Dr. Bush’s informative and entertaining talk on emergency room care of venomous snakebites. Our Second Annual Bowling for Rhinos event raised just over $1000.00, with eight bowlers participating. Many thanks to Palm Springs Lanes for setting out a donation jar at the shoe rental counter that brought in extra $$. Also, thanks to Sam Niburg and Blue Rhino® for providing promotional material. Southern Ontario AAZK Chapter After a gloomy and rainy April the spring weather has finally arrived in Toronto, although the winter was relatively snow free, so we cannot complain. We had our first general membership meeting of 2007 a little late this year. Our president, Eric Cole, presented the Power Point® presentation sent by AAZK National in the fall. As a result, the members offered to send our money set aside for conservation organizations to AAZK National iiisiead. The amount was $2,000 and this was in addition to our re-charter donation now required. The members decided that if anyone had a cause they wanted to support, then they would do a separate fundraiser for it. As well, other members were enthusiastic about doing a membership drive with volunteers, new keepers, and seasonal keepers. The executive committee really appreciates the membership acknowledging the financial struggles of our national organization and stepping up. We look forward to a hot summer followed by a great conference in Galveston. See you there. —Nicole Presley, Secretary Finally, our Earth Day raffle brought in over $200.00, with visitors paying $1 to guess the weight of our seven-month-old giraffe calf We had two winners at 273 pounds, not too far off the actual weight of 281. We also sold blown out ostrich eggs and crested porcupine quills. So far this year the California Desert Chapter has supported the Coachella Valley Wild Bird Center, The Snow Leopard Trust, Friends of the Desert Mountains, and helped send a member to the lAATE Conference m Tacoma, WA. — Submitted by Jeremy Kon wiser Chapter President iiip AAZK Ontario Chapter 212 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 AAZK Announces New Members Karl H. Betz, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (FL); Andrea leBlond, Joel Slaven’s Professional Animals (FL); Sara Cassese and Mary Watson, Nashville Zoo (TN); Karen Veleta, Louisville Zoo (KY); Nathan Halberstadt, no zoo listed (IN); Sandra Palencia, Lincoln Park Zoo (IL); Gina Garza, Cristina Powers and Lisa Van Slett, Dallas Zoo (TX); Sorelle Gasch, International Exotic Feline Sanctuary (TX); Peter Briggs, Ellis Conner and Jana McCoy, Ft. Worth Zoo (TX); Charlie Hyde, San Diego Wild Animal Park (CA); Tina Owens, San Diego Zoo (CA); and Jill Werner, Los Angeles Zoo (CA). Renewing Contributing Members Ann Bissell National Zoological Park, Washington, DC James J. Peiry, Keeper San Antonio Zoo, San Antonio, TX Zoo Animals to “Taste Test” Road Salt The elk and reindeer at a Swedish zoo are being used as taste-testers to determine whether animals prefer straight salt or salt mixed with sugar. If the animals display a preference for one, the other will be used on icy roads in Sweden, The Local reports. That’s because road officials are trying to figure out ways to reduce collisions between cars and wildlife. Frida Hedin of the Swedish National Roads Administration said that five elk and five reindeer at the Skansen Wildlife Park in Stockholm will be the subjects of the experiment. Blocks of both straight salt and sweetened salt will be placed in their enclosure through June, and then weighed to determine if one has been licked more than the other. Officials hope that animals prefer salt on its own because that would allow them to reduce the amount of salt introduced into the environment. Shirley Busch, Volunteer San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA Renewing Institutional Members Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens Jacksonville, FL Delfi Messenger, Director of Animal Programs Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield,IL Dr. Stuart D. Strahl, Ph.D., President/CEO Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL Kevin Bell, President/CEO Utah’s Hogle Zoo, Salt Lake City, UT Craig Dinsmore, Director Out of Africa Wildlife Park, Fountain Hills, AZ Dean & Prayeri Harrison, Owners Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Tacoma, WA Gary L. Geddes, Director ZEED Source: Earthtimes.org 4/10/07 THE GOURMET RODENT, INC.“ RATS AND MICE Bill & Marcia Brant 12921 SW 1st Rd., Ste 107, PBM #434 Jonesville, FL 32669 (352) 495-9024 Fax: (352) 495-9781 e-mail: GrmtRodent@aol.com '^All Righis reserved Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 213 EO Editor - Rachel Daneault, Disney s Animal Kingdom Little SPIDERs at The Newark Museum Mini Zoo By Kristen Schmid, Senior Animal Keeper The Newark Museum Mini Zoo, Newark, NJ The Newark Museum Mini Zoo is a small zoo with a big commitment to animal care. Currently, the zoo houses over 80 individual animals representing roughly 50 species. Enrichment has always been a critical component of our husbandry program since our opening in 1987, but I was seeking a way to formalize our practices. In October 2006, 1 attended the Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s (AZA) “Managing Animal Enrichment and Training Programs” and have been fortunate enough to return to the zoo and apply the method taught by our instructors. SPIDER is an acronym for Setting goals, Planning, Implementing, Documenting, Evaluating and Readjusting. This method is the basis of implementing, managing and maintaining a zoo enrichment program, and a tool that refocuses enrichment activities to reflect natural behaviors. I had read about this concept when it was first published, and wondered exactly how it could be applied to our enrichment program. The class, taught mainly by Jill Mellen and Marty MacPhee from Disney’s Animal Kingdom, was very thorough and supplied lots of practice and examples with this method. One of our first steps was to determine the scope within which we would be able to use the SPIDER method at our own institution. Upon returning, some members of the class would be expected to create and manage an enrichment program for their entire institution, some for a class of animals, some for a species, and some for a small collection. So we referred to each other’s scope of responsibility as little, medium or big SPIDERS. When I returned home, I decided a little SPIDER was best suited to our small zoo and decided to focus on the animals we determined were most in need of enrichment. First, I set the stage for the changes that were ahead. Enrichment was made a priority to keepers. It was incorporated into the daily husbandry routine and written into their job description. Their schedules and tasks were evaluated and condensed to allow time for providing enrichment on a daily basis. Also, the value of spreading the news of our efforts and success was reaffirmed by creating a new public zookeeper-hosted program titled , “Enrichment: The Art and Science of Keeping Animals Happy,” launched in April of 2007. Our location, in an art and science museum, is unique and we connect with visitors with a wide range of knowledge and interests. The public can learn about the history and purpose of enrichment, watch an activity and discuss it with keepers. Enrichment has also been addressed in the zoo interpretive graphics for the first time. Visitors can predict through observation which items a common marmoset {Callithrix jacchus) might find interesting and learn why items that may look out of place are visible in our exhibit. 214 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 Enrichment at the Mini Zoo presently focuses on two common marmosets, two dwarf mongoose {Helogale parvula), one Fennec fox {Vulpes zerda), two Afriean hedgehogs {Atelerix albiventris), one umbrella cockatoo {Cacatua alba) and one sugar glider {Petaurus breviceps). Our enrichment team consisted of keepers and zoo educators who interact closely with the animals. Each team member completed an in-depth report on the natural history of each species during the goal-setting phase. This information was used to assess which natural behaviors were presently oecurring and their frequency. Natural behaviors that were not already occurring became a priority. The majority of the animals’ activity patterns were known to keepers, but the knowledge was complete after videotaping many animals at night and without the presence of the keepers or the public. The specific enrichment goals for each animal were derived from this information. For example, two of the marmoset enrichment goals are to provide more opportunities for tree gum feeding, and to increase the female marmoset’s daytime resting periods. During the planning and implementing phase, the enrichment team brainstormed specific ideas for activities that could meet these goals. Tree gum feeding opportunities were inereased by perfecting our current synthetic sap recipe, experimenting with flavor, temperature, and presenting the sap on different edible surfaces. The female marmoset’s resting periods were increased by providing her with comfortable, safe fabric hanging tents in the exhibit (see photo). Using experimentation and intuition, we learned that in order for her to feel comfortable resting on exhibit, the tents must be placed at her preferred height and positioned so she is still able to view the public, an activity which highly interests and stimulates her. The documenting phase was the most labor-intensive for the zoo enrichment team. Hundreds of items used for mammal enrichment were photographed, described, categorized and stored within the zoo so they are always close at hand and easy to use. Lists of approved substrates and food items for each animal were researched. All past documented enrichment events were re-examined for their value in terms of our current goals. Evaluation, the E of SPIDER, was also a critical component. The evaluation document for enrichment was changed to reduee anthropomorphic interpretation of the animal’s reactions to an activity and instead now focuses on the length of time the animal exhibits the desired behavior. This type of objective evaluation allows the activity to be rated a success or failure. During the SPIDER readjusting step, several of our goals were revised aceording to the outcome of the evaluations and the process repeated. Our enrichment team found the SPIDER process to be dynamic, flexible and not necessarily sequential. As with any good management tool, SPIDER can be applied to any project or discipline. (Ideas appearing in this column have not necessarily been tested by the editors for safety considerations. Always think ahead and use good judgement when trying new ideas. You are invited to submit material for the Enrichment Options Column. Look in the January 2004 issue of AKF for guidelines for articles acceptable for this column ’s format or contact the editor at akfeditor@zk.kscoxmail.com for a copy of the guidelines. Drawings and photos of enrichment are encouraged. Send to: AKF/Enrichment, 3601 SW 29th St., Suite 133, Topeka, KS 66614-2054, USA. Eds.) Female marmoset resting in fabric tent. ^ (photo by Holly Leblanc) Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 215 REACTIONS A Question and Answer Forum for the Zoo Professional on Crisis Management By William K. Baker, Jr, Curator Panthera Research, Maumelle, AR Question Are there any targets on the market that can help us with our firearms practice? Comments Traditional targets are essentially little more than concentric rings surrounding a bull’s-eye that provide a measure of relative accuracy and grading for score during competitions. This type of target is most familiar as the style produced by the National Rifle Association (NRA). The body mass targets that are seen on the market for law enforcement usage are based greatly on those historically produced for usage by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). These two basic targets have undergone tremendous development and variations to facilitate the needs and special interests of hunters, competitive marksman, law enforcement, and the military. To say there is a selection on the market would be the understatement of the century. The deluge of target styles on the market is amazing. To assist with basic marksmanship issues such as jerking the trigger, breathing while shooting, and improper stance or hold of the firearm, I prefer using the sight-in targets that are blocked out in one- inch increments with a black bull’s-eye. This allows me to see at a glance whether the problem is with the shooter or with the firearm itself, such as a problem with the iron sights or the riflescope. These targets are available at any major gun shop in your area. Another target line that can really help in developing marksmanship skills is available from a company called EZ2C. All targets are printed on 11” x 17” high-quality white paper that have the target itself printed with fluorescent red ink outlined in black. They usually come packaged 40 targets per pad. They can be found on the Internet at: www.ez2ctargets.com Probably the most extensive selection of targets available are produced and marketed by Law Enforcement Targets, Inc. based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Chances are if you can think of it, they carry it. They can be found on the Internet at: www.letargets.com Another company that also produces and markets an extensive line of targets is Speedwell Targets located in Middlesex, New Jersey. Like Law Enforcement Targets, their line of products is truly amazing. They can be found on the Internet at: www.speedwelltargets.com 216 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 When looking for a target that will replicate exotic animals, there is only one company that produces this type of product. They are photographic overlays on paper and are called Tru-Life targets. They were designed for archery and are produced by Delta Industries that is based out Reinbeck, Iowa. They can be found on the Internet at: www.deltatargets.net Next Month: You have mentioned in previous columns that good communication is important, do you have any advice on how to improve communication and reduce conflict in a zoo environment? If you would like to submit a question for this column or have comments on previously published materials, please send them to: AAZK, Inc., 3601 S.W. 29th St., Suite 133, Topeka, KS 66614 Attn: Reactions/AKF (About the Author: Since 1985 Bill has been active in the fields of science, zoology, and wildlife management. His education and experience include a B.S. in wildlife management and post-graduate studies in zoology. Lab and Museum Assistant, Shoot Team Leader, ERT Member, Large Mammal Keeper, Senior Keeper, and Zoo Curator at various zoological facilities. His area of research is crisis management in zoological institutions, which draws upon practical experience and training as a Rescue Diver, Hunter Safety Instructor, NRA Firearms Instructor, and Red Cross CPR/First Aid Instructor. Away from work he operates Panthera Research, which is a research and consulting firm.) Career Advancement? Just Getting Started? The ABI Advantage • CEU approved • Convenient • Fun • Flexible Certification Program and Individual Classes: •Exotic Animal Management •Exotic Animal Conservation •Animal Enrichment •Animal Training and More! enriching their lives and ours 866-755-0448 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 217 '06 Conference Proceedings Now Available on Searchable CD The following is a listing of what is included on this fully searchable CD. All papers, poster info and workshop summaries are included in downloadable pdf format for printing if desired. Please see order information at right. Limited copies available, so place your order now. PAPERS • Breeding Common Wombats • Pouches, Puggles, and Embryonic Diapause?? Making Sense of Monotreme and Marsupial Births • Historical Perspectives on the Captive Management of Tree Kangaroos {Dendrolagus Spp.) • Overcoming Aggression: Using Observable Changes in External Female Genitalia to Increase Breeding Introduction Success in Three-Banded Armadillos {Tolypeutes Matacus) • Frankie the Penguin’s Fungal and Malaria Adventure • Greater Flamingo with Capture Myopathy: Specialized Care and Husbandry • What is the RKA? • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge: A Zoological Innovation • Pregnancy & Parenting in the Zookeeping Profession: An Anecdotal Account from the St. Louis Zoo • My First Year As a Zookeeper: Expectations Meet Reality • The Evolution of Great Ape Exhibitry and Husbandry at Lincoln Park Zoo • Breaking the Cycle: Hand-Rearing and Early Reintroduction As a Step Towards Appropriate Behavioral Development and Successful Family Bonding in Two Species of Callitrichids • Daddy Daycare: Decision Making Using Siamang {Hylobates Syndactylus) Natural History • Where’s My Baby?A Patas Monkey Kidnapping Story • Zoo Keeping - The Hardest Job I’ve Ever Loved • “Kiboko”- The Integration of an All-Female Hippopotamus {Hippopotamus Amphibious) Pod • Amali, the Masai Giraffe • Using Operant Conditioning to Manage Eastern Giant Eland {Taurotragus Derbianus Gigas) at Houston Zoo • Communication, Safety, and Teamwork in Hoofstock Capture and Manual Restraint • What You Could Do With Your Kudu! • Zookeepers and Earthwatch Partner in Grevy’s Zebra Conservation • AAZK Fundraising Efforts Support The Northern Rangelands Endangered Species Program for Grevy’s Zebra in Kenya • Studies on the Hearing and Acoustic Behavior of a Pacific White-Sided Dolphin at Shedd Aquarium Through Western Illinois University’s Graduate Certificate in Zoo/Aquaria Studies Program • The Evolution of One Zoo Plus One University Equals One Great Collaboration • What Does Not Kill Them (Or Us) Is Called Enrichment! • The Analysis of Olfactory Enrichment • Beyond Bashing Tubs and Tires: Elephant Enrichment at Toronto Zoo • The Road to Training is Paved with Good Impediments: Establishing and Implementing a Training Program • Establishing a Training Program That Works for Your Department • Using Desensitization and Positive Reinforcement Training to Ensure Giraffe Participation in Guest Hand-feeding on an 18-acre Mixed-species Savannah • Target Training and Voluntary Blood Drawing of the Aldabra Tortoise • Teaching Operant Conditioning Methods and Training Program Management in China • Training 0.1 Reticulated Giraffe for Voluntary Transabdominal Sonograms Using Operant Conditioning and the Ttouch® Method • Management of an Epileptic Grevy’s Zebra via Blood Collection Training for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring • The Snow Leopard Trust and Utah’s Hogle Zoo: Partners for Conservation • 2006 AAZK’s Bowling for Rhinos - Sponsored by Blue Rhino® “Habitat Heroes” • AAZK in Indonesia... the New Horizon for Bowling for Rhinos • Overview of Lewa from the View of a Tour Guide • AAZK Survey of Animal Care Professionals Summary of Findings • Conditioning Five Female Semi-free-ranging Black Bears for Non-invasive Urine Collection • The Evolution of Protected Contact Tapir Training at Disney’s Animal Kingdom • Zookeeping In Paradise (Abstract Only) • Overview Of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, and Black Rhino Status In Kenya (Abstract Only) 218 Animal Keepers' Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 POSTERS • Husbandry for a Elderly, Blind Kangaroo • Movin’ on Up: Meerkat “Condo” Training • Breeding a Pair of Red-legged Honeycreepers {Cyanerpes cyaneus) at Lincoln Park Zoo • Leaping Lizards: Training and Enrichment of a Caiman • Elephants and Natural Flooring • Gentoo Training - Introducing Twelve Penguins to Operant Conditioning • Medical and Necropsy Survey Results (1993-2005) for Tree Kangaroos {Dendrolagus spp.) in North American Populations • Identifying Motivational Factors Underlying Stereotypic Pacing in a Female Malayan Sun Bear • Observations of Eastern Grey Kangaroo Births • Injection Training North American River Otters • The Ultimate Modular, Squeeze, and Shipping Crate • Advances in Animal Keeping • Hurricane Katrina: An Eye Opener • Diving for Hippos • Hoof Trimming Techniques for Domestic Ungulates • Training a Female Babirusa {Babyrousa babyrussa) to Accept an Ultrasound Without Restraint WORKSHOP SUMMARIES • Understanding the Business Dynamics of AAZK • Animal Training Foundations Workshop • AAZK Enrichment Committee Discussion Session • Education via Stealth: Creating Themed Animal Show Scripts • Australasian Workshop • Professional Development Workshop: Introduction to Studbooks and Population Management • Professional Development Workshop: Observing Behavior: It isn’t Rocket Science • AAZK Enrichment Committee 2006 Device Workshop: “Shower Power; a self-initiated showering system” 2006 Conference Proceedings Order Form Cost of the 2006 Proceedings is $25.00 for AAZK members and $40.00 for nonmembers. Orders outside of the U.S. and Canada should add $5.00 for airmail postage. One may order this CD online at www.aazk.org and click on “2006 Proceedings” or by calling AAZK Administrative Office at 1- 785-273-9149 to purchase with a MasterCard or Visa credit card. You may also pay for a copy by sending a check or money order (US Funds ONLY) to: AAZK Administrative Office, 3601 SW 29“^ St., Suite 133, Topeka, KS 66614-2054 USA, Attn: Proceedings Order. Be sure to include your full name and preferred mailing address along with a daytime phone number and/or email address for order confirmation purposes. Please send copy(ies) of the 2006 Conference Proceedings CD to: Name AAZK Member Nonmember Address : City: State/Province: Zip/Postal Code: Country: Email: Payment: check enclosed Charge: Visa_ Mastercard Exp. Date / Name on card: (please print clearly) Credit Card #: _ CD Price $ Postage Daytime Phone: ( ) ( if applicable) TOTAL: $ Animal Keepers Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 219 Radiograph Training of Juvenile Male African Lion {Panthera leo) Using Operant Conditioning By Erica Calcagno and Kasturi Mukherjee-Kahol The Oakland Zoo, Oakland, CA Periodic lameness associated with distal forelimb deformities in a juvenile African lion (Panthera leo) required frequent radiographs for assessment and monitoring. A safe, stress-free alternative to numerous immobilizations and their inherent risks was paramount to the management of this animal. Target training, intermediate bridging and use of reinforcement on a continuous and variable schedule were used to train this animal to present his front limbs for both anterioposterior and lateral radiographs. Minimal facility enhancements, low cost equipment, and a desirable, easy-to-deliver reinforcement were the key components in acquiring this successful behavior. During the training sessions the lion was free to leave at any time, making him a willing participant in each session. His cooperation in the process of obtaining x-ray images of his forelegs not only helps the staff in his care but also provides him with enriching mental stimulus. Introduction The Oakland Zoo accepted 1.1 African lions (Panthera leo) in August 2000 to join the existing pride of 1.3 in their one-acre lion exhibit, “Simba Pori”. Male African lion Leonard and female Sandy were two of 14 exotic cats confiscated from an animal dealer by the Houston SPCA. Approximately six months old, these cubs of unknown origin came to Oakland with no medical or husbandry records. Leonard started showing signs of forelimb deformity at 21 months of age and was anesthetized for a medical checkup and radiographs of his front legs. Radiographs revealed that the growth plate of the left distal ulna was unusually wide and irregular. The right distal ulnar and radial growth plates also appeared wide and somewhat irregular. In addition, both left and right radii showed early signs of radius curvus, a condition where the long bones of the lower front legs curve abnormally. At this time, Leonard was diagnosed with bilateral distal radial physitis and radius curvus due to differential growth rate in the radii and ulnas. Radiographs taken over a period of months showed premature closure of the left distal ulnar physis as compared to the right and increasing curvature of the long bones of both front legs. The angular limb deformities of both front legs are likely to be a result of many factors. Nutritional deficiencies as a cub prior to his arrival at the Oakland Zoo and a higher caloric diet leading to rapid weight gain after his arrival at the zoo may have led to abnormal long bone growth. The sudden change of living conditions from an isolated small cage to a large natural exhibit with varying terrains shared with other lions, and the increased activity that came with it, may have further aggravated this problem. Simply stated, the premature closure of growth plates caused the bones in each of Leonard’s forelimbs to grow at very different rates resulting in the curvature. The cause was undetermined and the condition leaves him vulnerable to sprains and fractures. Curvature of forelimbs 220 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 Weight control and close monitoring of his condition were all we could do for Leonard. Corrective surgery could be a debatable option if his condition worsens. Each time he exhibited a limp, a radiograph and consequently an immobilization procedure would be needed as he could have sustained a fracture. Every exposure to anesthesia would leave him vulnerable to many harmful effects — stress, long recovery times, negative drug reactions, and physical and psychological trauma (Fowler, 1978; Nielson, 1999). A safe, stress-free alternative to numerous immobilizations was essential to the management of this animal. Training Goal Any training process requires the application of appropriate behavioral principles and consideration of species-specific characteristics such as social structure, normal body postures, communication, and feeding strategies (Breland and Breland, 1961; Garcia et al., 1973; Shettleworth, 1972, 1983). A successful training plan is based on knowledge of an animal’s natural behavior, sensory and motor abilities and on principles that modify behaviors (Hediger, 1955; Shettleworth, 1972, 1983; Forthman and Ogden, 1991). Our training goal was to acquire radiographic images of the forelimb of an unanesthetized lion being managed in protected contact. This objective required the lion to lie in a sternal position at a specific location, thrust his arm out a measured distance through a feeding hatch onto a radiograph cassette, and to hold this position while the radiograph was being taken. The lion was required to present his arm in both flat and lateral positions for anterioposterior (AP) and lateral radiographic shots respectively. In addition, he needed to tolerate the presence of an array of strange radiographic equipment (such as lead aprons, film cassettes and a portable camera) and at least three people (including two from the veterinary department). This seemingly complicated goal was in fact composed mostly of a lion’s natural behaviors, consistent with its anatomy and temperament. The laying posture is often observed to be the chosen position of a relaxed lion. Stretching after resting or before an activity period is common in lions (Benyus, 1992). They stretch with their forepaws straight out or with all their paws together and their back bowed out (Benyus, 1992). Thrusting a paw out or rotating it around to get the desired grip on a kill, tree limb, or play object also comes naturally to this powerful predator (Ewer, 1973; Estes, 1991; MacDonald ,1992). While stalking prey, cats can freeze in position for up to a half-hour (Sunquist, 1987). Soliciting these behaviors in short and enriching reward-based sessions, together with gradually desensitizing the lion to the presence of unfamiliar veterinary staff and their threatening equipment was our training plan. Initial Training Reinforcement and Targets The safe delivery of reinforcement is always a challenge when dealing with large dangerous animals. Meat, kibble, baby food, eggs, cheese, and fish — have all been successful primary reinforcers for carnivores. Methods of delivery include tossed, on a stick, from a syringe, and (although not recommended) hand-fed. When working with the lions, all the typical reinforcers were desirable to them but difficult to deliver quickly and time-consuming to prepare. The most common carnivore training reinforcer, meat, only worked occasionally with the two tigers at the Oakland Zoo. Gary Priest of the San Diego Zoo suggested that dousing the meat in goat milk would almost guarantee they accept the treat as he “never knew a cat not to like milk!” This suggestion led us to determine the palatability of evaporated canned goat milk by offering each cat a squirt of the undiluted milk using a plastic spray bottle. Both tigers and four out of six lions accepted the offering and judging from their incessant licking, it was obvious that they liked the milk. By the third attempt, all six lions had accepted it as a treat. A few attempts later, they all exhibited a licking response when presented with the spray bottle — even before they actually received any milk. We had an established Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 221 Pavlovian conditioner and were convinced that they would work for the easy-to-store, no-preparation- time-needed, canned goat milk without the meat! The easy, safe delivery of the milk reward also helped in the quick desensitization of the lions to the veterinary staff. For these lions, almost anyone carrying the bottle was the source of a treat and therefore an acceptable entity to be present. The targets we chose were inexpensive, harmless if the lions took them, and of a size, shape and flexibility that allowed versatility of placement. The three-for- a-dollar, all-plastic flyswatters were perfect. Progression of Training The primary keeper’s long association with this lion from the time he first came to the Oakland Zoo at a very young age resulted in a strong, positive relationship essential for starting a training program. Primary Reinforcer: goat’s milk behaviors such as “come here”, “sit”, and lie delivered from a plastic spray bottle “down” were trained to facilitate the lion management program. The overall goal of the lion training was to condition all six lions to willingly participate in basic husbandry routines, as well as in more advanced medical management such as blood draws, vaccinations, examinations, and stepping onto scales, reinforcement (a clicker paired with a food reward) that was used to bridge the captured (scanned) behavior. Using this as a starting point, the lions were further trained to target “paw”, “face” (presenting paw or face on the fence on a specific target), to discriminate between “right paw” and “left paw”, and to stand “up” (standing up with forelimbs on fence). All behaviors were shaped using successive approximations until the desired criteria were met. The lion training program at the Oakland Zoo has changed over the years with the help of three training consultants and our own constantly expanding exposure to other resources on the subject of operant conditioning techniques. Specifically, the keepers and the lions transitioned from the verbal bridging stimulus of “good” to the clicker and now, presently, to using a verbal inter- mediate bridge along with a verbal terminal bridge. It was the incorporation of the intermediate bridge (as taught to us by the Syn Alia Training Systems) that accelerated the lion-training program. Association with food conditioned both the verbal Terminal Bridge (TB) of “X” (the sound of the letter, X) and the intermediate bridge (IB) of “xxx...” in the same way we previously had conditioned the clicker. It was an easy transition from the clicker to the conditioned verbal bridges of “X” and “xxxx...” There seemed to be no interruption of response to their cues and no loss of time in achieving our ultimate goal except for the three minutes per lion that it took to condition the new bridging stimuli. Although the Oakland Zoo is not objectively comparing different training techniques or evaluating them to determine the amount of time required to reach targeted levels of performance, keepers have observed a faster response rate and a higher level of interest in training sessions with Initial training involved a conditioned “Left Paw” - lion targets left paw on fence 222 Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 the use of the intermediate bridge. Use of the conditioned, intermediate bridge allows us to communicate with the animal while it is working toward the task until it successfully reaches completion of the behavior (Cover, 2000). A trainer’s tone of voice, attitude, and body language all play an important role in effective communication with animals (www.aazk.org). Excitement in a trainer’s voice can motivate an animal, creating a positive and energetic training experience (www.aazk.org; Baker, 1991). The use of a continuous, steady stream of articulated syllables (“xxxx...)” as the intermediate bridge, may provide more energy and excitement in the training session as it is verbal and allows the keeper to modulate the tone, emphasis, speed, and volume of the bridge (Cover, 2000). These attributes are difficult to attain with a whistle or a clicker (Cover, 2000). Radiograph Training Set-up With an effective reinforcer, conditioned bridge, and an established target for the paws, we now needed a location that allowed full extension of the forelimb and a 90° rotation of the wrist. It was quickly apparent that the initial chosen location, an outdoor holding area, was not suitable for this specific training. The raised section of the fence was tapered, allowing the full extension of the arm but not its rotation. Distractions from other lions in the adjacent outside area were also a problem. The second location was inside the night house where each cage has a rectangular feeding hatch. These hatches, when fully opened, are large enough for the lions to extend their forelimbs up to the shoulder and have enough vertical height to allow the wrist to rotate. The door is elevated off the ground allowing the radiograph cassette to sit on a platform. A simple design addition of a platform to hold the cassette at the optimal height gave the lion a target location for placement of the paw. The training platform (Figure 1) consisted of a scrap piece of timber, long and heavy enough that if grabbed by the lions, it would not fit through the hatch. As this addition was not custom-manufactured, an additional piece of wood was added to elevate the cassette to the proper height, level with the lower edge of the hatch. Discarded lumber came into play again when we needed a vertical wall (Figure 1) for targeting the stable, lateral placement of thepaw. The similar size of the film cassette and the hatch opening necessitated the addition of a metal bar taped onto the cassette (Figure 1). This bar needed to be rigid and long enough to prevent the lion from snatching the cassette into the cage. All these pieces can easily be assembled (Figure 2) and disassembled and are stored in the lion night house where they have become an ignored part of the lions’ environment. Other “equipment” (Figure 3) needed to prepare for the actual radiograph included a stepstool that elevated the veterinarian to the recommended height, a fake radiograph machine, lead aprons or facsimiles, and a fake veterinarian. Also required were cassette holders (both the person and the tool), duct tape to mark the required height of the camera, and a twist tie to keep the hasp of the hatch door out of the way. Extra targets were close by, as were additional primary reinforcers of meat and raw eggs. Behaviors Extending the paw for the AP shot was simply a modification of a behavior already achieved. In the “sit” position, Leonard was reliably presenting his “right paw” or “left paw” on the target on the fence. The transition was to ask the lion to lie “down”, already on cue, and then present his paw on a flat target on the ground. The first alteration of this “paw” behavior took place outdoors with the target placed under the fence in front of the lion. Successive steps took the target and paw farther out until the lion, still in the “down” position, had his left paw outside the cage. Since this location did not accommodate the necessary behaviors, subsequent training moved inside the night house. During all training sessions, the lion had the choice of cooperating with the trainer or leaving, as the door to the outside enclosure was always open. Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 223 List of Materials /Evaporated goat milk (~$2.00/can, free if you can get it donated!) / Can opener (2 for $1.00) /Plastic plant sprayer with adequate nozzle ($3.00) /Plastic flyswatter (3 for $1.00) /Discarded lumber (free) /Metal bar (scrap or the legs of plastic garden flamingos) /Plastic stool or anything that the vet is willing to step on (~$ 10.00) /Fake portable radiograph machine (Tidy Cats® container, free) / Old usable film cassette (free) /Duct tape, twist ties and other miscellaneous items (stolen from commissary) /Lead aprons or plastic facsimilies of aprons and cassette holder (borrowewd from hospital) y Time, patience, and a willingness to achieve the goal safely (Priceless!!) 224 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol 34 No. 6 Fig. 2. Assembled set-up needed for radiograph training The schedule of reinforcement initially was continuous (fixed); a treat for every terminal bridge. Once we achieved a consistent behavior, we incorporated a random (variable) schedule that allowed the lion’s response to improve. The spray bottle enabled us to give rapid rewards and during the actual radiograph, allowed us to give a constant flow of reward as the lion held the correct position for the entire length of time it took the veterinarian to place the machine accurately over the paw and then take the picture. Lateral paw placement, although a natural position, was more difficult to attain and necessitated the fabrication of a small wall, perpendicular to the platform (Figure 1), allowing the lion to comfortably place and hold a lateral paw position. We achieved this behavior quickly with this new addition to the design. In the early stages of this training, it sometimes was necessary to bait for this position by placing a treat on the wall. Baiting is no longer required. Initial training was done only in the presence of familiar people. After the two positions were consistently achieved on cue, they were practiced with the distractions of additional people, and the equipment facsimiles. The different steps included a person holding the fake machine at the lion’s eye level, placing the person high on the step stool first without and then with the suspended “machine”. This was followed by the introduction of people wearing lead aprons, and later, more people milling around occasionally taking flash pictures. Veterinary technicians, veterinarians, and their actual equipment were gradually introduced into the training sessions after the desired rate of success was achieved with the fake set-up and familiar people. This lion has been frequently radiographed for both AP and lateral views without the use of anesthesia or restraint. Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 225 At Left: Final position for lateral radiograph shot Actual radiograph session (All photos for this article by Erica Calcagno) 226 Animal Keepers' Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 Desensitizstion to Veterinary Staff and equipment using fake machine Above: Final Position for an anterioposterior (AP) radiograph shot Conclusion Operant conditioning principles used in husbandry training can provide unlimited opportunities for animal care, especially in difficult animal management situations. Training sessions provide opportunities for frequent observation by the keeper staff allowing them to detect the changes in their animals’ behavior that could indicate early symptoms of medical problems. In addition, training sessions that are complex and time-consuming provide the animals with mental stimulation, as they need to think through predicaments and solve problems. The lion keepers at the Oakland Zoo constantly strive to improve the welfare of their charges through enrichment and conditioning techniques. SUCCESS - Radiographs obtained without physical or chemical restraint. The Oakland Zoo’s keepers have been successful in achieving their goal of attaining radiographs of an un-anesthetized young adult lion in a protected contact setting. The lion is a willing participant in his own care, avoiding potentially life-threatening medical procedures and contributing to his own well-being. The radiograph training is now a regular part of this lion’s management and all keepers on the string have added this behavior to their training routines. The first choice of primary reinforcer is still goat milk; however, evaporated cow milk, raw eggs, meat, and baby food via squeeze bottle or syringe are used on occasion for variety. Currently we are continuing this protocol with our youngest female lion; eventually all the lions at the Oakland Zoo will be trained to voluntarily present their forelimbs for radiograph images. The veterinary staff continues to be part of both the training and the giving of treats with the aim of keeping them among the “accepted” people in the lion house. Radiograph training continues with the other lions at The Oakland Zoo Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 221 Acknowledgements We would especially like to thank Dannielle Stith for her support in both the training program and the completion of this paper, Dan Sweeney for his line drawings of our setup, the veterinary care staff for several practice sessions and loan of equipment, Colleen Kinzley, General Curator, and Elizabeth Abram, Section Supervisor, for their support and tolerance of our boisterous discussions in their office. Sincere thanks are also extended to many co-workers for edits and input on the paper and to our volunteers for their assistance in daily husbandry chores, allowing us time to train. References AAZK, Inc. 2007 http ://www. aazk. Qrg/aazkne.w/j;LQmmm£es/£.Qmni_.animalbehavior_train. asp Baker, A. 1991. “Training as a management tool: Creating the climate and maintaining the momentum.” AAZPA Annual Conference Proceedings, 563-568. Benyus, J. M. (1992) Beastly Behaviors. Addison-Wesley publishing Company.Breland, K., & Breland, M. (1961). The misbehavior of organisms. American Psychologist, 16, 681-684. Cover, K. (2000) The Syn Alia Series on Animal Training, Vol. 1 . Syn Alia Animal Systems, New York. Estes, R. (1991) The Behavior Guide to African Mammals. The University of California Press; Berkeley, Los Angeles, Oxford. Ewer, R.F. (1973) The Carnivores. Comstock Publishing Associates; Ithaca and London. Forthman, D. L. and Ogden, J.J. (1991). The Role of Applied Behavior Analysis in Zoo Management: Today and Tomorrow (http://www.behavior.org). Fowler, M. (1978) Restraint and Handling of Wild and Domestic Animals. Iowa State University Press, Iowa. Garcia, J., Clarke, J. C., & Hankins, W. G. (1973). Natural responses to scheduled rewards. In P. P. G. Bateson & P. H. Klopfer (Eds.), Perspectives in ethology (pp. 1-41). Plenum Press; New York. Hediger, H. (1955). Studies of the psychology and behaviour of captive animals in zoos and circuses. Butterworth’s Scientific Publications; London. MacDonald, D. (1992) The Velvet Claw, A Natural History of the Carnivores. BBC Books, London. Mellen, J. and Ellis, S. (1996) Animal Learning and Husbandry Training. In Wild Mammals in Captivity, Principles and Techniques. Eds. Kleiman, D. Allen, M. Thompson, K. Lumpkin, S. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, pp. 88-99. Nielson, L. (1999) Chemical Immobilization of Wild and Exotic Animals. Iowa State University Press, Iowa. Priest, G. (1991). Protecting primates: The psychology of animal care, part 2. Zoonooz, (Vol.64, pp.7-11). Pryor, K. (1999) Don’t Shoot the Dog!. Bantam Books, New York. Ramirez, K.(1999) Animal Training: Successful Animal Management through Positive Reinforcement. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL Shettleworth, S. J. (1972). Constraints on learning. In D. S. Lehrman, R. A. Hinde, & E. Shaw (Eds.), Advances in the study of behavior (Vol.4, pp.1-68). Academic Press; New York. Shettleworth, S. J. (1983). Function and mechanism in learning. In M.D. Zeiler & P. Harzem (Eds.), Advances in analysis of behaviour (Vol. 3). Wiley Publishing; Chichester, England. Sunquist, F. (1987) The Nature of Cats. In Kingdom of Cats. Edited by National Wildlife 228 Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 Notes from the Field A Guide to Grassroots Conservation Practitioners Experiences from Long-tailed Chinchilla {Chinchilla lanigera) Conservation in Chile By Amy L. Deane’ and Bharath Ganesh-Babu^ Volunteers with Save the Wild Chinchilla Introduction Over the last ten years, we have continued to restore plant communities that make up essential habitat for endangered wild chinchillas {Chinchilla lanigera) in a semi-arid ecosystem of north central Chile. For chinchillas to survive and thrive, its habitat needs to be restored and protected (Eisenberg, J. F. pers. com.). Clearing land for hunting, mining and farming has resulted in habitat fragmentation as well as degradation to vital chinchilla habitat. Our strategy is to restore key vegetal species that support stability and growth of native animal populations, while providing alternative foraging areas for domestic animals. Drawn from our experiences, this paper outlines the techniques used to identify and recreate chinchilla habitat. The methods are explained in a manner that they can be replicated. With support from members of the local community, we have collected seeds, created nurseries, and planted -6500 trees, shrub seedlings and grass clumps. Much of this has been accomplished with very limited and often intermittent funding. Although we recognize that each situation is unique, much of the research, time, and cost can be greatly reduced by taking advantage of prior experiences of others. This is a basic guide for conservationists with similar interests. Background research What are you trying to preserve? Assuming that you are interested in a particular species, before going into the field it is instructive to conduct a thorough literature search to understand their biology and biogeography of the system where they dwell. It is occasionally the case that species-specific restoration and preservation practice suggested by scientists goes unnoticed. Seek out not only current literature, but primary sources of information from the publications, as it helps in building the history of the species and their habitat. Such knowledge is essential for planning unobtrusive restoration and it prevents inadvertent blunders. Moreover, most governmental and private funding organizations require that applicants demonstrate, through grant proposals, their scientific knowledge about an intended project. Apart from seeking what is known about the species of interest, evaluate the chances for its survival based on present work and the supposed improvement brought about by your efforts. It is wise to maintain a database of literature that is collected, and a constant record of work done. This way, if for some reason a key individual is absent from the project during the course of time, the work can be carried on seamlessly by another. Know your study area Where, why and what habitat are you restoring? Learn from prior researchers about the land history, climatic conditions, ecology, and socio-political dynamics. However, keep in mind that no amount of reading can substitute your physical presence on site. For example, chinchillas happen to live in patches usually on northwestern slopes (Jimenez, 1995). They are territorial and live in colonies. External pressures have caused the colonies to become isolated from one another, resulting in problems for animal dispersal. Without genetic diversity, the survival of these habitat specific subpopulations is at risk (Brooker et al., 1999). Our task is to connect existing colonies to ideal habitat areas by reestablishing vegetation corridors between the habitat patches. Provision of such preferred resource pathways (i.e. plants and rocks) is vital for colonial populations such as of the chinchilla, which have a patchy distribution. The benefits of restoration are shared by numerous other small mammals, birds, reptiles and insects. Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 229 Visit the area and learn as much as you can about the interactions of native flora and fauna including the anthropological interactions. Plan ahead and resolve issues of land ownership, continued and sufficient funding, popular support in the community, legal hurdles, and other logistics. Further, in order to define your habitat by identifying key species that have direct impact on each other, you can follow the methods described in the following paragraphs. These methods were employed for chinchilla habitat definition and may be refined depending on specific circumstances. Site definition and methods: To be comparable with prior studies it is advisable to mimic the prior researchers’ methods. Our grids are duplicated from those used by Jimenez (1990) in his studies of wild chinchillas. By mimicking his methods, our data is comparable over a long time period. For example, we have a descriptive record of the plants associated with chinchillas for the last 30 years. It is these plant species on which our restoration efforts are focused. Four permanent trapping grids consisting of 49 stations per grid in a 7x7 configuration were placed on north facing mountain slopes of two different drainage basins in Auco, Chile. The distance between grids varies based on the location of chinchilla colonies, and within each grid, stations were spaced 15 meters apart. Each column is labeled A to G and each row 1 to 7. At each station, 30-cm red wooden stakes are labeled with the station number and hammered into the ground. Be consistent with one grid layout. For example, the lower left comer is A1 and the last station G7 is located at the upper right comer of the grid. The purpose of grids is to estimate the type and distribution of animal species using the vegetation and ground cover. For example, you may want three grids in known occupied areas, and others in restoration areas, and presumed unoccupied areas. This helps in understanding the relationship between ground cover and vegetation types, and the animals that prefer that environment. Photo above shows the mgged terrain in which the habitat restoration is taking place. Vegetation measurements: To calculate total vegetation cover and species’ frequencies and abundance, we used the line intercept method. In each grid described earlier, we analyzed 16 transects, each measuring 18.5 meters in length, compensating for topographic variations. Use a rope 18.5 meters long and a measuring tape to measure all ground cover along the line. Record ground cover type or species and its length in centimeters. For each grid, the total area measure for all transects was used to caleulate cover. First, placement of transects within grids was created using a random number list. Four random numbers were used to identify each location. The first number identified the starting position by column for each transect. The second number identified the starting position by row. The third number identified if the transect was to be placed to the right or left of the trap station. The fourth number designated if the transect was to go up or down slope from the station at a 45° angle. Once data was gathered it was analyzed in a spreadsheet program. One can calculate cover by unit length covered by species or cover type divided by the total unit length measured in transect. In our case, sometimes the slope of the landscape and overlapping shrub crowns resulted in transeet total area measures being greater than or less than the 18.5 meters long transect. Therefore, percentage ground cover (not just transect) would be calculated, for example, in the following manner: 538 bare soil (cm) 1956 total length (cm) X 100 (for % cover, in this case, bare soil) 230 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 Other vegetation data: At each station, we documented the dominant and second most dominant plant species and the percent of ground cover for a five-meter radius. We replicated prior research by using the same categories of cover (plant species for shrubs and trees, small herb, large herbs, small rocks, large rocks). Percent of ground cover was broken into three categories: <20% for sparse, 20-80 % cover as typical and > 80% as dense cover for our site (Jimenez, 1990). This data was coupled with the smoke card data to identify exactly what species of plants were associated with each of the larger small mammals. Smoke cards: Smoke cards can be used to identify the presence and types of animals in a location during a given time. Smoke cards record tracks of animals that tread on them, which can then be identified and associated with the surrounding environment. A smoke card is a square piece of sheet metal that has been heated by a carbon torch. We used 25cm^ sheets of zinc/ aluminum that were heated to create a black coating on the cards. This black soot sticks to anything that comes into contact with the coated surface. Thus, if an animal walks or hops across the card, it will leave footprints. These prints, collected at different locations, can tell us much about an animal’s distribution. The cards are placed at equally spaced locations in a grid for 24 hours. We placed ours out in the morning and collected the following day at the same time. Be wary of the weather, because rain can destroy the results. To secure the cards in the field, rocks can be placed in the comer or the comer can be secured under bmsh or roots. Upon collection, the back of the card is numbered and all animal tracks are lightly coated using hairspray to prevent erasure. Data for each station can be added to a record in a database or spreadsheet. Once you have your data recorded, warm soapy water is used to wash the cards clean for future use. At first, it may be difficult to interpret tracks and identify animals. Sometimes, tracks can be only grouped under a broad category, such as ‘small mice’. If published sources for tracks are not available, it is best to collect tracks from captive species (zoos or private owners), wild populations in known areas, or natural history museums. For the chinchilla project, we created a template of footprints using captive animals at the Reserva Nacional Las Chinchillas and some domestic species. Restoration Nursery: Visit a nursery if possible to see how one is laid out and maybe get some ideas. For our small nurseries, seedling beds measuring about 1.5 meters wide X 2 meters long were dug into a terraced area. The entire area was fenced with chicken wire to prevent wild, domestic and exotic animals from taking advantage. Topsoil, purchased from a local farmer, was mixed with sand to help scarring and faster germination of some seeds with hard coats. To water the plants, one can either use sprinklers or fill the beds with water and let the seedling containers absorb the water. Absorption of water from below helps in promoting root growth downward, which is very important for those species that must have deep roots to access water. Seedling or plant bags can be purchased. They are relatively cheap and last for a couple of years when the nursery is protected by shade cloth. However, we prefer to use discarded plastic bottles. Soda bottles in all sizes are collected from the local Coca-Cola® Company that gives us the old bottles from soda that has expired. These bottles can be used for several years. The top portion of the bottle Acacia caven (Jan 2005) - four-year-old seedling grown from seed and planted in the restoration area. Animal Keepers' Forum, Vol 34 No. 6 231 is removed and the cylindrical base is used for ease of removing plants when it is time to transplant. Multiple holes are punctured with a heated four-inch nail that has an elastic stip of an old intertube for a handle into the base of these cylinders for water absorption and drainage. Seedlings: Buy seedlings if available and affordable. If there is no nursery source, you will have to begin building a plant nursery. Seedlings can be collected at local farms, and many farmers are willing to share seedlings. We have been lucky to have local help to collect them, but it is advantageous to everyone to employ local residents to help do this work. Household gardens, fields and orchards can be excellent sources of seedlings. Because seedlings are fragile and need care, it is best to collect and replant in a very short time frame (days). Local people can be paid to raise small plots of plants in their farms close to restoration sites. This minimizes seedling stress and puts native plant restoration efforts in a positive light amongst the locals. Seeds: Seeds can be purchased or gathered for restoration efforts. Seeds gathered locally from nearby sites appear to be the best for restoration efforts, as these seeds have evolved to the local environments (Jacobson et al., 1 994). For gathering seeds, different techniques have been researched and developed, such as harvesters placed on tractors and modified lawn, farm and gardening equipment (Mahler, 1988). Seed mixes need to contain the approximate proportion of seeds that match the composition of native communities that are desirable for recreating (Jacobson et al., 1994). When gathering seeds, it is best to gather the same species at different times throughout ripening season, and take seeds from various locations and plants. It is not advisable to take seeds only from what one perceives to be the “best” plants. It is best to gather seeds for genetic variation and adaptability for differing microclimates, as these have shown to be more successful in restoration efforts (Knapp and Rice, 1994). Further, when directly seeding into an area, repeated planting over many years is recomrhended (Wolden and Stromberg, 1997). Succulents: Cacti and many other plants are easily grown from cuttings. Transporting spiny cuttings is tricky. It is best to use containers rather than bags to prevent injury. Use an I-stick and a Y-stick when moving cuttings. The “Y” shape is useful for balancing and positioning longer cuttings. The “I” stick is nice to add strength if working with heavy waterlogged cacti. Cacti cuttings can be placed directly into the restoration area without any nursery time, space or funds. Transplant into restoration areas during the wet season to take advantage of frequent watering needed for the new cacti. In the words of Simon and Schuster (1985), ''Cacti can be grown from seeds or from grafting plants. Plants need to be grown in well-drained soils. Cuttings are made with sharp instruments that cut the surface near a node or at a joint. Cutting should be at placed in a cool dry place until the outer surface has formed a callus. When planted, the cactus should be placed in a shallow hole or depression and provided shade and little moisture should be added until the plant roots."' Grasses: Grasses have been grown and used in many restoration efforts. Some of these studies occur in places where soils are workable by farming equipment. However, the topography of our site prevents the use of such equipment. Armitage (1989) reports that Stipa, a bunch grass "...propagate by divisions in the spring. The species may also be raised from seed. Germination is irregular; seeds should be placed at 40^F for six weeks prior to sowing at 70^F." Further, some sympatric species of Stipa are segregated by altitude (Jacobson et al., 1994). In restoration areas, Jacobson et al. (1994) utilized seed mix ratios that mimic the natural species configuration and composition. Some grasses like Nasella pulchra are adapted to specific site variables and those most likely to succeed in restoration efforts should be from stock with similar selective pressures (Knapp and Rice, 1994). In the nursery, grasses and other shallow rooting plants can be grown in a sand-lined nursery bed filled with soil and heavily seeded. Shrubs: Plant one or two seeds per container, at a depth of 1.5-2cm. By doubling the seeds, you benefit from having more seedlings germinating in your nursery in a smaller space. We plant two specific plant species together in the same bags because these two species exist in nature in groupings. 232 Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 One protects the other from grazers. However, if you plant two seeds and both germinate, you may need to decide which plant to cut to reduce competition for reduced resources for each seedling. When using seedlings, those with more roots to shoot ratio are likely to succeed in restoration efforts (Bainbridge and Virginia, 1990; Bainbridge et al, 1 995). Fill deep narrow containers almost to the brim with dark peat-mix soil, leaving 1cm for watering and soil expansion space. Narrow containers promote root growth downward, which is important in some species and climates (Bainbridge and Virginia 1990). Octodon degus ( 1 995) also shares habitat Higher root to shoot ratio is also achieved by trimmdng in the restoration area. seedlings before planting or removing some leaves (Bainbridge and Virginia, 1990). The replacement of shrub species into a restoration area can be done by seeding or transplanting seedlings. Seeds should be broadcast and seedlings planted in soil that has been saturated preferably after rainfall event of significant volume. Direct seeding under ideal conditions can be beneficial. However, many of these efforts fail due to the variability in climate that most arid environments experience (Bainbridge and Virginia, 1990). Bainbridge and Virginia (1990) and Bainbrdige et al. ( 1 995) suggest: ''Soils should be turned to facilitate water infiltration before seeding an area. Places for direct seeding are dug to a depth of 25-50 cm. The soil that was removed should be replaced leaving a shallow area upon where to plant seeds in desert areas. Nutrients, fungi, and bacterial associations can be collected from existing shrub areas and transplanted into holes with seeds.'' Transplanting: In our compacted clay landscape, we use a crowbar and empty tuna can to dig holes and scrap away the soil to form a 30-50 cm deep cylindrical depression. A small amount of soil, preferably from under a nearby shrub, is then placed at the bottom of the hole. The seedling is removed from its nursery container by gently loosening the soil from the container and placing the seedling into the hole. Gently remove the plant from the container by shaking the seedling and soil (as one unit) at a downward angle with one hand holding the base of the plant. If you are not interested in reusing the nursery container, it is less destructive to the root and shoots if you slit open the container from the sides while keeping the plant upright. This should be done as close to the planting site as possible. Add some water and more soil to fill in the hole. The plant should be a little (2 cm) below the surrounding ground level, facilitating capture of rain water runoff Infiltration and water conservation can also be improved with the aid of deep pipes, buried clay pot irrigation and even placing rocks around seedlings (Bainbridge, 2003). Protecting seedlings from the elements and promoting water conservation can encourage seedling survival (Grantz et al., 1998). Seedling protectors can be purchased commercially or constructed from scrateh. Meter-high chicken wire fencing cut into meter-long strips ean be used to individually protect seedlings from herbivory. We use three one-meter long cane poles to secure plant protectors into a triangular shape around seedlings. Transportation: Burros can be very useful in hauling tools, water bottles, and seedling bags up mountains. In compacted clay and rock soil, a six-person crew can plant and secure about one hundred plants a day from the nursery to a close restoration site. A set of old pulleys can be set up on poles and may be the easiest way to get plants upslope in a more challenging environment. Take extra care on slopes to avoid soil spill and loss during transportation. For well-funded, large-scale projects many different tools and machines have been invented such as moving nursery bag fillers, engine powered hole diggers, and a range of mechanical systems for irrigation. Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 233 Knots To connect two ropes together, cross the last 1 5cm or so of each and then make a loop at the crossing and pull one set of rope ends through the loop. This creates a tight grasp on the ropes as they are pulling away from eaeh other. To tighten things to a donkey or pickup, make a loop at the end of the rope. Place the loop on the other side of what ever it is going to be holding the rope. From the other side, feed the other end of the rope through the loop. Pull towards the initial direction and tighten the rope (Sexton, J., pers. com.). Resource use and management For restoration to be realized on the ground, one cannot discount the human factor. For instance, local people hold the best knowledge base about the area. Farmers know the landscape, soils, weather patterns, plants, and pests. Use this resource to your project’s advantage. Involve local youth and employ local people for your workforce. This will create a popular positive perception of your projeet. One engages in habitat restoration in hopes that chinchilla habitat photo - line intercept Its effects would persist long after that individual measuring vegetation (2000) or organization has concluded active restoration. An important factor in ensuring the sustained well-being of the environment is to reach out and educate those who live closest to it. This can be effectively done by educating youngsters and adults alike, and instilling a sense of pride about their natural environment. In more pragmatic terms, for restoration to work, one cannot ignore the human economic needs. For instance, if you want to prevent domestic cattle from grazing certain areas, it is in your best interest to work with the local community in creating exclusive grazing areas for them. For projects with limited funding and human resource such as ours, getting things done is an uphill battle. In our case, since the local population is poor, they cannot be asked for funds or to volunteer but we do employ them when possible on a daily basis. Although we have been able to support one worker a few months out of a year, most of our help comes in the form of touring volunteers. The Internet is an invaluable tool in outreach, fundraising, communicating, and recruiting volunteer resources for your project. It helped us to set up a website with relevant information, educational materials, images, and volunteer guide. We also advertise for volunteers and appeal for funding through various volunteering websites. In exchange for free room, these travelers like to help the environment, are great company and encouragement. Vegetation and restoration guides are available for volunteers at the nursery and volunteer cabin. Sending out annual newsletters to donors and potential donors, as well as maintaining a financial report helps greatly in getting support for your work. We publish our findings, data, and examples of data sheets available online. See more information about Save the Wild Chinchilla project at http://www.wildchinchilla.org or contact the author at amy_deane@yahQo.cQm 'Amy L. Deane is President of Save the Wild Chinchilla, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization located in Indiana. ^Bharath Ganesh Babu is an Instructor in the Department of Geography and Meterology at Valpariso University, Valpariso, IN and a volunteer with SWC 234 Animal Keepers 'Forum, Vol 34 No. 6 References Albert, F. 1900, La chinchilla. Act. Soc. Scient. Chile. 10:379-407. Bainbridge, D. 2003. New hope for desert lands. In Proceedings of Arid Southwest Lands Habitat Restoration Conference. Palm Springs, California 2003. Bainbridge, D., M. Fidelibus, and R. MacAller. 1995. Techniques for plant establishment in arid ecosystems. Restoration and Management Notes. 1 3(2): 1 90- 1 97. Bainbridge, D. and R. Virginia. 1990. Restoration in the Sonoran desert. Restoration and Management Notes. 8(1):3-14. Brooker, L., M. Brooker, and P. Cale. 1999. Animal dispersal in fragmented habitat: measuring habitat connectivity, corridor use, and dispersal mortality. Conservation Ecology [online] 3(1): 4. CONAF Corporacion Nacional Forestal. 1988. Brochure of endangered Chilean Deane, A.L. 1999. Statistical analysis of biologically important rainfall events in North Central Chile, Master Thesis. University of Florida. Gainesville, Florida. Gentry, A. 1996. A field guide to the woody plants of Northwestern South America Chicago Press, Chicago 895 pp. Hoffmann, A. 1998 Flora Silvestre de Chile Zona Central 4th ed. 254 pp. El Mercurio, Santiago Iriarte, J.A. and F.M. Jaksic. 1986. The fur trade in Chile: an overview of seventy five years of export data (1910 1984). Biological Conservation. 38:243 253, lUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature). 1972. lUCN Red data book. Jimenez, Jimenez, Jimenez, Jimenez, Jimenez, Jimenez, Jimenez, Lagos, V. O. 1996. Informe preliminar del proyecto: Prospecciones de chinchilla andina {Chinchilla brevicaudatd) y chinchilla costina {Chinchilla lanigera) en La IV Region de Chile. Informe a CONAF. La Serana, Chile mammals. Santiago. Miller, S. et ai. 1983. Endangered mammals of Chile: Status and Conservation. Biological Conservation, 25:335-352 Mittermeier et al. 1998 Biodiversity Hotspots and Major Tropical Wilderness Areas: Approaches to setting conservation priorities. Conservation Biology, 12(3):5 16-520 Mohlis, C. 1983. Informacion preliminar sobre la coservacion y manejo de la chinchilla silvestre en Chile. Boletin Tecnico No. 3, Corporation Nacional Forestal, Santiago, Chile. 41 pp. Robinson, J. G. and K. H. Redford. 1991. Neotropical Wildife Use and Conservation. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago Gland, Switzerland J.E. 1990. Poryecto Conservacion de la Chinchilla Chilena Resumen del Informe Final, CONAF - WWF 1297. 17 pp. J.E. 1990. Proyecto Conservacion de la Chinchilla Chilena Informe de Avance, CONAF, 33 pp. J.E. 1990. Proyecto conservacion de la chinchilla Chilean {Chinchilla lanigera), CONAF WWF 1297. Final report, March 1987 February 1990. Corporation Nacional Forestal, Illapel, IV Region, Chile. J.E. 1994. Overuse and endangerment of wildlife: the case of Chilean mammals. Medio Ambienta (Chile), 12:102 110. J.E. 1995. Conservation of the last wild chinchilla {Chinchilla lanigera) archipelago: a metapopulation approach. Domestic chinchilla “Jerry” with the author Vida Silvestre Neotropical. 4(2):89 97. Amy Deane in 1994. J.E. 1996, The extirpation and current qstatus of wild chinchillas Chinchilla lanigera and C. brevicaudata. Biological Conservation, 77:1-6. J.E., P. Feinsinger, and F.M. Jaksic. 1992. Spatiotemporal patterns of an irruption and decline of small mammals in north central Chile. Journal of Mammalogy, 73:356 364. Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 235 C(yy\^^fevvGJXor\/Le^^^^ IXpdxxte/ Column Coordinators: Becky Richendollar, North Carolina Zoo and Greg McKinney, Philadelphia PA This month ’s column was put together by column co-coordinator Becky Richendollar. Leopard Species Close to Extinction A census released in April of this year estimates that only 25-34 Amur leopards (Panthera pardus orientalis) remain in the wild. Experts predict that at least 100 individuals are necessary to ensure survival, and are calling for governmental protection for the animals. The Amur leopard, also known as the Far Eastern leopard, has been harmed by habitat fragmentation and hunting of both the leopard and its prey. The Amur’s long legs and long fur differentiate it from other leopards and allow it to walk in deep snow and withstand Siberian cold. The large cat once roamed along the Korean Peninsula, in the Russian Far East, and in northeastern China. Scientists used the leopard’s snow tracks to conduct the census, which covered more than 1,930 square miles of Amur territory in Russia. The WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society are calling on China, Russia, and North Korea to cooperate in an attempt to save the Amur leopard. Darron Collins, an official with WWF, said that all three governments have played a role in helping to save the leopard. Collins went on to say, “more certainly needs to be done, and what we need now is an increase in commitment to a transboundary protected area”. Update: Two days after the release of the Amur leopard census, which showed only seven female Amur leopards left in the wild, an Amur leopardess was found dead. The 77-pound cat was discovered in Russia’s Barsovy National Wildlife Refuge. She had been shot in the back and beaten with a heavy objeet. The killing of a reproductivey capable female puts the Amur population even further from the number of individuals required to sustain the wild population. Source: National Geographic News Rare Wattled Crane Born For the first time in the history of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, a wattled crane {Bugeranus caruncalatus) chick has been bom. The egg hatched on March 30 after 33 days of incubation by the parents. Destmction of the wattled crane’s native habitat in south-central Africa has decreased the population of wild wattled cranes, listed as vulnerable by the World Conservation Union. There are 63 wattled cranes in North American zoos and an estimated 8,000 in the wild. Source: UPl Philly Elephants Move to New Facility Three African elephants {Loxodonta africana) from the Philadelphia Zoo will be moving to the Pittsburgh Zoo’s new 724-acre International Conservation Center. The elephants will be the first animals to live at the new center. Photo courtesy of International Crane Foundation Photo by Vasilii SolkuPWWF 236 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 The Pittsburgh Zoo has two of the 13 African elephant babies in the country and are expecting two more. As an extension of their breeding program, the zoo has developed the International Conservation Center outside of the city. The Pittsburgh Zoo plans to construct several elephant care facilities on the property. Plans include an indoor facility that will be approximately one acre in size and a large indoor arena that will provide space for exercise in winter months. Facilities will also be created for education programs and staff training. The Philadelphia Zoo announced the relocation of its elephants last year after determining it did not have the funds to build a new elephant habitat suitable for breeding and housing an expanded herd. Source: Tribune-Review Madagascar Sets Aside Conservation Areas The government of Madagascar has established 15 new conservation areas, a total of 2.65 million acres to help insure the conservation of several animal species. These new areas increase the protected territory on Madagascar to more than nine million acres, which has traditionally had a poor conservation record. The new protected areas encompass several habitats including tropical rain forest, dry deciduous forest, wetlands, and limestone caves. Conservations are hopeful that the new parks will help protect Madagascar’s unique species from extinction. An estimated 80% of the island’s plants and animals are found exclusively on Madagascar. The newly protected areas will include three large plots of forests and wetlands, as well as create smaller wildlife corridors that will link protected regions. This move causes hope for conservation officials who have long seen Madagascar as a disaster, having suffered from forest destruction and illegal wildlife trade for decades. In the past only about 3% of the country’s area has been protected. Overall, more than 90% of Madagascar’s forests have disappeared, mostly due to slash-and-bum agriculture. One study showed that an average of 1.5 million acres were burned each year between 1984 and 1996. The biggest problem facing the wildlife of Madagascar is the poverty of the country’s citizens. Conservation organizations believe the key to preserving the remaining wilderness is to develop community-based programs that will benefit the local people who live in and around the protected areas. Source: National Geographic News Prominent Scientists Question the Logic of Changes to the Endangered Species Act Earlier this year officials recommended that the Endangered Species Act be changed to protect only the areas in which a species currently lives. Now, prominent scientists, including Harvard’s E.O. Wilson, have written a letter to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthome, asking him to ignore the recommended changes. The changes would make a species’ “range” only that area in which it currently lives. This would do nothing to restore habitats that formerly supported a species, as well as make it difficult to introduce any new groups of a species. For example, if an animal is nearly extinct in one state but has a barely survivable population in another state, it would not be covered under Endangered Species Act protections. The letter states: “To side with this opinion is to side against logic, the moral commitments of the American people, the species that the Endangered Species Act is intended to protect and congressional intent.” Interior officials responded by saying, “This will help us conserve species by allowing us to focus limited resources on areas where they are actually in trouble, rather than areas where they are not in trouble”. This controversy comes at a time when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is already involved in many disputes. Julie MacDonald, who oversaw the Service and endangered species, resigned in May following charges against her of ethics violations and doctoring scientific information. MacDonald was the subject of a scathing report last month from Interior’s Office of Inspector General Animal Keepers 'Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 237 that found she had violated at least two aspects of federal code. The report says she used her post to intervene in endangered species listings and critical habitat decisions and sent information to third parties so they could use it to challenge the Service in court. Environmentalists applauded her departure but questioned whether it would clean up what they see as a larger problem at Interior. “We welcome Julie MacDonald’s resignation,” said Francesca Grifo of the Union of Concerned Scientists. “But she represents a much larger problem of widespread political interference at federal agencies.” Source: Greenwire Saving the Amazon May Be Expensive The government of Ecuador will wait for up to one year to see if the international community will pay them to not develop a major oil field in the middle of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said that if the international community can pay the country half of the revenue lost from not developing the oil, Ecuador will leave the oil in Yasuni National Park undisturbed to protect the park’s biodiversity and indigenous peoples living there. “The first option is to leave that oil in the ground, but the international community would have to compensate us for immense sacrifice that a poor country like Ecuador would have to make,” said Correa in a recent radio address. The president estimated the amount needed to leave the Amazon alone at around $350 million US dollars per year. The offer comes after intense opposition to oil development from Ecuador’s environmental organizations who strive to keep this continuous primary rainforest intact. The oil fields, known as Ishpingo-Tiputini-Tambococha (ITT) are the largest in Ecuador. The ITT is located within one of the most remote and still intact parts of Yasuni National Park, which is renowned for its record levels of biodiversity. The Park protects a large stretch of the world’s most diverse tree community and the highest known insect diversity in the world. It is also one of the most diverse places in the world for birds and amphibians. Yasuni houses 25 mammal species that are of global concern according to lUCN, including the endangered Amazon tapir (Tapirus terrestris), and at least ten monkey species. Ecuador is a country of 1 3 million people, more than half of whom are living in poverty. The government uses oil revenue to meet the development needs of its citizens. Source: National Geographic News “Highways of Death” Lead to Elephant Extinction A new study reveals roads penetrating into the heart of Africa’s jungles are making it easier for ivory poachers to kill large numbers of forest elephants {Loxodonta africana cyclotis). “Unmanaged roads are highways of death for forest elephants,” said lead author Stephen Blake, a biologist at the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York. The study, detailed in the current issue of the journal PLoS Biology, reveals that along roadways elephant numbers plummeted, which the authors say is largely due to heavy ivory poaching because of the international black-market trade in the ivory from elephants’ tusks. “It is not the physical effect of the road that is the issue — forest elephants actually like roadside vegetation — rather it is the fact that unmanaged roads bring people, with their guns and ammunition,” Blake explained. Blake and his colleagues surveyed on foot more than 3,700 miles of landscape in five African countries. They counted dung piles to tally individual forest elephants and counted elephant carcasses with obvious signs of poaching (missing ivory tusks, for example) to calculate the illegal killing rates. They located 53 poaching camps and 41 elephant carcasses, among which they confirmed 27 were the result of poaching. In general, they found fewer forest elephants and more poached elephant carcasses close to roads. Elephant numbers increased the greater the distance from a road the scientists surveyed. They found no poached carcasses beyond about 28 miles from a highway. 238 Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 Even in protected areas with road access, such as national parks, the scientists recorded an increase in elephants and a drop-off of poached carcasses compared with other roadside spots. In the largest forested national park in Africa, Salonga National Park, the researchers counted as few as 1,900 elephants, which they attribute to the roads and navigable rivers that crisscross the park. The most remote parks, Minkebe and Odzala-Koukoua, showed 10 times the elephant density of Salonga. These two parks lie more than 37 miles from the nearest roads. This study is the first major scientific survey of the forest elephants since 1989, when scientists estimated a population of 172,000 forest elephants in the Congo Basin. Between 1970 and 1989, half of Africa’s elephants (or about 700,000 individuals) were killed, mostly for their ivory tusks. The extreme decline spurred the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) to list African elephants and thus ban the international ivory trade. Currently, debate over repealing or modifying the ban has been the focus of CITES conferences. The ban was effective at protecting elephants at first, but it is largely unenforced now because governments have withdrawn funding for it. The authors of the present study suggest that an informed debate and resolution on the matter relies fundamentally on a clear understanding of the size and trends in elephant populations along with the rates of illegal killing for ivory across Africa. “We have shown that even with a near-universal ban of the trade in ivory in place, forest elephant range and numbers are in serious decline,” the authors state in the journal article. Source: WWW. chinaview. cn Rescue Plan For Endangered Tasmanian Devils Triggers Environmental Concerns Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) are being relocated to an island off Australia to avert their extinction by a contagious cancer. Some scientists fear the move could endanger rare birds and other animals on the island, but other experts say it is a last resort and should pose no problem since the devils are scavengers, not predators. “The path to extinction is looking pretty certain on Tasmania,” said William Karesh of the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society, who organized a workshop in Australia to help the government and biologists develop a plan to save the devils. The fox-like animals with powerful jaws and a bloodcurdling growl are being wiped out on the island state of Tasmania by a contagious cancer that creates grotesque facial tumors. The disease was first noticed in the mid-1990s in the state’s northeast, where 90% of the devils have since perished. It is spreading south and west, and scientists estimate that within five years, there will be no disease-free population in Tasmania - the only place in the world where the devils exist outside of captivity in zoos. “I think there’s a real risk of extinction within 20 years across the whole of Tasmania,” said Hamish McCallum, a professor of wildlife research at the University of Tasmania. McCallum is among a group of experts who plan to transfer 30 devils off Tasmania’s east coast to Maria Island - a former 19th-century prison that is now home to several endangered species of birds. The move, which state and federal governments are expected to approve within weeks, is controversial because scientists can only guess at the impact the introduced carnivores will have on the uninhabited island’s ecology. “This is a very unusual situation and very unusual situations require unusual action,” McCallum said. Photo by Stephen Blake Courtesy of Society for Conservation Biology Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 239 “I don’t want to get into an argument about whether a devil is worth more than a forty-spotted pardalote,” he said, referring to an endangered bird species that has made Maria Island its home. “But in my opinion, the risk posed to endangered species by devils would be minimal.” David Obendorf, a veterinary pathologist who in 2000 sounded one of the first warnings of the threat to the devils, said several experts shared his concerns about the plan. “It’s clearly an experiment and I think they are considering the need to act decisively and quickly because this disease is more important than the consequences,” Obendorf said. Karesh, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s field veterinary program, said that when introducing a species to a new habitat, it’s “always a possibility” the animals will conflict with their new environment, though he said the science behind such moves is now very sophisticated. One of the greatest risks is that the relocated species may fall victim to a disease they have no resistance to Luke Hunter, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s great cats program, said the plan did not strike him as overly risky since Maria Island is similar to the devils’ natural habitat. “Devils maybe never got (to Maria Island), but it’s not a stretch of the imagination that they can survive there,” said Hunt, who is an expert on animal translocation programs. Since devils are primarily scavengers, they were unlikely to threaten other animals on the island, he said. Maria would be the first of about a half-dozen islands to become quarantined colonies of wild devils, which are currently not found on any of the thousands of Tasmanian islands. The Tasmanian Devil has been a protected species since 1941. Advocates hope that if devils are wiped out on the Tasmanian mainland the disese will die along with them, and the animals placed in havens can then be safely reintroduced. Karesh said biologists have already begun to quarantine healthy devils to ensure the disease does not travel with them to Maria. The cancer tends to show up a year or two after infection, so a long quarantine can root out sick animals. The cancer is suspected to be spreading through ferocious mating practices. Source: YourPlanet.com and Wikipedia in their new home, he said. Photo from Wikipedia.org Have You Sent AO Your E-mail Address Yet? In order to better communicate with our members, and also save the Association the rising costs of mailings/postage, we are working to establish an AAZK member e-mail database. With such a database we would be able to send out electronic membership renewal notices, information about upcoming conferences, and other Association news. In order to make this work, we need your help. Please send an e-mail to Barbara Manspeaker at aazkoffice@zk.kscoxmail.com with the words “AAZK Email Database” in the subject line. Please be assured that your e-mail address will not be shared with any other group or individual without your express permission. We are simply looking for ways to stay in touch with you as a member and to also help cut the costs of mailings and postage for the organization. Thanks in advance for helping us achieve this cost-cutting goal. 240 Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 34 No. 6 A AZK Membership Application (Please Print) check here if renewal [ ] Name Email Mailing Address City State/Province Zip/Postal Code .Country_ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ U.S. Members $40.00 Professional Full-time Keepers □ Canadian Members $40.00 Professional Full-time Keepers $35.00 Affdiate □ $40.00 Affiliate Other staff & volunteers Other staff & volunteers $35.00 Associate □ $40.00 Associate Those not connected with Those not connected with an animal facility an animal facility $65.00 or up - Individuals □ $65.00 or up - Individuals Contributing/U.S. Contributing/Canada $125.00 or up □ $125.00 or up Institutional/U.S. Institutional/Canada Organizations/Institutions Organizations/Institutions (requires Board approval) (requires Board approval) $125.00 Commercial Members □ Library Only (i.e. Animal-related food & supplies) $40.00 Library Available ONLY to public & university libraries (in U.S.) International Members $55.00 International All members outside U.S. &Canada regardless of category Zoo Affdiation (if any)_ Zoo Address Title □ My check is enclosed (AAZK, Inc.) 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