.IAN 12 7012 .^BRARIES^ ’Sfeyvi-'i ' ’.'w Ax * ' January 2012 ANIMAL KEEPERS’ FORUM. 3601 S.W. 29th St., Suite 133, Topeka, KS 66614-2054 Phone: (785) 273-9149 FAX (785) 273-1980 January 2012 VoL 39, No. 1 Media Production Editor: Shane Good • Assistant Media Production Editor: Elizabeth Thibodeaux • Senior Editor: Becky Richendollar, Riverbanks Zoo • Associate Editor: Mark de Denus, Winnipeg, MB • Enrichment Options Column Coordinator: Julie Haitell-DeNardo, St. Louis, MO and Ric Kotarsky, Tulsa Zoo & Living Museum • Legislative/Conservation Outlook Column Co-Coordinators: Becky Richendollar, Riverbanks Zoo and Greg McKinney, Philadelphia, PA • ATC Column Co-Cordinators: Angela Binney, Disney’s Animal Kingdom; Kim Kezer, Zoo New England; Jay Pratte, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo • Conservation Station Column Coordinator: Amanda Kamradt, New England AAZK Chapter. 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 Bob Cisneros, San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA 92112-055 1 President Penny Jolly, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000 Vice President Tammy Root, Indianapolis Zoo, Indianapolis, IN 46222 Kelly Wilson, Detroit Zoological Society, Royal OakJVlI 48067 Deana Walz, The Living Planet Aquarium, Sandy, UT 84094-4409 COMMITTEESLCQDEPJNATQRS/PRQJECTMANAfiJEJKS By-laws Chair - Ric Kotarsky, Tulsa Zoo Grants Committee Chair - Shelly Roach, Columbus Zoo Behavioral Husbandry Committee Chair - Christina Dembiec, Jacksonville Zoo Conservation Committee Chair Amanda Kamradt, New England AAZK Chapter Bowling for Rhinos Coordinator - Patty Pearthree, Cary, NC Products and Membership Jacque Blessington, K.C. Zoo, Project Manager Ethics Chair - Penny Jolly, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Awards Chair - Janet McCoy, Portland, OR Professional Development Melaina Wallace, Disney’s Animal Kingdom ICZ Coordinators Norah Famham, Woodland Park Zoo MediaAVebsite Denise Wagner, Phoenix Zoo, Project Manager Social Media Sean Walcott, SeaWorld San Diego, Project Manager Conference Program Manager Victor Aim, Oakland Zoo MEMBERSHIESEimCES Data Transfer Forms Available for download at www.aazk.org AAZK Publications/Logo Products/ Apparel AAZK Administrative Office/Topeka or at www.aazk.org o printed on Recycled Paper Table of Contents About the Cover/Information for Contributors.............................. ........................2 Scoops & Scuttlebutt.. 3-6 Coming Events 8 AAZK Announces New Members.... 9 General Announcements 10 - 11 From the Editor - Toronto Zoo Elephants ........12 - 16 Introducing 1.1 Andean Condors {Vultur gryphus) at the Knoxville Zoo 18 - 23 Training Tales and Enrichment Options Announcements... .........24 - 25 Book Review: Animal Investigators: How the Worlds First Wildlife Forensics Lab is Solving Crimes and Saving Endangered Species 26 - 28 Second Call for Papers - 2012 AAZK National Conference... ........29 Prehensile-tailed Porcupine Anesthesia Crate 30 - 32 Enrichment Options: Reaching out for Enrichment in Arboreal Monitor Lizards ....33 - 36 Research in Practice 37 - 39 Animal Keepers ’Forum 2011 Index...... .........40 - 48 38th Anniversary - 1974 - 2012 MISSION STATEMENT (Revised April 2009) American Association of Zoo Keepers, Inc. The American Association of Zoo Keepers, Inc. exists to advance excellence in the animal keeping profession, foster effective communcation beneficial to animal care, support deserving conservation projects, and promote the preservation of our natural resources and animal life. About the Cover - This month’s cover features two cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) created by Camille Dorian. AAZK protects cheetahs through Bowling for Rhinos (BFR) and our partnership with Action for Cheetahs in Kenya (ACK). ACK works to protect cheetahs throughout Kenya, including the areas surrounding Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, our original partner in BFR. By protecting the areas surrounding Lewa and providing better habitat for cheetahs, we also make Lewa stronger and help the rhinos in the same process. The cheetah is classified as Vulnerable (lUCN 2008). Current study results show that Kenya holds 1200-1400 cheetahs with over 75% residing on land outside protected areas. Cheetahs have been extirpated from 25% of their historic Kenyan range in the last 20 years (KWS 2010). The goal of ACK is to promote cheetah population sustainability in Kenya through coexistence with people. The ACK mission is to promote the conservation of cheetahs through research, awareness and community participation in Kenya. ACK works closely with local wildlife authorities and land holders to develop policies and programmes which support wildlife conservation and human livelihoods for the long-term development of sustainable human and wildlife zones. The project receives technical and financial support from the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) and works in affiliation with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). ACK links with other large carnivore programmes through Carnivores, Livelihoods and Landscapes (CaLL), a Kenya non- profit organization. For more information, go to www.actionforcheetahs.com. Please Note New Monthly Deadline and Contact Information 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 (330) 483-1104; FAX (330) 483-1444; email is shane.good@aazk.org. If you have questions about submission guidelines, please contact the Editor. Submission guidelines are also found at: httD://aazk.org/akf-submission-guidelines/. Deadline for each regular issue is the 3rd of the preceding month. Dedicated issues may have separate deadline dates and will be noted by the Editor. Articles printed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the AKF staff or the American Association of Zoo Keepers, Inc. Publication does not indicate endorsement by the Association. Items in this publication may be reprinted providing credit to this publication is given and a copy of the reprinted material is forwarded to the Editor. If an article is shown to be separately copyrighted by the author(s), then permission must be sought from the author(s). Reprints of material appearing in this journal may be ordered from the Editor. Regular back issues are available for $4.00 each. Special issues may cost more. E-Mail Addresses: You may reach Barbara Manspeaker at AAZK Administrative Offices at: aazkofiice@zk.kscoxmail.com< You may reach Shane Good and Animal Keepers ’Forum at: shane.good@aazk.org< Mailing Address: AAZK, Inc., 3601 SW 29th St., Suite 133, Topeka, KS 66614-2054 AAZK website Address; www.aazk.org BFR Website: http://aazkbfr.org 2 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 Scoops and Scuttlebutt Reminder to all Chapters on Recharter process for 2012 All AAZK Chapters are reminded that the rechartering of all Chapters will begin in January of 2012. Rechartering packet information will be sent electronically via email to the email address your Chapter has provided to the Administrative Office. These emails will be sent the first week in January. NOTE: If your Chapter has changed its email contact since you completed your 2011 recharter forms, you need to notify Barbara Manspeaker immediately at aazkoffice@zk.kscoxmaiL com so that your recharter materials are properly received. Recharter packets for 2012 are due back at the Administrative Office by 15 February 2012. Your prompt compliance in filling out the recharter packet is a critical part of maintaining our status as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit association. If you do not receive your recharter materials by early January, please contact Barb at the Administrative Office at the email address above or by calling 785-273- 9149. DM you know? There are three key things that keep AAZK, Inc. financially solvent throughout the fiscal year: Your AAZK memberships, AAZK conferences, and the generosity of Chapters towards AAZK, Inc., especially at recharter time. Please keep this in mind as you complete your recharter packets. Your Chapter donations at recharter time make all the difference for this Association. International Polar Bear Day is 27 February 2012 Our Chairpersons from Acres for the Atmosphere and Trees for You and Me want to remind you that International Polar Bear Day is 27 February 2012. They invite you to help save polar bears and reduce your carbon footprint by joining in these joint reforestation programs of the AAZK and Polar Bears International (PBI). These programs allow you to Buy it or do it! Trees for You and Me is a friendly Chapter Challenge where you can simply go to the PBI website and make a donation in the name of your local AAZK Chapter. Contributions help fund tree planting in the Polar Bear Forest that is operated in conjunction by PBI and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. This contest extends until March 2012 and the winning Chapter gets a great prize. Donations can be made by individuals or Chapters. For more information, or to make a donation, go to: polarbearsintemational.org/programs/trees-vou-and-me-model-nation Acres for the Atmosphere is for AAZK Chapters that want to roll up their sleeves and get personally involved in reforestation and other conservation projects. To find out more about how you can get active in Acres for the Atmosphere, contact one of our Co-Chairs; Marissa Krouse at marissa.krouse@aazk.org Heather Kalka at heather.kalka@aazk.org Animal Keepers ’Forum, VoL 39, No. 1 3 AAZK Appoints New Staff Member AAZK is pleased to announce the appointment of Elizabeth Thibodeaux to the position of Assistant Media Production Editor (AMPE). Elizabeth will work as a permanent, part-time employee, assisting the Media Production Editor in the production of the Animal Keepers ’Forum. Elizabeth’s full-time position is with the Cleveland Zoological Society where she serves as the Webmaster and Graphic Design Specialist. She has extensive experience in planning and designing all marketing collateral for both print and online materials. She is highly skilled in member and vendor relations and has extensive computer program skills. Elizabeth recently won the award known as the Gold PRSA Cleveland Rocks Award (Special Publications Category) for her publication African Elephant Crossing - Case for Support. Elizabeth holds a BS in Biology and Anthropology from The University of North Carolina. Elizabeth can be reached at elizabeth.thibodeaux@aazk.org. Welcome to AAZK Elizabeth! AKF Associate Editor Receives Promotion AAZK is pleased to announce that Becky Richendollar has been promoted from Associate Editor to Senior Editor of the Animal Keepers ’Forum. Becky has been an Associate Editor since 2009 and will be taking on expanded duties with the AKF, starting with this month’s issue which includes her new column. Research in Practice. Becky is a full-time Animal Keeper at Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens, and was an Animal Keeper at North Carolina Zoological Park prior to that. Becky has been published in the AKF for her articles Candid Camera: Using Camera Traps to Monitor Animal Behavior, Recreating Nature: The Making of an Artificial Meerkat Burrow, and has served as the Co-Coordinator of the Conservation/Legislation Column since 2007. Becky can be reached at beckv.richendollar@aazk.org. Congratulations Becky! Both Becky and Elizabeth will be assisting Media Production Editor Shane Good. Shane’s contact information can be found below: Shane Good Media Production Editor, AAZK Inc. P.O. Box 535 Valley City, OH 44280 330-483-1104 shane.good@aazk.org 4 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 Ape Action Africa Keeper Germaine Named Disney Conservation Hero for 2011 Zanga Germaine, who overcame a lack of formal education growing up in Cameroon to become one of the most respected primate keepers in Africa, has been selected as a Disney Conservation Hero for 201L Germaine works at the Ape Action Africa’s Mefou Primate Park in Cameroon. Zanga’s passion for the primates in his care is evident, and his ability to express that love to volunteers, tourists, ambassadors, and even reformed hunters is an essential part of the sanctuary fabric. He is considered an expert in chimpanzee, gorilla and primate care and behavior, and has helped make Ape Action Africa a model member of the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA). Germaine will receive a certificate and a $500 prize for being named a Disney Conservation Hero, an annual awards program that “recognizes conservation initiatives are only as successful as the community and the local people involved with the project.” Germaine is the fifth PASA representative to be named a Disney Conservation Hero. “On behalf of PASA and its member sanctuaries throughout Africa, we congratulate Zanga on this prestigious award,” said Anne Warner, executive director of PASA. “He is a wonderful example of the dedication and skill found among the staff at all PASA sanctuaries, and we believe Zanga and his co-workers in Cameroon, Congo, Kenya and elsewhere will continue to play pivotal roles in the conservation of chimpanzees, gorillas and other endangered species.” Zanga has worked for Ape Action Africa since 2006 when he joined the team as a construction worker. Director Rachel Hogan observed Zanga’s strong work ethic and offered him a three-month trial as a chimpanzee keeper. He began working with a group of thirteen young chimps under the supervision of the Head Keeper, but it wasn’t long before Zanga proved his natural talent for conservation and animal care. Now a fiilly-fledged Keeper, Zanga is a vital member of the team and contributes directly to the success of the sanctuary with his quiet and absolute commitment. He walks almost 15km a day to work in the park where he cleans, feeds and watches over 20 chimps. With no running water or power at the sanctuary, his job is challenging but Zanga is uncomplaining. “It is sometimes tiring, but I enjoy all aspects of working with the chimps” he says. “I like watching them playing and laughing just like people. I treat them like my brothers”. PASA was formed in 2000 to unite the rehabilitation centers across Africa that care for thousands of orphaned chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, drills, and other endangered primates. To find out more, visit the PASA website- www.pasaprimates.org. Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 5 Advances in Animal Keeping Course April 28 - May 3, 2012 Toledo Zoo, Toledo, OH Advances in Animal Keeping covers the essentials of animal keeping across all taxa. The course focuses on the very highest standards in animal husbandry, in combination with problem solving, team building and interpersonal skills. You will engage with professional colleagues and apply what you learn back at your home institution. The goal of this course is to motivate and retain animal care professionals within our industry and to elevate the standards of animal care in AZA zoos and aquariums. In-class discussion, exchange of ideas with animal care colleagues, small group activities, and question-and-answer sessions all enable students to analyze trends, to think critically, to evaluate problems and propose solutions, and to communicate effectively with other members of their organization. Advances in Animal Keeping is a cooperative effort between the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK). Tuition & Expenses $920 for AZA Individual Members & AAZK Members $ 1 ,020 for Non-members ($50 late fee after February 25, 2012) Scholarship funding is available through a competitive process. Target Audience This course is targeted toward currently employed animal care professionals. Curricula will be challenging for individuals new to the field of zoo keeping and is designed for those who have zoo/ aquarium animal care experience. For more information, go to http://aza.org/AAK.aspx Contributing Member Remembered by AAZK It is with deep regret that we report the passing of long-time Contributing Member Bruce M. Thomas. Mr. Thomas was not a keeper, but he strongly believed in the mission of AAZK and had a deep respect for the work that all of you do. In one final act of generosity towards our Association, Mr. Thomas’ estate has donated $1000 to AAZK. On behalf of our entire membership, we extend our sincere sympathy to the family of Mr. Thomas and remember an extraordinary friend of AAZK. 6 Animal Keepers ’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 39, No. I 1 Coming Events Post Your Coming Events here email to: shane.goocl@aazk.org 2012 February 6-9, 2012 - International Association of Giraffe Care Professionals - San Francisco, CA. Located at the Hilton San Francisco Financial District. For more information, check out the lAGCP’s Event Page on Facebook. February 15-18, 2012 - 20*** Annual Conference of the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators - Hosted by the Minnesota Zoo, Bloomington, MN. Topics will include avian behavior, training, husbandry, conservation, education, enrichment, and show presentation/production. Paper and poster abstract deadline was 1 October 2010. Please mail to: conference@IAATE.org< For detailed Call for Papers and more information visit www. IAATE.org April 12-15, 2012 - Otter Keeper Workshop - The 5* biennial workshop will be hosted by The Dallas World Aquarium. Any staff working with any of the freshwater species is welcome to attend. Topics will include: captive management issues, enrichment, training, water quality, health care, nutrition, diet, hand-raising, exhibit design, and lots of sharing of information between keepers. Registration is $75.00. For more information, see www. otterkeeperworkshop . org May 6-11, 2012 - ABMA Annual Conference - Hosted by Oakland Zoo, California Academy of Sciences, and CuriOdyssey. The conference location will be the San Francisco Airport Mariott, Burlingame, CA. See the theabma.org for more info. May 13-16 - Shape of Enrichment Regional Workshop - Hosted by Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks, Kent, UK. For more information go to enrichment.org. July 15-21,2012 NATIONAL ZOO KEEPER WEEK August 8-14, 2012 - The World Congress of Herpetology - To be held in Vancouver, Canada. For more information see http://www. worldcongressofherpetologv.org/ August 16-19 - The lO*** Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles - Tucson, AZ. Hosted by the Turtle Survival Alliance and the lUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. For more information go to turtlesurvival.org September 9-13, 2012 - 4*** International Congress on Zookeeping - Sponsored by Wildlife Reserves Singapore/Singapore Tourism Bureau. Theme: “Many Voices, One Calling”. For info on sponsorship or exhibit opportunities email eo@aszk.org.au. Check the ICZ website http:www.iczoo.org/ for latest news/information. September 23-27, 2012 - AAZK National Conference - Hosted by the Rosamond Gifford Zoo and the Rosamond Gifford Zoo AAZK Chapter in Syracuse, NY. For more information see www.rgzaazk.org. Upcoming AAZK National Conferences 2012 - Syracuse, NY - September 23-27 2013 - Asheboro, NC - September 22-26 2014 - Orlando, FL -TBD For information on upcoming AAZK conferences, watch the AAZK website at www.aazk.org Upcoming AZA National Conferences September 8-13, 2012 - AZA 2012 Armual Conference - Hosted by Phoenix Zoo, Phoenix, AZ September 7-12, 2013 - AZA 20 13 Annual Conference - To be hosted by the Kansas City Zoo, Kansas City, MO For more information on AZA Conferences see http://aza.org/ConfWork/AC_Intro/index.html 8 Animal Keepers ’Forum, VoL 39, No. 1 AAZK Announces New Members New Professional Members Rachei Vass, Houston Zoo (TX) Amber Zelmer, Houston Zoo (TX) Benjamin King, Houston Zoo (TX) Megan L. Neal, Houston Zoo (TX) Danny Keel, Houston Zoo (TX) Jeremy Whitted, Houston Zoo (TX) Tina Carpenter, Houston Zoo (TX) Stephanie Turner, Houston Zoo (TX) Thomas Reynolds, Houston Zoo (TX) Carrie Montgomery, Cheyenne Mountain (CO) Rachael Walton, San Diego Zoo (CA) Megan Belyea, Sea World San Diego (CA) Melissa Young, Happy Hollow Zoo (CA) Catherine Anne Breland, Jackson Zoo (MS) Brittany Cassidy, Ft. Wayne Zoo (IN) Marcy D. Krause, Hutchinson Zoo (KS) Brandi Talbot, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo'(NE) Ein Lien, Little Rock Zoo (AR) Casey Plummer, Caldwell Zoo (TX) Abigail Robbins, Roger Williams Zoo (RI) Frederick Boyce, Catoctin Wildlife Zoo (MD) William Clements, Smithsonian’s National Zoo Washington D.C. Carly Barron, Maryland Zoo in Baltimore (MD) Jody Watkins, Virginia Zoological Park (VA) Rachael Pipitone, Jacksonville Zoo (FL) Tracy Fenn, Jacksonville Zoo (FL) Desiree Hager, Gulf Breeze Zoo (FL) Heather Brockley, Busch Gardens (FL) Nicole DeLeone, Busch Gardens (FL) Tyler Thomas, New York State Zoo (NY) Mallory Clark, Tennessee Safari Park (TN) Dave Hoehstra, Boulder Ridge Park (MI) Josh Wilmoth, Wild Wilderness Safari (AR) Renewing Contributing Members Michael Linn, Toledo, OH Natalie Lindholm, DeSoto, TX Renewing Institutional Members Rosamund Gifford Zoo at Bumet Park, Syracuse, NY Brandywine Zoo, Wilmington, DE Brookgreen Gardens, Pawley’s Island, SC Kentucky Reptile Zoo, Slade, KY Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Cleveland, OH Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI Minnesota Zoo, Apple Valley, MN Renewing Institutional Members Continued University of Missouri at Columbia, Columbia, MO Dickerson Park Zoo, Springfield, MO Ellen Trout Zoo, Lufkin, TX Pikes Peak Community College, Colorado Springs, CO Wild Wonders Inc., Bonsall, CA Gorilla Foundation, Redwood City, CA Chimps, Inc., Bend, OR Thank You For Your Membership! What Day is it? International Polar Bear Day February 27 World Penguin Day April 25 World Tapir Day April 27 Save the Frogs Day April 29 World Turtle Day May 23 THE eOUEMET MOPEWT, RATS AND MICE Bill & Mareia Brent EO. Bm 430 Newberry, FL 32069-0430 (352)472-9189 Fax: (352) 472-9192 e-mail: GrititEodent@aoLcoiii Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol 39, No. 1 9 Attention All Photographers - AKF Needs Your Photos Attention all photographers, the AKF needs your photos as potential cover photos and special feature photos throughout the issue. All photos need to be high resolution, 300 dpi or greater. All photographers will need to submit a photo release form that can be found at aazk.org/animal-keepers- forum/aazk-photo-model-release-form/. Photos that clearly depict facility logos and behind-the- scenes shots will need permission of the facility to be used. Subjects for the photos should revolve around animal husbandry, conservation, education/ interpretation, professional development, significant achievements in the industry (births, exhibits, staff, etc.), and can also include some of the more humorous or unique siuations that we all come across each day in our occupations. Accompanying text with each photo is strongly encouraged. AAZK Awards Committee Now Accepting Nominations The AAZK Awards Committee is accepting nominations for the Lifetime Achievement Award, Jean M. Hromadka AAZK Excellence in Animal Care Award, The Lutz Ruhe Meritorious Achievement - AAZK Professional of the Year Award, the Lee Houts Enrichment Excellence Award, the Certificate of Merit for Zoo Keeper Education, the Certificate of Excellence in Exhibit Renovation, the Certificate of Merit in Conservation, the Mazuri Animal Nutrition Award, and the AAZK Chapter of the Year Award that will be presented at the 2012 AAZK Conference in Syracuse, NY. The deadline for nominations is 1 May 2012. Information concerning the qualifications, nomination procedure, selection procedure, and an explanation of the awards may be obtained at aazk. org/committee/ awards-committee/. From Good Care to Great Welfare: A Workshop Designed for Animal Care Professionals Presented by the Center for Zoo Animal Welfare Detroit Zoological Society April 27-30, 2012 and October 12-15, 2012 The Detroit Zoological Society’s Center for Zoo Animal Welfare is offering a unique four-day workshop for animal care staff working with captive exotic animals. The workshop is designed to help participants better understand animals’ perspectives and experiences, address the challenges captivity imposes on animal welfare, and develop the skills necessary to assess and improve overall well-being. Participants will gain essential knowledge related to current research on captive animal behavior and ecology, techniques for assessing environmental and husbandry factors affecting welfare, methods of compensating for captivity (e.g. training and enrichment), management and exhibit design, as well as identification and resolution of welfare issues. Workshop format includes lectures, discussions, small group projects, demonstrations, and multiple hands-on opportunities with animal environments at the Detroit Zoo. Exercises and experiences are immersive and designed to help us understand captivity from the animals’ point of view. Get ready to experience the zoo the way the animals do! Limited scholarship opportunities available. For more information and a detailed description of the workshop, go to www.czaw.org. For information contact: Elizabeth Arbaugh, Animal Welfare Manager Detroit Zoological Society Tel: 248-398-0903 x3643 E-mail: Elizabeth@dzs.org 10 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 Call for Papers For Dedicated Issue CHELONIANS We are planning in 2012 on producing an edition of Animal Keepers ’Forum dedicated to Chelonians. We would like those interested to submit manuscripts for consideration for inclusion in this dedicated issue. Our concept for this issue would include articles both on basic Chelonian husbandry for animal care professionals with little or no experience working with this group, as well as articles relating to the most advanced techniques in captive husbandry for these species. Possible topics might include the following: • Chelonian Care and Management • Chelonian Conservation • Chelonian Field Research • Reproduction • Behavioral Management Papers should be submitted electronically in MS Word only to shane.good@aazk.org. Please use Times New Roman font (lOpt text body). Please put “Chelonian Issue” in the subject line of your email Papers should be no more than 10 pages in length. Any charts and/or graphs should be submitted as separate jpg or tiff files along with (but not imbedded in) the manuscript. Photos submitted electronically should be high-resolution (minimum 300 dpi) jpg or tiff files. Be sure to include proper photo credit and a suggested caption for each photo. Please reference the complete set of AKF submission guidelines at http://aazk.org/akf~submission“guidelines/. Be sure to also include your complete contact information including name, address, email and a daytime phone where you may be reached if we have questions concerning your submission. Also be sure to include your facility and your job title at that facility. Deadline for submission of articles for this special Chelonian Issue is April 1, 2012. Call for Papers For Dedicated Issue oi AKF - Diabetic Animals All topics related to the diagnosis, veterinary treatment, behavioral management, and all other considerations related to the care of diabetic animals will be covered. Deadline for submission of articles is March 15, 2012. See above for guidelines. Big Cat Internships Available mtRKK Join us in “Saving Tigers One by One” As seen on Animal Planet® “Growing Up Tiger” Apply at: www.tigercreek.org Learn about Big Cat Management. Internship involves Animal Care Apprentice and Public Education. We offer experience that counts towards employment. TIGER MISSING LINK FOUNDATION / TIGER CREEK WILDLIFE REFUGE Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 11 From the Editor Toronto Zoo’s Elephant Keepers Show Extraordinary Efforts in Supporting Their Herd The Toronto Zoo recently decided to relocate their elephants to another facility and eliminate elephants from their collection. This is not something unusual in the zoo industry. Zoos and aquariums make difficult decisions like this on a regular basis. What made the circumstances unusual were the reported involvement of animal activists and politicians in the decision-making process, and the lack of involvement, even exclusion, of the animal care staff at the Toronto Zoo. Even more extraordinary was the reaction of the elephant keepers at the Toronto Zoo. The keepers took their frustration to the streets in old-school style, with the twist of some new technology. Using professionalism the entire way, they created a most unusual movement that hasn’t been seen before in the animal care industry. I recently took the opportunity to speak with CUPE Local 1600, the union that represents the elephant keepers at the Toronto Zoo. What follows is an interview that is meant to help explain the situation and highlight the extraordinary efforts of these very dedicated animal keepers. AKF: Please give our readers a quick introduction to the situation. CUPE: Many people will never understand the level of dedication that many of us have for the animals we work with every day. What many of them fail to see is that we often spend more time with these animals than we do with our own loved ones and form strong bonds with these animals. So what do you do when a decision is made that will greatly impact the lives of these animals by people who don’t know them? These animals have no voice and rely on us to do what is best for them, but when that ability is taken away how can you not speak out and try to protect them? This is exactly the instinctive reaction that the Toronto Zoo’s elephant keepers had when we found out that not only would we be re-locating our 0.3 African elephants (Loxodonta africand), Toka (41 years), Iringa (42 years) and Thika (bom at Toronto Zoo, age 31) but that our Zoo had lost the choice on where to send them to a group of determined animal activists. AKF: Why did your zoo decide to remove your elephants from the collection? CUPE: As more and more research and studies are completed, the zoo community continues to gather new information on how to best meet the needs of the animals within their collection. This leads to an assessment of current animals, their housing, how they utilize their exhibits and social interactions both with one another, staff and zoo visitors. This process enables and ensures the zoo is providing the highest level of care. Thika, Toronto Zoo’s 31 -year-old elephant Photo submitted by CUPE Local 1600 12 Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 In the case of Thika, Iringa and Toka, the Toronto Zoo’s staff determined that it was in the elephants’ best interests to be incorporated into a larger herd. This was decided both for their own social needs as well as complying with the AZA recommendation of maintaining a minimum of three elephants. It is strongly believed by the keepers that although these elephants are past the recommended breeding age, Toka, Iringa and Thika could fill a vital role in expanding a breeding herd as all had had previous experience being around young calves, and Toka has had one herself Toronto Zoo researched the costs associated with the desired expansion for the elephants, however these costs and the perceived inability to obtain more elephants lead them to the decision that it would be best to phase out elephants from the collection until a later date when they could reassess. A survey of zoo visitors resulted with the majority of visitors stating they would return even if the elephants were removed from the collection. The Toronto Zoo recognized that status quo was not something they wanted for their elephants and that if the expansion was not planned in the near future (both bam and socially) that they would support relocating them to a place that could offer them all that the Toronto Zoo, at the time, could not. AKF: Within our industry, there are differences of opinion on keeping elephants in northern zoos, or in smaller, metropolitan zoos. As experts in elephant management, what are your thoughts on those issues? CUPE: Every environment regardless of location offers a unique challenge to the animals located within it, especially when these animals are not native to that area. Elephants within northern zoos are no exception. As many of us are aware, the level of knowledge and understanding now utilized within zoos allows us as caregivers to provide exceptional care to our animals regardless of our location. The Toronto Zoo’s elephants enjoying a winter snowfall. Photo submitted by CUPE Local 1600 AKF: What husbandry practices do you employ, if any, to try and compensate for the northern environment in which your elephants live? CUPE; Like with all other animals cared for at the Toronto Zoo we continually and consistently assess the elephants’ comfort levels, taking into consideration the weather as it presents itself This is tme both in the heat of the summer or the cold of the winter. Our elephants are still offered the Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 13 opportunity to go outdoors as long as the temperature is not below 0°C (including wind chill). All three elephants seem to enjoy the opportunity to interact with the snow on a variety of levels. When outdoors, the elephants are always closely monitored to ensure that they are not waiting to come back in. We also work with our elephants throughout the day through shifting, enrichment, training and exercises. Our exercise program has proven to be very successfiil and allows us to ensure that the elephants maintain good health and activity regardless of the season. AKF: Do you feel the Toronto community as a whole supports you or would rather see the elephants leave? CUPE: This has been a question of great debate. A survey conducted by the zoo concluded that 10.9% of zoo visitors polled said that they would not return to the Toronto Zoo if there were no elephants. An additional 4.1% of those polled were unsure if they would return. From this we can see that about 1 in 6 people care for the elephants so much they would consider not coming back to the zoo without them. Across the city and globe it seems that many people are just as strongly in favour of keeping elephants as they are of not continuing to keep them in the collection. With that said, after reviewing the numbers of attendees for keeper talks done throughout the zoo, the elephant keeper talks were both the highest attended and rated. AKF: Do you have any concerns about the husbandry of your elephants? CUPE: It goes without saying that we all want more for the animals we care for, this is basic human nature. However, there is nothing directly related to the current care and conditions of our elephants that causes us concern regarding their husbandry. We as their keepers take great pride in the programs that we have been able to implement. AKF: How did you feel when you learned that the decision had been made to move the elephants from your zoo? CUPE: The news of the zoo’s decision to phase out the elephants came as a crushing blow. We had hoped that the zoo would have chosen to invest in the animals who had dedicated their lives as animal ambassadors helping the Toronto Zoo’s efforts in educating and inspiring zoo visitors for so many years. We believe that although the price of the desired expansion was approximately 16.5 million dollars, the Toronto Zoo should have made the attempt to raise these fiinds prior to the determination that it could not be done. We believe that the elephants deserved this effort to have been made, and that the keepers could have played a vital role in helping the zoo to reach these fundraising goals. AKF: Do you feel media pressure and animal rights activists had anything to do with the decision? If so, how large of an effect do you think they had? CUPE: The level of influence that animal activists played cannot be underestimated. We all need to be aware that a well-recognized and idolized celebrity will have the whole world watching and will already have millions of supporters no matter what they are speaking out against or in favour of. However, as they demand media attention they also bring us, the keepers, a chance to have our voices heard. . . if we can harness the momentum. It is important for facts to be placed first and foremost instead of media relations hype. AKF: Do you feel zoos should be more open about their efforts to provide exceptional care to the animals in their facilities? Do you feel the Toronto Zoo puts enough effort into educating the local community on animal husbandry issues? CUPE: Most zoos do need to improve the overall public awareness of what is involved with running a zoo and caring for the animals within their collection. It would also be highly beneficial to educate 14 Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 the public that zoo keepers often hold a high level of education, and that these jobs are in fact careers and in most cases a way of life. Many visitors are unaware of the continual education and vital contribution that zoo keepers play in conservation efforts for vulnerable and endangered species around the globe. AKF: Explain the decision making process on the status of the elephants. What role did politics play? What voice did zoo managers have? What voice did the zoo ^s elephant staff have? CUPE: The decision to phase out elephants was recommended by the Toronto Zoo to the Zoo Board of Management which is composed of elected city officials and volunteers from the general public. The Board of Management supported this decision, agreeing that Toka, Iringa and Thika would be re-located to another AZA- accredited facility after a comparison of all interested facilities was concluded. If a suitable AZA facility was not found then the Toronto Zoo would then look at other options, such as non- AZA- accredited facilities like the PAWS Sanctuary. The Toronto Zoo had just recently obtained all needed documentation to complete the comparison of the interested AZA facilities. This comparison consisted of a detailed overview of a variety of different factors. The zoo’s elephant staff were directly involved in helping to develop these criteria, and were able to help address the needs and concerns of the elephants they worked with. This input and criteria was not taken into consideration when City Council overrode the Board Of Management and Toronto Zoo’s decision and decided in a last minute “motion without notice” that the elephants would be relocated to the PAWS sanctuary. The concern with this process or choice was that all options were not explored and that if city councillors felt that PAWS could have been the best option, then the original motion or decision should have been amended to reflect that, and be changed to include PAWS in the comparison in order not to exclude and deny all options and comparisons for a new home for the elephants. AKF: What was the biggest reason that you began using social media/petitions? What were your goals? CUPE: The intent of utilizing social media was to increase public awareness surrounding this delicate issue as well as to allow the keepers the opportunity to get their messages and concerns out to the public. In many cases only one side of the story is told or emphasized by the media. The keepers felt that they owed and continue to owe the elephants within their care the loudest voice they could provide them. We also felt it was important for those seeking answers or wishing to express their concerns to have a means to do so as well as be able to direct them to the proper channels to have their voices heard. Also, as little information related to this issue was available on the Toronto Zoo website, the keepers wanted to offer up their unique perspective and insight, and act as a resource for those who wished to learn more. We also believe that unlike other parties involved we have the purest of intents. We are not concerned about the price tags, the politics, or name of the institution. All we want is to ensure that Toka, Iringa and Thika find themselves in the best home possible and with caregivers that will be as dedicated to them as we, are. AKF: How do zoo managers feel about your actions? CUPE: If anything “good” has come out of all of this, it is the demonstration to zoo management that the value of its keepers should not be underestimated. We once again proved ourselves to be a valuable resource that should be utilized in decision making. Our actions were carried out with a great deal of professionalism and it is our belief that we used our unique knowledge to give the Toronto Zoo a voice when no one was listening. There is a balancing act with everyone having a Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 15 different piece of the puzzle and all parties had to be cautious and take into consideration the impact their actions could have on the other. AKF: What results have come from using social media/petitions? CUPE: By utilizing social media we were able to have ourselves heard by more than just our friends and families. It also offered an easy way for those close to us to aid in our efforts without having direct knowledge of all the details involved. With so many more people aware of our concerns we are confident that this then created a greater, stronger and even louder voice. It also allowed us to provide a resource for those interested in sending form letters, including example letters to councillors and a petition. This helped many people voice their support for our cause. Although we are uncertain of the level of influence this has had, we are gratefirl to all those who have helped us with our efforts and at the end of all of this we will all know that we did everything we could, no matter what the outcome, AKF: Are you surprised by the response that you ^ve gotten by using social mediUf or are you disappointed and why? CUPE: Although most of us deal daily with social media in our personal lives it was still surprising to see the impact that seven Toronto Zoo elephant keepers could have. Our petition received over 1100 signatures in a matter of days, and the Facebook page we host has more than 300 eager followers. It is fair to say that we are happy with the results and in fact believe that it is a powerfiil tool that we all should utilize (if your institutions allow) on an even greater scale. Our only regret is that perhaps we should have taken this fight up sooner, and if we had perhaps we would have been able to secure the funds needed to complete our expansion. AKF: Where do things stand now? What are your hopes for the future? CUPE: As it stands now we are waiting for further discussions and inspections to take place between Toronto Zoo’s management and the PAWS sanctuary. Once more details are secured and assurances are given that no aversive training techniques will be utilized in this movement, the staff will return to preparing the elephants and doing all we can to ensure their safety on the long journey ahead. To learn morCf check out “The Toronto Zoo Elephant Keepers” on Facebool^. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION of zoo KEEPERS We the keepers remain firm on our stance that a firll comparison of ALL facilities including PAWS should be completed. We remain adamant that Toka, Iringa and Thika are owed that by those who have responsibility for their wellbeing. We recognize that it is possible PAWS could in fact prove to be the best choice but the issue remains that without a fair comparison we will never know for certain. What do you think? To comment on this article^ or any other article you read in the AKF, contact the Editor at shane,good@aazk. org. Photo submitted by CUPE Local 1600 16 Animal Keepers 'Forum, Vol 39, No. I You've Heard About It! You've been looking for it! Here It Is! Keeper Profiles - The hilarious DVD that combines the original film clips that dissect the personalities of your fellow keepers with outakes and other footage. Produced by the Southern Ontario AAZK Chapter, all profits from the sale of this DVD go to support AAZK, Inc. and its projects and programs. $15.00 U.S. and Canada (Includes shipping and handling) $17.00 International (Includes shipping and handling) Order from the AAZK website at www.aazk.org (under Shop on the homepage) OR purchase with Visa or Mastercard by calling the AAZK Administrative Offices at 785-273-9149. Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. I 17 Introducing 1.1 Andean Condors {Vultur gryphus) at the Knoxville Zoo By Amy Smith, Bird Keeper III Knoxville Zoological Gardens, Knoxville, TN Background The Knoxville Zoo currently houses 1 . 1 Andean condors. Until 2007, the condors were housed in separate behlen cages with no contact. An older exhibit was retrofitted in October 2007 for better visitor viewing and easier husbandry. This new exhibit has an upper exhibit area and a lower shift area separated by a guillotine door (see photo below for exhibit layout). The upper and lower areas were also separated in the middle by fencing and a movable partition to help with introductions of new pairs. Each condor is shifted daily for exhibit cleaning and maintenance. Our female, Humpty, hatched in 1983 and came to the Knoxville Zoo in 1991. She was hand- reared due to a failed introduction to a California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) surrogate. Our male, Atreyu, hatched in 2003 and came to the zoo in 2007. He appeared to be a very nervous bird and wouldn’t come near keepers. Over the course of the next three years, he became much more comfortable with keepers and would approach the fence to allow keepers to assess his physical condition. The two birds were placed into the exhibit with the partition in place and housed that way for two years and six months. The decision to wait to introduce the two was made because the male was a youngster and staff wanted him to mature. The female exhibited a great deal of aggression through the fencing of the partition usually resulting in the male having bite wounds on his caruncle. Many of the wounds were minor but a few were significant and caused some concern about introductions. The Andean Condor Exhibit at Knoxville Zoo 18 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 Pre-Introduction Andean Condors Displaying to One Another Post-Introduction Andean Condors Sitting on the Same Perch The Figure to the left demonstrates the check sheet researchers used to record the Andean condors’ behaviors. Animal Keepers ’Forum, VoL 39, No. 1 19 Social Behaviors-Events Display (DS) Body is erect with neck stretched and bent so that underside of beak is against chest. Wings are held out but may not be completely extended. The feathers on the underbelly are ruffled. Utters a low clucking sound and makes slight right and left turns. See attached pictures. Proximity (P) Observed bird is within one body length of other bird. Social-Amicable (SA) Bird watches, approaches, touches with beak, walks with other bird. May include nibbling through fence. Social-Negative/Aggressive (SN) Bird chases, rushes, or bites other bird. Contact (CT) Bird touches other bird in a fashion not otherwise defined. Displace (D) Observed bird moves to other birds location while the second bird moves away. Avoid (AV) Observed bird moves away from other bird. Other Action(O) Any other behavior observed. If frequent behavior occurs - or if it seems social in nature - note in comments. Out-of-sight (OU) All of bird (wings, head) cannot be seen Table 1 : Ethogram for Condor Observation Study Pre-introduction Study Before introductions occurred, staff wanted to become more familiar with the condors’ behaviors toward each other. Using an existing observation study as a guide and the help of the zoo’s Conservation Science Coordinator, an observational study was developed to record the interactions between the condors. The goal of the study was to determine whether there were more aggressive behaviors than normal or positive behaviors. These observations were only recorded by zoo volunteers or interns to control for any behaviors displayed as a result of keeper presence. Table 1 illustrates the behaviors being studied and recorded. The ‘other’ event included any actions the condor exhibited that did not include being located within one body length of the other condor. The observations were done at different times of the day and multiple times a day and began in early March 2010. The observers recorded the specified bird’s behavior every 20 seconds for 15 minutes and only one behavior/event was recorded each time. They were also asked to note if there were visitors and/or keepers in the area and how many were present. The check sheet observers used to record the behaviors is shown in Figure 1. The introductions were held off until after the breeding season as a result of advice from other condor keepers. The recorded observations were analyzed in June to make sure the aggressive behaviors were not constant and more positive behaviors were being recorded. The results were very encouraging (see Figure 2). The ‘other’ or ‘out of site’ events were not included in the results because those recordings did not reflect interactions between the condors. The results for the female showed that 84% of the time an interaction was observed, only a ‘proximity’ event occurred (neither a positive or negative event occurred). Our male exhibited practically the same percent of proximity. Many of the comments written by observers stated that the birds were lying next to the fence by each other with no movement. Of the recorded events, ‘social amicable’ or positive behaviors were recorded 10% of the time and ‘social negative’ behaviors were recorded less than 1% of the time. Staff felt that these results demonstrated the condors were interested in being near each other and most of the time they interacted, it was positive. One other event that confirmed our male reaching maturity was the ‘display’ event recordings. Keepers had noted the female displaying often to the male but the male displayed only a few times in return. Flowever, the study demonstrated our male was displaying more often than we thought. After analyzing the data, the decision was made to introduce the condors. 20 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 The Introductions To help offset the aggression the female displayed toward the male, we decided to allow the male to have access to the whole upper exhibit and his shift area while the female was locked in her back shift area. The back shift areas are separated by a fence in the middle. On 23 June 2010, the female was locked in her shift area and the male was given access to the upper exhibit with the partition removed. The male was shifted to the lower area each day to be fed while keepers cleaned the main exhibit. He was given access to his shift area during the day and was seen in there a few times, next to the female. On 1 July at around 1030hrs, the female was shifted into the upper exhibit for the first introduction and the shift area was then closed off to the birds for the remainder of the day. There was a keeper present at all times during all of the initial introductions. In the event that dangerous fighting occurred, there were nets and a water hose placed near the exhibit in order to separate the condors. The exhibit was also filled with plenty of the condors’ favorite enrichment items to entice them to play instead of fight. Keepers wrote down observations in a notebook and met after each day of introductions to discuss what was observed and the plan for the next day. At the end of each introduction, the female was brought into her shift area overnight to avoid any dangerous fighting when keepers were not present. Figure 2: Observation results 9 March 201 0 to 29 June 201 0 The first encounter between the condors was quiet. The second interaction was more intense. The condors faced each other with beaks touching and the female snapped at the male. He moved away from her and she pursued him. The interaction ended with the female chasing him around half of the exhibit with her beak open until he flew up to a perch. She seemed to be content and quiet as long as he stayed on a perch. The male flew down to the ground several times during the day and she would leave him alone for about 30 seconds and then chase him until he returned to a perch. Each time the female approached the male he would back away nervously. Some of the interactions lasted longer with the birds biting at each other, but the female always seemed to exhibit the most dominance. None of the interactions resulted in serious injuries to either bird. The fighting never escalated enough to warrant their separation by keepers. The same process was carried out on 2 July with the same results. There were not many interactions between the condors on the second day. The male continued to exhibit submissive behaviors with the occasional confrontation that always ended with him flying away to a perch. On 3 July, the condors were only together for two hours. The male began to exhibit more dominance by snapping Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 21 and biting back at the female. At one point while she sat on a perch, the female allowed the male to stay on the ground for 10 minutes without approaching him. The condors were separated overnight and remained that way until 6 July, at which time staff was again available to observe introductions at all times. The introductions were uneventful again. The male still appeared to be intimidated by the female and spent most of the day on perches. On 7 July it was decided to allow the condors together without constant observation. The lack of serious fighting reassured us that they were adjusting well to each other. A keeper stayed at the exhibit for 45 minutes after the female went into the exhibit and then left the two alone. Keepers returned often throughout the day to check on the birds. During the initial 45 minutes, the keeper observed the male getting onto a rock in the exhibit to get into a mister that was aimed at a perch where the female sat. He then flew up to the perch at which time she rushed toward him with her beak open and chased him off the perch. Keepers didn’t notice any signs of fighting throughout the day and the birds were seen in different parts of the exhibit. At one point, the birds were observed sitting on the same perch without fighting but not near each other. The birds were checked one last time for injuries and the female was shifted into her lower area overnight. After the success of the previous day, staff decided to allow the condors to stay together overnight 8 July, pending the outcome of the introductions that day. There was not much interaction between the birds when they were let out together in the morning. Keepers again checked on the birds throughout the day and one keeper observed both birds on the ground but not near each other in the afternoon. The female was seen chasing the male away when a mister was turned on and he was observed sitting on a rock getting a mist bath at the end of the day. The two were left together overnight without access to the lower shift areas. There was a fear that the two could get into one of the shift areas and fighting in a small space may have resulted in serious injuries. The next morning the birds were sitting on the same perch and there were no signs of fighting overnight. The birds were then left together at all times except for feeding. Post-introductions The condors have behaved well together. However, there is still some aggression when feeding. If both birds come to the shift doors, the male will bite at her and sometimes she will chase him around until he flies back to a perch. There have not been any significant injuries to either bird at this point. Both have had a few small bites on their faces but none have resulted in veterinary care. They are often seen sitting on the same pereh in close proximity to each other. Figure 3: Observation results 6 July 201 0 to 26 October 2010 22 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 The observational study was continued even after introductions to find out how the condors interacted when they were able to touch each other. The observations were brought to an end on 25 October and the results are illustrated in Figure 3. Once again, the ‘other’ and ‘out of site’ events are not included. From these observations, the condors still seem to be content near each other without movement. This is illustrated by the fact that the ‘proximity’ event was recorded approximately 78% of the time an interaction occurred. Many of the observers noted the condors lying on the ground at the same time without any events. However, there were a few changes in the additional events that are interesting. The percentage of the ‘social amicable’ event decreased to 1% for both condors. At the same time the percentage of ‘social negatives’ increased to 4% and 6% for the female and the male, respectively. The observers noted that half of the ‘social negative’ events were recorded right as the birds were shifted to be fed. The additional social negative events recorded involved the female rushing at the male. His response was to retreat to a perch just as he had done during the initial introductions. Another interesting observation result is the ‘displace’ and ‘avoid’ events. The female’s percentage of the ‘displace’ event increased to 5% while the male’s percentage of the ‘avoid’ event increased to 12%. This is a significant increase given the fact that neither bird had any recorded behaviors in either event prior to the introduction. This is mainly due to the fact that when the female comes near the male, his typical response is to run away from her. A very puzzling observation is that she will sometimes display to him and his response is to avoid her. This brings up another interesting result in the ‘display’ event. The percentages for both condors decreased in this event with zero recorded display events for the male. This could be due to the fact that the observations done before the introductions were done during breeding season and the following observations were not done during breeding season. Even though the observational study has shown some aggression between the two, the condors are doing very well together. As stated before, there has been little indication of any significant fighting and it seems that fighting mainly occurs as the condors are being shifted to be fed. Keepers at other zoos have assured us this behavior is common with condors and fortunately we have the ability to actually separate the two when the food is offered. This allows us to be sure of the amount of food each condor consumes each day. Conclusion For years our Andean condors were housed separately without any physical contact. Once our male became mature, introductions needed to be carried out to allow for the possibility of breeding the condors. An observational study was created to study their behaviors. The study confirmed the condors exhibited positive behaviors toward one another and introductions were started. During the introductions, the female exhibited more aggression toward the male by chasing him around the exhibit until he retreated to a perch. After multiple days without serious fighting, the condors were left together day and night. The observational study continued after introductions and showed that the condors were still spending time near each other but there were more negative behaviors being recorded. We resumed the observations in January 2011 because there were some significant injuries to each bird and we wanted to see if there was an increase in aggressive behaviors. As a next step, the birds will be closely monitored through the breeding season to ensure their safety and determine if they need to be separated again until the end of the season. The observational study has proven to be very beneficial in studying our condors’ behaviors and can easily be transferred to other species in our collection. I would like to thank Jennifer Manrod who helped me design my observational study and trained the volunteers to perform the observations. I would also like to thank San Diego bird keeper Don Sterner for his insight and advice regarding condor introductions. Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 23 The AAZK Behavioral Husbandry Committee Presents Where you can share your training experiences! Training Tales Editors - Jay Pratte, Omaha ’s Henry Doorly Zoo; Kim Kezer, Zoo New England; and Angela Binney, Disney’s Animal Kingdom We want to hear your training stories - the good, the bad and the fabulous! Please submit your “Training Tales” and experiences in operant conditioning to share with Animal Keepers ’ Forum readers. This opportunity provides a convenient outlet for you to exhibit your training challenges, methods and milestones with the AAZK member network. Please submit entries based on the following guidelines: a) Submit a brief description of a training project at your facility. These can be 500 words or less, in text or bullet points - it can be longer (up to 1000 words) if you wish to elaborate; however, short and simple descriptions with a few images are just as perfect. Details should include the following: 1 . Define the training goal (what did you try to do and for what purpose?) 2. List important steps (How did you do it - include plans that changed along the way/ what worked & what didn’t work) 3. Timeline used (how long did it take) 4. Tips you learned along the way b) Include 1-2 digital photos (300 dpi or greater) that clearly depict the animal in the learning process or performing the desired goal (list source and photographer of each image). Please send entries or questions to: Jay Pratte at iavp@omahazoo.com (use Training Tales Entry as the subject). Happy Training! How Penguins Time Their Dives Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) "time" their dives by the number of flaps they can manage with their wings. This is according to a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. It aimed to show how the birds reached the "decision" that it was time to stop feeding and return to the surface to breathe. Tracking the birds revealed that they flapped their wings, on average, 237 times on each dive. The study was led by Dr Kozue Shiomi, from the University of Tokyo, Japan. Dr Shiomi and his team think that the penguins' decision to end their foraging dive and return to the surface is constrained by how much power their muscles can produce after every pre-dive breath. This "flying" motion propels the birds forwards, allowing them to swim quickly through the water, gulping fish. Using data collected from diving penguins on previous field trips, the team analysed the patterns of more than 15,000 penguin dives. (Continued on Page 25, See Penguins) 24 Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 Do Not Miss The Chance to Win A FREE 2012 Conference Registration! Submit your training and enrichment articles to AKF for either Enrichment Options or Training Tales columns and earn a chance for a complementary registration to the 2012 AAZK National Conference in Syracuse, New York. The AAZK Behavioral Husbandry Committee will choose one article at random from those published between July 2011 through May 2012 in the Animal Keepers ’Forum Enrichment Options or Training Tales columns. The lucky author will be awarded a FREE 2012 conference registration. The winning author will be notified by June 2012. Only one gratis conference registration will be awarded no matter how many authors are on the paper - designation of which author of a multiple- author paper is to receive the free registration is not the responsibility of AAZK or the AAZK Behavioral Husbandry Committee. The winning registration is non-transferable and has no cash value, so if the chosen author is unable to utilize the FREE registration another author will be selected by the Committee. Email your articles to: shane.good@aazk.org. For Enrichment Options submit to Julie Hartell- DeNardo at ishartell@vahoo.com or Ric Kotarsky at rkotarskv@tulsazoo.org. For Training Tales email Jay Pratt at iavp@omahazoo.com. Submissions should be submitted in MS Word only. Photos should be 300 dpi jpgs or tifs attached to the email. Be sure to include proper photo credit for each photo and suggested captions are appreciated. Submit now for your chance to win a FREE Conference 2012 Registration! (Penguins Continued) They studied 10 free-ranging birds and three birds that were foraging through a hole in the ice. Timing the penguins' dives revealed that free-ranging birds began their final ascent to the surface about 5.7 minutes into their dive. But penguins diving through the ice hole often dived for longer before performing a U-tum and returning up through the same ice hole. Examining the acceleration patterns of the penguins as they dived, the team managed to calculate that all the birds used, on average, 237 wing flaps before starting their ascent. "We suggest", the team concluded in their paper, "that the decision [to return] was constrained not by elapsed time, but by the number of strokes and, thus, perhaps cumulative muscle work." Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/16076390 8 December 2011. Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 25 Animal Investigators: How the World ^s First Wildlife Forensics Lab is Solving Crimes and Saving Endangered Species By Laurel A. Neme University Press of Florida, 15 Northwest 15th Street, Gainesville, FL 32611-2079 ISBN 978-0-8130-3562-8 Paperback, 230 pp. $19.95 Review by Brett Bannor, Atlanta, Georgia In Animal Investigators, author Laurel Neme pulls no punches; she gives names. Oh, she makes up aliases for a few undercover investigators all right, but when in the chapter entitled “Buyer Beware” she notes that a long time director of a major American zoo purchased Amazonian tribal art that contained illegally exported parts from endangered species — including feathers from harpy eagles— she identifies the man and his zoo. I’m not going to repeat the name; if you don’t already know who it is you’ll have to go to the source to find out. Ratting out wayward zoo directors is not the focus of the book, of course. Animal Investigators is not so much the story of who gets caught in illegal wildlife trafficking, but how they get caught. Neme’s volume is a description of the people and processes at work at the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Oregon. The book’s introduction spells out nicely just how the lab came into existence in the 1980s. It’s not surprising that a special wildlife forensics lab was necessary, because human crime labs simply couldn’t devote time to examining ivory, claws, and feathers to see if wildlife smuggling had occurred; after all, the human labs were busy trying to solve murders, as shown on about a half dozen current television dramas. Also out of the question was taking wildlife evidence to museums or universities for the experts there to examine. A solid forensics case depends on agents being able to defend in court against charges that evidence could be tainted or contaminated, and to successfully make such a defense, required that animal parts not be sent to outside contractors. No, the USFWS needed its own forensics unit so that there would be an unbroken, recorded chain of custody to satisfy the legal process. Animal Investigators focuses on three separate matters handled by the forensics lab. The first section of the book deals with walrus hunting off Alaska’s west coast. This is followed by a consideration of the problem of bear gallbladders sold on the black market for medicinal use. Finally, the last third of the book focuses on the Amazonian artifacts, which often contain feathers from scarlet macaws, claws from jaguars, and other parts from protected wildlife. I confess that in the walrus account, I found the nuts and bolts of forensics — how the investigators overcame the problems inherent in conducting necropsies of bloated carcasses on the beach — far less engaging than the discussion of the legal and sociological matters involved in walrus hunting. Specifically, the Marine Mammal Protection Act allows the native coastal cultures of Alaska to kill walruses as long as they aren’t “wasteful” in their hunting practices. In other words, the local tribes can take walrus tusks to make artifacts, and even to sell them — but they cannot simply kill a walrus and only take the tusks; they are required to procure enough meat, blubber, and organs from the big animals to satisfy a “non-wasteful” standard. The book notes that there were issues defining exactly how much of the carcass needs to be harvested so that the taking can be considered a subsistence hunt. This matter was made particularly vexing because different groups of Native Alaskans differ in 26 Animal Keepers ’ Forum, Vol 39, No. 1 their use of a walrus, so that, for example, while one village prized the livers as food, another did not; one village valued flippers, another did not. The take away lesson of the walrus section was, for me at least, less about forensics than about the importance of communicating with all parties involved in complicated wildlife issues. The second portion of the book is essential reading not just for anyone interested in forensic science, but also for those passionate about bear conservation. As commonly known among wildlife protection enthusiasts, killing of bears is rampant for their gallbladders, or more precisely, the bile contained in these organs. A main point to retain from the bear discussion in Animal Investigators is that the medicinal value of bear bile is not just an old wives’ tale — ^the substance actually is anti- inflammatory, anti-microbial, and fever-reducing. Neme notes that the chemically S3mthesized form of bear bile acid is used to dissolve gallstones, and to treat cancers and liver cirrhosis. Obviously, since the extract of Ursid gall bladders is effective for a variety of ailments, one cannot hope to end the bear slaughter in the same way we might if it was pure snake oil, that is, by eradicating superstition through better education. So conservationists are up against that — but as the book thoroughly details, at least the methods developed by the scientists in the USFWS forensics unit are helping to prosecute violators of the law. The problem facing the forensics folks was simple, the solution complex. If someone is arrested with a stash of gallbladders, how can it be determined with certainty that the organs come from bears? The gallbladders of pigs are quite similar, and while a seller of pig gallbladders might be guilty of fraud if he represents them as coming out of a bear, there is in such case no illicit taking of bears involved, which is the forensics lab’s main concern. One might think a standard DNA test would determine whether the part is pig or bear; alas, such tests don’t work because of the corrosive nature of bile. Neme painstakingly describes how the lab employed techniques known as thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to separate chemical components and highlight acids peculiar to bear bile. Such tests could determine whether a gallbladder was from a bear or not, with sufficient accuracy to satisfy scientific scrutiny and — more important to the topic of the book — also reliable enough to withstand any challenges of an accused’s attorney. (I should mention that for purposes of the discussion here, we’re assuming bear gallbladders gathered, sold, or processed illegally — ^but as Neme makes clear, this is a convoluted issue because of farmed bears and those taken legally from the wild.) Already I’ve mentioned a bit about the book’s third section, the illegal exports of harpy eagle feathers and other wildlife parts from Brazil. Mostly this section follows a long term investigation and subsequent arrest of a Florida man who imported an astonishing amount of contraband goods, but Fd rather mention a brief anecdote Neme writes about a similar case, as it demonstrates the vigilant nature of USFWS agents — and the foolishness of some of the people they take down. In March of 2003, the co-owners of an upscale art gallery in Chicago proudly showed off their collection of ivory carvings, feathered artifacts, and other items for an article in the home and garden section of the Chicago Tribune. As luck would have it, a USFWS agent saw the article and apparently the text and photos convinced him that these items were likely not legal imports. The next month, the gallery owners returned from a buying trip to China; when customs agents at O’ Hare Airport searched their baggage they found still more ivory carvings and a comb made from a sea turtle shell. Two days later, a search of their home turned up artifacts containing parts of threatened and endangered species having a value of one million dollars. Prosecutors called it “one of the largest seizures ever in the U.S. of such artifacts.” One guesses that if the art gallery owners had it to do over again they would behave as many Chicago politicians do, and when the Tribune called said “No comment.” Laurel Neme is, according to the biographical sketch on the back of the book, an environmental journalist rather than a scientist. I mention this because the animal care professional reading this book will note a few zoological misstatements here and there. Discussing Amazonian fauna on page 132, she refers to the night monkey as “a white-haired ape” as though there is no difference between Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 27 a monkey and an ape. She also writes on page 156 that “most birds possess about five thousand feathers”, a statement that had me rushing to the nearest ornithology text to confirm that swans have over 25 thousand feathers and most songbirds have between two and four thousand. Alas, Neme’s odd feather tally carries no citation, so who knows where she got her information. Not to dwell, but this book is put out by an academic publisher rather than a general interest publisher, so it is especially disappointing to find such errors creep into the text. Overall, however. Animal Investigators tells an important story well. There is an appalling amount of illegal trade in wildlife parts — the book notes, for example, that a shipment of 6.5 tons of contraband ivory was seized in Singapore in 2002 — and it is wise for animal care professionals to know the widespread nature of the problem and the laudable efforts of the people trying to stop it. Writing this book is a feather in Laurel Neme’s cap — and I’m sure that unlike naughty zoo directors, the feather won’t be from an endangered harpy eagle. A Message from the International Rhino Foundation Every single day, another rhino is killed in South Africa... Poachers are exterminating rhino after rhino, solely for their horns. RJiino horn, made of keratin (the same material that makes up your hair and fingernails), sells on the black market for prices equivalent to diamonds and gold, for use in traditional Asian medicine. As the demand for rhino horn in China, Vietnam, and other Asian countries increases, poaching rates in southern Africa have soared sky high. More than 400 rhinos have been lost this year in South Africa alone. Responding to high demand and high prices, poaching gangs are becoming more sophisticated, more vicious and much harder to catch. South African authorities estimate that only 3% of rhino poachers are convicted - they are literally getting away with murder. But there are thousands of dedicated, passionate rangers in South Africa and Zimbabwe, standing in between the rhinos and the poachers. Try to imagine that you are one of the brave rangers committed to protecting these beautiful animals. You’ve agreed to spend weeks at a time on patrol in the bush, away from your home and family, to monitor rhinos and to protect them from poachers. You’re tasked with tracking and arresting poachers, often without even basic equipment like binoculars, radios, GPS, flashlights, or tents. And you’re facing well-organized criminal gangs armed with machine guns, sophisticated animal tracking equipment, and even small planes. It’s an unbelievably difficult and dangerous job, and yet, every day, hundreds of rangers in Zimbabwe and South Africa put their lives on the line to protect rhinos - and they need our help. The project is simple. The impact is big. The poaching losses in Africa are heartbreaking. Every day, we see pictures of rhinos with their horns cut off, left to bleed to death on the ground. But there is hope. Rhinos are resilient, and the tireless rangers working to protect them will not give up. With just a little help, we can paint a different picture - of healthy rhino moms with newborn calves, and of rhino populations growing and spreading out across southern Africa. 2011 has been a tough year for rhinos, but 2012 doesn’t have to be. Help us make 2012 “The Year of the Rhino,” and create a safer world for African rhinos. 28 Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 Second Call for Papers The Rosamond Gifford Zoo AAZK Chapter is pleased to host the 2012 National AAZK Conference from September 23-27, 2012. The Conference theme “On the Path Toward Conservation” will highlight in-situ conservation efforts, research projects and programs that encourage visitors to protect wildlife and wild places. We will be accepting abstracts for the following categories: Papers: I Syracuse On The Path Toward Conservation Authors will be allowed 15 minutes for a presentation with five minutes of Q & A immediately following. Abstracts should focus on the conference theme or innovative approaches to zoo keeping including animal welfare, conservation, husbandry, education and training. Posters: Posters will be on display throughout the conference with a scheduled Q & A session to be determined. Guidelines for Abstracts: Abstracts should be no more than 250 words and submitted as a Microsoft Word document via e-mail to submissions@rgzaazk.org. Please include the following information: • Name of authors and presenter • Institution / Affiliation • Position / Title • Title of Work (please specify poster or paper) • AV requirements • Contact information (please include e-mail) Deadline for Abstracts is May 1, 2012 Authors will be notified, regarding acceptance, by June 1, 2012. All papers must be received by July 15, 2012 to be included in the conference program. For more information on the 2012 National AAZK Conference, please visit our website at www.rgzaazk.org See You in Syracuse! Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 29 Prehensile-tailed Porcupine Anesthesia Crate By Stef ante Begin, Animal Keeper Disney Animal Kingdom Lake Buena Vista, Florida The Idea As with other zoological intuitions, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is no stranger to working through the unique sets of challenges that come with the husbandry and training of program animals. We are constantly searching for new ways to improve our practices, and create working relationships with animals and keepers alike. One area we are always looking to advance is the catching and restraining of our presentation animals in terms of veterinarian procedures. In this article we describe a way to safely and securely prepare our prehensile-tailed porcupine {Coendou prehensilis) “Peri” for veterinary exams, while allowing the animal/keeper trust to remain intact. Our prehensile-tailed porcupine participates in primarily two types of guest presentations. The first is a semi-formal presentation on our outdoor stage, in which she is released from a transport crate onto a perch. [Fig.l] The second presentation is centered around a small group of guests, where the porcupine is asked to station on a tree stump. Because “Peri” is in close proximity to guests and keepers, it is important to avoid as many negative situations as possible. To reduce the stress of veterinary exam catch ups, an anesthesia crate was designed and developed specifically with the prehensile-tailed porcupine in mind. Fig. 1 Prehensile-tailed porcupine on the outdoor stage. Photo by Laura Morgan ‘Peri’ Fig. 2 Anesthesia crate with doors open Photo by Stefanie Begin The Plan The anesthesia crate [Fig. 2] is constructed out of Comers Limited Caging® that had been reused from a previous exhibit. Its dimensions were considered using the width and length of our 4.5 kg female and measures approximately 43.2 cm x 25.4 cm x 30.5 cm (17”xl0”xl2”). The anesthesia crate design allows for the porcupine to be accessed fi'om almost every angle. The front and rear doors provide the animal with enough room to walk directly through the crate without allowing the animal to turn around. There is also an access panel on the top and left side of the crate. These doors are used exclusively to remove the porcupine quickly if need be. The right side of the crate is constmcted from clear plexi glass. This wall is on a movable track and acts to physically restrain the animal if desired. The restraint wall is adjustable with a drop down pin that locks into the crate flooring, thus preventing smaller animals from turning around. The crate floor is cut from plastic lumber and has numerous holes which allow the restraint wall to be locked in place. The rear door does not completely reach the floor, and is fashioned so that the entire tail is outside of the crate. This permits an injection to be administered towards the base of the tail safely, without the risk of being quilled. [Fig. 3] 30 Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 Fig. 3 Tail injection with porcupine in crate. Photo by Stefanie Begin The support table [Fig. 4] is assembled utilizing a metal shelving unit and plastic lumber for the table top (the top measures 91.4 cm x 40.6 cm or Fig- 4 Anesthesia crate table. 36”xl6”). This oversized table creates extra space Photo by stefame Begm that is used as both an entry and exit platform. Wheels were added to the table legs to allow for easy mobility. The anesthesia crate is not attached to the table, which makes the entry or exit platform adjustable to the individual porcupines needs. The Training To begin training this behavior, “Peri” was first crate trained. Once this behavior was established, the keeper would hold the transport crate up to the entry platform. All doors were open, and food was placed inside to encourage her to explore and enter the anesthesia crate. Gradually, baiting was phased out, and the anesthesia crate doors could be opened and closed with little response from the porcupine. [Fig. 5] After she was completely comfortable inside the closed crate, a veterinarian technician was introduced to the session and manipulation of the tail began. Eventually, the time between Fig. 5 “Peri” the prehensile-tailed porcupine in the anesthesia crate. Photo by Stefanie Begin “Peri” continued to receive food reinforcement at keeper discretion. Peri” entering the crate and receiving a food reward grew slightly longer to allow for potential injection time. To exit the anesthesia crate, the front door is opened and the porcupine enters her transport crate from the exit platform. The Results Due to “Peri’s” willingness to participate in veterinary exams, the restraint wall has never been used, however still remains in place should it be necessary in the future. This anesthesia crate has allowed for safe successful injections with minimal stress to both the porcupine and keepers. Peri eagerly entered the anesthesia crate just two days after her annual exam and has continued to perform this behavior consistently. Training for and implementing the anesthesia crate, rather than Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 31 using traditional methods of catch up, prevented the breakdown of behaviors necessary to have a comfortable and agreeable presentation animal. Acknowledgement I would like to thank Zoological Managers Jamie Sincage and Vance Alford for all of their help with the design and fabrication of the anesthesia crate, as well as Veterinarian Technician Dianna Conyers for the numerous training sessions required to complete this behavior. Thank You! Comers Limited Caging® 841 Gibson Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49001 www.comerslimited.com The Science Behind Coral Bleaching Australian scientists have thrown new light on the mechanism behind the mass death of corals worldwide as the Earth’s climate warms. Coral bleaching, one of the most devastating events affecting coral reefs around the planet, is triggered by rising water temperatures. It occurs when the corals and their symbiotic algae become heat-stressed, and the algae which feed the corals either die or are expelled by the coral. There have been seven major bleaching events globally in the past 30 years, the most recent being in 2010 across the Indian Ocean and Coral Triangle. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has suffered eight events since 1980, the worst being in 2002 when 55% of the total reef area was affected. The frequency of these events appears to be increasing. Now a team of scientists from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University has shown that a complex cascade of molecular signals leading up to the self- inflicted death of corals and their symbiotic algae is triggered as sea water begins to warm. Working with Acropora corals from the reef at Heron Island, the researchers found the cascade begins at ocean temperatures as much as 3 degrees lower than those normally associated with coral bleaching. And the process culminates in ‘apoptosis’ or programmed cell-death - a situation in which living organisms (including corals and humans) deliberately destroy their weakened or infected body cells, effectively a form of ‘cell suicide’ or amputation designed to protect the organism as a whole. “Our results suggest that the control of apoptosis is highly complex in the coral-algae symbiosis and that apoptotic cell death cascades potentially play key roles in tipping the cellular life or death balance during environmental stress prior to the onset of coral bleaching,” explains lead author Dr Tracy Ainsworth. “It is also clear that this chain reaction responds significantly to subtle, daily changes in the environment and to sea temperatures which were generally thought till now to have little impact on the function of coral and its symbiotic algae.” Paradoxically, the team’s research identified molecular signals both promoting and discouraging programmed cell-death in the corals. This has led them to a theory that corals respond to the stresses caused by warming sea water by killing off some of the cells, while strengthening others in order to stage a possible recovery after the hot water has moved off the reef and conditions have returned to normal. “This would explain why some corals are able to recover quite quickly from a bleaching event, if it has not gone too far. “It is far too early to speculate, but understanding the recovery process for any living organism is always a big help, as human medicine has constantly demonstrated. Dr Ainsworth says. “The next step in our research will be to see how we can use this new insight into the processes of coral bleaching to understand their recovery mechanisms. We also need to know more about how this process works at lower temperatures, or under varying temperatures. “That in turn will lead us to explore ways that coral reef managers and users can perhaps minimise other stresses on the reef in order to give it the best possible chance of recovery from bleaching.” However the team cautions that “further study of the tissue function and cellular differentiation and recovery processes in coral is needed before this complicated cell death system can be fully understood”. Source: http://www.sciencecodex.com/read/corals_can_sense_whats_coming-81814 18 Nov 2011 32 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 Reaching out for Enrichment in Arboreal Monitor Lizards By Robert fK Mendyk Supervisor of Animal Husbandry and Exhibits Center for Science Teaching and Learning Rockville Centre^ NY odatriad@yahoo» com Introduction Mendyk and Horn (201 1) recently described an insightfiil foraging behavior in the black tree monitor, {Varanus beccarii), in which the lizards use highly coordinated, reaching forelimb movements to extract prey from inside tree holes that are too narrow to enter with the head and jaws. Analogous to a foraging technique used by the Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) to extract insect larvae from inside trees (e.g., Erickson, 1994), this behavior in the black tree monitor requires complex problem solving abilities, concentration, and fine motor coordination, thus making it a worthy candidate for exploring its application in monitor lizard husbandry as enrichment (Mendyk and Horn, 2011). This article briefly describes two simplistic enrichment devices for use in zoos and related facilities which promote extractive foraging in arboreal monitor lizards of the {Varanus prasinus) species complex. Materials and Methods Drilled tree trunk Modifying the original experimental apparatus described by Mendyk and Horn (2011) to offer greater foraging opportunities, 15 holes of varying depths (15 to 75 mm) and diameters (13 to 50 mm) were drilled into a 13 cm thick tree trank placed inside the terrarium of an adult male black tree monitor (Fig. 1 ). Some of the holes were wide enough for the monitor to insert its head into, whereas others were not. Mealworms {Zophobas morio), crickets, cockroaches (Blaptica dubia), and neonatal mice were periodically offered to the monitor by randomly placing prey items inside different holes within the trunk. Pig j Holes of varying depths and diameters were Iransparent acrylic cube drilled into a tree trunk As a way of promoting further mental and physical stimulation, a transparent cube measuring 512 cm^ was constructed from 6 mm thick acrylic (Fig. 2). Two small 5 mm holes were drilled into five of the six sides to allow for scent detection of prey. A 1 5 mm wide hole was drilled centrally in the sixth side, which was fastened to the cube with transparent tape allowing easy keeper access to its contents. Neonatal mice or mealworms were periodically placed inside the cube atop the terrarium substrate for the monitor to retrieve with its forelimbs. Animal Keepers 'Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 33 Results and Discussion The common practice of feeding monitor lizards at the same location within the enclosure day after day can potentially produce two undesirable conditioned responses. First, it may lead to keeper-directed feeding aggression which can be potentially dangerous for keepers, especially when dealing with larger species. Alternatively, it can produce lethargic animals that sit and wait to be hand-fed rather than actively pursue and search for food in their enclosure as they normally would in the wild. In this study, feeding the black tree monitor at different locations within its enclosure and alternating usage of the drilled tree trunk as well as each individual tree hole has markedly reduced feeding aggression. Although no quantitative data were collected on the effectiveness Fig. 2 The transparent, acrylic of drilled tree trunks in increasing activity levels in black tree feeder cube, monitors, Mendyk and Horn (2011) noted that drilled tree trunks left within the enclosures of captives resulted in observable increases in activity levels and interest in the tree holes that still persisted weeks after experimental trials of the behavior had concluded. Observations of the black tree monitor interacting with the modified apparatus in this study corroborate these general findings (Fig. 3). As widely foraging predators, it is likely that arboreal monitor lizards routinely investigate holes and crevices in trees during daily foraging activities in the wild (Mendyk and Horn, 2011). Thus, facilitating the expression of this behavior in captivity may add a further natural element to their husbandry. The acrylic cube apparatus provides stimulation in several ways. Like the drilled tree trunk, retrieving prey from inside the cube requires insight, concentration, and skilled hand-eye motor coordination. The cube is also small and lightweight, which enables the monitor to manipulate and reposition it as it searches for a way to access the prey. This often involves pushing the cube around the floor of the enclosure (Fig. 4) or lifting and occasionally flipping it over on to a different side, providing further mental and tactile stimulation and requiring a new solution for solving the foraging task. While the cube can very easily be constructed from other materials, the transparency of the acrylic has important advantages over non-transparent materials. Monitor lizards possess acute chemoreception (e.g., Auffenberg, 1981) and are excellent at locating buried or hidden prey through olfaction (e.g., Auffenberg, 1994; Blamires, 2004); however, sometimes when prey is detected through olfaction but cannot be seen or immediately accessed, a monitor will lose interest and abandon pursuit of the prey item (pers. obs.). By maintaining visibility of the prey item at all times, the monitor remains focused on the prey concealed within the apparatus and the task at hand. With six transparent sides but only one access point, this device complicates the foraging task that the monitor must solve in order to retrieve the prey. As would be expected, it took the black tree monitor in this study considerably longer to successfully extract prey from this apparatus than from the drilled tree holes, and in some cases the monitor wasn't able to retrieve the prey at all even after several days. Although only tested sparingly in this study, with experience, the time required to solve this foraging problem will likely decrease given the impressive learning abilities and memory capacities Fig. 3 The black tree monitor enjoying its enrichment option 34 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol 39, No. 1 of monitors, especially when presented with food-driven tasks (Loop, 1976; Manrod et al, 2008; Gaalema, 2011). Since this foraging tactic has also been noted in arboreal species closely related to K beccarii (unpub. dat.), both enrichment devices described in this report should appeal to a range of species. Furthermore, due to the simplicity of these devices, both can easily and inexpensively be incorporated into existing captive management programs for these species. Forelimb-assisted extractive foraging has yet to be observed in any monitors outside the V. prasinus pjg 4 xhe feeder cube gets some heavy use, which includes the species complex, although monitor pushing the cube around the exhibit, it is certainly possible that other taxa may possess similar abilities (Mendyk and Horn, 2011), to which kindred approaches to enrichment can be applied. For instance, instead of narrow holes drilled into tree trunks, terrestrial or rock-dwelling species could benefit from devices that are designed to resemble or function more like small animal burrows or rock crevices. Experimentation with various derivatives of this concept can lead to the development of taxon-appropriate forms of enrichment. Moreover, in addition to improving the lives of captives, offering novel enrichment stimuli could lead to the discovery of new and fascinating behaviors which can shed fiirther light on the behavioral complexity, learning capacity, and intelligence of monitor lizards. Acknowledgments - 1 would like to thank Lauren Augustine and Megan Baumer for usefiil discussions on monitor lizard enrichment, George Sunter for providing useful literature, and Hans-Georg Horn and Uwe Krebs for useful discussions on monitor lizard behavior and cognition. References Auffenberg, W. 1981. The Behavioral Ecology of the Komodo Monitor. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. 406 pp. Auffenberg, W. 1994. The Bengal Monitor. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. 560 pp. Blamires, S.J. 2004. Habitat preferences of coastal goannas (Varanus panoptes): Are they exploiters of sea turtle nests at Fog Bay, Australia? Copeia 2004: 370-377. Erickson, C.J. 1994. Tap-scanning and extractive foraging in Aye- Ayes., Daubentonia madagascariensis. Folia Primatologica 62: 125-135. Gaalema, D.E. 2011. Visual discrimination and reversal learning in rough-necked monitor lizards {Varanus rudicollis). Journal of Comparative Psychology 125(2): 246-249. Loop, M. 1976. Auto-shaping - A simple technique for teaching a lizard to perform a visual discrimination task. Copeia 1976: 574-576. Manrod, J.D., R. Hartdegen and G.M. Burghardt, 2008. Rapid solving of a problem apparatus by Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol 39, No. 1 35 juvenile black-throated monitor lizards {Varanus albigularis albigularis). Animal Cognition 11(2): 267-273. Mendyk, R.W. and H.-G. Horn. 2011. Skilled forelimb movements and extractive foraging in the arboreal monitor lizard {Varanus beccarii) (Doria, 1847). Herpetological Review 42(3): 343-349. BHC Comments by Enrichment Options Co-Editor Julie Hartell-DeNardo: Thanks Robert for sharing your paper with the AAZK membership! This paper is an excellent example of a successful goal directed enrichment initiative. Starting with research into the species’ natural history and natural behaviors; then designing a plan working towards encouraging a specific behavioral goal; while utilizing observations to assess the success of the enrichment in reaching the specified goal. The variability of differing depths and width of holes drilled into tree trunk initiative adds great potential for increasing the challenge for an animal as its skills of extracting food from the device improve with experience. Your notes on why you chose a transparent tube rather than an opaque one are another example of using natural history and individual observations to promote the success of an enrichment idea. It would be fascinating to see if painting one or more of the sides of the box affects the amount of time an animal spends engaged or degree of manipulation an animal invests in interacting with this object. Lastly, your extrapolation of applications for this behavioral goal towards other, less arboreal species is a great example of how many enrichment ideas can be easily translated to use with other species when creative minds are on the task. Thanks again Robert, I greatly enjoyed your paper! Bowling for Rhinos Added to Mother Earth Fund Raising Site Bowling for Rhinos was added to the Mother Earth fundraising site as a beneficiary. 25% will go to BFR if the shopper chooses us. To view or shop go to: www.motherearthfundraising.com and choose “American Association of Zoo Keepers- Bowling For Rhinos” as the organization. How It Works: Mother Earth Fundraising features eco-friendly products that supporters purchase to benefit your group. Mother Earth Fundraising is a responsible fundraising alternative for schools & non-profits. Features include: • Exclusively eco-friendly products • Eco-ffiendly packaging for all orders • Web-Only Option (NO catalogs/order forms) • Carbon offsets for all orders • They utilize technology to avoid waste • Creates eco-awareness 36 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 Research in Practice by Becky Richendollar Catnip and Cinnamon in Small Felids Oncilla cats (Leopardus tigrinus) are small cats found in Brazil, weighing between 1.75 and 3.5 kg. The species is listed as Vulnerable by the lUCN and not a lot is known about their behavior in the wild. In the past, zoos have had poor success in breeding Oncilla cats. At the Reproduction Center for Small Felids in the Rio de Janeiro Zoo, researchers are trying to find ways to help the cats engage in more naturalistic behaviors through the use of environmental enrichment. The hope is that encouraging natural behaviors will help the cats behave in a more natural way and improve reproductive success. In this study, researchers used two different scents in the cats’ enclosures and then recorded the cats’ behavior. The cats’ behavior was recorded using cameras, allowing researchers to take data around the clock instead of just during normal working hours when researchers were present. Data were collected over a period of two months on eight individual cats. Each animal was observed for 360 hours. Baseline data were collected over a period of three consecutive days. After the three days, 1 g of dried cinnamon was put into the cats’ enclosures among the alfalfa and wood chips. The 1 g of cinnamon was put in once a day for three days. During the subsequent three days, post- enrichment data were taken to analyze the effects of the cinnamon after it was no longer being placed in the enclosure. At this point in the experiment the researchers waited thirty days to allow the cinnamon to completely clear away. Then the next phase of the experiment began with researchers placing 1 g of dried catnip in each of the cats’ enclosures. This also was placed once a day for three days, followed by the three days of post-enrichment data collection. After analyzing the data, it was discovered that there was a significant difference in pacing behavior before, during, and after the introduction of the cinnamon. Cats paced less once cinnamon was introduced and for three days thereafter. This suggests that the benefit of this enrichment is prolonged. Researchers found no significant difference in pacing behavior before, during, or after the addition of the catnip to the enclosures. The authors were surprised by this finding but suggested that it could be due to individual animals’ preferences or the way in which the catnip was presented. Having used pacing as a measure of animal welfare in this study, the researchers conclude that olfactory enrichment can positively affect animal welfare as it decreases pacing behavior. This study is extremely usefiil for keepers of all felids as it provides good data that suggest inexpensive, olfactory enrichment can improve animal welfare. Practical Applications for Zookeepers • Adding Ig of cinnamon to the exhibit can reduce pacing behavior in Oncilla cats {Leopardus tigrinus). Keepers may wish to incorporate such an inexpensive and readily available form of enrichment for these and other felids. • Adding cinnamon to the exhibit can affect pacing behavior for up to three days after the scent is introduced. • Catnip did not affect pacing behavior in this study, so it may not be the best choice to address stereotypical behavior in Oncilla cats and other felids. • Keepers may wish to explore adding other scents, but be aware that not all scents will reduce stereotypical behaviors. Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 37 To view the complete article: Leticia de S. Resende, Karla C. Pedretti Gomes, Artur Andriolo, Gelson Genaro, Gabriella L. Remy & Valdir de Almeida Ramos Junior (2011): Influence of Cinnamon and Catnip on the Stereotypical Pacing of Oncilla Cats {Leopardus tigrinus) in Captivity, Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 14:3, 247-25 Using Video as Environmental Enrichment This study aimed to discover if video can be an effective form of environmental enrichment for gorillas {Gorilla gorilla gorilla). Four silverback gorillas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom were shown six different types of video and their attention and response to the videos were recorded. The four gorillas range in age from 15-27 years and live together in a large naturalistic enclosure. This enclosure faces the exhibit of another gorilla group that at the time of this study contained one adult male and three adult females. Data were collected each morning while the silverbacks were separated into their individual holding areas. During data collection, a television on a cart was wheeled in front of each of the animals and a ten- minute video was played. There were 6 ten-minute videos. (1) blue screen; (2) a video depicting humans in the park; (3) video of the all male group at DAK engaged in “low activity” such as walking, eating, and being inactive; (4) video of the mixed sex group at DAK engaged in “low activity”; (5) video of the all male group at DAK engaged in agonistic behaviors such as chest beating, standing in a stiff stance, and charging; and (6) video of the mixed sex group at DAK engaged in agonistic behaviors. All videos were shown with the sound off and the videos depicting the gorilla groups were edited to give each individual gorilla the same amount of time on the screen to account for reactions to individuals. Data were collected during the months of September-December 2008 and two of the four silverbacks were randomly chosen each morning to participate in the study. Each of the videos was randomly chosen as well and each gorilla viewed each of the six videos on flve separate occasions, giving each of the four gorillas thirty test sessions. As seen in other primate species, in this study the gorillas did pay attention to the videos. They also paid more attention to the videos depicting gorillas and humans than the control blue screen video, so they were interested in actual activity on the screen and not just the screen itself. Three of the four gorillas showed a significant increase in attention to the videos depicting gorillas. It is interesting to note that the one animal who spent more time watching the human videos was hand reared away from a gorilla group. His attention to the human videos may reflect on his early experience of being raised by humans. The oldest of the four gorillas spent the least amount of time watching the videos, while the youngest gorilla had the highest viewing times. This could suggest that older animals have less interest in videos as enrichment. Interestingly, this group of gorillas showed a significant preference for watching the videos depicting agonistic behaviors such as chest beating and charging. Specifically, they preferred watching video of the mixed sex group that is housed in the exhibit across from them. While these videos caused more reactions in the silverbacks watching the videos, it did not increase agonistic behaviors within the group. In addition, observing these agonistic behaviors on screen did not increase the gorilla’s stress responses of pacing or fleeing from the screen. There was not a significant decrease in interest in the videos depicting gorillas. However, there was a sharp decline in interest in the human video, suggesting that these gorillas prefer watching video of their own species. The researchers conclude that “video depicting gorilla behavior is a valuable and cost-effective enrichment tool that promotes positive welfare”. 38 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 Practical Applications for Zookeepers • Videos can be used as an inexpensive form of environmental enriehment. • Gorillas and perhaps other species prefer watching videos of their own species. • Gorillas and perhaps other species prefer watching videos that show animals engaged in agonistic behavior. • Videos depicting agonistic behavior do not increase the incidence of agonistic behavior within the group watching the videos; nor does it increase the anxiety response in the group. • Keepers should network with one another to share videos between zoos so that gorillas are able to observe multiple types of gorilla groups. • It may be easier for keepers to get quality video images and more difficult for them to get high quality sound when they film. The videos used in this study did not include sound. Since videos without sound were found to be effective, this limitation should not be a barrier for keepers who wish to share videos of their gorillas with other institutions. • Similarly, excerpts from documentaries that include video of gorillas (but not humans) might also be useful for the purposes of emichment. Use of the video without sound would mean that any narration would not be an impediment to use. To view the complete article: Margaret A. Maloney, Katherine A. Leighty, Christopher W. Kuhar & Tamara L. Hettinger (2011): Behavioral Responses of Silverback Gorillas {Gorilla gorilla gorilla) to Videos, Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 14:2, 96-108 Exhibit Space and Female Tigers Although tigers (Panthera tigris) are considered solitary animals in the wild, the authors of this article suggest that zoos should not assume that tigers need to be kept solitarily. This study evaluated the behavior of six tigers during a time when they had reduced time in their outdoor exhibit due to renovation. The authors collected data both before and after the renovations took place, as well as during renovation. The six tigers are normally housed in two large outdoor enclosures during the day and brought into a smaller holding area at night. During the time of renovation, one of the two exhibits was unavailable. During this time, the tigers were still split into two groups, but they spent only half the day on the exhibit and half the day in the holding area. Thus, their time in holding was increased by four hours per day. Historically, these particular tigers had a very low rate of aggression with one another, but there were concerns that this might change during renovation. The researchers found that aggression did not increase during renovation when the tigers had less time in the more spacious area. In fact there was a decrease in the aggressive behaviors, leading the authors to believe that the animals were engaged in the conflict avoidance strategy of dealing with a stressor. In addition to examining aggression, the researchers also studied the tigers’ affiliations with one another. This was measured by noting the proximity in which the tigers slept near one another overnight. During exhibit renovations while the tigers had less time on their outside yard, affiliative behaviors decreased. The authors concluded that limiting the tiger’s time in the larger outside yard led to a decrease in aggression and a decrease in affiliation. Rather than respond to increased stress with aggression, the tigers responded by avoiding social contact that might lead to aggression. This decrease in aggression and affiliation continued even after renovation was complete and the animals went back to having the more spacious outdoor yards all day. To View the Complete Article: Angela Miller, Katherine A. Leighty, Margaret A. Maloney, Chritopher W. Kuhar, Tamara L. Hettinger (2011): How Access to Exhibit Space Impacts the Behavior of Female Tigers {Pathera tigris). Zoo Biology, 30:2, 479-486 Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 39 Animal Keepers^ Forum 2011 Index Volume 38, Numbers 1-12 AARDVARKS & OTHER BIOTA A F Alcid 250-252 Ferret Alligator Black-footed 578 American 523-529 Flamingo Caribbean 50 B Fox Babirusa 307-312 Red 42, 270-271 Bat Frog Walton’s tube-nosed 624 Oregon spotted 267-268 Bear Southern corroboree 268 Polar 39,81,87, 136, 137, 224 Yellow-legged 270, 532-533 Sun Malayan 186 G Bison 30-32, 181,330-331 Gerenuk 380-384 Bobcat 137, 194-197 Giraffe 239-246, 286-291, 394-398, 410-413 Bongo 431-435 Maasai 394-398 Reticulated 275, 332-336, 368-375 C Goat 385-387 Camels Boer 154-157 Dromedary 598-601 Nubian 154-157 Caracal 466-468 Pygmy 154-157 Cassowary 568-573 Gorilla Cheetah 213 Mountain 223-224 Chimpanzee 464-465, 535-536, 578 Colobus H Guereza 602-608 Heron Condor White-bellied 489 California 41 Hog Cougar Red River 118-123, 138, 353-357 Eastern 178 Hombill Coyote 446 Southern Ground 82-85 Crocodile Horse Siamese 532 Przewalski’s Wild 282-284, 376-379 Hyena D Spotted 124-128 Deer Eld’s 404-407 I Dog African Wild 610-616 J Drill 536 Duiker K Red-flanked 199-202 Kakapo 139-140 Kangaroo 67 E Koala 577 Eagle 183-184 Komodo Dragon 142 Harpy 513-517 Elephant 40, 139, 140, 161-164, 538 L Emu 568-573 Lemur 269-270 40 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 Fork-marked Leopard Lion African M Macaque Japanese Long-tailed Sulawesi Manatee Meerkat Moose N Nyala Lowland O Okapi Orangutan Bornean Orca Ostrich Blue-necked Otter North American River Owl Burrowing P Panda Giant Pangolin Penguin Humboldt Persian Onager Pika Southern Rocky Mountain Q R Rabbit Pygmy Raccoon North American Rattlesnake Eastern Diamondback Rhea Rhinoceros Indian Javan 87 94 109-112, 542 178 582 485 205-211 91-92, 179 560-564 327-330 444 273 313-314 Northern White Western Black S Salamander California tiger Seal Bearded Ringed Serval African Shark Sheep Blackbelly-Katahdin Desert Bighorn Squirrel Mt. Graham Red Novel ground Sturgeon Shortnose 536 608 270, 334 90 90 61-66 580 154-157 344-348 88-89, 486-487 538-539 537 2 622-623 568-573 74-77 257-263 538-539 38, 272, 494 537-538 577 282-284 T Tapir Baird’s Tiger Toadlet Pilbara Tortoise Desert Turtle Hoan kien Loggerhead sea Yellow-headed temple Tuskfish Orange- spotted U 358-360 4L42, 490-491 487 266 182 182-183 580 39-40 578 532 488 556-559 479 568-573 399-403, 469-472 38 618-619 V Vulture Cape RuppelFs Griffon W Walrus Pacific Warthog Watersnake Lake Erie Whale Pacific Gray Wolf Gray 236-238 226 461-463 539-540 388-390 540 87-88 271,489-490 272 Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol 39, No. I 41 Mexican 138 X Y Z Zebra Grant’s 425-430 Grevy’s 480-483 Hartmann’s mountain 408-409 AMERICAN ASSOCIATION of ZOO KEEPERS ANIMAL KEEPERS^ FORUM 38th Annual AAZK National Conference Access to Wildlife Information Set to Revolutionize Animal Care 479 Acres for the Atmosphere 456 Acres for the Atmosphere Success Story 144 AKF Editor Receives Lifetime Achievement Award 506-507 Articles A Different Approach to Raising a Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture {Gyps rueppellii) Chick by Utilizing Both Hand-Rearing and Parent- Rearing Techniques 461-463 “A Voice for Captive Prey Species” 325-326 Alcid Scale Conditioning 250-252 Alligator Care at the Virginia Living Museum 523-529 10-11, 104-107, 148-152, 234 2010 Index 43-48 2010 AKF Index Included in this Issue 4 2011 Bowling for Rhinos Honorary Trip Winner 447 2011 National AAZK Conference Wrap-Up 509-510' 2011 National Zoo Keeper Week Dates 4, 53,97, 144, 188, 228 2011 Year of the Turtle: Why Turtles, and Why Now? 4 2012 National Zoo Keeper Week Dates 496, 548, 588 A Note from the AKF Editor on Schedule for Upcoming Issues 188 A Note of Appreciation from the AKF Editor 447 AAZK Thanks the following Sponsors for Their Generous Support 277 AAZK Seeks Assistant Media Production Editor 45 1 AAZK Seeks New Representative to the ICZ 551,590 Animal Management Support of Wild Equid Research at The Wilds 282-284 Benefits of Goal-Based Behavioral Husbandry For Captive Bovid and Cervid Species 436-441 Big Birds with Big Problems! 568-573 Bird Window-Collision Monitoring at the Philadelphia Zoo: Setting Up an AAZK Citizen Science Project 5 1 8-52 1 Bongo {Tragelaphus euryceros) Calf Splaying and Coxofermoral Luxation 431 -43 5 Building a Red River Hog Restraint from Scraps 118-123 Candid Camera: Using Camera Traps to Monitor Animal Behavior 351-352 Caring for African Ungulates in a Winter Climate 337-339 Connecting Avian Keepers with AZA Avian Program Leaders 68-72 Conservation in Your Community 33-37 Cooperative Breeding Behavior in Captive Southern Ground Hombills (Bucorvus leadbeateri) 82-85 Creating New Tools to Reduce Fearful Behavior in Three Ungulate Species at the Oakland Zoo About the Cover Bornean Orangutan 2 Cape Vulture 226 Caribbean Flamingo 50 Coyote 446 Giant Panda 494 Japanese Macaque 582 Komodo Dragon 142 Leopard 94 Lion 542 Lowland Nyala 273 Malayan Sun Bear 186 415-424 Easy Bison Enrichment in a Cash Strapped Economy 330-331 Elevating Warthog Care Through Training 388-390 Establishing a Conditioning Program for a Red-flanked Duiker {Cephalophus rufilatus) to Determine and Monitor Pregnancy 199-202 Freezing Browse for Year-round Feeding of Giraffe and Other Hoofstock 394-398 Goat Lab - Evolution of a Training Class 385-387 42 Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 39, No, 1 Grevy's Zebra Trust: Conservation of Grevy’s Zebra in Kenya and Ethiopia 480-483 Here There Be Dragons: Okapi Conservation in Africa’s Eqatorial Forest 313-314 Hoof Management of Hartman’s Mountain Zebra at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge 408-409 International Elephant Foundation: Playing a key role in elephant conservation 161-164 Introduction of 1 . 1 Hand Reared African Wild Dog Pups (Lycaon pictus) to LO Surrogate- Reared Pup and Subsequent Formation of a Pack with 02 Adults 610-616 Inventing the Wheel: Hand-rearing a Single Babirusa {Babyrousa babyrussa) 307-312 It Takes a Village to Move a Bison 30-32 Managing a Research Population of an Extremely Flighty Ungulate Species at SCBI 404-407 Managing a Reticulated Giraffe {Giraffe Camelopardalis) with Allergies 368-375 Managing a South American Passerine Population in the Largest Spherical Rainforest in the World 172-177 Managing Meerkat Reintroductions: Keeping Peace in the House 560-564 Managing Moose in Captivity 327-330 Managing Ungulates in Mixed-Species Exhibits at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge 318-323 Moving Onward and Upward: Building a Contemporary Giraffe F acility 4 1 0-4 1 3 Porcine Perfection: Red River Hogs in Mixed- Species Exhibits 353-357 Practical Considerations for Restraint of Hoofed Mammals in a Small Zoo 301-306 Rearing Antelope: Three Thriving Examples at the Saint Louis Zoo 340-343 Rhinoceros Enrichment 399-403 Ruminant Browser Nutrition Workshop - Synopsis 291-300 Striving for Sustainability: The Ungulate Manager’s Toolbox 362-367 Supplemental-raising of a Guereza Colobus {Colobus guereza) Infant 602-608 TACTILES - The Transition from a Behavior to a Reinforcer: a case study of 1 .0 Grant’s Zebra {Equus burchellii) at the Oakland Zoo 425-430 TAG -You’re It! 279-281 Teaching Young Giraffe Old Tricks: Changing Learned Behaviors in a Herd of Captive Giraffe 286-291 The Tapir Paper 358-360 The Way Home: Moving a Herd of 1.6 Reticulated Giraffe into a New Facility 332-336 Training Przewalski’s Horses Using Protected Contact in a Facility with Limited Resources 376-379 Training the “untrainable” - Using Natural Behavior and Positive Reinforcement to Train Husbandry Behaviors in a Gerenuk {Litacranius walleri) 380-384 Training Two Separate Behaviors to Draw Blood from 2,0 Spotted Hyena Utilizing Operant Conditioning with Positive Reinforcement 124-128 Ungulate TAG Meetings and Conferences: We Want You! 349-350 Ungulate TAGs Connecting with Keepers: An Update 323-324 Vultures Need Their Day, Too! 236-238 Walking a Mile in Their Hooves: Managing Desert Bighorn Sheep {Ovis canadensis mexicana) in Natural Exhibits 344- 348 What’s This Ungulate Care Workshop I’ve Been Hearing So Much About? 391-393 Zoo Atlanta’s Hoofstock Enrichment Program 315-317 Attention All Photographers - AKF Needs Your Photography 545, 590 Attention Gorilla Groupies! 591 AZA TAG Seeks Red-flanked Duiker Studbook Keeper/Program Leader 95 Board of Directors Election 2011 Update 187 Book Reviews A Pocket Guide to Kansas Snakes, 3rd Edition 204 A Runaway Train in the Making: The Exotic Amphibians, Reptiles, Turtles and Crocodilians in Florida 473 A Second Look at Books from the Past 170-171 American Zoos During the Depression: A New Deal for Animals 1 68- 1 69 Beaded Lizards & Gila Monsters Captive Care & Husbandry 609 Did Not Survive 473 Fur, Fortune and Empire: The Epic History of the Fur Trade in America 79-80 Manatee Insanity: Inside the War over Florida’s Most Famous Endangered Species 134-135 Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles and Crocodilians 1 7, 204 The Great Penguin Rescue: 40,000 Penguins, a Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 43 Devastating Oil Spill, and the Inspiring Story of the World's Largest Animal Rescue 203 Understanding Animal Welfare: The Science in its Cultural Context (UFAW Animal Welfare) 565 Call for Enrichment Papers 1 59- 1 60, 2 1 2 Call for Papers for Dedicated Issue of AKF - Chelonians 552, 591 Call for Papers for Dedicated Issue of AKF ~ Ungulates 102, 145, 198 Candidates Sought for AAZK Board of Directors Election 3 Candidates Sought for AZA Studbook Vacancy 53 Chapters AAZK Chapters Help Underwrite AKF Production 227, 449, 496, 544-545, 586 Chapter News„ . . 130, 165, 256, 474-476, 529, 549, 588 Deadline this Month for Chapter Recharter Packets 5 1 Reminder to All Chapters on Recharter Process for 2011 3 Reminder to All Chapters on Recharter Process for 2012 543, 583 Committees Awards 20 1 1 AAZK Awards Recipients 45 8-460 AAZK Awards Committee Now Accepting Nominations 3, 51-52, 95, 143 Behavioral Husbandry Committee AAZK Behavioral Husbandry Committee Announces 2011 Contest Winner! 448 Chance to Win Free Conference 2011 Registration Offered 20, 66, 112, 160 Bowling for Rhinos BFR information needed 495 Bowling For Rhinos Aims for Record Year 555 “Bowling F or Rhinos 2011 Update” 5 1 2 Bowling for Rhinos Conservation Resource Fund Grant 143-144, 187-188 “Bowling for Rhinos” (BFR) Update from the Coordinator 187 Congratulations to the 2011 Recipient of the BFR Conservation Resource Grant 448 Conservation Conservation Committee Seeks Column Coordinator for Conservation Station 52, 95 Conservation Committee Seeks New Members 495 Grants AAZK Grant Report . , . Mad Fishes 2010 113-114 CPR Grant Report 2010 14-15 Grant Review: AAZK Professional Development Grant 247-249 PAS A Veterinary Supply Collection and Redistribution Program 478-479 Professional Development Professional Development Committee Update 2010 9 Conferences - Schools - Workshops 1st International Gibbon Husbandry Conference 549 4th International Congress on Zookeeping 100, 146, 192, 232, 454, 498, 548, 550-551, 588 7th International Zoo & Aquarium Marketing Conference 100, 146, 192 10th Annual International Conference on Environmental Enrichment 192 1 0th Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles 548, 588 11th Annual Animal Behavior Management Alliance (ABMA) 5, 59, 100, 146 19th Annual Conference International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators 5, 59 20th Armual Conference of the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators 454, 498, 548, 588 30th Annual Conference of the Association of Zoological Horticulture 100, 146, 192, 232, 454, 498 32nd Annual Elephant Managers Association Conference 100, 146, 192, 232, 454, 498 2011 AAZK National Conference 146, 192, 232 2011 AZA Ungulate TAG Midyear Meetings 5,52-53,59, 100 2011 Rhino Keeper Workshop 5, 59, 100, 146, 192 2012 AAZK National Conference 146, 192, 232, 454, 498, 548, 588 2012 ABMA Annual Conference 548, 588 20 1 3 AAZK National Conference 1 92 44 Animal Keepers 'Forum, Vol. 39, No. I Advancing Bear Care 2011 5, 59, 100, 146, 192, 232, 454, 498 An Animal’s Perspective: A Unique View on How Zoo Animals Experience Their World 235 Animal Behavior Management Alliance Annual Conference Announcement: “Eureka” 476 Announcing the Felid TAG Husbandry Course and Mid-Year Meeting 53, 97, 184 Association of Professional Wildlife Educators 5, 59 AZA Professional Training Course: Animal Training Applications in Zoos and Aquariums 3 Biology of Rattlesnakes Symposium 100, 146, 192, 232 Elephant Care Workshop - a practical workshop on elephant footcare and habitat design to support elephant health 232, 454 Fourth Tree Kangaroo Species Survival Program Workshop Announced 448 From Good Care to Great Welfare Advancing Zoo Animal Welfare Science and Policy 264 International Association of Giraffe Care Professionals Conference 281, 548, 588 Keeper Invitational at the Cape May County Zoo 232 Otter Keeper Workshop 32, 454, 498, 548, 588 Shape of Enrichment Regional Workshop 548, 588 The First-ever Joint Meeting of the International Ethological Conference (lEC) and the Animal Behavior Society (ABS) 59, 100, 146, 192, 232 The World Congress of Herpetology 5, 59, 100, 146, 192, 232, 454, 498, 548, 588 Training and Enrichment Workshop For Zoo Animals 454 Ungulate Care Workshops 442-443 Zoos and Aquariums Committing to Conservation 5, 59 Conservation/Legislative Update Animal Parks Ordered to Stop Abuse 86 47,000 Acres of Critical Habitat Protected for Sonoma County California Tiger Salamander 534 American Trophy Hunters Drive African Lions Closer to Extinction 178 Amphibian Species Clings to Life 532-533 Australia Debates Koala Listing 577 AZA benefits from Zooboms 39 Black-footed Ferrets Head to Boot Camp 578 Bolivia to ‘Make World History’ by Granting Rights to Mother Nature 268-269 British Lawmakers Work to Ban Circus Animals 223 Bureau of Land Management Responds to Public Pressure 222-223 California Bans Shark Finning 580 California Condor Population Hits 100 41 Captive Chimpanzees May Be Reclassified 578-579 Center for Biological Diversity: “Obama gets a C-“ 137-138 China’s Consumerism Latest Threat to Elephants 538 China’s Presence in Africa Blamed for New Threat to Rhino 140 Circus President & Former Employee Plead Guilty to Violating Endangered Species Act 180-181 Congress Pulls Wolves off Endangered Species List 271 Conservationists Sound Alarm Over Macaque 485 Court Reluctantly Denies Challenge to Congressional Rider that Stripped Wolves of Protection 489-490 DNA Better Than Eyes When Counting Endangered Species 183-184 Earth Hour Celebrated in 134 Countries 223 Eastern Cougar Declared Extinct 178 Edinburgh Zoo Culls More Red River Hogs 138 Eggs Head for the Hills in Project to Save Endangered Frog Species 268 Elimination of U.S. Forest Service International Programs Hurts American Interests 181-182 Endangered Mexican Wolves Released 138 Endangered Pygmy Rabbits Finally Breed Like . . . Bunnies 488 Endangered Species Act Protection Considered for 374 Southeast Species 624 Endangered Species Act Protection Sought for Sierra Nevada Red Fox 270-27 1 Fears Grow for Asia’s Endangered Anteaters 537-538 Feds to Rethink Listing Status of Captive Chimps 535-536 Fight for Polar Bear Not Over 39 Fisheries Service Protects Sturgeon 537 Genetic Testing Finds New Mini Frog 487 Germany Mourns Los of Knut 224 Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 45 Group Threatens Lawsuit to Protect Mt. Graham Red Squirrel 88-89 Groups Ask FWS to Consider Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake 579 Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone Smaller Than Predicted, Still Harmful 490 Happy 50th, Arctic Refuge 92 Harassing Zoo Animals Could Be Criminal Offense 136 Hawaiian Endangered Bird Conservation Program Recognized for Propagation Achievements 267 History’s Normal Rate of Species Disappearance is Accelerating, Scientists Say 491-492 Hunters Say Protecting Species Could Hurt Them 535 Hybrid Bear a Sign for Scientists 136 Idaho Resumes the Sale of Wolf Tags after Predator Removed from Endangered List 272 Imperiled Walruses, Dangerous Arctic Drilling Plan 539-540 Indian Rhino Calf Dies 38 Japan to Continue Antarctic Whaling 485-486 Javan Rhinos Now Extinct in Vietnam 6 1 8-6 1 9 L.A. Zoo Opens New Elephant Exhibit 40 Landmark Agreement Moves 757 Species Towards Federal Protection 485 Latest Estimates from Deepwater Horizon Spill 40 Lawsuit Launched to Speed Recovery of Imperiled California Amphibians 270 Loggerhead Sea Turtles Receive Endangered Status 580 Mountain Gorillas Succumb to Human Disease 223-224 Mt. Kenya’s Elephant Underpass 139 New Bat Species Named After WCS Conservationist 623-624 New Bill Would Protect Bats, Other Species from Wildlife Diseases 179-180 New Lemur Species Found in the Forests of Madagascar 87 Obama Interior Dept. Rules Polar Bears Not Endangered 87 Oldest Elephant in North America Dies at 7 1 140 Pacific Gray Whale Won’t Get a Conservation Plan 87-88 Pakistan Floods, Fighting Destroy Wildlife 86 Pandas Slated for Canadian Visit 38 Phoenix Zoo is Sanctuary for Endangered Subspecies of Squirrel from Southern Arizona 486-487 Polar Bear Swims 426 Miles 136 Predator Found for Fungus Deadly to Frogs 533-534 Prisoners Help Threatened Species Make a Comeback 267-268 Protecting Endangered Species, One Letter at a Time 623 Rare Turtles Saved from Soup 39-40 Rehabilitated Manatees Return to the Water 179 Restaurant Sneers at Monterey Aquarium’s ‘Don’t Eat’ List 92 Richard Branson to Create Sanctuary for Lemurs - 8,000 Miles from Their Home 269-270 Ringed and Bearded Seals to be Listed as Threatened 90 Roads Planned for One of Asia’s Most Important National Parks for Tiger Conservation 266-267 Salazar Announces Successful Recovery of Lake Erie Watersnake 540 Scientists Say Data Confirm Warming Trend 222 Scientists Urge Politicians to Use Science, Not Politics 224 SD Zoo Bird Experts Help Endangered Heron 489 SeaWorld Sued by Animal Rights Advocates over Orcas, Citing “Slavery” 622-623 Seven Brazilian Bird Species Granted Endangered Status 91 Shell Halts Plan to Drill in Polar Bear Habitat 137 Shellshock: New Report Lists 25 Most Endangered Turtle Species 1 82 Sierra Nevada Among Top 10 Places Whose Species are Threatened by Climate Change 89-90 Six Imperiled Foreign Bird Species to Gain Endangered Status 534-535 Southern Rocky Mountain Pikas Holding Their Own, Says New CU-Boulder Assessment 532 Species-saving Kakapoo Dies at the Age of 80 139-140 Spike in Manatee Deaths Blamed in Part on Record-Setting Cold 91-92 Squirrels Relocated to Build Owl Homes 538-539 46 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 Stem Cells Made from Endangered Rhinos and Monkeys 536 Study Findings Urge Zoos to Do More 222 Study Links Yellowstone Bison to Genetic Flaw 137 Study Shows Birds Use Smell to Identify Potential Mates 577 Sustainable Bushmeat Harvesting Is Possible, F inds UN Report 62 1 -622 Thirty-six Desert Tortoises Relocated to Mojave 266 Two More Rare Red Foxes Confirmed in Sierra Nevada 42 U.S. Experts Help Save Crocodiles in Laos 532 U.S Fish and Wildlife Service: Bison Protection N ot Warranted 1 8 1 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Releases Annual List of Candidates for Endangered Species Act 619-620 USFWS Releases Annual List of Foreign Candidates Under Endangered Species Act 272 Video Shows Fish Using “Forward Thinking” 578 Vietnamese Race to Save a Giant and Sacred Turtle 182-183 Vietnam’s Tiger Population Hits Crisis Point 490-491 WHAT’S WORKING: Zoo’s Solar Project Gaining N ational Attention 488-489 Wildlife CSI Positively Identified Bat Killer 619 Wind-energy Project Proposed in California Threatens Thousands of Birds 620-62 1 World Leaders Adopt New Biodiversity Plan 40- 41 World Turns Eyes to Disappearing Tigers 41- 42 World’s Oldest Panda Dies at 34 272 Zoo to Turn Poop into Power 492 Conservation Station A First Hand Account of How Zoos are Making a Difference in East Africa 2 1 8-22 1 One Week Inspires Lifetimes of Change: Polar Bears International Keeper Leadership Camp 2010 131-133 Programmatic and Financial Report Sumatran Rhino Conservation Program 469-472 Reducing Your Carbon “Paw” Print 574-576 Correction on Omission in AKF Article 97 Debuting New AAZK Logo Fleece Vests 26 Devastating News from Lewa22 Election 20 1 1 Update 143 Enrichment Options A Review of Reptile and Amphibian Enrichment at the Bronx Zoo 566-567 Art: Enrichment for Animals and Keepers Alike 530-531 Bloodsicle on a Bungee Feeder for Caracals 466-468 Enrichment: The Noun versus the Verb - as written by the grammatically challenged 115-117 Evaluating Interaction with Edible and Inedible Enrichment Items by an African Serval (Leptailurus serval)6\-66 Individual Enrichment Assessments: Catering to the Preferences of 2.1 Sulawesi Macaques (Macaca nigra) 205-2 1 1 Using Browse and Puzzle Feeders to Increase Natural Behaviors in Giraffe 239-246 Using Plants for Enrichment 158-159 Excited about ZIMS? Want to learn more? 53 Final Thoughts as I Retire. . . 592-593 First Call for Papers - 2012 AAZK National Conference 553 From the Editor 277, 594-595 From the Executive Director 6, 228, 450-451, 504-505 From the Immediate Past President 452 From the President 98-99, 189-190, 500-501, 584-585 From the Vice President 54-56 Global Warming Resources for Children 81 Great News: AZA Animal Care Manuals 12 Have You Sent AO Your Email Address Yet? 77 Join the Flock! 583 Kangaroos Undergo Innovative Dental Treatment In Israel 67 Lions of Tower of London Recalled 5 8 New AAZK Logo Fleece Vests Available 78, 129 New Contact information for Media Production Editor 543 New Members 8, 58, 101, 153, 193, 235, 457, 497, 549, 589 Animal Keepers’ Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 47 New Stamp Benefits Vanishing Wildlife 23 1 N omination Deadline Approaching ! 5 1 Opening the Corral Gate! 278 Parting Thoughts fi*om Some of Our 2011 AAZK/PBI Leadership Camp Graduates 559 Please Note New Monthly Deadline and Contact Information 542, 582 Poachers Claim Second Rhino at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy 23 Publications AKP Dedicated Issue Combo Pack Sale 21,60, 108, 167, 265,477, 522 Keeper Profiles 16, 73, 166, 484 Reactions New Exhibit, Primary Containment 27-29 Resource of Interest A Pocket Guide to Kansas Snakes 13 Rhino Note Cards Still Available for Purchase 4 Second Call for Papers - AAZK 2012 617 Second Call for Papers - ICZ 20 1 2 497 Social Media Project Manager 230-23 1 Special Interview on the Topic of Private Ownership of Exotic Animals 595-597 Special Thanks to International Association of Giraffe Care Professionals 590 Teleseminar Zoo Story; Life in the Garden of Captives 58 Thank You’s Are in Order. . . INSIGHT E-Newsletter for Chapters 96 Thank You’s Are in Order. . . Zoo Infant Development Notebooks 96 Training Tales 3 Lions, 2 1 Days, 44 Minutes 109-112 Getting Ernie to Take His Medicine 74-77 Getting Over the Hump: Using Operant Conditioning to Train 0.2 Juvenile Camels 598-601 Harpy Eagle Training: Exploring the Potential of Positive Reinforcement 513-517 Injection Training 2.0 North American Raccoons {Procyon lotor) 556-559 Insulin Injection Training with Jody the Chimpanzee 464-465 Obstacles in Training A look at overcoming adversity to achieve success 257-263 Training the Trainer: Cooperative Hoof Trim 154-157 Training the “untrainable bobcat” with Positive Reinforcement 194-197 Training Tips: When Maintenance Doesn’t Require a Work Order 1 8-20 ‘Trees for You and Me” AAZK Chapter Challenge 253-255, 502 “Trees for You and Me” FAQ 24-25 Twin Polar Bear Cubs Bom at Hyogo Zoo 81 Upcoming AAZK National Conferences 5, 66, 454, 498, 548, 588 Upcoming AZA National Conferences 177, 221, 238, 472, 498, 548, 588 Update on Trees for You and Me Chapter Challenge 52 Update to Febmary AKF article “Connecting Bird Keepers with AZA Program Leaders” 95 U.S. Postal Service Stamp Helps Save Vanishing Species 543 VERY IMPORTANT Reminders fi-om the Administrative Office 554 Viewpoint The Good Zoo and Euthanasia 215-217 Websites/ListservsAVeb Resources/Blogs Ungulate Websites of Interest 375, 393 Visit AAZK on F acebook 551 Website Sale 29, 77 Zoo News Digest/Zoo Biology Group - Check Them Out! 96, 177, 221, 238, 456, 502 Western Black Rhino Declared Extinct 608 World F amous Cheetah Dies 213 Zoo Keeper Retires after 45-Year Career 546 AMERICAN ASSOCIATION of ZOO KEEPERS 48 Animal Keepers ’Forum, Vol. 39, No. 1 A AZK Membership Application (Phase Print) Check here if renewal [ ] Name Email Mailing Address City State/Province U.S. Members* □ $45.00 Professional V Full-time Keeper LJ $40.00 Affiliate r — ^ Other staff & volunteers LJ $30.00 student Must supply copy of current student ID at time of application □ $70.00 or up - Individuals Contributing/U.S. □ $150.00 or up Institutional/U.S. Organizations/Institutions (requires Board approval) [nil $150.00 Commercial Member (i.e. animal-related food & supplies) Zip/Postal Code Country Canadian Members^ □ $50,00 Professional I ^ Full-time Keeper LJ $50.00 Affiliate j ^ Other staff & volunteers LJ $35.00 Student Must supply copy of current student ID at time of application □ $70.00 or up - Individuals Contributing/Canada □ $150.00 or up Institutional/Canada Organizations/Institutions (requires Board approval) □ $45.00 Library Only Available ONLY to public & university libraries (In U.S.) □ $60.00 International Members (All members outside U.S. & Canada regardless of category) Zoo Affiliation (if any) Zoo Address Title My check is enclosed (AAZK, Inc.) 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