Botanical Bus Tour 12/21

On the third Friday of the month, the Zoo hosts a free botanical bus tour accompanied and narrated by some of their very knowledgeable horticulturalists and gardeners. The Zoo is an accredited living museum and botanical garden, with over 6,000 different species of plants! They also house rescued rare and endangered plants. With so much at hand, you can see and experience almost any bioclimatic zone you can think of. The Zoo's plants are now being mapped with GPS for even more accuracy.

We began at a huge thorn acacia leaning on the rock kopje and headed down Dog and Cat Canyon. We got a good look at part of the new world collection, which includes succulents, agaves, and cacti. There are mulberry trees across from the arch cages that are used for animal browse. Hunte Amphitheater is surrounded by beautiful coastal redwoods and giant sequoias, and the huge fishtail palm on the right corner of the hornbill exhibit is the tallest on the entire west coast. Fishtails are the only palm with a bipinnate leaf. They have a thirty year life which ends with a seven year flowering cycle. Passing the macadamia nut trees by the porcupines in the canyon, we rounded the corner and started up Bear Canyon.

We passed the huge groupings of ginger that comes into full bloom in August and September and smells phenomenal. Ginger actually shares the same family as bananas. We passed Fern Canyon, newly reopened, in which some of the original plants are over ninety years old. Across from the grizzly cubs is the only true native palm of Hawaii. Most Hawaiian palms are each endemic to a single island. Nearby is a type of large Brachychiton, or bottle tree, which is in the chocolate family. It has really neat, big seed pods that are unmistakable from the ground.

Topping the hill, we passed the beautiful blooming tree aloe with its bright orange cones, which flowers in the winter. There are ten different groups of aloe, and the tree aloe can grow as high as fifty feet! The top of the hill has both banana and dragon fruit plants. Bananas are actually a berry, and there are twenty-two different kinds! The banana plant grows forty leaves before it begins its seven year fruiting stage. After fruiting is over, the plant dies, a new one sprouts, and the cycle begins again. The dragon fruit, also known as the strawberry pear or pitahaya, only blooms at night; the white flowers are huge and beautiful, and I've been fortunate to be able to view them during Zoo Sleepover programs.

We circled behind the meerkats to turn the bus around and were able to see the ice cream bean tree. The pulp has a cotton candy-like consistency and has a sweet, vanilla ice cream taste. The pods can grow up to three feet long! Pulling the pulp away from the seeds in one of the pods, we were able to sample a taste. Not quite ripe, it was a bit more moist than it would usually be, but it was delicious!

Beginning our trip back, we passed the camels who were lounging around a big ficus tree in the center of their enclosure. The camels like to eat all of the ficus leaves that they can reach, and their large hooves compact the soil around the tree. The gardeners have to occasionally add soil around the tree, enabling the camels to reach more leaves. Over time, it looks as if the tree is shrinking! Another bright bloomer is one of the cycads, the sago palm. More closely related to conifers than palms, the cycads' cone starts off bright red, and it's huge. Cycads were dinosaur food, and they make up much of today's coal. A lot of plants went into early bloom this year due to the county's recent wildfires. The ethylene gas in the smoke induces early ripening, increases disease and wounding resistance, and induces flowering in many plants. It has negative effects as well, but fortunately, the San Diego Zoo got just enough indirect smoke to make everything even prettier early. I can't wait for the next tour!

Animal Walk 12/19

Bandar, the binturong, is a long-time Children's Zoo resident and very popular. Every morning, Bandar accompanies a keeper or educator on a walk through his favorite spot- the Otto Center! Today I was able to accompany Bandar and his Educator on a (somewhat drizzly) morning stroll.

Bandar knows to go up on one of his tree stumps to have his harness put on. He gets treats for being good, and then the walk begins. Our first stop, per Bandar, was the curators' offices. He proceeded directly into the head curator's room, where Bandar knows "his" toys are waiting. There used to be a wooden chair in the office; Bandar would climb into it to sit and just stare at the head curator for awhile. He has a small plastic box that when moved shouts, "Excuse me, excuse me, can you let me out of here!" over and over. Bandar batted it around awhile then positioned it until he could sit squarely on it. Normally, others in the office get tired of the shrill repeated phrase long before Bandar does! Someone brought out a Christmas pig that walks and oinks "Jingle Bells", and he really wasn't sure what to make of that.

We continued on to our next stop. There are a few things to watch for during Bandar's walks. First, he's extremely sensitive about having his tail touched!You have to be careful not to bump into it if he stops suddenly in front of you. Also, he likes to munch shoes for fun. Plus, Bandar is a huge fan of the dates that fall from the trees around the Zoo. Dates are very sugary, and too many of them aren't healthy. Everything in moderation! We went behind the Otto Center to sniff around a bit, then into the Zoo Corps/video conferencing trailer. We got to have quite a field day in there. There were boxes to try and pull off shelves and chairs to attempt to chew on. He kept the Educator very busy!

After wandering through the remaining office halls and making a short visit to Human Resources, we wrapped up in the Education trailer. Bandar sniffed around a bit before he discovered a red wagon in the corner.The plastic crate inside of it was immediately pulled out, and he climbed right up into the wagon. Facing the wall wasn't much fun, so he turned around and discovered the wagon's handle. He pulled it forward with one paw so that he could rub his head and neck on it, getting his itchy spots. Finally, Bandar got over the wagon, and we headed back to the Children's Zoo for special treats. See you next time, Bandar!

After the Stroll 12/16

My Zoo morning continued after the Sunrise Stroll was over. After each Stroll, the day's educator and I deliver muffins to the keepers that helped us out that day. Muffins are great schmooze! We're very appreciative of all that everyone does to help make the program spectacular each time, and we love to show it, even in little ways. We drove a cart back up to the hospital to drop off some muffiny goodness. Speaking with a vet who accepted the muffins, I asked if we could possibly get a closer look at the pangolins- and he said yes!

We did our best to contain ourselves as we followed him to the pangolins' room, which was extremely warm to keep them comfortable. The pair of pangolins were curled around each other like a pine cone yin yang. He picked up the male and brought him out for us to see. So cute! The pangolin's facial fur makes him look like he has mutton chop sideburns. We could see the little bare patch on the underside of the end of his tail; not only does it help themm to grip, the sensory pad on it actually helps them to find the best place to grip. We were able to pet him awhile. He was calm and sweet the entire time, and his smooth scales had a neat soft feeling to them as well. We love pangolins!

Afterwards, I accompanied the educator to the Children's Zoo where she was going to put in some animal handling time. Several animals still needed their walking time for the day. First she harnessed up Hobbs and Butterscotch, a pair of European ferrets. Being their normal ferrety selves, they spent the walk winding their leashes and the educator through the trees and bushes, going in completely opposite directions the entire time. After awhile, they decided to be done walking and kept flopping to the ground in their silly way. They ended up being carried back. Naturally curious, hyper, and funny, they must be so great to see in the wild!

Then it was time to walk Priscilla, a North American porcupine. She isn't particularly harnessable, so she goes leash-less with the educators on her walks. Her teeth are yellow-orange in color, which is thought to be an extra layer of iron. They eat tubers and tree bark in the wild, wearing their teeth quite a bit. The iron layer may help to slow that process down. Their eyesight is not very acute; in Priscilla's case, that means she will walk up to whatever pair of legs she sees, hoping that they're the legs with the treats. =) Of course, porcupines cannot shoot out their quills, but the barbed ends enable the quills to really hook into any offending animal that comes too close. Interestingly, as the offending animal's heart beats, the quill works itself further into its body, causing more problems, especially if it hits an organ or major artery. As such, most animals give porcupines a wide berth. Great horned owls may sometimes go for a climbing porcupine, and a type of large weasel called a fisher has been known to run around them until the porcupine is worn out. Priscilla generally walks on all fours, but she gets along quite well on her back legs, too, in what could be called a "porcupine Frankenstein" walk. I couldn't let her come all the way to me, but I loved watching her walk upright. She looks like she's coming over to hug your legs! On our way back we passed Agra, an Indian crested porcupine, out for his walk. He and Priscilla couldn't look more different.

Our final walk was with Kala the meerkat. She and her brother Hari were raised in the nursery and now reside in the front of the Children's Zoo with another female, Tripod. Kala isn't all that patient while getting into her harness; she's anxious to get going! She loves digging for grubs under the logs on the back path and munching sneakers when she can get to them. We walked around awhile, getting in as much digging as we could before it was time for Kala to go back. On the way out, I met a nice grounds attendant who was feeding the koi and goldfish. We talked for a bit, and he showed me one of the fish that had a close encounter with the pond's giant snapping turtle. He got through just fine and watches where he swims now!

Sunrise Surprise 12/16

Our final tour to the Zoo's hospital brought a new group of guests and a bright, chilly, Zoo bunny-less morning. (The Zoo bunnies have been sleeping in while the mornings are cold.) The vet arrived and led the group the long pretty route to our final destination. After everyone had gathered in the exam room, the vets brought out a cute little Bufflehead duck, a diving bird whose name comes from a combination of "buffalo" and "head" due to its often bulbous quality. She was having a bit of an eye issue, so the vet took a peek in a way similar to how a doctor would check out a human patient's eyes. She'll receive a couple of eye drops that will fix her right up!

After yesterday's Stroll, the educator and I got to hear about today's main attraction, so today's educator and I were really excited to see something that none of us has ever before seen in person: a pangolin! This awesome little creature is actually a scaly anteater, though it looks like a walking artichoke. It's name comes from a Malay word meaning "something that rolls up". They live in both Asia and Africa, and there is both an arboreal and a terrestrial type. Most have only one baby at a time. It's scales are soft at birth, and the keratin hardens as they get older. Babies spend the first couple months of their lives clinging to their mother's tail. If she is alarmed, she will curl in a ball around the baby to protect it. The terrestrial pangolin lives in burrows; some central burrows are so large a man can stand upright in them! They are incredible problem solvers and have strong claws and prehensile tails. Using these long strong tails as balance, they can actually move up to five miles per hour on just their hind legs.

This pangolin girl was nice enough to pose for an example radiograph for us. Actually, she was a bit too curious about her surroundings to really stay still, but the vets managed to snap a quick shot. One interesting thing in the picture is that you can see her scales. Also, toward the bottom of her abdominal cavity, you can see the long curved bone that attaches the tongue. Pretty unique to this species, the tongue anchors far back in the body. Even so, it can still extend from their mouth up to sixteen inches!

The pangolin went back to her boyfriend, and we went upstairs to the medical library. We were treated once more to the hospital's camera system. We saw all of the building's different areas, then a fly river turtle. Finally, we were treated to three red river hogs currently in quarantine. They had been hiding during the first hospital visit! Our vet answered several great questions, then it was back into the Zoo for muffin time. Thank you to each of the vets, techs, and educators that made this month's Surprise possible!

Sunrise Surprise 12/15

This morning we took a new group of guests up to the Zoo's fascinating hospital. This time we were treated to a blue crowned imperial pigeon, also known as the Victoria crowned pigeon. It's an incredible bird, classified vulnerable, that is found in the lowland swamps of northern New Guinea. It generally lays a single white egg. This particular female was having some mobility issues, so she was being checked out. She had just been anesthetized before we arrived, and the vets were quickly taking radiograph images so as to keep her under for as little time as possible. Thank you to one of our great Zoo members for this pigeon picture!

The vets use anesthesia only when absolutely necessary. When the situation does arise, an oximeter is used to measure the animal's blood oxygen saturation level and heart rate the entire time. Also, intubation is used to ensure full and proper breathing throughout the process. The vets and techs gently maneuvered the beautiful bird taking images from the two angles they needed. They then switched her to straight oxygen, clearing her system of the anesthetics and allowing her to wake up. She woke slowly at first, opening her bright red eyes and looking around at all of the people that were now in the room. Moments later, she fully burst into life, ready to go back home! We learned that some animals wake up gently and go about their business as though nothing happened, where other animals practically explode off of the table, perturbed by the interruption in their day. She calmed back down immediately after seemingly getting her bearings and was taken back to her enclosure. The vets are then able to peruse her radiographs at leisure and discover the source of the issue.

All of the radiographs and CT scans are uploaded to a server, accessible by the vets and keepers from any computer, which comes very much in handy. In some instances, doctors and vets outside of the Zoo have been able to access the images and assist in diagnoses. Our vet showed us some of the radiographs additional capabilities and then demonstrated the darts. Both darts and needles vary greatly in size for use on a diverse range of animals. On rare occasion, a dart will hit but not inject the dosage. In this case, the animal has to be darted a second time. The concern would be the animal falling onto the first dart, resulting in a double dosage of anesthetic. Two precautions are taken to ensure that this is not a problem. First, the anesthetics used have a "white area", a margin of error, so that a little too much is a non-issue. Second, all anesthetics used are reversible; there is an antidote that reverses its effects so the animal remains unaffected. Before we left, one guest attempted to dart Emilio the practice deer, and she made a perfect shot! Way to go! Back through the foot bath and off to muffins, we wrapped up another awesome Zoo morning.

Special Speaker 12/05

Tonight's special speaker was a woman from CRES, Conservation and Research for Endangered Species, at the Wild Animal Park in Escondido. She began her talk with science literacy in America and comical examples by college graduates of some common misconceptions. Science literacy is important in order for people to have a true understanding of issues like global warming, the loss of biodiversity, and the intrinsic value that biodiversity holds. She discussed the PISCES Project, the Partnerships Involving the Scientific Community in Elementary Schools, which is partnering over two hundred teachers in more than forty schools across San Diego county, Baja California Sur, Mexico, and the North Slope of Alaska. Among other things, distance learning has been hosted between the schools allowing children from widely varying climates and landscapes to learn about each other's local biodiversity. Other questions are answered as well, like if it's difficult to ride bikes in the snow. =)

CRES works diligently to keep the public informed and involved and also to help teachers and students as much as possible. They expose the public to important issues, help teachers in their educational goals, assist students with related career interests, and positively influence biodiversity. CRES has accessible education labs and is open to visits by schools and the public at their Beckman Center. They conduct summer institutes for teachers to share advances in the field of conservation; the teachers are able to interact with scientists at this time and gain much knowledge to pass on to their classes.

This year they hosted Furry Forensics- a DNA Mystery. The scenario was set: someone had been eating from the food bin at night, and the "culprit" had left a bit of hair behind on the corner of the bin. Students were given hair samples and mug shots of four "suspects", a horse, a goat, a pig, and a deer. The students were actually able to extract DNA from each of the samples and compare it to the DNA of the hair that had been left behind, which they enjoyed immensely. They determined that the guilty party in the imaginary scenario was Ed the horse, though they also decided that he could have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Next year they will continue with Feathered Forensics, where students will again extract actual DNA to determine which bird laid an egg in their enclosure! Other student programs include tracking California condors, special workshops, and a botanical program where students take plants from initial propagation through to the marketing of the grown fruits and vegetables, using the money they earn to benefit their school. If a student chooses a career in conservation, CRES will mentor them through high school and even into their career!

We learned that the county of San Diego has the highest number of endemic, or native, species, but also that many of them are threatened. CRES works hard to increase the public's pride in their native biodiversity. This natural plethora of species is one of the things that makes this area the beautiful and magical place that it is! I'm glad to know that so many people care for and love it so much.

Sunrise Surprise 12/01

The morning started off too chilly for Zoo bunnies to be out feeding, but there were plenty of squirrels on my way in. Before we began, I found out that the grizzly cub brothers, now out of quarantine, finally had names: Scout and Montana! The guests arrived, and we broke the morning's surprise, a first for the Education Department. We were going to the Zoo's hospital!

One of our favorite vet's met us at the Otto Center and led the way via a scenic route through Balboa Park. It's much quicker than going in through the Zoo, and this way the guests could avoid trekking up "cardiac hill". Stepping first through a mandatory foot bath, we entered the hospital and one of its main exam rooms. Though staff is not on the premises at all times, vets and techs are on call 24/7. Zoo security conducts routine checks after hours and notifies the appropriate people if an issue presents itself. However, vets and techs do staff the hospital in continual successive shifts if an animal is in a condition that requires constant monitoring. We were introduced to a Parsons chameleon named Big Daddy. Chameleon means "Earth lion", and this particular one was having some trouble with his feet. Allowing them to heal cleanly, he had a little red cast on each of his back feet. It was a shame that he had foot problems, but the little casts were so cute!

Next we met a female Fernands skink, a carnivorous member of the most diverse group of lizards. She had a radiograph taken to determine if she was gravid, or with eggs. This is done in many cases if a lizard's abdomen is enlarged. The vets and keepers are then able to determine if the lizard is going to lay soon so they can keep an eye out, or if the full clutch of eggs was laid which is important for the lizard's health. The digital radiograph is available immediately and provides much more versatility and detail than the older hand-developed x-rays. The skink was totally calm during the process; she just hung out while the radiograph was taken! In some cases, like this one, the eggs are not developed enough to be detected in this manner, so the vets used an ultrasound. The ultrasound can even pick up follicles, which are eggs that haven't ovulated yet. The results were inconclusive today; this skink may just have been putting on some winter weight. =)

Occasionally an animal needs to be darted. To many people, this brings anesthetics to mind, but darts are also sometimes used for vaccinations and pain medication on animals that would be more stressed by a trip into the hospital. The old darting system involved metal darts and a powder charged dart gun. Vets were unable to tell if the full dose had been administered through the metal sides of the dart, and the dart gun was so loud that often animals would run away from the sound before the dart would actually reach them. Today, darts are plastic, making it lighter and the dosage visible. The dart guns make use of pressurized air, much quieter and quicker to handle. The darts make use of a similar system. The back chamber holds pressurized air, and the front chamber holds the dosage to be administered. A pink, fuzzy flight is attached to the back end for aid in accuracy; darts can travel up to fifty yards! A normal hypodermic needle has a hole at the end. These darts have holes on the needles' sides, though the end is still pointed to start the injection. When the dart hits, the small plastic sleeve covering the holes is pushed back, releasing the pressure and the medication. The back doors were opened to reveal Emilio, the darting practice deer (artificial of course!). One guest had the opportunity to try his hand at darting, but didn't quite make the distance. Great try!

We wrapped up in the upstairs medical library which allows full view of the exam room and the surgery suite below. It also houses one of the monitors hooked to the hospitals camera system. Highly maneuverable cameras sit in each room, giving the vets and keepers the ability to monitor the animals without altering their behavior. We looked in on a new female raccoon that's being introduced to the male in the Children's Zoo. We also saw two Sunda parrot finches and an old world comb duck, comfortably socializing in their enclosures. After a few questions, it was back through the foot bath and off to enjoy muffins and hot drinks, much appreciated on a cold day. Thanks to the wonderful vets and our great educator!

Panda Naming Ceremony 11/26

Today marked the 100th day since the new baby panda was born at the San Diego Zoo. As such, it was the traditional time for her to receive a name. Over 2,400 names were submitted for consideration, and the final four were voted upon online by people from all over the globe.

An excited crowd gathered inside of the Zoo's Hunte Amphitheater, keepers, members, news crews, and visitors from near and very far together in a sea of panda shirts and hats. The stage was set with three ornately covered easels, a panda podium, and the program's speakers: Zoo President, Zoo CEO, Deputy Consul General of China, Curator of Mammals, and Co-Head of the Giant Panda Conservation Unit.

The Zoo's giant panda program was implemented in 1996, and it received its first two pandas from China, Shi Shi, a wild caught male, and Bai Yun, a female that was the first successful birth at the China Conservation and Research Center for Pandas. Shi Shi wasn't really interested in Bai Yun, however, and the first cub, Hua Mei, was born in August 1999 after artificial insemination. Hua Mei was the first panda born outside of China to go to China, where she went on to birth three sets of twins to date. In 2003, Shi Shi returned to China in exchange for Gao Gao, another male. Gao Gao took right to Bai Yun, and the newest baby marks their third cub together, following Mei Sheng and Su Lin.

An amazing team has developed at the Zoo, where keepers, vets, horticulturalists, researchers, educators, and even operational staff collaborate to care for the pandas and promote conservation. They have learned and advanced husbandry techniques, management, veterinary skills, and research technology that can now be taken and applied anywhere. Panda pregnancies can be detected earlier than ever and it's now possible to chart the growth progress of baby pandas in utero. Much more is understood about panda biology, nutritional and psychological needs, communication, how they care for their young, and the behavior and physiology that supports reproduction. The panda population is currently around 1,600 animals, and where the population wasn't self-sustainable previously, it has now improved dramatically! A network of habitat protection stations has been established to help this along.

Nearing the moment everyone was waiting for, the speakers were followed by traditional dancing by the Lucky Lion Dancers, dressed as two ornate, sparkly, magical Chinese dragons. Finally, the name was revealed as the three easels were unveiled. The new panda's name was displayed in traditional Chinese, contemporary Chinese, and English. Zhen Zhen! Pronounced like "juhn juhn", it is from a Mandarin dialect and means "precious". It is expected that her mother Bai Yun will be ready to bring her out in about a month for all to see. The ceremony was rounded off with a small buffet of delicious traditional Chinese dishes and fortune cookies for everyone. We can't wait to meet you Zhen Zhen!

Sunrise Surprise 11/18

On the way to the Sunrise Surprise Stroll, I begin my mornings by seeing how many Zoo bunnies I pass going in. "Zoo bunnies" are wild California brush rabbits that live around, and even in, the Zoo. As I arrive in the very early dawn, I always see them in the Zoo's mini train yard and along the path to the Otto Center. This morning I saw four Zoo bunnies! I stopped a moment to look at a red squirrel on the path, stooping down so as to not disturb him. He approached me after a moment, stood up straight on his hind legs, and flashed me! I'd never seen that behavior before, and after he did it a second time, I decided it was best to wait in the trailer. =) I'm sure that's not was he was actually doing, but it was both funny and bizarre.

Once our guests arrived, the cool morning began at the nursery in the Children's Zoo. There we were introduced to bonobo siblings Mali and Tutapenda. Mali was born September 24, 2007 to mom Ikela and dad Yenge. It was a hard birth, and Mali's arm was injured- one of the complications that brought her to the nursery. She has been thriving there and a big hit with all of the Zoo's guests. Shortly thereafter, on October 29, 2007, a baby was born to mom Lolita and same dad Yenge. His name, Tutapenda, means "we will love" in Swahili. He was rejected by his mother at birth. Keepers use nursery rearing as a last resort, preferring each animal to be raised naturally whenever possible. However, one of Lolita's older offspring, Machumba, repeatedly brought baby Tutapenda to the keepers. She remembered the keepers caring for other babies and wanted them to take him as well!

Baby bonobos develop much like baby humans. Unlike many monkies, these apes are not able to get around shortly after birth. They are currently on their backs in their crib, and their abilities are pretty much limited to waving around their arms and legs, sucking on their fingers and toes. They drink milk, whether from bottle or mom, for about two years. Right now, both Mali and Tutapenda have been getting much more expressive facially. Nursery keepers say that Tutapenda puts on a really funny "serious" pouty face when he wants something now. The babies are being introduced back into the bonobo society slowly and incrementally. They are takento the bonobo enclosure frequently. At first, they are placed in a protected chute. The other apes can reach in to hold, touch, and kiss the babies. After awhile, adults that are known to be good tempered and kind are allowed in with them. The chute is small and well padded to help prevent any incidents. Little by little, the exposure is increased until the group has accepted the babies, and they are released into the enclosure to spend the rest of their days with their group. It's an anxious time for keepers, but they have had great success. The babies do initially bond with the nursery keepers as "moms", but they quickly come to realize the difference between a uniform and fur, and they transistion into their natural environment smoothly.

Leaving the Children's Zoo, we went down into the heart of Monkey Trails. There amongst the guenons reside three mandrills. There are two females, Angie and Dora, born in 1990 and 1992 respectively. And there is one unmistakable, unmissable male, PJ, born November 17, 1991. As the dominant male, PJ has a bright vividly rainbowed behind. He's also huge. The multi-colored rump is dual purpose. It is thought that it provides enhanced visibility to aide in group movement through dense rainforests. It is also a sign of dominance. The higher up the social structure a male is, the more colorful he is. If an individual "moves up" to alpha male, he will actually become more colorul. With most primates, a "smile" is actually a threat; if a monkey or ape is smiling at you, it's not good news! However, mandrills are one of the only primates that actually grin as a greeting. PJ gave us a few grins with keeper prompting, and it was awesome and hysterical. Threats are made by "yawning", which shows off his enormous canines, and head bobbing. That was interesting to learn, as later on in the day when a keeper was walking the miniature horse through Monkey Trails, I knew then by the head bobbing that PJ was not too thrilled by the visit!

The mandrills have been trained to perform a variety of behaviors that help the keepers do quick and stress-free medical checks. They use a combinaion of verbal and visual cues, though they've found that the monkies are mainly reacting to the visual requests. We were able to see each of these behaviors; though very useful, they are also cute. They will touch each of their feet or their chest to the fencing, allowing keepers to check foot health and hear their heartbeat. They will stick out their tongue and open their mouths to confirm dental and general health. They turn their bottoms to the keepers and also stand up tall, touching a finger to the keeprs finger, allowing them to see their entire body, making sure everything is alright there. And they will grin, which keepers admit is the one request that has no real medical necessity. =) All of the behaviors, both important and great to see, are memorable and help to educate the public about this incredible and intelligent species.

A great example of the mandrill social hierarchy, we heard a story from our educator's time at the Moorpark College Teaching Zoo. Several women students were working and learning with the zoo's mandrills. The dominant male there ranked the women according to his liking, just as he did with the female mandrills. The higher up the social structure, the better he treated these students. The unlucky women on the bottom of the alpha male's "list" received the worst treatment, getting the most hard pinches and smacks when they were with him! Even there in Monkey Trails, when Angie was exhibiting the training behaviors, she looked around each time first to make sure PJ was nowhere near. The behaviors require submissive posturing, and she did not want to appear vulnerable in front of him.

Special Speaker 11/08

The topic for the evening was “Training Animal Stars”, presented by a long-time Zoo animal trainer who “lives” at Hunte Amphitheater. She and the keepers brought several animals up to the Otto Center, which is a rare treat for the Special Speakers program.

Some of the guests included: Jabari and Chuma, the African servals; Desarai, a twenty year-old red tailed hawk; Jirra, the red kangaroo; two hedgehogs; Karoo and Sven, the cheetah/dog duo; and a large kookaburra-looking bird that I unfortunately didn’t get to hear anything about. (I was still taking care of a few things outside.)

The talk focused a bit on the importance of training certain behaviors and a lot on silly stories from keeper and animal experiences. For example, an emu can jump 7-10 feet up in the air. One day, a large tree crashed, startling an emu. It jumped in fright and went over a fence into a neighboring enclosure, landing on a gray kangaroo. Neither were hurt, but the kangaroo wouldn’t go near the fence after that!

Jirra wasn’t able to come out on stage, as time ran out. She was outside in her crate, and I got to talk to her for awhile. I’m not sure if what I was saying was interesting or if she was waiting to see if I’d give her a yam slice, but either way, it was cool to see her paying attention. Karoo and Sven were on stage for awhile, and Karoo was obviously very comfortable. She flopped over on her side and proceeded to try to catch her tail in her mouth for awhile, which was cracking everyone up. Sven was outside after the talk was over, getting plenty of attention. He rode happily away squeezed between two keepers in the front seat of the animal truck. It was a great night.

Educator Event 11/07

The Zoo holds an annual event for teachers and educators to promote conservation in the classroom and provide educational resources. The night also gives teachers a much deserved evening of fun and appreciation. It includes a bus tour, education booths with giveaways and great resources, a special show at Hunte Amphitheater, and a giant dinner at the Zoo’s party area with games and door prizes. And it’s all for only $6.50! Tonight I got to be a guest.

This year, keepers got on the bus with us at different points, telling us stories about the animals they work with. The first told us that Jabba and his girlfriend, the hippos, were back together. They're kept separate after she gives birth, as males can be aggressive toward the young. The young hippo has since gone to another zoo, and she is currently on Depo Provera and PVP. Her previous birth control resulted in a baby hippo, which is tough to find a home for. The new baby okapi, Sukari, or “sugar” in Swahili, is on solids and browse now in addition to nursing. The keepers are desensitizing her to having her hooves lifted in preparation for trims later on. A male tiger brought in recently from a zoo in Omaha has just been released from quarantine and can be seen on exhibit! Finally, we passed the spot-nosed otters and swamp guenons. The Zoo strives for multi-species habitats as much as possible; things aren’t compartmentalized in the wild!

We were joined by a second keeper, who works mainly with the pandas. Mei Sheng, who left on 11/5 for China, had arrived safely and was preparing for the second, much shorter leg of his trip. The new baby is starting to teethe now. Following tradition, she'll have a naming ceremony at the Hunte Amphitheater November 26, the day she turns 100 days old.

Further up, we were joined by a third keeper. The lion-tailed macaques were born in another zoo that had concrete exhibits. When they first arrived, they were afraid of the grass, having never seen any. For awhile, they stayed at the top of the exhibit. They soon discovered the water misters, used for irrigation. With their nimble fingers they unscrewed the tops and happily squirted guests until the keepers found out. The misters are now macaque-proof! Up Bear Canyon, we saw Ralph, a Bornean sun bear. His favorite activity is rubbing things all over his head. The keepers placed a burlap sack over a high tree branch, and he was having a ball with it. Herman and Sweet Otter, cape otters, are giving everyone hopes of baby otters in the near future. Next door are Mweezi and Tengo, fifteen-year-old lion sisters. They have a toy like half of a huge plastic ball, which they drag into the cave every night to sleep with. They also have a few small logs that they drag around and lick and cuddle like cubs. Then there was Tommy and Houdini, the spectacled bears. Houdini is recognizable by her mostly-bare bear behind. She has allergies that caused her to lose a lot of fur, but she’s on helpful antibiotics. Houdini got her name from escaping as a cub. She ended up a few “doors” down in a sea lion enclosure. Both animals were so shocked to see each other that keepers were able to retrieve her fairly easily. Each night, she gathers up most, if not all, of the bedding to make a giant bed for herself, leaving none for Tommy. On chilly nights, she has been known to begrudgingly let him snuggle up with her.

On Elephant Mesa, we were joined by one last keeper. All three elephant girls were out and about; they have new hay feeders which have been occupying them for hours on end. Devi, the Asian with the crooked tail, is 31 years old. Tembo, the African with tusks, is 37, and Sumithi, the second Asian, is 41! Currently on about a third of an acre, they will have two-and-a-half acres in the new Elephant Odyssey, now being built. Some Indian and Asian elephants will be joining them from the Wild Animal Park, and Tembo will probably go there to live with the other Africans. Keepers have been crate training them in preparation. Gram the rhino’s old enclosure and the previous guanaco exhibit will be merged to form the new giraffe enclosure, which will give them more space as well.

We continued with our driver, a member of the education department. She told us Disney animators spent a lot of time at the Zoo doing sketches for “The Lion King”. I learned that clipspringers, small deer-like animals, are able to leap and land with all four feet at once on an area about three inches wide. I also learned that the Zoo and Wild Animal Park go through 45 tons of bananas and 10 tons of meat in a year! Just in animal care alone, it takes $125 million annually to run both parks. We passed several awesome animals, including the striped hyenas (which I am in love with), and Skyy, Stoli, and Naya, the Siberian lynxes. We saw the caracals, which are excellent bird hunters; they can jump ten feet straight up to catch a bird in flight.

We disembarked at Canyon Café; we snacked and had hot drinks as we visited displays setup by the Zoo and some of its partners, showcasing a wide variety of fun educational resources. I learned that balsa wood is a terrific sustainable resource; it can grow 90 feet in a five year period! Some Zoo educators were there with a few animal ambassadors, including Ligarto, the American alligator, and a sugar glider, which is actually a type of possum. Then we headed to Hunte Amphitheater for a special night show.

Sven Olof, Karoo the cheetah’s golden retriever buddy, opened the show by coming out and putting some bottles and cans in a recycle bin set on stage. He was followed up by Keenai, the three-year-old Arctic white wolf. The audience howled, and he howled in response, which is always a big hit. I’ve included a video of him on my “Amazing Animals” page. Next came Murphy, the eighteen-month-old African red river hog. When the music started, he broke into a choreographed dance with one of the trainers, which was funny. As a smart pig, the extra activities give him additional enrichment. Long ago, Germans believed that rubbing the nose of a pig was good luck; this eventually gave rise to the piggy bank. Then came Karoo, the cheetah. When Sven came out to join her, he was dressed in a cheetah-print cape and cheetah ears, which was cute and silly. Cheetahs are of course the fastest land mammal and can get up to 45mph within two seconds!

We saw two more of the 36 species of cats before show’s end. First, Jabari and Chuma, African servals, came out and demonstrated their amazing jumping abilities. They have extremely sensitive hearing, which helps them to hunt. To them, the wing beat of a bird makes a sound equivalent to a drum roll to us. They were followed by Kalot and Kaya, two gorgeous clouded leopard sisters. Not used to being on stage at night, they both made the most of being able to sniff around as much as possible. One of the sisters kept returning to what must have been a particularly interesting fern, after which she was carried back each time by one of the trainers. They’re both in season at the moment, so they’re extremely friendly and amorous. We were told that the trainers are treated like furniture by the cats, who climb all over them to rub and scent mark. A piece of browse was placed on the stage, and the second sister rolled in it and rubbed against it as if it was telling her sweet things. They were definitely the stars of the show.

Finally, we all got back onto the buses and were taken to the Zoo’s big party area for a giant buffet dinner. We sat in a huge, heated pavilion tent and ate yummy dinner and dessert. Soon someone came to the front and hosted a trivia game show for door prizes, which everyone got caught up in. The highlight was the drawing for the $900 gift basket which included one of Janey the orangutan’s original paintings. Several people took advantage of some special gift shop discount shopping, and then the night was over. It was another great year!

Horticulture Visit 11/06

I was lucky enough to be able to spend part of the morning with a new friend, a horticulturist at the Zoo. I followed him as he worked, and he taught me about several of the plants we passed and some of the challenges they faced “keeping green” in the animal exhibits. We began in the enclosure that will soon house the two ten-month-old grizzly cub brothers, found orphaned and wandering alone in Alaska. They’ve been working very hard on making the exhibit as comfortable, natural, and entertaining for the bears as possible, and it really shows! The picture shows only about half of the exterior enclosure.

I found out that the soil in the exhibit, and many others along Bear Canyon, is really only about six inches deep; it sits in a large indentation in the exhibit’s concrete base. That’s a challenge in itself when trying to grow large, healthy, nice looking plants. Throw in big, heavy animals that completely compact the soil, and you get roots that can’t get air or water. They solved that problem by mixing in bark chips, which prevent the soil from compacting. I also learned that the enclosures there, even the pools, are actually suspended. Behind each is a doorway that opens underneath, allowing easy access to plumbing.

Giant timber bamboo grows in abundance throughout the area, some so thick it takes both hands to encompass it. I learned that it incorporates silica into its cell structure, making it extra hard. It can leech the soil fairly quickly, so it’s important not to rake up the dropped leaves, as they decompose and replenish the silica in the ground. The younger bamboo stems are coated in a white chalk-like substance, which acts as a water-proof layer. This keeps the young stems from rotting until they have incorporated enough silica into their cells to make them tough and water resistant on their own.

We spent the rest of the time nearby in Sun Bear Forest. One of the really bright vivid plants there is the pink powder puff, which is in the pea family. Its multi-stamen bloom reminds me of a mimosa, and it’s about as pink as pink can be. There’s a red version as well called the Brazilian fire bush. We went up into a back area to confirm the plant’s family in the Sunset Western Garden Book, which is an awesome reference. There was a binturong half-snoozing in his enclosure next to us, but apparently we weren’t doing anything very interesting.

Back down in the main area, I started to learn a bit about the many, many types of palms living in the Zoo. The shaving brush palm looks like exactly that: an inverted shaving brush. The leaves are not widely spread as with other palms. It’s one of the “self-cleaning” palms. As bottom leaves die off, they fall to the ground, leaving a smooth visible trunk. Some other varieties of palms don’t lose their dead leaves; dead leaves cling to the bottom layers as new leaves grow from the top.

The lady palm looks more like a big potted plant than a tree. The leaves are fan-like rather than feather-like, and it has long stems as opposed to a trunk. The bamboo palm is a new favorite of mine. It has feather-like leaves, and the skinny trunk is sectioned somewhat like bamboo. The trunk feels really cool, and it’s a beautiful, rich green. It has a short, squiggly, green inflorescence.

The inflorescence, my word of the week, is the flowering-fruiting part of many palms, and it can vary widely between species. It is a flower of sorts in itself, but more accurately it is a group of stems that holds clusters of flowers, which can look like a bunch of bumps. All of these palms’ flowers and fruit are contained on the inflorescence. We saw a king palm with a large conspicuous red cluster of fruit and a fishtail palm with a beige-green inflorescence hanging down that had to be about six feet long. Fishtail palms are one of the faster of the slow-growing palms. Once it begins to flower, it means the tree itself is beginning to die.

As we were wrapping up our learning session, a flower was pointed out to me that I believe is secretly the best smelling thing in the Zoo. Hidden behind a giant, gorgeous clump of two different gingers in front of the lion-tailed macaques is a tiny white flower called the Honolulu rose. It also goes by glorybower and stickbush, but I like the rose name best. It is so incredible that I’ve since made it a point to walk by just to smell them! No offense to the ginger, which smells great, but the Honolulu rose has my vote. That ended my first horticultural lesson. Super special thanks to my incredible teacher!

CRES and Wild Animal Park 11/02

Lilly and I went to CRES for a seminar on the endangered Tonkin snub-nosed monkies of northern Vietnam, presented by Burt Covert. It was our first time in the CRES building in Escondido, and we were both impressed! The talk was interesting, and it’s great to know there’s caring people doing such wonderful work with endangered species. I’ve never seen this particular monkey before; it’s forever in my head now as the makeup monkey.

We spent the rest of the day at the Wild Animal Park. We met Bayou, a ten year-old American alligator. If an alligator breaks or loses a tooth, they can completely regrow it in two days! I was surprised that he was not only soft on his belly but on his sides as well. They only need bony plating on their backs to protect them from falling debris. A close-up view will reveal small black dots all around the "lip" area. They actually help them to detect vibrations, which helps them hunt. Crocodiles have them as well, but over a much larger portion of their bodies.

There are several different kinds of hoof stock in the Petting Kraal. We pet a little Blackbuck antelope who was soaking in the sun. Everyone else was in the shade, including Bonnie, a 330-pound Barasingha deer. We spent a lot of time with her and her giant fuzzy ears, and I've since learned that she's a great calming influence on the rest of the residents there. She's also the only one that doesn't feel the need to take breaks from the hundreds of little hands petting her throughout the day. We love Bonnie!

We visited Lion Camp, where two of the young male lions were out, each about a year-and-a-half-old. Previously, they had been given a carved out pumpkin containing a beef heart as enrichment. The beef heart was long gone, but the pumpkin remained, barely scathed. The two boys were taking turns playing with it. They'd flop on their sides and roll it around, pull it toward them and curl up with it, and lick it carefully. It was amazing to see their giant paws and claws being so gentle with the pumpkin! While one was playing with the pumpkin, the other was rolling a big log back and forth, though his face made it clear it wasn't nearly as satisfying. I got a bit of video of them, which is on my site, but it's a little wobbly.

Before having the yummy picnic lunch that Lilly had packed for us, we decided to go on the Journey into Africa tour, which replaced the Wgasa Bush Line. We saw Ivan, the Park's tallest giraffe. He's missing the end of his tail. It was bitten off by a mother Grevy's zebra that he was "harassing". Ivan has five ossicones on his head, which act as a helmet when necking with other giraffes. Necking is how they fight, and ossicones are the horn-like things on giraffes and okapis. They're actually ossified (hardened/bony) cartilage. A lot of the hoof stock in Africa have reddish colored coats. We learned that this is a protective measure. Lions are, in a manner of speaking, red-green color blind, and the red coats blend in with the grass. As extra protection, some animals such as the eland are born without a scent.

We also learned that crowned cranes bond with a mate for life by the age of three. To eat, they stomp their feet on the ground, which brings up insects to feed on. Plus, we got some awesome closeup looks at a group (called a crash) of white rhinos! They were taking advantage of a nice shady spot. Finally, we found a terrific secluded spot to eat lunch- on a balcony overlooking a large pond near Okayango Outpost. We sat in the setting sun and talked and ate and laughed, rounding out our super afternoon.

Short Visit 11/01

I went to the Zoo this morning and sat in Cat Canyon for awhile. It was overcast and cool, and most everyone was pretty active. Tayma, the Persian leopard, was giving her morning "I'm awake and this is my spot" call, which kind of sounds like a loud hruff hruff hruff hruff. She was checking things out around the enclosure to see if anything was new and maybe if there were any treats around. At a zoo she used to live at, a sliding metal gate was accidentally left up just a little bit. Tayma reached underneath of it, and the door fell shut, crushing her toes on one front foot. She had surgery, which was able to save her foot but not her toes. She doesn't really put any weight on that foot, but she gets around great.

There is another enclosure behind Tayma, and for the first time, I noticed that it houses another cat, a northern Chinese leopard- so beautiful! A couple minutes later, an educator and a keeper came by with a couple on a VIP tour. They went up to the back corner of Tayma's enclosure to see her up close. She saw the keeper coming from a distance and immediately went up there. The kitty came out in her as she began to rub her shoulders and sides against the door and then flipped on her back with her legs sticking up, rolling around. (That's called "happy bellies". It's one of my favorite things, especially when my dog does it.)

Next I went to watch the mountain lions. I was thrilled to see they were both right up front; the boy tends to be shy at times. The girl's name is Koya, short for Koyama, which means "cougar" in a North American Indian language. The keeper didn't remember at the time which one, but I'd like to find out. She was an orphan found by a hiker in Oregon. The boy's name is Kima, short for Yakima. The keeper I asked today didn't know where his name came from. However, I looked online, and there is a Shahaptian tribe of Indians called the Yakima that live in Washington, so I would imagine his name comes from them. Also, Yakima means "runaway", and Kima was also found as an orphan, shortly after Koya. They ended up becoming great companions and a perfect match. Recently, Koya wasn't feeling well and had to go to the Zoo hospital for some tests; Kima was sad and lethargic the whole time she was gone. Incidentally, she was found to have a small urinary tract infection, and is now back to her perky self after some antibiotics.

Orson, the black jaguar, got a super treat this morning- a giant leg bone, which I'm guessing was from a cow. He was in his front cave happily gnawing away on it, taking his time and great care in choosing exactly where he would chew next. Sadly, a black jaguar in a cave on an overcast day is too much for my camera phone, and all I could capture was an occasional very satisfied tongue poking out. However, I was able to get this shot on a later trip.

Finally, I went to see the ratels for a bit. They are one of my favorites to watch, but I honestly can't tell who's who for anything. My best guess is that the mom and an older juvenile were in there today. Ratels are related to (and are shaped like) badgers and have markings very similar to skunks. They remind me of ferrets sometimes in their single-mindedness once they're fixed on something. Once I saw one try for 45 minutes to pull a tiny outside plant into the enclosure, only reaching it with claw tips. Another time, I saw one determined to get a Kong ball up the wall, balancing it on her nose while climbing up the fence. Halfway up, it would inevitably roll off her nose to the ground, she'd make a bunch of fussy noises, and then go try again. Today, the mom was set on burrowing a hole through the side enclosure floor, making what sounded like frustrated pig grunts all the while. Giving up on getting attention, the juvenile came out and tried to pull a burlap sack off of their big tree for a minute before just hanging over top of it awhile. I had a nice view of draped ratel behind, legs splayed in a cartoonish upside-down V shape for balance.

I talked to a few guests then met and talked to a really nice VAO (visitor assistance officer) for awhile. Since he was a boy, all he wanted was to work at the Zoo, and now he's been there for ten years making a difference. I could tell he's so happy to be there every day and is really committed to his job and the Zoo. I think that's awesome!

I wrapped it up and headed home, freezing by this point from leaning my behind on a metal pole for way too long. I accidentally managed to delete the mountain lion pictures I took today, so more next time!