Rainforest of the Americas

"Oo, new digs"

Hooray! The last piece to Phase I of the LA Zoo's Master Plan is finally complete. The new (and lovely) Rainforest of the Americas is now open to the public. I still remember the first part of the puzzle, the Chimpanzees of Mahale Mountains, opening in 1998. I was employed by the zoo at the time, working in the Behavioral Research Division, studying how the chimps could best make use of their new space. That was the zoo's first step into a new century of exhibit technology. I sincerely hope this new space won't be the last, despite the City of LA's steadily declining support. But for now, let's celebrate the new space, and what it can mean for the conservation of its rare denizens in the wild!

Baird's Tapir!

 

Tapir Feet! 

Cotton-top Tamarin

Giant River Otter - and hapless fish

Apparently fish are tasty

Emerald Tree Boa - added to his new home while we watched

Emerald Tree Boa

Ghosts of the Desert

To me, nothing is more relaxing than spending time around animals. So sometimes we head to the LA Zoo in the afternoon when we need a break. I occasionally write for their magazine Zoo View so it's almost like working...

The last time we went the peninsular pronghorns were very energetic, play fighting and carousing.

I'm really proud of our zoo's involvement with the Peninsular Pronghorn Recovery Project in Mexico, so it's a treat to see these guys up close. Only about 250 members of this subspecies survive in the wild, down from the thousands that used to roam the deserts. That means the breeding herd at LAZ comprises a significant percentage of all individuals alive today. It's really a shame they're endangered, since they're quite unusual. Not only are they the fastest hoofed mammals on Earth, but pronghorns are also the only extant member of their entire family (Antilocapridae). They're weird too, falling somewhere between goats and deer, with odd branching horns instead of antlers, unlike any other creature alive today.

In their home range the peninsular subspecies is called los fantasmas del desierto, the ghosts of the desert, because of their cryptic coloration and great speed that allows them to disappear from view with almost supernatural quickness. Indeed, they can cruise at nearly 60 mph, tongues hanging out and mouths agape to admit copious amounts of air, for an hour at a time. That's one thing you won't see in a zoo though, since these pronghorns are far too relaxed to consider fleeing. Like me, after an afternoon spent watching them.

Wordless Wednesday featuring a Skeptical Kid

Reggie

Friday was Valentine's Day so Gabriel and I took the afternoon off and headed to the LA Zoo. There we were lucky enough to catch Reggie the alligator sunning himself right up near the public walkway.

Reggie is a bit of a local celebrity. He was apparently dumped at Harbor Regional Park sometime in 2005, reportedly by a former police officer (!) and stayed there for two years, eluding every attempt at capture. It probably goes without saying, but it's illegal to keep an alligator as a pet, as well as being a very, very stupid idea.

Finally the zoo got involved and elaborate plans were put in place to wrangle the 6.5 foot reptile. He was caught without incident and even got a police escort to his new home. Apparently some officers are better friends to gators than others...

When we visited him there weren't too many people around, so we rated a half-opened eye for a few seconds. It didn't take long for him to figure out that we aren't quite on his level, fame-wise, so back to sleep he went. Who can blame him? This is LA, after all.

Species Survival Plans

Today I spent the afternoon interviewing chimpanzee keepers at the Los Angeles Zoo about the newest generation of chimps born at the Mahale Mountains exhibit there. A lot of what we talked about centered around the fact that these chimps are part a Species Survival Plan, or SSP, that regulates the captive breeding of animals at accredited American zoos and aquariums.

I think it's safe to say that most people don't consider how important the individual animals they're seeing at zoos can be to their species as a whole. Once upon a time zoos were little more than freak shows, exhibiting the strange and exotic to a fascinated public. That is long past, however, and good zoos are now very concerned about the conservation of their charges, both in the wild and in captivity. That's why it's so important to have a plan for the breeding of animals, especially among endangered populations

That's where SSPs come in. They make sure that certain individuals don't become over-represented in the gene pool. It wouldn't do, for instance, to have every Komodo dragon in America be the offspring of just one pair. This is imperative since most animals aren't (nor should they be) taken from the wild any more. These days, it's much more likely that animals will have lived in captivity for generations, like the 4th generation LAZ chimpanzees I visited today. Obviously someone had better keep track of who's breeding with whom.

So what is an SSP? Basically, it's a cooperative plan for managing individuals to make certain that the species as a whole can thrive. There are currently more than 500 species with plans, each managed by a Taxon Advisory Group. Each has its own studbook, breeding schedule, and transfer plan. In addition, the SSPs identify goals for managing the species, keeping them genetically diverse, and ensuring their continued survival in captivity and the wild. Problems and challenges are identified too. For chimps these range from the bushmeat crisis and deforestation in their native habitat to the keeping of apes as pets and as performers in captivity. Sometimes SSPs even coordinate veterinary care and disease abatement in wild populations.

So keep an eye out for symbols like the one at the top of this post if you happen to visit a zoo or aquarium. You'll know that you're in the company of some very important individuals.

Night of the Living Zoo

It might be November, but that doesn't mean there's a ban on talking about October, does it? I sure hope not since we were able to get tickets to the LA Zoo's big Halloween bash this year and I've been dying (heh) to post about it.

Snacking on a humanely pre-killed chick

I'm so proud of what our zoo has accomplished since I worked there years ago. They've really come a long way, but the new reptile house in particular is a thing of beauty. The exhibits are huge, gorgeous, and clearly built with the comfort of their inhabitants in mind. As someone who once thought seriously of pursuing a herpetology degree the fact that they're doing conservation work and getting some rare critters to breed thrills me no end.

Watching some of the rarest guys get fed during the Halloween festivities was exciting too, even for a veggie girl like me. Even better was having the keeper describe their high hopes for getting the Gray's monitors to breed, something that's pretty much unheard of in captivity. Don't worry though, these Gray's weren't taken from the wild (not by the zoo, at least), they were rescued from the horror of illegal smuggling. When you consider the fact that these beautiful lizards were once thought to be extinct, you can't help but smile to seem them alive and well in such a lovely enclosure.

Big and smart, but dragon in name only

Then there's the Komodo dragons. These guys are AMAZING. When you see a full-grown individual you instantly see why they weren't called Komodo lizards. Of course they are monitor lizards too and like the Gray's they are distantly related to the giant sea-going Mosasaurs of the late Cretaceous. They may also have played into the idea that dragons breath fire since their tongues are yellow and constantly flick in and out, sampling the air. We saw them eat too, and I won't lie. It was a bit disturbing, especially since we share our home with a very personable bunny. Still, Komodos gotta eat, and in the wild they often dine on animals far bigger than rabbits. LAZ has had a lot of success breeding these guys, although the sex ratio of the hatchlings is often terribly skewed. Happily that may be changing soon though, as keepers here are pioneering incubation methods that will hopefully result in a more even distribution of males and females and a brighter future for the species.

I love tapirs. But you knew that.

After all that excitement we checked out the carousel full of endangered and rare animals. It was installed years ago but this was the first time I'd ever had the chance to ride it. Of course I chose the only tapir... Which just happened to be my favorite species (mountain) if I don't miss my bet.

We finished out the night by catching the Sideshow Sirens who do exactly what you'd think. I had never actually seen anyone preform the "human blockhead" act before, and I'd say it was tough to watch if I hadn't just seen a giant lizard eat a fuzzy bunny. I had also never had anything made with candy corn-infused vodka before, which was surprisingly not as awful as you might imagine. If you're curious, this is apparently how you make it. Basically it's three parts vodka, one part candy. Now that's spooky!