Zootracks • Summer 2022

SUMMER | 2022

HAND-RAISING A GIRAFFE THE LITTLEST GIANT ANTEATER CAN YOU SEE ME NOW?

Lincoln Children’s Zoo 1222 South 27th Street Lincoln, NE 68502 402.475.6741 LincolnZoo.org

President Emeritas John Chapo

President & CEO Evan Killeen

Chief Operating Officer Sarah Wood

ZOOTRACKS MAGAZINE Senior Editor & Writer | Erin Lenz Art Director & Writer | Abigail Billing

BOARD OF DIRECTORS ​​​​​​​Jack Abel, Blake Anderson, Taylor Ashburn, Creighton Bassett, James Bowen, Chris Campbell Eells, Jennifer Cintani, Terri Dunlap, Jessica Erstad, Angie Hoffschneider, Liz Koop, John Laflin, Jeff Maul, Eric Mooss, Jason Muhleisen, Amanda Ostergard, Denise Pearce, Natasha Plooster, John Pugliese, Vanessa Roof, Eric Schafer, Jon Sevenker, Michele Steckelberg, DeWayne Taylor, Diane Temme Stinton, Sarah Teten Kanter, Sean White, Aaron Wiegert, Chad Wiles, Ella Wirtz

Lincoln Children’s Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums

MEMBER

Lincoln Children’s Zoo is a member of Give Nebraska. Learn more at: GiveNebraska.org

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Mission:

To enrich lives through firsthand interaction with living things.

ZooTracks | Lincoln Children’s Zoo

THANK YOU TO OUR CORPORATE SPONSORS ®

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HAND-RAISING A GIRAFFE

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PANTONE 2945

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THE LITTLEST GIANT ANTEATER

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ZOO NEWS

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EVENT CALENDER

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POSTER

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KID’S ACTIVITIES

What’s happening at the Zoo? Find out who is featured on the collectable poster!

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CAN YOU SEE ME NOW?

Upcoming events at the Zoo! Fun activities for kids of all ages.

Summer 2022 | LincolnZoo.org

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HAND-RAISING A BABY GIRAFFE

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ne of the newest residents at Lincoln Children’s Zoo, Kay, has a pretty incredible story about her first few weeks of life. Kay was born on February 27th, 2022 to mom, Allie and dad, Joey.

Kay may be the second baby giraffe born at the Zoo, but she is the first to be handraised by our amazing team. Kay was born to first time mom, Allie, who was unable to perform typical maternal duties. So for Kay’s safety the giraffe team made the decision to hand-raise her. The giraffe team had to step in before she was able to get her first feeding from Allie that contains a very important component of milk called colostrum. This first milk contains enzymes, antibodies, and other elements that are critical to a baby developing a healthy immune system. Although the team started to supplement with dairy calf milk replacer, Kay wasn’t eating enough and rapidly got weaker. She started to develop a respiratory infection, became lethargic, and still wouldn’t eat. To treat her respiratory infection and rehydrate her, it was determined that she needed IV antibiotics, IV fluids, and a transfusion of plasma from a donor giraffe. This lifesaving plasma was gifted to the Zoo from Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.

The plasma transfusions and antibiotics jump started the fight against the infections in her lungs. The fluids rehydrated Kay and gave her strength to feed normally. The team transitioned to whole goat’s milk as a food source, and she began to eat and drink vigorously on the new food. ShadowBrook Farm had extra unused goat milk due to a devastating fire in the building that housed their cheese plant. Lincoln Children’s Zoo has been able to feed Kay whole goat milk on a regular schedule ever since.

“The team pulled together to support Kay through a very scary, very dangerous few days of her life. Every heart and hand in the Zoo was with Kay from the moment she

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was born until now when she is thriving as a member of the herd.

As hard as the team worked to keep her alive and give her the best chance in life, we could not have been successful without Kay fighting with every ounce of her own strength. We’re very lucky to have such a dedicated team, have collaborating partners at Omaha’s Zoo and Aquarium, and to have little Kay with such a fighting spirit,” said Trent Shrader, Lincoln Children’s Zoo Director of Veterinary Medicine.

Currently Kay is bottle-fed twice daily. She also receives grain/milk replacer mix for breakfast and dinner and eats browse and hay all day long with the rest of the herd. Due to the incredible work of this our dedicated team, Kay has been a happy and healthy part of the Zoo’s giraffe herd!

ZooTracks | Lincoln Children’s Zoo

SEEING DOUBLE Because Mosi and Kay were born about a month apart, it can be difficult to tell who is who.

Use the facts below to help you identify them!

MOSI

KAY

• Taller calf • Darker spots and less white inbetween each spot • Larger ears • Loves carrots and apples

• Oldest calf • More white on face with a darker nose • Ossicone fur stands very straight • Loves lettuce and carrots

WHO AM I?

Use what you just learned about Mosi and Kay to try to correctly identify each calf.

Next time you visit the Zoo, make sure to say hi to the giraffes and test your skills!

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Summer 2022 | LincolnZoo.org

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Answers left to right: Kay, Mosi, Mosi, Kay, Mosi, Kay

HAVE A

WIL D

BIRTHDAY AT THE ZOO!

Create the perfect party for the animal lover in your life! Gather your friends and family at the Zoo for gifts, food and fun! Make lasting memories with options for unlimited train rides and critter encounters.

VIEW PARTY PACKAGES AT LINCOLNZOO.ORG

Zoo Gift cards

VOLUNTEER AT THE ZOO!

Not sure what to give the Zoo lover in your life? A gift card lets them choose! Whether Zoo tickets, train rides, giraffe feed, the gift shop, or the cafes, your special someone will find just the right thing.

Purchase gift cards at the Zoo or at LincolnZoo.org

Zoo membership

$25

gift card $10 Zoo Gif

Zoo 6

d Gift Car

t Card

ZooTracks | Lincoln Children’s Zoo

Volunteers make a huge impact on the Zoo! Create lasting memories for families by driving the train. Use your green thumb to help the Zoo’s gardens look their best.

Use your skills to support the Zoo!

LEARN MORE AT LINCOLNZOO.ORG

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ZOO NEWS 1

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1. THE MILL AT THE ZOO

Need a coffee break? The Mill Coffee & Tea is now at the Zoo! Located in the Secret Jungle, The Mill at Lincoln Children’s Zoo offers a variety of coffee and tea options. Plus, purchase a bag of our special Zoo Blend Coffee to brew at home!

2. PLAY STREAM

Don’t let the hot Nebraska summer get you down! The Play Stream is the perfect place to splash around and cool off during your Zoo trip.

3. ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS

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No Zoo visit is complete without animals encounters! Watch a cheetah run, learn more about your favorite Zoo animals from zookeepers, or play an interactive game during Eat That Fish at the penguin deck! Animal Encounters take place daily, weather permitting. Check the encounter times board next to the Zoo map for each day’s schedule.

4. TRADING CARDS

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Zoo Trading Cards are the perfect souvenir! Trading cards are given out after every animal encounter. Talk to a zookeeper during you visit and you may get to collect special trading cards for the animals in their care.

Collect them all!

5. BUTTERFLIES

Laura’s Butterfly Pavilion is OPEN! Learn all about butterflies in this interactive experience. Laura’s Butterfly Pavilion will be open through Labor Day weekend.

Summer 2022 | LincolnZoo.org

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collectible poster

(The Hum bold

t Pengu in)

– Named for the Humboldt Current that flows through their native habitat along the western coast of South America.

– They are excellent swimmers, reaching Hello my name is speeds of 30 mph and depths of 50 ft.

Pebbles – The pink skin around their eyes and beak helps keep them cool in hot weather.

Fascinating Facts

THE LITTLEST GIANT ANTEATER Help us welcome a giant anteater pup!

Mom, 3-year-old Maisy, delivered Lancaster on May 29, 2022. Lancaster is named after the county the Zoo resides in. Maisy has an excellent maternal instinct and has been taking great care of her new pup. While it is too early to determine the sex of the pup, both mom and pup are healthy and thriving.

The gestation period for a female giant anteater is about 180 days. After birth, a baby climbs onto their mother’s back where it can stay for up to one year, occasionally climbing down to nurse and explore its surroundings.

With the continued decrease in population of giant anteaters, this birth is incredibly important for animal conservation efforts. Giant anteaters are listed as Vulnerable on the International Union Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, meaning they face a high risk of extinction in the wild. The Lincoln Children’s Zoo is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan Program. The program develops a Breeding and Transfer Plan which identifies population goals and recommendations to manage a genetically diverse, demographically varied, and biologically sound population. The plan’s coordinators approved breeding recommendations for the Zoo’s giant anteaters Maisy and Asterix.

MEET LANCASTER Maisy and Lancaster will be on exhibit daily from 10 a.m. to noon.

During those times they will have indoor access and might not always be visible.

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ZooTracks | Lincoln Children’s Zoo

Tickets on sale now!

Brews at the Zoo is back for a summer of fun!

Adults 21 and over can enjoy at night of live music by local bands, visits from animal ambassadors and delicious craft beer from local breweries. proud sponsor

tickets at lincolnzoo.org

Host your event at the zoo!

The wildest place in town to host a wedding, picnic, corporate event, or any special gathering.

Lincoln Children's Zoo has a variety of indoor and outdoor locations to create the perfect setting for private parties and events of all sizes. Make your event one your guests will never forget by adding special behind-the-scenes tours, animal demonstrations or train rides. Grill out or dine in by utilizing the Zoo's catering options.

Learn more & Book your event at lincolnzoo.org Summer 2022 | LincolnZoo.org

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CAN YOU SEE ME NOW?

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f you could have a superpower, what would it be? Perhaps you’d choose invisibility? While becoming invisible might be impossible, many animals come close through camouflage. Camouflage, also known as cryptic coloration, is a defense mechanism animals use to disguise their appearance. This allows animals to disguise their location, identity, and movement to avoid predators or sneak up on prey. There are several different kinds of camouflage that work to disguise the physical appearance of an animal including, background matching, warning coloration, disruptive coloration, countershading, and mimicry.

Background matching is probably what you think of when someone mentions camouflage. This takes place when a species is concealed by matching the color or form of its

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surroundings. Tawny frogmouths use this type of camouflage to blend into the trees they are perched in. Countershading is when the top of an animal’s body is darker in color, while the bottom is lighter. Sharks and penguins use this type of camouflage to blend into the light reflecting on the top of the ocean and the darker depths below. Warning coloration, or aposematism, takes place when an animal uses bright colors to make predators aware they are toxic or dangerous. Many snakes and frogs, such as coral snakes and poison dart frogs, use warning coloration. With disruptive coloration, animals disguise themselves through a color pattern that causes predators to misidentify what they are looking at, such as eye spots on many species of butterfly that trick predators into thinking they are seeing the eyes of a much

ZooTracks | Lincoln Children’s Zoo

larger animal. The final type of camouflage is mimicry. Mimicry is when one species looks like a different species. A great example of this are milk snakes. Milk snakes are non-venomous snakes that have a red, yellow, and black coloring that looks very similar to venomous coral snakes causing predators to stay away to avoid the possibility of being bit by what they believe to be a venomous snake.

Through these five types of camouflage animals are able to better hide from predators or hunt prey. It truly is an amazing adaption that many species have. From large animals like giraffes and tigers to small insects like butterflies and walking sticks, camouflage in all its forms is another characteristic of the animals we love.

TIGER The orange fur and tight knit stripes help Sumatran tigers blend into the grasses and plants of tropical rainforests in Sumatra.

GIRAFFE Giraffes are so large that they don’t need to hide from predators! Instead giraffes will stand close together and their spots make it difficult for a predator to tell one giraffe from the other!

AFRICAN SERVAL Servals have both black lines and spots that help them blend into high grass, especially when standing still!

Servals don’t have true stripes but have large spots that blend together to give the appearance of stripes.

HONDURAN MILK SNAKE The markings of Honduran milk snakes mimic those of venomous coral snakes, tricking predators into thinking they are dangerous in order to be left alone.

TAWNY FROGMOUTH The tawny frogmouth has the ideal camouflage against tree bark - brownish gray feathers with black streaks and spots. They are active at night, but by day they perch in the trees perfectly camouflaged.

PENGUIN A penguin’s black and white feathers help camouflage them when they are swimming in the ocean. Their white belly blends in with the light from the ocean’s surface and their black back blends in with the darkness of the ocean floor.

Summer 2022 | LincolnZoo.org

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ZOO! CALENDAR JULY JUL

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BREWS AT THE ZOO | 21+ EVENT | 6 P.M. – 11 P.M.

It’s time for adults 21 and over to enjoy some delicious craft beers and live music at the Zoo! Featuring a concert by The 402 and beer from Zipline Brewery, Empyrean Brewing, White Elm Brewing and more!

PROUD SPONSOR

NATIONAL ZOOKEEPER WEEK | 10 A.M. - 5 P.M.

We are celebrating National Zookeeper Week! All of the Zookeepers at the Zoo spend countless hours giving our animals the best care. Next time you see one of them, be sure to tell them thanks!

BREWS AT THE ZOO | 21+ EVENT | 6 P.M. – 11 P.M.

It’s time for adults 21 and over to enjoy some delicious craft beers and live music at the Zoo! Featuring a concert by Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal and beer from Zipline Brewery, Empyrean Brewing, White Elm Brewing and more!

PROUD SPONSOR

AUGUST AUG

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BREWS AT THE ZOO | 21+ EVENT | 6 P.M. – 11 P.M.

It’s time for adults 21 and over to enjoy some delicious craft beers and live music at the Zoo! Featuring a concert by The Wildwoods and beer from Zipline Brewery, Empyrean Brewing, White Elm Brewing and more!

PROUD SPONSOR

SEPTEMBER SEP

2-5 SEP

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LABOR DAY WEEKEND | 10 A.M. – 5 P.M.

The Zoo is open all weekend! Spend the long weekend at the Zoo! Visit all of your favorite animals, feed a giraffe, watch a cheetah run, ride the train, play in the Play Stream, and more!

BREWS AT THE ZOO | 21+ EVENT | 6 P.M. – 11 P.M.

It’s time for adults 21 and over to enjoy some delicious craft beers and live music at the Zoo! Featuring a concert by AM/FM and beer from Zipline Brewery, Empyrean Brewing, White Elm Brewing and more!

PROUD SPONSOR

ild Wednesday OPEN LATE ‘TIL 8 EVERY WEDNESDAY IN JUNE, JULY & AUGUST PROUD SPONSOR

When do you go at red and stop at green?

Do fish go on vacation?

No, because they’re always in school!

When you're eating a watermelon.

Wanna go on a picnic?

Who comes to picnics but are never invited?

PHOEBE’S FAVORITE JOKES!

Alpaca lunch.

Ants!

Share your favorite jokes with us at contact@lincolnzoo.org for a chance to be featured in Zootracks!

WORD SEARCH Can you find the summer words?

Camping Clouds Fun Lake Lemonade Picnic Pool Sports Summer Sunshine Swimming Watermelon

X F R U K B C M S W I M O F V

I W M M X H C Z C A K Y E S P

B D L A K E F O F T N P W G J

ZooTracks | Lincoln Children’s Zoo

Q K H S B Q A Y T E U I K H E

X Q F Q O C F Z Z R M C P P C

G S U L B O G Q I M S Z W A S

H P N B I Z J L I E R J M M W

W O E I Q C T N W L P P P H V

E R J L E L G Y V O I Y A V Z

S T F M T O I T P N C P E B P

U S T S P U I W G B N C M D U

N B K D O D P E P R I B T W S

S M P Q O S H V Q W C W A U T

H O U Q L C Q D O N C K M E Q

I Z X L E M O N A D E M S M D

N U G G A C O O V Z E Y E U R

E B J Y M H L G C R N L B D P

CRACK THE CODE

Use the key to solve the code.

Answer: Summer of fun

FOLLOW THE TRAIL

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Copy the letters in the order you find them into the boxes below to unscramble the words.

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I H N

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M I

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S P

S N R C

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W

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Answer: summer, picnic, swimming, sunshine

Summer 2022 | LincolnZoo.org

1222 South 27TH Street Lincoln, NE 68502 LincolnZoo.org

Only

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visits pay s

for YOUR mem bership!

Become a Zoo member

Join the Herd Memberships Available at Lincolnzoo.org

Support your Zoo! It costs $13,000 to care for the Zoo's animals each day. Funds from your Zoo Membership go directly to support the animals in our care. Not only does your Zoo Membership grant your family incredible benefits, the funds go directly to support the highest quality of care for our beloved animals, foster education, and support conservation efforts.

don’t miss out on: • FREE unlimited admission to the Zoo year-round • Discounted tickets to Zoo events such as Boo at the Zoo & Zoo Lights Powered by LES • Discounted registration for Zoo Camps and upcoming fall and winter camps • Discounted or free admission to nearly 200 AZA accredited zoos and aquariums nationwide • And more! Head to LincolnZoo.org for a full list of member benefits *Zoo activities and events are subject to change due to COVID-19 concerns.

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