A Day in the Life

For Members of Lincoln Park Zoo • A Magazine of Conservation and Education • Spring 2009

A Day in the Life Lincoln Park Zoo, From Morning to Night

in this issue Volume 6 Number 3 • For Members of Lincoln Park Zoo

1

7:00 a.m.

A Day in the Life Kevin J. Bell, Lincoln Park Zoo President and C.E.O.

22

13 2:00 p.m.

Kovler Sea Lion Pool

8:00 a.m.

Antelope & Zebra Area

14

2 8:30 a.m.

Judy Keller Education Center

23

9:00 a.m.

McCormick Bird House

24

10:00 a.m.

Helen Brach Primate House

25 Field Note Amur Tiger

26

17

5 10:30 a.m.

Farm-in-the Zoo Presented by John Deere

Field Note Meerkat

28

18

6 11:00 a.m.

Kovler Penguin/Seabird House

7

Wild File Primate House Permutations, Potential Breeding and a Bigger Mob

News of the Zoo The Nature Boardwalk at the Chicagoland Flower & Garden Show, Primate Sanctuary Planning and

3:00 p.m.

Regenstein African Journey

19 11:30 a.m.

Regenstein Small MammalReptile house

8

5:00 p.m.

Nutrition Center

2:30 p.m.

Kovler Lion House

16

4

4:30 p.m.

William C. Bartholomay Center for Conservation and Science

Field Note Polar Bear

Amazing Adaptations Early Birds and Night Owls

15

3

4:00 p.m.

Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo

Field Note Chimpanzee

3:30 p.m.

How You Can Help

20

Continue Your Visit online Visit www.lpzoo.org for Lincoln Park Zoo photos, videos and up-to-date info on events and animals. You can also find us on Facebook!

Field Note Egyptian Fruit Bat

QuestioNs? Contact the Membership Department. staff are on hand during normal business hours— phone 312-742-2322 or visit us online at www.lpzoo.org.

LINCOLN PARK ZOO MAGAZINE

9

President and CEO Kevin J. Bell Art Director Peggy Martin Editor James Seidler

Noon Regenstein Center for African Apes

10 Cert no. SW-COC-001613

Our printer buys Certified Renewable Energy green-e.org This brochure was printed using Green Energy Certificates

Photographer Greg Neise Staff Writer Chris McNamara

Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614, 312-742-2000, www.lpzoo.org. Lincoln Park Zoo is supported through a public/private partnership between the Chicago Park District and The Lincoln Park Zoological Society. The only privately managed free zoo in the country, Lincoln Park Zoo relies on membership, individual, foundation and corporate support as well as earned revenue.

7:00 a.m.

A Day in the Life

Keepers reward gray seals with fish, encouraging the marine mammals to participate in their own care. Chimpanzees sequence objects on a computer touch-screen, giving researchers insight into their thought processes. Educators brainstorm the next lesson for Summer Conservation Camp, preparing kids to embrace a world of wildlife.

These activities—and countless more—are part of “A Day in the Life” of Lincoln Park Zoo. In this issue, we chronicle some of the hundreds of exciting efforts that go into running a preeminent 21st century zoological institution. It’s a snapshot of the research, learning, conservation and care that occur here every day.

Looking at it another way, it’s a selection of all of the amazing things you, as members, make possible.

Every day at the zoo starts differently, but mine generally starts with a survey of the grounds. As I walk through the zoo, I’m always reminded that a day at Lincoln Park Zoo is unlike a day anywhere else. The difference extends beyond the amazing wildlife—the black bears and lions and Bactrian camels that prowl their yards in the early morning. The wonders of the zoo extend to all of the people who work here, those who arrive early and stay late to contribute to the zoo’s mission of conservation, education and care.

As the day begins, keepers throughout the zoo are tending to their animals, offering healthful diets and engaging enrichment. Scientists are planning the day’s projects, communicating with collaborators in Africa or consulting with peers on new strategies for conservation. Educators are prepping lesson plans and readying daily chats. Staff throughout the zoo—from accountants to parking lot attendants—are dedicating themselves to ensuring that everything runs smoothly.

Lincoln Park Zoo draws approximately 3 million annual visitors, people who come to observe wildlife, but much of our essential work occurs out of sight, in the small, repeated labors that make everything we do possible. By exploring that work in these pages, we’re highlighting the direct results of your commitment to the zoo.

So enjoy “A Day in the Life” of Lincoln Park Zoo. But after you’ve finished reading, be sure to come and enjoy it again in person. After all, your visits are the most important part of our day, every day of the year.

President and CEO Kevin J. Bell

SPRING 2009 1

This issue reflects “A Day in the Life” at Lincoln Park Zoo, but every day is different at a living institution, and events and activities may not be taking place at the exact times listed in this issue. This endless variety is part of what makes each visit to Dave Bernier is checking on If the thought of getting shots is stressful to you, conLincoln Park Zoo so exciting! these calves as he makes his sider the stress for those who have to start their morning rounds. The Curator of Mammals regby delivering shots to a 600-pound antelope with horns the ularly visits his different areas to monitor size of loaves of bread. Wisely, Zoological Manager Laszlo the animals. The new red kangaroos are socializing well with the Szilagyi and keeper Andy Van Laan have trained the Sichuan existing animals. The Grevy’s zebras are becoming more active takin male (below) to accept his cortisone shots, which ease with the warming weather. The white-lipped deer stag is enterhis arthritis. “The animal doesn’t even notice,” says Szilagyi, ing rut and needs a bolstered diet. proud of the fact that the process has become so smooth.

Then, today at least, it’s off to meet with members of the Training happens almost every day at the area informally Communications and Education Departments to brainstorm known as Hoofstock. Lead Keeper Penny Reidy helps prep ideas for new signage. Each sign at the zoo is carefully planned Grevy’s zebras for veterinary exams (below, right). The red to communicate the most important messages about animal kangaroos have learned to hop into their indoor enclosures biology and conservation. As such, many hands contribute to each night. The alpacas allow keepers to clean their wooly all signage. coats. The takin present themselves for injections.

Next, Bernier will hustle over to the C.H. “Doc” Searle, If the takin were stressed, Rachel Santymire, Ph.D., would M.D. Animal Hospital for an Animal Management Meeting to know. The endocrinologist, who works in the Davee Center discuss conservation plans for Grevy’s zebras and breeding for Epidemiology and Endocrinology, tracks hormone levels recommendations for Amur tigers. in these and many other zoo animals via fecal samples collectIt’s a lot to process. It’s a good thing Bernier is adept at ed by keepers. She’s also studying the droppings of these big handling stress. antelopes to chart reproductive cycles in the two females, each of which has produced a calf in recent years.

8:00 a.m.

Antelope & Zebra Area

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8:30 a.m.

Judy Keller Education Center Before the squealing pack of kids show up in shorts and sandals, before they dirty their hands exploring the organic garden, before they play games on the South Lawn, before any observations have been taken in a field guide, Jenni Quick is seated at her computer imagining all of that excitement.

The manager of public programs began creating programming for Lincoln Park Zoo Summer Conservation Camps back in October. “I’ve been working since then to get the framework for Conservation Camps ready,” says Quick. “We revamped camp this year, so we were starting from the ground up.”

Conservation Camp wasn’t broken, mind you.

Last year’s offering sold out, enlightening some 500 kids throughout six weeks of laughing and learning.

But Quick wanted to reemphasize the “camp” aspect. (These are kids, after all—4-years-olds through eighth graders.) “We wanted more outdoor activities. More games. More time together as a camp community,” she explains.

Two extra weeks were added. Also updated was the Conservation Camp structure. This year parents can register their children for one or two weeks, with focuses on local and global issues. “We stress how the animals are ambassadors for their species in the wild,” says Quick. “We want campers to learn about our place in the world.”

When she began formulating the program for Conservation Camps, Quick kept in mind memories from camps she’d attended as a kid. Fun. Sun. Learning, of course, but miles from the typical classroom environment. And that, she figured, is what today’s kids wanted in a camp, including one held in a green oasis teeming with wildlife.

Manager of Public Programs Jenni Quick and Director of Public Programs and Guest Engagement Jessica Monahan lay the groundwork for this year’s Summer Conservation Camps.

SPRING 2009 3

9:00 a.m.

McCormick Bird House Introducing new arrivals always requires careful planning, but when territorial animals are involved, such as the endangered Guam rail at the McCormick Bird House, it’s best to take things slow. To acclimate the resident male to a new female, keepers start the day by placing the latter within a private enclosure in the exhibit they will share. The look-smell-hear-but-don’t-touch approach encourages familiarity—and offsets aggression at the actual introduction.

Guam rail conservation is a priority at Lincoln Park Zoo. General Curator Megan Ross, Ph.D., serves as the coordinator for the Guam Rail Species Survival Plan®, which manages the bird’s recovery in zoos across the country. Hope B. McCormick Curator of Birds Colleen Lynch assists Ross by acting as Population Management Center advisor, helping to analyze studbooks (collections of family lineages used to plan breeding), identify homes for maturing Guam rails and even choose birds to be relocated to Guam, where they may be reintroduced to the wild.

Extinct on Guam due to the introduction of the brown tree snake, the flightless bird relies on the collaboration of zoos worldwide for their recovery. Each introduction—meticulous as it may be—represents another step forward.

Raw Materials While the Guam rails continue their introduction, keepers elsewhere in the building provide nesting materials to encourage birds to start building for breeding season. Wood bark, grasses, twigs and moss are common construction materials during spring at the Bird House. The nests that result are not only good for breeding, but enriching for the birds as well.

To Survey a Scavenger For cinereous vultures, scanning surroundings for carrion is a cinch, but participating in veterinary exams is a learned behavior.

To help the birds participate in their own care, outdoor keepers at the Regenstein Birds of Prey Exhibit are conducting operant conditioning sessions aimed at encouraging the vultures to approach the edge of their exhibit. That way, veterinarians can get a close look in a stress-free manner—a benefit on both sides of the mesh.

Top: Beyond being extremely endangered, Guam rails are also exceedingly territorial, making careful introduction planning a must. Left: Keepers provide extra materials to help birds such as Nicobar pigeons build nests for breeding season.

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10:00 a.m.

Helen Brach Primate House By 10 a.m., the residents of the Primate House are well into their daily routines. The howler monkeys have been sunning themselves for a few hours. The white-cheeked gibbons have finished singing their morning songs. The titi monkeys have untwined their furry tails and begun scampering around the branches of their exhibit.

The staff and volunteers are even more active. After attending 7 a.m. meetings and reviewing notes on all the animals under her care here, Assistant Curator of Primates Maureen Leahy begins checking weights of the animals. “A lot of these primates are very small, and minor weight fluctuations can mean a lot, so we do frequent weighing here to ensure everyone is doing well,” she says.

Each animal must be trained to voluntarily step onto scales, which is an ongoing process for keepers behind the scenes.

Graduate student Michelle Rafacz is monitoring gibbon behavior while nearby, out in the public hallway, a docent begins her presentation before the huge window of the gibbon exhibit, pausing to answer questions. “Why is that one white?” Because she’s female.

“Which one is the daddy?” The black one hanging from the ceiling.

Today a black-and-white colobus is having a minor medical procedure, so Leahy will accompany her to the hospital, where she’ll update the veterinarians on the animal’s condition.

Meanwhile, back at the Primate House, a keeper is steaming carrots in the kitchen. Not for his lunch, mind you, but for the 18year-old emperor tamarin, who needs his carrots softer than most.

(Dental problems don’t only afflict human primates.)

Left: One of the more active species at the Primate House, whitecheeked gibbons draw a crowd, enabling docents to educate visitors about their behavior and biology. Below: Keeper Anita Yantz chops apples for the monkeys' morning meal.

SPRING 2009 5

10:30 a.m.

Farm-in-the-Zoo Presented

by John Deere Life on a farm isn’t that different than life on the Farm-in-the-Zoo Presented by John Deere. Except, of course, here there are skyscrapers looming beyond the pony pen and a mob of kangaroos lounging a few yards away in the zoo.

By mid-morning, Keeper Jill Tade has already done a chicken headcount and fed the goats their grain. “They trample you for the grain. It’s their favorite,” she says. Tade and her peers have placed fresh grass inside the rabbit pens and shifted the ponies to holding exhibits in order to clean out their stalls.

They’ve fed medicinal paste to a rabbit. They’ve groomed the Jacob sheep. They’ve ushered the sow to her outdoor yard in order to provide fresh hay to her sleeping quarters. Now it’s time for Farm staff to chop fresh produce to create meals for the vegetarian animals. After that, they’ll weigh out frozen mice for the owls.

While the daily chores are being done, visiting children are marveling at the cow-milking demonstrations taking place in the Dairy Barn, where man, machine and mooers work in tandem. They attend a presentation by a ferrier who shows them how horses’ hooves are maintained. Nearby at the Farmhouse, strollers roll down the ramps carrying children who’d just sang and danced during the popular Story Time program.

While kids are enthralled, animals are enriched. Tade blows bubbles in the Livestock Barn, which the owls marvel at and the chickens pop with pointy beaks. It’s not all work on a farm.

Right: Ferrier Joe Vass comes regularly to ensure the ponies’ hoofs are trim and healthy. Below: Cow-feeding and cow-milking demonstrations, led here

by Keeper Art Diaz, are part of the fun at the Crown Dairy Barn.

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11:00 a.m.

Kovler Penguin/Seabird House Trout, silverside, herring, capelin—these are some of the aquatic eats being put out for the morning meal at the Kovler Penguin/Seabird House. While the common murres, razorbills and tufted puffins get ready to gobble their fishy goodies, the penguins next door are already digesting their breakfast. Every chinstrap, rockhopper and king penguin has already been handfed, a step keepers take to ensure the smaller penguins get their fair share.

All the fish on the menu have been enhanced with a vitamin mixture to provide a full slate of nutrients. This addition—along with the fish selection and portion sizes—is carefully planned by the zoo’s Nutrition Center to maximize the diet’s benefit.

To keep the birds’ bellies full, the Nutrition Center’s delivery van comes by every other day to deliver another 90-pound load of scaly snacks. Even as the keepers feed the cold-loving animals in their care, tomorrow’s meal is already thawing behind-the-scenes…even penguins don’t eat frozen fish.

To ensure sound nutrition, rockhopper penguins (right), chinstrap penguins (lower right) and king penguins are handfed their daily meals. Keepers regularly don cold-weather gear to enter the frosty habitat.

SPRING 2009 7

11:30 a.m.

Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House In a building that houses both nocturnal and diurnal animals, it makes sense that events are planned midday. (Guests see the critters coming and going.) Today the star of the 11:30 a.m.

Animal of the Hour session is the blue-tongued skink (right), which the docent holds while discussing its titular taster.

A few steps away, the eastern massasauga rattlesnake slithers through its rocky exhibit. This is a comfortable existence compared to its wild cousins, which are threatened throughout the Midwest due to habitat loss and poaching by humans. While this rattlesnake educates guests, scientists are creating plans to bring the species back from the brink of extinction.

Behind the scenes, in a workshop area, Keeper Michal Kisielinski (below) is busy breaking down the exhibit for the black tree monitor. Each exhibit is periodically revamped for cleaning and repairing damage caused by day-to-day use. Kisielinski is expert at creating exhibits that mirror species’ wild habitats. Whenever possible, he adorns exhibits with plants native to the animal’s wild region. He checks the pump and drainage systems, making sure humidity remains around 85 percent for this lizard.

The lobby remains comfortable and dry for guests, who in the afternoon will be introduced to a box turtle (lower, right) during the second daily Animal of the Hour session. By then some residents of the Small Mammal-Reptile House will be getting sleepy.

Others will be just waking up.

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field note Egyptian Fruit Bat Rousettus aegyptiacus Upon arriving at Regenstein Small MammalReptile House, the Egyptian fruit bats will share space with straw-colored fruit bats, climbing and flying through their darkened exhibit and enjoying the sweet sustenance reflected in their name. At the moment, though, they’re hanging upside down in one of the quarantine rooms at the C.H. “Doc” Searle, M.D. Animal Hospital, waiting for a clean bill of health before moving on to their new home.

Why the precaution? To safeguard animal wellbeing, quarantine periods are standard operating procedure for new arrivals at Lincoln Park Zoo. Even before a move takes place, health records are carefully scrutinized and pre-shipment exams are conducted at the sending institution to screen for health issues or illnesses (especially those that could be transferred to new exhibitmates).

Still, quarantine periods give the zoo’s veterinary staff an opportunity to monitor the animals firsthand and get them used to their new diets. They safeguard the zoo’s animals against any “bugs” new arrivals may have brought from their old homes. But they also make sure the newcomers are healthy and ready to inhabit their new digs.

“Part of quarantine is monitoring the animals to see how they’re doing in a new environment,” says Kathryn Gamble, D.V.M., director of Veterinary Services. “But we’ll also do a full physical—radiographs, blood samples, fecal cultures and parasite check—to make sure they’re healthy.”

When their observation period is over, the Egyptian fruit bats will move on, but new animals will come into quarantine as transfers are made in response to breeding recommendations and aging in the population.

The animals change, but the dedication and care stays the same—another part of a day in the life at Lincoln Park Zoo.

SPRING 2009 9

Noon Regenstein Center for African Apes Sticks at the ready, the chimpanzees in Hank’s group at Regenstein Center for African Apes are excited for their noontime snack. Out of the animals’ sight—but in clear view of visitors—a keeper is prepping the area’s artificial termite mound while a researcher from the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes gets ready to collect data. PVC canisters containing small amounts of ketchup are being attached to the mound’s empty holes, enabling the chimpanzees to “fish” with sticks and long grass for the reward, much as they would “fish” for termites in the wild.

The results are filmed, and scientists use the footage to study ape tool-use.

Chimpanzees, and to a rare extent, gorillas, use tools in the wild to gather food and aid other tasks. By observing tooluse in controlled conditions, with plenty of help from the building’s keepers, scientists can better understand how these animals perceive their surroundings and solve problems.

Recently, researchers sequentially reduced the number of active holes— those bearing ketchup—down to zero to observe how the changing environment impacted tool-use behavior. The results were surprising, in terms of selflessness.

“There were instances of animals taking turns at the hole when there was only one hole baited,” says Fisher Center Director Elizabeth Lonsdorf, Ph.D. “That’s not something we expected.”

Every day, it seems, brings new lessons.

See more Regenstein Center for African Apes photos at www.lpzoo.org/ magazine

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1:00 p.m.

Gorillas Greet the Afternoon While the chimpanzees in the central exhibit are wrapping up with the termite mound, the gorilla groups are starting to rouse from their morning nap. The great apes stretch and saunter, prepping big muscles for afternoon activity. Youngsters— Azizi and Susie in JoJo’s gorilla group, Amare in Kwan’s—dash and play.

Whether the apes are climbing, grooming or still napping, behavioral-research interns record their activity with hand-held computers. This constant stream of information helps researchers understand how the apes interact with their surroundings and with one another. They also provide a baseline against which any changes in behavior can be measured. By learning more about ape behavior, the scientists can also improve standards for care.

Indeed, the building itself can be viewed as an ongoing experiment. Its design reflects behavioral data collected in the old Great Ape House, showing—among other things—that chimpanzees and gorillas prefer hanging out in corners, which are numerous in Regenstein Center for African Apes.

Right: Keepers provide an afternoon “scatter” of fresh vegetables to encourage apes to actively seek their food, as they would in the wild. Below, right: Interns monitor ape behavior to improve understanding and care.

SPRING 2009 11

1:30 p.m.

Many Ways to Explore Ape Behavior Throughout the day, in an off-exhibit area, some chimpanzees and gorillas participate in a cognitive study, performing memory tasks on a touch-screen computer. Their voluntary participation provides zoo scientists insight into the ways their minds work. But they aren’t the only primates working computers at Regenstein Center for African Apes.

Each weekend day at 1:30 p.m. (and at 11 a.m. Wednesdays –Fridays) zoo visitors participate in Exploring Ape Behavior, a program that enables them to step into the shoes of scientists and peer more closely into the world of apes. With iPod Touch computers in hand, participants monitor and record gorillas’ behavior based on a short tutorial presented by the program coordinator. It’s a crash course in zoo research—a study of scientific study.

The program not only provides a new, more interactive way to learn about great-ape behavior, but it also sheds light on the scientific work that takes place at Lincoln Park Zoo. Guests may have spotted researchers intently observing the animals, but they may not have understood what exactly they were doing. Now, they can.

Whether the animals are simply socializing in their exhibits or when, say, silverback Kwan is participating in his 1:30 p.m. training sessions, alumnae of Exploring Ape Behavior have a keen understanding of what is happening and why.

These alumnae may not be scientists, but they’re thinking like them.

Left: Chimpanzee Keo performs a voluntary task at the touch-screen—a process that’s enriching for him and informative for scientists studying chimpanzee behavior. Below: Exploring Ape Behavior participants get a crash course on ape observations.

Experience Exploring Ape Behavior online! Visit our Explorer’s Outpost at www.lpzoo.org/magazine to try your hand at classifying ape behavior.

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field note Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes The chimpanzees’ day within Regenstein Center for African Apes closely mirrors that of their wild counterparts. They wake with the sunrise. The youngsters start wrestling. The adults groom and socialize. Then some play on the computer.

That’s one difference from the wild—no PCs in the jungle.

When keepers are cleaning the exhibit he shares with his troupe, 10-year-old Optimus mans a computer station in an off-exhibit area. The memory games on the touch-screen computer, which reward success with treats, are stimulating for the apes. Observing their actions is proving enlightening for zoo scientists.

“We are learning more about how chimpanzees and gorillas view their social and physical environment,” says Supervisor of Behavioral and Cognitive Research Steve Ross, who created the program but emphasizes that keepers are integral to running it. “The touch-screen research enables us to ask them questions, in a sense, and understand more how they perceive and categorize objects and symbols.”

As artificial—as electronic—as this activity is, it mirrors the wild environment in that it enables the chimpanzees to make choices as they would throughout their normal days. It provides the participating animals control over their environment.

Part of that control is the ability to quit whenever they’d like and return to the activity of their group.

After a full day of wrestling, foraging, grooming, socializing and computing, the chimpanzees’ day ends as naturally as it started. By 4 p.m. they are busy building nests in the woodchip substrate and prepping burlap sacks to be used as blankets. In the wild, chimpanzees sleep in leaf nests built in the branches, but here at the zoo—in the absence of predators—most snooze on the ground.

A few, perhaps, dreaming of tomorrow’s computer session.

SPRING 2009 13

2:00 p.m.

Kovler Sea Lion Pool It starts at the edge of the water, with seals swimming up to touch a target with their noses. A whistle is blown, a fish is offered and the keepers at the Kovler Sea Lion Pool move on to the next task on their operant-conditioning list. Onlookers “ooh” and “aah” at the sight of the marine mammals out of the water, and zoo educators offer commentary, educating guests on the role of training sessions in maintaining animal health.

After keepers get the seals to recognize the target—a thin stick with a large rubber ball on the end—they move the tool (and use the promise of a reward) to encourage the animals to leave the water. As zoo educators explain to the crowd, each blown whistle informs the seal that a desired behavior has been achieved. The fish serve as positive reinforcement— effective ones, given how quickly they’re gobbled. All behav-

14 LINCOLN PARK ZOO

iors are voluntary, and seals have the option not to participate.

They’re generally game, though, with their training doubling as enrichment. Once on land, the gray seals are led through a training session that has them twist and turn, presenting their bodies—from whisker to flipper—for inspection. Keepers can even coax the animals onto a hidden scale to monitor their weight. All of this information—collected daily—helps keepers and veterinarians keep tabs on animals that live, literally, in a different element.

More importantly, the process gets the animals comfortable with husbandry efforts. “We reinforce these behaviors every day,” says Zoological Manager of Carnivores Mark Kamhout (below). “As a result, the animals are accustomed to what we need them to do for their own care.”

amazing adaptations early Birds & Night owls Even the first staff member to arrive on zoo grounds each morning can’t beat the early-rising animals. While there’s no rooster at the Farm-in-the-Zoo Presented by John Deere, the residents are wide-eyed each morning when keepers arrive around 7 a.m. The hens want to eat. The cows are ready to be milked.

Inside the Helen Brach Primate House, the howlers are what you’d call “morning monkeys.”

When the sun first pours into their exhibit they stretch out in the warmest spots and soak up the rays. On cloudy days, says Assistant Curator of Primates Maureen Leahy, they sleep in, which can be tough since the white-cheeked gibbons nearby herald each new day with an ear-splitting duet.

Throughout the night the gray seals take quick naps on the floor of their pool. The sun bears snuggle up together in their indoor habitat. Chilean flamingos sleep erect, perched atop two long legs.

In summer months, residents of the condo buildings across from the zoo boast that they have lion alarm clocks. The big cats roar into their mornings, usually the females first, followed by the throaty male. “They have to let everyone know they’re awake,” chuckles Keeper Cathy Mauer.

Great apes are great sleepers. The chimpanzees start snuggling into nests within their exhibits around 4:30 p.m. “They play hard and sleep hard,” explains Leahy. And when the sun hits the windows of Regenstein Center for African Apes, the gorillas lumber to life. The youngsters spring up and start wrestling. The silverbacks are slower, like groggy dads stumbling around on Christmas morning. As with the chimpanzees that share the facility, the adult gorillas begin each day with social grooming that reestablishes bonds.

Some nocturnal zoo animals have their light cycles switched. The brush-tailed bettongs, which in the wild are day sleepers, bound through their exhibits at Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House (SMRH) during business hours thanks to some light-bulb trickery.

But other creatures of the night snooze while guests peer at them, then awaken after hours. The moon elicits high-pitched barks from the Solomon Island leaf frogs within SMRH. And only when the sun sets do the nocturnal screech owls (right) come to life at the Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo, sounding their titular call to alert keepers that they’re ready for dinner. Or rather, breakfast.

SPRING 2009 15

2:30 p.m.

Kovler Lion House The lions at the Kovler Lion House are used to being the center of attention. Maned male Adelor and females Myra and Helene can gather a crowd even when they’re lounging lazily on the rock formations of their exhibit. When Adelor unleashes one of his iconic roars, visitors from throughout the zoo hurry over to experience one of the primal sounds of nature.

But while the lions are used to attention, recent conservation work has established them as stand-ins for an entire wild population.

Lincoln Park Zoo is leading the Serengeti Health Initiative, a wideranging conservation project aimed at securing the health of one of Africa’s signature ecosystems.

By vaccinating domestic dogs for diseases such as rabies and canine distemper in the area surrounding Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, zoo collaborators prevent these diseases from entering the park, where they have devastated lion populations in the past.

Other aligned research—disease surveys, predator censuses and educational outreach efforts—help protect wild lions and the ecosystem they live in. A place where they lounge, hunt and—like their cousins in Chicago—roar with gusto.

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field note Amur tiger Panthera tigris altaica There is plenty of snarling. Massive paws swipe at muscular necks. Fur flies. The Amur tigers’ awesome physicality is on full display.

To an untrained eye, it could appear as though the male and female are fighting, but that’s far from the truth. These battles of strength initiate tiger breeding, something Lincoln Park Zoo is hoping happens soon.

The zoo’s resident tiger couple has been together for more than three years, but they often seem more like roommates than feline familiars.

And it’s the male who is taking things slowly.

Normally, it’s his job to impress the female by overpowering her. If the female is receptive, she will allow herself to be bred. Unfortunately for this male, the female has proven to be a little out of his league. She is a big cat, as large as he is. And she’s quite a bit older than her hesitant potential mate.

Curator of Mammals Dave Bernier, who has overseen this process, is waiting for the male to become more assertive. “Breeding tigers can be tricky—it can take years before a pair is successful,” he says. “So this delay, while frustrating, is not abnormal. We’d just all love to see a litter of cubs romping through the exhibit sometime soon.”

In the wild, tigers are solitary animals. Males and females come together only to breed. Bernier and staff initially tried replicating this social structure by introducing the pair just when she was in estrus. It didn’t work.

So recently the tigers were given shared time each day, more on those days when she would be most receptive. “Hopefully they will become more comfortable with each other, and that leads to mating,” says Bernier. “We saw some positive results from the get-go. The last time the female came into estrus, she and the male were resting beside each other.”

Snuggling is more encouraging than snarls and swipes.

Lydia Wood SPRING 2009 17

field note Meerkat Suricata suricatta Anyone attending the daily Meerkat Chats at Regenstein African Journey will quickly learn why some experts consider these small mammals to be the planet’s most cooperative species. Living in groups called “gangs,” meerkats require teamwork to survive the harsh habitat of the African Kalahari Desert. While life in the zoo is safe, elements of their natural behavior are still evident to onlookers.

As the zoo educator giving the 1 p.m. chat explains, meerkat behavior is rooted in digging, which zookeepers encourage with a special exhibit substrate that lets the animals tunnel underground. The exhibit also features enrichment objects such as tubing, providing the feeling of being inside burrows.

Because these small members of the mongoose family lack excess body-fat stores, wild meerkats have to forage every day for insects, eggs and small animals. Meerkats at the zoo never have to worry about getting enough to eat, but a sentry still stands watch for possible dangers while the rest of the group feeds.

Regenstein African Journey’s naturalistic exhibit design enables chat participants to view the animals from above. Since the biggest threat in the wild comes from swooping raptors, the meerkats often watch back, with similar interest.

Joe Geglio See more Regenstein African Journey photos at www.lpzoo.org/ magazine

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3:00 p.m.

Regenstein African Journey A certain smell—a sharp, pungent smell—may greet you as you make your way into the Dry Thorn Forest area at Regenstein African Journey.

While the meerkats have run of the place for much of the day (with the giraffes surveying the action), in late afternoon the aardvark (right) rouses from his nocturnal slumber and begins to explore the exhibit.

Beyond their odor, aardvarks possess a number of interesting adaptations. Big, thick claws help the species dig burrows and breach the tough walls of termite mounds. Long, thin tongues help them slurp up termites. Large, sensitive ears help the insectivores stand watch for predators, such as African wild dogs.

Aardvarks and African wild dogs don’t share space in Regenstein African Journey (thankfully), but they do coexist in the Serengeti ecosystem. And as Lincoln Park Zoo researchers work to conserve African wild dogs, the zoo’s pack helps them learn crucial information about the species.

To boost research, keepers spend part of each afternoon collecting fecal samples from the building’s African wild dogs (below).

Endocrinologist Rachel Santymire, Ph.D., has used these samples to create a field-ready kit for analyzing stress hormones. These kits will help scientists monitor stress associated with moving the dogs for conservation purposes.

While Santymire’s work with African wild dogs benefits animals on the other side of the world, her research with the building’s pygmy hippotamuses (below, right) could help an endangered species rebound right here at the zoo. To assist a Species Survival Plan® breeding recommendation, keepers regularly collect the female hippo’s saliva for Santymire to analyze. By measuring reproductive hormones in the saliva, Santymire hopes to pinpoint the female’s reproductive cycle. This info could help keepers introduce these solitary swimmers at the peak time for breeding.

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3:30 p.m.

How You Can Help Keepers care, educators teach, scientists study wildlife.

All of these roles are integral to the zoo’s mission of conservation and care, but they wouldn’t be possible without one key factor: you.

Members make possible everything Lincoln Park Zoo does, from conserving chimpanzees in the Congo to providing nutritious meals and state-of-the-art care here at home. Without your support, a “Day in the Life” at Lincoln Park Zoo simply wouldn’t be possible. Thank you.

How Funding Flows It costs approximately $50,000 each day to operate the zoo, including feeding, housing and taking care of all the animals.

All of this work is made possible by a combination of donations, a fixed subsidy from the Chicago Park District and revenue from parking, gift purchases, food sales and more.

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Visits Vary with the Seasons The zoo’s 3 million annual guests are spread throughout the calendar year, with visits soaring during the sunny months of summer.

Who Works at Lincoln Park Zoo? From keepers who care for animals to scientists who conserve them, educators who raise awareness and all the other people who are essential to making the zoo run, Lincoln Park Zoo packs plenty of work into its 35 acres.

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4:00 p.m.

Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo Keepers use a variety of tools to deliver their daily care. Knives and cutting boards help craft healthful meals. Rubber gloves and power sprayers are employed in cleaning exhibits. But a saw seems like a strange addition to the keeper’s toolkit...at least until you think of the American beavers (below) living at the Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo. The stereotypically busy mammals regularly receive a willow, aspen or poplar tree for enrichment.

As beavers are primarily nocturnal, keepers typically wait until late afternoon to harvest a tree. To do so, they visit one of two nurseries that were established on zoo grounds during construction of the Children’s Zoo to provide the beavers with browse. After a few pulls of the saw, keepers bring the trees back to the beaver exhibit, where they’re installed in a ground-level stand. The beavers go to work as the keepers leave; by the next morning, they’ve typically reduced their tree to twigs. The whole experience shows how good planning ensures good husbandry…with the right tools, of course.

Top: Lead Keeper Michael Brown-Palsgrove pulls oak leaves from the freezer to feed the walking sticks. Keepers gather leaves throughout the summer and freeze them, thawing a new batch every day during mealtime. Right: Director of Veterinary Services Kathryn Gamble, D.V.M., Veterinarian Owen Wilson, D.V.M., and Veterinary Resident Trevor Zachariah, D.V.M., consult on arthritis relief for the Children Zoo’s geriatric black bear. Veterinarians make regular rounds throughout the day to monitor and care for animals.

See more Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo photos at www.lpzoo.org/ magazine

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4:30 p.m.

William C. Bartholomay Center for Conservation & Science Chimpanzee surveys in Gombe National Park, domestic dog vaccinations in the Serengeti—all these globe-trotting conservation efforts are rooted in meetings held in the conference room at the zoo’s conservation center. Meetings that, subject matter aside, probably aren’t too different from those that go on in your workplace. Plans are sketched out, responsibilities outlined, budgets adhered to and animals across the globe are conserved (well, that last part may differ).

“People see field work as the most glamorous aspect of what we do, but the vast majority of conservation action involves meeting and planning,” says Steve Thompson, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Conservation Programs. “Collaboration and communication are integral to getting anything done.”

The most-frequent meetings taking place are those of the Population Management Center (PMC). Hosted at Lincoln Park Zoo in partnership with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the PMC employs four fulltime population biologists to help zoos throughout the country create collaborative breeding and transfer plans for the animals in their care. By analyzing population trends and genetic profiles, these scientists are able to recommend the best matches for breeding, pairings that help zoos preserve the diversity of the wild.

Many of the PMC’s meetings take place in the building’s main conference room, which was designed to accommodate scientific planning. Copious dryerase boards enable impromptu sketches of animal genealogies. Audio-visual equipment lets field researchers project data collected in the wild. And the massive meeting area, equipped with plenty of chairs, ensures that everyone has a place at the table.

Top: Hard drives full of data and flow charts listing every animal in the North American zoo population help Population Management Center biologists Cara Groome, Kristine Schad and Kristin Kovar develop breeding recommendations. Bottom: A steady stream of samples pass through the endocrinology lab in the Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology, where researchers, led

by Endocrinologist Rachel Santymire, Ph.D., process fecal samples to measure reproductive and stress hormones.

The data produced helps inform conservation planning from the zoo to the wilds of Africa.

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field note Polar Bear Ursus maritimus Judging by her fur, the polar bear likes to start the day with a swim. Keepers often arrive at Polar Bear Plaza to find the female bear dripping from a morning dip.

As she dries, keepers give the carnivore a fish-and-produce snack to tide her over as the indoor habitat is cleaned. Once the den is sparkling, the bear gets a morning meal of polar bear chow at 10 a.m.

Spring days are filled with a number of natural behaviors—the bear swims and lounges in the sun, retreating to the indoor den to relax and emerging again to explore the surroundings. A snack is served at noon—more produce and fish—and keepers provide a variety of enrichment to encourage natural behaviors. “Anything that can be pounced on is popular,” says Lead Keeper Jill Gossett. “We think it reminds her of seals.” Tires, crates and even a floating buoy have served as stand-ins for prey.

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Operant conditioning is also an important part of the day, as keepers work with the polar bear to help her participate in her own care. She’s already learned an open-mouth display to help veterinarians get a better view of her teeth. (Vets and keepers, it goes without saying, are always safely separated from the big carnivore.) Ongoing efforts include getting her to stand upright for a full-body view and encouraging her to voluntarily enter the training wall—behaviors that help take the stress out of veterinary exams.

After a long day of swimming and stalking “prey,” the bear receives a final meal in the evening. Appetite is light during cold months—an adaptation to life in the Arctic, where food would be scarce. Collections staff mirror the natural cycle.

Nine pounds of chow is enough to fill her up in winter, but she makes up for it in summer, when more than twice that amount helps her to fatten up for the chill ahead. Those earlymorning swims require a little insulation, after all.

5:00 p.m.

Nutrition Center The food van is parked for the evening, the knives and utensils have been cleaned and filed away. Fresh food is safely secured in cold rooms and freezers, awaiting the next day’s preparations. Nutrition Manager Shana Lavin, Ph.D., surveys her surroundings one last time, ready to head home after a long day.

While keepers throughout the zoo play a crucial role in food preparation, the Nutrition Center is ground zero for feeding the zoo’s animals. Lavin and staff represent the entry point for all food items. Hay for hoofstock, crickets for kingfishers, melon for monkeys—all are distributed to animal houses via the Nutrition Center’s delivery van.

Beyond delivering foodstuffs, Lavin and crew keep tabs on suppliers, ensuring that food meets strict standards for animal health. They also prep bulk fare to distribute, creating massive amounts of diced fruits and veggies for hungry birds and lizards.

Lavin has reviewed every diet throughout the zoo to ensure animals receive their necessary nutrients. If a meerkat is looking a little, well, stocky, she guides changes to the diets to ensure fitness. If a finicky Goeldi’s monkey is losing weight, she’ll prescribe nutrientrich fat supplements to pack on the pounds.

Beyond ensuring healthy diets, Lavin also dedicates time to better understanding good nutrition. Ongoing research projects include studying the presence of antibiotic resistance in the food chain and the impact of diet on breeding in endangered black-footed ferrets.

It’s enough to fill the longest of days, and that doesn’t include managing the invoices involved in keeping 500-pound gorillas and 18-foot-tall giraffes sated. With insects, beef slabs, exotic fruits and “pinky” mice added in, the total can top $40,000 a month. It’s enough to feed the most-demanding palates…one day at a time.

A gorilla snack originates in the Nutrition Center, where Nutrition Manager Shana Lavin, Ph.D., and Technician Ashley Yates organize fresh deliveries of produce and chow. Technician Dennis Lane delivers the food to each animal house with the Nutrition Center’s delivery van.

SPRING 2009 25

wild file

Left-to-right: Goeldi’s monkeys now share space with the howler monkeys in the Helen Brach Primate House, while the newest arrival, a male Francois’ langur, maintains his orange coloration a few habitats down. Two new kangaroos have arrived at the Antelope & Zebra Area, increasing the size of the mob there to six.

Primate House Permutations

A Splash of Color

A pied tamarin group that had never been seen by zoo visitors was placed on exhibit in early April. Though the offspring in this group are more than a year old, they stick close to mom and dad.

Of course, that doesn’t mean they’re a dull family. “Pied tamarins are very energetic,” explains Assistant Curator of Primates Maureen Leahy.

Two Goeldi’s monkeys were recently introduced to the howler monkeys, and some strange things started happening. After some light aggression and chasing (sorting out the social/territorial arrangements), the Goeldi’s brothers began grooming the female howler’s tail. Some of the howler males have even been touching noses with the newcomers, a positive social sign.

It’s easy to spot the Francois’ langur born in February at the Helen Brach Primate House. The little male is orange, which contrasts with the jet-black hair of its mother.

That orange hair will turn dark in about seven months. Until then, it serves as a notice to other females within the group, like a billboard that says, “I’m young and need to be cared for.”

In addition to mom, the two other females in the group are quick to lend a hand. Francois’ langurs exhibit alloparenting, meaning all adult females within a group play babysitter. In this case, dad doesn’t do much rearing, but he does reprimand the younger aunt, who tends to be a little careless in her nurturing.

This breeding was recommended by the Francois’ Langur Species Survival Plan®, which managers the 65 individuals at North American zoos. This species is threatened in its native Southeast Asia, where deforestation is undermining populations.

There are fewer black adults swinging through the trees, fewer orange tykes clinging to their bellies. The scene at Lincoln Park Zoo provides a nice, bright counterpoint.

The Mob Gets Bigger The mob is getting larger in Chicago. In March, two red kangaroos arrived at Lincoln Park Zoo from San Antonio Zoo, increasing the size of our kangaroo mob to six. That collective noun—mob—is used for kangaroos and other species such as emus, wallabies and wombats. While the common definition of that word applies to an unruly group of humans, the kangaroo mob is placid. A social structure is in place, with one dominant male leading three subordinate males and two females. The fact that the dominant male is nicknamed “Capone” by keepers is merely coincidence.

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Breeding Birds By the end of March, many residents of the McCormick Bird House had begun breeding processes. For the Blyth’s hornbills, this means the male feeding the female all of his prized grapes. With the Mandarin ducks in the Free Flight Area, it means the males dis-

Left-to-right: Male mandarin ducks display bright plumage during breeding season at the McCormick Bird House. A snow leopard is among the new arrivals at the Kovler Lion House.

playing their new boldly colored plumage and fluffing themselves up. And for the laughing thrushes, it means building nests out of straw and moss presented by keepers.

It’s a lot of work. So diets for these birds are bolstered, replicating the increased amount and variety of foods available in the wild each spring.

Youngsters Out, Hoping for Pups The adult red wolves are again alone at the Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo. Their 2-year-old offspring were recently transferred to other zoos, where they will form their own packs. This mirrors life in the wild, where wolf pups leave their family group at this age. Lincoln Park Zoo’s adult pair has a breeding recommendation from the Red Wolf Species Survival Plan®, so staff is hopeful a new litter will arrive later in the spring.

Big Cats, Big News By nature, big cat courtship isn’t always gentle, and the female Amur tiger sustained a cut on her right forearm during courtship behavior early in the year. Veterinary staff decided the wound needed treatment, so they anesthetized the big cat, cleaned the cut and sutured it closed. While they had her at the hospital, they also performed a physical to check on her health. All outcomes were good: within a month the wound had healed, no scar was observed and the cat was courting again.

Exotic Arrivals The Kovler Lion House welcomed some exotic new residents in recent months. In March, a snow leopard, native to the mountains of China, arrived from Bronx Zoo. The 6-year-old male has impressed staff with his leaping ability—he gracefully hops up to the upper ledges of his outdoor exhibit.

In February, the Lion House welcomed a new male red panda, a species native to the Himalayan Mountains. In early summer, a female is arriving with a Species Survival Plan® recommendation for breeding. “We have a nice setup for this,” says Zoological Manager of Carnivores Mark Kamhout. “The exhibit is large. We have two holding areas, so we can house them separately and then bring them together for breeding. And she would have her own space to raise young.”

“We’re very excited to breed these animals,” he continues.

“There aren’t many in zoos, so this is a great opportunity for guests to see them.”

Red panda breeding season is in early winter. In an ideal situation, red panda cubs would arrive in summer 2010, bumping mom and dad from the cutest-animals-at-the-zoo pedestal.

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news of the zoo

Left-to-right: Visitors to the Chicagoland Flower & Garden Show were able to walk through a 2,300 square-foot preview garden representing the zoo’s vision for the Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo. Chimpanzee sanctuaries in Africa received help planning for the future from a population model developed by Research Biologist Lisa Faust, Ph.D.

Nature Boardwalk Preview at Chicagoland Flower & Garden Show The green-thumbed attendees of the Chicagoland Flower & Garden Show were able to experience Lincoln Park Zoo’s vision for the Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo. The event, held at Navy Pier from March 7–15, featured a model of the planned urban oasis. Guests strolled through a 2,300-square-foot garden, complete with a boardwalk bridge, pond and copious native plants.

The garden was part of a themed midway area featuring horticultural offerings from Chicago cultural institutions. It was designed and installed entirely with the contributions of zoo collaborators: the Brickman Group Ltd.; Laughing Waters Inc.; F. H. Paschen, S. N. Nielsen; Pepper Construction Company; Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure Inc.; Studio/Gang/Architects; and WRD Environmental.

The garden drew a steady stream of visitors, who were excited about the zoo’s vision for a transformed South Pond (and entranced by the sweet fragrance of the white stock flowers blooming on display). Construction on the Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo is proceeding as planned. The new urban ecosystem is scheduled to be unveiled in spring 2010.

Lincoln Park Zoo has partnered with PASA on many projects in the past, providing advice on veterinary practices and reintroduction plans as well as funding a series of information cards to help African border agents identify endangered great apes and find them safe homes. The zoo is now helping the sanctuaries map their future, with help from Research Biologist Lisa Faust, Ph.D. Faust’s collaboration with PASA is built upon a 2002 sanctuary survey that showed trends toward overcapacity. To avoid being victims of their own success—running short of room to house rescued apes—the sanctuaries enlisted Faust to project future population growth with ZooRisk, a population-planning model developed by Lincoln Park Zoo’s Alexander Center for Applied Population Biology. Faust used historic arrival rates of apes at the sanctuaries and demographic information provided by PASA to project a range of future growth rates. This information will help PASA ensure they have the space they need to care for future arrivals.

“This partnership stems from success—PASA has done a great job providing care for the orphans arriving on their doorsteps,” says Faust. “This modeling project will help them adjust their management for an uncertain future.”

Animal Events Celebrate Conservation Primate Sanctuaries Plan for the Future Sanctuaries throughout Africa are working to conserve endangered primates, taking in chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos and other animals that have been confiscated from smugglers or orphaned due to poaching. To raise visibility and establish shared standards, a number of sanctuaries formed the Pan-African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA), a conservation alliance encompassing 18 sanctuaries in 12 African countries.

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Drop a peeled hard-boiled egg into a bowl of water mixed with food dye and coffee grounds, and you’ll see how quickly the egg picks up the imperfections of its environment. This example mirrors the vulnerability of soft amphibian eggs to polluted water—a low-tech lesson that highlighted the crisis facing amphibians during Lincoln Park Zoo’s “Spring Forward” for Amphibians event.

The event, a continuation of last year’s Association of Zoos and Aquariums Year of the Frog, was held at Regenstein Small

Left-to-right: Dyeing poison arrow frogs were one of the frog species highlighted during March’s “Spring Forward” for Amphibians event. Zoo researcher Sarah Keenan Jacobi, Ph.D., received a prestigious Smith Fellowship to fund conservation research including the development of computer models to guide habitat management for migratory birds.

Mammal-Reptile House on March 8 to coincide with Chicago’s switch to daylight-saving time. The daylong educational program highlighted the problems facing amphibians in the wild—habitat loss, disease and pollution. As a result, many frog, toad, amphibian and newt species are threatened with extinction.

“Raising awareness is an important part of dealing with the amphibian crisis,” says Docent Coordinator Jeremy Joslin. “We wanted to let people know what the problem is and how they can help, whether it’s supporting conservation or reducing run-off from their home.”

Another effort to raise awareness was International Polar Bear Day, celebrated February 27. Keepers at the Polar Bear Plaza planned a special enrichment schedule that offered the bear extra encouragement to swim, stalk and pounce, just as she would in the wild. Guests received mini-posters highlighting polar bear fun facts and information on how climate change threatens these massive predators, who rely on Arctic ice to hunt and survive. The polar bear will be in the spotlight again during Bear Awareness Week (May 10–16), so be sure to visit to learn how you can help conserve this amazing species.

Generous Grants Fund Wild Work Lincoln Park Zoo’s conservation efforts received a boost with two prestigious grants to fund wide-ranging research projects.

Carson Murray, Ph.D., a post-doctoral research fellow with the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, recently received a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the mother-infant relationship in chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe National Park. The study will be conducted in collaboration with Fisher Center Director Elizabeth Lonsdorf,

Ph.D., and Rachel Santymire, Ph.D., endocrinologist for the Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology. The project will pair modern laboratory methods with decades of observational data collected at Gombe National Park, the site of Jane Goodall’s groundbreaking research. The results will offer an unprecedented look into maternal stress and its impact on offspring development—information that may help us better understand the mother-infant relationship in humans.

In the zoo’s Urban Wildlife Institute, Sarah Keenan Jacobi, Ph.D., was awarded a Smith Fellowship from the Society for Conservation Biology and the Cedar Tree Foundation, the nation’s premier post-doctoral program in conservation biology. This prestigious fellowship will support Jacobi’s efforts to develop computer models to guide the distribution of conservation resources. By adapting programs that businesses use to maximize efficiency, the scientist will use her background in environmental engineering to help conservationists get the most bang for their buck (or, to put it another way, utilize scarce resources to save the most species).

Jacobi will begin developing her framework with two case studies: allocating monetary resources to develop and maintain habitats for North American waterfowl migration and allocating resources to protect against reed canary grass invasion. Both projects will complement the Urban Wildlife Institute’s mission of creating scientific standards for managing conflict between humans and the natural ecosystem.

“These fellowships highlight the strength of the research that’s being done at Lincoln Park Zoo,” says Vice President of Conservation & Science Dominic Travis, D.V.M. “The work they’re supporting will help us take further steps toward conserving wildlife.”

SPRING 2009 iii

Your membership supports everything we do, from animal care to publishing Lincoln Park Zoo magazine. thank you.

PO Box 14903 Chicago, IL 60614 www.lpzoo.org

membership matters save the Date—superZooPicnic One of the highlights of summer—SuperZooPicnic—is Friday, June 19. Get ready to join us for face painting, music, clowns, games and more. Mark your calendar today and stay tuned for more details.

Members…Make the Most of Your summer!

Come early to beat crowds or stay later and take advantage of the zoo’s extended summer hours. On weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day, grounds stay open until 7 p.m. *Quick trips can be great ones. Some members receive free parking—perfect for short visits to the zoo. *Eat at the zoo. Use your member discount at zoo restaurants and eat in the wildest setting in the city. *Your discount applies to zoo shops too. Pick up a souvenir or shop for birthday gifts and save.

thank You Thanks to all who participated in our online magazine survey.

We appreciate your comments and will use the feedback to make Lincoln Park Zoo magazine even better! Member Mary Bernahl was randomly selected as the winner of our free behind-thescenes tour.

We Want to Hear From You! Love the magazine? Looking for changes? Give us your feedback at magazine@lpzoo.org.

Non-profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Lincoln Park Zoo

summer ADoPt special Lincoln Park Zoo animals eat diets very similar to those of their wild cousins. Our pygmy hippos munch carrots, corn and sweet potatoes. Our river otters gnaw on fish and bones. Our saki monkeys nibble wax worms.

It’s a wild menu at Lincoln Park Zoo. You can support the care and feeding of our animals by purchasing a Summer ADOPT special. Each package costs $40 (plus $6 shipping) and includes a pygmy hippo, river otter or saki monkey plush, ADOPT certificate, animal fact sheet and animal photo.

ADOPT packages can be purchased at www.lpzoo.org, by calling 312-742-2322 or on zoo grounds.