Zoo View - Spring 2024

MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES

Karen Bass

COUNCILMEMBER, FOURTH DISTRICT

Nithya Raman

LOS ANGELES ZOO COMMISSION

Karen B. Winnick, President

Bernardo Silva, Vice President

Daryl Smith

Elnie Vannatim

Richard Lichtenstein, Ex-Officio Member

LOS ANGELES ZOO ADMINISTRATION

Denise M. Verret, Chief Executive Officer & Zoo Director

Mei Kwan, Deputy Director

Beth Schaefer, Director of Animal Programs

Dr. Dominique Keller, Director of Animal Wellness Programs

Dan Keeffe, Director of Learning and Engagement

John Goodwin, Acting Construction and Maintenance Supervisor

Dr. Jake Owens, Director of Conservation

Dr. Carol Armstrong, Director of Sustainability and Capital Programs

Max Pulsinelli, Chief Communications Officer

GLAZA OFFICERS

Erika Aronson Stern, Chair

Rob Ellis, Vice Chair

Phyllis Kupferstein, Secretary

Matthew Wilson, Treasurer

Dawn Petersen-Amend, Interim GLAZA President

GLAZA TRUSTEES

Courtney Appell, Michael Armstrong, Alma Banuelos, Shainaz Donnelly Burg, Esther Chao, Vivian Chow, Marlyn Day, Wendy M. Denham, Brian Diamond, Justin Enbody, Sam Enoch, Heather Evans, Alfred Fraijo, Jr., Randy Hua, Richard Lichtenstein, Alan G. Lowy, Steve O’Connell, Beth Price, Marc L. Sallus, Slash, Jay Sonbolian, Madeline Joyce Taft, Franco Terango, Ellia M. Thompson, Laura Z. Wasserman, Jennifer Thornton Wieland, Matthew Wilson, Grant Withers

TRUSTEES EMERITI

Lloyd Levitin, Mrs. John F. Maher, Thomas R. Tellefsen

GLAZA ADMINISTRATION

Sara Rodriguez, VP, Operations and Events

Janet Dial, VP, Institutional Advancement

Rob Woolley, Associate VP, Advancement

Lisa Correa, Director of Membership

Kirin Daugharty, Director of Volunteer Programs

Eric Happe, Director of Finance

Emily Marrin, Director of Marketing and Communications

Brenda Scott Royce, Director of Publications

Copyright © 2024 Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents of this publication without written permission is prohibited. Periodical postage paid at Los Angeles, CA.

POSTMASTER send address changes to:

ZOO VIEW, 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027-1498

ONLINE EXTRA

Pensive Primate

April is Ape Awareness Month, and what better time to share updates about Angela, the Zoo’s youngest Western lowland gorilla. Enjoy photos, videos, and more at lazoo.org/TwoGorillas

Photo by JAMIE PHAM

SPRING 2024

VOLUME LVIII // NUMBER 1

THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF THE GREATER LOS ANGELES

ZOO ASSOCIATION

EDITOR

Brenda Scott Royce

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Autumn Hilden

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

Janet Dial, Dan Keeffe, Dr. Dominique Keller, Mei Kwan, Emily Marrin, Dr. Jake Owens, Dawn Petersen-Amend, Max Pulsinelli, Beth Schaefer, Denise M. Verret

PHOTO EDITOR & PHOTOGRAPHER

Jamie Pham

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Lisa Brink, The Brink Creative

PRINTING

LithoGraphix

PROOFREADERS

Michele Goodman, Laura Parada

ON THE COVER

The Komodo dragon uses its forked tongue to pick up scent particles in the air. Photo by: Jamie Pham

LET’S BE SOCIAL

Follow

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FEATURES

8 CARING FOR KOMODOS

The Los Angeles Zoo has a long and illustrious history caring for Komodo dragons. Our expert team has made breakthroughs in Komodo breeding, research, and science.

11 FROM THE FIELD

Senior Animal Keeper Byron Wusstig reports on his trip to work with Komodo dragons in the wild.

13 SPROUTING SCIENTISTS

The Betty White’s Zoo Pals program provides students from under-resourced Los Angeles schools with opportunities to experience the magic and wonder of the Zoo.

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briefs

Say Hello

This as-yet unnamed male ocelot weighed just 19 ounces when he was born in September, and he’s growing fast! Ocelots grow to be larger than house cats but smaller than bobcats, are nocturnal hunters and are largely solitary in nature. The ocelot habitat is located in the Zoo’s South America section, near Bean Sprouts Cafe. Stop by on your next visit!

JUNE 1

ONE OF L.A.’S MOST HIGHLY ANTICIPATED fundraising events each year, the Beastly Ball brings Zoo supporters together for a fantastic evening of food, fun, and philanthropy. This year’s event on Saturday, June 1, will honor GLAZA trustee Esther S. M. Chui-Chao and the Angela Collier Foundation (Mohammad Virani, President) for their long-standing support of the Zoo. Guests can bid on one-of-a-kind items and experiences in the silent auction, enjoy sumptuous culinary delights, and take in special animal presentations and live entertainment while strolling the Zoo after hours. Tickets and info: lazoo.org/BeastlyBall

JAMIE PHAM

Is for Access

The presence of school buses lined up in front of the Los Angeles Zoo is nothing new. Since its earliest days, the Zoo has offered a variety of field trip experiences for local K-12 students. What has changed recently is that we are strategically expanding access to these field trips so that they engage a greater diversity of students—particularly those from areas of L.A. that have been designated as having high or very high park needs.

This expansion is thanks to a grant stemming from the 2016 passage of the Los Angeles County Safe, Clean Neighborhood Parks and Beaches Measure (Measure A). Measure A funds are disseminated through a grant program administrated by the County’s Regional Park and Open Space District. The Zoo was awarded a substantial grant in 2023, which enabled the Learning & Engagement Division to launch the new field trip program in November.

It will fund field trips for 10,000 second and third grade students per year for up to three years, covering the costs of buses, admission, and zoo curricula, as well as teacher training to support student learning. The goal is to provide as many opportunities as possible for children to explore the outdoors and deepen their curiosity about nature.

“The Zoo is one of the best, most welcoming places in Los Angeles for a student to begin—or deepen—their relationship with nature,” says Director of Learning & Engagement Dan Keeffe. “As we work to increase equitable access to outdoor experiences, we’re grateful to our partners at the County Regional Park and Open Space District for supporting this program.”

TEENS FOR CHANGE

THIS FALL, 29 TEENS WERE SELECTED to serve on the L.A. Zoo Teen Council for Conservation (TCC), which is entering its third year. The TCC creates pathways toward conservation careers for diverse Angelenos. The program broadly focuses on conservation, social and environmental justice, and climate—and the councilmembers themselves hone in on their particular focus each year. This program helps participants develop their strengths as leaders and empowers them to enact change in themselves, at the Zoo, and in their communities. The new cohort represents 14 of the 15 Los Angeles City Council Districts. We look forward to sharing their stories when their term wraps up in June 2024.

LET’S

FOLLOW @LAZoo on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TheLosAngelesZoo on YouTube

SHARE your memories and photos on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook using #LAZoo

JAMIE PHAM

ZOO-M IN

Meeting Marshall

We love photos that not only preserve a moment in time, but also provide a glimpse into an animal’s unique personal ity. GLAZA member Jenn Hoff recently captured just such a shot of greater one-horned rhinoceros Marshall. “It was my first time seeing Marshall,” says Hoff. “He just exuded so much personality and seemed to be having a great time snacking and enjoying his enclosure. He raised his head after taking a drink and looked at me straight in the eye as the water dripped from his mouth. It was a great moment.”

LEFT PAGE

Since arriving at the Zoo in September 2023, Marshall has charmed guests with his sweet, playful temperament. Photo by JENN HOFF

RIGHT PAGE

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Eurasian eagle-owl by KERI KILGO; chimpanzee by JASON MOLINA; Sumatran tiger CJ by PEGGY KLINE; Mexican west coast rattlesnake by VIVIANE-LEE; meerkat by JEN HANSON (JEN’S LENS); jaguar Maya by VIVIAN-LEE

SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS

To be considered for inclusion in future installments of Zoom-In, submit your best images taken at the L.A. Zoo. No more than two images per member per month, please. Include your name in the file name for each photograph (e.g., Giraffe-John Smith). Do not send images that include people unless you will be able to provide a signed release from all parties pictured in the event your photo is selected for publication. If there’s a special story behind the photo, let us know!

SUBMIT PHOTOS BY EMAIL photos@lazoo.org

MEMBER PHOTO GALLERY

TheYear of the Dragon

In the Chinese zodiac, each year is represented by an animal—and 2024 is the Year of the Dragon. The dragon symbolizes strength, power, wisdom, nobility, and good fortune in Chinese astrology. Of course, dragons are mythical beasts, but in honor of the Year of the Dragon, we decided to spotlight a real animal who shares the name.

Caring for Komodos

by BRENDA SCOTT ROYCE

Various animals carry the moniker of “dragon,” but the Komodo dragon is one of the most popular, especially here at the Los Angeles Zoo, where we have a long and storied history caring for these remarkable lizards.

Our first Komodos arrived in 1998. Two young males were among a cache of reptiles rescued from an international wildlife smuggling ring and entrusted to our care by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The timing of their arrival was auspicious, according to Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians Ian Recchio.

“Our zoo director at that time had been really interested in getting Komodo dragons, and so we’d been working toward that goal—and then all of a sudden, these young Komodos unexpectedly arrive.”

Both new arrivals being male, it would take a while before the Zoo’s goal of breeding Komodo dragons could begin. “As those males became adults, we shipped them out to pair with females at other zoos, and we brought in a new pair,” Recchio recalls. “At the time, there weren’t many zoos breeding

Komodos, and ours was an SSP breeding recommendation.”

Managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Species Survival Plans (SSPs) are collaborative breeding programs designed to maintain sustainable, genetically diverse populations of various species in accredited zoos. With fewer than 90 Komodos in AZA zoos at the time, breeding the species was a high priority for the SSP and a personal goal for Recchio.

In 2010, the Zoo’s female, Lima, laid a clutch of 24 eggs. Twenty-two dragons ultimately hatched, making Los Angeles one of very few zoos in North America to have successfully bred Komodos. “It was a big feather in the Zoo’s cap,” says Recchio, adding that the SSP quickly asked for a repeat performance. The dragons dutifully complied, producing 21 eggs in 2011.

The back-to-back breeding bonanza enabled the Zoo to send Komodo dragons to zoos not only in the U.S. but

Europe, Asia, and Australia as well, greatly boosting genetic diversity in those populations. Australia’s breeding program— which announced the firstever Komodos hatched on that continent in 2022—owes its existence to the six hatchlings we sent them a decade earlier.

The permits and paperwork involved in such international transfers is daunting—“like driving a sedan to the moon” to quote Recchio—but the process enabled him to establish relationships with those institutions, and those relationships eventually led to the Zoo acquiring some rare and unusual species from overseas zoo partners—a tomistoma from Singapore and Mary River turtles from Australia, to cite just two examples.

Another breakthrough came in 2013 when Recchio and then Curator of Birds Susie Kasielke pioneered a method of identifying Komodo dragons’ gender before eggs are hatched— delicately extracting blood for DNA sampling from the eggs without harming the embryos inside. With males far exceeding females in the captive Komodo population, DNA sexing is helpful in ensuring a more balanced population in the future.

The Komodo dragon is classified as Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), its distribution limited to just five small islands in Indonesia.

JAMIE PHAM

BREEDING SUCCESS

Inspired by techniques that had previously been developed for sexing bird eggs, Recchio and Kasielke adapted the process to work with large, leathery Komodo eggs. Their success made headlines, and they subsequently coauthored a paper in Herpetological Review, a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

A total of 53 Komodos have hatched at the Zoo to date. All have moved to other zoos for breeding—helping to build future generations of this endangered species. Our current resident Komodo, a six-yearold male, arrived in 2021. The hope is that he’ll eventually be recommended for breeding by the SSP, at which point a potential mate will be lined up. In the meantime, he’s the solo occupant of Dragons of Komodo, mirroring his species’ solitary lifestyle in the wild.

WILD WORKS

In addition to dramatically boosting the Komodo dragon population in human care, the Los Angeles Zoo is also working to ensure its survival in the wild. We have long supported the Komodo Survival Program (KSP), an Indonesia-based conservation organization working on the ground to protect remaining populations.

Pretty much everything we know about the current state of Komodo dragons is thanks to the KSP. “When we say things like, ‘There are this many of a certain reptile left in the wild, it is often just a guess,” says Recchio. “But with the Komodo dragon, we have a very accurate estimation of the number of Komodo dragons left in the wild, because of the KSP and their work, which is also constantly expanding our knowledge of Komodo biology

by BYRON WUSSTIG Senior Animal Keeper

In February of last year, I had the pleasure of working with the Komodo Survival Program (KSP) in Indonesia. For more than 20 years, this group of Indonesian researchers has been studying the world’s largest lizard, the Komodo dragon. They use the data they gather to help the Indonesian government prioritize conservation initiatives.

The focus of my work with them was a markrecapture population monitoring study on the island of Komodo. This survey method helps biologists better understand a species’ life history, growth rates, and population density. Over the course of eight days we trapped, measured, and released 22 Komodo dragons—ranging in size from small yearlings to 10-foot-long, 220-pound mature males—collecting biometric data such as length and weight. If the individual hadn’t previously been trapped, we installed a microchip for future monitoring.

As a lifelong herpetology enthusiast, the opportunity to work alongside these researchers, learn their methods firsthand, and see dragons in their natural habitat was invaluable—and legitimately, a childhood dream come true.

The KSP was founded thanks to funding from AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) institutions, including the Los Angeles Zoo. Thanks to the hard work of everyone here at the Zoo, we remain one of the largest individual funding sources. Witnessing the allocation of our conservation funds in the field was a significant source of personal pride for me—and something that all of us at the L.A. Zoo can take pride in.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians Ian Recchio inspects Komodo dragon eggs in 2010. Unlike bird eggs, Komodo eggs are pliable and leathery. After about an eight-month incubation, hatchlings begin to emerge.

TAD MOTOYAMA

IAN RECCHIO

BYRON WUSSTIG

and natural history.”

Since 2011, the Zoo has awarded conservation grants to KSP totaling nearly $60,000. “L.A. Zoo funding has been used to conduct several activities, including surveys used to count the annual number of breeding females and observe their nesting activities using camera traps,” says KSP Project Manager Achmad Ariefiandy.

“This research is essential to estimate the size of the annual nesting population and the potential number of hatchlings

that will enter the population. This knowledge helps contribute to informed decisions regarding the management and conservation of this endangered species.”

The Zoo’s support of these efforts goes beyond funding. Two of our staff have traveled to Indonesia’s remote Komodo Island Park to assist with field work—Recchio in 2013 and Senior Animal Keeper Byron Wusstig in 2023. Both worked with biologists to set and maintain camera traps, analyze

DRAGON ISLAND

TOP TO BOTTOM: Wild Komodo dragons on the beach are a common sight on the island of Komodo. Ian Recchio (bottom row, right) with the Komodo Survival Program (KSP) team during his field trip to the island in 2013.

SPECIES SPECIFICS

Varanus komodoensis

LIVING LIZARD

CARNIVORE

NATIVE TO INDONESIA

60 SERRATED TEETH 4 EYELIDS

footage, conduct censuses, and perhaps most excitingly, trap wild Komodos so they could be measured and microchipped for future monitoring.

Such trips usually have reciprocal value: Zoo staff lend their time and expertise to field efforts, and they bring back what they’ve learned and experienced in the field to inform their work here. “It’s super important to have people who are working with wild animals experience them in the wild, because you bring back

all these little nuances that you can translate to better husbandry and welfare,” Recchio explains.

Ultimately, all this work benefits the dragons themselves. “Knowledge is power,” he says. “And enabling researchers to gather more and better data about Komodos will help us determine how to more effectively use our conservation resources so that hopefully there will still be dragons to inspire awe in people 500 years from now.”

Sprouting Scientists

by BRENDA SCOTT ROYCE

“Look!” a first-grader points at a Fly River turtle as it pokes its snout above water.

“He’s swimming.” Her classmates crowd around, squealing with delight and commenting on what they see. “His nose looks like a piggy,” one says. “Can he breathe under water?” another asks. One child sketches in the little notebook he carries. Then the group is ushered to the next habitat, their excited titters bouncing off the walls of the LAIR, the Zoo’s home for all things reptile, amphibian, and invertebrate.

This group is one of 60 Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) classes awarded Betty White’s Zoo Pals scholarships this school year. The scholarships provide free Zoo admission, transportation, and programming to kindergarten through 5th grade teachers and their students.

The idea behind the program is to encourage scientific thinking among its young participants—not just teaching kids about science but empowering them to do it.

“It’s divided into three sessions,” says L.A. Zoo Learning & Engagement Curator Renae Cotero, who coordinates the

program. “The first is all about thinking like a scientist. In the second one, they are acting like scientists. Finally, by the third session, they can be a scientist.”

This transformation takes place over a period of three months, with the first two sessions taking place on the kids’ home turf (facilitated by Zoo instructors Henry Conde, Sara Vazquez, Cris Vasquez, and Laura Frost), and culminating with a field trip to the Zoo for session three.

THINKING LIKE SCIENTISTS

The team splits in two, with two Zoo instructors visiting the participating classrooms and two remaining at the Zoo to livestream. “In the classroom, the kids learn about animal adaptations and watch a livestream from the gharial habitat,” she says. “Our instructors encourage the kids to practice making observations and ask questions about whatever they observe.”

JAMIE PHAM

DONOR SPOTLIGHT

Betty White’s Zoo Pals

FOR MORE THAN

FIFTY YEARS, Betty White was one of the Los Angeles Zoo’s most ardent admirers and devoted benefactors.

“I have poured my heart and soul and money into this Zoo,” she wrote in this magazine in 2009, “and have worked hard for the many improvements that you’ve witnessed over the years.”

Throughout her busy Hollywood career, Betty remained a steady presence at the Zoo. Always ready to roll up her sleeves and get to work, she was a longtime GLAZA trustee, a Zoo Commissioner, served on countless commit-

worked behind the scenes to raise funds for new animal habitats and initiatives. And, because of plans that she put in motion before she died, her legacy will continue to live on in myriad ways here, including establishing a private foundation supporting the place she called her “home away from home.”

“Several years prior to her passing, Betty and her attorney and I met to review her estate plan,” says White’s longtime friend, business manager, and advisor, Glenn Kaplan, who now serves as trustee of her private foundation and executor of her estate.

“And we talked about doing something that would live on and not just be a one-time gift.

Since Betty loved the Zoo as much as she did, and derived so much pleasure from it, she wanted to find a way to encourage and support others to do the same.”

Betty and her team quickly honed in on the idea of expanding access

to the Zoo, especially to young people. Betty’s own love of animals began very early, and she hoped to spark that same fascination in children who might not otherwise have the opportunity to visit the Zoo. “Families with two working parents, or students at inner-city schools, for example, who aren’t likely to go because of the cost, transportation, and logistics of getting there,” Kaplan explains, “so, we set up a private foundation, the sole focus of which would be to allow thousands of students each year to be able to participate in the Zoo and its programs and not worry about the cost or transportation.”

As it turned out, those ideals and goals aligned with a preexisting program, Zoo Pals, which offered scholarships to qualified schools to cover the cost of transportation and admission. It was decided that rather than reinvent the wheel, Betty’s foundation would improve it, greatly expanding the program’s offerings, capacity, and funding.

Betty passed away on December 31, 2021, just weeks shy of her 100th birthday. In June 2023, the creation of “Betty

White’s Zoo Pals” was announced during the Zoo’s annual fundraising gala, the Beastly Ball. The setting was apropos: the Beastly Ball had always been one of Betty’s favorite events. She attended nearly every year, with a few exceptions when she was filming out of town.

The announcement was followed by a call for donations, with her foundation matching those gifts, dollar for dollar. It was wildly successful, Kaplan says, raising much more money than anticipated. “Which was tremendous. It translates into more people who can participate in Zoo Pals—as well as extending the life of the program for many, many years.”

Betty’s foundation has also funded scholarships to Zoo Camp, expanding access to that popular program to families with financial need. Betty devoted so much of her life to the well-being of animals, and these gifts are a natural extension of that legacy, Kaplan believes. “To share her love and knowledge of animals and inspire others to learn and do more … Betty would be thrilled and excited.”

JAMIE PHAM

ACTING LIKE SCIENTISTS

The second session takes place about a month later. The Zoo instructors lead the students through a hands-on science activity, building on the concepts they’ve previously learned. The activity varies by grade level. “For the younger students—kindergarten through second grade—they create a diorama of an animal habitat,” Cotero says. “We give them all the supplies, and they think critically about what to put in their habitats. Third through fifth graders do owl pellet dissections, which is an activity that grosses some kids out at first, but by the end, they love it!”

BEING SCIENTISTS

By the final session, the students’ anticipation for their Zoo field trip has reached a fever pitch, and their instructors have laid the groundwork for success, planting the seeds of what it means to be a scientist: making observations, asking questions, and sharing what they’ve learned.

Among other supplies, each student receives a specially created notebook they can use to record their observations as they tour the Zoo. The boy who drew the Fly River turtle

LEARN MORE Applications for the 2024–25 Betty White’s Zoo Pals scholarships will open in September 2024. Please visit: lazoo.org/zoo-pals

shows his sketch to a genuinely impressed instructor, who prompts him to wonder why the turtle’s nose looks the way it does, and why it keeps bobbing its head above water. Exchanges like this are part of why this program is so popular— not only for the students but also the staff.

“It’s one of my favorite things that we do at the Zoo, because it’s about sparking curiosity and building relationships,” says Cotero. “We want them to have a sense of belonging, too. To know that this is their Zoo.”

Since the sessions are spread out over three months—a very long time in the life of a child—she is also able to witness the transformations that take place along the way. “The students start out really shy, but by the end of it, they love their instructors, they love coming to the Zoo, and they feel comfortable asking questions and practicing new skills.”

A total of 60 classrooms (representing 1,420 students) participated in the program in the 2023-24 school year. For many, the field trip was their first-ever time visiting this or any zoo. It’s a safe bet that for most, it won’t be the last.

JAMIE PHAM

JAMIE PHAM

JAMIE PHAM

LAURA BARNARD

One of L.A.’s most important fundraisers is also the best party in town. Join us for a wild evening of delectable food, animal experiences, live entertainment, a thrilling silent auction, and more to support wildlife care and conservation.

ACTOR, COMEDIAN & HOST JOEL MCHALE

sponsorships, and underwriting opportunities at lazoo.org/BeastlyBall