Toledo Zoo Safari Fall 2017

SAFARI The Official Magazine of the Toledo Zoo • Volume 26 • Issue 3• Fall 2017

Conservation: an action word

Staying CONNECTED SAFARI

The Official Magazine of the Toledo Zoo Volume 26 • Issue 3 • Fall 2017

OUR MISSION Inspiring others to join us in caring for animals and conserving the natural world.

Cover photo: Wakil, orangutan

Safari is an exclusive benefit to Toledo Zoo members.

Membership also includes free, unlimited, year-round admission and parking during regular Zoo hours; a subscription to the Zoo’s e-newsletter; early access to Summer Concert Series tickets; discounts on Zoo merchandise, classes, programs and more; and discounted admission to 150+ zoos and aquariums nationwide. toledozoo.org/membership

GO GREEN and help the Zoo conserve by receiving your Safari magazine via email! To opt out of the printed version, please visit https://etickets.toledozoo.org/marketing/safarisubmit.aspx

MEMBERSHIP Questions

Email membership@toledozoo.org or call 419-385-5721 ext. 6002.

2 Hippo Way • P.O. Box 140130 Toledo, Ohio 43614-0130 419-385-5721 • fax 419-389-8670 ext. 6001 ext. 2074 ext. 2042 ext. 6001 ext. 2043 ext. 6002 ext. 2145 ext. 6003 ext. 2045 ext. 2068 ext. 3111

Editor

Kim Haddix

Designer

Katherine Ritz

Contributors

Sally Albert Kent Bekker Tana Benford Jen Brassil Peggy Coutcher Bill Davis Karen Farrell Jay Hemdal

Printer

Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you soon!

All my best,

Jeff Sailer executive director

Suzanne Husband Katherine Lonsbrough Randi Meyerson Andrew Odum Ryan Walsh Terry Webb Ben Whitebread

Homewood Press

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?

Contact the editor at 419-385-5721, ext. 2145 or kim.haddix@toledozoo.org

Connect with us!

toledozoo.org An accredited member of World Association of Zoos and Aquariums | W A Z A United for Conservation

®

Safari is published quarterly by the Toledo Zoo, P.O. Box 140130, Toledo, OH 43614-0130. Second-class postage paid at Toledo, Ohio and at additional mailing offices.

Printed on recycled paper. © 2017 by Toledo Zoo.

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In this issue of Safari, we have set out to de-mystify the definitions of many important conservation vocabulary terms by associating them to one or more of our beloved animals. Through understanding the problems and their root causes, we hope you can gain a better impression of the need for our conservation efforts and why co-existing with wild animals is a must.

Actually, we hope you will take the learning one step further and put into action the tips presented on each page of how you can help! We hope you will join our conservation efforts, not just when you are on Zoo grounds, but in your everyday life. As it has been said, the people who make the biggest difference are the ones who do the little things consistently.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Catered Events Development Education Group Sales Library Membership Communication Visitor Services Volunteers Zoo PAL Zoo Gift Shop

Inspiring others to join us in caring for animals and conserving the natural world is the mission of the Toledo Zoo. Our staff and supporters spend a lot of time talking about and working on conservation efforts at the Zoo, around our local area and across the world. However, we realize that to those outside the zoo field, conservation and the problems that make it necessary can be hard to understand. Complicating it even more is the fact that in today’s world some of the illegal activities that go along with these issues are big business. Basically, the bottom line of human wildlife conflict is a convoluted competition for resources.

The Zoo would like to thank the following 2016 sponsors for their generosity and support!

Herd of Elephants Owens-Illinois, Inc.

Miller Bros. Construction, Inc. OCP Contractors Proservice Machine, Ltd. School of Hippos Schultz & Williams Toledo Refining Company Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP Dana Foundation R.A. Stranahan Charitable Trust Sweet 16 Model A Restorers' Club Taylor Automotive Family The Andersons TTI Maumee Equipment, Inc. Welltower, Inc. Family of Gorillas France Stone Foundation Pack of Wolves La-Z-Boy Foundation CHS Group LLC The Toledo Ticket Co. Fifth Third Bank Fresh Thyme Farmers Market Pride of Lions Hanna & Hanna Attorneys Art Iron I.B.E.W. Local Union No. 8 Betco Corporation Impact Products LLC Ernst & Young Internet Payment Exchange Inc Geo. Gradel Co. Jerl Machine, Inc. Hoover Wells, Inc. Jones & Henry Engineers, Ltd. Lullaby Lane

Lee Terry Holdings, LLC Clamps Inc. Mail It Corporation Clean Team Inc Midland Title Agency of NWO, Inc. Dimech Services, Inc. Real Quality Services, Inc. Duffey Concrete Cutting, Inc. S.A. Storer & Sons Co. Eastman & Smith Ltd. Signature Bank, N.A. Franklin Park Lincoln, Inc. Tri-State Expedited Services Heritage Planners UAW Local 2021 Midwest Church Construction UMG OmniSource Corporation William Vaughan Company Rachel Wixey & Associates Rayner, Foos, Kruse & Irwin CPAs Flock of Penguins Sam Okun Produce Company Kuhlman Corporation The Blade in Education Nephrology Associates of Toledo UAW Local 12 - Johnson Controls Rover Come Over Waterford Bank Anderson, Idczak & Konesky, Inc. Wilkinson FundRaising Imprinted Bennett Enterprises Sportswear Binkelman Corporation Carpenters Local Union 351 Brenda A. Ray Law Offices JDRM Engineering, Inc. Builder's Steel Service Inc.

TERRACYCLING Most of us have been hearing “recycle, reduce, reuse” since we were in elementary school. However, as we become adults, sometimes it becomes harder and more time-consuming to practice what we learned as kids. To help make everyone’s lives easier, your Toledo Zoo has now opened their TerraCycling program to the public for donations, thanks to a generous sponsorship from First Solar.

TerraCycle is an international program whose mission is to eliminate the idea of waste by recycling the non-recyclable.

As stated on their website, terracycle. com, whether it’s coffee capsules from your home, pens from a school, or plastic gloves from a manufacturing facility, TerraCycle can collect and recycle almost any form of waste. They partner with individual collectors, as well as major consumer product companies, retailers, manufacturers, municipalities and small businesses across 20 different countries to divert millions of pounds of waste from landfills and incinerators each month.

Internally, through donations from our employees, the Toledo Zoo has been a TerraCycle partner for the past six plus years. It started to bleed into our programming when Snoozes started recycling their Capri Sun drink pouches and potato chip bags. Our corps of ZOOTeen volunteers has overseen the program, helping to organize and package the recyclables for disposal. Each year the program has expanded to collect more, with more than a dozen categories of recyclable items, including granola bar wrappers, cereal bags and cosmetic and beauty product containers. One of the most surprising recyclable items though is cigarette butts. “This is the number one littered item our ZOOTeens collect on community clean up days. Not only do the butts litter the streets and clog storm drains, they also continuously leech chemicals, even after being put out. We

with Bill Davis, volunteer manager

pick them up because TerraCycle can isolate the plastic in the cigarette butts and make picnic benches out of them,” said volunteer manager, Bill Davis.

The decision to open the program to the public seemed like a logical and easy next step. The planning, workforce and disposal plan were already in place on the Zoo’s end, all we had to do was get the word out. We put together a marketing plan and soon donations came flooding in with Zoo visitors. The process is simple: Our website, has the list of recyclable items and instructions to aid in disposal. Simply put your recyclables in a bag, box or container; no need to sort (we will do that) and drop them off at the collection bins placed near both of the Zoo’s entrances. Our volunteers will prepare, sort and ship out the items.

“This program is much easier, more efficient and has less contaminated waste than most curbside recycling, as guests don’t need to sort, rinse or clean out the recyclables.

The little that needs to be done for that is completed by our ZOOTeens. There is no cost for the Zoo to ship the recyclables to their final destinations, so this is a closed loop, self-sustaining program that greatly benefits both humans and the environment,” said Davis.

By opening this program to the public, the Zoo hopes to not only eliminate waste in our households and help establish lifelong conservation ethics, but also to help beautify our community. “Many of the items we are recycling though TerraCycle are things that can blow out of cars, trashcans or even landfills and land on the streets, where animals can get entangled in or ingest them. They can also fall into the sewer system and waterways, imperiling marine life. I like to say they are small items that tend to create havoc somewhere. So not only will this help keep litter off our community property, it will also minimize landfill impact. It truly is doing our part in our little part of the world,” said Davis.

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DEFORESTATION: Orangutans with Suzanne Husband, lead zookeeper

The Malay word orangutan literally means “man or person of the forest.” Orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) and (Pongo abelii) are some of the closest animal relatives of humans, sharing almost 97% of DNA with us. However, these beautiful creatures are listed as critically endangered mainly due to deforestation from palm oil plantations. Deforestation is defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary as the action or process of clearing forests, while palm oil is an edible vegetable oil made from the fruit of the African oil palm tree. Together, these definitions add up to a serious problem for the declining wild population of orangutans.

Palm oil is the most produced and traded vegetable oil in the world. A now common fact is that although it can be hard to spot on labels because it can be listed by more than 200 different names, palm oil is found in more than 50% of the items on grocery store shelves, everything from cosmetics to candy. While this may sound like the beginning of a cash crop success story, it is actually the exact opposite. The explosive success of palm oil has spelled utter disaster for orangutans and other tropical rainforest animals, including sun bears and Sumatran tigers.

To fully understand the crisis, a little background information is necessary. Orangutans are arboreal apes that are only native to the tropical rainforests on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.

The troubles for these usually gentle and incredibly intelligent creatures began in the 90s with illegal logging in their native range. To gain better access to the best trees in the middle of the forest, logging companies needed roads. To achieve this, they would burn and clear large areas. Soon it was realized that palm oil plants grew very well in the burned areas and giant plantations quickly popped up everywhere. However, the problem continued when the plantations burned more areas to take over and plant more acreage. These burns are not controlled burns like local Metroparks do to revive areas. These burns are allowed to spread for hundreds of acres and kill anything in their path. Even in the end, the burns don’t get completely extinguished as some of the ground is peat swamp that continues to burn and release massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the air. According to Husband, researchers have begun to refer to this practice as a double edged eco-disaster, as it not only harms the wildlife, but also emits C02 and destroys the very plants necessary for its absorption.

As Husband detailed, the effects of the burning on the orangutan population are instant. “The animals have no time to adapt to the changes in their environment. Many orangutans are killed by the fire itself, or die as a result of injuries sustained from the flames. Those that remain are at a severe disadvantage, as their family, home and food supply is gone.” Thankfully, there are several rescue organizations, including the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (that Husband volunteered with this past spring,) working every day to rehabilitate and release back into the wild injured or orphaned orangutans. “They are doing fantastic work and everyone is completely dedicated to the cause.

They say every morning let’s go save orangutans today. They know they are making a difference every single day. It was beyond inspiring to see and be a part of. Actually getting to release an orangutan back into the wild was one of the highlights of my career and life!”

What can we do to help?

Download the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) app to help identify products and companies utilizing sustainably produced palm oil. Be a smart shopper to help maintain the orangutan habitat that remains. If we can’t do it for some of our closest animal relatives, who can we do it for?

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HUMAN WILDLIFE CONFLICT: Brown Bears with Randi Meyerson, assistant director of animal programs

All species of bears are at risk due to human wildlife conflict in the wild. This hard to define term can refer to any competition of resources between wild animals and humans that ends with a negative result for one side or the other. This conflict has been on the rise in the US as people infringe upon natural bear habitat for recreation and real estate. Unfortunately, most conflicts arise from mother bears protecting their cubs or individual bears seeking new food sources. Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis), for example, were once widespread throughout the western and plain states; however, today, only 2,300 grizzlies live in the four states of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington. The USFWS lists grizzlies as threatened in the lower 48 states.

To make this complex topic easier to understand, let’s take a look at it through the stories of our orphaned brown bears. While the Kodiak male, Dodge, and grizzly females, Montana and Cody, came to the Zoo under unfortunate yet differing circumstances, their stories share a common thread: their rescues were necessary because of conflicts with humans. To re-cap: Two female grizzly cub twins were in need of a home following the highly publicized loss of their mother in August of 2015 at Yellowstone National Park. After a fateful and tragic interaction with a hiker, the mother was determined to be a danger to the public and was euthanized for safety reasons. At less than a year old and only 60 - 70 pounds each, the cubs were too young to survive in the wild without their mother. Shortly after, a call was put out to all AZA institutions and the Toledo Zoo was selected to house the cubs.

In May of 2015, Dodge and his siblings were orphaned when their mother was shot by an unguided hunter on Kodiak Island, Alaska. Luckily, a guided hunting group, including our bear’s namesake Harry Dodge, came across the deceased bear, realized she was a mother and went in search of the cubs. The young cubs were then rushed to the Alaska Zoo for immediate care and rearing while arrangements were made for permanent homes.

A zoo in Wisconsin had room to house two of the rescued bears and the Toledo Zoo provided a home and companionship for Dodge.

In addition to trespassing in native bear range for recreational activities such as hiking, fishing and hunting, humans are also removing trees to build houses and highways. In doing so we are taking food and shelter sources, as bears eat berries and nuts and can climb trees. However, we end up trading one food source for another when we build homes with kitchens and garbage cans in what used to be wilderness. “Garbage attracts bears as it is an easy food source, which quickly creates a snowball effect.

An easy food source can lead to frequent bear visits and the possibility of them losing their fear of people. However, bears are always still wild animals and a friendly bear is often a dead bear because inevitably they will do something perceived as threatening and other humans may make different and possibly deadly decisions than the initial one providing the food source,” warned Meyerson.

What else can we do to help ease the human wildlife conflict?

Utilize wildlife experts and resources to become educated on how to live and recreate safely in bear territory. “The best advice I can give is to understand that as a human, you are the visitor, moving into the bear’s home. If you keep that in mind and utilize common sense, it is quite possible to fish in the same stream or hike in the same woods as wild bears without tragic outcomes,” detailed Meyerson.

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SUSTAINABILITY: Seafood with Jay Hemdal, Aquarium curator I’m on a seafood diet…see food and eat it. While this may be a fun quip for some, unfortunately when it comes to seafood, this is a sad reality for others. Many consumers don’t take the time to read labels on their seafood or get educated about sustainable harvesting of their favorite ocean delights; they simply indulge.

This indulgence could be coming at the expense of the wild population of tuna, lobster and other fish and crustaceans.

Unsustainable or over-fishing is defined as fishing to the detriment of a fishing ground or to the depletion of a species.

The effects of this are not only negative for the species being caught but the entire underwater ecosystem, as once the bigger fish are gone, fisheries will move down to the next largest or most abundant, which can throw off the entire food chain.

Monterey Bay’s Seafood Watch identified the following main issues associated with over-fishing: Unreported/illegal fishing & the management of: Unfortunately, fishing out of season, in restricted waters, taking more than the limit or keeping restricted species are common problems that are hard to regulate as waterways are vast and government resources limited. International fisheries management agencies report that one-fifth of the world’s catch is illegal, unreported or unregulated. Recently though, steps have been taken to limit these practices, including enforcing catch limits, promoting the use of new technologies and establishing marine protected areas.

By-catch: By-catch is the unintended species that get caught in nets or on hooks meant for shrimp or fish. The “extra” species, including turtles, sharks, sea birds and other marine life, often become injured or die while entangled and/or become easy prey for predators. Additionally, as by-catch does not add value, just dead weight, for the intended catch it is simply discarded and considered an irritant to fishermen. According to Seafood Watch, in the worst cases, for every pound of shrimp caught, up to six pounds of other species are discarded. While the consequences for by-catch species can be dire, new net technologies are helping to reduce by-catch and making a noticeable difference according to fisheries.

Habitat damage: The man-made machines necessary to drag nets along the bottom of the ocean to collect natural seafood delicacies are also aiding in destroying the underwater habitat.

Those trawls are disturbing or inadvertently harvesting corals, sponges and other bottom dwelling creatures that provide shelter and breeding grounds for many species. As studies have shown, some of the same areas can be trawled as many as 400 times a year, the underwater habitats are not given a chance to recover. While the new regulations are helping, there is still much

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to be done to protect and restore the delicate habitat.

Some have made efforts to counter-balance overfishing with the creation of aquaculture farms. However, even that still has its own pitfalls. Hemdal identified the three main issues that need to be addressed for aquaculture to succeed: acquisition of a sustainable feed source for the species being raised, what to do with the waste water and leaving a buffer zone against tropical storms for farms along coasts that have cleared mangrove forests to establish their business. “If we can successfully mitigate those three issues, then aquaculture could be a viable source for proteins.”

What is the real solution? Consumer education. Seafood Watch provides handy cards and a mobile app to help consumers make sustainable seafood choices in the supermarket and restaurants.

The organization offers recommendations of which fisheries practice the most sustainable techniques, good alternatives as second choices and which ones to avoid. Additionally, they are working with the Marine Stewardship Council to have more visible and eco-friendly labels on seafood products that tell where the food came from and how it was acquired. Hemdal also offered some general guidelines for ordering seafood in restaurants, which can be the “real trick” in determining sustainability. “Some restaurants state their practices directly on their menu, while at others the wait staff can be a good resource.

It never hurts to ask. However, as a general rule I advise avoiding all species of shark, orange roughy and Patagonian toothfish, as they are all threatened.”

Now before you just see food and eat it, take a moment to think about how it got to your plate!

PET TRADE: Macaws

with Monica Blackwell, associate curator of birds and Jay Hemdal, Aquarium curator When it comes to pets, there are many schools of thought. Some people are strictly dog lovers or only feline friendly, while others consider rodents rather adorable or an aquarium of fish feasible.

However, one other option, exotic pets, has more pitfalls than pluses. This is especially true with exotic birds. While the appeal of these beautifully colored birds is undeniable, the reality of raising one is much more messy and involved.

Today, y, these exciting and attractive birds are a hot commodity.

While the exotic pet trade, or practice of importing and exporting wild animals as pets, has become more regulated in recent years, unfortunately it is still a big business for which many are willing to break laws to profit. In fact, the Humane Society of the US has the illegal pet trade as a multi-billion dollar industry, second only to drugs and weapons on the black market. Glamorous species, like macaws, can go from $650 to $90,000 per bird. Wild animal pet trade can be defined simply as acquiring exotic animals from the wild and transporting across borders to breed and/or sell as household pets. Monica Blackwell, associate curator of birds, explained: “Unfortunately, illegal pet trade has devastating effects on wild populations for unsatisfying pet relationships that usually end badly for the animals.”

Some examples of a species caught up in the cycle of the illegal pet trade are the Blue-throated macaw ((Ara glaucogularis glaucogularis),), Military macaw (Ara militaris)) and Green-winged macaws (Ara chloropterus)) This intelligent and brightly-colored bird has obvious desirable traits but also has amazing negatives too.

These large birds in the parrot family are native to the forests of South America. As Blackwell explained, macaws are cavity nesters, meaning they make a nest in a hole or cavity of a tree trunk. In order for pet traders to collect chicks, they must chop the nest opening wider, rendering it unusable for the birds again and, of course, empty. A lack of next generation can cause the species’ population to decline quickly. In addition (and all honesty) most illegal pet traders are not known for their quality care of the animals during transportation. Research has shown birds are hidden in tiny areas or containers, drugged to keep quiet and can be without food or water for extended periods.

As Aquarium Curator, Jay Hemdal, explained: “Once animals are taken from the wild, contrary to popular belief, they cannot be returned to the wild. It doesn’t work that way. Once an animal is made a pet, it is a pet forever.” He went on to say that though the impact of removal can vary in intensity, there will always be a loss. In fact, some studies have shown that as many as 60% of smuggled animals die in transport. To counteract that fact, some smugglers have been known to capture four times as many

animals as they expect to sell to keep ahead of the mortality rates; another fact that causes the downfall of wild populations.

While baby exotic animals are obviously cute, they are still wild, and as they grow their natural instincts and care can quickly become a detriment. Blackwell stated: “Some people spend thousands of dollars for birds that live decades. It is like having a high maintenance three year old for their whole life. Macaws are notoriously loud, noisy, destructive and require a lot of time. Most people don’t have the situation (financial means and quality time) to match with a macaw.” Additional research shows that macaws defecate every 10-40 minutes and usually not where they live or play, they can be quite territorial and ornery, are very social (seldom found alone in the wild) and are simply not accustomed to domestic life. Together all of these factors cause many owners to seek other options for their once beloved birds. “Many macaws are ending up in shelters because of overwhelmed owners,” said Blackwell.

What Wha Wh at can we do to help?

As nearly one-third of all parrot species are under the threat of extinction, the best advice is to enjoy these animals in the safety and care of professional aviaries and not as a pet. However, as birds are listed as the fourth most popular pet in the US, if you do decide to own a bird, please rescue one from a shelter so as not to perpetuate illegal pet trade. Now we know that the caged bird will still sing, loudly and often! Maybe just install a bird feeder in your backyard.

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VOLUNTEER

Spotlight

In 2012, the Zoo assembled a team of wonderful volunteers to revamp the Companies for Kids Program, which is designed to give companies in our community the opportunity to donate to the Zoo and help children from low income families or those with developmental disabilities the opportunity to visit the Zoo, many for the first time. In 2013, after building this new foundation, we were searching for a great leader for the sales team, someone who had a vested interest in the program and who could also lead by example.

We found that person in Josh Schuyler. He has been a wonderful advocate for the Companies for Kids program and for the Zoo the last few years. Through his efforts, Schuyler has given hundreds of children in our community the opportunity to experience the Zoo- many for the first time! In addition to his commitment to Companies for Kids, Schuyler has also served on the Development Committee.

We are proud to recognize Josh as someone who advocates for the Zoo and provides so many opportunities for its youngest supporters. Please join us in honoring Josh Schuyler as our 2016 Development Volunteer of the Year! Thank you for your service and dedication, sir!

VOLUNTEERING in Our Community In addition to their work on Zoo grounds, many of our employees also volunteer their personal time supporting animal and environmental causes in our own community.

For example, education administrative assistant, Peggy Coutcher and education programmer, Karen Farrell have been volunteering with the Partners for Clean Streams’ Adopt-a-Bin program for the past two years. According to their informational flyer, Partners for Clean Streams coordinated the installation of Fishing Line Recycle Bins to safely collect, track and recycle discarded fishing line. The group utilizes a volunteer corps, including Coutcher and Farrell, to remove the contents on a regular basis, report the amount of fishing line collected and any problems and recycle the fishing line at Bass Pro Shops or Partners for Clean Streams for one year.

“Last summer Karen and I adopted some bins along the river in Side Cut Park where the walleye fishermen congregate heavily in the spring. We emptied out the bins throughout the entire fishing season and were surprised

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how much line and tackle we collected.

We actually would pick up big wads of line. After a fishermen’s line breaks, they just pull it all out, replace it with new and discard the tangled mess. But that line can be very harmful if it’s left on the ground and goes back into the water where the marine life can ingest it or get all tangled up in it,” said Coutcher. In fact, most fishing line is made of monofilament, which is not biodegradable and some estimate it can take up to 600 years to disintegrate!

“As Karen and I are both lifelong fishermen and conservationists, we would like our grandchildren to enjoy fishing and wildlife as much as we have. We will continue to adopt bins as long as they are in need of the service and from what we have seen, they will be overflowing! Honestly, our waterways could benefit from even more bins,” admitted Coutcher. Thank you ladies for helping to preserve our local waterways and all of those that enjoy it, both human and animal!

Partners for Clean Streams, fishing line recycle bin.

POLLUTION with Kent Bekker, director of conservation and research Merriam Webster Dictionary defines the term pollute as: to contaminate (an environment) especially with man-made waste.

Ohio, being bordered by Lake Erie to the northeast and the Ohio River to the south, obviously has water quality on the proverbial collective brain. However, as an agricultural and coal-mining hub, Ohio hasn’t always had its water supply’s best interest at heart. As director of conservation and research, Kent Bekker, put it: “Before the Clean Water Act went into effect in 1972, society went through an ‘era of ignorance’ where coal mining by-products and pesticide run-off ran straight into local waterways with little thought being given to the after effects.”

Unfortunately, because of these careless practices and the resulting water pollution, many species of birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish were lost. While some of the species were capable of re-colonizing or reproducing at a high level or emigrating back into the ecosystem, hellbender salamanders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) were not so lucky. As hellbenders have extremely long lives and don’t reach reproductive age until almost 20 years old, their population numbers bottomed out quickly. While this was disastrous for the animals, it cemented their importance as an indicator species of water quality.

Not surprisingly though, solutions to the pollution took much longer to produce than the problem took to occur. As Bekker indicated, while pollution was the root of the problem for hellbender salamanders, it had a synergistic effect that branched out into other areas. To simplify, while only parts of a stream may have been directly polluted, as the water moved, so did the problems. As hellbenders live under rocks with cavities dug under the rock with openings that face downstream giving them easy access to prey, their food supply and water became polluted making survival difficult. Additionally, the unsuitable habitat in between areas of high numbers of rocks did not allow the hellbenders to recolonize. Unfortunately, it would take years and assistance from the federal, state and local governments for water systems and hellbenders to begin their recovery.

As one would expect, the changing of generations’ old mindsets is not an easy or quick task. It took local land managers years to educate local businesses and farmers about the need for natural buffer zones between crops, factories and water supplies. The process of reestablishing these areas of deep rooted vegetation and trees is also obviously not a fast or cheap solution either.

Those facts, combined with new EPA standards/monitoring and simply the time necessary for the ecosystem to naturally restore itself, helped turn some of the nastiest streams in Ohio into some of the best quality habitat in recent years. These streams are where Wild Toledo biologists have worked with the Ohio Hellbender Partnership to reintroduce more than 300 hellbenders into now pristine waters. Thankfully, the reintroduced population is making progress but it will still be years before it becomes self-sustaining.

While it may seem like the water pollution problem is under control, there is still help to be had. In today’s modern world, siltation (tiny particles and fine sediment floating in the water) and the use of chemical herbicides and pesticides are still causing pollution and barriers to the life cycle of hellbenders.

You can help both by planting native prairies that filter rain water runoff and create habitat for pollinators who are imperative to agricultural success. For more information on hellbenders and native prairies, please visit wildtoledo.org.

Safari Safari Magazine Magazine • Spring • Fall 2017

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DISEASE: Tasmanian Devils with Randi Meyerson, assistant director of animal programs Usually when those in the zoo field are talking about disease impacting the wild population of a species, the problem comes from interactions with domestic animals. However, in the case of the Tasmanian devils, their current disease issue, Devil Facial Tumour Disease, is developed from within the species itself.

As Dr. Randi Meyerson, assistant director of animal programs, explained it, “While humans were not the cause of this problem, their efforts may well be the solution.”

Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrissi) are the largest living carnivorous marsupial, weighing 13-18 pounds and averaging about two feet in length. They are black all over with white marks on their chest and sometimes on their rumps and are only found on the island of Tasmania, not mainland Australia. Their foreboding expression, black color and terrible scream helped earn the “devil” nickname.

In recent years, Tasmanian devils have seen an unprecedented decline in wild populations due to Devil Facial Tumour Disease, or cancerous facial tumors. These tumors are spread by cancerous cells dropping from one devil into an open wound of another during shared, ferocious feeding on a kill or scavenged carcass. Like cancer cells in humans, the immune system does not recognize the cells as foreign and does not fight them off.

As Meyerson recalls from in-field observations, the tumors can be found on any part of the infected devil, they are especially prevalent around the mouth and eyes. “The tumors are so disruptive to the daily life of the devils. They can push the eyes beyond the sockets, causing blindness and take over the mouth area making the devil unable to eat and causing many to starve to death.”

Amazingly, through extensive testing it has been determined that almost all of the tumors have the same DNA and can be

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traced back to the original host, or first afflicted devil! It is estimated that since the disease’s discovery in 1996, 90% of wild devils have died from this grotesque disease. Tasmanian devils are currently listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species as an endangered species. Current population estimates of mature adult devils in the wild are between 10,000 and 25,000, whereas before the spread of the disease, the devil population was recorded at 130,000 – 150,000.

How are humans the likely solution?

Through the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, which the Zoo partnered with in 2015, researchers are working to develop a vaccine for the disease, create an assurance population of the species and reintroduce devils into the wild. “This is a conservation initiative visitors can see in action and know that their support is making a difference and helping devils every day. Visitors can track the progress on tassiedevil.com. au where researchers are blogging about their findings and posting videos of their fieldwork. In fact, earlier this year, some of the reintroduced devils bred and successfully weaned young for the first time, giving hope to the population eventually again becoming self-sustaining in the wild. Researchers also successfully tested an immunotherapy regiment that cured devils in the trial of the disease. While this is still in the testing and development, it is encouraging in many ways, as doctors are learning more about the devil’s immune system, being able to shrink the tumors for the first time and coming ever closer to developing a true vaccine. “With the on-going nature of the project, the status of the species’ recovery is still unknown, making this program even more important, but with each little success and advance we become more hopeful,” smiled Meyerson.

LOSS OF HABITAT:

Butterflies with Ryan Walsh, Wild Toledo coordinator By now you have heard about Wild Toledo’s native (urban) prairie initiative. But do you really know what made these pops of green within city limits necessary? We sat down with Wild Toledo coordinator, Ryan Walsh to learn the rest of the story.

As Walsh detailed, the story actually began with the westward movement of the 19th and 20th centuries. “This was the first point in recorded history that humans were fundamentally changing the natural world with expansion.

We began taking natural lands and resources to build homes, establish farms and accommodate our population growth and technology. Basically as the suburban sprawl took root, more and more natural habitat disappeared. Even more recently, if you look at photos from the 70s, we are 10 times more spread out now than we were then.”

That human expansion lead to the loss of habitat, or the place or environment where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives and grows. For example, studies have shown that Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) have lost 90-95% of their original summer habitat, which were the prairies of the Midwest that became acre after acre of fertile farmland. “Think of it this way, if we applied those numbers to humans, we would see a huge population die-off from a lack of resources. Just like us, butterflies need their habitat to do more than just live. They need places to lay eggs, food to feed upon and space to fly.”

While it might seem that the agricultural additions would aid pollinators, advances in fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides actually had the opposite effect. In fact, on average 22 million tons of fertilizers and chemicals are used each year. “Roundupready corn and soy beans are 98% of what farmers plant today, especially in the Midwest. Roundup kills milkweed, the sole host plant for Monarch butterflies, or more simply its food source and breeding ground. Before the advent of Roundup, milkweed would grow between the rows of crops, making monarchs and man more able to co-exist.”

Unfortunately, the 5-10% of natural habitat we left butterflies was degraded, or polluted to the point of no longer being able to support wildlife. “Lots of land had been clear cut in the beginning and as society took note of the lack of nature, we attempted to save or allow it to regrow but not all of the plants return. Karner blue butterflies (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) were a victim of this idea. Karners depend on Blue lupine plants to survive and that plant only thrives in sandy soil that is subject to frequent fires and has an open canopy. In today’s world, those areas are harder and harder to find, leaving less and less of the natural conditions required for butterflies to thrive and therefore less butterflies.”

Mitchell’s satyrs (Neonympha mitchellii mitchellii) were another butterfly victim of habitat loss. Mitchell’s satyrs are native to fens, or a low and marshy land fed by groundwater. Over the years humans have drained many of the fens, especially here in the Black Swamp and have also tapped into the groundwater supply for agriculture and human consumption. “Unfortunately, farmers have increased their use of seed treated with pesticide and fungicide. These dust-like seeds are spread onto a field by machine which causes a big cloud of dust that will dissipate but also makes its way into fens and subsequently pollutes the habitat.”

Additionally, the widespread use of pesticide has also inadvertently killed many butterflies. “Systemic pesticides work great for pests, but because the plant stores the chemicals in its tissue, the harmful substances also get into the pollen and nectar. While farmers aren’t intentionally killing butterflies and pollinators, they are contributing more to the decline than they realize.” Many homeowners also use systemic pesticides in their yards and gardens. This has the same effect as farmers, but as Walsh puts it, can actually be worse because most gardens are growing flowers that are more attractive to pollinators than the majority of agricultural crops in the area. The class of systemic insecticide that has done the most damage is called neonicotinoids and it is found on the shelves of many home and garden stores. “Neonicotinoids have been banned in the European Union but are prevalent in the US market with no government help in sight,” stated Walsh.

What can we do to help?

The answer is the same as every story we do in regard to the native prairie initiative- PLANT THEM! As we have detailed many times, the native plants provide habitat and food sources for many pollinators without the need for pesticides, their deep roots also help to filter run off and, of course, they provide beauty and color. This initiative is truly a win-win situation for boys and girls and butterflies and habitats!

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POACHING: Elephants with Ben Whitebread, elephant manager The poaching, or illegally hunting, of endangered animals such as rhinoceros, big cats and elephants has become not only a big business but big news stories too. Will this international attention bring about change? Only time will tell… Regardless, the more that the general public gets educated about this cowardly practice, the more can be done to protect the lives of the wild counterparts of our African elephants (Loxodonta Africana).

Some say poaching began with peasants taking the lives of Africa’s big game to simply survive.

However, somewhere along the course of history, the practice took a dramatic left turn toward the illegal.

Many societies, including China, one of the world’s most populous, have long valued the ivory found in the tusks of elephants as status symbols and for use in jewelry, piano keys and art. The drive to obtain and sell this elusive prize at drastically inflated amounts drove hunters to extreme measures. “The truth of the matter is that poachers kill elephants either by shooting them or even poisoning them, hack the tusks off with an axe (sometimes while the animal is still alive) and run off with the ivory, leaving the animal for dead,” said elephant manager, Ben Whitebread.

In 1989 the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) banned the 12

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international trade of ivory. Whitebread noted that after that ban some areas did see elephant populations start to increase.

Then in 1999 and 2008, CITES sanctioned two “one-time sell offs” of hundreds of tons of confiscated ivory in African countries and Japan with the proceeds to benefit elephant conservation.

These sales unfortunately backfired and helped to fuel the black market drive for the hard, white material. This had a snowball effect that drove up prices, thus increasing poaching to meet the demand. National Geographic reported that in 2012 alone more than 25,000 elephants were killed for their tusks. Heartwrenchingly, since 1800 the wild population of elephants has dropped from 26 million to approximately 400,000 today. “There is no real way to sugarcoat what illegal poaching has done to the current population of African elephants. It is quite literally the barbaric slaughter of the world’s largest land mammal. One statistic I have been hearing for the last eight years is that one elephant is poached every 15 minutes. While a wild population of around half a million seems like a lot, when you consider that around 1980 there were an estimated 1.3 million, it really puts the problem in perspective,” stated Whitebread.

Is there anything being done? Yes, there are international conservation organizations such as 96 Elephants working every day to protect the massive creatures. Some have taken to educating and paying natives to watch over local elephants and protect from poachers. Others have taken to using radio collars to track the elephants in an effort to monitor population numbers. Another step that we will have to watch is China committing to shut down its ivory trade by the end of this year.

“I’m skeptical simply because changing something that has been a part of a nation’s culture and heritage for so long is a huge challenge,” remarked Whitebread.

What can we do? Obviously, don’t purchase ivory. Join the Zoo in supporting elephant conservation at our enrichment events and visit our herd in Tembo Trail. “The elephants at the Zoo are representatives of their wild relatives, being housed in a safe and caring environment. For myself and the elephant staff, coming up with new enrichment ideas and ways for them to use their intelligence while keeping them fit and healthy are always our top priorities. It is a heart-breaking reality that the life of an elephant is being taken for a mere trinket carved from ivory to sit on the mantle of somebody’s fireplace, yet it gives me more motivation to reach out to as many Zoo visitors as I can,” sighed Whitebread.

It would behoove all of us to remember that an elephant never forgets…

HUMAN ENCROACHMENT with R. Andrew Odum, assistant director of animal programs, curator of herpetology The wellbeing of every living entity on earth is interconnected and interdependent. Our water-rich blue and green planet is relatively small, finite in both space and resources. Therefore, the taking of animals’ natural habitat for human expansion, or human encroachment, is threatening the delicate balance of the needs of the animal kingdom and desires of humans to co-exist.

However, people are the intelligent factor that makes choices to manage the world. Thus it is not a stretch to say conservation is not really a species, ecosystem, or environmental problem: It is a people problem. Any viable solution must factor in both the needs of people and the effects on the ecosystem. Striking that appropriate balance can be very complex and solutions are not necessarily easy to develop or execute.

A case history that provides lessons and aides us in developing conservation insight is the Kihansi hydroelectric project and the Kihansi spray toad (Nectophrynoides asperginis). In the 1980’s the Tanzanian government was studying possibilities for additional electrical production, as at that time only cities and largest towns had electrical power, while the majority of rural areas went without. Tanzania was and still is a developing country and additional electric generation was absolutely necessary to help grow their economy and improve the lives of their citizens.

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) Tanzania is a country that has no fossil fuel resources, leaving renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and hydroelectric the only viable solutions.

Several sites, including the Kihansi River, were identified for hydroelectric power generation.

After the initial engineering and environmental assessments were completed and plans to relocate the displaced families upstream were finalized, construction for the hydroelectric dam started in the early 90s. A few years later, a diminutive and unique toad was discovered in a remote area at the base of the Kihansi Gorge waterfalls. The newly-discovered Kihansi spray toad lived nowhere else in the world except the tiny wetland in the spray zone of the falls. Shortly after the diversion of water in late ‘99, the river flow was reduced from 25 cubic meters per second to only 2-3. All the remaining spray toads congregated in what was left of the spray zone wetlands at the base of the falls and the population started to crash. To assure the animal would not go extinct, 500 toads were sent to the Detroit and Bronx Zoos in November 2000 to build a captive assurance population.

(Toledo Zoo joined the effort and received their first toads in February ‘02.) In ‘01 irrigation was installed in Kihansi wetlands

and the wild spray toad population appeared to be recovering.

However, for not yet completely understood reasons, in ‘03 the population crashed completely and the last wild Kihansi spray toad was observed in ‘05. This string of events meant that the only Kihansi spray toads left were in the United States. Thanks in large part to the Bronx and Toledo Zoos’ captive rearing efforts, the Kihansi spray toad was reintroduced into its native Gorge on Halloween Day of ‘12. Shortly after the dam became operational, the Tanzanians developed an extensive irrigation system to maintain the spray habitat for the toad and have initiated research projects and built facilities for maintaining captive backup populations of spray toads to augment the wild population. In fact, Toledo Zoo has helped release over 4,500 toads back into Kihansi and will be shipping additional animals for release later this year. The tiny toads continue to be observed in the Gorge, giving researchers reasons to be optimistic that the wild population can become self-sustaining in the near future. All parties seem optimistic that this story will end in success for both the spray toad and the people of Tanzania.

This story demonstrates that human expansion and Kihansi spray toads can coexist. Certainly moving ahead with the hydroelectric project was the correct decision for the people of Tanzania, as it produces almost a third of the electricity for the entire country, providing light, pumping water and supporting a nationwide communication system. However, the Tanzanians also understand and prize their wildlife and have made noble efforts to ensure the spray toad has a forever home in the Kihansi Gorge.

The real lesson here is that people, wildlife and the environment are not adversaries; they are integral partners. The health and welfare of people depends on a healthy environment and vice versa. While this is a human problem, all too often we need to get out of our own way, and the way of nature, to be able to implement a lasting solution. The proof is in the big lesson we have learned from a very small toad.

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CLIMATE CHANGE: Polar Bears with Randi Meyerson, assistant director of animal programs

Since the birth of Hope, the most recent polar bear cub, our visitors’ interest in polar bears has increased exponentially. It has been well documented that climate change is severely impacting the entire native range and livelihood of the great white bear. Once again though, what really is the enigma known as climate change?

Climate change has been defined as changes in the Earth’s weather patterns, such as temperature, wind velocity and precipitation. We now know that human carbon footprints or activities are a direct cause of the warming Arctic. Contributing negative factors, include electricity usage, burning of coal and oil, length of commute to school or work and consumption of goods and services produced overseas. Carbon footprints are important because CO₂ is a greenhouse gas, meaning it traps heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. This heat, in turn, is melting sea ice and warming air and water temperatures.

Melting sea ice is a devastating problem for polar bears. No ice = no seals = no food. As polar bears are supremely adept to life in the harsh Arctic climate, they cannot survive solely on land or in ice-free water. The thick layers of Arctic sea ice serve as the bears’ hunting platform and where most of the females den to give birth. As the sea ice melts, polar bears are forced to walk or swim farther to reach their prey (seals). Although powerful short-distance swimmers, polar bears cannot swim for days or weeks on end. Mature bears starve to death and younger cubs drown. Additionally, the warming waters also affects the prey of seals which is required for them to sustain and reproduce.

In actuality, the warming waters change the biodiversity in the ocean, affecting the whole food chain or pyramid.

Less ice also opens the ocean access ways for longer periods of time during the year, increasing the industry presence in the area. This human disturbance of the traditional polar bear habitat and range then limits the number of safe denning sites and increases the chances of pollution and oil spills which can be devastating for all Arctic animals.

Some have suggested that polar bears could learn to live purely off the land, even consuming goose and duck eggs. However, as Dr. Randi Meyerson, assistant director of animal programs, informed, the eggs (and even the birds) could not supply enough calories for the bears to survive in such a frigid environment and it would severely impact the bird populations too. Additionally, the largest land mammal has evolved to the Arctic way of life

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over time and change will not happen quickly. “Polar bears are very specialized to live successfully in just five places within the Arctic region: Canada, Alaska, Russia, Norway and Greenland.

They have black skin to absorb heat from sun light and two layers of translucent fur, even covering the undersides of their feet, to help insulate against the cold. Under their skin is a fat layer that serves as more insulation and aids buoyancy while swimming.

Additionally, polar bears have small ears and a very short tail to prevent heat loss. These traits have occurred over time and while complete lifestyle changes are unlikely to happen, they certainly won’t happen as fast as the problem is occurring,” said Meyerson.

What can we do to help?

Reduce our individual carbon footprints. Helping is as simple as turning of the lights when exiting a room, unplugging appliances and power chargers when not in use and investing in reusable shopping bags. Additional steps can be properly insulating your home to make it easier to regulate heat and air conditioning, maintaining properly inflated tires on your car, purchasing energy efficient appliances and recycled products, combining errands to reduce drive times and carpooling, using public transportation or riding a bicycle instead of driving. All of these little steps by individuals can add up to big leaps forward for polar bears and their environment. After all, her name is Hope, as a nod to the future of her species.

CONSERVATION FUN at the Zoo

Get your ohm on and do yoga to benefit the Toledo Zoo’s Conservation and Horticultural Programs. These new sessions will be held on Saturdays in September from 9 – 10 a.m. with the following instructors and locations: 9- Leslie Chapman from Toledo Yoga in the Formal Garden* 16- Diana Spiess from Essence Mind Body Studio in the Formal Garden* 23- Phoebe Sloan from Tonic in the Aquarium 30- Margaret Penn from Yogaja Yoga in the Malawi Event Center * Sessions will be in the Aquarium in the event of inclement weather.

The cost is $20 for Toledo Zoo members; $25 for nonmembers (includes admission and parking).

Participants must be at least 16 years of age. Please bring your own water bottles and yoga mats and modest, comfortable clothing is suggested. To register, please visit toledozoo.org/yoga.

Is conservation the name of your game?

Join the Toledo Zoo’s Young Professionals for Animals and Conservation or YPAC! This group is designed for motivated, connected, and adventurous young professionals ages 21-mid 40s with a passion to think globally and act locally on behalf of animals and the natural world. YPAC not only provides social and business networking opportunities, but also incorporates volunteer opportunities to give back to both the Zoo and our community.

YPAC memberships are $25 per person/year (in addition to a Zoo membership) and includes four quarterly events and much more! To learn more or join, please visit toledozoo.org/ypac or email katherine.lonsbrough@toledozoo.org

Mark your calendar for the next YPAC event on Wednesday, October 4.

More details coming soon!

Explore Tanzania: Wild Kingdom’s ‘Garden of Eden’ from November 5-14 with the Toledo Zoo and its partners Penny Miller/Wander the Earth Expeditions and The Good Zoo. During this 10- day all inclusive trip, guests have the opportunity to visit Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater and see 350+ species of birds, lions, leopards, cheetah, elephants, giraffe, impala, rhinos and more!

To learn more about this trip, including itinerary and cost, please visit toledozoo.org/Tanzania-2017 or email sally.albert@toledozoo.org.

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Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Toledo, OH Permit No. 707

P.O. Box 140130 Toledo, OH 43614-0130 The Toledo Zoo is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. January through April: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Memorial Day to Labor Day: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

May & September: Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Weekends, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

October 1 – November 16: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

November 17 – December 31: Daytime hours, 10 a.m. - 2:59 p.m.

Lights Before Christmas hours, Sunday - Thursday: 3 - 8 p.m.

Friday and Saturday: 3 - 9 p.m.

All Lucas County residents receive free Zoo admission every non-holiday Monday 10 a.m. - noon.

(Must show valid proof of residency.)

The Zoo remains open for one additional hour after gates close to allow visitors to complete their visit. However, many animals may be off exhibit during the last hour.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS AUGUST 4

Buckeye Broadband Wild about Art Preview Party toledozoo.org/wildaboutart

5-6

Buckeye Broadband Wild about Art Fair toledozoo.org/wildaboutart

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

5, 12, 19, 26 Senior Discovery Days presented by Welltower Inc. toledozoo.org/seniors

3, 10, 17, 24, 31 Senior Discovery Days presented by Welltower Inc. toledozoo.org/seniors

10

Day of Honor & Grandparents’ Day toledozoo.org/honor

4

YPAC Event toledozoo.org/ypac

12

Senior Safari toledozoo.org/seniors Garden Tour toledozoo.org/garden-tours

6

Zoo Brew sponsored by Meijer toledozoo.org/zoobrew

8

Garden Tour toledozoo.org/garden-tours

11

Zoo Friends’ Night

22

Garden Tour toledozoo.org/garden-tours

16

Public Monarch Release sponsored by Medical Mutual

25

Feast with the Beasts presented by PNC toledozoo.org/feast

23

Enrichment Day

26

Garden Tour toledozoo.org/garden-tours

26

BUGFest toledozoo.org/feedings

19-20 Little Boo toledozoo.org/boo 21-22 Pumpkin Path sponsored by Meijer toledozoo.org/pumpkin 24

Garden Tour toledozoo.org/garden-tours

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Pumpkin Stomp & Chomp

For more information on these and all events at the Toledo Zoo, please visit toledozoo.org/events

Presented by

toledozoo.org/aac