Safari Magazine: Making Scents of Smell

MAKING SCENTS OF SMELL

SAFARI The Official Magazine of the Toledo Zoo

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Volume 27 |

Issue 4

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Winter 2018

welcome LETTER

SCENT MARKING IN PRIMATE FOREST with Koral Stoddard, primate keeper

Helen Keller once said, “Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles and all the years you have lived.” It has also been said, “Of the five senses, smell is the one with the best memory.” As is evident by both of those quotes, the sense of smell is powerful. In the animal kingdom, it is probably even more so than for humans.

Animals use their sense of smell to attract and find mates, sniff out prey, avoid predators and even supplement for poor eyesight and hearing. Read on to learn more about how our resident animals and native wildlife use their scent receptors to navigate the world, including the distinct odor of maned wolves, the anatomy of an elephant’s trunk, scents animals love and leave and much more!

Cover photo: Cougar

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From springtime flowers, to freshly mowed summer grass and fresh popped popcorn to the sweet smell of fudge, the Zoo is full of fantastic fragrances all year round! We hope your nose continues to guide you and your family back to the Zoo this year and for many years to come.

As Primate Forest keeper, Koral Stoddard, said, “It’s not itchy butt, it’s scent marking!” Scent marking is defined as a mammal depositing an odoriferous substance containing a pheromone from a scent gland, or in the urine or feces, on prominent objects in an area. Stoddard adds, “Scent marking is a big form of communication between primates. The purpose is to identify their territory to others, attract mates and to help recognize each other, especially babies to mom.”

Sincerely,

“As we rotate the different species through our five exhibit areas, Zoo visitors often see the primates scent marking.

The primates will scent mark anytime they enter a new area.

Mongoose lemurs have scent glands on their bums, so guests will see them scooting their bums around and across objects. Interestingly males have actually been known to go bald during breeding season, as they will rub their heads in the same direction in female scent so much.”

JEFF SAILER Executive Director

Thank you to our restaurants, corporate partners, guests and volunteers who made this year’s ZOOtoDO wildly successful!

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SCENT MARKING is a big form of

communication between primates.

The purpose is to identify their TERRITORY to others, ATTRACT mates and to help RECOGNIZE each other, especially babies to mom.

2 Hippo Way • P.O. Box 140130 Toledo, Ohio 43614-0130 419-385-5721 • fax 419-389-8670

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QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?

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

“Both sexes of ring-tailed lemurs have scent glands around their bums and visitors can often see them with their rears in the air. For male ring-tailed lemurs, the glands are on their wrist, just below their spur. They are regularly seen using their wrist to scratch scent into bark too, where it does not wipe off as easily as other spaces. Red pandas have scent glands on the bottoms of their feet and around

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their bums. When they (and mongoose lemurs) scent mark they also urinate leaving a visible scent trail. Swamp monkey’s on the other hand have scent glands located on their chests.”

Stoddard detailed that primates scent mark more often during their respective breeding seasons. “The scent actually changes with the involvement of hormones. It is a musky scent that isn’t strong to humans but the primates’ heightened sense of smell picks it up easily. For ring-tailed lemurs in particular, smell is their best sense.”

Ring-tailed Lemur scent marking in Primate Forest exhibit

Ring-tailed lemurs actually use their scents for more than just marking… “Ring-tailed males engage in what is known as stink fighting. It can actually get quite aggressive. They will rub the tip of their tail on their wrist to pick up the scent and then put their tail in the air to aggressively waft their scent around. While it is not known exactly what scent conveys dominance, the smelliest scent wins.”

LEMUR GO PRO EXPERIENCE Stoddard says keepers and other animals can tell a lot about an individual animal’s health by the smell of their scent markings too. “For example, we can tell when any of the primates have a yeast or urinary tract infections.

Both their scent markings and our own senses of smell help us to take care of all of the animals in Primate Forest.”

And know you know the rest of the story... it’s not itchy butt, it’s scent marking!

MONGOOSE LEMUR BABY

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Mongoose Lemur

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MANED WOLVES

Maned Wolf

with Michael Frushour, curator of mammals

If you have been to the Zoo in the past couple of years, your nose has undoubtedly noticed a unique scent as you cross the pedestrian bridge to enter the historic side of the Zoo. Many think it is skunk; others aren’t sure exactly what it is other than foul. According to our curator of mammals, Michael Frushour, the scent is actually the urine markings of the maned wolves that call the base of the bridge exhibit home.

“The maned wolves’ unique scent actually comes from its pungent urine that is used to scent mark its territory and attract mates during breeding season. In scientific terms it is called musk. Many believe it smells like skunk but

others say marijuana or stale hops,” said Frushour. Studies have indicated the odor is thanks, at least in part, to high levels of 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, an organic compound also found in toxic plants, such as milkweed. This compound is known to produce distinct odors and bright colors that serve as warnings to other species.

FIRST, THE FACTS Maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) may look like a cross between a wolf and a fox, but they are actually distinct species and the only member in their genus. In fact, studies have shown maned wolves are more closely related to bush dogs than any other species. Maned

wolves get their name from the black fur line on their back that stands up when the animal is alarmed. They have a thick reddish brown coat, long black legs, large pointed ears and a shaggy tail with a white tip. Frushour describes the species as gentle and timid omnivores. They hold the title of the tallest canid in the world standing about three feet at the shoulder and are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk. The Zoo is home to two male maned wolves, Loki and Odin, who share time on exhibit with our dingoes. The Zoo is a holding facility for the Maned Wolf Species Survival Plan.

OUR NEW MANED WOLVES

Its long legs help the maned wolf to see over the tall grasses of its native habitat in the cerrado, the largest biome in Central and South America, which consists of wet and dry forests, grasslands, savannas, marshes and wetlands. Maned wolves are usually solitary hunters that opportunistically eat almost anything; however, during breeding season they form monogamous pairs and share large territories of more than 20 miles. Individual animals weigh approximately 50 pounds and can eat about two pounds of food a day. “Maned wolves are interesting hunters. They can rotate their large ears to listen for prey and will then tap the ground with their front foot or dig in burrows to flush out prey from underground. They have also been known to leap in the air to catch insects and birds,” said Frushour. They have few natural predators in their native range, with the biggest threats coming from pumas (cougars) and domestic dogs. Maned wolves are listed as near threatened with only 5,000-20,000 left in the wild. Populations are declining due to human encroachment/expansion destroying up to 80% of the cerrado, disease and being hunted for their body parts, which some believe have magical powers.

IT’S ALL IN THEIR DIET As we have detailed in a previous article about this fascinating creature, maned wolves have quite an interesting diet. “Maned wolves will hunt for small rodents, lizards and birds but over half of their diet consists of fruit, particularly the fruit of the Lobeira plant (Solanum lycocarpum). Lobeira is related to the deadly Nightshade (Solanaceae) plant and produces a tomato-sized berry known as the “fruta do lobo” or wolf’s fruit. The fruit is so bitter that most animals avoid it, but it contains compounds that have therapeutic properties against giant kidney worms that often plague maned wolves. As it turns out, Lobeira seeds will not germinate unless eaten and passed through a digestive tract of an animal. The Maned wolf then

distributes the seeds when defecating to mark its territory.

It is through this symbiotic relationship that both species continue to persist in the wild. Wolves in captivity are not plagued by the kidney worms like their wild counterparts, so the diet of the maned wolves here at the Zoo is quite different. They get a specially formulated kibble diet along with fruits and vegetables like apples, bananas, yams and carrots. They will also get a frozen rat and an egg once a week, each along with trout and other fish as an occasional treat.

The next time you visit the Zoo, let your nose guide you to see these amazing animals and maybe even share your scent smarts!

“

Maned wolves are INTERESTING HUNTERS .

They can rotate their large ears to listen for prey and will then tap the ground with their front foot or dig in burrows to flush out prey from underground. They have also been known to LEAP IN THE AIR to catch insects and birds.

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Maned Wolf

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THE SCENT OF EUCALYPTUS

ANATOMY OF AN ELEPHANT TRUNK with Ben Whitebread, elephant manager

According to elephant manager, Ben Whitebread, “An elephant’s trunk is their most important appendage. We work with and train our elephants to trust us enough to literally put their trunk in our hands.”

Elephant trunks are one of the most well-known noses in the world, but they do so much more than just smell.

Read on to find out all about the amazing appendage!

An elephant’s trunk has no bones but 40,000 muscles and has two nostrils that run all the way through it. In comparison, the entire human body only has 639 muscles!

ELEPHANT ARTIST IN RESIDENCE The approximately 400 pound trunk is used for breathing, drinking, smelling, touch, gripping and sound.

It is both strong and sensitive; elephants can lift more than 700 pounds with their trunk but can also pick a single blade of grass with it!

The approximately seven foot long trunk is actually a fusion of a nose and an upper lip.

An elephant’s sense of smell is 4 times stronger than a bloodhound.

with Adam Haynes, bird & koala keeper

Elephants use receptor cells in their upper nasal cavity to smell water several miles away.

They say nothing is more memorable than a smell.

Well, what about the scent of eucalyptus? For many animal lovers, the scent of this unique plant conjures up memories of leathery noses and fluffy round ears.

Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) exclusively eat eucalyptus leaves, up to two pounds a day, and even live in eucalyptus forests and woodlands along the eastern coast of Australia.

Elephants use their trunk to greet and caress other elephants (and keepers.)

African elephants (like our herd) have two finger-like protrusions at the end of their trunks to aid in gripping.

Asian elephants have only one and utilize their trunk more to constrict objects, than grasp.

FUN FACTS The word eucalyptus is derived from the Greek words meaning well and to cover. The Eucalyptus plant is actually a fast-growing evergreen shrub or tree that is native to Australia and can grow to be 33 – 200 feet tall! They can get so large that they inhibit other plant species from growing nearby. In fact, one species of eucalyptus is the tallest known flowering plant in the world! Unfortunately, the species is also highly flammable as the leaves are covered in oil that is extracted/collected for homeopathic medicine and essential oils.

An elephant’s trunk can hold approximately two gallons of liquid and drink 10 gallons of liquid in one minute. (Our adult female elephants, Renee and Twiggy, can drink a five- gallon bucket of Gatorade in two trunkfulls.)

Elephant trunks are stunted during birth but grow rapidly in the following few days, so much so that baby elephants sometimes trip on or over their trunk! (Whitebread remembers that as a very young calf, Lucas would intentionally step on and squish his trunk in an effort to figure it out.)

An elephant’s trunk is their built-in snorkel, keeping it above water allows them to easily wade through deep water in their ever-moving search for food.

Elephants can be right or left trunked (just like humans are right or left handed) based on the direction or way they sweep/scoop/grip objects.

Adult elephants can sleep laying down or standing up.

Whitebread says you can tell if an elephant is snoozin’ standing up if about 2 feet of its trunk is drooped on the ground!

The skin on an elephant’s trunk (and the rest of their body) is so sensitive that they can feel a single fly land on them!

The next time you visit our elephants, check out all that their trunks can do and are trying to tell you!

African Elephant

GIVING TUESDAY ELEPHANTS

FEATURED FOOD At the Zoo, we utilize several varieties of Eucalyptus leaves in Coedie, the koala’s, exhibit and for his food. In fact, according to keeper, Adam Haynes, Eucalyptus is shipped twice a week to the Zoo from a farm in Florida, as we cannot grow the plant in Ohio. “Coedie gets eight different species in his diet which is comparable to the 1-10 any one koala may eat from in the wild. We log his food consumption each day to monitor his preference in each of these species as it can vary from season to season.” Eucalyptus, the only food in a koala’s diet, is harmful to most animals; however, in their digestive tract koalas (and some possums) have a special bacteria that breaks down the harmful compounds. As Haynes pointed out, that’s not the only adaption koalas have to support their special diet. “They also have very long caecum, which gives their digestive system time to break down the high fiber Eucalyptus.”

While there are over 600 different types of Eucalyptus leaves, as Haynes eluded to, koalas are very picky eaters and may only eat a few varieties, but will sleep or sit in others. Researchers believe the animal chooses leaves for different purposes based on their smell, derived from the compounds in the oil. Additionally, koalas get the moisture they need to survive through the leaves and don’t normally have to descend to the ground to drink. Koalas are vulnerable to extinction in their northern range due to loss of habitat, (more than 80% of Eucalyptus forests have disappeared) predation from dogs, disease and the effects of climate change. It is estimated there are only 43,000 to 80,000 koalas left in the wild.

During your next Zoo visit, stop by the koala exhibit and take a big deep breath of fresh Eucalyptus scented air!

HISTORY Eucalyptus oil was first collected in the 1770s by James Cook at Botany Bay in Australia. Since then, it has grown in popularity being used in everything from reducing pain and symptoms of cold/cough/congestion, to an antiseptic, industrial solvent and even an additive for perfume, cosmetics, honey and more. Its scent is thought to help people relax, concentrate and promote clear breathing.

Wood from the trees is also used to make didgeridoos, a native musical instrument. Eucalyptus oil is also prized for cleaning purposes and as a natural insecticide. Studies are currently being done on its ability to help control blood sugar, asthma, dental disease and use as an anti-fungal/bacterial.

ELEPHANT TRAINING LIVE African elephants hold objects with finger-like protrusions at the end of their trunks (see image above), and Asian elephants grab objects by wrapping their trunk around them.

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Koala

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FRAGRANT BLOOMS with Dale Sinkovic, horticulturist

Senna didymobotrya (Popcorn Plant)

The Zoo’s incredible garden areas not only look amazing, they also smell fantastic. We sat down with horticulturist, Dale Sinkovic, to learn all about the fragrant blooms visitors can enjoy during their Zoo stroll!

FOLLOWING THE SCENT According to Sinkovic, our Herb Garden is one of the most fragrant spots on grounds. “I plant Dill and Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) which smells and tastes like licorice and both are favorites of the orangutans. We also have

lavender, the scent of which is thought to be a natural sedative. Every year I also plant Scented Geraniums. In addition to their unique smells, they are advantageous because their scent helps dissuade rabbits and deer from munching on them. One of the varieties I like is ‘Prince Rupert,’ which has a lemon scent, and is also called fingerbowl geranium because in Victorian times a sprig of it was added to fingerbowls to cleanse hands. I also plant lime scented, which most herbivores don’t bother; citronella, which is marketed as a mosquito repellant plant and rose, which to me honestly smells like cleaning fluid.”

STYLIN’ SMELLS “For years I have saved and grown the heirloom variety of Heliotropes (Heliotropium arborescans) which are pale purple in color, tend to sprawl and smell like vanilla or baby powder. We also have Senna didymobotrya which is called ‘Popcorn Plant’ because the foliage smells like buttered popcorn. These particular plants are always a hit during our garden tours, as many will stop to smell, admire and discuss them.”

Sinkovic also has Stephanotis (Stephanotis floribunda) which has quite a perfume to its white, waxy blooms just in the greenhouse collection, located inside the Conservatory.

“It blooms sporadically throughout the year and is very popular (and quite expensive) for use in wedding bouquets because of its beauty and strong fragrance.”

While the Vanilla Orchid (Vanilla planifolia) flower itself may not smell like much, the ripe vanilla “bean” seed pods it produces are where vanilla extract/flavoring come from.

As the pods ripen over the course of 6-8 months, the greenhouse smells wonderfully of sweet vanilla. However, these plants are not easy to grow. “Vanilla is a true

orchid that is native to more tropical regions, including Madagascar and Mexico. As the insects that typically pollinate it are not native here, I have to hand pollinate the plant. The tough part is that flowers only last about one day, so the timing has to be perfect.”

“

Vanilla is a TRUE ORCHID that is native to more tropical regions, including Madagascar and Mexico.

As the insects that typically pollinate it are not native here, I have to HAND POLLINATE the plant.

The tough part is that flowers only last about one day, so the TIMING has to be PERFECT .

”

Heliotrope

OPPOSITE ODOR Not all flowers have pleasant smells though. On the other end of the fragrant spectrum is the foul-smelling Voodoo Lily (Sauromatum venosum) which blooms in early spring and smells like rotting flesh. This unique plant has stalks that look like snakeskin and its putrid smell actually attracts flies for pollination. “It fools me every spring, because I always think something has died when I’m planting nearby!”

Fragrance — or — odor? We have them both!

Toledo zoo gardens Follow #WhatsBloomingWednesday on our Facebook page!

Fennel

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Stephanotis floribunda

Vanilla Orchid Safari Magazine • Winter 2018

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SNIPPETS ABOUT SNIFFERS AND SMELL

Octopus use suckers on their legs to taste and smell.

Despite the myth, there is no scientific evidence that sharks can detect and seek out human blood. However, they can detect chemicals called necromones that identify to sharks there is a predator nearby and instinctively causes them to flee. Interestingly, that necromone is the same smell emitted by a dead shark.

The sense of smell is as diverse in the animal kingdom as hairstyles in humans. Check out these fun facts about different species’ sniffers!

A pig’s nose is made up of a round disk of cartilage that is connected to a muscle to give it strength and flexibility for rooting around for food.

Western lowland Gorilla

Mosquitoes can smell a human up to 100 feet away by using a chain of odorant-binding proteins to help transport molecules to their smell receptors. This protein chain is thought to accumulate in their systems in greater quantities at night, making them good nocturnal hunters of humans.

A brown bear’s nose is 7 times more powerful than a bloodhound’s and over 100 times more than a human’s.

It has been reported that bears have located a dead deer three miles away, noticed human scent on a trail more than 12 hours later and can smell prey underground and underwater!

LIVE WITH BROWN BEARS Proboscis monkeys, an endangered primate species that is native to the forests of Borneo, have a nose that is nearly seven inches long!

Male silk moths have feathery antennae they use to detect concentrations as small as 1 part per trillion of a female’s pheromones to locate a mate!

The elephant nose fish uses the protrusion, which is actually a chin, to help it navigate the murky waters of Africa and locate food through electrolocation.

The navigational abilities of homing pigeons come from iron-containing structures in their beak that pick up the Earth’s magnetic field and help them find their nest from as far as 1,000 miles away.

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Polar bears have been known to catch a whiff of seals up to 40 miles away.

11 second animal facts: polar bear

Brown Bear

Bactrian Camel

If a wolverine’s scent detectors were unraveled, it would be the size of a dinner plate. In comparison, unravelling a human’s scent detectors would only be the size of a dime.

Camels can close their nostrils to keep sand and snow out.

It has long been thought that most birds cannot smell; however, that has been proven a myth.

Some birds, including European Starling and Cockapoo, rely on fragrant smells to help attract mates.

A star-nosed mole has 22 tentacles that form its namesake feature and make it one of the world’s fastest foragers, often finding food in less than a quarter of a second.

Dogs have an olfactory organ called the vomeronasal organ, which helps them detect pheromones released by other dogs and other species. They also have the ability to take in and breathe out air at the same time and smell separately with each nostril!

The hammerhead shark does not just use its name-sake nose with wide-set nostrils for smelling, it also uses it to help hold down its prey, including sting rays.

Whales, dolphins and porpoises lack olfactory nerves to smell.

baby camel live feed Rattlesnakes (and other snakes) use their tongues to detect scent molecules in the air. The snake then presses onto its sensory pad called a Jacobson’s organ to identify the scent. Additionally, snake venom contains molecules called disintegrins, which help the snake track its prey once the venom has taken effect.

Albatross can detect DMS (dimethyl sulfide) compounds released by krill when they eat phytoplankton to track their food source from up to 12 miles away.

Polar Bear

Bees detect scent or chemical compounds called pheromones with their antennae. They also use pheromones to communicate and have a language of over 15 pheromones that trigger different behaviors.

Sweat bees even leave a pheromone trail as they fly that they can sniff out to get back home.

Nose prints of dogs and gorillas are unique to each individual animal.

GORILLA LIVE FEED Moths are one of the best smellers on the planet. Some species can pick up scents from nearly 3 miles away with their ultrasensitive antennae.

Crustaceans use their antennae to detect odors in the water to help locate food and mates.

Leaf cutter ants leave a scent trail of pheromones to help find their way back to the colony. Other worker ants can also use their antennae to follow the trail to food. If they get lost, the colony can even send scout ants to re-locate the trail and re-connect it!

And now… you nose, oops, know!

GIVING TUESDAY WITH CHUCK

The odor emitted by a skunk when alarmed is made up of seven volatile compounds with sulphur-containing chemicals, called thiols.

Kiwi have nostrils at the tip of their beaks to sniff out prey underground.

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VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR KEELY FISH

BUTTERFLIES AND INVERTEBRATES SENSE OF SMELL Not all species use a nose to smell. Butterflies and many invertebrates use antennae. Invertebrates are creatures that do not have backbones, but some have exoskeletons, or as conservation coordinator, Dr. Ryan Walsh says, “what crunches when you step on them.” Invertebrates make up nearly 95% of all known animals on earth, including spiders, butterflies, octopus, earthworms and many more.

PROCESSING SCENTS Invertebrates use chemo-receptors all over their bodies to help them “smell.” Walsh likens the process to a lock and key. “The chemo-receptors are like locks that need a certain scent that triggers nerves to unlock.” Monarch butterflies are an interesting example. “Monarchs chemoreceptors are centralized into their last leg segment, or feet, and in the tips of their antennae. When you see a monarch poking or stepping on a plant, it is actually smelling and tasting. They have bristles on their feet that help them hang on and the friction actually releases a smell, similar to when we rub herbs together to release a

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scent. The butterfly then recognizes the plant as a food source from the sugar or nectar and unfurls its proboscis to feed. In fact, this process is exactly how we feed our butterflies the first few times after capture. We actually sit their legs on a sponge soaked in nectar to make the connection to the food source. The first time it is like an involuntary reflex for the butterfly but then they make the link,” explained Walsh.

SMELLIN’ GOOD Monarchs also use their sense of smell for mating too.

“Males rub their hind wings together to emit a pheromone that the females search out. The more concentrated the pheromone, the more attractive to the female. In fact, females can actually smell it from quite a distance.”

MOTHER “NOSE” BEST Female monarchs also use their sense of smell to aid their mother’s intuition and protective instinct. “When females are looking for a place to lay their eggs, they use their

DELICIOUS AROMAS

Monarch Butterfly

with Ryan Walsh, Ph.D., conservation coordinator

olfactory sense to find the correct plant species and even look for individual plant characteristics,” stated Walsh. “In fact, female butterflies infected with OE (Ophryocystis elektroscirrha) a protozoan parasite, know they have the disease and sniff out plants with higher levels of cardiac glychocides, or the chemical compound that makes monarchs taste bad to predators. By laying her eggs on a strong plant that her offspring will feed on, she is giving her young the best chance to survive and mitigate their prospective OE chances.”

MONARCH CONSERVATION Who knew butterflies fluttered by so reliant on their sense of smell?

in need go downtown to utilize services provided by area organizations. Knowing that a growing percentage of the homeless population are families, she wanted to create a positive environment for kids. The Being Project was born and over the past year it has impacted not only the lives for the children, but also the ZooTeens. We are pleased to recognize Keely Fish and her immense compassion for others as the ZooTeen Volunteer of the Year!

with Samantha Mason, concessions manager

Our ZooTeen Volunteer of the Year joined the program in April of 2014. Like so many ZOOTeens before her, she started a little shy, but has since gained confidence and become a positive influence on her peers and a force for good in the community. She has donated over 1,600 volunteer hours in the past three years.

In those hours, she has supported a range of education activities here at the Zoo, including helping in Nature’s Neighborhood and assisting with summer camps. She also has cleaned trash out of rivers and removed invasive species from local parklands. However, her true passion is for community service. She has interacted with kids at a domestic violence shelter, supported therapeutic riding programs for individuals with developmental disabilities, packed take-home kits at food banks and socialized animals at the Humane Society.

Late in 2016, she sat down with an intern in the volunteer office and developed a concept for a new activity which teens could support on Saturday mornings, to help people

gingerbread boys and girls (available only during Lights Before Christmas) and huge oatmeal cream pies.

Seasonally, we also make our own soups, including chicken noodle, chili, chicken pot pie and tomato bisque.”

Finally, Mason says don’t miss the donuts available during cooler weather at a food cart in Main Plaza. “We got so many compliments on these full-size cinnamon sugar donuts that are served warm. The smell brings people to the window, but the taste brings them back!”

Use your sense of smell to seek out all the best Zoo treats!

CONCESSIONS

The Zoo’s concession stands are year-round homes to delicious smells. We all know about the wonderful scent of freshly made popcorn, the alluring whiff of fudge and the unmistakable aroma of roasted nuts, but the Zoo’s concessions manager, Samantha Mason, gave us the scoop on some of the hidden gems!

Karamu BBQ is open Memorial Day through Labor Day and features build-your-own burgers, sandwiches and hotdogs. “Karamu is the best hidden food in the park.

You get to customize your entree to make it just the way you want it, add some amazing roasted red-skinned potatoes and then enjoy it picnic style, under cooling misters overlooking the Africa! exhibit!”

Let your beak guide you to the Bird Feeder: home to sweet, salty and scrumptious! “Last year we debuted deep fried Twinkies and they have been a big hit. Many don’t know we also offer funnel cakes at this stand and they are delicious!”

Timberline Bakery is where it’s at for warm, homemade treats. “We offer hot chocolate all year long and all of our cookies are homemade. We are known for our

Check out the unique offerings at the new Beastro Beer & Wine Garden!

• Family-friendly ambiance • Firepit & Games • Eclectic menu • Adult and non-alcoholic beverages

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ABOUT OPOSSUMS

SCENT ENRICHMENT

with Morgan Sopko, overnight and scout programs coordinator and Beth Posta, curator of behavioral husbandry GETTING CRAFTY While the enrichment may be for the animals, humans do have to help. Zoo snoozers get in on the scent enrichment action during their afterhours Zoo experience! Many of our overnight guests create scent bags or pillows for a variety of our animals. “Snoozers fill paper bags with hay and cooking herbs and spices, such as oregano, basil, mint, cinnamon and nutmeg. They then roll the bag closed and paint with non-toxic paint on the outside of it. After they are complete, the bags are then given to the keepers to be put out for the cheetahs, dingoes and maned wolves, bears (and more) and the snoozers get to watch the animals interact with the enrichment,” said Morgan Sopko, overnight and scout programs coordinator. “We also make paper mache scent enrichment where we dilute the same

spices or herbs in water and spray it into the layers of paper mache. We are careful to not use too much scent and nothing spicy but the animals and snoozers seem to really like the activity.”

ANIMALS ENJOY Scent enrichment at the Zoo is a group effort though. Our behavior and animal care staffs work together to provide a sensory rich environment for all of our animals. According to curator of behavioral husbandry, Beth Posta, our efforts are all based on the species’ natural history and documented ranges of sight, hearing and smell. “When it comes to the olfactory sense, our goal is to stimulate it naturally, not overwhelm our animals. We have learned that a small amount of perfume, herb, spice, oil or cologne goes a long way. We usually only use about a quarter teaspoon of any scent. Even with small quantities, reactions or displays of natural behaviors are incredible. The wolves will roll around in the scent, the bears will scratch and

sniff at it, while the big cats will urinate on it to mark as their territory.”

HUMANS TOO It isn’t all for the animals though. “During our overnights, we also play the scent game with our guests as a good way to drive home the incredible importance of smell in the animal kingdom. We ask our guests to sniff and identify a variety of scents including lemon, cocoa, coconut, garlic and vanilla. Most people say they recognize most of the scents but have a hard time placing or naming them.

This leads to a great discussion about how humans don’t have the best noses, but we don’t have to because we can utilize other senses to help us more than animals can.”

WOLF ENRICHMENT Scent enrichment is a really important part of our enrichment program and we are always looking for novel, new ideas.

“Recently we have utilized perfume and cologne inserts from magazines, a variety of essential oils and extracts and even Skin So Soft! There are also some natural options too, that are driven by the predator prey relationship and wild ecosystems of our animals. Occasionally we will give the polar bears access to the seal pool, while the seals are in their indoor holding, to elicit natural hunting behaviors from the bears. We can also give elephant foot shavings to the big cats to elicit natural predatory behaviors and even walk prey species through their predators’ exhibits when the predator is in holding to create a scent trail and encourage hunting and curiosity,” detailed Posta.

As you have read, we really have our nose to the grindstone when it comes to scent enrichment!

ZOO SNOOZE

O is for opossum. At least that is what we were taught in elementary school. However, many of us didn’t learn all the cool factors about one of the best, albeit most mysterious, noses in our area.

Opossums are black and gray in color, measure 2-3 feet in length, weigh 4-15 pounds and have large round ears, a long naked tail and 50 sharp teeth.

Opossums are extremely good climbers thanks to their dexterous paws and halux or two big toes that act like thumbs to help them grasp.

There are more than 60 different species of opossums and they are the only marsupial in North America.

These nocturnal creatures are usually solitary and nomadic, changing dens every few days.

Opossums roamed the earth with dinosaurs and many believe that have persisted because of their ability to eat everything, including fruit, carrion and roadkill, birds, slugs and bugs.

Opossums are known for “playing possum,” or freezing and feigning death when frightened. They are able to recover quickly (within minutes or up to a few hours) after the threat is gone.

Opossums do have a prehensile, or gripping tail; however, despite the myth they cannot hang upside down by their tail.

A group of opossums is called a passel.

Despite the common thought, opossums hardly ever carry rabies or Lyme disease.

African Elephant

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Safari Magazine • Winter 2018

Gray Wolf

They get a bad reputation for eating gardens and creating dens in attics, chimneys and crawl spaces.

Opossums are actually beneficial to humans though as they clean up dead and uneaten food, kill ticks and catch and consume cockroaches, mice, rats and snakes.

Opossum’s strongest sense is smell, as they have poor eyesight and hearing.

In the ranking of genes devoted to smell in the animal kingdom, opossums rank #3- behind mice and elephants and ahead of dogs, cats and horses!

Opossum babies are born with their eyes and ears shut and immediately after birth use their strong sense of smell to follow a scent trail laid out by the mom’s licking to move approximately four inches across her belly and into her pouch.

While some people mis-pronounce and mis-spell opossum, the more common possum is actually the name of an entirely different (not closely related) animal, similar to a sugar glider, that is native to Australia!

So once again, O is for opossum!

MESOPREDATORS

Amur Tiger Safari Magazine • Winter 2018

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

P.O. Box 140130 • Toledo, OH 43614-0130 HOURS: Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. | January through April 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Memorial Day to Labor Day 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Monday-Friday • May & September 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Weekends • May & September 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. | October 1 - November 22 (pre-Lights Before Christmas) Lights Before Christmas Hours: November 23 - December 31 10 a.m. - 2:59 p.m. | Zoo Daytime hours

Sun -Thu 3 p.m. - 8 p.m. | Lights Before Christmas activities Fri & Sat 3 p.m. - 9 p.m. | Lights Before Christmas activities 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 NOVEMBER 4 6 14

Last Night of Luminous Nights toledozoo.org/luminousnights Camp for a Day toledozoo.org/camps Kegs for Kirtlands by AAZK & YPAC toledozoo.org/ypac

22 23

Zoo CLOSED (Thanksgiving Day) Lights Before Christmas presented by KeyBank begins with Tree Lighting Ceremony toledozoo.org/lights

31 31

Noon Year’s Eve toledozoo.org/noonyears Last night of Lights!

21

Camp for a Day toledozoo.org/camps

DECEMBER 5 YPAC Holiday Howler toledozoo.org/ypac 24 Zoo and Lights CLOSED (Christmas Eve) 25 Zoo and Lights CLOSED (Christmas Day)

Toledo Zoo

LIGHTS before Presented by

NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 31 toledozoo.org/lights

JANUARY 2019 1 18

Zoo CLOSED (New Years Day) Wine Tasting - Malawi Event Center toledozoo.org/wine 19-21 Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend free admission for Lucas County residents

For more information about these and other events, visit toledozoo.org/events